Parkop submits petition to UN

By OLIVE SUKUN
THE National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop led a 12,000-signature petition presentation to the United Nations (UN) country office last Friday.
The petition called for the UN Commission for Human Rights to investigate the current crisis in West Papua.
“The UN has failed its responsibility, they failed their law and they failed their standard. That is why our people are facing this dilemma,” Parkop said. “Our people have been in this oppressive stage for the last 57 years.
“That is why we are submitting this petition to urge the UN to take responsibility and correct its mistakes.”
Free Papua Movement chairman Jeffrey Bomawak in addressing a small crowd at the Sir John Guise Stadium, said: “We will not give up and we will stand by and fight because we are defending the truth.
“We did not steal anything from Indonesia but if they want to send their military they can send it because God is with West Papua, God is with Melanesia and God is with Papua New Guinea.”
Parkop said if Indonesia did not allow the UN Commission to investigate the crisis in West Papua, “we will submit another petition to the Indonesian Embassy here”.
The petition was signed by NCD Commission residents, children, students, the University of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Adventist University students, and 2,000 signatures from Mt Hagen, Western Highlands.
The UN country representative was not present to receive the petition as it was against UN protocols.
Parkop and Oro Governor Gary Juffa then led the petitioners to present the petition to the UN country office in town.