Thank you Vanuatu

I APPLAUD the government of Vanuatu for standing up and speaking out at the United Nations against the political repression of the people of West Papua by the Indonesian State, acting as their colonial masters.
The repression of the West Papuans is reminiscent of the repression of East Timor by Indonesia.
These people are suffering, they are dying and under threat of ethnic cleansing.
History is repeating itself.
And yet again the international community has largely ignored the plight of the West Papuans as they struggle to live as free people.
That’s why Vanuatu’s stance stands out as a beacon of hope for a long oppressed people.
I congratulate Vanuatu for doing what’s right when many others stay quiet because it’s politically expedient for them to do so.
Shame on all who remain silent in the face of the atrocities suffered by the West Papuans at the hands of the Indonesian State.

Rajend Naidu,
Sydney