We will wait and see, West Papuans say

 A WEST Papuan leader says they are yet to be convinced of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s support for a free West Papua.

Freddie Waromi said on Monday that was because O’Neill last year had rejected their submission for K300,000 to send Papua New Guinea-based West Papuan leaders to attend the Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting in Vanuatu. 

“We waited for a week without any responses,” he said. 

Waromi said they did not attend that meeting.

“We wanted to attend the MSG meeting to push for a permanent seat in the MSG,” he said.

“However other West Papuan leaders based in other countries attended that meeting.” Waromi said if O’Neill was serious about supporting the cause, then he should pass legislation in Parliament to support them, just like the Vanuatu Government.

O’Neill said last week that PNG must speak out strongly against the brutality and oppression faced by the people of West Papua.

He said PNG could no longer be silent on the issue.  

Waromi said at least O’Neill was speaking out publicly on their plight, unlike his predecessors.

Waromi is inviting O’Neill to discuss with West Papuan leaders ways to petition the Indonesian Government to address their plight.