West Papua youths take a new approach

 By SHIRLEY MAULUDU 

THE West Papua people are now taking a different approach to strengthen their call for independence, a spokesperson says. 

Frank Makanuey said young West Papuans had taken the initiative to organise events that would give a more intellectual appeal. 

They started with the West Papua Night in Port Moresby on Saturday. 

Makanuey said West Papuans had realised that what had been discussed mostly on social media were all based on emotion. 

“We have graphic pictures of someone being killed so we think that we are appealing mostly to the emotions,” he said. 

“We want to take a different approach and say to the Indonesian government: ‘Grant West Papua its independence (because it) will be to your (Indonesia) benefit’.

“Whether it’s economic or social, we are willing to discuss the fact that West Papua is rich in natural resources. We are willing to tell the world to give us our freedom.”

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said two weeks ago in Port Moresby that PNG must speak out strongly against the brutality and oppression faced by the people of West Papua.