Vanuatu Daily Post – Once again West Papuan independence activists have been arrested and brutalized to prevent them meeting international delegates to Indonesia’s Melanesian colony; this time a delegation from the Solomon Islands visiting Jayapura and Manokwari on 24-25 April 2018, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) reports.
Indonesia arrested eight leading political activists (Philipus Robaha, Marthen Manggarprow, Beny Hisage, Arnol Yarinap, Albert Yatipai, Gino Puade, Paul Kirihio and Chris Dogopia), humiliating them in front of their Melanesian kin and silencing their critique of the government’s duplicitous Endeavour to halt the rising tide of international support for the independence movement.
According to a statement released by the ULMWP on Monday, instead of being taken to meet West Papuan socio-political leaders, the Solomon Islanders were taken on a tour of two ‘development’ sites, a sports-building project and the Haltecamp Bridge.
Mr. Soerdarmo, Caretaker Governor of Papua province, reportedly told the delegates that the ULMWP, the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and other independent organizations purposely misrepresent and disrupt the Indonesian Government’s development endeavors. He said his government is ready for dialogue with ULMWP in any street cafe.
The governor’s views illustrates yet again that Indonesia has no intention of honoring its responsibility to uphold the human and political rights of its colonial subjects.
ULMWP Spokesperson Jacob Rumbiak, who has just returned to Melbourne from a very successful representation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London, said “After fifty-five years of Indonesian colonialism, we West Papuans, like many international observers, believe it has distinct parallels with the Nazis in Germany.
“The place to negotiate that agenda is the United Nations headquarters in New York, not some sleazy cafe in Jakarta”.