West Papuan Leader Calls Vanuatu PM ‘Beacon Of Hope’ Campaigner Benny Wenda grateful for Carcasses’ UN speech By Len Garae PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, March 21, 2014) – Founder of Free West Papua Global Campaign, Benny Wenda has described Prime Minister Moana Carcasses’ staunch address to the United Nations Committee for Human Rights Abuse in Geneva, Switzerland, against the atrocities inflicted by Indonesian soldiers on West Papuans as a beacon of hope for all West Papuans who have been crying for freedom, justice and true self-determination for the last 50 years. Wenda who passed through Port Vila on his global campaign trail over one year ago wrote a two-page letter to the Prime Minister to express his people’s heartfelt gratitude for speaking up for West Papuan human rights at the United Nations. Wenda wrote, Now with your support, my people are beginning to wipe away their tears as your Melanesian brothers in the Pacific boldly lead the world into supporting true freedom for our people. I am deeply moved by your speech and felt delighted when you called for immediate action in the presence of the Secretary General of the United Nationals in Geneva and so many other distinguished leaders, who, as you rightly put it, are working in the noblest organ of the United Nations. It was highly significant that you recalled the tragic history of West Papua, including horrific human rights abuses, such the torture and murder of innocent Melanesian Papuans; Yaweri Wayeni, Telenga Gire and Anggen Pugu Kiwo. Wenda said by calling for a UN investigation into the human rights situation in West Papua as well as full access for human rights NGOs, international journalists and UN Human rights monitors, the Prime Minister has done an incredible service to the West Papuan people as the world no longer can ignore their plight. [PIR editor’s note: Radio New Zealand International reported that Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo said any self-determination efforts in Indonesias Papua region must be made in conjunction with Jakarta. ... Mr Lilo, who says Jakarta has taken heed of his call for an end to abuses by security forces in Papua, describes Indonesias legitimacy over the region as unquestionable.] Wenda continued, By raising such issues, you have pushed past the boundary of fear and blindness, which has been so evident in the history of the United Nations, leading the world into breaking the wall of silence whish has tried to stop the voice of our people for the last 50 years. I have always believed that when once nation supports West Papua, others will soon follow. We have always been confident that our brothers and sister Melanesians would be the first of the nations to give their support. My brother, I thank you with all my heart for spreading the message of our suffering people. On the day you made the historic speech, almost exactly a year after you became Prime Minister of your great country, thousands upon thousands of my people came out, on to the streets of West Papua, to demonstrate their support. History was made once again as Papuans from every organisation within the country signed a joint statement to thank you and welcome your speech. They called on all other nations to stand up in support of your noble actions, asking for an investigation into the condition of human rights in West Papua at the UN level, supporting your country for making such a bold statement and calling for full self-determination in west Papua. I want to offer you my full encouragement in making this speech and thank you for your continuing support of my people. Please keep raising our voice at the international level. My people have been crying since 1963 for a leader to take up our cause at the United Nations. It was not the nations directly responsible for the occupation that raised our voice when we cried but our Melanesian brothers across the Pacific Ocean. I want to also say thank you for your support of West Papua joining the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Although many other Melanesian states have submitted to Indonesia’s false image of West Papua and even accepted money, we are so delighted to see our brave brother Vanuatu once again perceiving the true suffering of our people and accordingly, refusing to go to Indonesia and West Papua with the recent MSG delegation. We will always hope and pray that all of our brothers in Melanesia and the Pacific, such as yourself, will continue to support the cries of our people against genocide and colonialism, so that one day we may all stand together in the Melanesian family of nations. May God bless you, the Republic of Vanuatu and all of Melanesia. Vanuatu Daily Post Copyright © 2014 Trading Post Limited. All Rights Reserved
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 04:01:40 +0000
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