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Groups call on UN for West Papua independence referendum as Indonesia arrests 1,700 demonstrators

Independence movement, international coalition argue West Papua not yet properly decolonized

 La bandera de Papua Occidental.
La bandera de Papua Occidental.
Parliamentarians and lawyers from around the world and West Papua pro-independence leaders are today calling on the UN to take steps towards a self-determination referendum in the Indonesian-occupied territory. The call comes the day after Indonesian forces arrested nearly 1,700 demonstrators who commemorated the date of the annexation of West Papua by Indonesia and supported efforts by the sovereignty movement.

The International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) group is today holding a conference in London. It is expected that the group issues a formal request to the UN to adopt a resolution that opens the door to international peacekeeping forces in West Papua as a prelude to a vote on independence. South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of world leaders that will today be voicing support for West Papuan demands.

Both the independence movement -which comes under the ULMWP umbrella- and IPWP agree that the annexation of West Papua by Indonesia was illegal. The Netherlands -West Papua's colonial power- withdrew from the territory in the early 1960s without having carried out a proper decolonization process. The Indonesian military occupied West Papua, and Indonesian authorities subsequently organized a referendum in 1969 in which only 1,026 people, picked by the Indonesian army, were allowed to vote. The result was unanimous for annexation.

Indonesia, on the contrary, argues that the 1969 vote -labeled the "Act of free choice" by the Indonesian government- was perfectly legal, and calls on other countries to recognize its sovereignty over West Papua.

Several small Pacific countries currently support the demands by the West Papuan movement. But the main regional power, Australia, continues to regard West Papua as a legitimate Indonesian territory.

Demonstrations in support of regional recognition

Regarding the 1,700 people arrested yesterday, these are people who were voicing support for a strategy of the ULMWP to get full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), a regional organization that brings together several Pacific states.

ULMWP was granted observer status by the MSG in 2015. But the Papuan movement still seeks to join the organization as a full member. ULMWP believes this would help Papuan claims to reach more international prominence.

Papuan demonstrations are usually cracked down by the Indonesian forces, as is part of a decades-long repression against the independence movement. Papuan sources suggest that half a million Papuans have been killed by Indonesian forces since the 1960s.