Asia Pacific Report newsdesk
A West Papuan envoy who was gagged while addressing the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues two years ago is due to speak again today.
For six years, John Anari, leader of the West Papua Liberation Organisation (WPLO) and an “ambassador” of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), has been appealing to the forum to push for the Indonesian-ruled Melanesian region to be put back on the Trusteeship Council.
He is speaking for the two groups combined as the West Papua Indigenous Organisation (WPIO), or Organisasi Pribumi Papua Barat.
“I believe West Papua has been a UN Trust Territory since 1962 when the
General Assembly authorised [the] United Nations and Indonesia’s administration of West Papua,” he is expected to say in his short decaration.
“I believe there is a moral and legal obligation for news of the authorisation, General Assembly resolution 1752 (XVII), to be placed on the agenda of the United Nations Trusteeship Council so that the Council can then ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its advisory opinion on the proper status of West Papua in relation to the Charter of the United Nations.
“To restore United Nations awareness of the sovereign and human rights of our people, for
six years I have been asking this Permanent Forum [PFII] to advise the Economic and Social Council that it can and should place the missing agenda item on the agenda of the Trusteeship Council.
“Not only has this forum failed to relay our request, two years ago the moderator attempted to stop my reiteration of our request. This year I am also petitioning the Secretary-General to put news of the United Nations subjugation of West Papua on the agenda of the Trusteeship Council.
“If this forum will not relay our request, I ask you to explain to the international news media why this forum has not told the Economic and Social Council about General Assembly resolution 1752 under which West Papua is still suffering foreign administration and looting.”
The petition has been presented to the Secretary-General, António Guterres.
