Yesterday's arrests at Dutch embassy

Friday August 16, 2002 17:05

by WEST PAPUA SUPPORT GROUP

West Papuan activists expose Dutch betrayal of West Papua

4 IRISH WEST PAPUA ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AT DUTCH EMBASSY on the 40th anniversay of the New York agreement. They called on the Dutch Government to abide by the agreement, which promised mineral rich West Papua a free and fair say on its future. That never happened. With a history similar to East Timor, Papua has since suffered a brutal occupation, mass human rights violations, massive ecological destruction by BP, Shell and Freeport MacMoran, and over 100,000 of it's people have been killed. This followed the UN monitored 1969 Act of 'free' choice where 1025 hand picked Papuans voted for integration into Indonesia. Former UN under-secretary general has since noted “Nobody gave a thought to the fact that there were a million people who had their fundamental human rights trampled”. Today governments around the world, including Ireland, contend that the territorial sovereignty of Indonesia must be respected. And this despite the murder

PRESS STATEMENT

15 August 2002

Activists Arrested after Call on Netherlands Government
to call publicly for Act of Self-determination in West Papua

Irish activists today called on the Netherlands government to call publicly as a matter of urgency for a proper act of self-determination in accordance with international practice in West Papua as agreed by the Netherlands at UN headquarters 40 years ago today.

The activists called on the Netherlands Ambassador to Ireland to convey to his government this demand at the Netherlands embassy today, where a vigil and protest occurred. The Ambassador felt he couldn't accede to a request that a cover letter with a copy of a letter to the Ambassador (see below) be sent to the Netherlands government, with a copy to the activists before leaving. After a peaceful sit down protest, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Treena Lenthall, Ciaron O'Reilly and Mark Doris were arrested and brought into police custody - later to be released.

The Netherlands signed the New York Agreement with Indonesia at United Nations Headquarters on 15 August 2002.

The peaceful protestors wore tee-shirts saying “West Papua betrayed”. A large banner displayed VERRAAD! which means BETRAYED! in Dutch – with the dates 1962 and 2002.

In a letter to the Ambassador, West Papua Action coordinator, Mark Doris, said:

‘As your government fully knows, Article XVIII of the Agreement, paragraph (d), had the following words:

The eligibility of all adults, male and female, not foreign nationals, to participate in the act of act of self-determination to be carried out in accordance with international practice

As your government fully knows, an estimated 30,000 deaths occurred in West Papua from 1963 to 1969, underscoring how “the rights, including the rights of free speech, freedom of movement and of assembly of the inhabitants” were not “fully guaranteed” as per Article XXII of the Agreement your government signed 40 years ago today. Your government also knows how just 1,022 hand-picked people voted in public to declare their loyalty to Indonesia in 1969: this was the extent of the “act of self-determination in accordance with international practice”.

Your government did not protest.’

West Papua (formerly called “Irian Jaya”, now “Papua”, by Indonesia) was taken over by Indonesia in 1963, after a brief period of UN administration. The Netherlands departed West Papua on October 1st 1962. An estimated 100,000 people have died in West Papua since 1963.

For more information, contact: Mark Doris, 087 2969742. 01 882 7563.

Note: Letter to Ambassador below

ENDS

West Papua Action
134 Phibsborough Road
Dublin 7
Ireland
Tel. *353 1 882 7563 / 882 7581
Fax. *353 1 882 7576
Mobile. *353 87 2969742
Email. [email protected]
http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
++++++++++++++++++++++++
for human rights in West Papua
including the right to self-determination
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Ambassador

Royal Netherlands Embassy

160 Merrion Road

Ballsbridge

Dublin 4

August 15, 2002.

Re: 40 years of silence on West Papua

Dear Ambassador,

We are here today to commemorate the history of silence of your government and its betrayal of the West Papuan people, in particular since your government signed the New York Agreement 40 years ago today at United Nations Headquarters with the Indonesian government.

As your government fully knows, Article XVIII of the Agreement, paragraph (d), had the following words:

The eligibility of all adults, male and female, not foreign nationals, to participate in the act of act of self-determination to be carried out in accordance with international practice

Your government did not protest.

The conspiracy of silence from your government has spoken louder than any words.

It is in the power of your government however to begin to redress this shameful history of silence and betrayal.

Your government could for instance:

1. call publicly for a dialogue, mediated by a third party, between West Papuans and Indonesia;

2. support international calls on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the UN to review its role in the 1969 “Act of ‘Free’ Choice”;

3. make a public statement on whether or not an “act of self-determination in accordance with international practice” took place in 1969;

4. call on Indonesia to invite competent UN authorities to visit West Papua to investigate the human rights abuses which have been occurring there since 1962;

5. call for the immediate withdrawal of all combat troops from West Papua;

6. call publicly as a matter of urgency for a proper act of self-determination in accordance with international practice in West Papua as your government agreed to at the UN 40 years ago today.

Your government fully knows that Chakravarthy Narasimhan, former UN Undersecretary General has said the so-called “Act of ‘Free’ Choice” was a “whitewash”. Your government does not have to wait for any further research in your country or elsewhere to confirm what is obvious: the “Act of ‘Free’ Choice” was a sham.

The question of West Papua will not go away. In fact, there is growing concern here in Ireland and internationally for the people of West Papua.

The Netherlands government can choose to take an honorable part in the history of West Papua, which may go some way to redressing the injustice suffered by West Papuans over the past 40 years.

Yours faithfully,

…………………….

Mark Doris,

Coordinator.