International parliamentarians speak out for West Papua's right to self- determination

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Category: Updates genocide in West Papua

Published: Wednesday, 17 October 2012 19:06

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IPWP PRESS RELEASE

International parliamentarians speak out for West Papua's right to self-
determination and freedom from violence and persecution

London (October 23nd, 2012)--- A week after Indonesia's president Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono's visit to the UK, parliamentarians from around the world
and local civil society organizations will gather at Westminster to discuss
the ongoing struggle for the liberation of West Papua from Indonesia.

For close to fifty years, West Papua has been under a vicious Indonesian 

occupation. In the past year alone, dozens of peaceful protestors have been
imprisoned and a prominent West Papuan independence leader was assassinated.

Towards the goal of achieving self-determination for West Papua, the
International Parliamentarians for West Papua conference aims to reignite
discussion on the 1969 “Act of Free Choice” and the New York Agreement of
1962.

This year also marks the fourth anniversary of the launch of the International
Parliamentarians for West Papua. Since its inception, the organisation has
grown to almost 100 parliamentarians from around the world who advocate for
the rights of West Papuans.

This International Parliamentarians for West Papua conference features West
Papua's exiled independence leader Benny Wenda, Caroline Lucas (Green Party MP
for Brighton Pavillion), Andrew Smith (Labour Party MP for Oxford East) and
Lord Harries from the United Kingdom and civil society leaders from Tapol,
Down to Earth, the London Mining Network, and Oxford University's Lawyers
without Borders. There will also be a video conference session with
parliamentarians from Australia and New Zealand.

These parliamentarians and organizations will call upon their governments
through the United Nations to put in place arrangements for the free exercise
of West Papua's right to self-determination, so that the indigenous people of
West Papua can decide democratically their own future in accordance with
international standards of human rights, the principles of international law
and the Charter of the United Nations.

The 2012 International Parliamentarians for West Papua conference will be
streamed live and in its entirety online. Updates can be found on Twitter
@IPWP and on fwpcFacebook. For more information, please contact. Press
inquiries can be sent to: [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,mobile +(0)7766875009. Or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]

Benny Wenda
Free West Papua Campaign
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.freewestpapua.org