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| World WCC Assembly session in Busan ( christiantoday.com ) |
South Korea ----– A petition being circulated
at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly will call for West Papua
to be included on the United Nations list of territories to be
decolonized.
Pacific church leaders from 12 countries have signed
the petition which also calls on the WCC to send a fact-finding mission
to the Indonesian-controlled territory and establish a specific
commission to address the issue.
The petition follows an
announcement by West Papuan churches of their intention to join the
Pacific Conference of Churches as a full member after the assembly.
Today regional delegates, supported by PCC Secretariat staff, circulated the petition which contains a further two demands:
- The end to arbitrary arrests, detention, brutality, torture and abuse by Indonesian security forces of West Papuan people.
- The right of West Papuans to self-determination and their rights to exercise political freedom.
The
PCC said it was mindful of the quest by West Papuans for
self-determination and freedom since 1969 when Indonesia invaded and
annexed the region.
Since then more than 100,000 West Papuans
have been killed by Indonesian forces who have been responsible for acts
of torture, arbitrary arrest and general brutality on the indigenous
population.
“We the delegates and participants of the 10th
Assembly of the World Council of Churches support the right of West
Papuans to self-determination and freedom from oppression,” the petition
said.
The plight of West Papua has been highlighted in a static
display at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre as well as through
advocacy by delegates.
A similar petition at the West Papua
display area has been signed by many of the 5000 international
participants at the assembly.
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