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March 4, 2014
The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Moana Carcasses called for international action on West Papua at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today. Following on from his speech
at the UN last September, Mr Carcasses focused his speech on the
“chronic human rights challenges that has affected the … peoples of West
Papua since 1969″.
Highlighting some of Indonesia’s worst human rights offences he
pointed out that “[t]he Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights
(KOMNAS HAM) concluded that these acts constitute crimes against
humanity under Indonesian Law No. 26/2000 (KOMNAS HAM 2001,2004)” and
implored the UN to take action. Mr Carcasses demanded that “access must
be allowed for the UN human rights monitor, international journalists
and international human rights NGO’s to visit West Papua.”
Referring to the UN’s betrayal of the people of West Papua in 1969 he
went on to say “[w]e must not be afraid if the UN had made some
mistakes in the past. We must admit our mistakes and correct them.”
In his conclusion he called on the Human rights Council to “consider
adopting a resolution to establish a country mandate on the situation of
human rights in West Papua. The mandate should include investigation of
the alleged human rights violation in West Papua and provide recommendations on a peaceful political solution in West Papua.”
The full text of Mr Carcasses’ speech follows:
THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU
statement by
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MOANA KATOKAI KALOSIL PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU
BEFORE
THE HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE FITH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – 4th MARCH 2014
H.E. President of the Human Rights Council H.E. Secretary General
of the United Nations, Mr. Bani Ki Moon Excellencies Distinguished
Delegates Ladies and Gentlemen
The Republic of Vanuatu is very pleased to be addressing this
meeting today. I have come here to join the leaders of the world to
discuss and raise concerns on different human rights challenges
affecting millions of innocent citizens across the entire globe, from
the island countries and in countries across continents.
Mr. President, the focus of my statement here today will be on two important but very highly critical issues
to the entire population of my country. First I want to focus on the
rights of our indigenous people to practice their cultural and spiritual
rituals in the two of our islands in the Tafea Province, South of
Vanuatu. And Secondly, I will bring to the forefront or our debate some
of the issues regarding human rights abuses in West Papua that have been
very disturbing to the community of democracies around the world.
Mr. President, my country’s struggle to achieve political
independence in 1980 was marked with incidences of social protests and
emergence of some political movements within our country. We were
Melanesians being governed by Britain and France in our own mother land.
Prior to 1980, we were stateless in our country and we were neither
French of British citizens.
And for almost 4 decades, we were exposed to foreign rule. So we had to
struggle to construct our identity as free people to live in dignity.
Independence was our objective. And this was a compelling thrive that
motivated our leaders to achieve nothing less than political
independence. We did not fight for independence because we were
economically and financially ready. We did not fight for independence
because our colonial masters were killing our people. No. We fought for
our political independence because it is our God given right to be free.
Freedom was our inalienable right. It is a human right. And Vanuatu was
proclaimed independent on 30 July 1980. Thirty three years after our
independence I am delighted to say that France has begun to demonstrate
its willingness four our indigenous people to visit two of our very
sacred islands, Umaepnune (Mathew) and Leka (Hunter) in the southern
part of our country to fulfill their cultural and spiritual obligations.
Rituals and ceremonies have continued to be held on other islands of
the Tafea province annually despite the blockage previously imposed by
the French authority for our tribesmen to travel to the sacred islands
Umaepnune and Leka islands to fulfill their cultural and spiritual
duties.
Mr. President, I want to now focus my attention on the chronic
human rights challenges that has affected the indigenous Melanesian
peoples of West Papua since 1969. And I do this with great respect and
humility. My country is here in this meeting to amplify the concerns for
human rights in West Papua. We are very concerned indeed about the
manner in which the international community had neglected the voices of
the Papuan people, who’s human rights have been trampled upon and
severely suppressed since 1969.
Mr. President, you are presiding over the noblest organ of the
United Nations- the Human Rights Council. But what do we do when rights
of the Melanesian people of West Papua is challenged with military
interventions and presence? Since the controversial Act of Free Choice
in 1969, the Melanesian People of West Papua have been subject to
on-going human rights violations committed by the Indonesian security
services. The world has witnessed the litany of tortures, murders,
exploitation, rapes, military raids, arbitrary arrests and dividing of
civil society trough intelligence operations. The Indonesian National
Commission on Human Rights (KOMNAS HAM) concluded that these acts
constitute crimes against humanity under Indonesian Law No. 26/2000
(KOMNAS HAM 2001,2004). In this climate of fear and repression of
political dissent, and blatant negligence by the international Community
including the UN and the powerful developed countries since 1969, we
find this forgotten race still dare to dream for equality and justice.
Yet the democratic nations have kept silent.
Mr. President, as a Melanesian citizen, I have come here to call
for immediate action. Injustice in West Papua is a threat to the
principle of justice everywhere in the world. I do not sleep well at
night when I know that in 2010 Yawan Wayeni, known as a separatist was
videotaped by the security forces as he was lying in a pool of his own
blood with his intestines seeping from a gaping wound in his abdomen. It
concerns me that in October 2010 Telenga Gire and Anggen Pugu Kiwo were
tied by the military and were severely tortured. It concerns me when I
see the video footage of a group of Papuan men bounded and being kicked
in the head by uniformed soldiers who are meant to protect them. I am
worried because between October of 2011 and March 2013, 25 Papuans were
murdered and nothing has been done to bring perpetrators to justice. And
it embarrasses me. As a Melanesian, to note that roughly 10 % of the
indigenous Melanesian population have been killed by the Indonesian
Security forces since 1963. While I acknowledge the 15 years of
reformation that has taken place, I am also worried that Melanesians
will soon become a minority in their own motherland of Papua.
Mr. President, in a world so now closely connected with
innovative technology, there should be no excuses about lack of
information on human rights violations that have plagued the Papuan
people for more than 45 years. Search the internet and research papers
by academic institutions and international NGO’s and you will find raw
facts portraying the brutal abuse of the rights of the Melanesian people
in Papua. But why are we not discussing it in this counsel? Why are we
turning a blind eye to them and closing our ears to the lone voices of
the Papuan people, many of whom have shed innocent blood because they
want justice and freedom. Many are martyrs that have been persecuted and
brutally murdered because the carry the unspoken voices of the millions
now living in fear in the valleys and lofty mountains of Papua. They
are demanding recognition and equality and a respect for their human
rights and to live in peace. Will this august council hear their cries
and now go forward to protect their human rights and put right all wrong
of the past? I have listened attentively to the voice of a former Civil
Servant Mr. Filep Karma and student Yusak Pakage who were sentenced to
15 and 10 years in prison and speaking from behind bars, calling on our
countries in the Pacific to speak out against the injustice against
them. These are the children of the warriors who have stood firm to
fight during the second world war in the Pacific and who helped bring
peace and security in our part of the world. It is now our duty to bring
peace to their tribal villages and communities by affording them their
basic human rights that most of us here take for granted. I am very
encouraged that the matter has now reached the European Union Committee
on Human Rights and we look forward for some actions to improve the
human rights conditions of our brothers and sisters in Papua. I further
call on the Governments of the developed countries including the African
nations and the island countries of the Caribbean and the Pacific to
condemn the issue of human rights violations. I want to echo the words
of Martin Luther King Jr., who said in his speech in 1963 that, “nothing
in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious
stupidity.” We the democratic nations must not ignore the cries of the
Papuan people.
Mr. President, the concerns we are raising here is more than a
question of keeping 70 % of the wealth from oil and gas in West Papua,
it is the question of political status. The concerns we are raising
here, is more than the question of economic status were 80 % of wealth
from Forestry, Fisheries and general mining are kept in Papua. It is a
question of the respect of the human rights and existence of the
Melanesian people. Our concern is not to see how much they have been fed
by a golden spoon, but to see the measure of respect for freedom
accorded to the Papuans as equal citizens. And to what degree the civil
society are given the right to express concerns about the quality of
governance in their motherland. For this should be a measure of a
vibrant democracy.
Mr. President, access must be allowed for the UN human rights
monitor, international journalists and international human rights NGO’s
to visit West Papua. It is clear from many historical records that the
Melanesian people of West Papua were the scapegoat of Cold war politics
and were sacrificed to gratify the appetite for the natural resources
which this country possess. Mr. President, if the UN Representative, Mr.
Ortiz Sanz had described the West Papuan issue as a cancer growing “on
the side of the and that his job was to remove it”, it is very clear
today from what we have seen that this cancer was never removed but
simply concealed. One day, this cancer will be diagnosed. We must not be
afraid if the UN had made some mistakes in the past. We must admit our
mistakes and correct them.
Mr. President, as I close, my government believes that human
rights challenges of Papua must be brought back to the agenda of the
United Nations. I call on the Human rights Council to consider adopting a
resolution to establish a country mandate on the situation of human
rights in West Papua. The mandate should include investigation of the
alleged human rights violation in West Papua and provide recommendations
on a peaceful political solution in West Papua. This will help to
assist in supporting H.E. President Yudhoyono’s pledge to hold dialogue
with Papua.
Thank you once again for the opportunity to express my views in this forum. Long God Yumi Stanap. In God we Stand. Thank you.
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