'Let us correct the history of West Papua'
BY MARK ABBERTON
SYDNEY — Representatives of the West Papuan freedom movement, meeting at a conference here on April 19, expressed hope about new openings for greater unity and organisation in their struggle for independence from Indonesia.
Wim Zonggonau, an exiled West Papuan living in Papua New Guinea and a member of the presidium of the newly created Papuan Council, outlined how the situation has changed: "People see the political developments in Indonesia as a new possibility, as an opportunity to begin to reveal their own aspirations and to pursue their independence.
"The reality in West Papua at the moment is that people are geared up and ready to be united. I think this is important for our supporters ... to know that we are organising ourselves, we are uniting ourselves."
In February 1999, a delegation of West Papuan leaders presented a declaration to former Indonesian president BJ Habibie calling for independence for the occupied province; the demand was ignored. According to Zonggonau, this was the start of the movement re-organising.
Zonggonau described the structures which are now developing in West Papua. On February 23-26, a breakthough national consultation occurred in West Papua, attended by 2000 people. Previously, West Papuan organisations had been forced underground; their activists faced imprisonment, torture or death at the hands of Indonesia's military.
Four hundred elected and appointed representatives from churches, political parties, women's organisations, youth organisations, student groups, ex-political prisoners, local chiefs, prominent leaders and professionals participated in the consultation, which ended with an unanimous rejection of the fake 1969 UN-sponsored "Act of Free Choice" which gave West Papua to Indonesia.
A Papuan Council of 200 was elected, which in turn elected a presidium to prepare for a larger congress to decide on an approach for gaining self-determination. At a meeting in Jayapura from April 16-18, the presidium scheduled the Papuan Congress for May 29-June 3.
The theme of the Congress will be, "Let us correct the history of West Papua; the Papuan people are determined to promote democracy and human rights based on the principles of truth and justice towards an independent West Papua".
"At the moment the West Papuans have adopted a non-violence move and [called for] more dialogue with Indonesia [and] dialogue with those parties involved in deciding West Papua's case in 1962, for example the United Nations, the Dutch government and the Americans, and also Australia", Zonggonau said. "But it could be that the congress may decide otherwise than just to go slow".
John Ondawame, the international spokesperson for the Free Papua Movement, OPM, told the Sydney conference of the limited international support given to West Papua over the past 38 years. Particularly disappointing, he said, was the silence from Pacific nations.
Ondawame also spoke of OPM's present goals. "OPM and people inside West Papua must establish a new effective political structure that can represent the voice of the people inside West Papua and abroad", he said.
The establishment of the Papuan Council and Papuan Congress "is one way to mobilise people in West Papua", he said, "and the OPM will also play that role ... by guiding people through grassroots organisation".
The Sydney conference also formally launched the West Papua Project to research and provide information on the country. The conference was jointly organised by the West Papua Project and the Australia West Papua Association.