Home > South-East Asia >> West Papua

Leaders from the Federal Republic of West Papua request international mediation

Federal Republic of West Papua News Release - July 27, 2013

As announced by Mr Herman Wainggai, on Monday 29 July at 11am the West Papuan people will be conducting a peaceful demonstration in the city of Jayapura – The people call upon the governments of the US and Australia, as well as the member nations of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, to mediate the rights of the West Papuan people under international law as those adopted by the UN.

The leadership of the Federal Republic of West Papua, who have served eighteen months of a three year prison sentence, were appointed at the West Papuan People's Congress in October 2011 in Jayapura, West Papua. Now from within the Abepura prison, the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of West Papua, Edison Waromi, and the President, Forkorus Yaboisembut, together with thirty other political prisoners, demand to be immediately released from prison and that Indonesia recognises an independent West Papua. On the other side of the iron bars Mr Waromi, who has spent over thirteen years of his life as a political prisoner, states again that West Papua is ready and able to rule itself as a sovereign nation with its own government.

In its alternative report to the UNHRC in Geneva this week the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) wrote that the continued arrest and detaining of West Papuan political leaders was in manifest conflict with the values of the international convention where individual human rights have to be guaranteed. The government of Indonesia as a member country of the UN is obligated to respect West Papuan leaders and activists who have been seeking to convey their political aspirations in peaceful and non-violent ways.

As the Human Rights Committee were releasing their findings on 24 July in Geneva, in the city of Serui on Yapen Island in West Papua two men were taken at the point of a military gun to the courts, and then to the gaols to serve prison sentences. Their 'crime' was their involvement in an event commemorating World Indigenous Day on 9 August 2012. These two political leaders, Edison Kendi and Yan Piet Maniamboi, after undergoing an unjust trial process have just been sentenced to two years and one and a half years imprisonment respectively. This is the reality on the ground for West Papuans.

Also on that same day, 24 July, in a TVRI news broadcast in Papua, Governor Lukas Enembe conveyed what the Indonesian response will be towards any peaceful demonstration planned for coming Monday 29 July. Any Papuan activist or any Papuan taking part are threatened with being shot.

This is continued evidence that Papuan society when it seeks to assemble openly, peacefully, in a just and democratic way in its own country, that under the authority of Indonesia is subject to state terror, intimidation, threat of death and incarceration. Is this what is meant by the UN convention? Herman Wainggai, a representative in exile of the Federal Republic of West Papua, is calling on the UN for immediate and serious international attention be givn to his home contry.

For further information please contact:


See also:

  • West Papua
  • West Papua Links
  • Statements and Press Releases on West Papua
  • Indonesia
  • Indoleft Archive
  • Indonesia links
  • Indonesia News Digest
  • News services on Indonesia
  • Publications & videos on Indonesia
  • Reports & articles on Indonesia
  • Statements & press releases on Indonesia

  • Home | Site Map | Calendar & Events | News Services | Resources & Links | Contact Us