PAPUAmerdeka, XII-23

 

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December 2023 Newsletter

Hi ......!

Welcome to PAPUA MERDEKA, the monthly newsletter of the Free West Papua Campaign. Six decades of a brutal media blackout has meant that foreign journalists are unable to report what is happening in West Papua. We’re here to keep you updated.

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Benny Wenda officially elected as ULMWP President, with Edison Waromi as Prime Minister.

FEATURED

  • In November, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) held its first ever Congress – an internal election to allow ordinary people to choose their own leaders on West Papuan soil. Benny Wenda was chosen as ULMWP President, while Edison Waromi was elected as Prime Minister.
  • The Congress was called after a ‘People’s Forum’ was held in the capital Jayapura, where ULMWP supporters expressed dissatisfaction with the movement’s direction.
  • The latest ecocidal ‘development’ project in West Papua was announced by Indonesia’s Minister for Agriculture – a 1-million-hectare sugar plantation in Merauke, which is already home to a gigantic food estate.
  • Indonesian courts green-lit further environmental destruction on what is set to become the world’s largest Palm Oil plantation.
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Indonesia green-lights world's largest Palm Oil plantation in West Papua.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

INTERNATIONAL PROGRESS

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ULMWP President Benny Wenda and Raki Ap promoted the Green State Vision at COP28.

  • Pressure for Indonesia to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct an investigation in West Papua continues to grow. 
  • Indonesia initially promised to facilitate a visit in 2019: over four years have since passed, with thousands of Papuans having been killed and over 100,000 displaced by Indonesian military operations.
  • Over 85 countries have now called for the UN visit. In August, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) issued their own communique demanding a visit by April 2024, and in November the Prime Ministers of Fiji and Papua New Guinea were appointed as Special Envoys for West Papua, with a remit to engage with Indonesia on the issue.
  • The Free West Papua Campaign, represented by Spokesperson Koteka Wenda, held a series of cultural and political events across Australia (pictured below).
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DONATE HERE

How can I help?

  • Become a monthly donor to the Free West Papua campaign! Our struggle for independence depends largely on small donors like yourself. Committing to a regular payment is by far the most effective way to support the cause.
  • Boycott Indonesian products until Indonesia allows the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate in West Papua. This is the first ever major call for a boycott from West Papuan and Pacific civil society.
  • Buy our merch! We have Free West Papua t-shirts and Morning Star flags available at our online shop.