NZ should put West Papua on Pacific Islands Forum agenda
Green MP Metiria Turei today urged the New Zealand Government to put the Indonesian military domination of West Papua on
the agenda at next week's Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland.
"West Papua has been under Indonesian military colonisation for the past 40 years, since invading in 1963. More than
100,000 West Papuans have lost their lives under this regime, which is a very similar situation to East Timor," Mrs
Turei said.
"West Papua is mineral-rich, and multinational companies have been in there for years extracting resources, while West
Papuans are tortured, raped and killed by the Indonesian military.
"West Papua solidarity activists and Amnesty International have been lobbying the New Zealand Government to have this
serious issue discussed by Pacific heads of state at the Pacific Islands Forum [12 to 17 August], without success.
"This is another example of New Zealand turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in the Pacific. West Papua falls
within our sphere of influence and we can't continue to sit back and watch more innocent people be tortured, abused and
murdered," Mrs Turei said.