By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – More than 300 West Papuans living in Papua New Guinea (PNG) were repatriated to Jayapura under a joint program organized by the governments of PNG and Indonesia.
West Papuans have had a long history of hardship, which has forced them to scatter throughout PNG and other Melanesian countries, such as Indonesia. Many of these West Papuans suffered gross human rights violations because of ill treatment by the Indonesian government, and disregard from the PNG government.
However, a bilateral approach between the Indonesian government and PNG to repatriate West Papuans has given hope to the West Papuan refugees.
Earlier this month, three PNG politicians joined an international campaign to support West Papuans allegedly persecuted by Indonesian authorities. The international campaign yielded a charter that calls for the United Nations to “restore the right of the indigenous people of West Papua to self-determination.”
Now, more than 300 West Papuans were repatriated to Jayapura under the bilateral approach of the Indonesian government and PNG.
On the first trip, the Indonesian Air Force lifted a total of 142 men, women, and children out of Wewak’s Boram Airport to Indonesia. Those boarded on the aircraft consisted of refugees from Manus, Bulolo, Goroka, Lae, Madang and Wewak.
On the second trip out of Port Moresby, 170 West Papuans from the Southern Region and Lae were boarded. Many of them were from Kiunga and Daru.
PNG Foreign Affairs officials, who were in Wewak to coordinate the first departure of the West Papuans, said that the West Papuans volunteered to be repatriated. More than 700 were listed for repatriation, but only 312 decided to leave while others decided to remain in PNG.
The joint program is funded by the Indonesian government. This program aims to repatriate West Papuans who were willing to return to their country of origin.
A West Papuan named Roby Merauje said he was willing to go home, but was still uncertain about his future. He stated that the West Papuans volunteered to return to Jayapura because of the better living conditions.
For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Over 300 West Papuans go back home – 24 November 2009
Pacific Islands News Association – Over 300 West Papuans go back home – 24 November 2009
InfoPapua – United Nations must relook West Papuan cause – 21 November 2009
Impunity Watch – PNG Politicians Join International Campaign to Support West Papuans – 16 November 2009
