Forkorus: International Community Must Acknowledge WP Rights

Forkorus: International Community Must Acknowledge The Political Rights Of The People Of West Papua

by westpapuamedia

JUBI, 14 February 2011'The President of West Papua, Forkorus Yaboisembue has called on the international community which has raised the issue of basic human rights to give evidence of its recognition of the political rights of the West Papuan people. If they fail to do this, he said, it means that the Papuan people are merely the colonial possession of a foreign power, while the world is only concerned with human rights, which, he said, is nonsense.

'We call upon the international community to discuss the issue of the right to self-determination, whereas this right of the Papuan people is being trampled underfoot. He was speaking after the court in Jayapura rejected the demurrer of the defendants submitted by the legal team of the Papuan defendants, Forkorus Yaboisembut, Edicon Waromi, Dominikus Surabut, Selpius Bobii and Agust Kraar.

Forkorus said that the international community has remained silent about the basic right of the Papuan people to self-determination, while it concerns itself only with the issue of human rights. The concept of human rights without any further evidence means that the international community is only toying with the problem, while there is plenty of evidence. Talking about human rights while claiming that if these rights are recognised for all nations, this will be the way to safeguard peace in the world.' This, he said, is utter nonsense.'

The international community, the USA, the European Union and the United Nations,never talk about the basic right of the Papuan people, who are campaigning all over the world and to other colonised people; this is is nothing more than empty talk.

Forkorus said that the world must give real proof of the concept of human rights by taking into account the importance of the political rights of the people of West Papua. The international community must prove its commitment to human rights because the Papuan people are bound by their right to speak out. This is an issue that lies deep in the hearts of all people including the people of West Papua. [The word used here is kesulungan the precise meaning of which escapes me, C Budiardjo]

'When I say that I am a West Papuan, what then do you say? No one can force me to do anything. I have the absolute right to be a West Papuan.'

Edison Waromi who was standing beside Forkorus when he made this statement, said that the right of kesulungan [unchallengability ?] is recognised in the Bible to which the Papuan people are devoted. Quoting Verse 32, (8) of Deuteronomy in the Bible he said: 'It is God who determines the territory of all people' which means that something determined by God cannot be challenged.' The territory of West Papua belongs to the people of West Papua.

When this was said, the crowd outside the courthouse cheered and applauded.

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westpapuamedia | February 16, 2012 at 6:13 am |

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