NZ: Criticism over Indonesian foreign minister visit

NZ: MP criticises government over Indonesian foreign minister visit

www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/nz-mp-criticises-government-over-indonesian-foreign-minister-visit-9146

An assault on West Papua Congress members in 2013.
Image: West Papua Media

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Item: 9146

WELLINGTON (Radio New Zealand International/Pacific Media Watch): The Indonesian Foreign Minister is visiting New Zealand this week and met her counterpart Murray McCully amid calls in Parliament for them to discuss human rights abuses in Papua.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has just completed a tour of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Last month, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua formally applied for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

New Zealand Greens MP Catherine Delahunty has raised in Parliament the matter of human rights abuses in Papua and said it was hypocritical for the government to have the guts to address abuses in Iraq while ignoring closer neighbours.

"This is a quiet war against the people of West Papua. It's very disappointing to have on the one hand the government saying we must participate in a war to protect human rights and yet the war in our region, the attack on West Papuan people, they are really not doing anything about it."

Catherine Delahunty said it was disappointing there was no reaction to the slaughter of school children wearing uniforms in Papua in December.

Maire Leadbeater, from West Papua Action Auckland, said the PNG Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, raised documented violations, and McCully should do the same.

"Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister [Peter O'Neill] didn't say anything about necessarily wanting a change of sovereignty or anything but he's talking about a voice at the table, I think, of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. And why should that not be granted, because it's very clear that that's what the united leadership of West Papuan leaders want."

Maire Leadbeater said Indonesia sits at the MSG as an observer, and it was fitting that the Melanesian provinces had the same status.

ENDS

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