Movement Against Freeport is set up by Students

Bintang Papua, 28 October 2011

Movement Against Freeport is set up by Students

A number of UNCEN student organisations along with the KNPB, the National Committee for West Papua, have announced the establishment of a movement to oppose Freeport. They regard this company as having been the cause of many problems in Papua. The students unfurled two banners, one of which depicts the US flag intertwined with the logo of Freeport,

The new organisation is called People's Movement Against Freeport Crimes - Gerklaf. The co-ordinator of the new organisation is Fanny Kogoya and Bovid Defa is the secretary.At the end of the ceremony, the US flag was set on fire. This opposition movement regards the presence of Freeport as having come about as the result of a political contract between the USA and its allies in order to ensure the continuance of Papua within the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.

The integration of Papua within Indonesia, according to wording on the banners, goes back to 1963 and the New York Agreement of 1963, the contract concluded with Freeport in 1967, the Act of Free Choice in 1969 and the Bunker Proposal [Bunker was the US diplomat who was involved in the conclusion of the New York Agreement.].

Before the declaration was announced, the leaders of eight student organisation delivered speeches. Fanny Kogoya said that the new movement would press for the consolidation of the movement throughout the whole of Papua, to strengthen opposition to Freeport.

They also said that any plans to renegotiate the contract with Freeport should involve indigenous Papua people.[This is a reminder of the fact that past contracts with Freeport have all been concluded with the Indonesian government, without the presence of the representatives of the Papuan people.]

The declaration that was read out by Bovid called on the one hand for the expulsion of Freeport, while on the other hand saying that Freeport should become the property of the Papuan people.The words on the banner were: 'The Papuan people must assert their sovereignty over their natural resources.'

ENDS

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