West Papua referendum

Written declaration calls for independence referendum

Greens MPs on the other side of the world are calling for the European Union to intervene in forcing Indonesia to respect human rights in West Papua - and grant the province a free and fair referendum on independence - in a Written Declaration launched on Friday, 1st December to coincide with West Papua Independence Day.

The Written Declaration - the European Parliament's equivalent of an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons - has been co-sponsored by Green MEPs Caroline Lucas and Jean Lambert, Plaid Cymru Euro-MP Jill Evans and Italian liberal MEP Luigi Cocilovo.

It notes that following the withdrawal of Dutch colonial forces, West Papua has been under military occupation by Indonesia for more than 40 years. At that time it was allowed to administer the territory until a UN-guaranteed independence referendum could be held, but Indonesia failed to fulfil its obligations under international law and hold such a vote, instead annexing West Papua following a sham vote - the co-called 'Act of Free Choice' in 1969, in which just 1,000 Papuans, hand-picked by Indonesia, were allowed to participate.

Human rights abuses of Papuans continue - with torture, disappearances, detention without trial and murder of Papuans at the hands of the Indonesia military commonplace.

Read more on the Greens UK website.