West Papua Declaration - 1st December 2008

This report documents the handover of the WEST PAPUA DECLARATION to the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The West Papua Declaration states the inalienable right of the Papuan people in the Western Part of New Guinea to demand for a referendum on independence from Indonesia. In 1963 the Indonesian Army invaded the former Dutch colony in violation of international law. In 1969, the Indonesian government under President Suharto tried to legalise the annexation of the mineral rich country with the so-called 'Act of Free Choice', a representational vote of 1026 hand-picked Papuans who apparently unanimously chose the integration into the Indonesian Republic. The Papuan population of about 800'000 people never recognised the legality of this procedure. Parliamentarians in Europe, USA and Asia are now supporting their call for a new and fair referendum on West Papuan Independence. Further information: www.ipwp.org and www.ilwp.org