British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn publicly criticised human rights abuses in Indonesian-occupied West Papua and backed Papuan demands for self-determination, in a May 3 meeting at Britain's House of Commons.
The meeting was a “historic step on the road to freedom for West Papua”, International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) said. At the meeting, a new declaration was signed calling for an internationally supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.
British labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn publicly criticised human rights abuses in Indonesian-occupied West Papua and backed Papuan demands for self-determination, in a May 3 meeting at Britain's House of Commons.
The meeting was a “historic step on the road to freedom for West Papua”, International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) said. At the meeting, a new declaration was signed calling for an internationally supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.
IPWP reported that delegates came from around the world to discuss West Papua's future. The meeting was attended by West Papuan leaders Benny Wenda, Octovianus Mote and Rex Rumakiek of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, who called for an internationally supervised vote in West Papua on self determination.
ABC News reported on May 4 that Corbyn said it was time for the West Papuan people to make their own choice about their political future.
The socialist leader told the meeting: “It's about a political strategy that brings to worldwide recognition the plight of the people of West Papua, that forces it onto a political agenda, that forces it to the UN, and ultimately allows the people of West Papua to make a choice about the kind of government they want and the kind of society in which they want to live.”
ABC news said: “Mr Corbyn endorsed a report published by the University of Warwick that called for the reinstatement of NGOs in Papua, the release of political prisoners, and a parliamentary delegation being sent to the region.”
Corbyn hailed the meeting as historic. It also included MPs, ministers and political leaders from Britain, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
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