The West Papua issue: - How can PNG help?

by LUCAS KIAP

The Papua New Guinea government must look at the West Papua issue in a total new perspective.

I know we don't want to hurt our relationship with Indonesia. It's extremely difficult to make a stand on a very sensitive issue especially when it involves a giant and powerful neighbor that has leverages everywhere.

But it is also equally important to note that the issue of West Papua can not be totally ignored.

The issue needs to be looked at from a total different perspective as not to hurt or take sides with anyone but recognizes the interests of both parties.

As it is West Papua is part of Indonesia. PNG has no problem recognizes that. The Indonesian government will not under any circumstances allow West Papua to break away. For obvious reasons Indonesia will do anything to keep West Papua under its wrap. PNG will not stand any chance of interfering into the issue nor it is in its interest to do so by supporting West Papua. But it is also important that the PNG government must not do or say things that recognizes or legitimate the sovereignty of Indonesia over West Papua. Just let them alone on the issue of independence.

Let's look at the struggle of the West Papuans from a total different perspective, more from humanitarian grounds.

It is more than just a fighting for independence.

They are fighting to protect their ethnic group from extinction. They are fighting to protect their way of life passed on from generations to generations. They are fighting to protect the land of their ancestors. They are fighting to protect their identity. They are fighting to give their sons and daughters a land that they can call home, an identity they can be proud of and an history they can remember and celebrate.

We can't help them fight for their independence but we can support them to protect their ethnic group, their land, their identity, their way of life, their inheritance and their history because we are them and they are us. We are Melanesians. We are an ethnic group. We are a unique human spices that our ancestors graced the island of New Guinea from Sorong to Samarai as one land one people one culture for thousands of years.

Let's not be afraid to protect our own kind from becoming a minority, land stolen from them, identity stripped from them, no where to run but must face the monster with the worst fate.

Can we totally ignore their cries or tell the world what is happening? Over to our leaders.