The issue of Papua was not raised by any country during the 78th United Nations General Assembly session which took place this year from 18 to 26 September. In 2021, Vanuatu raised the Papuan issue, a regular occurrence since 2016 by the country most frequently critical of Indonesia’s alleged human rights violations in the region.
“This year’s UNGA session did not touch on the Papua issue. This means that the Unitary State of Indonesia is increasingly respected by other countries,” said the Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Multilateral Affairs, Tri Tharyat during a press briefing in Jakarta on 29 September.
“The Unitary State of Indonesia is, of course, non-negotiable. This is part of diplomacy regarding sovereignty,” he added.
Tri Tharyat added that Indonesia frequently engages in dialogue with other countries on the Papua issue, specifically on human and infrastructure development in the Papuan region, which he stated has been well-received.
“Because, if we were to make a comparison with previous years, several countries raised the issue of Papua,” he said.
He stated that Indonesia intends to continue dialogue with other countries and provide “a complete picture of the situation and the progress of development in Papua”.
The Papuan human rights issue was first raised during the 71st UNGA session in 2016 by Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Tonga. The six Pacific countries called on the UN to put an end to the human rights violations on the people of Papua and West Papua provinces that have allegedly occurred in the past 50 years.
The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, expressed concern about alleged human rights violations against the Melanesian population of Papua. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sopoaga, reminded the UN not to ignore the situation in Papua by hiding behind the principle of non-intervention of state sovereignty.
“The UN must act on this issue and find a workable solution,” Sopoaga told the 2016 session. The UN Human Rights Council, according to Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, was asked to seriously investigate human rights violations in Papua.
Responding to this, the diplomat representing Indonesia at the UN at that time, Nara Masista Rakhmatia, actually accused the six Pacific countries of interfering with Indonesia’s sovereignty, then violating the UN Charter which regulates the principle of non-intervention.
“Their statements are politically motivated and designed to support separatist groups, which constantly incite public disobedience and lead to armed terrorist attacks,” Nara said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who was also present at the session, did not mention the issue of Papua at all.
In 2017, Vanuatu again voiced the issue of Papua at the 72nd UN General Assembly, this time with the Solomons. Ainan Nuran, as the diplomat representing Indonesia at the time, denounced Vanuatu and the Solomons’ support for the Papuan separatist movement.
“How can there be countries that continue to support separatist movements in other countries? Or is this just their way of hiding from domestic problems?” said Ainan at the time, quoted by Koran Tempo.
At the 73rd UN General Assembly in 2018, Vice President Jusuf Kalla finally spoke up on the issue of Papua which is often raised by Vanuatu in front of world leaders.
“For too long Indonesia has chosen to build friendly relations with Vanuatu, including in showing solidarity and sympathy during difficult times,” he said at the UN Headquarters in New York, Thursday, September 28, 2018 as quoted by Antara.
“These hostile acts have no place in the UN system. An act that clearly violates the principles of the United Nations,” the vice president said.
The following year, Vanuatu’s then-Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, alluded to human rights violations in a speech to the 74th UN General Assembly on September 27, 2019. Indonesia used its right to refer to Vanuatu as a supporter of the separatist movement. The statement was expressed by Rayyanul Sangaji, staff of the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
The allusion to the Prime Minister of Vanuatu continued in 2020 by Bob Loughman, who in his speech discussed human rights issues in Papua. “Indigenous Papuans continue to suffer from human rights violations,” Loughman said, at the UN General Assembly held virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “These hostile acts have no place in the UN system. An act that clearly violates the principles of the United Nations,” the vice president said.
In response, Silvany Austin Pasaribu, a young diplomat representing Indonesia, accused Vanuatu of having an “excessive obsession” over how the Indonesian government should act and govern the country. “You don’t represent Papuans, so stop fantasizing about being Papuan,” Silvany said.
Still under Loughman’s leadership, in 2021 Vanuatu again discussed the same issue, even asking the UN to visit Papua to conduct an independent assessment. His speech was responded with a right of reply by Indonesian diplomat, Sindy Nur Fitry, who questioned Vanuatu’s understanding of human rights so that it could make accusations against Indonesia.
Vanuatu, which in 2022 did not raise the issue of Papua to the UN forum, announced plans to open an embassy in Indonesia in June. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi welcomed the plan, calling Vanuatu one of Indonesia’s important partners in the Pacific.
West Papua Now 