Free Papua Movement seeks liberation by peaceful means

The Free Papua Movement issued the following statement on September 6, 
following accusations that the OPM was behind the killing of civilians near 
the Freeport mine in West Papua at the end of last month.

The Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM) or Free Papua Movement (FPM) has been 
the sole widely representative body for the independence aspirations of the 
people of West Papua all through the past 40 years of our struggle.

This OPM statement is in response to the recent brutal killing of American 
and Indonesian civilians near the Freeport mine on Saturday August 31st.

The OPM deny any involvement in this attack. This is a provocative state-
sponsored action to divert attention from continued human rights abuses, to 
discredit the OPM and to use as an excuse for further terrorist actions 
against West Papuan people.

West Papua occupies a strategic position between Asia and the Pacific 
regions and between Muslim and Christian dominated societies.

West Papua's population, natural resources, land mass and strategic 
geographical position make us a powerful player in the region.

It is our belief that the process of resolution of independence for West 
Papua has the potential to either stabilise or destabilise the region.

We see that changes in the international and regional context following the 
end of the Cold War and since means West Papua independence is inevitable.

This changing context led the OPM to see it is possible to solve the 
problem of West Papua independence without violence. This OPM policy of 
cease-fire in order to pursue our goal through peaceful means has not 
changed.

We ask the power players of the region to use your influence to persuade 
Indonesia to completely stop their terrorist actions against innocent 
people and take those responsible to justice.

Your decisions made during the Cold War have given us enough traumas, but 
still we are patient. Those decisions were made within a Cold War strategy, 
when the world was a different place.

Now you must understand that our common goal of peace, stability and 
democracy in this region must be tackled together, hand in hand.

We, the people of West Papua offer the international community an 
opportunity to solve our issue peacefully through a process of genuine 
dialogue with all parties, including the OPM, under the supervision of a 
third party mediator that is fully recognised internationally or has a UN 
mandate.

Our aspiration for liberation is genuine and justified. We have done a very 
important thing by being patient and proposing peace and dialogue as the 
means to achieve our liberation.

We have demonstrated a very high standard of civilised moral attitude.

We hope this is the time you will be able to learn from history and that 
you can see there is an opportunity to recognise the link between West 
Papua and peace and stability in our region.

Please do not make the mistake of wrong analysis as you did in the Cold War 
but help us to solve the problem once and for all.

West Papuan people have survived almost 40 years of oppressive and brutal 
Indonesian colonialism.

We have suffered too long, but we have been patient and continue to look 
broadly to ensure peace and stability for our region. We want to solve the 
issue of independence for West Papua with peace and dialogue.

We ask the international community, those of you who represent people who 
are against brutality and terrorism, to also condemn this action in West 
Papua.

It is another of many similar actions of state-sponsored terrorism carried 
out over a long period of time which has resulted in the loss of hundreds 
of thousands of lives of our West Papuan men and women.... those that we 
have really loved.

John E Somer
General TPN
OPM Supreme Commander