The International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) are a cross-party political group of politicians from around the world who support

self-determination The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...

for the people of the Indonesian region of West Papua.

History

IPWP were launched at the Houses of Parliament, London, UK on 15 October 2008. Speakers at the launch included Melinda Janki (International Human Rights Lawyer), Hon. Andrew Smith MP (UK), Lord Harries (UK), Hon Lembit Öpik MP (UK),

Lord Avebury Baron Avebury, of Avebury in the County of Wiltshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created 22 January 1900 for the banker, politician and archaeologist John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet. He ...

(UK),

Benny Wenda Benny Wenda is a West Papuan independence leader and Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). He is an international lobbyist for the independence of West Papua from Indonesia. He lives in exile in the United Kingdom. ...

(West Papua), Hon.

Powes Parkop Powes Parkop (born 18 February 1962) is a Papua New Guinean lawyer and politician, from Manus Province. A former lecturer in Law at the University of Papua New Guinea, he is the current governor of Port Moresby and the National Capital District s ...

MP ( Papua New Guinea), Hon.

Moana Carcasses Kalosil Moana Carcasses Kalosil (born 27 January 1963) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from March 2013 to May 2014. He was the first naturalized citizen of Vanuatu to become the country's prime minister. Carcasses was ousted ...

MP ( Vanuatu) and

Carmel Budiarjo Carmel Budiardjo (née Brickman; 18 June 1925 – 10 July 2021) was an English human rights activist, lecturer, and author. She was the founder of the non-governmental organisation Tapol. Budiardjo was known for campaigning for the awareness ...

( TAPOL).
There have been further launches of IPWP held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea hosted by Powes Parkop in September 2009, and in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium hosted by Caroline Lucas MEP in January 2010. IPWP was set up by exiled West Papuan independence advocate

, and is chaired by the British Labour Party MP Andrew Smith and Lord Harries. Smith is also the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for West Papua. The main goal of IPWP is to develop international parliamentary support and awareness for the West Papuan independence movement. The IPWP takes as its model a similar group that helped lead the independence movement of East Timor. By 2009, the IPWP included fifty parliamentarians from countries including Papua New Guinea, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, Vanuatu, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. In February 2012, the Australian government officially distanced itself from an IPWP meeting that took place in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, stating that it remained "fully committed to Indonesia's territorial integrity and national unity". As of 2020, there are approximately 80 current parliamentarians listed as signatories from countries across five continents.

International Lawyers for West Papua

Plans were also announced to set up another body calle
International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP)
to work in unison with IPWP, and develop and co-ordinate support within the legal sector for West Papuan self-determination. The launch for this took place in April 2009 in Guyana, South America. Since 2009 ILWP has provided legal advice to the movement for self-determination in West Papua, including advice to the

United Liberation Movement for West Papua The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) unites the three main political independence movements seeking independence for Western New Guinea (West Papua) from Indonesia under a single umbrella organisation. The ULMWP was formed on 7 ...

(ULMWP)

References

External links

International Parliamentarians for West Papua website
{{DEFAULTSORT:International Parliamentarians For West Papua Western New Guinea Papua conflict

History

International Lawyers for West Papua

See also

References

External links