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Letter to NZ government
WILPF Aotearoa / New Zealand


29 November

The Rt Hon Helen Clark,
Prime Minister,
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington.

Dear Prime Minister

I am writing on behalf of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Aotearoa/New Zealand Section to express our concern about the possibility of more violence by Indonesia against the people of West Papua particularly on Monday 1 December when they will be once again be expressing peacefully their aspirations for self- determination. This was the case last year and indeed there has been an increase in the violent oppression of the people of West Papua in recent months.

We urge you to contact the Indonesian authorities to desist from responding with violence on December 1st.

In the light of the escalating violence we urge the New Zealand Government to become more proactive and do more to help bring about peaceful dialogue by offering mediation to Indonesia and West Papua as it was able to do for Bougainville.

We also urge the government to raise the issue at the United Nations and support the international campaign for the United Nations to undertake a review of its actions at the time of the 1969 so-called "Act of Free Choice" when West Papua was incorporated into Indonesia against the wishes of the majority of the population.

Yours sincerely,
Joan Macdonald,
WILPF Aotearoa / New Zealand.

cc Hon Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs

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