With its 6.3 million members, PNG Council of Churches has jumped on the bandwagon to support the struggle of West Papua for independence. Governor Powes Parkop, has welcomed the council’s bid in mobilizing its members to vigorously support the worthy cause. Parkop is a strong advocate of West Papua’s independence movement and a champion of human rights before being elected as a legislator representing the people of National Capital District. The Governor was speaking at a press conference held by the West Papuan leaders at Port Moresby’s Holiday Inn early last month. General Secretary of the PNGCC, Reverend Roger Joseph, says that the membership of the seven (7) mainline churches and fifteen (15) para churches affiliated to the council make up the country’s 6.3 million Christians. “We are going to begin campaigning as the united Body of Christ to support our Governor’s plight in fighting for the freedom of the West Papuans and begin sensitizing our 6.3 million members nationwide,” he said. “Many Christians are unaware of this fight for freedom that our West Papuan brothers and sisters are passionate about and we need to start preaching freedom not only from the devil, but also from his adversaries, that no man, ethnic group or country is a slave to any government, but that we all have been made free in Christ. West Papua must be given the freedom to be independent from the colonial Indonesian Government,” said Rev Joseph. “I thank the Governor for his passion for this ethnic group of people and look forward to working with him and his team to seek justice, peace and independence for West Papua. Apart from making his ongoing efforts known to the wider community for the West Papuans, Mr Parkop is also pushing for Bougainville to gain independence from Papua New Guinea as well. “The Government must give political independence to Bonneville. Likewise, the Indonesian government should also give political independence to the West Papua province,” said Parkop. “Both of these people have struggled bitterly for independence for a long time, resulting in widespread deaths. The governments of both countries should not deny these respective people’s rights,” he said. Parkop said Bougainvilleans would be given the opportunity to determine whether they wanted to remain as part of PNG, or become independent. “We are not afraid and I’m not afraid. If Bougainville chooses independence, they will not move the island of Bougainville to Europe or another place in the world. They will still be there. We are all inter-married now. There are family and tribal relationships which have been bonded here,” added Parkop. “In fact, we might have a better future because if you look at the history of PNG, because of Bougainville, we were political and economically shaped and this message must be told to Indonesia,” he said. “Indonesia must know that if West Papua becomes independent, they will not move the land to the United States. They will still stay there. The people speak Bahasa. There are intermarriages already being forged and established with people from other parts of Indonesia,” Parkop said. “Economically, they can be integrated. Socially, they can still move around in Indonesia. I don’t think the West Papua freedom movement will remove Indonesian investments. They must overcome their fear,” he said. In a show of solidarity and putting political differences aside, Northern Governor Garry Juffa, who was also present, expressed similar sentiments Comments are closed.
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