A PACIFIC peacekeeping force should be mobilised under the auspices of the United Nations to enable a peaceful solution to the current violence in Papua.<\/p>\n
Pacific Conference of Churches\u2019 General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan, called for a peacekeeping force after shots were fired in an area near the Papua New Guinea border on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“We are extremely concerned by the most recent deaths in Wamena in the Central Highlands and the extra-judicial killings of Papuans by Indonesian security forces,\u201d Rev Bhagwan said.<\/p>\n
“Retaliatory attacks will continue along ethnic and religious lines if immediate steps are not taken to bring about stability and an end to violence by state-sponsored armed civilian militia.”<\/p>\n
“The Indonesian security forces have shown their blatant support for one side of this tragic conflict and cannot be trusted to remain neutral and protect all people.”<\/p>\n
Rev Bhagwan said a credible option would be for a United Nations peacekeeping force made up of experienced Pacific peacekeepers to be mobilised and sent to observe the situation.<\/p>\n
“We must help create a situation in which parties to this conflict can sit and discuss the future of Papua in a cordial manner,” Rev Bhagwan said.<\/p>\n
“Peacekeepers from Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu have been deployed successfully in times of crisis in Bougainville and Timor Leste, helping to bring about peace.”<\/p>\n
“Of course, we would look to Australia and New Zealand for logistical support for such an operation.”<\/p>\n
Tensions in Papua escalated in August after Papuans refused to raise the Indonesian flag during independence celebrations. When non-Papuans made racial slurs against the indigenous population, protests broke out and security forces reacted brutally, shooting and killing civilians.<\/p>\n
Papua\u2019s churches have called for a UN intervention through a visit to the territory by its human rights commissioner.<\/p>\n
They also want the removal of troops and dialogue between the Indonesian government and representatives of the Papuan people.<\/p>\n
This call has been supported by the 32 members of the Pacific Conference of Churches.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A PACIFIC peacekeeping force should be mobilised under the auspices of the United Nations to enable a peaceful solution to the current violence in Papua. Pacific Conference of Churches\u2019 General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan, called for a peacekeeping force after shots were fired in an area near the Papua New […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n