John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes:

  (i)   the recent demonstrations in West Papua calling for a referendum declaring independence from Indonesia and the resulting 19 deaths that occurred during the demonstrations, and

  (ii)   that the people of West Papua are facing a situation similar to the people of East Timor in that while both were defended by Australians during World War II, Australia failed to support them when they were annexed by Indonesia; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to:

  (i)   commence dialogue with the Indonesian Government and to work with the West Papuans in establishing the free state of West Papua,

  (ii)   offer Indonesia support by way of funding and the services of the Australian Electoral Commission to organise a free and democratic election, and

  (iii)   support the West Papuan request for United Nations’ recognition of their right to independence.

I seek leave to make a brief statement.