Port Vila – The West Papua freedom fighters are enjoying unprecedented support from the Vanuatu Government.

With the establishment of an office and approval by the government for the freedom fighters to operate in Vanuatu and raise funds for their cause and

the strong ties and support of both Prime Minister Vohor and Minister For Foreign Affairs Barak Sope towards the West Papua cause, the movement has never been in a better position.

Sope is already lobbying the Pacific Forum to put West Papua on the agenda and now in the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday he made a passionate speech raising the issue of West Papua on the UN agenda and calling for action.

In his address Sope stated, "The United Nations must be consistent in its decisions for the recognition and respect of the fundamental rights to self-determination for the people of West Papua. The truth surrounding the

so called Act of Free Choice must be exposed to the Melanesian sisters and brothers of West Papua, and the rest of the international community, the saddest of all is the UN general Assembly resolution on West Papua in 1969.

How can the UN continue to ignore the cries of over 3 million people for justice? "As world leaders, we have time and time again, expressed serious concerns and dissatisfaction that certain decisions and actions by the United Nations or its organs were not consistent with the purposes and intentions of the Charter. However, with case of West Papua absolutely nothing has been done to rectify the gross violation of internationally accepted practice. It is therefore our joint responsibility to address this grey area in history," Sope said.

He continued, "The continuing disputes and concerns raised on the legality of UN-endorsed instruments which have been concluded during those years, such as the New York Agreement of 1962, to govern the UN administration of the so-called Act of Free Choice in West Papua is a clear example challenging the integrity and validity of the UN resolutions at that time.

In our opinion the UN conducted exercises were a total farce conditioned only to suit the geo-political climate of that period.

"The United Nations cannot and must not continue to turn a blind eye on its own past failures. It is morally, politically and legally wrong to do so," Sope said. "The Netherlands, which was the former colonial authority, in particular, should also recognize that they should shoulder some responsibility in helping to resolve the unfortunate situation of West Papua in a peaceful and transparent manner. Why is no one accountable for those unjust decisions affecting the lives of millions today?"

Sope called on the United Nations to establish a Special Commission of Inquiry to review the UN's conduct in relation to the1969 Act of Free Choice.

He asked that the UN send a fact-finding mission to examine the situation in West Papua with regard to human rights abuses and other related issues and asked for the re-inscription of West Papua on the List of Non-Self-Governing Territories.