Jeremy Corbyn MP, vice chair of the all-party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, called a press conference on Thursday, along with the West Papua Association - UK, to announce the launching next Tuesday in New York of an international campaign calling on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to carry out a review of the UN's conduct in relation to the Act of 'Free' Choice in West Papua in 1968-1969.

The conference was addressed by Viktor Kaisiepo, representative in Europe of the Papuan Presidium Council, and Carmel Budiardjo of TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign.

Unfortunately as is so often the case in the UK, press interest in the event was minimal. However, Viktor Kaisiepo did two interviews at the BBC World Service, one with the Indonesian section and one with 'East Asia Today'. The latter interview will be broadcast on Tuesday 
to coincide with the launch in New York.

A freelance journalist, Julian Evans, who contributes to the 'New Statesman', was also present. He has written frequently on West Papua and plans to prepare an article about the campaign for the New Statesman.

During the discussion, the panel was asked about the next step if Kofi Annan agrees to conduct an investigation. Carmel said that such an outcome would draw international attention to the issue and put it onto the international agenda. It would then be necessary to engage in further lobbying to get the issue referred back to the UN General Assembly. 

Viktor explained that it was not the PDP's current objective to have another referendum similar to East Timor, but to achieve their objective of independence through peaceful dialogue with Jakarta. He said that the UN, the US and the Dutch should be involved in that dialogue process and agreed that a favourable outcome of the UN review would enable the West Papuans and the solidarity movement to intensify pressure on the international community. 

He also referred to a Canadian inititiative on humanitarian intervention, supported by Kofi
Annan, which might provide a useful tool. 

Asked about the current visit of EU ambassadors to West Papua, Viktor said that a letter from
Spain (currently holding the presidency of the EU) to the Papuan Presidium Council had explained that the EU delegation could not meet with the Council. This follows news earlier this month that the governor of Papua had been instructed to bar the EU delegation from meeting the leaders 
of the Council because this might have a negative impact on the EU's views about special autonomy in West Papua.

Jeremy Corbyn said this was unacceptable and said he would seek a meeting with Foreign Office minister, Ben Bradshaw, to discuss this and other matters. 

Viktor circulated a book published by the Indonesian mission to the UN in January 2001 which sets out to justify 'Irian Jaya's' integration into Indonesia, to counter the study now under way in The Netherlands regarding the Act of 'Free' Choice. 

ENDS