Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in Indonesia on the human rights situation in West Papua.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
I met with the Indonesian Ambassador, Dr Rizal Sukma, on 29 October and raised the issue of human rights in Papua, pointing to the level of interest in the issue from MPs and the British public.
The Foreign Secretary discussed Papua with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on 31 July, in the margins of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok. Earlier, on 18 June, the former Foreign Secretary had discussed Papua with Foreign Minister Retno during the UK-Indonesia Partnership Forum in London.
Following the most recent protests, our Ambassador released a press statement on 26 September urging all sides to refrain from violence and welcoming the Indonesian Government's announcement of a full and comprehensive investigation.
Embassy officials in Jakarta visit Papua and West Papua provinces and regularly press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to protest peacefully, and promote the sustainable and equitable development of the provinces. The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) British and (b) other foreign diplomats have been prevented from entering West Papua.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The UK takes a close interest in the situation in Papua. We are aware of reports of temporary restrictions on access for foreign nationals following violent clashes in several cities in Papua and West Papua provinces. Officials from our Embassy have visited Papua this year and plan to do so again.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to raise the current situation in West Papua at the United Nations; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have no plans to raise the current situation in Papua at the United Nations. The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have held with members of the Pacific Islands Forum about the situation in West Papua.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister for Asia and the Pacific attended the Pacific Island Forum in August 2019. The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but does not intend to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia as a matter for the Indonesian people.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia about reports of human rights violations in West Papua.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary raised Papua with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on 31 July at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. On 18 June, the former Foreign Secretary raised Papua with Foreign Minister Retno during the UK-Indonesia Partnership Forum, as did the former Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific on 17 June.
Following the most recent protests, our Ambassador released a press statement on 26 September urging all sides to refrain from violence and welcoming the Indonesian government’s announcement of a full and comprehensive investigation.
Embassy officials in Jakarta visit Papua and West Papua provinces and regularly press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to protest peacefully, and promote the sustainable and equitable development of the provinces. The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of human rights violations by Indonesian security forces in West Papua since 15 August.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government are concerned about recent clashes in Papua. The Indonesian Government has announced an investigation; which we encourage them to ensure is comprehensive .
The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. We continue to urge parties to refrain from violence and respect the rule of law.
The Indonesian Government has the right to enforce security on its own territory. We continue to press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensure the sustainable and equitable development of Papua.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protests and mass demonstrations in West Papua since 15 August.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government are concerned about recent clashes in Papua. The Indonesian Government has announced an investigation; which we encourage them to ensure is comprehensive.
The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. We continue to urge parties to refrain from violence and respect the rule of law.
The Indonesian Government has the right to enforce security on its own territory. We continue to press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensure the sustainable and equitable development of Papua.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indonesian counterpart on reports of mass arrests of West Papuans in( a) Surabaya and (b) Jayapura.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We are concerned about recent reports of disturbances in Surabaya and Jayapura. We urge parties to refrain from violence and respect the rule of law.
Our Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of Papua. We will continue to monitor developments.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indonesian counterpart on ending the violence in Papua and West Papua.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.
In August 2019, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the UK’s capacity as Dialogue Partner (an observer). The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but we have no plans to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia to be a matter for the Indonesian people.
UK Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to respond to the communique of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum raising concerns about the reported escalation in violence and continued allegations of human rights abuses in West Papua.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.
In August 2019, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the UK’s capacity as Dialogue Partner (an observer). The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but we have no plans to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia to be a matter for the Indonesian people.
UK Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue.