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.

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.