Mr. Chairmen, Another issue I would like to stress today is the situation faced by West Papuan refugees living in Papua New Guinea. These refugees are afraid of going back to West Papua because of the on-going political instability and violence in the region. Papua New Guinea still denies asylum to many West Papuan refugees and wrongly labels them as illegal immigrants. These refugees live in poverty and in unsafe houses; their children cannot go to school because their parents struggle to provide for enough food. Therefore, the refugees, whose political status is not being recognized and who are not enough assisted in support for their basic needs, need help to alleviate their problems. Mr. Chairmen, Therefore, the Nationaal Papoea Vereniging ’95 West Nieuw Guinea would like to: - strongly call on the international community to support the promotion and protection of the rights of the West Papuans. And, considering that the Republic of West Papua has proclaimed independence unilaterally 1 July 1971, we would like to ask for the recognition of the right of self-determination. - call for the protection of journalists in being able to carry out their profession in a truthful and, above all, safe manner, so that they can create national and international awareness of the marginalization of indigenous peoples. - urge the Papua New Guinea government to recognize the political status of West Papuan refugees in the region, and to increase the efforts to support for their basic needs. Thank you for your attention. Nationaal Papoea Vereniging ’95 West Nieuw Guinea Thomas Schwenckestraat 30, 2563 BZ, The Hague, the Netherlands www.npv95wng.nl