A New Zealand Labour party MP says the country must engage with Indonesia more on growing concerns about the treatment of West Papuans.
The secretary-general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Octo Mote, talks to New Zealand MPs. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
Carmel Sepuloni was one of around ten MPs who met with the visiting secretary-general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Octo Mote last night in Wellington.
Mr Mote discussed what he describes as growing regional support for international recognition of West Papuans' concerns with Indonesian rule.
Ms Sepuloni says New Zealand's relationship with Indonesia shouldn't preclude it pushing for West Papuans to have their rights hopnoured and to be treated fairly by Indonesian authorities.
"Yeah I think it's something that New Zealand has to take seriously, and we need to be involved in the conversations that are happening, as our West Papuan leaders have said. The Pacific Forum and the Pacific small island states are really important in terms of progressing this issue and New Zealand needs to be part of that dialogue, so I think we should all actually be engaged with this and not scared to talk about it. "