Simon Petrus Sapioper

I, Simon Petrus Sapioper, was born on December 21, 1963 in KOTA BARU/Jayapura, Irian Jaya Province, Indonesia (formerly known as Nederlands Nieuw-Guinea).

Education

• South Jayapura, 1978; Christian Elementary school (Jayapura Utara)
• South Jayapura, 1981; State Junior High School Polimak (Jayapura Utara)
• South Jayapura, 1981-1984; National Catholic Christian High School Dok V (Jayapura Utara), study Natural Sciences

At the National Catholic Christian High School Dok V I did not finish my education in 1984 because I followed my parents, specifically my father, Julianus Sapioper, and family, to flee across the border between Irian Jaya, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (British Commonwealth of Nations).

In Papua New Guinea we have asked for political protection as refugees, because the Indonesian Government claimed that my father is an opponent of the Indonesian Government and is fighting to form the Republic of West Papua.

Refugee camp

From 1984 – 1991 we have lived in refugeecamps on the border between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The camps were named Black Wara, Warastone, in Vanimo in the West Sepik Province and in Iowara, Awin East, Kiunga, in the West Province.

From 1987 – 1991 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea acknowledged me for organizing West Papuan refugees and building spiritual ministries.

In 1991, my wife and our first daughter and I, were invited refugees with the approval and assistance of services by the Dutch Government which is well known to UNHCR.

Residence

Currently, my family and I live in the Hague, the Netherlands. Since our arive here, we have retained our politcal refugee status. This means that politically I can take advantage of my legal right to have a political opposition to the Government of Indonesia, who has so far occupied the territory of West Papua.

Since December the 1st, 1995 till now, I work as a civil servant at the local municipality in the Hague.

Experiences

President
National Government of the Republic of West Papua in Exile, fulltime.
Jul 2018 - Present
's-Gravenhage, South Holland Province, Netherlands.

Chairman
Nationaal Papoea Vereniging '95 West New Guinea
Jan 2018 - Present
‘s-Gravenhage, South Holland Province, Nethelands.

Political carreer

I am a member of the National Political Fraction for the National Party and also a leadership member of the National Executive Board of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) since 2006.

Cabinet II of the National Government of the Republic of West Papua was formed in 2008, led by President Amos F. Indey. I was appointed Secretary of State and Secretary General of OPM.

Then entrusted, by the cabinet ministers, to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs to fill the position of D.F. Kafiar, who passed away in 2008. Since 2018, I then concurrently serve as President filling the position of Amos F. Indey, who passed away that year.

As priority as President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, I continue to fight for political rights to get de facto and de jure recognition, based on the unilateral proclamation of independence of July 1, 1971, and to seek assistance from the humanitarian division to help refugees in West Papua, as well as political prisoners of West Papua in Indonesia.

As the National Government in exile, along with my Cabinet and the three political parties, we try to establish more in political relations, so that we may receive political recognition from different foreign countries.