The fight for a separate Papua nation from New Guinea has not ended, at least that is the feeling that was expressed Thursday.

Leaders of Papua Besena and Papua People’s Congress have made it clear that they will revive their struggle for statehood in the international arena.

Former parliamentarians Dame Josephine Abaijah and Galeva Kwarara’s sentiments to go beyond Australia and seek help were supported by other Papuan speakers.

Kwarara said the fight could not be taken in Parliament because Papuans were outnumbered to pass any legislation to support their cause.

He also said it took 40 years to fight for statehood and they felt that this was where God was directing them to go.

“Papua belongs to Papua. We are an independent nation,” he announced, referring to the declaration and proclamation of Papua as a British Protectorate in 1884.

He said that New Guineans have their land and the Papuans have their land but not the voice to be heard in the national Parliament.

“We are fighting against injustice, injustice caused by people," he said. He appealed for support from the people of Papuan provinces to take their fight further, but ensuring that this was done peacefully. "Let’s stand together. This is our land. This is where we are born. This is where we are from.”

Dame Josephine Abaijah said she did not declare Papua independent, it was Commodore James Erskine (British Royal naval captain) when he declared Papua a British Protectorate on November 6, 1884.

She encouraged parents to teach their children the Motu language and ensure it does not die out, adding that their children must be dedicated, disciplined, determined and diplomatic in everything they do to succeed in life.

Papua was their home, strength, wealth and life so they must guard it at all cost, Dame Josephine said.

“We are going international. We are going to other people because Australia does not want to help us,” she said.

Meanwhile, churches have been challenged to take heed of the plight of Papuans as the church in the 1800s had done in protecting the rights of the Papuan people.

The challenge was given Thusrady at the celebration of the 130 years of Papua as the British protectorate.

A large crowd of people from Papuan provinces attended a Papua solidarity gathering at Kilakila village in Port Moresby to commemorate this event.

Master of ceremony Laeka Pukari took up the call, saying the church, London Missionary Society (now United Church), played a role in ensuring that Papuan people were protected as subjects of Queen Victoria and churches of today should follow suit.

The  celebration marked the declaration and proclamation of Papua as a British Protectorate on November 6, 1884, by the British Royal Navy Captain Commodore James Erskine in Hanuabada village.

It was witnessed by chiefs from coastal Papuan villages and witnessed by missionaries of LMS such as Reverend W.G. Lawes. The ceremony included raising of the union jack flag.

Women leader Ata Pukari said the early missionaries like James Chalmers, known as Tamate, arrived to spread the Gospel but also protected the rights of the people by writing to Queen Victoria to protect Papua.

Papuan leaders said according to that proclamation, the people of Papua were protected people and no acquisition of their land would be recognised by the Queen.

The event was organised by the Papua People’s Congress and Papua Besena and was marked with marching, singing and a flag-raising ceremony of the British Union Jack which had the Crown and Papua on it.

PPC chairman Reverend Samuel Andrew said according to history when the British gave Papua to Australia to look after it became legally a seventh state of Australia, but due to its racial discriminatory policy, it did not include Papuans in its parliament.