Australia’s recent deportation of seven West Papuan asylum seekers, has drawn attention to the struggle for independence in West Papua, and Australia’s role as a regional bully. West Papua was subsumed into Indonesia in 1962, despite the desire for independence amongst its ethnic Melanesian population. A farcical vote to justify Indonesian control involving just 1022 people, less than 1 per cent of its population, followed. The independence movement has been brutally repressed by the Indonesian military.
Not for the first time, an Australian government is complicit in the repression of West Papuans. Tony Abbott’s contempt for their rights was confirmed when three West Papuan activists scaled the walls of the Australian embassy in Bali during the APEC forum. They had a letter calling on the Australian government to request the release of at least 55 West Papuan political prisoners from Indonesian jails including Filep Karma, jailed for 15 years for raising the West Papuan flag in 2004. The Australian consulate threatened to call the Indonesian police, despite the letter also saying “We seek refuge and plead for our safety.” Abbott later reiterated his support for the territorial integrity of Indonesia and dismissed the protest as “grandstanding”. Join us for a discussion on the fight to free West Papua and why we should welcome West Papuan refugees fleeing.
For more info contact: Jasmine 0405 317 787
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Kami (0rang Papua) didalam negeri indonesia tetap dukung,saudara-saudara kami yang berjuang diluar negeri dan dimana saja dengan tujan papua lepas/besan secara politik ekonomi dan berdaulat penuh serta sejajar dengan negera lain di dari negara kesetanan ini……..kami takut indonesia karena sdh kena setan……korupsi,pencuri,intimidasi,dan rakus……..!!!
Pemerintah Australia dukung Penegakan hukum di papua…..ya…!! benar orang papua juga dukung penegakan yang adil dan benar sesuai dengan hukum yang berlaku universal, tidak seperti hukum yang berlaku di indonesia….1.Pemerintah Australia adalah Pemerintahan yg berwibawah bukan seperti Pemerintah Indonesia,…..Politik Australia bedah dengan Indonesia…..Indonesia hutang luar Negerinya berapa Australia berapa….Kemampuan Ekonomi….indonesia apa…..!!! makan aja ngutan….jd….kami ingatkan Indonesia…..bahwa……Negara Besar dengan jumlah Penduduknya ini sedang diuji…. Indonesia lola (loding lama) apa yang kemarin/ bln November membuat heboh Indonesia itu adalah suatu experimen politik, yg sudah terskenario dengan baik……Indonesia jangan terlena dgn kata manis……..dan Indonesia dipermainkan……dan tidak punya harga diri……sebentar…..cengeng seperti anak kecil (apa kata Gusdur ) ya…..seperti anak TK….saja……
The people of West Papua have long been betrayed by western politicians who claim that they support the principles of human rights, the rule of law and democracy.
Former US President John Kennedy interfered in and stopped the decolonisation process that was being undertaken by the Dutch Government in the early 1960s that would have seen the outcome of an independent West Papua .
He had reports from US geologists about the mineral wealth in West Papua. Much of this wealth is now controlled by the Rio Tinto (British) and Freeport-McMoRan (US) corporations that jointly own the Grassberg gold and copper mines and both have a history of working with fascist regimes to make their massive profits. Rio was very content to have Franco murder striking mineworkers at its Spanish mine in the 1930s. Their wages and conditions were appalling.
In West Papua, Freeport has used the Indonesian military (TNI) to provide security. There have been many protests about the behaviour of the TNI and this should not be at all surprising to those who have followed the history of the barbaric behaviour of the TNI in East Timor, Acheh, West Papua and Indonesia itself.
This behaviour has included rape, torture, dragging embryos out of the wombs of pregnant women, injections of sulphuric acid, evisceration and mass murder. These crimes have gone unpunished because it suits the US and its allies to maintain the status quo. However, leaders who do nothing to bring such criminals to face justice show that they have no commitment to human rights, true justice, compassion, democracy or the rule of law.
Not one western leader has spoken out about the fact that in the coming 2014 presidential elections in Indonesia that two former Indonesian generals and war criminals, Prabowo and Wiranto, are candidates. These two men should be facing an international tribunal to seek justice for their victims and the friends and families of their victims rather than being allowed to stand in the presidential elections.
The Indonesian lobby in Australia would have us believe that since the downfall of the Indonesian dictator, General Suharto, that Indonesia is now a democracy. They know this is not true because of the sickening human rights abuses that are still being conducted in West Papua. Tragically, the Indonesian leadership, which is an improvement on the Suharto years, still has done nothing to control the barbaric crimes being committed by the TNI in West Papua. We must remember that Indonesia is being led by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyano, a former general, who is believed to have committed crimes against humanity in East Timor. It is also well known that he has done very little to control the TNI or to bring its worst criminals to justice.
If Indonesia is so democratic, why do its leaders not allow the West Papuans to have a UN administered referendum to determine their wishes about their own political future? Indonesian leaders won’t do this because they don’t want a repeat of the 1999 referendum in East Timor when the people overwhelmingly voted to be independent.
If we really want peace, social justice, the rule of fair laws and respect for human rights in our region, action has to be taken to:
* bring TNI criminals to justice
* require the TN Ito be withdrawn from West Papua
* allow the the West Papuans to determine their own future through a UN administered referendum
* all military aid to and cooperation with the TNI must cease until it withdraws from West Papua,
gives compensation to all its victims and expels all officers who have committed war crimes