Australia West Papua
Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, Sydney, Australia 2088
Open
letter to Pacific Islands Forum leaders concerning West Papua
15 May 2012
Dear Pacific Islands Forum leaders,
On behalf of the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) I am writing
to you concerning the issue of West Papua[1].
AWPA believes that since the last Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
summit in Auckland, the situation in West Papua has deteriorated further. We would like to bring your attention to
a number of incidents and reports that raise grave concerns about the
human rights situation in the territory.
In October 2011 there was a crackdown on
the 3rd Papuan Peoples congress where security forces used excessive force when
arresting up to 300 Papuans. Up to six people were reported killed and five of
the organisers arrested and charged with treason. They received three years in prison for
subversion. At no time did these men commit violence and they have been jailed solely for peacefully expressing their
political views as is their right under Article 19 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As opposed to the three year
sentence given to the five activists, no action was taken against the security
force personal who were involved in the brutal crackdown and they received only
written warnings.
Amnesty International in its annual report
2011 on Indonesia states
“The security forces tortured
and otherwise ill-treated detainees, and used excessive force against
protesters, sometimes leading to death. No adequate accountability mechanisms
were in place to ensure justice or act as an effective deterrent against police
abuses. The criminal justice system remained unable to address ongoing impunity
for current and past human rights violations. Restrictions on freedom of
expression were severe in areas such as Papua and Maluku”.
Amnesty International also believes there
are at least 100 political activists in prison for peacefully expressing their
views in areas seeking independence such as Maluku and Papua.
An article in the Jakarta Globe (4 January
2012) titled “2011 a Busy Year for
Human Rights Investigations in Papua” quotes the head of the
Papua office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) as saying
they “looked into 58 alleged violations of human rights in 2011, and was
anticipating investigating at least that many cases in 2012”, and,
“In almost
65 percent of human rights violation cases in Papua, the perpetrators are TNI
[Indonesian Armed Forces] and National Police members,”
The
Freeport mine is a symbol to West Papuan people of the exploitation of their
natural resources from which they receive little benefit. A
three-month strike began on the 15 September with workers asking for
better conditions. During the strike a number of shootings
occurred around the mine. In one incident Petrus Ayamiseba, a
worker was killed when Indonesian security forces fired on striking
workers in Timika.
A number of military operations occurred in
West Papua in the past year.
A
Military operation in the Paniai region caused the displacement of
thousands of people and villages burned. According to a report
in Jubi (29 December) referring to a military operation in November and
December 2011, “The operation has been on-going ever since Brimob
troops from East Kalimantan were sent to Paniai in the second week of November”
Jubi also commented that this operation will continue as the security
forces hunt for the OPM who have moved from Eduda (one of their base
camps into woodland areas following an attack by the security forces. The Free
Papua Organization says 14 of its members were killed during the attack. At one stage approximately 500 inhabitants of Dagouto village in Paniai Regency
had to leave their homes and seek refuge following the deployment of 150 Mobile
Brigade officers to their area.
It is now 49 years since Indonesia took over the administration of
West Papua from the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) in
1963 and the people of West Papua still continue their struggle for self
-determination. This can be clearly seen by the thousands of West
Papuans who marched peacefully in the past year in numerous
rallies calling for their right to self-determination and for a referendum. The
most recent rallies took place on the 1st May when thousands marched
to protest the UN handover of West Papua to Indonesian administration in 1963.
In
light of the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua, AWPA urges the PIF
Leaders
to discuss the human rights situation
in West Papua at the 43rd Pacific Islands Forum in August in
Rarotonga.
to raise the human rights situation in West
Papua with the Indonesian President and to urge the Indonesian
Government to release all West Papuan political prisoners as a sign
of good faith to the West Papuan people.
to request permission from the Indonesian
Government to allow a PIF fact finding mission to West Papua to investigate the
human rights situation in the territory.
to encourage the Indonesian Government to
allow greater access for human rights monitors and the international media to
West Papua.
to grant observer status to genuine representatives of the Melanesian
people of West Papua who are struggling for their right to self determination . We
note that the PIF has granted observer status to Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna,
the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank,
the Word Bank, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, and
the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States Secretariat. New
Caledonia and French Polynesia, previously Forum Observers are now Associate
Members with Timor Leste having Special Observer status.
We believe that the time is now right to bring representatives of the Melanesian people of West Papua back
into the Pacific community .
The issue of West Papua will not disappear
and AWPA believes that it should be of great concern to the Forum that the
situation in West Papua could deteriorate further. The West
Papuan people have been calling for dialogue with Jakarta for years (under third party
mediation ) and AWPA
believes the PIF can play an important role in helping facilitate such a
dialogue between genuine representatives of the West Papuan leadership and the
Indonesian Government. The PIF should place pressure on Jakarta to
resolve West Papuans’ issues of concern. Otherwise we will see increasing
conflict in West Papua which in turn could affect the region
Yours sincerely
Joe Collins
Secretary
AWPA (Sydney)
[1] AWPA (Sydney) uses the name “West Papua” to refer to the whole of
the western half of the Island of New Guinea. However, “West Papua” at this
time is divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua.
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