West Papua should be raised at PIF Leaders’ Retreat

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Media release 29 August 2012

West Papua should be raised at PIF Leaders’ Retreat

Although it is to be expected that Australia will try and keep West Papua of the agenda at today's formal closed session at the PIF in Rarotonga, it is hoped that In light of the reports on the ABC that the human rights situation in West Papua will be discussed including at the Forum Leaders Retreat on Thursday. 

Joe Collins of AWPA said that" the Leaders’ Retreat is supposed to provide an opportunity for private and frank discussions at the highest level and we hope that the PIF leaders will question Julia Gillard on Australia's involvement in the training of Detachment 88 which is accused of targeting West Papuan activists. We also hope that concern for the situation in West Papua will be mentioned in the official Forum communiqué".  

We note that the Indonesian Embassy in its response to the 7.30 Report said 

"Thank you for your continued interest in Indonesia. As is expected of Indonesia’s vibrant journalistic media, we also invite more researched and balanced reporting by Australian media" 

We would encourage the PIF leaders take up the offer of research on the situation and 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