Media release- PM Abbott should visit West Papua

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Media release 1 October 2013

PM Abbott should visit West Papua

In Tony Abbot's Joint media conference with the Indonesian President he said,

"I admire and respect what you and your government have done to improve the autonomy and the life of the people of West Papua and I am confident that they can have the best possible life and the best possible future as a part of an indissoluble Indonesia, as an integral part of Indonesia."

and

"But I do want to stress publicly, as well as privately Bapak President, Australia's total respect for Indonesia's sovereignty, total respect for Indonesia's territorial integrity and I say to you, Bapak President and to the people of Indonesia that the Government of Australia takes a very dim view, a very dim view indeed, of anyone seeking to use our country as a platform for grand standing against Indonesia. We will do everything that we possibly can to discourage this and to prevent this".

Joe Collins of AWPA said, "instead of telling the West Papuan people that they should accept Indonesian sovereignty he should go to West Papua and actually listen to what the West Papuan people  have to say. ".

The Prime Minister's statement that the,

"Government of Australia takes a very dim view, a very dim view indeed, of anyone seeking to use our country as a platform for grand standing against Indonesia. We will do everything that we possibly can to discourage this and to prevent this"

is also of concern as it appears the government would try to stop NGO's from raising concern about human rights abuses in the archipelago.

Its small courageous countries like Vanuatu who are taking the lead on the issue of West Papua.

 

Prime Minister Moana Kalosil Carcasses said recently at the UN

“How can we then ignore hundreds of thousands of West Papuans who have been brutally beaten and murdered? The people of West Papua are looking to the UN as a beacon for hope… Let us, my colleague leaders, with the same moral conviction yield our support to the plight of West Papuans. It is time for the United Nation to move beyond its periphery and address and rectify some historical error.”

Joe Collins said, "Australia should follow Vanuatu's example and start raising the human rights abuses in West Papua at international forums. A good start would be for  Australia to raise concerns about West Papua at the coming APEC summit in Bali.

The Joint  Press Statement  Jakarta at

http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2013-09-30/joint-press-statement-jakarta