1) Ali joins fight
2) West
Papua supporters open office in Australia
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Fiji Times Online
1) Ali joins fight
Siteri Sauvakacolo
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
ONE of the region's leading human rights activists, Shamima Ali, has called on Pacific Islanders to make a stand with their West Papuan brothers and sisters.
The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre executive director Shamima Ali joined a chorus of voices around the world by displaying posters to free the women and men whose rights have allegedly been violated by Indonesia.
Ms Ali said it was important to raise the seriousness of the matter. Her bid to raise this awareness and stand by the West Papuans seemed to have rubbed some members of the public the wrong way and Ms Ali claimed she was issued a directive by police to remove the posters.
Yesterday, Indonesian Embassy third secretary Berlian Epriliyana said they would release an official statement on the issue today.
Police chief operations officer ACP Rusiate Tudravu also said he would prefer not to make a comment on the issue.
"We put this up because we are a human rights-based organisation and we are also the chair for the NGO Coalition on Human Rights for Fiji and the Pacific and we have received quite disturbing reports about human rights abuses in West Papua from our contacts," Ms Ali said.
"Especially against women and young children and as part of the campaigns, this is why we felt we should put down something like this as part of the campaign on human rights."
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2) West Papua supporters open office in Australia
Posted
A new office for the self-declared Federal Republic of West Papua has been opened in Australia.
The office in Melbourne's Docklands business area is funded by Australian supporters and aims to promote dialogue about the political future of the Indonesian Province of Papua.
Ronny Kareni, a West Papua independence advocate, says the office will lobby for support for an independent state.
"The aim of this office is basically to seek support of the UN Secretariat, as well as Australia who is also in the UN as a temporary member," Mr Kareni told the ABC's Pacific Beat.
"[And] to negotiate with Australian Government and even Indonesia Government to enter third party mediation and to look for West Papua's future."
Mr Kareni says he believes momentum for West Papua's self-determination is building.
"I'm very hopeful with the physical presence, it shows that the movement is alive and people, if they want to speak, there is an office they could contact."
"Also, in terms of the campaign as well, it's to maximise and get more support from the grassroots and it is the key.
"From the people, that's where pressure will be pushed upward."
Activists call for action
In October last year, three West Papuan activists briefly occupied Australia's consulate in Bali in a bid to push Australia's Government to take up their cause.
Student activists Rofinus Yanggam, Yuvensius Goo and Markus Jerewon climbed over the wall of the consulate bringing with them a letter addressed to the Australian people.
In it, they asked Prime Minister Tony Abbott to push the Indonesian government to release at least 55 political prisoners jailed in Indonesia's disputed Papua region.
The letter also called for greater press freedom for international journalists reporting on the province.
In March, Vanuatu's Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil delivered a speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying his country was committed to the independence of West Papua.
It followed a rift among Pacific nations over Indonesia's administration of West Papua.
An earlier meeting of the foreign ministers of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands in Jakarta released a statement acknowledging 'Indonesian control of West Papua'.
But Vanuatu, the fourth member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, boycotted the talks and remains committed to West Papuan independence
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