Media release PM Turnbull should raise the human rights situation in West Papua with Jokowi at ASEAN Summit

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Media release 16 March 2018

Will PM Turnbull and Julie Bishop raise the human rights situation in West Papua with Jokowi at ASEAN Summit?

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit is taking place in Sydney on the 17-18 March. 

According to reports Australia will press its Southeast Asian neighbours about serious human rights concerns at the summit.  

Julie Bishop said on ABC radio earlier this week "I would certainly be encouraging Aung San Suu Kyi to attend the summit so that we can raise directly with her the concerns that we have." 

Will she raise the human rights situation in West Papua with Jokiwi?

Joe Collins of AWPA said “its unfortunate but West Papua will probably be the elephant in the room yet again and the issues discussed at the summit will be the usual talkfest of trade, defence, security and terrorism."

Prime Minister Turnbull and Julie Bishop should support the leaders of the other regional organisation, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in pressing Jokiwi to allow a fact finding mission to West Papua as was requested by the PIF leaders at the PIF Summit in Port Moresby in 2015.

Ends.

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