2) AUSTRALIA MUST RAISE HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS DURING PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO VISIT
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1) Australia urged to raise West Papua with Jokowi
3:00 pm today
Australia's government has been urged to discuss human rights abuses in West Papua with Indonesia's visiting president.
Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, is in Australia for a state visit.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Photo: Photo / AFP
Jokowi, who is to address Australia's parliament in Canberra today, is expected to finalise an economic partnership agreement between the two countries.
The Australia West Papua Association's Joe Collins said the visit would feature usual references to trade and investment, maritime issues, defence and security.
But he said one issue not on the agenda was the human rights situation in West Papua.
Indonesia describes rights abuses in Papua as largely a thing of the past.
However, Mr Collins said Jakarta continued to block fact-finding missions to the territory, and harass human rights defenders and journalists in West Papua
He said Canberra should not remain silent on the issue but support the call by the Pacific Islands Forum for Indonesia to allow the UN Human Rights Commission access to Papua.
The Association is calling on Canberra to also urge Jokowi to release all political prisoners who face charges of treason for raising the West Papuan flag or taking part in anti-racism demonstrations.
"The visit by the Indonesian President is an opportunity for Australia to show its commitment to human rights in our region by a making a strong statement of concern on the issue of West Papua," Mr Collins said.
"AWPA also urges Scott Morrison [as leader of a Pacific Islands Forum country] to urge Jokowi to allow a fact finding to West Papua as requested by the PIF leaders."
Meanwhile, Amnesty International Australia and Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman have also urged Australia's government to bring up the human rights situation in Papua with Jokowi.
Jakarta Post reports that Ms Koman has highlighted the plight of dozens of Papuans and Jakarta-based activist Surya Anta who are currently facing trial for treason following widespread protests in favour of Papuan self-determination between August and September last year.
She also mentioned the ongoing military operation against the West Papua Liberation Army in Nduga regency, which has displaced thousands of people in the region.
According to Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid, 263 displaced Nduga residents had died from hunger and illnesses as of the end of last month.
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2) AUSTRALIA MUST RAISE HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS DURING PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO VISIT
Amnesty International Australia and Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman urge the Australian government to raise the human rights situation in West Papua during bilateral talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo this week.
Fifty-six indigenous West Papuans and one Jakarta-based Indonesian are currently held behind bars for treason in seven cities across Indonesia. They are currently awaiting trial and face life imprisonment.
“These people were arrested when expressing their opinion during mass protests against racism and for the independence referendum in August and September 2019 and during commemoration of West Papua’s national day on 1 December 2019,” Koman said.
“We demand their immediate and unconditional release.”
A joint military and police operation in Nduga regency of Papua province has taken place since early December 2018. As a result, according to a regency official, as many as 45,000 people, half of the regency’s population, are displaced in neighbouring areas.
The Humanitarian Volunteer Team, a local grassroots community, has been collecting data on the operation’s casualties and reported that as of 2 February 2020, 243 civilians have died due to violence by the security forces and hunger and illness from the displacement.
“We also have concerns with the increased troop deployment and activities in Intan Jaya regency of Papua province since December last year. Indonesia must end these operations and immediately withdraw troops from Nduga and Intan Jaya regencies so the indigenous West Papuans can return to their homes and be free from living in constant fear,” Koman said.
Amnesty International emphasised that both countries, members of the UN Human Rights Council, have an increased responsibility to advance human rights. Amnesty called for Australia to encourage Indonesia to realise its promise to let the UN Human Rights investigators unimpeded access to West Papua.
Background
Amnesty International takes no position whatsoever on the political status of any province of Indonesia, including on calls for independence. However, we consider that the right to freedom of expression protects the right to peacefully advocate for independence or any other political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
Amnesty International takes no position whatsoever on the political status of any province of Indonesia, including on calls for independence. However, we consider that the right to freedom of expression protects the right to peacefully advocate for independence or any other political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
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