Letter to Aust. Foreign Minister

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088

 

 

Senator the Hon Marise Payne 

Minister for Foreign Affairs

PO Box 6100

Senate

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

 

 

28 November 2020

 

Dear Foreign Minister,

 

I am writing to you concerning the issue of West Papua and in particular regarding comments made by the Indonesian national police spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono on the 23 November 2020, which is of grave concern. 

 

Tempo News (24 November) reported the police spokesperson as saying that the “The Indonesian national police (Polri) together with the National Armed Forces (TNI) will conduct massive joint patrols ahead of the commemoration day of the 1 December.  He also made an announcement that locals should not participate in the annual anniversary.

 

I am sure you are aware that the 1st of December is West Papuan National day or National Flag day and it is of great importance to the West Papuan people.  Fifty-nine years ago on the 1st of December in 1961, the Morning Star flag was flown for the first time officially beside the Dutch Tricolor.  The Dutch were finally about to give the West Papuan people their freedom. However, it is one of the great tragedies that at their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically handed over to Indonesia in 1963. After 6 years administration of the province, Indonesia held a sham referendum called the “Act of Free Choice” under UN supervision.  The Papuans call this the’ act of no choice’. 

 

The West Papuan people continue to raise their flag as an act of celebration but also of protest against the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. They can face up to 15 years jail for doing so.  Just two weeks ago 23 Papuans were given jail terms of between 1 and 2 years. They were arrested in December 2019 while on their way to take part in a flag raising ceremony on the 1 December (2019) in Fak Fak.

 

The human rights situation in West Papua is deteriorating with the security forces conducting operations to intimidate local people. There is also an 

Increase in violence towards villagers who the security forces suspect of supporting independence or to those they believe have what the security forces term  “separatist” sympathies.   There have been a number of killings and arrests by the security forces in the past few weeks in West Papua. Indonesian police arrested 54 participants at a public hearing organised by the Papuan People’s Council (MPR) in Merauke   on   the 17 November. They were arrested for alleged makar (treason).  Yet all they participants were doing were holding a meeting to discuss Indonesia's intention to extend the Special Autonomy laws. Although they were eventually released the arrests show there is no freedom of expression or freedom of assembly in West Papua.

 

There have been reports that on 20-21 November 2020, 4 West Papuan school students aged between 13 and 19 and 1 West Papuan man aged 34 were shot by the Indonesian Security Forces. Eighteen year-old Manus Murib, who survived the shootings remains in a critical condition in hospital. When he was first shot Manus passed out and when he came to reported that he found that men wearing black uniforms, vests and helmets were placing guns across his chest and taking photographs. The troops were possible Detachment 88 troops which are trained by Australia.

 

There have been ongoing security force operations in West Papua in the regencies of Nduga, Intan Jaya, Mimika and Puncak Jaya since the end of 2018 resulting in the loss of civilian life not only by armed conflict but also by sickness and malnutrition as these operations have created a large number of internal refugees who are reluctant to return to their villages because of their fear of the security forces.

 

As recently as the 27 November 36 people were arrested by the police after being involved in rallies in Manokwari and Sorong.  They were simply commemorating the anniversary of the West Papua New Guinea National Congress (WPNGNC). 

 

Twenty civil society organizations that are members of the Papua Civil Organization, Solidarity (SOS), have called on the Indonesian president to 

“withdraw all organic TNI-Polri troops from the areas in Nduga Regency, Intan Jaya Regency, Mimika Regency and Puncak Jaya Regency which have given birth to serious human rights violations in the form of refugees and violations of the right to life”. 

 

I urge you to support the call by the West Papuan civil society groups and raise the matter of the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian President.

 

I also urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government asking that it control its military in West Papua and asking it to inform the security forces that it should allow any rallies called to celebrate West Papuan National flag day to go ahead peacefully, without interference from the security forces.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Joe Collins

AWPA (Sydney)

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