AWPA Letter to FM concerning Veronica Koman's parents

 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

 

 

10 November 2021

 

Dear Foreign Minister,

 

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney.  

 

We are concerned about a number of attacks on the home (in Indonesia) of the parents of Veronica Koman.

 

Veronica Koman is an Indonesian  human rights lawyer who  lives in Australia. Because of her role in defending West Papuan human rights defenders, political prisoners and activists,   she has become a target of the Indonesian authorities who at one stage threatened to ask Interpol to issue a red notice against her, simply because she was raising awareness about the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua.

 

 

There have  being  ongoing threats and intimidation, not only against Veronica but against her parents and family in Indonesia. These threats have escalated recently with attacks on her parents’ home in Indonesia, on the  24th October and most recently the 7th November.

 

Amnesty International has reported (9 November) that

“On the morning of 7 November, two unidentified men on a motorcycle threw three packages into the garage of the house of Veronica Koman’s parents in Jakarta.  At least two of the packages exploded, scattering bits of paper and red paint in the garage. The other package contained a typed message threatening to attack Veronica and her supporters.Around the same time, another package was left at the house of one of Veronica’s relatives. The package contained a chicken carcass and a message threatening that anyone who hides Veronica will meet the same fate as the chicken.”

 

On 24th October there was an arson attack outside the house of her parents although there were no injuries reported.

 

Amnesty International Indonesia's Executive Director Usman Hamid described the recent attack as "an unconscionable attack that has frightened and traumatized two older people". "The authorities must immediately carry out a thorough, transparent, impartial and independent investigation of the incident and ensure the safety of Veronica Koman's parents.

 

We urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government also  asking that the Indonesian Government conduct an  investigation into the attacks against Veronika’s family and that the police investigation must be impartial and subject to independent oversight. 

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Joe Collins

AWPA

 

 

CC.  Senator the Hon Penny Wong

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs 

 

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