AWPA statement. Will Canberra support UN Rapporteurs on West Papua?

  

Australian West Papua Association (Sydney)

Statement.  Will Canberra support UN Rapporteurs on West Papua?

4 March 2022

AWPA has written  to our foreign minister concerning the statement by the UN on West Papua . (Letter below).

 

In the statement, 3 UN Special Rapporteurs expressed serious concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua.

 

Joe Collins of AWPA said, 

“We are urging the Australian Government to join with the UN Rapporteurs in raising concerns about the situation in West Papua, publicly with Jakarta, condemning the ongoing human rights abuses in the territory.”

“We know the Government has said it raises concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian  Government, but have not seen any public statements of concern on the issue unlike the Governments concerns about abuses in China and the situation in the Ukraine.” 

The issue of West Papua is not going away.

Ends

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Australian 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

 

 

4 March 2022

 

Dear Foreign Minister,

 

I am writing to you concerning the recent UN statement on the issue of West Papua.

 

In the statement, 3 UN Special Rapporteurs expressed serious concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua.

 

 

From UN release,

GENEVA (1 March 2022)

“UN human rights experts today expressed serious concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua, citing shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans, including child killings, disappearances, torture and mass displacement of people.”

AWPA will not go into all the grave concerns about the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua as we have written many times on the issue. 

However, the UN Rapporteurs point out that,

"Between April and November 2021, we have received allegations indicating several instances of extrajudicial killings, including of young children, enforced disappearance, torture and inhuman treatment and the forced displacement of at least 5,000 indigenous Papuans by security forces," It is estimated that the overall number of displaced people in West Papua  since the escalation of violence in December 2018 is over 60,000.

 

They also state that "Urgent action is needed to end ongoing human rights violations against indigenous Papuans,"

We are urging the Australian Government to join with the UN Rapporteurs in raising concerns about the situation in West Papua, publicly  with Jakarta, condemning the ongoing human rights abuses in the territory. 

We know the Government has said it raises concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian  Government , but have not seen any public statements of concern on the issue unlike the Governments concerns about abuses in China and the situation in the Ukraine. 

I urge you to raise the deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian Government.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Joe Collins

AWPA (Sydney)

CC. Various media outlets

 

PS. On the 12 August 2021, we wrote to you concerning West Papuan activist Victor Yeimo, who is the international spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB).  He is being charged with treason . We look forward to your reply on this matter.

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