Photos of flag raising on Leichhardt Town Hall in Sydney today
The Australia West Papua Association in Sydney thanks the Inner West Council for supporting the Raising of the Morning Star Flag on its Town Hall today, the 61st anniversary of the first official flying of the flag on the 1st December 1961
Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
Statement 30 November 2022
West Papuan flag raising in Sydney
There are a number of planned West Papuan events in Sydney for the 1st December, West Papuan National Flag Day or National Day.
The Australia West Papua Association thanks the Inner West Council in Sydney for supporting the raising of the West Papuan National Flag on its Leichhardt Town Hall (for the 12th year in a row) on the 1st December to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the first official flying of the Morning Star flag in 1961, in the then Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea.
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 by the international community.
Sixty-one years later, the West Papuan people are still struggling for their right to self-determination.
Last year's flag raising 2021
Joe Collins of AWPA said, “ tomorrow, supporters around the world will raise the Morning Star flag in a show of support for the West Papuan people. Civil society groups in West Papua traditionally commemorate the 1st December by holding rallies and flag raising events."
The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in the Sentani Region will hold a joint prayer and worship meeting to commemorate the 1st.
Hopefully, the security forces will allow planned events to take place peacefully. Last year security forces cracked down on a number of events, arresting activists where the West Papuan flag had been flown. In Jayapura, 8 people were charged with treason.
Joe Collins said, “the human rights situation in West Papua is not improving. At the recent UN Human Rights Council's 41st Universal Periodic Review in November , human rights organisations raised concerns about human rights violations in the region, reports of escalating violence and restrictions on independent observers and the media. 8 countries specifically mentioned the situation in West Papua during the review.”
and
"Although Australia was one of the countries to mention West Papua, we cannot expect too much from the Australian Government in relation to West Papua. However, Canberra could support the call by other countries in urging Jakarta to allow a visit by the UN high commissioner on human rights to the territory and call on Jakarta for the release of all West Papuan political prisoners."
Ends
---------------------------------
“Indeed, this movement has not yet occurred massively in Papua but it is gradually happening because of the increasing awareness of the reality of women. We hope that this organization can become a transformative organization in Papua to deal with Papuan problems,” she told Jubi when met at the launch event of the West Papua Feminist Forum in Jayapura on Monday, November 28, 2022.
Haluk said that women and transwomen around the world experience discrimination as well as in Papua. “Papua nation experience structural violence, massive exploitation of natural resources, destruction of nature, and marginalization of indigenous Papuans. This ignores basic rights and greatly impacts Papuan women,” she said.
Haluk said that even though the struggle for women had started in the 19th century, up until now, women’s rights issues had not received serious attention.
“Women’s realities are interrelated but chaotic like tangled threads. It needs patience and good intentions to start reflecting critically by looking at women’s realities more carefully,” she said.
In the process of change that occurs in society in Papua today, Papuan women are required to be responsive and quickly adapt to the pace of change.
“Papuan women today are required to be responsive and quickly adapt to the change but on the other hand, must maintain their identity as Papuan women. For this reason, a special space is needed for all Papuan women to meet together and share experiences, concerns, and dreams together,” she said.
Meanwhile, secretary of the West Papua Feminist Forum Elvira Rumkabu said that as part of the community in the Pacific region, the flourishing women’s movement in the Pacific has a big impact on women in Papua.
“In order to build a collective feminist movement in the Pacific and in Papua in particular, we organize the West Papua Feminist Forum (WPFF). This forum is part of the 3rd Pacific Feminist Forum held in several Pacific countries with the support of the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the We Rise Coalition and the European Union in the Pacific-UN Spotlight Programme,” she said.
Rumbaku said that through the forum, it was hoped that women in Papua could map their problems and connect with the wider community, especially in the Pacific, to stand together to advocate for common issues in the Pacific region and strengthen the global network.
“We hope that we will produce critical and important thoughts to advocate for various issues and problems in Papua today,” he said.
Rumkabu said the West Papua Feminist Forum carries the theme of building a collective movement of Papuan feminism for decolonization.
“We conduct among others the following discussions: What is Feminism: Connecting the Disconnect in Global Feminism by Elvira Rumkabu; the Challenges of Women in the Environmental Movement by Rosita Tecuari from ORPA; Women and Politics (Access and Participation) by Frida Kelasin; Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights by Dessy Manggaprouw; Conditions and Challenges of Freedom of Expression of Papuan Women by Frederika Korain from Veritas Law Firm; Praxis of the Decolonization Movement: Searching for Papuan Feminist Social Movements” by I Ngurah Suryawan; as well as a friendship night titled “Celebrating Us”, which is a dinner with Papuan dress code and accessories,” she said.
Rumkabu said the purpose of the forum was to open a space for women in Papua to recognize their reality.
“To reflect, imagine, share and unite thoughts among Papuan women who come from various communities with different issues and ways of advocacy. To discuss what we can do together to overcome these problems,” she said.
Rumkabu said another goal was to unite women from various communities in Papua, talk about their rights, and dismantle the wrong mindset that has been holding women back.
“We hope that this forum will bring Papuan women to their realities and build a common understanding from various perspectives. It is a place for learning and sharing experiences and knowledge among Papuan women in all lines of society,” said Rumkabu.
She was optimistic that a network of cooperation with the feminism movement in the Pacific region and globally could be built so that the issue of Papua would not only become a local issue but could be advocated together at the regional level.
“From there, hopefully, we can produce recommendations in determining work programs for the future, build a common understanding of the role and rights of Papuan women, and consolidate individuals and groups that work on women’s issues in Papua,” he said.
Rumkabu added that speakers in the forum had been engaged in advocating various problems concerning women’s issues in their communities. ” Such as women and environmental issues, women in politics, sexual health and reproductive issues, freedom of expression, and decolonization,” she said. (*)
2 West Papua flag raisings in Sydney on 1st December
-----------
West Papuan flag raising at Inner West Council
The Australia West Papua Association thanks the Inner West Council in Sydney for supporting the raising of the West Papuan National Flag on its Leichhardt Town Hall on the 1st December at 9am. (Sharp). It’s the 12 year in a row that the council has supported the raising of the flag to commemorate the first official flying of the Morning Star flag on the 1st December in 1961. The event is a photo opportunity to show our West Papuan friends that they have supporters in Sydney and around the world who care about the human rights situation in their territory.
It’s a family friendly event and remember to keep covid safe.
Leichhardt Town Hall
Corner of Marion and, Norton St
Leichhardt NSW 204
--------------------------------------------
“I am pessimistic that the steps taken by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to facilitate the Jakarta-Papua dialogue will be successful. To me, it seems rushed and forced, like there is a hidden agenda or the dialogue is only staged,” Syufi said when contacted by Jubi on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
Syufi said that the Jakarta-Papua peace dialogue is difficult to realize because the conflicting parties were the Indonesian government and the Papuan people represented by the independence movement. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), Syufi said, was not involved in the initial talks towards the Jakarta-Papua dialogue.
“If the process is like that, the Papuan people must reject it because it is suspected that it only caters to the State’s interests to obscure various cases of gross human rights violations and distortion of Papua’s political history,” he said.
Syufi said Komnas HAM RI could assist efforts to resolve the conflict between the government and TPNPB by lobbying an independent, credible and trusted international institution to facilitate a peaceful dialogue between the Papuan people and the Indonesian government. Komnas HAM can also urge the Indonesian government to open a dialogue with the Papuan people, facilitated by a neutral state or international institution agreed upon by both conflicting parties.
“Victims and families of victims of various gross human rights violations in the Land of Papua, including Bloody Wasior, Bloody Biak, Bloody Abepura, and Bloody Wamena, ask a credible and independent international human rights institution to resolve cases of gross human rights violations that have occurred since Papua joined Indonesia in 1963. All investigations must be held objectively, honestly, transparently and fulfill the sense of justice of the victims and the collective justice of the Papuan people, “he said. (*)
Rahmat Paisei (15), Bastian Bate (13) and Laurents Kaung (11) were tortured at the Cartenz Peace Task Force Post in Yuwanain Village, Arso District, Keerom Regency on October 27, 2022. The three children were allegedly abused by a number of soldiers using chains, wire reels and water hoses. They had to undergo treatment at the hospital afterwards.
Yoku admitted that until Wednesday, November 23, 2022, she had not received information about the progress of the investigation conducted by the Military Police of the XVII Cenderawasih Military Command nor the investigation by the Papua National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).
Elvi said she would meet the military police and Komnas HAM Papua to ask about the progress of the investigation into the persecution case.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Indonesian Women’s Association for Justice (APIK) Jayapura Legal Aid Institute, Nur Aida Duwila, said that a coalition of a number of victim assistance organizations in Papua was currently focusing on providing psychosocial recovery for the three children. “Rahmat Paisei and his friends need recovery, both health and psychosocial aspects,” Nur told Jubi on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. (*)
“It happened at the end of April 2022. I counted there were twelve days they did not give me food from the kitchen,” he said.
Yobe said his plate was lost after breakfast. At that time, he washed it and put it in its usual place in the cell. Yobe went out for activities outside the room. By lunchtime, he returned to his cell to retrieve the plate but it had gone.
“Each plate is written with each detainee’s name. I reported my missing plate to the guard, they said, ‘It’s Saturday. Just get a basin. We’ll replace the new plate on Monday,” he said.
Yobe followed the advice and queued for food with the basin. That afternoon, he received his usual meal and the kitchen staff did not question Yobe for using the basin.
Towards dinner, Yobe again reported his missing plate as there had been a change of guard duty. Unfortunately, the officer this time did not allow Yobe to queue for food with a basin. Instead, the officer told Yobe to return to his room, thus he did not get his dinner.
The next day, he reported again and stood in line for his meal. He said he was ignored by the staff and did not get any food.
Yobe tried to restrain himself. For 12 days, he shared food with fellow inmates. Sometimes he even fasted. “My friends shared the food. But sometimes I focus on prayer and fasting,” he said.
For breakfast, the prisoners get a ration of porridge or cassava and corn. Lunch is rice with eggplant, salted fish, tofu, tempeh and chicken. While at night the menu is fish or chicken. “We most often get salted fish,” he said.
Eventually, Yobe’s patience ran out and he made a Facebook post about the food ration in Abepura Prison. “We conveyed to social media that there is discrimination in Abepura Prison. From there, we all got new plates,” he said.
Yobe was not the only treason convict who was ignored. Zode Hilapok, one of Yobe’s friends who participated in raising the Morning Star flag at the Cenderawasih Sports Center on December 1, 2021, had his tuberculosis disease worsened when he was detained in Abepura Prison.
Due to his illness, the panel of judges of the Jayapura District Court on May 17, 2022, ordered that Hilapok’s case file be separated from Melvin Yobe and six other defendants.
Zode Hilapok’s trial was suspended because he underwent treatment at Jayapura Dok 2 Hospital. However, Hilapok’s health did not improve.
Head of Abepura Prison Sulistyo Wibowo denied that the penitentiary discriminated against Melvin Yobe and ignored his health. Wibowo said all prisoners were treated equally. He said all detainees received food rations.
Wibowo denied Yobe’s statement that he was not given food for 12 days. According to Wibowo, if Yobe was not given food for that long, he might not survive in the prison.
“That is not true. If he is not fed for 12 days, he could die,” Wibowo told Jubi on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
Wibowo said his office always pays attention to the health of detainees and prisoners. Any sick prisoner, he said, would be placed in a special block and handled by a doctor.
“We separate those who are patients of infectious disease from the others. We attempt to serve the rights of detainees and prisoners. There must be shortcomings on our side but we are always improving,” Sulistyo said. [to be continued]
