Support Runners For West Papua: IDP and Refugees

A number of Canberra-based runners are running 5 kilometres together, 30 April. This will be followed with a BBQ with runners, to raise awareness of West Papua: Internally Displaced Person and Refugees.

If you would like to join the 5km run, please get in contact with us. Alternatively, you can help us by donating to our crowdfunding: https://chuffed.org/project/85dlx210a47n

 Runners For West Papua: IDP and Refugees

https://chuffed.org/project/85dlx210a47n?fbclid=IwAR3_drlSYrz9SX2Z1MJcGfSpe2YxlV43SlVfc55Ua9LPiwQyI40Xn6kWM6s

By Karina Vennonen

Australia

 

Past trauma in the Present

 

Little is known about how Indigenous Peoples' of Papua co-opt and adapt to the escalation and de-escalation of violent conflict.

More than 60,000 internal refugees in the West Papuan highlands as well as many thousand residents fled their homes in recent years due to an escalation in the prolonged armed conflict between the West Papuan Independence Fighters (OPM-TPN) and the Indonesian military (TNI). This has significant and multi-generational experiences of trauma. Thus far, the government’s response and the support provided to these people is greatly lacking. 

People from Nduga, Puncak, Intan Jaya, Maybrat, Pegunungan Bintang and Yahukimo are being displaced from their homes as a direct result of the state colonial policies.

 

Their experience of accessing justice during and after conflict is far from near. 

___________________________________