Open letter to Pacific Island Forum Leaders

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) 

PO Box 28 Spit Junction, NSW Australia 2088

 

 

Open letter to Pacific Island Forum  Leaders 

 

26 August 2024 

 

Dear Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, 

 

I am writing to you concerning the issue of West Papua. 

 

We know that there are many issues of concern to discuss at the 53^rd Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Summit in Tonga and in particular that climate change is a priority issue for the Leaders and the People of the Pacific. AWPA believes that the issue of human rights in the region is also of concern.  

 

I would first like to thank the PIF leaders for discussing  the human rights situation in West Papua at previous Forums.  

 

Unfortunately since last year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting in Rarotonga, the human rights situation in West Papua has deteriorated further. AWPA will not reiterate the tragic history of West Papua of which  PIF Leaders are well aware. 

 

Numerous reports have documented the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua, the burning of villages during military operations and the targeting of civilians. 

 

One incident in particular which highlights the ongoing abuses committed by the Indonesian security forces concerns  the brutal and horrific torture of a West Papuan man, Defianus Kogoya by Indonesian troops in early February this year. Anybody who saw the video footage of the Papuan man being tortured cannot help but be horrified and outraged. Tragically, this is not an isolated incident.  

 

There are regular clashes between the Indonesian security forces and the TPNPB (Free Papua Movement) who are fighting for their independence. As a result of these clashes the military respond with what they call sweeps of the area. 

 

Human Rights Monitor in its 2^nd quarterly report for 2004, pointed out that “as of early June 2024, over

76,919 people remained internally displaced  due to the armed conflict in West Papua, with no humanitarian access”.  

 

In a recent incident “Indonesian security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes with protesters marking the 62nd anniversary of a U.N. agreement that paved the way for Jakarta’s annexation of the Papua region.  At least one protester was wounded by a rubber bullet and 95 people were arrested during the unrest in Nabire, the capital of Central Papua province, said Kimot Mote, one of the protest organisers” (Benar News 16 August 2024)  

 

There is no freedom of assembly in West Papua  

Article 19 of   The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states        

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. 

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. 

 

We thank Fiji's Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka  and PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape for trying to secure an agreement to visit West Papua and urge all the PIF Leaders to continue to strongly urge Jakarta to not only allow a PIF fact finding mission to West Papua but also urge Jakarta to  finalise the visit by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the territory. 

 

 

We are also concerned about the human rights situation in New Caledonia (Kanaky).  

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Right released a statement on the 20 August  expressing alarm at the situation of the indigenous Kanaks. 

 

Extract from statement 

"We are particularly concerned by allegations concerning the existence of heavily armed militias of settlers opposed to independence," the experts said. 

"The fact that no measures have been taken by authorities to disband and prosecute these militias raises serious rule of law concerns." 

The experts noted that the 2021 consultation on the sovereignty of the French colony of New Caledonia took place amidst the Covid-19 pandemic disregarding Kanak customary mourning and despite the objections of Kanak customary authorities and organisations. 

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/08/france-un-experts-alarmed-situation-kanak-indigenous-peoples-non-self 

 

We urge the PIF Leaders to continue to raise concerns at the heavy-handed security  approach in New Caledonia (Kanaky)  by France and urge France (a dialogue partner) to accede to the requests of the Kanak people and their representatives  at the Summit. 

 

Yours sincerely. 

 

Joe Collins  

AWPA (Sydney)

 

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