Peaceful rallies planned in West Papua for 15 August. The New York Agreement . Activists already intimidated

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) 

AWPA Statement 14 August 2024 

Peaceful rallies planned in West Papua for 15 August. The New York Agreement . Activists already intimidated

The 15 August   marks  62 years since The New York Agreement and West Papuans  are still suffering  under Indonesian colonial rule. Yes, most of the world recognises Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua at this stage but most also would recognise that the so called act of free choice in 1969 was a sham.

The New York Agreement

In August 1962, an agreement was concluded in New York between the Netherlands and Indonesia. Under this agreement, the Dutch were to leave West New Guinea and transfer sovereignty to UNTEA (the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority). After 7 months the UN transferred power to Indonesia with the provision that a referendum be held to determine Papuan preference for independence, or integration with Indonesia. 

The New York Agreement was a betrayal of the West Papuan people. 

President Thomas Wilson said  “ ...that no right anywhere exists to hand peoples about from sovereignty to sovereignty as if they were property”

Joe Collins of AWPA said, "and this is exactly what happened to the West Papuan people. Handed over by one colonial power, The Netherlands to another, Indonesia with a short administration period by the UN as a face-saving compromise for the Dutch and the international community".

The West Papuan National Committee  ( KNPB) has called for West Papuans to come out and peacefully protest this betrayal and have been handing out flyers (on the 13 August) to inform about the upcoming rallies on the 15 August. 

In an act of  intimidation up to 60 activists were taken by the police to the Doyo police Station in Sentani. 

Joe Collins said ," this is to intimate civil society groups into not taking part in the proposed rallies on the 15 August.  Hopefully, there will not be a repeat of previous years where  the security forces have cracked down in their usual heavy-handed approach on  peaceful demonstrators".

Photos posted on AWPA FB Page. (KNPB informing public about upcoming rallies).

 “ West Papuan civil society groups regularly hold events and rallies on days of significance in their history,  to try and bring attention to the world, of the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. And this is what Jakarta fears most , international scrutiny  on the ongoing human rights abuses in the territory”.

 

Also of concern is that the 17 August is Indonesian Independence Day.

The Indonesian Security  forces can use the day to take propaganda  photos of Papuans supporting their Independence day. It is now 5 years since the West Papua uprising when thousands of West Papuans took to the streets in all the major cities and towns across West Papua.  The demonstrators were  protesting against the arrest and racial abuse against West Papuan students in Surabaya, Indonesia.

The arrest of 43 students in Surabaya occurred because it had been reported that an Indonesian flag had been vandalised near the students dormitory.

 

At the time, The Jakarta Post (19 August) reported that security personnel and members of Indonesian organisations launched physical and verbal attacks on the Papuan students accusing them of refusing to celebrate Indonesia's 74th Independence Day, and that an “angry mob arrived at the dormitory after they found a discarded Indonesian flag near the building. During the incident, they reportedly threw stones at the dormitory while shouting racial abuse and chanting “Kick out the Papuans!” and “Slaughter the Papuans!” 

 

The mob also called the students monkeys, pigs and dogs, shouting “don’t you come out. We are waiting for you here”.  As they stormed the building the Police fired tear gas into the building and arrested 43 students. The students were later released after questioning. They had denied any knowledge of the damaged flag. However, this incident triggered rallies across West Papua in a show of support for the students and in protest against the discrimination and injustices that West Papuans suffer daily under Indonesia rule.

 

It is estimated that up to 60 people died , including 35 indigenous West Papuans  and  hundreds injured with  over 20,00 civilians displaced during the Uprising period. 

 

Joe Collins said, “hopefully this year the Indonesian security forces  will allow the West Papuan people  to hold their peaceful rallies without interference . 

"Canberra,  along with the two regional organisations , the  Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)  should be strongly  urging Jakarta to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory. Jakarta should also be urged to allow  a joint PIF- MSG fact finding mission to the territory".

Ends