The World Today - Scale of human rights abuses in Papua under dispute

[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1739276.htm]

The World Today - Tuesday, 12 September , 2006 12:30:00
Reporter: Steve Marshall
ELEANOR HALL: Activists supporting Papuan independence from Indonesia have rejected a report by the International Crisis Group, which says there's no evidence that Indonesian security forces are perpetrating genocide in that province.

The International Crisis Group says Papua is not a happy place, but neither is it a killing field, and that use of the word 'genocide' overstates what is happening there. But pro-independence activists claim that human rights abuses are systemic.

As Papua New Guinea Correspondent Steve Marshall reports.

STEVE MARSHALL: When 43 Papuans arrived by boat on Australian shores earlier this year claiming of human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian military, it sparked a new wave of reports about Indonesia's alleged brutal rule over Papua.

But the International Crisis Group says reports by sources, most of them from outside of Papua, are distorted. ICG analyst Francesca Lawe-Davies says while low levels of abuse still occur, claims by Papuans and activists that the region is a place of persecution and oppression are simply not true.

FRANCESCA LAWE-DAVIES: Well, it's very hard to talk about the West Papua movement, there are a lot of different groups advocating independence and they are using many different methods.

And part of that is to highlight genuine human rights concerns, part of that is to talk about historical injustices, and mixed in with accurate information is sometimes some exaggerated claims and often even untruth.

STEVE MARSHALL: Papuan activists are dismayed at the report. They've long argued that the Indonesian military still commits human rights abuses that qualify as genocide.

Nick Chesterfield from the Free West Papua campaign based in Melbourne says the report is another attempt by the Jakarta based NGO office to sweep the Papuan issue under the carpet.

NICK CHESTERFIELD: What really, really does stand out about this report is quite sweeping claims that no genocide and very little human rights abuses are happening and that the situation is improving.

Having just come back from there, I can certainly say that that's not the case. You know, I just ask ICG to actually be there on the ground and spend some time with the people, who are suffering from serious repeated and systemic human rights abuses, which do constitute acts of genocide.

STEVE MARSHALL: Nick Chesterfield, having travelled to Papua recently, can you provide me with any recent examples that acts of genocide are still being committed by the Indonesian Army?

NICK CHESTERFIELD: Well, one of the clear examples is happening in the border region, which we do have strong evidence of, and that's the formation of death squads which are randomly targeting Papuans, not on the basis of any political affiliation, but on the basis of race.

In the Asa and Wembi areas we interviewed many survivors from some of these operations.

Yeah, this is a clear case that does fulfil what constitutes internationally accepted definitions of acts of genocide.

STEVE MARSHALL: Many Papuans feel they were cheated out of independence, which was promised to them by a Dutch colonial administration before Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1963.

Since then Papuans have embarked on political and military campaigns in a push for independence. But the idea that Papua is controlled by Jakarta is incorrect according to the International Crisis Group. In 2001, Papua was granted special autonomy and the region's elected governors are indigenous Papuans.

Crisis Group analyst Francesca Lawe-Davies says these Governors are not Jakarta puppets as described by Papuan activists and that they have significant political and fiscal authority.

FRANCESCA LAWE-DAVIES: A lot of the problems that currently plague Papua probably would not be solved by independence, and that there are a whole lot of governance issues that the Indonesian Government could address, and the Papuan provincial administration cold address that would help to allay some of the current concerns.

ELEANOR HALL: Francesca Lawe-Davies from the International Crisis Group ending that report from Papua New Guinea Correspondent Steve Marshall.