AWPA concerned about dangerously deteriorating situation in West Papua

Press Release West Papua

The Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

17 March 2008

AWPA concerned about dangerously deteriorating situation in West Papua

Joe Collins from the Australia West Papua Association said that the Australian Foreign Minister must raise the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian President. There have been a number of protests in the last two weeks against the special autonomy law which the West Papuan people say has failed and has brought no benefit to them.

At a demonstration on the 13 March in Manokwari, 13 people were arrested for carrying the West Papuan National flag, The Morning Star. Two were later released, however there is cause for the safety of the other 11 people held in custody.

These arrests occurred at the same time as a visit by four Australian military attaches to West Papua. The group leader, Colonel Raymond stated during his visit that “the Indonesian government's policies in Papua such as the granting of special autonomy appeared to be working well”. AWPA would suggest that in any future visits by Australian officials to West Papua they also consult with West Papuan civil society organisation to get a true picture of the situation in the territory.

AWPA is greatly concerned about the safety of those arrested and has written to the Foreign Minister, The Hon Stephen Smith urging him to contact the Indonesian Government calling for the release of those arrested. AWPA is also concerned that the Indonesian military may use the peaceful demonstrations as an excuse to crack down on those groups they term separatists. We also call on the foreign minister to urge the Indonesian government to control their security forces in the territory and halt their intimidation of peaceful demonstrators and human rights defenders as a way of easing tensions and avoiding possible bloodshed.

Joe Collins
Mob. 04077 857 97