OPTIONSUpcoming EventsUser login |
MEDIA RELEASE: SUN April 2, 12pm PROTEST, MARCH AND MUSIC TO WELCOME PAPUAN REFUGEESSubmitted by fwp office melbourne on Fri, 31/03/2006 - 20:38.
FREE WEST PAPUA CAMPAIGN (Melbourne) PROTEST, MARCH AND MUSIC TO WELCOME PAPUAN REFUGEES Meeting at 12pm this Sunday at the State Library, Free West Papua Campaigners will be calling for ‘an end to the war on our door step’ with a protest march against the human rights abuses committed by the Indonesia Military, followed by a celebration of West Papuan culture and music at the Treasury Gardens. Addressing the rally will be Anglican minister Peter Woods who witnessed and photographed a violent clash between anti-Freeport mine protesters and police in Abepura outside the Cendrawasih University in West Papua on March 16. The Reverend Peter Woods will retell how Indonesia security forces embarked on retaliatory attacks, bashing and killing a number of local Papuans and of the cover-up that followed. "There were wounded people, including children. Children had been shot,” Mr Woods said. Greens Senator Bob Brown, who will also be addressing the rally said West Papua, one of Australia's nearest neighbouring countries, was in turmoil because of the brutality of the Indonesian military and the continued attempts to destroy their culture. "West Papua deserves its day in the sun. It should have a legal act of self-determination, the same as East Timor, and of course the Australian government has to take refugees when there's such a bloody crackdown as is occurring under the Indonesian military at the moment," Senator Brown said. Senator Brown believes the Australian government should be lobbying in the United Nations for a fair, transparent and secure process to implement a true act of self-determination. "The West Papuans are not part of Indonesia, never were, never wanted to be, The organisers of the rally are encouraging Melbournians to come out in large numbers to take a stand against the bloody violence being unleashed by the ‘greatest merchant of terror in our region’ - the Indonesian military. For more information, contact Nick Chesterfield on 0409 268 978 or by email on ( categories: Press Releases )
|