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West Papuan Asylum seekers should be allowed to stay

Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups - January 20, 2006

The Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups in Australia call on the Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone to allow the 43 West Papuan asylum seekers to remain in Australia. Joe Colliins of AWPA Sydney said he had no doubt that the 30 men, six women and seven children who sailed from Merauke West Papua and reached the mainland at Mapoon in Cape York are genuine asylum seekers fleeing Indonesian oppression.

Joe Collins said the West Papuans should be released into metropolitan communities where their applications can be processed quickly and that they will have immediate access to translators and medical assistance.

Joe Collins said that the West Papuans should be treated the way the East Timorese were treated before they achieved their independence by granting them bridging visas with full rights and allowing to live in the community while their claims are assessed. John Collins an Australian soldier who fought in Merauke alongside another 8,000 Australians during WW11 says we owe it to the Papuans to treat them with dignity and respect

There is increased tension in West Papua with more troops being sent to the province. Coincidentally as troops are apparently been withdrawn from Aceh.

Last week 12 West Papuans where arrested, four later released and the remaining eight taken to Jakarta against their will. Demonstrations where held in Jayapura to protest their removal. Joe Collins said that the military use situations like this to crack down on those they term separatist.

Although West Papua earns huge amounts of money for Indonesia because of its mine and mineral resources it has a developing epidemic of HIV -AIDS., as well as high rates of malaria and tuberculosis.

For more information contact:

Joe Collins: 04077 857 97
Jason Macleod: 0438 503 532
Louise Byrne: (03) 95102193

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