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New treaty undermines security of West Papuans
Pacific Concerns Resource Centre Press Release - November 15, 2005
The Pacific Concerns Resource Centre expresses alarm and disgust at recent news that Australia has signed a new Security Treaty with Indonesia.
PCRC calls on Australia to sincerely rethink the consequence this Treaty will have on indigenous Papuans.
PCRC's Decolonisation officer Rex Rumakiek, originally from West Papua, says "this move will only worsen human rights violations and endanger the human security of indigenous peoples and civilians working in West Papua."
"The safety of my people, human rights workers, Church workers and researchers in West Papua will be further severely undermined with this Treaty. And the same will be for other hot spots such as Maluku, Poso and Aceh," Mr. Rumakiek said.
PCRC wishes to remind Australia of the recent decision taken by Pacific Islands Leaders on West Papua in Article 31 of the 2006 Forum Communique:
Leaders expressed concern about reports of violence in Papua and called on all parties to protect and uphold the human rights of all residents in Papua and to work to address the root causes of such conflicts by peaceful means. They also urged the Indonesian authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators of serious crimes in the Province of Papua.
"The signing of this Treaty by Australia and Indonesia is premature and dangerous. It serves to violate the spirit and decision of the Pacific Island Forum Leaders especially when respect for the rule of law and international human rights standards is very much wanting in West Papua," Mr. Rumakiek said.
PCRC questions the loyalty of Australia to the Pacific after having endorsed the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in late October of this year. PCRC labels the Treaty signing by Australia as deceptive when PM John Howard signed onto the Pacific Islands Leaders communiqui in which Article 31, expressed concern over West Papua.
"Howard is playing lip-service to the Pacific region and his intentions to advance the issues in the Leaders Comminque is purely nominal, Rumakiek said.
Recent media reports from Indonesia tell of a judge threatening defense lawyers in the West Papuan capital of Jayapura for defending clients who were witnesses to military abuse by the state. These witnesses are terrorized by the Police and Military.
Mr. Rumakiek says the endless list of unresolved serious human right abuse cases and rights violators who were allowed to walk free with laughable sentences would only serve to entrench the continued violation of human rights by military and Indonesian authorities.
"This treaty could be viewed by the Security forces in West Papua as endorsement for the unceasing violation of human rights. This could be regarded as "dead or alive warrant" to justify action against people that are listed and being watched because of their involvement in championing or conducting human rights related activities," Mr. Rumakiek said.
PCRC wishes to advise Australia and Indonesia that, in their quest for Security, resources must be channelled to the areas of good governance, anti corruption measures, strengthening legal institutions to ensure conformity to transparent and legitimate acceptable practices.
For more information please contact: Rex Rumakiek, Assistant Director-Decolonisation or Peter Emberson, Information Officer on the above contact.
Pacific Concerns Resource Centre is the Secretariat of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement. It is registered in the Fiji Islands under the Charitable Trusts Act. It is a Non-Governmental Organisation in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
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