| Home > South-East Asia >> West Papua | |
Time for West Papua to come in from the cold at the Pacific Islands Forum
Indonesia Human Rights Committee Media Release - October 9, 2007
The Indonesia Human Rights Committee is urging the New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark to advocate for the people of West Papua at the Pacific Islands Forum when it meets next week. This appeal is backed by other NGOs, including Pax Christi. Peace Movement Aotearoa and Christian World Service.
West Papuan people look to New Zealand to take a stand on their behalf in the light of our close cultural links to the Pacific and past peace initiatives.
IHRC has also written individually to each of the 16 Pacific Island Forum leaders urging that West Papuan representatives be given observer status at the Forum and calling for a human rights fact-finding mission to West Papua.
“It is way past time for West Papua to have a seat at the Forum table. It is great that other new observers are being accepted, such as East Timor, Tokelau and the French territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia. But why no welcome mat for the West Papuans who are so much in need of regional support and so clearly part of the Pacific in terms of geography, history, culture and ethnicity.”
“Tragically, the Forum representations made about West Papua in 2006 have not been heeded. Repressive tactics continue and people and organisations who actively support human rights or political change are subject to surveillance, threats and harassment by the Indonesian security forces.”
“Access to West Papua is tightly constrained and the few foreign journalists who visit are tightly monitored and constrained by the Security Forces. The Jayapura military commander Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, who has been indicted for crimes against humanity in East Timor, threatens to ‘destroy’ supporters of independence.”
“The granting of observer status would give new visibility to the West Papuan issue and could well pave the way for the Forum to serve as an honest broker or mediator between the West Papuan people and the Indonesian Government.”
For further information: Maire Leadbeater on 027-436-957 or 815-9000
Rt Hon Helen Clark,
Prime Minister,
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington.
5 October, 2007
Dear Helen Clark,
The letter that follows has been sent to each Pacific Islands Forum leader. We believe that you have played a positive role in the past on behalf of West Papua at the Pacific Islands Forum, so we make a particular call to you as our Prime Minister. West Papuan people need your support and advocacy more than ever.
We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua and urge you and the other Pacific Island Heads of State to make this issue a priority in your deliberations.
We recall that at last year’s Forum the Official Communique called on all parties to protect and uphold the rights of all West Papuan people and to seek to address the root causes of violence by peaceful means. The Communique also urged the Indonesian authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators of serious crimes in the Province of Papua.
Tragically, there is little indication that the Indonesian authorities have heeded these representations. As you will be aware United Nations Special Representative Hina Jilani visited West Papua last June. In her report she expressed concern about reports of incidents that involve arbitrary detention, torture, harassment through surveillance, interference with freedom of movement and in defenders’ efforts to monitor and investigate human rights violations. She was also informed of cases where human rights defenders were threatened with prosecution by members of the police and the military and it is alarming that some of those who met with Hina Jilani are reporting new instances of harassment.
We believe that the military in West Papua uses repressive tactics in a systematic way against individuals and organisations that support human rights and political change. Many believe that the security forces were behind recent so called “mysterious” deaths of young people whose badly beaten bodies were found in the street. It is difficult to obtain verified information about these abuses as West Papua remains largely cut off from the outside world and so far any journalist’s visit has been very tightly monitored by the security forces.
From West Papuan representatives, including Church and Tribal leaders, there are repeated calls for dialogue but military commanders such as Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, the current Commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military command (Korem 172), rely instead on threats to maintain control. Col Siagian who has been indicted twice for crimes against humanity in East Timor, has stated that “If I meet anyone who has enjoyed the facilities that belong to the state, but who still betrays the nation, I honestly will destroy him.”
The role of the military in resource exploitation notably illegal logging, and in providing “security” for international companies such as Freeport McMoran is well known. Quite apart from the devastating environmental impacts of these activities, the indigenous community faces the loss of land and livelihood. At the same time troop numbers in West Papua continue to increase and the Indonesian Army has proposed a third infantry division for their Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in Papua, which would see more troops made available to patrol border areas and other conflict-prone regions. The third infantry division of Kostrad is expected to be established by 2014. This ongoing militarisation creates increased tension and instability.
We note that the Forum has recently been opening up the list of invited Forum observers to include the French territory of Wallis and Futuna, the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Asian Development Bank in addition to East Timor, Tokelau and the French territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia. We also note that the Forum Leaders approved the application of New Caledonia and French Polynesia for associate membership of the Forum
As West Papua is also a Pacific nation, the Indonesia Human Rights Committee joins the call for the representatives of the people of West Papua to be granted observer status at this year’s meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. We believe that the Forum would then be in an excellent position to facilitate a dialogue between the West Papuan people and Indonesia, a post Forum Dailogue Partner of the Forum.
We also call on the Forum to raise concerns about the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua with the Indonesian government and to press the Indonesian Government to allow greater access for the media and human rights monitors in Papua.
The Forum should also appeal to the Indonesian Government to agree to an urgent fact finding mission to West Papua to investigate the human rights situation.
Yours sincerely,
Maire Leadbeater
(for the Indonesia Human
Rights Committee)
Indonesia Human Rights Committee is a solidarity organization which aims to build links between the people of New Zealand and Indonesia by developing network with the groups in Indonesia and around the world who are working for human rights and democracy in Indonesia.
Being interested is not enough, get involved!
IHRC, P.O. Box 68 419, Newton,
Auckland.
Phone/fax: 64-9-8159000,
Email: maire@clear.net.nz
See also: