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Time for the Australian Government to re-think its ties with the TNI

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) Media Release - December 24, 2010

The recently released cables by WikiLeaks in relation to West Papuan human rights confirm what NGOs have been telling their governments and the media for years – that it is the Indonesian military that are one of the main problems in West Papua.

The cables reveal that "US diplomats privately blame Jakarta for instability and chronic underdevelopment in West Papua, where military commanders have been accused of drug smuggling and illegal logging rackets across the border with Papua New Guinea" and with one Indonesian official] claiming that the Indonesian Military (TNI) has far more troops in Papua than it is willing to admit to, chiefly to protect and facilitate TNI's interests in illegal logging operations"

Joe Collins of AWPA said "the Australian Government is always concerned about instability in the region to our north. These cables reveal one of the main culprits – the Indonesian military are causing the instability in West Papua. With the recent reports of the torture of West Papuans by the TNI and the information from these cables about the activities of the TNI, it is time for the Australian Government to re- think its ties with the TNI and to sent a fact finding mission to West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in West Papua, one of our nearest neighbours.

For more information contact Joe Collins on 04077 857 97.

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