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Increasing tension in West Papua, focused on the 1st December
Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) Media release - November 28, 2011 (see reply below)
For more information contact Joe Collins Mob 04077 857 97
Letter to Kevin Rudd concerning West Papua national flag day
Australia West
Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28
Spit Junction
Sydney
Australia 2088
The Hon Kevin
Rudd MP
Minister for
Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600
28 November 2011
Dear Mr Rudd,
I am writing to you concerning increasing tension in West Papua[1], presently focused on the 1st December which is West Papuan national flag day. Fifty years ago on the 1st of December 1961, in the then Dutch colony of West New Guinea, The West Papuan flag, called the Morning Star was flown for the first time officially beside the Dutch Tricolour. The Dutch were finally about to give the West Papuan people their freedom. However, it is one of the great tragedies that at their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically handed over to Indonesia in 1963.
The West Papuan people raise their flag as an act of celebration but also of protest against the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. We believe that the West Papuan people will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first flying of their flag with peaceful rallies in various parts of the territory on the 1st December. We are concerned that the security forces will use any rallies as an excuse to crackdown on the West Papuan people.
One of the most famous West Papuan political prisoners is Filep Karma who was arrested on the 1st December 2004 for being part of a rally where the Morning Star flag was raised. In May 2005, a court sentenced Filep Karma to 15 years jail on charges of treason against the state. Amnesty International considers Filep Karma to be a prisoner of conscience who has been detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
Because of the dangerously deteriorating situation in West Papua we urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government asking that it controls its security forces in West Papua, urging that the security forces should be kept in their barracks during any West Papuan celebrations on the 1st December as a way of avoiding possible bloodshed.
We also urge you to ask the Indonesian Government to allow full and free access of journalists to Papua and to send Australian embassy staff to monitor and observe events on December 1.
Yours sincerely
Joe Collins
Secretary
AWPA (Sydney)
[1] AWPA (Sydney) uses the name "West Papua" to refer to the whole of the western half of the Island of New Guinea.
Reply from Department Foreign Affairs and Trade to AWPA letter
Australian Government
Dept of Foreign Affairs
and Trade
Dear Mr Collins
Thank you for your letter dated 28 November 2011 about the 50th anniversary of the Morning Star flag. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Rudd.
The Australian Government follows closely developments in the Papuan provinces and Prime Minister Gillard discussed Papua with Indonesian President Yudhoyono during their most recent meeting in Bali on 20 November 2011. President Yudhoyono has made clear his determination to act firmly on human rights abuses by Indonesia's armed forces.
Our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised Australia's concerns with violence in the Papuan provinces with the Indonesian Government and has highlighted the need to investigate all abuses by the Indonesian security forces. On 1st December 2011, our Ambassador spoke with Indonesian authorities and underlined the need for restraint. We understand that President Yudhoyono reiterated to security force commanders on 30 November his strong expectation that security forces would handle incidents in Papua on 1st December appropriately. We note that demonstrations on 1st December were relatively calm compared to previous years.
The Australian Government has discussed with Indonesia the issue of flag -raising in the Papuan provinces and the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression for all individuals. The Indonesian Government takes a firm stance against separatist activity, not least the display of what it perceives to be separatist symbols. Accordingly, a significant number of Papuan activists are currently imprisoned in Indonesia for raising the Morning Star flag.
You raised the specific case of Mr Filep Karma, a prominent Papuan activist goaled under charges of subversion for his role in such a Morning Star flag raising. In May 2010, Embassy staff in Jakarta made representations to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging them to provide Mr Karma with access to additional medical care and legal representation, which he received a short time later. We have raised his case in the broader human rights context on subsequent occasions.
The Australian Government supports a vigorous and free press as a key feature of modern Indonesian democracy and will continue to highlight the importance of vibrancy and diversity within its media. Australia continues to underline the value to Indonesia of being seen to be open to international media.
Yours sincerely
G. Ralp
Director
Indonesian Political and
Strategic Section
Dept of Foreign Affairs
and Trade
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