APSN | International support for Papua New Guinean Student movement grows

Home > South Pacific & Oceania >> Papua New Guinea

International support for Papua New Guinean Student movement grows

Joint Media Release - July 1, 2016

Papua New Guinea: Police shoot student protesters – Human Rights Watch News Release. June 9, 2016
Papua New Guinea: Disgraceful shootings of students – Amnesty International Public Statement. June 8, 2016
Orders to close Manus detention likely before the Australian election – Refugee Action Coalition Sydney Press Release. June 8, 2016
Protests for freedom begin on Manus – Refugee Action Coalition Sydney Press Release. May 13, 2016
Papua New Guinea: Address abuses at UN review – Human Rights Watch News Release. May 4, 2016

Australia – International solidarity continues to grow for the student movement in Papua New Guinea (PNG). A sign-on letter calling for an immediate end to repression of the student movement in Papua New Guinea has already received over 220 international signatories from academics, unionists, NGOs, students, public servants and business people.

Kate Lee, Executive Officer, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA states, "APHEDA strongly supports students' democratic right to freedom of expression and peaceful process. We condemn the ongoing repression of PNG students and their supporters. Many have been in hiding since the shootings by police on June 8th, fearing further repression and arrest."

Initial signatories to the International letter supporting the PNG student movement include, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Human Rights Institute, Colombia Law School (USA), Samoa Workers Congress, South Pacific & Oceania Council of Trade Unions, Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions, Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, New Zealand Tertiary Education Union, and Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA (Australia), the global solidarity arm of the Australian union movement.

Representing over 5000 students at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in Port Moresby, Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Kenneth Rapa, states, "We have been suppressed since the beginning of our protests by the UPNG Administration. From the denial of referendums to the invasion of our privacy by Police, one sided media propaganda, and unreasonable and unlawful evictions of students from campus, suspension of classes aimed at causing division, etc. We have been and are the victims of imposed creative suffering."

In Rapa's recent press statement he calls for an end to the continued repression of student leaders; including violence, restraining orders, arrests and arbitrary detention, preventing them from containing violence between students and UPNG administration on 23rd and 24th June.

Patricia Bausch, a Melanesian human rights and social justice activist, and educator based in Cairns, Australia states, "It is imperative all repression towards PNG student leaders, like SRC President Kenneth Rapa, is immediately stopped. This will allow Kenneth and the SRC to lead in peaceful negotiations and reconciliation between the students and the university administration to ensure the education of the students."

UPNG SRC Statement https://standwithpngstudents.org/2016/06/30/press-statement-from-kenneth-rapa-student-representative-council-src-president-university-of-papua-new-guinea-upng/ and International sign on letter https://standwithpngstudents.org/sign-on-letter/.

For more info:

Laken Lepatu Aigilo, Lawyer for the UPNG SRC, +675 71064913
Kate Lee, Executive Officer, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, +61 420 293 083
Patricia Busch, Campus Manager Cairns, +61 418 605 549

Source: http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2016/07/international-support-for-png-student-movement-grows/.