West Papua Action - Latest News

West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, just north of Australia. It is remarkable in its linguistic and cultural diversity, with some 240 tribes and languages. However, these peoples and their lands are under threat.

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Acknowledgements

Photos:

Inakia Aja, Mark Doris, Rabea Henze, Bryan Meade, Seán Sourke.

Thanks:

Javier Aja, Asa Barrington, Cathy McKenna.

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Press Release from Pan-African Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua (PACLWP)

For more information on PACLWP and it's campaign on behalf of the people of West Papua, please contact Harold Green at 323-291-4114 or e-mail PACLWP at paclwp@msn.com

Pan-African Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua (PACLWP)

November 25, 2003

For Immediate Release

Contact: Harold Green, 323-291-4114

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST INDONESIA'S GENOCIDE AND COLONIALISM OF THE WEST PAPUAN PEOPLE

"Pan-African Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua calls on the Black Communities around the world and the international community to intervene in the Survival of the West Papuan people in the western half of New Guinea Island"

West Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific, is home to 250 indigenous ethnic groups who are Melanesians. West Papua had been colonized by the Dutch for 90 years when in the 1960s, it fell victim to the "cold war" and was handed over to Indonesia by the United Nations with very strong support from both the John F. Kennedy Administration and the government of the Netherlands, through a very fraudulent process called the 'Act of Free Choice' in 1969 that involved only 1025 people out of a total population of 700,000 people.

During the voting at the UN General Assembly in 1969 as a result of the 'Act of Free Choice", African countries such as Ghana, Senegal, etc, strongly opposed the results of the vote calling it a another form of colonialism practiced against their black brothers and sisters of West Papua. Furthermore, the leading African- American civil rights organization 'National Association for the Advancement of Colored People' (NAACP) sent a letter to the UN Secretary General, U Thant protesting the 'Act of Free Choice' and urged the UN to review its own conduct.

For more than four decades now of Indonesia's military rule over West Papua, it has committed serious crime against humanity, genocide, massive exploitation of its rich natural resources and devastation of the environment. According to ELSHAM, the West Papua Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy, more than 100,000 West Papuans have been killed or disappeared at the hands of the Indonesian military and police since the annexation. Today nearly 1.5 million West Papuans share the territory with some 775,000 Indonesians brought into West Papua through a discredited transmigration program funded by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and many western governments.

In deed, a Yale University research project investigating international genocide, in a report released this Spring, concluded that "throughout the past forty years, the Indonesian government has shown a callous disregard - and, at times, an intentional and specific malevolence - "for the basic human rights and human dignity of the West Papuan people." The Yale project researchers conclude that the Indonesian government's actions - perpetrated in large part by the Indonesian armed forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI) - against the West Papuan people "constituted crimes against humanity and could rise to the level of genocide."

This on-going brutality against the people of West Papuan, family planning that forces West Papuans to limit their population growth, transmigration, health-care problems, etc, created by the Indonesian Government and it's brutal and racist military, has impacted West Papuans in such a way, that it has caused demographists to state, 'the West Papuans are going through a process of DEPOPULATION'. According to them if there is no immediate efforts to stop this situation, West Papuans will be extinct in their own land within the next 25 to 30 years. "The people of West Papua are struggling to survive as a people and as a nation in the face of 40 years of brutal Indonesian military oppression," said John Rumbiak a prominent West Papuan human rights advocate who is now a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University.

In response to this on going genocide and colonialism by Indonesia over our black West Papuan brothers and sisters, and to commemorate the anniversary of the independence day of West Papua 1st December, 'The Pan-African Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua" will organize a demonstration in front of the Indonesian Consul General Office 645 South Mariposa Ave (on the corner of Mariposa Ave and Wilshire Blvd) in Los Angeles. This action will take place on November 28th, 2003 and December 1st, 2003 10:00 am to 12:00 noon both days.

"Come and join us in the demonstration for Free West Papua. The suffering of our West Papuan brothers and sisters today is evidence of on-going oppression and racial-discrimination against black people around the world. It is the time to share and express our solidarity with the West Papuans for the dignity,justice and freedom," appealed Harold Green, coordinator of PACLWP.

The Pan-African Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua is an organization comprised primarily of members of African descent from a broad spectrum within the African Diaspora. It is a vehicle by which people of African descent irrespective of political, religious, ethnic, cultural or other organizational affiliations, can come together and demand the right for self-determination for the people of West Papua.

For more information on PACLWP and it's campaign on behalf of the people of West Papua, please contact Harold Green at 323-291-4114 or e-mail PACLWP at paclwp@msn.com

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Rebel Commander Killed After Calling for Dialogue
06/11/2003
Asia Pacific/Radio Australia

In Indonesia it's been claimed 10 separatist rebels, including a local leader,
have been killed by special Kopassus troops in a pre-dawn raid in Papua. The
military says it's killed the leader of the local Free Papua Movement (OPM)
Yustinus Murib, in an ambush along with nine of his supporters. But just 24
hours earlier, the rebel leader had called on the United Nations to protect
Papuans from an ongoing assault by Indonesian troops.

Transcript:

FITZGERALD: Free Papua Movement rebel leader Petras Tabuni rallying his
supporters in the highlands of Papua last month.

His voice and that of his fellow rebel commander Yustinus Murib, who the
Indonesia military claims has been killed, were recorded and smuggled out of
Papua and aired on SBS television's Dateline Program in Australia.

Mr Murib called for foreign intervention to prevent further killings by the
military.

MURIB: There needs to be open dialogue with the people of West Papua in order
to reach a peaceful agreement with the help of a neutral country and the United
nations. We issue this message from the highest authority of West Papua on
second of October 2003."

FITZGERALD: Yustinus Murib not only made that call he sent a signed letter to
President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the Australian Government and the UN repeating
his call for foreign assistance.

The military says it killed Murib on Wednesday just the day before his plea for
outside help was broadcast.

They say he and his followers were killed after being caught in an ambush in
mountain country in Central Papua, where the military says they were preparing
an attack on a local government ceremony.

The rebels known as the OPM have been fighting since the 1960's against what
they say is Indonesia's occupation of their land. In 1963 Indonesia took over
the province after a ballot by a group of tribal leaders.

Petras Tabuni says the feelings of Papuans haven't changed since that time and
they still want to separate from Indonesia.

TABUNI: We want to leave Indonesia we don't want to be part of
Indonesia....that is the fundamental principle for Papuans. So from this moment
on we ask the international community to see that this bow and this arrow are
no match for Indonesians weapons "

FITZGERALD: The Papuan rebel leadership says with the growth in strength of the
Indonesian military, it now accepts the need for peaceful dialogue to solve the
conflict. Commander Tabuni says many younger Papuans support peaceful protests
against Jakarta's rule.

TABUNI: Why do younger Papuans hold peaceful demonstrations, to prove to the
international community that the West Papuans are a civilised people who can
stand beside other nations of the world. ..to show we are no longer stone age
cannibals despite what the Indonesians believe.

FITZGERALD: A senior churchman and one of Papua's leading human rights
advocates, Benny Giay says Papuans are being overwhelmed by the influx of
Indonesian military, and the continuing crackdowns.

Pastor Giay says in the highlands thousands of villagers have been forced from
their homes because of the military sweep that's been going on for months.

GIAY: Many will be starving to death because of military operations which has
destroyed not only their homes but also their gardens, their pigs, their
chickens were also killed by the military.

FITZGERALD: Pastor Giay says like Aceh Jakarta regards Papuans as the enemy.

GIAY: Papua and Aceh has been targetted by the military as regions where they
had to send military and military presence is needed. Papuans has been treated
as enemies that has to be destroyed.

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Act of No Choice by Mark Worth
Irish Film Institute (formerly IFC) 7.30pm
Wednesday, 19 November, 2003

Having originally granted permission, Film Australia have now withdrawn permission to screen "Land of the Morning Star", due to an error on their part.

A screening of "Act of No Choice" by the same director, Mark Worth, will be shown in its place. This film features eye-witness testimony by Reuters journalist Hugh Lunn of the now-discredited so-call "Act of 'Free' Choice" whereby just 1,022 Papuans were rounded up and forced to declare their consent to integration with Indonesia.

Places will be limited. To book a seat, contact West Papua Action.

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Anna runs her first Marathon for West Papua!

Anna Doris (pictured), from Co. Laois, currently living in Midleton, Co. Cork ran her first marathon on 27 October 2003 in the Dublin City Marathon - for West Papua Action. She completed the 26.2 mile run in a brilliant time of 3 hours and 39 minutes beating her target by a spectacular 21 minutes!

You, your friends and family, can still sponsor Anna in a number of ways:

1. By post: West Papua Action, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7. Mark envelope Dublin Marathon. Make cheques/postal orders out to West Papua Action.

2. By lodgement: a/c name: West Papua Action, Bank of Ireland, Portlaoise; a/c no. 59691996; sort code: 90-18-88; to indicate you are sponsoring Anna, cross out number under Tx (beside a/c no. on lodgment slip) and write clearly in bold: YOUR NAME + DM (for Dublin Marathon).

3. By phone: Bank of Ireland customers can ring 1850 365 365; Allied Irish Bank customers can ring 1850 724 724; Permanent TSB can ring 1850 241 224 and transfer to: a/c name: West Papua Action; a/c no. 59691996; sort code: 90-18-88; Reference: YOUR NAME (e.g. J MURPHY) + DM (for Dublin Marathon).

4. Sponsorship forms: available from West Papua Action; tel. 01 860 3431.

5. By pledge: if you wish to pledge money now, send email to wpaction@iol.ie. You will receive a reminder after Anna has run the marathon, and you will be encouraged to make your donation by 14 November.

Messages of congratulations sent to wpaction@iol.ie will be passed on to Anna.

*** Good Luck Anna!!! ***

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An Cliabhán Papua Freedom Gig Dublin Wed 29 October

[UPDATE: €750.00 RAISED! MANY THANKS TO ALL AT AN CLIABHÁN AND ALL WHO SHOWED ON THE NIGHT, WHICH WAS VERY ENJOYABLE.]

WEST PAPUA FREEDOM GIG

Enjoy Jazz, Traditional, Barbershop, Folk and more!

Venue: An Cliabhán (Above Conways, Parnell St.)
Time: 8.30pm
Date: Wednesday 29 October.

Featuring:

Peter Browne (Jazz, traditional)
The Werewolf Quartet (Barbershop)
Alison O'Donnell (contemporary singer)
"Booster" (singer)
Claire Hanley: (fiddle)
Des Charleson: (singer)

€10.00 cover goes to West Papua Action campaign.

All Welcome!!!

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West Papua Forum Meeting

Members of West Papua Action are encouraged to attend the next meeting of West Papua Forum on the first Wednesday of the Month.
Next Meeting: November 5th.
Time: 7.00pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Belvedere College, Denmark Street, Dublin 1 (go to top of O'Connell
St., take first right at Findlater's church: Belvedere College is on the
left hand side of the street, two doors up from Barry's Hotel: ring bell)
If you are not a Member, please consider joining West Papua Action.

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Judging govt solutions to Papuan separatism

Neles Tebay, Pontifical University, of Urbaniana, Rome

The Jakarta Post.com
Opinion
October 02, 2003

The central government has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of tackling the
separatist movement in Papua through "proper ways". It is interesting to see
how the government has been trying to tackle the newly recognized Papuan
separatist movement, and how the international community has reacted.

The first solution was the offer of the status of special autonomy for Papua.
The government then passed the Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua
province. The international community fully supported this solution by
providing experts and financial aid to make the implementation of the passed
autonomy law successful.

However, Jakarta has now considered that the implementation of the autonomy law is not the proper way to tackle Papuan separatism. Now it seems to assume that the autonomy law would only strengthen the separatist movement and even
accelerate the creation of an independent state of West Papua.

So a second solution was taken to weaken the separatist movement in Papua.
While the Papuans were expecting a government regulation for the establishment
of the Papua People's Assembly (MRP), President Megawati Soekarnoputri issued
Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003 on the establishment of the West and
Central Irian Jaya Provinces.

The government move to divide Papua has been opposed by the international
community, at least by the European Parliament.

Due to public pressure and clashes in Timika following the announcement of the
presidential instruction, the government then decided to postpone the
establishment of Central Irian Jaya while maintaining the creation of West
Irian Jaya province.

Since the second solution did not work smoothly, the government decided on a
third solution -- the combining of two conflicting laws, namely Law No. 45/1999
recognizing three provinces in the territory of Papua and Law No. 21/2001
recognizing only one province, which is Papua.

The autonomy law for Papua will now be revised to accommodate the establishment of the two new provinces as mandated by Law No. 45/1999 and endorsed by Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003.

The status and role of the MRP will also be emasculated.

The government is now looking at the possibility of offering special autonomy
status not only to Papua province but also to the West and Central Irian Jaya
provinces.

We do not know how the government will synchronize these conflicting laws.
However, one can be sure that the combining of these laws will create more
confusion, not only for the Papuans but also the government itself. It will
have to be decided, for instance, whether the province will be called Papua as
mentioned in the autonomy law or Irian Jaya as in Law No. 45/1999.

The government will be forced to determine whether branches of the National
Commission on Human Rights, and also the Commission for Truth and
Reconciliation, will be established only in Papua or in each of the three
provinces.

In the harmonizing of the two conflicting laws, the government is also
indirectly postponing indefinitely not only the creation of the new provinces,
but also the implementation of Papua's autonomy law.

What will be the next attempt to weaken the separatist movement?

When the Papuans rejected the implementation of the controversial presidential
instruction on the division of the province, the military announced that
numerous foreigners were operating in Papua province in support of the
separatist movement.

The government then banned foreigners from visiting Papua on a tourist visa,
thereby further isolating Papua from the rest of the world. Yet people may then
question why Papua is closed to foreigners, or what is being hidden from
international eyes?

The government's attempted isolation of Papua becomes more suspicious given the decision to deploy 2,000 additional troops to the area. Four extra battalions
will be dispatched immediately to boost the other three battalions already
stationed in Papua.

Indonesian Military chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, as reported by the Papua
Post, a local daily, on July 21, was already announcing in Biak that to
eradicate the unarmed separatists in Papua, the military would deploy more
intelligence personnel. The military would also redeploy the Army's Special
Forces (Kopassus) to Papua in order to back the intelligence personnel.

The newspaper also reported that Maj. Gen. Sriyanto, the Special Forces
commander, acknowledged that Kopassus members already had been redeployed to Papua, particularly in Jayapura, Timika and Wamena.

Will the military solution be taken by the government as the fourth solution
for tackling Papuan separatism?

Looking at the government's efforts so far, several points can be highlighted.
It is clear that Jakarta has no clear concept of how to root out the Papuan
separatist movement. Further, the government lacks clear policies and credible
processes for addressing the problems in Papua, including unresolved human
rights violations, the controversial 1969 Act of Free Choice, racial
discrimination and civilian control over the military in Papua.

Instead of listening to the aspirations of the Papuans, the government has been
using the method of trial and error in handling the Papua case. The above-
mentioned solutions, except the Papua autonomy law, have been decided by the
government without consultation with the Papuans.

It seems that there is no possibility for the government to engage in a genuine
dialog with the Papuans, in order to determine a proper way to tackle the
separatist movement in Papua.

Nowadays, a reaction from the international community should be expected in
response to whatever measure the government takes to address the Papua case.

All of these efforts from Jakarta which have failed to appease the people in
Papua have partially contributed to international attention.

Finally, the government's incapability to handle the Papua case through
peaceful means could even invite international humanitarian intervention for
the sake of peace and progress, and to prevent more violence in Papua.

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Indonesia To Send 2,000 More Troops To Papua Province

JAKARTA, Sept. 4 (AP)--Indonesia will deploy 2,000 additional troops in its
easternmost province of Papua after recent anti-government protests left five
people dead, its military commander said.

Dozens more were injured by spears and arrows during violent protests last
month in Timika, a mining town 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) east of
Jakarta, over a controversial plan to divide Papua into three provinces: Papua,
Central Papua and West Papua.

In the latest sign of Indonesia's readiness to use military force to stifle
political dissent, military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said in a
statement received Thursday that the present garrison in the province will be
reinforced by four extra battalions that will be dispatched immediately.

Sutarto blamed outsiders for stoking the latest violence in Timika.

"Noting that the Papuans are simple people, the military believe that there
must be outside provocateurs behind the clashes," he said in a written
statement to parliament Wednesday.

Although he didn't elaborate, the country's top brass has long blamed the
Free Papua Movement for stoking anti-government violence in the vast
mountainous province.

The movement is said to comprise a loose grouping of tribesmen, armed mainly
with spears, bows and arrows, who have waged a low-level struggle for decades
against Jakarta's often brutal rule.

However, local human-rights groups accuse the military of using the threat of
armed separatists as an excuse to clamp down in the resource-rich province.

In 2001, special forces troops murdered Theys Eluay, the region's best-known
pro-autonomy politician. In April, a military tribunal sentenced seven
special forces soldiers to three years each in jail each for the murder, but the
verdict was widely seen as a slap on the wrist and a warning to Papuans not
to challenge Jakarta's rule.

Indonesia took over Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, from the Dutch in 1963. Its
sovereignty over the region was formalized in 1969 through a stage-managed
vote by about 1,000 community leaders, which critics dismiss as a sham.

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West Papua Fourth International Solidarity Meeting

August 22

West Papua Fourth International Solidarity Meeting (Southern Component) and
Pacific Islands Forum

A forest of Morning Star flags and chants of "Free West Papua" alternating
with "Observer status now" greeted the arriving Pacific Islands Forum delegates
at Auckland's Sheraton Hotel on August 14. Sixty people, Aucklanders, West
Papuans and international solidarity representatives from countries including
Fiji, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Hong Kong
joined a historic action that was the highlight of a week of strategising,
campaigning and lobbying.

The previous weekend fifty activists and guests from West Papua and Indonesia
took part in the Fourth International Solidarity Conference for West Papua. The
conference held on Nga Kete Wananga Marae, Manukau marked the first time the
conference had been held under the shelter of Maori culture and tradition and
the first time the conference had been held in the Pacific.

Solidarity work inevitably takes place on a level remote from the day by day
struggles of the West Papuans. So it was important to hear from the 8 West
Papuan participants from the Papuan Presidium Council, OPM (Free Papua
Movement) and human rights groups. Mama Yosepa Alomang, tiny in frame, mighty in impact, is an Amungme woman leader who was awarded the Goldman environmental prize in 2000 for organising resistance to the Freeport mine and its
destruction of rainforest, rivers and sacred mountains. Her uncompromising
courage will keep us on course in the work ahead.

Delegates confirmed unequivocal support for the right of the West Papuan people
to self-determination, condemned the renewed military operations and the
deterioration of human rights in West Papua while affirming the West Papuan
proposal to declare the territory a "Land of Peace". It was decided to
reinvigorate existing campaigns such as the campaign to get the United Nations
to review its actions at the time of the discredited "Act of Free Choice", the
campaign to get the United Nations to reinscribe West Papua on the list of non-
self-governing territories, and the call for international military sanctions
against Indonesia. .

During the week of the Pacific Islands Forum the West Papua issue was
inescapable for all participants - John Ondawame was on the inside thanks to
Vanuatu who included him in their delegation. In the corridors and lobby of the
Sheraton the larger team scheduled meetings and sought impromptu opportunities
to meet with all the delegations. A Civil Society Forum, broadly representative
of Pacific NGOs formally endorsed West Papuan demands including the call for
Forum observer status.

In the end the Forum communiqué did not reflect the sympathy that was
extended 'off the record'. The West Papua statement reiterates references to
Indonesian 'sovereignty' and the discredited 'special autonomy' proposals, but
adds a sentence urging Indonesian authorities to bring to justice the
perpetrators of serious crimes in the context of concern for the 'human rights
of all residents in Papua'.

Speaking for his fellow leaders Dr John Ondawame (OPM International
Spokesperson and Vanuatu based West Papuan People's Representative Office) said that he urged " the Forum leaders to take the next step and call on Indonesia
to enter into a process of peaceful dialogue to consider all options for the
future of the territory,"

>From the 17 to 23 August human rights defender Elsham's John Rumbiak is on a
speaking tour of Aotearoa during which he meets with activists, the media, NGO
representatives MPs , Church and Trade Union leaders.

The outcome of this flurry of activity? I believe it is deeper unity and
respect in the international movement, and between the solidarity activists and
the West Papuan leadership. Heightened awareness of West Papua in Aotearoa
rippling out through Pacific networks. And a more focused strategy towards the
goal of a Free West Papua.

Maire Leadbeater
[Maire Leadbeater is part of the NZ-based Indonesia Human Rights Committee.]

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Timorese leader offers to mediate in West Papua dispute

By IVA POCOCK

The Irish Times
August 18, 2003

The Prime Minister of the world's newest independent country, Timor Leste,
has said he would like to play a role in resolving the dispute over the
territory of West Papua, which has been controlled by Indonesia since 1963.

Speaking to The Irish Times in Auckland where he was attending the Pacific
Islands Forum, Dr Mari Alkatiri said he would like to play "an active and
positive role in getting Indonesia and the West Papuan freedom movement
together to find a peaceful solution".

He declined to support West Papuans' call for self-determination but
stressed that the solution was not a military one. "We have had our own
experience of that," said Dr Alkatiri who is the first prime minister of
Timor Leste, formerly known as East Timor, which voted for independence
from Indonesia in 1999.

An estimated 100,000 people have been killed in West Papua, the western
half of New Guinea island, since it was taken over by Indonesia 40 years
ago.

The conflict continues underscored by the assassination of independence
leader Theys Eluay in 2001 and the current Indonesian military operation in
the central highlands of the territory.

Dr Alkatiri said the resolution of conflict over the disputed territory
"was a question that has to be negotiated between West Papua and
Indonesia".

He insisted that even in 24 years of resistance "we made it clear that
there are no similarities between West Papua and Timor Leste vis-a-vis the
United Nations and international law".

"Timor Leste was never recognized internationally as an integral part of
Indonesia. For good or for bad West Papua is already recognized as a part
of Indonesia."

Dr Alkatiri's offer to engage in resolving the long-standing dispute
between his country's close neighbours follows the recent offer by New
Zealand Foreign Minister Mr Phil Goff to mediate between the two sides.

Last week West Papuan leaders arrived in New Zealand to bring their
situation to the attention of Pacific Island states. Dr John Otto Ondawame,
political spokesman for the freedom movement, was included as a delegate to
the forum by the island nation Vanuatu, which has supported the West Papuan
cause since becoming independent in 1980.

Dr Ondawame's delegate badge allowed him to freely raise the profile of his
country among Pacific leaders, including those from Australia and New
Zealand. In particular he called for West Papua to be granted observer
status to the forum.

New Zealand Prime Minister Ms Helen Clarke said this was not available to
West Papua, however the territory was discussed by leaders and mentioned in
their final communique for the fourth year in a row.

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Five in Mini-marathon for West Papua campaign!

Pictured (L to R): Margaret Murphy and Judith Hamill in Dublin to take part in Dublin's Women's Mini-Marathon for West Papua.

Congratulations to Judith Hamill, Margaret Murphy, Astrid V. Pérez Piñán, Sr. Barbara Raftery and Ramona Burke who took part in the Dublin mini-marathon on Monday June 2nd in support of the West Papua Action campaign. Funds raised will be used to fund and strengthen the campaign.

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Four Papuan highlanders die of hunger and cold

Sinar Harapan, 24 May 2003

Jayapura, Sinar Harapan

As a result of the sweepings in Kuyawage, Tiom sub-district, Jayawijaya by the
Indonesian army looking for weapons stolen from their command post in
Wamena on 4 April, four villagers, one of whom was a 12-year old boy, have died of starvation

Speaking to the press on behalf of the Coalition of NGOs, Iwan Niode of ALDP
said news of the deaths had been received from a Baptist minister now in the
forest, who used an SSB radio to contact people in Jayapura. Three of the
bodies were in a state of advanced decomposition; they were thought to have
died also because of the cold and frost.

Several NGO leaders, including Demianus Wakman of LBH Papua, Brother Theo Van Den Broek OFM and Frederika of the Diocese Justice and Peace Commission, and Herry Maturbongs of Kontras Papua, said they have been unable to visit
Kuyawage to check the report because it is heavily guarded and isolated by
the security forces.

The Coalition said it was very unhappy with the lack of serious attention from
the regional government and from the regional assembly. 'They are more
interested in discussing who will be the next bupati than paying attention to
the sweepings by the security forces and the casualties among the civilian
population who had no connection in the incident, said Frederika.

The Coalition urged the army to allow access to the village to enable them to
check the facts and bring humanitarian assistance for villages who have fled
their villages.

Kuyawage has been targeted by the security forces because it is the home of
Yustinus Murib, a TPN/OPM leader whose group is supected of having carried out
the raid on the ammunition dump in April.

The Coalition also urged the authorities to show restraint while
investigations into the Wamena incident are still under way, to stop the sweepings and comply with the law relating to the protection of suspects.

Suspects must have legal assistance in accordance with the law. The Coalition
also said an investigation team should be formed to investigate the incident,
and suggested this should be done by the National Human Rights Commission,
Komnas HAM.

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******

Pictured: George Monbiot, Carmel Budiarjdo, John Rumbiak in Dublin for Human Rights Symposium: Globalisation & Genocide in West Papua (Pic: Bryan Meade/West Papua Action)

The Irish Times, 22 May 2003

World News

Ireland urged to take principled stand on Papua

Joe Humphreys

Anti-terrorism laws introduced last year after the Bali bombing are being
used by Indonesia to clamp down on political dissent, a West Papuan human
rights advocate has claimed.

In Dublin, where he met the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Tom
Kitt, yesterday, Mr John Rumbiak said the Indonesian military was exploiting
domestic fears about terrorism to carry out atrocities in regions such as
West Papua and Aceh.

"The military are trying to create confusion and conflict, and manipulate
the situation. They don't like the special autonomy that has been granted
because 80 per cent of revenue now has to remain in Aceh and Papua. All the
interests the military retained for the past 40 years have been cut."

Born in the remote island of Biak and educated in West Papua's capital
Jayapura and New York, Mr Rumbiak (41) was forced to flee his homeland
recently after receiving death threats for uncovering evidence of military
involvement in the murder of two American civilians and a villager at a
Papuan mine last August.

He said he was anxious to return, not least to report on the latest upsurge
in military activity which caused more than 1,000 villagers to flee their
homes in the central highlands of Jayawijaya in the past month. Two Baptist
leaders were shot dead by the military a fortnight ago and at least one
Papuan dissident has been tortured to death in custody.

In his talks with Mr Kitt, Mr Rumbiak urged Ireland to take a lead on West
Papua similar to Irish policy on East Timor. That meant addressing the
source of the conflict, the "illegal" annexation of West Papua by Indonesia
in 1963. "The repression and genocide will continue as long as the
sovereignty of Indonesia is not challenged by the international community.
Within the next 20-25 years the Papuans will be wiped out in their own land,
unless the international community changes its position."

He called on the Minister to support a UN review of the "Act of Free Choice"
in which 1,022 hand-picked Papuans voted for integration with Indonesia in
1969. "We would also like to see Ireland use its EU presidency next year to
consistently raise the West Papuan case with the aim of developing a common
position."

Mr Rumbiak will address a public meeting on globalisation and Genocide in
West Papua at Cultivate, Essex Street West, Temple Bar, at 7.30 p.m.
tonight. Other speakers include: author George Monbiot and Indonesian human
rights activist Carmel Budiardjo.

Irish Times, Saturday, May 24, 2003

This Week They Said

Within the next 20-25 years the Papuans will be wiped out in their own land, unless the international community changes its position. - West Papuan human rights advocate John Rumbiak speaking in Dublin about international silence regarding Indonesia's military campaign in his homeland.

[See also: Interview with John Rumbiak, 23 May: openDemocracy.net ]

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Globalisation & Genocide in West Papua

*** DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE....DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE ***

The Human Right Symposium - Thursday 22nd May 19.30 – 22.00

Main Hall, Cultivate, Temple Bar, 15-19 Essex Street West, Dublin 8

Part of the Annual Convergence Festival

Co-hosted by Amnesty International, Frontline, Trócaire, Afri, West Papua Action, and Sustainable Ireland Cooperative

In the "information age", few people know about West Papua, where gold, copper and gas are being extracted, the rainforest is being cut down and the people are facing a genocide at the hands of the Indonesian military, the same military who brutally suppressed the people of East Timor. What are the roles of corporations, governments, the corporate media, human rights defenders, and 'ordinary people' in situations such as West Papua?

George Monbiot (Chair), Guardian columnist and author.

John Rumbiak, West Papua's leading human rights defender.

Carmel Budiardjo, Founder of Tapol, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign.

Booking: 01 8603431 / 674 6415 or wpaction@iol.ie

George Monbiot was born in 1963 and writes a weekly column for the Guardian newspaper. He is the author of a number of books including the The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order (just published), Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain, investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows (about West Papua), Amazon Watershed and No Man's Land. He is Honorary Professor at the Department of Politics in Keele and Visiting Professor at the Department of Environmental Science at the University of East London and formerly Visiting Fellow at Green College Oxford and Visiting Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Bristol. In 1995 Nelson Mandela presented him with a United Nations Global 500 Award for outstanding environmental achievement. He has also won the Lloyds National Screenwriting Prize for his screenplay The Norwegian, a Sony Award for radio production, the Sir Peter Kent Award and the OneWorld National Press Award. He helped to found the landrights campaign The Land is Ours.

John Rumbiak is West Papua's best-known human rights advocate. He was born in Biak in 1962. He studied linguistics at Cenderawasih University in Jayapura in the 1980s, and since then has worked in several non-government organisations concerned with human rights. He is currently supervisor of ELSHAM, the West Papuan Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy, in Jayapura. In 1999 he studied human rights advocacy at Columbia University, New York, USA. He is presently based in the US and is visiting scholar at the Center for Human Rights Study at Columbia University. He has begun working on the international affairs of Papua (human rights, justice and peace) in conjunction with the Papua Resource Center (PRC), a New York based non-profit institution that deals with programs such as human resource development, cultural promotion, information center, justice and peace.

Carmel Budiardjo founded TAPOL, the Indonesian human rights campaign, based in London, in 1973. She has worked tirelessly to highlight human rights violations in West Papua, East Timor and in Indonesia itself. Born in London, June 1925, she worked with the International Union of Students in Prague from 1946-51. She then moved to Indonesia, where, in 1968 she was arrested and held without trial. She was released in 1971 and expelled from Indonesia. She co-wrote West Papua: the Obliteration of a People and Surviving Indonesia's Gulag. In 1995, she won the Right Livelihood Award ( dubbed the 'Alternative Nobel Peace Prize' ) in recognition of her work for the peoples of Indonesia and its occupied territories.

Booking: 01 8603431 / 674 6415 or wpaction@iol.ie

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NETHERLANDS COMPLICIT IN GENOCIDE

Protest Vigil at Netherlands Embassy to mark 40th anniversary of Indonesian Takeover of West Papua

40 years ago, on May 1st, 1963, the Indonesian flag was raised over West Papua, marking the annexation of West Papua and the brutal suppression of a nation.

To mark the anniversary a protest vigil - with placards and drums - was held for two hours outside the Netherlands Embassy in Dublin on May 1st 2003.

Formerly run by the Netherlands and for seven months by the United Nations, the world community turned a blind eye as the West Papuans were sacrificed to the interests of "real-politik" and corporate greed.

The question of West Papua is unfinished business for the Netherlands. The Netherlands continues to be silent on the on-going genocide in West Papua, as it seeks to maintain 'cordial' political and economic relations with its former colony, Indonesia.

When East Timor was taken over by Indonesia in 1975, its former colonizer, Portugal, spoke out and supported self-determination for East Timor. However, the Netherlands has stayed silent on the question of West Papuan self-determination, and thus, as a central party, is directly complicit in genocide.

West Papua, north of Australia, is the western half of New Guinea island. At least 100,000 West Papuans have been killed since 1963. Some observers have put the figure as high as 300,000.

The vigil was covered by Irish-language daily Lá (photo on May 2) and by NewsTalk 106 FM (on April 30).

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