[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 11/28/05 (Part 2 of 2)
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The Observer (UK)
Indonesia deploys British arms against protesters
Antony Barnett, investigations editor
Sunday November 27, 2005
British military equipment is being used by the Indonesian authorities
against civilians in remote parts of the country.
Despite promises by Foreign Office ministers that UK arms exported to the
country are not used for internal repression, a photograph seen by The
Observer shows a British-made Tactica water cannon vehicle deployed in the
troubled eastern province of West Papua.
Eye-witness reports have claimed that the cannon have been used to control
demonstrators protesting against Indonesian rule and widespread human
rights abuses in the region, including thousands of extra-judicial
killings. It is claimed that the water in the cannon is mixed with
chemicals that makes demonstrators' eyes burn. The vehicles were made by
Alvis in Coventry and sold to Indonesia in 1998.
Last week the Foreign Office minister Ian Pearson told the House of
Commons: 'We are not aware of any UK-supplied equipment currently deployed
in Papua. We have consistently made clear to the Indonesian authorities
that no British-supplied equipment, or indeed any other equipment, should
be used in any human rights abuses.'
The photographic evidence has provoked outrage among groups campaigning
against Indonesian rule in the province.
Benny Wenda, a West Papua tribal and political leader now living in exile
in Britain, said: 'When I was in West Papua I saw with my own eyes the
Indonesian soldiers using Hawk jets made in the UK to bomb our villages.
They killed thousands of my people and most of my own family.
'Now they are using British weapons again. So this is my message to the
government and people of the UK: please, please, stop selling weapons to
Indonesia.'
Indonesia has been a test case of British foreign policy since former
Foreign Secretary Robin Cook announced that the government would have an
'ethical dimension' after Labour came to power in 1997. The Indonesian
army has been accused of using British equipment such as Hawk jets and
Scorpion tanks to suppress independence movements in East Timor and Aceh.
Labour ministers have always justified these highly controversial arms
sales by claiming they have received assurances that the weapons will not
be used by the Indonesian authorities to repress their own civilians. Now
Pearson has admitted in a parliamentary written statement that these
assurances are not 'enforceable'.
He added: 'We no longer seek guarantees or assurances, assurances are not
enforceable.'
Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock said the admissions were a 'disgrace'.
'For years they have been telling us that it is OK to sell these weapons
to countries like Indonesia because they have assurances they will not be
used against civilians. Now they are telling us that all along these
assurances are not worth the paper they are printed on.'
Paul Barber, of the Indonesian Human Rights Group Tapol, said: 'Once again
this demonstrates the government's appalling lack of concern about the end
use of UK equipment and the ineffectiveness of its monitoring procedures.
In acknowledging that assurances are unenforcable, the government is
admitting that the Indonesians cannot be trusted. This has dire
implications for the rights of the Papuans, given Indonesia's previous
record of using UK equipment in East Timor, Aceh and against its own
civilians.'
A Foreign Office spokesman would not comment on any change of policy in
exporting arms, but said: 'We will investigate any credible reports of
British equipment being used for human rights abuses overseas.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eastern Daily Press (Norfolk, UK)
26 November 2005
Slaughter in paradise
By Rupert Read
The Pacific Island of New Guinea must have seemed a long way from home
last Monday night as West Papuan tribal leader, Benny Wenda, made his way
through the fog to UEA, to speak about his people's struggle for
independence from Indonesia. I was fortunate enough to be in the audience
of 60 or so people, that night. It was a moving experience.
Just two years ago Benny was a political prisoner in the hands of the
brutal Indonesian military, held in solitary confinement for weeks in a
prison toilet with his hands and feet shackled. (After the talk, in the
bar, Benny showed me the deep scars on his legs and wrists, that he bears
as a result.) Benny's "crime" was that he is a leader of the peaceful
campaign for West Papua's freedom. For that, Indonesia sentenced him to 25
years in jail.
Now, after escaping from prison and spending months trekking through the
jungle to eventual safety in neighbouring Papua New Guinea, Benny is
living in political exile in Oxford. "I am a long way from home" Benny
said to me, "but my heart is still with my people. I am carrying the bones
of all Papuans killed by Indonesia on my shoulders."
One of the things that really struck me about Benny's story, as having
relevance to us all, is how, when he arrived at Heathrow, Benny was ...an
asylum seeker. After coming face to face with an asylum seeker, and one
who almost ended up being sent straight back to Indonesia, I cannot abide
any more the frequent claims in the press here that we must stop the
'flood' of asylum seekers, of refugees, into this country. Those people
who would 'send asylum seekers back' would have sent my new friend Benny
to his death.
Having managed to find refuge in Oxford, Benny has gathered a team of
activists around him and set up the Free West Papua Campaign. For the
first time in his life he can speak openly about the terrible suffering
the Papuan people have endured under Indonesian rule and about their
yearning for independence.
Indonesia occupied West Papua 42 years ago when the Dutch pulled out.
Under a 1962 Netherlands/Indonesia treaty, the Papuans were promised an
act of self-determination involving "all adult" Papuans, to choose between
independence or being part of Indonesia. Indeed, December 1st 1961 was
supposed to have been Independence day for West Papua. Next Thursday is
its 43rd anniversary. But the West Papuans are still not independent...
For what actually eventually happened, in 1969, cruelly called the "Act of
Free Choice", was neither free nor a choice. Indonesia hand-picked 1,025
Papuans out of a population of 800,000 and forced them at gun-point to
vote to become part of Indonesia.
Since the 1960s the Indonesian military has slaughtered hundreds of
thousands of Papuans, sometimes using British-made Land Rovers and Hawk
jets in the process. Most of Benny's family were killed when his village
was bombed in 1977. "I saw the river flowing red with the blood of my
people" said Benny, to the audience at UEA. "My mother held on to me as
she ran for her life into the jungle. For the next four years we lived in
the jungle to avoid being captured by Indonesian soldiers. I saw hundreds
of my people die because we had no proper food and shelter. We didn't even
have time to bury their bodies."
After seeing all this, Benny had no option but to become a peaceful
campaigner for independence.
Benny explained to me later, in more detail, what exactly the story behind
the Indonesian seizure of West Papua was: "Indonesia wants our gold,
copper, oil and timber... but not us people", he said. "We are simply not
respected as human beings. Even though Indonesia claims it is a democracy,
hundreds of Papuans are imprisoned as political prisoners simply because
they want freedom. Right now, thousands of my people are starving as
refugees in the jungle ... simply because they are Papuans."
At the Monday night meeting organised by the UEA Greens' student group,
Benny passed on some more bad news he has just heard from back home. Last
Saturday (19th November) the Indonesian police baton-charged a peaceful
pro-independence demonstration in the West Papuan capital Jayapura,
leaving 21 students critically injured in hospital.
Indonesia is a key British ally in the so-called 'War on Terror'. But in
places like West Papua, the 'War on Terror' is really a war OF terror...
If you want to help stop the genocide in West Papua, then go to
www.freewestpapua.org
-- [Many thanks to Richard Samuelson, and of course to Benny Wenda, for
vital help in researching this article.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Opinion
November 26, 2005
The impact of a Dutch study on Papua vote
Neles Tebay, Rome
The government has every right to play down the impact of the Dutch study
on the Papua vote in 1969 by simply viewing it as academic research (The
Jakarta Post, Nov. 19).
Yet, other people, institutes, and countries may have a different opinion.
The political impact of the study, then, cannot be predicted.
So, it would be better for the government to see the study as a challenge
to counter its impact with solid arguments, instead. Why?
First, the Dutch study has revealed that the 1969 Act of Free Choice (AFC)
in Papua was a "sham" vote orchestrated by Jakarta. The study detailed how
the Indonesian government rigged the vote by more than 1,000 Papuan tribal
leaders who supposedly represented the territory's population of 700,000.
The shameful vote officially made Papua part of Indonesia.
The study has clearly identified Indonesia as the party that orchestrated
the vote. Consequently, the government will be seen as the one responsible
for the shameful vote and its aftermath.
Since it was academically proven, it will be more difficult for Indonesia
to convince the international community that the vote was conducted
democratically. Papua's integration into Indonesia, then, might be seen as
annexation.
The findings of the study will become powerful ammunition for the campaign
launched by the NGOs and some members of parliament around the world that
have called on the UN secretary-general to review the UN's conduct in
relation to the 1969 vote in Papua. Perhaps other NGOs and even foreign
countries will join the campaign.
Knowing that Papua was incorporated into Indonesia through a fraudulent
vote that denies fundamental principles such as democracy, liberty,
freedom and human rights, some foreign governments may decide to
reconsider -- at least morally -- their support of Papua's integration
into Indonesia. They might even be challenged by their own people if the
governments recognize Papua's integration into Indonesia.
Despite the fraudulent vote in 1969, the United States, the Pacific Island
Forum (PIF) and the European Union, including the Dutch, have given full
support to the full and effective implementation of the Papuan autonomy
Law. For them, the adequate implementation of the law is a realistic
option for the future of Papuans.
Yet the government has been inconsistent in implementing the law. The
government allowed the controversial province of West Irian Jaya to
conduct a gubernatorial election on Nov. 28, 2005, despite the strong
rejection of the Papuan legislative council (DPRP) and the newly
established Papuan People's Assembly (MRP).
The conflicting policies on Papua could become obstacles for the
government in convincing foreign countries that Papuans would have a
better future under Indonesian rule.
The foreign countries might even be reconsidering their support for the
Papuan autonomy law.
>From the above description, we could say that new and solid arguments are
needed to counter the impact of the Dutch study. The arguments should be
sustained by Jakarta's consistent policies that guarantee the safety and
better future of the Papuans.
There are some possible policies that the government could take into account:
First, the government must implement fully and effectively the Papuan
autonomy Law. The controversial province of West Irian Jaya, then, should
no longer exist.
Second, the government should declare Papua as a land of peace.
Consequently the government should end military operations, halt the
military build-up in Papua, withdraw troops recruited outside Papua, and
address unresolved cases of human rights violations from 1963 until today.
Third, the government has been running development programs in Papua since
it became part of Indonesia. So it would be helpful for Indonesia to
abolish the visa restrictions imposed on international journalists,
researchers and NGO workers, so that they could come and see for
themselves the achievement of the government in Papua.
Fourth, the government needs to engage in peaceful dialogs with the
Papuans to discuss the problems in Papua. The issue of the AFC needs to be
included as part of the agenda of the dialog, so that the government and
the Papuans can discuss it internally and arrive at a peaceful solution.
By so doing, the government could tell the international community that
the issue of the AFC could be settled internally.
Without seeking a peaceful solution through an open dialog facilitated by
a third party, the government itself will give latitude for the
internationalization of the Papua issue.
-- The writer is a postgraduate student at Pontifical University of
Urbaniana, Rome. He can be reached at nelestebay@hotmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Acheh Papua Maluku - Human Rights Online
URGENT APPEAL: Ref: UA WP 36/ 05.
24 November 2005
Name: Selpius Bobii
Violations: Harassment and Fear of Unfair Arrest.
Recommended Action: Please copy the letter below the Background
information or write in your own words and send to: Mr KOFI ANNAN
Secretary General of the United Nations ecu@un.org
And Cc: indonesia2@un.int; ngochr@ohchr.org; netherlands@un.int;
bbelder@europarl.eu.int; interneteuropa@groenlinks.nl; cda@cda.nl
Optional: please phone the Head of Intelligence and Security Unit of the
Jayapura Town Police Resort, AKP. Yan Pieter Reba on his mobile number
081344058857.
Please cut and paste and send this appeal to your mailing lists
Background
The General Secretary of the United West Papuan People's Struggle [Front
PEPERA]", Mr Selpius Bobii, was "SUMMONED" by the Jayapura Town Police
Area in relation to the mass demonstration organised by Front PEPERA to
welcome the launch of the book about the history of West Papua by
Professor Drooglever.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Trikora football field in Abepura,
Jayapura on 15 November 2005 to welcome the results of the investigation
undertaken by Dutch historian Prof D.J. Drooglever, into the Act of Free
Choice (Pepera) in 1969. The 740-page study, An Act of Free Choice, has
been published after five years of research at the request of the Dutch
Government, the colonial ruler of Indonesia and New Guinea until 1949
reaffirming that the key 1969 vote on the future of West New Guinea was a
sham orchestrated by Jakarta. That vote - which made the province, now
called Papua, part of Indonesia - has been followed by decades of military
abuses.
Scores of people from the Koalisi Rakyat Papua Bersatu (People's Coalition
of a United Papua) held aloft banners on which were written 'The Papuan
People Give Thanks to the Dutch Government and Parliament, and Professor
Drooglever for their attention to the Papuan People'.
A platoon of Brimob troops was on stand-by watching the crowd, as well as
plain-clothed men.
The secretary-general of the Coalition, Selpius Bobii, stated that the
Papuan people should feel grateful for the findings of Professor
Drooglever which would lead to a proper understanding between the
government and the Papuan people. He said that the findings would reveal
the truth about the history of Papua which until now has been hidden,
without any dialogue ever taking place.
One of the findings of the investigation was about the New Guinea Council
which was democratically elected on 1 December 1961. It was their
aspiration for West Papuans to become an independent and sovereign people,
on the same footing as other peoples. The Dutch colonial power made
preparations for the creation of political parties, and the education of
government officials at home and abroad, and development actions in
several fields. 'These measures were reinforced with UN Resolution 1514 of
1990 regarding the granting of independence to colonial people.
Indonesia dismissed the Dutch parliament-commissioned study that cast
doubt on the legality of its rule in the province of Papua, saying the
report's "substance was no longer relevant."
Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot, however, dismissed the report -- requested
by parliament in 1999 -- as "superfluous" but nonetheless presented the
report to parliament and in an accompanying letter called it "the result
of an academic study, which forms an additional contribution to our
history and the events surrounding the Act of Free Choice."
English translation of the Summons:
http://www.infopapua.org/artman/publish/article_188.shtml
For more information about the Drooglever book:
http://www.fkmcpr.nl/?page=1&lang=2;
http://tapol.gn.apc.org/press/files/pr051115.htm
**********
Mr Kofi Annan
Secretary General of the United Nations ecu@un.org
Dear Mr Kofi Annan,
I am writing with concern for the human rights of the General Secretary of
the United West Papuan People's Struggle [Front PEPERA]", Mr Selpius
Bobii, who was "SUMMONED" by the Jayapura Town Police Area in relation to
the mass demonstration organised by Front PEPERA to welcome the launch of
the book about the history of West Papua by Professor Drooglever.
According to the letter of "SUMMONS" the rationale of issuing the summons
is based on the Law of the State Police of the Republic of Indonesia No. 2
/ 2002, Criminal Code chapter 510 regarding permission to have public
events, and Law No. 9 year 1998 regarding freedom of speech/expression in
public.
Selpius Bobii was requested to come to the Jayapura Town Police Station
and be present in the Intelligence and security unit room on Thursday,
17th of November 2005 at 10.00am.
Mr Bobii has been continuously phoned about the Summons many times by a
person called Letsoin, who is a police intelligence officer from Abepura
Police Section. However, up to this time Mr Selpius Bobii has not
fulfilled the "Summons".
Concern for Mr Bopii’s rights are considerable given the fate of Yusak
Pakage, and Filep Karma, 45 who were sentenced, in August 2005, for 10 and
15 years respectively for organizing and participating in the raising the
West Papuan flag in a peaceful ceremony on the 1st December 2004.
For your information, the police are attempting to stop the political work
of the Front PEPERA by putting pressure on any actions organised by the
Front, although, in reality, we know that the actions are always conducted
on peaceful and respectable ways.
I call on you to urge
- the Head of Intelligence and Security Unit of the Jayapura Town Police
Resort, AKP. Yan Pieter Reba on his mobile number 081344058857 to cancel
the Summons against Mr Selpius Bobii,
- the Indonesian authorities to stop the practice of arbitrarily
arresting individuals for their non-violent political activities and
ensure that all West Papuan people have the right to freedom of expression
and association, without fear of harassment, arbitrary arrest,
imprisonment, torture and ill-treatment and to Immediately and
unconditionally release all West Papuan prisoners, including Yusak Pakage
and Philep Karma, detained or convicted solely for the non-violent
expression of their views, and any other West Papuan prisoners, detained
or convicted for political reasons.
- the United Nations, in the light of the findings that the Act of Free
Choice was a sham, to immediately take up its responsibility and set a
timetable for a UN-supervised referendum to enable the West Papuan people
to exercise their right to self-determination.
Yours sincerely
Copies sent to:
H.E. Mr. Makarim Wibisono, Chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights
ngochr@ohchr.org
Mr Frank Majoor , Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands to the United Nations, netherlands@un.int
H.E Mr.Rezlan Ishar Jenie, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the
Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations indonesia2@un.int;
Mr Bastiaan Belder, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament,
bbelder@europarl.eu.int
The Greens, European Parliament, interneteuropa@groenlinks.nl
Christen Democratisch Appel (CDA Party), The Hague, cda@cda.nl
Acheh Papua Maluku - Human Rights Online
Australia
www.ahro.info ahro@iprimus.com.au
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Benny Wenda receives the "YUM of STRUGGLE"
containing the Report into the 1969 "Act of Free Choice"
from Professor Pieter Drooglever
15 November 2005
Benny Wenda's father, Kulog Wenda from the Lani Tribe in the Central
Highlands, was one of the West Papuan leaders who was forced by the
Indonesian military at gun-point to vote for Indonesia in the so-called
"Act of Free Choice" in 1969.
In 2003 Kulog Wenda travelled to the Netherlands to be interviewed by
Professor Pieter Drooglever and give evidence of his experiences during
the "Act of Free Choice", together with one other Papuan leader, Rev'd
Obed Komba.
On 15th November 2005, after five years of careful research, Professor
Drooglever launched his Report entitled "An Act of Free Choice" at a
seminar in the Royal Library in the Hague. The Professor was commissioned
to prepare the Report by the Dutch Government in 2000.
Professor Drooglever's findings were clear and to the point: "The Act of
Free Choice ended up as a sham," he wrote in a summary of the Report. "A
press-ganged electorate acting under a great deal of pressure appeared to
have unanimously declared itself in favour of Indonesia."
When Kulog Wenda met Prof Drooglever in 2003, he formally presented him
with a traditional Lani string bag (a YUM) together with a solemn request
that when his Report on the "Act of Free Choice" was completed, he would
place the Report in this same YUM (bag) so that it could be returned to
West Papua.
Recently, Kulog Wenda and Rev'd Komba gave Benny Wenda the sacred duty and
honour of collecting the YUM containing the Report directly from Professor
Drooglever, on behalf of all his People back home in West Papua.
The request and the promise made between the Papuan elders and Professor
Drooglever were fulfilled on 15th November 2005. Professor Drooglever
handed over the YUM containing his Report of the 1969 “Act of Free Choice”
to Benny Wenda at a formal reception after the launch of his Report.
Below is the speech delivered by Benny Wenda after receiving the YUM from
Professor Drooglever at the reception following the launch.
**********
Professor Drooglever, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening.
I’m standing here because of a request my father and other elders made to
Professor Drooglever in 2003. The request was that when the professor
completed his report, he would put a copy in this YUM and return it to
West Papua.
The YUM is a powerful symbol of the West Papuan people. It is used from
the time we are born. Our mothers carry us in the YUM, carry food in the
YUM – BUT NOW this YUM is carrying the bones of our people, because this
report describes what Indonesia has done to our country over the last
forty years.
This request has now been fulfilled, BUT, as a son of Customary Tribal
Law, I believe that this YUM is ONLY HALF-FILLED. I do not want to deny my
elders by bringing home a YUM that is only half-filled. This YUM needs to
be FULL before it is returned to West Papua.
All of us here know what our elders and all our people expect from us. I
believe that all of us have an important role to play in filling this YUM
of struggle. Instead of taking this half-filled YUM back to West Papua
immediately, from this day I will carry it with me wherever I go as a
symbol to the world of the thousands of people from West Papua who have
been killed struggling for freedom in West Papua.
Please, please let us ALL work together to fill this YUM. And when the
time comes and the YUM is full, TOGETHER we can return it to our people
--- to an independent West Papua.
Thank you very much.
=================
Benny Wenda
Chair of DeMMaK (The Koteka Tribal Assembly)
International Lobbyist in the UK for a Free West Papua
PO Box 1409 Oxford OX4 1UN England UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press Release: Indonesia Human Rights Committee
West Papua flag to fly in downtown Auckland: Dec 1
Monday, 28 November 2005, 8:46 am
West Papuan people face arrest and lengthy jail terms if they dare to
attempt to raise their flag in their homeland, so throughout the world on
their “Independence Day” the flag is to be raised on their behalf. The
Auckland event takes place at 12 noon Thursday 1 December, Downtown
Square, corner of Customs St and Queen St, under the canopy.
The people of West Papua were denied their promised right to
self-determination and have endured repressive Indonesian military control
for more than 4 decades. More than 100,000 people have died in the course
of a conflict which has seen West Papua become a closed-off,
poverty-stricken and fearful place. A largely invisible epidemic of
HIV/Aids is the latest threat to the survival of the indigenous
population.
When the Indonesia Republic was born in 1949, the Melanesian territory of
West New Guinea remained under Dutch control. December 1 marks the 44th
anniversary of the date on which the newly formed West New Guinea Council
voted to rename their territory West Papua and affirmed their own flag and
national anthem.
Dutch historian Prof D. J. Drooglever has just released his findings about
the 1969 “Act of Free Choice” which Indonesia relies on to claim the
legitimacy of its rule. Prof Drooglever ‘s study which was commissioned by
the Dutch Government concluded that the 1969 vote was a sham, and that the
1022 people who were singled out to vote on behalf of a million Papuans
were press ganged.
New Zealand does not have clean hands – the Government of the day gave
tacit support to the Indonesian take-over. Our Government should follow
the lead of the Dutch Government and a majority in the US Congress and
call for a review of New Zealand’s historic role in this dark chapter of
colonial history. New Zealand should also join the growing international
campaign calling on the UN Secretary General to undertake a complete
review of the UN role at the time of the Act of No Choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS RELEASE
>From the office of the Green MEPs
November 24th 2005
Photocall… Media Invitation… Photocall…
MEP Urges Oxford Students to Act on West Papua
Lucas Joins Papuan Tribal Leader in calls for Demonstrations
Event: Green MEP Caroline Lucas addresses public meeting on
West Papua
Place: Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College, Turl St, Oxford
Time: TODAY, Thursday, November 24th, 5-6pm
GREEN MEP Caroline Lucas will call on Oxford students to demonstrate
against the Indonesia Government and multi-national firms BP and Rio Tinto
at a public meeting on West Papua tomorrow.
Dr Lucas, who will speak alongside Papuan tribal leader Benny Wenda and
Free West Papua Campaign organiser Richard Samuelson, will tell students
that West Papua will only follow in the footsteps of East Timor and be
granted independence from Indonesia if activists keep up the pressure on
the multi-national firms doing business in West Papua.
“West Papuan have suffered 42 years of human rights violations,
discrimination and abuse at the hands of Indonesia after it fraudulently
took control of West Papua in a staged ‘referendum’ organised by the UN.
“Like East Timor, West Papua had been a European colony before Indonesian
occupation – but unlike East Timor, the UN is yet to rectify the mistakes
of the past and grant West Papuans their right to self-determination.
Dr Lucas said the Oxford-based Free West Papua Campaign was making a
massive difference to public awareness of the Papuans’ plight, but that
activists had to ‘step up’ protests aimed at changing Government policy
towards Indonesia – and the best way to do that was by targeting UK firms
doing business in West Papua.
“BP, for example, are extracting gas from West Papua under a deal with the
Indonesian government,” the South-East England MEP will add. “From a
public relations perspective this can only be deeply embarrassing for the
firm – and increasing awareness of corporate complicity in human rights
violations in West Papua is an essential first step towards ending them.”
The FWPC has organised a day of demonstrations in London to mark West
Papuan ‘Independence Day’ on December 1st – with supporters picketing
outside the Indonesian Embassy and the headquarters of BP and mining
multi-national Rio Tinto.
Dr Lucas is currently working on presenting a cross-party Written
declaration to the European parliament demanding the European Commission
raises the status of West Papua with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono during a planned state visit to the EU next year.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
1. Pictures of Dr Lucas with Benny and Oxford students will be available
on Friday morning. Contact Ben on any number below.
2. Last month the Green Party has called for UN peacekeepers to replace
the Indonesian military (TNI) in the occupied province of West Papua
following reports of an escalation of serious human rights abuses
committed by TNI personnel against indigenous Papuans, including
extra-judicial execution, rape, torture and false imprisonment.
Independent observers report that at least 100,000 West Papuans have been
killed by the TNI since Indonesia ‘took over’ the province from the Dutch
after a fraudulent 1969 referendum, the so called UN ‘Act of Free Choice’,
in which the West Papuans’ right to self-determination was signed away by
just 1,026 participants (less than one per cent of the total population),
hand-picked by the Suharto regime.
Free West Papua Campaign: www.freewestpapua.org
For more information please contact Ben on 01273 671946, 07973 823358 or
ben@greenmeps.org.uk
www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk
Ben Duncan
Media Officer to Caroline Lucas MEP
benduncan@greenmeps.org.uk
01273 671946 (office) 07973 823358 (mobile)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The National (PNG)
‘Ignored’ pandemic troubles activists
By Britton Broun
Health workers and human rights activists are upset that the HIV/AIDS
pandemic in West Papua was virtually ignored at a symposium in Auckland
last month.
With an estimated 47,000 AIDS/HIV sufferers, Papua New Guinea was high on
the agenda at the Pan Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS Conference but West Papua
was only treated to one small ad hoc meeting.
Human rights activist Maire Leadbeater says West Papua gets little notice
though HIV infection rates are 1.5 times greater than Papua New Guinea.
“People aren’t knowledgeable about the situation, it’s not mentioned in
the media,” she says.
“West Papua has the worst AIDS problem in all of Indonesia. I’m a bit
upset that they have been marginalised at a conference on AIDS.”
This comes after submissions from indigenous West Papuans were sidelined
at the Pacific Forum in Port Moresby in the same week.
Independence struggle
Though officially recognised as a province of Indonesia, the former Dutch
colony of West Papua has been struggling for independence since the late
1960s.
Organiser Marie Bopp Dupont said the conference was about pulling people
together to share knowledge and she did not intend to exclude any
countries.
“It’s just none of us in the steering committee actually knew of anyone in
West Papua doing anything on HIV. We didn’t take any political stand,” she
says.
Because West Papua is a province of Indonesia, Ms Dupont says there is not
much information available on the extent of the AIDS crisis.
“I know that within the UN and other organisations there’s a concern that
once we have an eye on what’s actually happening there we’ll be faced with
an epidemic, just like we’ve seen in Papua New Guinea.”
According to the Jakarta Post, Papua HIV/AIDS Education Committee head and
Vice Governor of West Papua, Constant Karma, says 62,000 people are at
risk of being infected by the virus.
The AIDS epidemic began 11 years ago when the virus passed from Thai
fishermen to urban sex workers.
Prostitutes at mine camps
Infections skyrocketed in the country’s interior with the influx of
prostitutes into the male work camps – especially around the Freeport gold
and copper mine.
Other causes for the pandemic include intravenous drug use, poverty that
forces young girls into prostitution and social and religious taboos that
oppose condom use.
The only West Papuan at the Pan Pacific conference, nurse Adolfina
Zongonnau, says AIDS/HIV is being used as a weapon by the Indonesian
military.
“Jakarta has been very reluctant to tackle the problem in West Papua. It
is part of an overall policy of genocide and the Papuan people fear for
the loss of culture for future generations,” she says.
She says HIV/AIDS is increasingly spread by Indonesian soldiers gang
raping young girls and women.
She also claimed the military was setting up brothels along the Jayapura
highway in West Papua’s capital and bringing HIV positive Balinese
prostitutes into the Timika region.
More action needed
Maire Leadbeater says while the provincial government in West Papua and
NGOs are working on AIDS education campaigns in the region, more needs to
be done.
“It would be unfair to say it’s not happening, but the programmes are well
behind what’s happening in Papua New Guinea,” she says.
She is also concerned that aid agencies could be hampered in West Papua
because they have to deal directly with the Indonesian Government.
Prasad Rao, director of the UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Support Team says
the international community is trying to mobilise.
Next month an international consortium led by the UN and the UK Department
of International Development is giving NZ$48 million towards AIDS control
in Indonesia.
Rao says the bulk of it will be going to six provinces, including West
Papua. “It’s one the worst affected areas in Indonesia. We know that it’s
a serious situation and it’s going to get a lot of priority,” he says.
– Te Waha Nui Online
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AFX News Limited
UNAIDS chief says Indonesia on brink of AIDS epidemic
11.28.2005, 02:48 AM
Jakarta (AFX) - Indonesia is on the brink of an AIDS epidemic and must act
quickly to fight its spread, UNAIDS chief Peter Piot said as he began a
four-day visit here.
Piot, who will spend World AIDS day here on Thursday, said that Indonesia
needs every layer of society to join the battle against HIV, the virus
causing AIDS, as it is now the 'new frontline of the AIDS epidemic'.
'When I look at Indonesia from the perspective globally I would say that
there's no doubt that Indonesia is in the early stages of an AIDS
epidemic,' he told a press briefing after meeting with coordinating
minister for social welfare, Alwi Shihab.
Indonesia estimates it has 90,000 to 130,000 people infected with HIV.
But other statistics show at least 600,000 intravenous drug users are in
the sprawling archipelago country, with around half believed to be
infected, the minister said.
Piot said that besides drug users, sex workers and their clients are
clocking in 'alarmingly high and increasing' infection rates, while in the
eastern province of Papua, the virus is spreading speedily through the
heterosexual population.
'We have these three different epidemics going on and we know from
experience that once it starts like that it's only a matter of time before
HIV spreads outside these fairly defined populations,' he said.
He said that while President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made his commitment
to fighting AIDS clear, 'we need that same level of commitment from all
levels of society ... We know from experience that's how you make progress
in AIDS.'
The promotion of condom use in Indonesia, a Muslim nation, is extremely
sensitive but Shihab said that his ministry is talking to religious
leaders to emphasize the disastrous consequences of not doing so.
'We are giving the other perspective of religious understanding,' he said,
noting that under Islamic law it is also necessary to prevent death, and
that maintaining life is the responsibility of all individual Muslims.
Piot said he chose to spend World AIDS day in Asia because he wanted to
see attention focused on the region, where 10 years ago one person in 10
infected globally was from here. Now one in five new infections are in
Asia.
'I wanted to highlight the situation in Asia, the fact that the epidemic
is entering its globalization phase and that I think it's at high risk,'
he said.
He picked Indonesia in particular because the country 'is the new
frontline of the AIDS epidemic... all the elements are here for a rapid
spread of HIV so it's to express concern, to highlight the opportunities
that are there.
'The opportunities are enormous to really stop the epidemic, to nip it in
the bud.'
-- sb/lh/net
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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