Australian Government criticised over West Papua

Dr Fernandes, who gave a public lecture to the Australia West Papua Association, Brisbane, believes that the Australian government's commitment to human rights in the Asia Pacific region will hit an all time low if it fails to implement the recommendations of the report.

"The JSCOT Report came about through open community consultation earlier this year and is indicative of strong public support for an Australian commitment to Indonesian human rights," said Dr Fernandes. "Of the five recommendations of the JSCOT Inquiry, one to four are concerned with Australian engagement with human rights abuse in Indonesia and especially in the two Papuan provinces. If the Howard government was truly committed to a peaceful solution in Papua it would call for greater access for the media and human rights monitors as recommended by the JSCOT Report." he said.

According to Dr Fernandes "The restricted access to Papua has enabled the Indonesian Security Forces to act with impunity and military style operations have displaced entire regions of the already impoverished Indigenous Papuan population, leading to human hardship and in some cases deliberate starvation of entire communities."

A recent report by Human Rights Watch made similar recommendations for greater access for the media and human rights monitors in Papua. “Only last week, the very credible NGO, Human Rights Watch, published documented accounts of rape, extra-judicial killings and detention, beatings, torture and starvation of the Papuan population of the central highlands by the Indonesian Security Forces in the period 2005 to 2006." Dr Fernandes said.

Dr Fernandes accused the Howard government of a history of ignoring human rights abuses in Papua. "Each time supportive speeches are made in favour of non-involvement in West Papua, it constitutes de-facto support for the Indonesian Security Forces' destabilising and counter-democratic practices not only in Papua but across the entire Archipelago. Each time the Howard Government supports military engagement with the TNI instead of greater engagement with Indonesian civil society, whatever the intention maybe, it ends up supporting the anti-reformasi hardliners in Indonesian society over reform minded moderates."

"Human rights and concerns for them, as outlined in the recommendations of both the JSCOT and HRW Reports, should not be seen as superficial concerns of idealistic minorities but rather realistic building blocks for strengthening democracy in our region for a secure and stable future," concluded Dr Fernandes.

Background

Indonesia invaded West Papua in 1962. Then in a tangled web of deceit, the Indonesian authorities sought to justify their invasion and occupation to the United Nations by the "Act of Free Choice" in 1969. Rather than institute an open referendum on independence, the Indonesian authorities selected 1025 Melanesian men under threats of violence against their families and communities to make the choice. Unsurprisingly, these people voted for Papua to join Indonesia. There was no United Nations or independent supervision of this process.

Britain, the USA and Australia shamefully conspired with Indonesia in this process to make sure the West Papuans were denied their right to take part in a proper democratic "one person-one vote" referendum. In return foreign multinationals have been allowed into West Papua to exploit the rich natural resources of gold, copper, oil & timber.

Since the invasion and "Act of Free Choice", Indonesia has murdered or starved to death over 100,000 Papuan men, women & children. Countless others have been tortured, raped, imprisoned, terrorised & racially abused by Indonesian soldiers & police. It is illegal to display or raise the Morning Star flag in Papua - a potent symbol of the call for Papuan independence from Indonesia.

Related:

• Indybay.org July 7, 2007 - West Papua: Eight arrested at Tribal Congress as Report castigates Indonesian Authorities

Sources:

• JSCOT Report Recommendations
• Australia West Papua Association Brisbane
• Human Rights Watch Press Release July 5 2007 - Indonesia: Police Abuse Endemic in Closed Area of Papua
• Human Rights Watch Report July 5 2007 - Out of Sight: Endemic Abuse and Impunity in Papua’s Central Highlands,
• Human Rights Watch Report February 2007 - Protest and Punishment: Political Prisoners in Papua
• West Papua News and Information
• Lombok Treaty signed 13 November 2006. Not yet in force, pending ratification. See criticism and analysis of this treaty at Indonesia Now! with Duncan Graham (April 9, 2007)
• Sydney Indymedia July 8, 2007 - Eight West Papuans arrested