A joint statement by TAPOL (UK), the West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT,
US) and East Timor Action Network (ETAN, US). On Wednesday, a meeting of thousands of indigenous Papuans in Jayapura, West Papua, became the scene of a brutal crackdown by Indonesian security forces. Indonesian troops and police Mobile
Breaking News: Reports are coming out of West Papua of Indonesian police and army firing on people attending the Papuan Congress.
Report by West Papua media on October 19 states:
Confirmed report from credible sources on the ground from credible West Papua media stringers.
TNI troops have opened fire on Congress at 1530 Jayapura time.
The huge cosmetics chain LUSH has decided to back the Free West Papua campaign.
100 shops across the UK will be displaying a large poster of the Morning Star flag in their window for the next week, and over 50,000 campaign leaflets and postcards have been produced to distribute to members of the public urging them to take action.
A placard featuring a photo of political prisoner FILEP KARMA will also be placed on pavements outside each store, with the tagline "Jailed for 15 years for raising a flag".
Media alert westpapuamedia.info Tuesday, August 2, 2011 The streets of several centres across West Papua are being blockaded today by heavily armed Indonesian security forces in an attempt to prevent a planned gathering of tens of thousands of protestors who are demanding a Referendum on the future of the province. However, thousands of Papuans have reportedly ignored the strong military presence and are marching the streets of Jayapura, paralyzing the provincial capital with their huge numbers.
The Australia West Papua Association has written to the Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd calling on him to use his good offices with the Indonesian President asking that he call a halt to all military operations in West Papua and to return all military personal to their barrack as a way of easing tension and saving lives.
See letter below:
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600
19 July 2011
Dear Mr Rudd
Amnesty International calls today for the immediate and unconditional release of seven prisoners of conscience, arrested and charged merely for their involvement in a peaceful political protest and flag-raising.
16 April 2011: The Indonesian authorities must ensure a prompt, impartial and effective investigation into the unnecessary and excessive use of firearms by security forces that led to the deaths of at least two Papuans and injuries to three others.
The Morning Star flew in front of the Indonesian Consulate in Melbourne this morning as members of the West Papua community and supporters gathered to demand the release of political prisoners and an end to torture and repression.
The particular focus of the action was the case of Filep Karma - see this Amnesty USA video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp6uiIr-efg - sentenced in May 2005 to 15 years imprisonment for treason.
ACTU Press Release March 29th Australian unions have called on the Indonesian Government to respect international labour Conventions and human and trade union rights following the arrest of five nurses in West Papua. ACTU President Ged Kearney said it was outrageous that the nurses had been detained for nine days and were reportedly subjected to long periods of police interrogation, simply because they had supported an industrial campaign to ensure they received their contracted entitlements.
ANF Press Release29 March 2011 The Australian Nursing Federation is calling for the immediate release of five nurses in West Papua who have been jailed by the Indonesian government for taking industrial action. ANF acting federal secretary Yvonne Chaperon said eight nurses and midwives were originally detained by the criminal investigation unit of the Papuan police in Jayapura for their involvement in industrial action. Five nurses remain in jail.
