Third Gathering Of Coalition For West Papua

Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups

The 3rd Annual National gathering for the Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups affirmed the right of the people of West Papua to Self-determination and decolonisation.

The gathering called on the Australian government to suspend Security Treaty talks and military training with the Indonesian military, and to request the United Nations' Special envoy on the prevention of genocide to undertake its own investigation of West Papua.

The gathering condemned the colonial abuse, exploitation and state-sponsored crimes against humanity still being committed by Indonesian forces and militia in West Papua.

The gathering also condemned the massive environmental destruction resulting from the Indonesian Military's involvement in illegal logging and the mining practices exemplified by the world's largest mine Freeport McMoRan.

The gathering also called for:

The United Nations
to resume the decolonisation process for West Papua.

The Republic of Indonesia:
to halt the military build up in West Papua and remove all non organic troops from the territory; to release all West Papuan political prisoners and to halt all migration to West Papua and to assist the creation of a "zone of peace.

The Pacific Islands Forum:
We call on the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Fiji in October to grant observer status to West Papua as the forum has to other Pacific colonies and East Timor; to seek support from the Indonesian Government for a Forum fact finding mission; and to assist in creating a framework for ongoing dialogue between the West Papua leadership and the Indonesia government.

For More Information Contact:

Neil. (08) 93281970 Australia West Papua Association-WA
Joe. Mb. 04077 857 97 AWPA (Sydney)
Andrew Johnson Mb: 04 3400 3131
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PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE
3RD NATIONAL GATHERING of
Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups
16-17 September 2006

The 3rd Annual National gathering for the Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups affirms the right of the people of West Papua to Self-determination [1] and Decolonization.
The gathering condemns the colonial abuse, exploitation and state-sponsored crimes against humanity still being committed by Indonesian military, police and now militia forces.

The peoples' fear of genocide is based on their experience of abuses as cited in the Yale Law School report of 2004[2] and the University of Sydney's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies report "Genocide in West Papua?". These abuses provide Australia with a moral imperative to call on Juan Mendez, the United Nations' Special envoy on the prevention on genocide, to undertake an independent investigation of West Papua.

Examples of reported abuses include:
torture
rape and sexual violence
disappearances
arbitrary arrest and detention
extrajudicial killings
interference with the judicial process
incitement of ethnic conflict
expulsion from productive lands.

Malignant neglect of West Papua's health, social, and educational services for forty years, combined with the TNI orchestration of prostitution and the drug trade has spread virulent drug resistant Tuberculosis (TB) and near pandemic levels of HIV/AIDS across our neighbour's nation. Urgent action is required to counter this devastating combination, as well as the Malaria burden already threatening our Australian tropical borders.

The recent campaign of terror and violence against students and their families in Abepura, regardless of political activity, deprives future civic leaders of West Papua of an education, as well as eliminating many of them.

We condemn the massive environmental destruction resulting from the Indonesian military's occupation and their involvement in illegal logging and mining practices. Exemplified by the world's largest mine Freeport McMoRan, forty years of foreign exploitation has provided social and economic benefit only for transmigrant and foreign populations. The TNI's involvement in illegal logging threatens the survival of one of the planet's last ancient rain forests. The forced relocation of villages for oil palm plantations and illegal logging destroys traditional farming cultures and is a violation of human rights. Harvesting of Papuan forests to fulfill the 2008 Olympic Games order for eight hundred million cubic feet of Merbau wood, contrary to CITES and Indonesian forestry law, also threatens biodiversity and rain forest regeneration.

We acknowledge West Papuans' rejection of the failed Special Autonomy, expediently promoted by the Australian government as a solution for West Papua. A genuine autonomy policy was not properly implemented. After giving the Indonesian government a final six month moratorium[3], the West Papuan majority rejected the Indonesian policy during a peaceful mass demonstration on August 12, 2005.

The Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups therefore call for the following:

The United Nations:
To end its apparent forty four year moratorium on the decolonization of West New Guinea and resume its Decolonization obligations under UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 1541 by facilitating self-determination by "all adults, male and female, not foreign nationals to participate in the act of self-determination to be carried out in accordance with international practice" as was agreed in the 1962 New York Agreement.

The Republic of Indonesia:
To halt the military build up in West Papua and remove all non organic troops from the territory; to release all West Papuan political prisoners (as a sign of good faith to the people of West Papua); to halt all migration to West Papua; to assist the creation of a "zone of peace" in accord with West Papuan wishes; and to allow access for international media and independent foreign observers to confirm Indonesia's improving governance and commitment to freedoms in accord with Article 28 of the Indonesian constitution and international conventions.

The Australian Government:
To suspend Security Co-operation Treaty talks, military training and military co-operation with the Republic of Indonesia until after the TNI and police can demonstrate a commitment to comply with Indonesian domestic law and international human rights conventions to which the Republic of Indonesia government has committed itself.

To the Pacific Islands Forum:
We call on the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Fiji in October to grant observer status to West Papua as the forum has to the Pacific colonies of Tokelau, New Caledonia (Kanaky) French Polynesia and the newly independent nation of East Timor; to seek support from the Indonesian Government for a Forum fact finding mission ; and to assist in creating a framework for ongoing dialogue between the West Papua leadership and the Indonesia government.

To the Melanesian Spearhead Group
We note that at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Summit in PNG in 2005, the Solomon Islands was asked to draw up a concept paper to look at procedures for the granting of Observer status to those that request it. As soon as the procedures are set in place we urge the MSG leaders to grant observer status to the Melanesian people of West Papua.

The Netherlands government:
To make available to the international community an English translation of the historical document reviewing the 1969 false 'Act of Free Choice', known as the Drooglever report.

Delegates of the Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups in attendance:
AWPA Melbourne
AWPA SA
Free West Papua Campaign Pacifica (Mel)
AWPA WA
(Melbourne) Jacob Rumbiak, West Papua National Authority
AWPA South West Vic
AWPA Sydney
Willem Zonggonau and Clemens Runawery (observers)

Endorsees not in attendance (attendance precluded by other commitments):
Australians for a Free West Papua
AWPA Newcastle

[1]Self Determination is the central legal process by which the UN decolonization process takes place, the requirement for Self Determination is described in UN GA Resolution 1514, and guidelines for its function are in Resolution 1541.
[2] "Indonesian Human Rights Abuses in West Papua: Application of the Law of Genocide to the History of Indonesian Control" A paper prepared for the Indonesia Human Rights Network By the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, Yale Law School (2004).
[3]Action coordinated by Dewan Adat (Council of Tradition Chiefs), see English translation of news report http://fandom.net/InfoKit/Src/demonstration.html

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