Senator Madigan demands Australian action on West Papua

Senator Madigan demands Australian action on West Papua

Senator John Madigan has demanded that the Australian government provide sanctuary for three West Papuan men who scaled the wall of the Australian consulate in Bali earlier this morning, saying that if they are handed over to Indonesian authorities they will never be heard of or seen again.

“These three young men are not calling for independence, all they are asking for is to be treated as human beings,” Senator Madigan said.

“I fully support their calls for international journalists, diplomats and observers to be able to visit West Papua freely without asking for special permits and it’s about time Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop supported these calls as well.

“If the Australian government allows the Indonesian authorities to take possession of these men they will be tortured and most probably killed, like many before them.

“I’ve personally tried to contact Mr Abbott this morning to ensure the Australian government is doing everything it can to ensure their safety, however he is yet to respond to my calls.

“It is about time our government had the courage to stand up to Indonesia, instead of ignoring the issue of West Papuan oppression and the human rights abuses that occur there on a daily basis.”

In an open letter, the three men – Markus Jerewon, Yuvensius Goo, and Rofinus Yanggam – also called on the Abbott government to pressure Indonesia to release all Papuan political prisoners. Prior to scaling the consulate wall Mr Yanggam told a journalist that “the Indonesian army is killing our families, and taking them to jail. This is the best thing we can do in order to expose the situation in Papua. We want to survive”.

Senator Madigan has been a longterm supporter of the West Papuan people, having most recently attended an August rally held outside of Indonesia’s Melbourne consulate.

It is estimated that more than 200,000 West Papuans have been murdered or incarcerated by the Indonesian military.

ENDS

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