AWPA calls on Julia Gillard to discuss West Papua

The Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Media release 25 October 2010

AWPA calls on Julia Gillard to raise the human rights situation in West Papua on her visit to Indonesia

The Australian Prime Minister will visit Indonesia on the 1 and 2 November to d iscuss ways to further strengthen the bilateral relationship and increase cooperation across a number of economic, security, development and environmental challenges.

Joe collins of AWPA said "in light of the recent reports of torture of West Papuans we are calling on the Prime Minister to raise the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian President.

We are also calling on the Prime Minister to send a parliamentary delegation on a fact finding mission to West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory".

AWPA has regularly raised concerns that any aid or training given to the military could be used against the West Papuan people and we again urge the Prime Minister to put a moratorium on the training, funding and any ties between the Australian military and any Indonesian units found to have been involved in human rights abuses.

Although the Indonesian military said they would investigate the incident we believe a full independent inquiry held by a relevant United Nations human rights organisation will be the only inquiry acceptable to the West Papuan people and are urging the Prime Minister to call for such an inquiry.

ENDS

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