Action for Human Rights in West Papua

Earlier in 2006, the disturbing situation in West Papua was once again brought to the attention of the Australian public when 43 West Papuans fled to Australia in fear of being killed by the Indonesian military due to their involvement in the Free West Papua movement.

Like the East Timorese, the people of West Papua have suffered horrifically at the hands of the Indonesian military. According to church groups at least 100,000 West Papuans have been killed since the beginning of Indonesia's occupation of West Papua in 1962. Many of the Indonesian military commanders and personnel responsible for war crimes in East Timor have since been given promotions and are now stationed in West Papua.

Torture and other human rights violations perpetrated by the Indonesian military continue today under the leadership of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and are well documented by various international agencies.

The people of West Papua have consistently been denied the right to determine their own future. This must be addressed. Unfortunately, far from being able to freely discuss ways to achieve greater levels of political and financial autonomy, West Papuans can be imprisoned for 15 years for merely raising a flag.

Australia can, and should, play a central role in finding peaceful and meaningful ways to address the challenges faced by our neighbours in West Papua.

Australian businessman Ian Melrose has funded the following TV advertisements featuring West Papuan refugee, now PNG citizen, Clemens Runawery. Clemens witnessed the Indonesian takeover over his country and in 1969 was arrested by Australian officials (at Indonesia's request) when attempting to travel to United Nations to tell the world of his peoples' plight and of the failure of the UN to conduct a fair election. Read more here.