Media Release
Tuesday March 21 2006
Commission Meets With Papuan Activist
Members of Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission met with Papuan activist, Hendrick Ajamiseba, tonight to discuss the current situation in the Indonesian province and how it could support the Papuan people.
The Commission used the meeting as an opportunity to launch an advocacy campaign to lobby the Australian Government for fair treatment of claims for asylum by 43 Papuans who arrived on Cape York in January. The campaign is also seeking to encourage more efforts to challenge human rights abuses in Papua.
Mr Ajamiseba said that many Papuans are becoming very desperate because they have lived with substantial human rights abuses at the hands of members of the Indonesian military and no major power is taking action to challenge this situation.
He said that he and other Papuan activists want the world to do something to stop escalating abuses of indigenous Papuans.
The Commission has produced an information sheet which provides brief details on what has happened in Papua since Indonesia took control of the province in 1963 and what human rights abuses the people of Papua continue to suffer. It also includes details of other sources of more detailed information and a sample letter calling on the Prime Minister to take more action on these abuses.
Parishes in the Archdiocese will be sent this information and encouraged to promote participation by Catholics in this campaign.
The Commission’s discussions with Mr Ajamiseba were wide-ranging. Particular interest was shown in developing stronger links with Church activists and leaders in Papua.
The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the Commission hoped it could meet with a number of Papuan Church leaders later this year.
“The Commission hopes that it would be possible to develop closer relationships with Christians in Papua and work with them to give greater prominence to the situation in the province,” Mr Arndt said.
“Neither the Government nor the Opposition seem interested in challenging the human rights abuses in Papua and we need to find ways to encourage them to change,” he said.
“Getting more Australians aware of what is going on is the first step,” he said.
“What is happening in Papua is just as bad as what happened in East Timor and Australia must take action urgently,” he said.
The information sheet may
also be downloaded from the Commission’s website at http://www.uq.net.au/cjpc/
For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.
NB This release is issued with the
approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its
Charter which enables it to speak in its own right.
Its views do not necessarily represent those of the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Brisbane.