Media Release
Friday March 24 2006
Commission
Welcomes Papuan Asylum Seeker Decision
Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace
Commission today welcomed the decision by the Immigration Department to
grant temporary protection visas to 42 of the 43 Papuan asylum seekers who
arrived in a boat on Cape York in January.
The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter
Arndt, said that the decision shows that the Papuans’ claims of
persecution at the hands of Indonesian security forces were accepted by
the Department.
“We know that the Indonesian Government
wanted Australia to send the Papuans back home and there was a fear that
fostering good relationships with Indonesia would count more than the
human rights of the Papuans,” Mr Arndt said.
“We thank God that our fears were
unfounded,” he said.
“The Government is to be commended for
dealing with these claims on their merits,” he said.
Mr Arndt said that the Commission still wants
Catholics to urge the Federal Government to do
more to challenge the human rights abuses which are occurring in
Papua.
“This recent decision means that the claims
of intimidation and abuse are well-founded,” he said.
“We need to do something to stop what is
happening in Papua,” he said.
“For the Church, the dignity of every human
being is a fundamental principle which we are obliged to promote and
defend,” he said.
“Reputable sources have given us a picture of
on-going violence, abuse and corruption at the hands of elements of the
Indonesian security forces,” he said.
“Life for many indigenous Papuans is hell and
we cannot continue to ignore it,” he said.
The Commission has updated its recently
released information sheet on the
situation in West Papua and is urging Catholics to contact the Prime
Minister and their local MP to urge them to take more action to end the
violence and abuse in Papua.
“The Government took a commendable stance on
East Timor and we hope that Australia will take the same position in
defence of the human rights of Papuans,” he said.
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.
The Commission’s information
sheet is available on its website