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West Papuan Asylum Seekers Why
Are They Here? In January
this year, 43 Papuans arrived in a boat on Cape York. They sought asylum in Australia.
The Immigration Department transferred them to Christmas Island.
On 23 March, the Department granted Temporary protection visas to 42 of
the asylum seekers. The application
of the last Papuan is still being processed.
The Department confirmed that protection was granted because the Papuans
had established a "well-founded fear of persecution". Why
Did These Papuans Seek Asylum? In 1963,
the Dutch handed control of West Papua to the Republic of Indonesia.
Indonesia agreed to hold an “act of free choice” within six years of
this handover to enable Papuans to choose between integration into Indonesia or
separation. Reputable
evidence strongly suggests that the Indonesian military conducted a systematic,
brutal campaign of intimidation and repression in the period leading up to the
“act of free choice”. In 1969,
1026 Papuans were chosen by the Indonesians to vote in a referendum as
representatives of the population of 815909.
Prominent Papuans who were likely to protest or challenge the process
were detained prior to the vote. All
those chosen for the referendum voted in favour of integration with Indonesia. Human
rights groups say that abuses by the Indonesian military in Papua continued
after the “act of free choice” and have not diminished at all since the fall
of President Suharto in 1989. A 2005
University of Sydney report accuses Indonesian security forces of abuses and
corrupt practices including:
Since Indonesia took control of Papua, at least 100000 Papuans have died
as a result of the actions of the Republic’s security forces. An open door migration policy has meant that many Indonesians from other
provinces have moved to Papua. Together
with military killings, the spread of HIV/AIDS and poor health and nutrition,
this is threatening to make indigenous Papuans a minority in their own land. Indigenous Papuans have generally been marginalised in terms of economic
advancement. For the most part,
those who have migrated to Papua have benefited from development while locals
have been deprived of improvements in their economic position and in the
delivery of basic services like education and
health. Many Papuans still want a genuinely free choice on independence and are
working for the right to have this choice. The 43 Papuans on Christmas Island sought asylum because they want to be
free of long-running persecution by Indonesian security forces.
Our Immigration Department has recognised this with their recent
decision, but senior Foreign Affairs Department officials are advising the
Government that such decisions will have a negative impact on our relationship
with Indonesia. How
Can I Find Out More? To find out more details about these issues, you can
download the full report of the University
of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at The Brisbane Australia West Papua Association has produced a
kit of information on West Papua for a small cost. Contact the Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of
Brisbane for details. The Commission’s website also has much useful information
and links to other information sources on its website at http://www.uq.net.au/cjpc/ What
Can I Do? Brisbane’s Catholic Justice
& Peace Commission is asking you to: 1.
Spread the word about the situation in West Papua. 2.
Keep the 43 Papuan asylum seekers and the people of West Papua in your
prayers. 3.
Write to the Prime Minister congratulating him on the decision to grant
protection to the Papuans on Christmas Island and urge him to do more to end the
abuse of human rights in Papua. 4.
Contact your local Federal Member of Parliament and ask that they urge
the Prime Minister to take urgent and decisive action on this matter. A
Sample Letter To The Prime Minister The Prime
Minister Parliament
House CANBERRA
ACT 2600 Dear Mr
Howard I wish
to congratulate your Government on the decision to grant protection to most of
the Papuans who arrived at Cape York in January.
This decision recognises their well-founded fear of persecution.
While this decision may cause difficulty in our relationships with
Indonesia, the applications for protection by the Papuans were treated on their
merits. I applaud your
Government’s willingness to support the human rights of people in our region
in this case. The
information I have seen on the treatment of indigenous Papuans by members of
Indonesia’s armed forces concerns me greatly.
Since Indonesia took control of the territory, Papuans have been
subjected to significant and on-going violence, intimidation and
marginalisation. It is quite
understandable that some Papuans would want to flee from such persecution and
your Government’s recent decision recognises this reality. I fear that
the situation in Papua will get much worse unless decisive action is taken.
Please give a much higher priority to challenging the
human rights abuses in Papua and to encouraging the Indonesian Government to
participate in a peaceful dialogue at an international level on the situation in
Papua. Your
Government took an appropriate stand against the human rights abuses in East
Timor. Through the actions of your
Government, the people of East Timor were able to freely choose independence and
to end a period of immense brutality and terror. Please apply the same moral standards to the situation in
Papua and take decisive action to end the violence, intimidation and repression. Yours
sincerely If you would like further information or assistance on this matter, please contact the Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of Brisbane, GPO Box 282, Brisbane Q 4001, Phone (07) 3336 9173, Fax (07) 3336 9177 or E-mail arndtp@bne.catholic.net.au |