WEST PAPUA - Our Responsibility To Promote Human Rights
Church
Teaching stresses the inherent dignity of every human person.
This bestows inviolable rights and duties on every person.
In his 1999 Message for the World Day of Peace, Pope John Paul II
urges Christians to be active in the promotion and defence of human
rights, especially for the weakest and most vulnerable:
become heralds of human dignity! Faith teaches us that every
person has been created in the image and likeness of God. Even when man
refuses it, the Heavenly Father's love remains steadfast; his is a love
without limits. He sent his Son Jesus to redeem every individual,
restoring each one's full human dignity. With this in mind, how can we
exclude anyone from our care? Rather, we must recognize Christ in the
poorest and the most marginalized, those whom the Eucharist—which is
communion in the body and blood of Christ given up for us—commits us to
serve…
The Situation
in West Papua
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:
- illegal
Logging
- participation
in Other business activity, including infrastructure and construction
works to the detriment of the local population
- Destabilization
through manipulation of local politics and orchestration of attacks
blamed on pro-Papuan independence groups
- Introduction
of illegal arms, and militia training and recruitment
- Prostitution
and the spread of HIV/AIDS
- intimidation
through violence, killing and destruction of property
- denigration
of the local indigenous population
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, but they are being met with
violent repression and much international silence and inaction.
Australia’s
Response to the Arrival of 43 Papuan Asylum Seekers
This year, 43 Papuans arrived by boat on Cape York.
They were taken to Christmas Island where their claims for asylum
were assessed. 42 of the
asylum seekers were recognised as refugees and granted temporary
protection visas.
The Indonesian Government reacted angrily to this action.
The Australian Government has responded by proposing changes to our
migration laws which would mean that anyone who comes to our shores by
boat and seeks asylum would have their refugee claims assessed offshore by
a United Nations authority in a third country such as Nauru.
The evidence of what happened to other asylum seekers who were
detained in Nauru suggests that this can further traumatise asylum seekers
and can result in much distress and psychological damage.
Seven heads of Australian Churches recently wrote to the Prime Minister
about this matter. They urged
the Prime Minister to reconsider the legislation, and have asked the
Government to act compassionately
What You Can Do to Defend the Human Rights of Papuans
- Do
more to challenge the abuse of the human rights of Papuans
- Reconsider
plans to change the Migration Act to force all asylum seekers to be
processed offshore
Below is a
copy of the letter sent to the Prime Minister by the Catholic Justice
& Peace Commission of Brisbane. You
may use this as a basis for drafting your own letter or e-mail.
The Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
19 June 2006
Dear Mr Howard
I write to express my Commission’s concern over your Government’s actions following the arrival of 43 Papuan asylum seekers on Cape York earlier this year.
We publicly commended the Government for its decision to grant temporary protection visas to 42 of the asylum seekers because we understand that the Papuan people have been subjected to much violence and intimidation at the hands of elements of the Indonesian military.
The Commission is concerned, however, that your Government does not appear to be challenging the Indonesian Government to stop the human rights abuses in Papua which so many credible reports suggest have been long-standing.
The Commission notes that you have protested strongly to the Indonesian Government about the lenient treatment given to Abu Bakar Bashir and would urge you to be equally forthright in challenging the unacceptable treatment of the people of Papua.
We are also deeply troubled by your Government’s determination to proceed with changes to the Migration Act which could see other Papuans who flee persecution being processed offshore. We believe that Australia has a responsibility to process asylum seekers here and not to send them to Nauru or elsewhere for processing. Many Church leaders have spoken publicly to express their concerns about the threat to the human dignity of asylum seekers under this proposed change. We join with them in urging you to reconsider your position on this matter
Please do not ignore the pleas of the Papuan people for international support of their human rights; and please do not subject those Papuans who flee human rights abuses to more indignity by insisting that their asylum claims be processed offshore.
Yours sincerely
Peter Arndt, Executive Officer.
If you need any more information or help to get involved, 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