More than three years after the enactment of the Special Autonomy Law on West Papua, the living conditions of the Papuan people remain the same. The West Papuans are poor and constantly in danger as human rights violations continue in this embattled province of Indonesia.
More than three years after the enactment of the Special Autonomy Law on West Papua, the living conditions of the Papuan people remain the same. The West Papuans are poor and constantly in danger as human rights violations continue in this embattled province of Indonesia.
Today (August 12), the West Papuans are officially and publicly displaying their grave dissatisfaction and legitimate grievances over what the Indonesian government has supposedly committed in enacting into law the special autonomy for West Papua. Based on reports and official findings, the law which came into force in January 2002 has not led to significant improvements in the lives of the West Papuans.
Today’s protest highlights “the return of the Special Autonomy Law to the central government.” But Papuan leaders promise the protest will be peaceful.
We, affiliates and members of the Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition or APSOC, extend our solidarity to the West Papuan people as they launch their protest activity today in various parts of the province to express their discontent and expose the betrayal of the central government of Indonesia on the promised better conditions in West Papua with the implementation of the special autonomy law.
We note with apprehension the usual pattern of intimidation, harassment and suppression of the rights and legitimate grievances committed against the people by the Indonesian military units in West Papua. Militarization remains a problem in West Papua.
We therefore urge the Indonesian military to allow the West Papuans to exercise their rights and enjoy freedom of expression and assembly as they launch their protest activity today. We urge the TNI to refrain from disturbing the peaceful demonstrations being held in various parts of West Papua and desist from any act of provoking unrest.
We are also disturbed by recent reports that the special autonomy funds have been misused and that a large amount have been siphoned off to finance military operations in the province. We therefore call on the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to commission an investigation on the use of the special autonomy funds for West Papua.
We support the West Papuans in their effort to seek redress in the implementation of the special autonomy law.
We call on the United Nations to review the “1969 Act of Free Choice” conducted in West Papua, which the West Papuans regard as a sham. The “approval” of the act by Papuans selected by Indonesia resulted in Indonesia’s takeover of West Papua, despite overwhelming Papuan opposition and evidence that Indonesia had failed to meet its international obligations to standards set by the United Nations.
We urge the Indonesian government to address the long-standing conflict in West Papua and initiate a process of dialogue with the indigenous tribal leaders and legitimate representatives of the Papuan people.
Lastly, we support the church and civil society-supported campaign to uphold West Papua as “a Land of Peace.”
Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
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