NGO raises concerns about Papuan

Do Australian and New Zealander know what happen in Papua recently? The news on protest against the special autonomy law was somehow mislead to a certain opinion that situation in Papua was so bad. In the name of human rights and political struggle, Australian pomp like Joe Collins manipulated the news by his own political agenda by saying that he concerned about Papuan safety.

In a similar manner, New Zealand base Indonesia Human Rights Committee was also expressing deep concern about human rights in Papua.

Unfortunately, Indonesian government is very weak in explaining to the world about the upholding of the law in Papua. Indonesia is a democratic state that will settling all issue in accordance to its national law. When some students did a provocative act by raising morning star flag, then Indonesian local Police only responded by an apropriate action in accordance to the law. What we should carefully watch is the process of upholding law in Papua by security aparatus, they should conduct their task in accordance to civil law and respect human rights.

Indonesia today is very different from Indonesia ten or thirty years ago. However, some elements in Australia and New Zealand who despise the development of democracy in Indonesia are affraid of such positive efforts. For those political pomps, they think that they only playing the game. But for Papuan, it is a process of interaction in democratic style of living.

The reference stories:

Australian NGO raises concerns about Papuan protestors arrested in Indonesia 

17 March, 2008

The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) has voiced concern about the fallout from protests against the special autonomy law in Indonesia’s Papua region in recent weeks.

The organisation’s spokesman Joe Collins has called on Australia’s Foreign Minister to raise the human rights situation in Papua with Indonesia’s President.

This follows the arrest by Indonesian police of 13 Papuans last week in Manokwari for carrying the West Papuan lag, the Morning Star.

Two were later released, however Mr Collins says there is cause for concern for the safety of those still in custody.

NZ asked to suspend military ties with Indonesia amid Papua abuse
Posted at 03:43 on 18 March, 2008 UTC

The New Zealand-based Indonesia Human Rights Committee says it continues to be deeply concerned about the human rights situation in West Papua.

It has written to the New Zealand foreign minister, Winston Peters, asking the government to suspend all defence training ties with Indonesia.

The letter says New Zealand’s defence ties serve to give legitimacy to a military force which is manifestly responsible for deepening repression and ongoing violence in West Papua.

Instead, it says, New Zealand should support the call of US Congressional leaders, Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin and Donald Payne for internationally mediated dialogue to help resolve the ongoing crisis in West Papua before there is further bloodshed.

There have been reports of arrests in recent days over the raising of the banned Morning Star flag.