Smith airs jail raid concerns with Indonesia

Defence Minister AU Stephen Smith

By Indonesia correspondent George Roberts - ABC.AU
Defence Minister Stephen Smith says he has discussed concerns over alleged human rights abuses with Indonesia.

Last month about 17 heavily armed men stormed an Indonesian jail and killed four inmates who were suspected of murdering a military commando.

The raid was professionally planned and described as a revenge attack.

Mr Smith, who has been in Jakarta this week, says there are suggestions either past or present Indonesian military personnel were involved.

"That's the subject of three separate investigations," he said.

He says he has raised concerns about that with his Indonesian counterpart, Purnomo Yugiantoro.

The country's anti-terrorism force, detachment 88, is also the subject of about 20 investigations over alleged human rights abuses.

Mr Smith says he has also discussed the Papuan provinces with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

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Papuan accuses Indons of genocide

The West Australian © Activist: Benny Wenda. Picture: Supplied

He escaped from prison while on murder and arson charges, spent two years on an international wanted list after Indonesian authorities alleged he was a terrorist and tomorrow he will arrive in Perth.

But West Papua independence movement leader Benny Wenda says Indonesian authorities - his accusers - are the ones guilty of terrible crimes.

He says they are the aggressors in a secret war of genocide being waged against his people less than 500km north of Australia.

Mr Wenda, who is on an international speaking tour to raise awareness about his people's fight for self-determination, said yesterday he was a peaceful political campaigner who was the victim of false allegations intended to silence him.

"They (Indonesia) always say that I am a criminal," he said.

"Actually, it's the other way around. Indonesia is the criminal. They illegally occupied my country and are killing my people."

Mr Wenda, 37, was arrested for murder and arson after allegedly inciting an attack on Indonesian police in 2000. But his Australian lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, said the charges were politically motivated and unfounded. She said Mr Wenda was in a refugee camp in Papua New Guinea at the time of the attack.

"The prosecution was unable to produce any credible evidence," Ms Robinson said. "The judge accepted three witness statements from police from three people we could not identify and they were unable to bring to the courtroom."

In 2002, Mr Wenda escaped from jail through a ventilation shaft, crossed into PNG and went to Britain, which gave him political asylum.

In 2011, Interpol put him under a red flag notice after Indonesia added terrorism to the allegations against him. After a two-year legal battle, his name was cleared and the flag removed.

The catalyst for his activism came when, as a five-year-old in West Papua's central highlands, he allegedly saw Indonesian soldiers rape his aunts and brutally beat his mother.

"I tried to help my mum," he said. "Her face was bleeding right in front of my eyes. I couldn't do anything. I just cried."

Mr Wenda claims that since West Papua voted to become part of Indonesia in 1969 - a ballot he says was forced at gunpoint - authorities have killed about 500,000 West Papuans in their crackdown on separatists. He said many recent killings were by a squad of crack troops known as Detachment 88, who get support from Australia.

WA Greens senator Scott Ludlam, who will speak with Mr Wenda in Perth and echoed the Papuan leader's concerns about Australia's links to Detachment 88, said the people of West Papua had a legitimate claim to self-determination and should not be treated like criminals.

Amnesty International and the Australian Government have urged Indonesia to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Papuan provinces.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said Australia backed Indonesia's sovereignty over the Papuan provinces and that Detachment 88 received help from Australian Federal Police for investigations and forensic assistance.

Mr Wenda said he had never taken up arms for his cause and believed peaceful, political lobbying was the way forward.

"The world is changing," he said. "We don't have any power to resist through the gun.

"The powerful weapon is the peaceful way. The powerful weapon is the truth."

 

 Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/

 

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Media release-MSG Silver Jubilee celebrations –Should not forget West Papua

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Media Release 27 Jan 2013

MSG Silver Jubilee celebrations –Should not forget West Papua

The Australia West Papua Association congratulates the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) on the official launching of its Silver Jubilee celebrations in Port Vila on the 28 January. We also congratulate the MSG on its past successes and on it's increasing importance around the Pacific region. 

Joe Collins of AWPA said “the MSG showed its visionary policy in supporting the people of Kanaky (New Caledonia) to be a member of the MSG represented by the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS).  

We now urge the MSG to show the same support for the people of West Papua”.

We believe the MSG can play an important role in helping facilitate dialogue between representatives of the West Papuan leadership and the Indonesian Government. The West Papuan people have been calling on the international community for years to support such dialogue as a way of solving the many issues of concern in West Papua.

We urge the MSG to support those representatives of the West Papuan people involved in the self-determination struggle being granted full membership at the next MSG Summit to be held in New Caledonia (Kanaky) in 2013. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AWPA uses the name “West Papua” to refer to the whole of the western half of the Island of New Guinea.  However, “West Papua” at this time is divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua.

Posted by AWPA Sydney News

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Lawyer for 'freedom fighter' seeks more time to prepare

 By.Amy Remeikis

ReporterView more articles from Amy Remeikis 
              Follow Amy on Twitter Email Amy

Gerard Michael Little (Ukraine)

Gerard Michael Little, the disability pensioner who claims to be a Colonel in the West Papuan freedom movement, has had his case adjourned for another month.

The Victorian grandfather did not appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court where his lawyer Lauren Phelps asked for time to take instructions from Mr Little after the Crown delivered "two volumes of material" to her office on Wednesday.

Previously, the Crown prosecutor had described the case against the Tynong North resident as "overwhelming".

Magistrate Jacqui Payne granted the adjournment and set the case down for another mention on February 22 in the same court.

Mr Little, who was considered a flight risk and previously refused bail in December, will not be required to appear.

Mr Little allegedly had dreams of leading West Papua to freedom from Indonesian authorities and had spent time in the Crimea region of the Ukraine, training with a group called the "International Law Enforcement Training Agency".

He had allegedly offered his services to the West Papuan freedom movement.

He was arrested boarding a plane at Brisbane International Airport on December 4 after a multi-agency sting which had investigated Mr Little after he began to post his plans on Facebook.

Crown prosecutors allege he had plans to enter West Papua undetected through Papua New Guinea to take up the fight.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/

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West Papua ‘rebel’ held

Papuan Human Rights Freedom

Sidney,-- DISABILITY pensioner Gerard Michael Little planned to ”engage in violent conflict against the Indonesian government” in West Papua, a Brisbane court has been told.

Little, 45, from Tynong North, near Pakenham, has been charged under laws that prevent Australians engaging in hostile acts against other countries.

He was intercepted by police on his way to West Papua on Tuesday. Little was denied bail on Wednesday, with Brisbane magistrate Jacqui Payne deeming him a flight risk.

Federal police allege Little wanted to leave Australia & work as a mercenary in West Papua, & had trained in Ukraine.

Commonwealth prosecutor Justin Williams described the case against Little as ”overwhelming”.

Police stopped Little just before he boarded a plane at Brisbane International Airport. He is alleged to have planned to enter West Papua ”undetected” through Papua New Guinea.

But defence counsel Nick Dore said Little had been invited to West Papua ”to provide a service” & police still had a long investigation in front of them.

”There is a huge difference between someone entering a country on a mercenary basis, uninvited, like someone in a Hollywood movie ? & someone who is lawfully invited to attend,” he said.

In a joint operation with Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police executed eight search warrants on Tuesday, assisted by Queensland police. Properties in Caulfield, East Bentleigh, Tynong North & Toowoomba, in Queensland, were raided, including Little’s home, & those of his father & daughter.

The case has been adjourned to January 18.

At his Tynong North home, two of Little’s friends, Michael O’Shea & Kevin Kelly, said all three had hoped to create a foundation for West Papuan refugees in Port Moresby.

They said Little, who lived on a pension as a result of a shoulder injury, identified as a member of the Wathaurong people & did not accept Australian sovereignty.

His Tynong North home was in disarray. Items seized by police included computer complex drives, documents & photographs, including pictures of him dressed in military uniform.

Mr Kelly said that Little was a colonel in the Free Papua movement. ”No prison will keep him,” he said.

Source Published here : http://freetoparticle.com/

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Pers Release: Partai BUruh AU. Indonesia Harus Buka Akses Ke Papua Barat

MEDIA RELEASE

Buka Akses ke Papua Barat

Mengingat cerita semalam pada 7.30 Laporan ABC, Senator John Madigan dan Demokrat Partai Buruh federal Sekretaris Mark Farrell sedang memperbaharui seruan mereka untuk pemerintah Australia untuk menuntut keterbukaan dan transparansi lengkap dari Pemerintah Indonesia.

"The DLP telah menentang pendudukan Papua Barat

sejak pasukan Indonesia pertama kali mendarat dekade yang lalu dan Senator Madigan telah berjuang untuk pengakuan dari rakyat Papua Barat sejak terpilih sebagai anggota Senat, "kata Mark Farrell.

"Jelas bagi saya bahwa apa yang Indonesia yang mengesankan di Papua Barat tidak demokratis tetapi rezim totaliter atas negara itu mengklaim kepemilikan salah."

"Pemerintah Australia perlu berhenti menutup mata dengan apa yang suatu hari akan diakui sebagai genosida yang terjadi di depan rumah kami." "Jika Indonesia serius mengharapkan kita untuk percaya itu tidak terlibat dalam penindasan rakyat Papua Barat maka mereka harus memungkinkan pengamat hak asasi manusia dan wartawan internasional masuk ke negara itu. "

"Indonesia tidak menjadi transparan dengan orang-orang Australia atau pemerintah Australia."
"Sulit untuk memahami bagaimana pemerintah sebuah negara demokratis seperti Australia bisa mengabaikan perilaku menindas dari negara tetangga."

"Saya ingin tahu apakah pembayar pajak Australia yang membiayai penindasan Indonesia rakyat Papua Barat, dan sejauh mana militer Australia membantu pemerintah Indonesia upaya mereka."

"Orang-orang Australia layak jawaban yang jelas."

ABN 93 585 025 718 Kontak: Mark Farrell 0416 251 025
secretary@dlp.rg.au - Laura Methorst 0431 239 182

Realese ini di Publikasikan 28/Agustus/2012

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