Police murder citizens preparing to protest in West Papua

By Catherine Delahunty

Last week West Papuans suffered more abuse and injustice from Indonesian Police personnel.

The 1^st of May marked 50 years of West Papua suffering under Indonesian rule. Citizens throughout Papua prepared to commemorate this day, however, events that occurred just prior to this date, typify and  highlight the injustices that Papuans have suffered over the past 50 years.

On the 30^th of April two young West Papuan protestors who were preparing to participate in commemoration events were shot and killed by police while a number of others were injured in the city of Sorong, This is an atrocious abuse of state power. I have urged the New Zealand Government to condemn the police actions and demand that Indonesian President Susilo Yudhoyono takes action.

He must stop state violence immediately and engage in dialogue for peace and justice in West Papua.  The Indonesian Police have a documented history of citizen abuse and the New Zealand Government cannot be silent or indeed collude via our new proposed “community policing” training programme.

International concern has been voiced over the May 1^st events including a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. Pillay has described the police shootings as “[an] unfortunate example of the on-going suppression of freedom of expression and excessive use of force in West Papua.”

Source: http://blog.greens.org.nz

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Benny Wenda’s Freedom Tour a great success

by Catherine Delahunty

This week Benny Wenda from “Free West Papua’ and Jennifer Robinson of International lawyers for West Papua brought the “Freedom Tour” to Auckland and Wellington.

The Auckland day was hosted by the hard working “Indonesian Human Rights Committee.”

Wellington also went very well despite the lack of co-operation from the new Speaker David Carter and the predictable refusal to meet Benny Wenda from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Jennifer Robinson and Benny Wenda at the media briefing

The media forum which was effectively banned from parliament was well attended and only a robot would have not have been moved by Benny Wenda’s story of his childhood under Indonesian military rule and his experiences in prison.

Benny also stole our hearts with his musical performance while Jennifer Robinson laid out the political and legal position with great clarity. The call for independence for West Papua is clearly a call for peaceful change and respect for all citizens.

The international legal case against the colonisation of West Papua is simple. The Indonesians justified their occupation by a bogus referendum of about 1000 people at the point of a gun, the United Nations stood by while West Papua was appropriated for gold, timber and empire by Indonesia.

The situation today remains a disaster with state violence, hunger, political killing and torture and no access by international media or the International Red Cross. Benny Wenda initiated the International parliamentarians for West Papua a group of which I am a proud member as arer number of Green MPs locally and internationally. He is relying on our solidarity to keep the pressure on Indonesian for a peaceful dialogue.

It was great having MPs Maryan Street and Hone Harawira supporting the Wellington visit and showing their commitment to this issue being brought to light despite the appalling decisions by the Speaker and the Minsiter of Foreign Affairs.

Mana leader Hone Harawira and Labour MP Maryan Street join Benny Wenda, Jennifer Robinson and Catherine Delahunty on parliament’s steps.

It was also great to meet Dominic Brown maker of the film “Forgotten Bird of Paradise” made undercover in West papua who is travelling with Benny Wenda.

With some serious media coverage this week I am hopeful more New Zealanders have now heard of the situation in  West Papua and will support the Green challenge to the Government to work for a peace dialogue between west Papuan leaders and the Indonesian Government.

 Source: http://blog.greens.org.nz/2013/02/13/

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Lawyer Jennifer Robinson blasts govt for refusing to let activist speak

Lawyer Jennifer Robinson

A leading human rights lawyer yesterday hit out at a decision banning a West Papua independence activist from speaking at Parliament.

Jennifer Robinson, a member of Julian Assange's defence team, is in New Zealand briefly with Benny Wenda, a leader of the self-determination campaign for West Papua, which is under Indonesian control.

Several MPs wanted Mr Wenda, who lives in exile in London, to speak at Parliament but the new Speaker, David Carter, refused the request.

He reconfirmed his decision yesterday despite a plea from Labour MP Maryan Street, who claimed the decision was made by the Government after advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Speaker's office said the request was declined because the function did not meet guidelines to using parliamentary facilities and hosting guests.

Mr Wenda was expected to speak about alleged human rights abuses in West Papua, and highlight NZ's military relationships with Indonesia.

Here Source News: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/

Miss Robinson said: "It raises very serious questions about the influence Indonesia has on the New Zealand Parliament and the New Zealand Government. To prevent somebody coming to speak - merely to speak and exercise their freedom of expression - in the New Zealand Parliament building of all places ought to be of grave concern to New Zealanders about the influence the Indonesians have in their domestic and foreign policy."

Miss Robinson did not know for certain whether Jakarta would have meddled in the decision, but it made New Zealand seem very reactive to Indonesia's position on hosting a West Papuan refugee. Mr Wenda will now speak today at a seminar at Victoria University on the independence struggle in West Papua.

An Australian, Miss Robinson is based in London and works for several human rights groups. She took part in Mr Wenda's 2002 trial for masterminding a fatal attack on a police station. During the case, Mr Wenda escaped from custody and eventually reached Britain, where he was granted political asylum. He is now a British citizen.

Since 2010, Miss Robinson has been part of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team.

Yesterday she defended Assange's decision to remain holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, saying he faced a real risk of ending up in an American military prison if he left the diplomatic enclave.

There was no guarantee Sweden would not deliver him to the United States, where he could face the death penalty. Once in the US, there was every chance he could end up like alleged WikiLeaks whistle-blower and soldier Bradley Manning, who supporters claim has been subjected to degrading treatment in prison.

Miss Robinson also said she had no intention of abandoning Mr Assange, who has seen several high-profile supporters desert his cause.

The latest was the heiress and magazine editor Jemima Khan, who last Friday washed her hands of Mr Assange, comparing him to an "Australian L. Ron Hubbard" after the Scientology founder.

"We have grave concerns should he ever be returned," Miss Robinson said. Asked if she was hanging in with Mr Assange, she said: "Absolutely."

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NZ opposition MPs criticise speaker’s move to ban West Papuan from parliament

Benny Wenda

The decision by New Zealand’s parliamentary speaker to bar a visiting West Papuan activist from speaking at parliament this week has met with criticism from opposition MPs.

The UK-based Benny Wenda is due in Wellington tomorrow to talk about the plight of the indigenous people of Indonesia’s troubled Papua region.

Speaker David Carter’s refusal stems from advice he says he received from government officials deeming the Wenda visit inappropriate.

The Green Party MP, Catherine Delahunty, says the refusal is disappointing.

And the Labour MP, Maryan Street, says cross-party events should not be dictated to by the level of sensitivity that a government feels about them.

“He is a representative of West Papuans. He is recognised internationally as that. He has been a guest of the UK parliament, the European Union parliament and a guest at the United Nations. Why can’t he be hosted at the New Zealand parliament even if the government does not agree with his position? Parliament is more than government. It’s government and opposition.”

Maryan Street

News Content © Radio New Zealand International

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