Worldwide Solidarity

Australian Labor Party National Conference, Sydney, 2011

RESOLUTION ADOPTED ON PAPUA

This Labor Conference

1. Expresses its continuing concern over violent incidents in the Papuan provinces;

2. Welcomes the Indonesian President’s announcement of 9 November 2011 that his government is willing to conduct a dialogue with Papuan Leaders;

Why Now? A West Papua Backgrounder
By: Jim Elmslie
Source: New Matilda

NM has kept a close eye on West Papua as pressure in the breakaway Indonesian province builds. Long-time Papua watcher Jim Elmslie explains why the situation has escalated - and may get worse in coming months

Two seminal events have shattered the uneasy status quo in West Papua: a labour strike at the Freeport mine, and the declaration of an independent West Papua at a landmark mass meeting of Papuan nationalists, the Third Papuan Congress.

March 31, 2011
Source: Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara>

The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara> stands in solidarity with the people of West Papua and their struggle for self determination. West Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea, is a former Dutch colony occupied by Indonesia. It borders the independent state of Papua New Guinea.

Free West Papua (FreeWestPapua) on Twitter
Free West Papua (FreeWestPapua) is on Twitter. Sign up for Twitter to follow Free West Papua (FreeWestPapua) and get their latest updates.
https://twitter.com/FreeWestPapua

West Papua Report January 2011

Source: West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT)

This is the 81st in a series of monthly reports that focus on developments affecting Papuans. This series is produced by the non-profit West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media accounts, other NGO assessments, and analysis and reporting from sources within West Papua. This report is co-published with the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN). Back issues are posted online at http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/default.htm. Questions regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at edmcw@msn.com.

Excellent overview and new information from the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney). See link to a new film trailer at the bottom! Tom

AWPA update. December 2010
(feel free to forward on/post on blogs etc. if relevant)

Source: westpapuamedia.info

Opinion

August 17, 2010

Peter Woods

The conclusion of the Pacific Islands Forum has left a great sense of disappointment. There was every reason to think that Vanuatu would be the prominent voice in the forum for the West Papuan demand for a seat at the table. As recent as June 19 the Vanuatu Parliament passed a motion to bring the matter of West Papua to the UN this year.

All the public reports leading up to the forum, and the private assurances to the lobbying being done by the Vanuatu Free West Papua Association even up to the Prime Minister, gave every indication that West Papua would be high on the agenda, and even that the representative West Papua delegates would at least be given observer status.

West Papua appeals to MSG and PIF

Six representatives speaking for the people of West Papua have appealed to the Melanesian Spearhead Group and South Pacific Islands Forum currently meeting in Port Vila to go public to say what their position is on the West Papua issue. Their appeal reads, “We the undersigned, members of the West Papuan Independence Movement currently in Port Vila, the Capital of the Republic of Vanuatu to lobby the MSG (Melanesian Spearhead Group) and the PIF (Pacific Islands Forum)( highly valued the decision taken by Vanuatu to take West Papuan Issue to the United Nations.

“Recalling the MSG’s support and PIF endorsement that resulted in the re-inscription of Kanaky with the UN Decolonization Committee and further recalling the regional wisdom and support that resulted in the peaceful resolution of the Bougainville conflict.

“Calling upon, Excellencies and Hon. Leaders of MSG and PIF to, to support Vanuatu’s initiative to take the West Papuan case to the United Nations.

Dear Friends,

Please help us help humanity by reading and encouraging other adults to read the graphic novel at www.papuanvoices.com in English, German or Korean. We're working on an iPad/iPhone version and hope to have this graphic novel soon in print and published as an eBook. (Tip: Try your scroll wheel to flip pages.)

The Illustrator and I have chosen to release the first three chapters (64 pages) now, given the urgency of the content (see the WestPAN Home page) and also because we can update and add to this "flip book" over time. You can read the remaining three chapters of the book in text form with occasional illustrated pages as they are released. Just go to the last page of the graphic novel for the link. (Tip: There's a Table of Contents at bottom left.)

If you care about disappearing cultures and biodiversity, you can help raise the world's awareness of West Papua by forwarding this appeal to your friends and colleagues, or by letting them know about this through Facebook, Twitter or word-of-mouth. If you enjoy the beautiful illustrations in this book and come to appreciate the global significance and urgency of its story, please tell others about papuanvoices.com.

The Author

TAPOL press release, 9 July 2010

Dialogue a must for Papua

Papua is in a state of heightened tension following a series of events that culminated in a mass rally yesterday by thousands of Papuans at the provincial parliament, the DPRP, in Jayapura.

The demonstration and similar actions in other locations across the territory were intended to increase pressure on the DPRP to support a recommendation by the Papuan People's Assembly, the MRP, to 'return' Papua's 2001 special autonomy law to the central government in Jakarta.