West Papua

The Vanuatu Free West Papua Association held a rally on March 5 in Port Vila in support of West Papuan independence from Indonesia.

Protesters marched to the head office of the National Council of the Chiefs where they delivered a petition in support for West Papuan self-determination signed by more than 1100 people.

[Statement by the Australia West Papua Association Sydney - March 1, 2010.]
The Australia West Papua Association in Sydney has written an open letter to Prime Minister Rudd asking that he raise the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian President during his March visit.

Tony Iltis, Green Left Weekly
6 February 2010 -- On January 27, 1500 people marched in Timika demanding a referendum on the future status of West Papua, a former Dutch colony that has been occupied by Indonesia since 1962.
The rally took place without being attacked, despite recent violent incidents in the area.

Statement by the International Youth Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua (IYCL-WP)
International Youth Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua (IYCL_WP) is representative body of all world youth movement that have a strong commitment to struggling for self-determination of West Papuan. The principal of movement is non-violent struggle against to liberalism, colonialism, militarism, indigenous marginalization, discrimination, human rights violations, and all forms of genocide, and colonial rule of special autonomy as well.

Statement by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation - January 26, 2009

Baseless accusations have always been directed towards the OPM/TPN when any killings or shootings happened around the mining area. The recent shooting on Mile 60 on 24th January 2010 was not exceptional case.
In the past few years, the Indonesian military and Freeport security forces always accused Kelly Kwalik as masterminding behind those killings and shootings. Consequently, he became main target and finally he was killed on 16th December 2009. On the other account, nine freedom fighters were arrested and sentenced to many years in Jakarta without having any fair trail. Today, the same accusation is directed towards the OPM.

Statement by the East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN).
The December 16 killing of pro-Papuan independence leader Kelly Kwalik by Indonesian police risks further alienation of Papuans and is likely to seriously undermine Papuan efforts to begin an internationally-mediated dialogue with the Indonesian government.
Simultaneous police allegations that Kwalik was involved in lethal attacks in the Timika area in this year and in 2002 are not credible. Making Kwalik a scapegoat only serves to mask the failure of Indonesian authorities to credibly resolve these cases.

On December 16, Free Papua Movement (OPM) leader Kelly Kwalik was murdered by Indonesian police during a raid in Timika. Kwalik had been fighting for West Papuan independence from Indonesia for nearly four decades.

In response to the news of Kwalik's death, Joe Collins of the Australian West Papua Association said that "like all civil society organisations in West Papua the OPM also supported the concept of a zone of peace in West Papua. The OPM has also been calling for dialogue with Jakarta. "Is this Jakarta's response, an attack on an OPM leader who is of great symbolic importance to the West Papuan people?" Collins asked.

December 7 statement by the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney).

Protection of West Papuan forests is essential for the global community.

West Papua contains some of the last great tracts of undisturbed rain forest in the Asia-Pacific region. Figures vary but total forest cover in West Papua is believed to be about 40 million hectares.

In Sydney on December 1, the Leichardt and Marrickville Councils along with leaders of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation raised the Morning Star Flag, marking the 47th National Flag Day.

According to Papuan leader John Ondawame, the events showed "their firm support for the aspiration of independence of the people of West Papua".

According to news reports, hundreds of West Papuan protesters raised the Morning Star flag in a number of cities across West Papua on December 1. Dozens of protesters were arrested and 13 continued to be detained.

Papuan protesters also held a rally in Jakarta, demanding independence for West Papua.