Justice for the Jayapura 5

by Catherine Delahunty

This week I went to Canberra to join the Greens at the Australian launch of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua. We were joined by Ralph Regenvanu Mp from Vanuatu, Jen Robinson from International Lawyers for West Papua(and lawyer for Wikileaks) and a number of West Papuan leaders.

Our hosts the Australian Green Party led by Senator Richard di Natale also invited Australian Senators from across the parties to join the launch. The Acting Foreign Minister for the Labour Government tried to dissuade them from participating but fortunately they ignored him and several parties were represented. Presumably the Australian Foreign Minister cares more for placating Indonesia than the human rights of West Papuans.

The point of the launch was to build the Australian commitment to justice for West Papua and the regional solidarity between countries such as Vanuatu, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The key issues are stark. There is no other country in the region where the penalty for raising the flag of self-determination will result in 15 years imprisonment. There are at least 130 political prisoners as a result of flag rising. There is no other place close to home where the Red Cross has been expelled and human rights monitors fail to get access. International journalists are prevented by Indonesia  from reporting inside West Papua.

There are cases of torture and other human rights abuses, many refugees and some people who have starved to death as a result of the current situation. I learned about these issues from Papuans who came to Canberra and spoke about their commitment to non violent resistance and a desire for their people to choose their own future without a gun to their heads.

The so called Special Autonomy that was supposed to assist West Papuans is an acknowledged failure and now the trial of the Jayapura 5 is underway.

The Jayapura 5 are west Papuan leaders who were arrested for leading a Congress in October 2011 to discuss issues of self-determination, The Congress was basically attacked by the military and several people were killed. The 5 leaders have been in prison ever since and many of us are very concerned about their access to a fair trial. The trial has allegedly started but we have no confidence in their rights as citizens being upheld. The Greens in Australia and Aotearoa and the other Pacific MPs who support freedom and human rights will be calling for justice to be seen to be done for the Jayapura 5!

Note: Link to Catherine Delahunty’s General Debate Speech on West Papua

Backbenches: Link to Catherine Delahunty with the West Papuan Morning Star flag around 49 minutes in