West Papua Report May 2009

West Papua Report
May 2009

This is the 60th 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.

Summary:

A WPAT member spoke before a U.S. Congressional panel about threats to the environment and to human rights in West Papua. U.S.-based human rights groups ETAN and WPAT urged the U.S. Government to move beyond the failed formula of "special autonomy" to address the growing human rights crisis in West Papua. Their appeal came in response to Secretary of State Clinton's call at a Congressional hearing for a "degree of autonomy" for Papuans. April saw a marked increase in violence and repressive action by security forces in West Papua. The report offers a brief chronology of the violence. Several U.S. human rights organizations signed a public letter to leading U.S. legislators urging an investigation of the violence and U.S. support for an internationally facilitated dialogue on West Papua. That call echoed a similar appeal for an investigation of the violence by Papuan church and civil society leaders. The Indonesian government has expelled the International Committee of The Red Cross (ICRC) from West Papua. The expulsion came following an ICRC visit to Papuan political prisoners, though the Indonesian Foreign Ministry maintained that was not the reason for the expulsion.

About SPMNews

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.