Is the Pacific’s solidarity for Papua on the rise?
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- Published on Thursday, 25 February 2016 04:26
Recently during a public forum on the issue of Papua organised by the Indonesian government think-tank (LIPI) in January 2016, we were drawn to the attention of the Pacific countries towards Papua. While the representatives from the Indonesian government and intelligence treated the issue as marginal, a Golkar parliamentarian, Tantowi Yahya, took the Pacific issue very seriously. He argued that the Papuan movement managed to mobilise support from the Pacific diplomatic fora, particularly the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and the Pacific Island Development Forum (PIDF), by exposing human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian security forces.
Urgent Appeal - Health Crisis in Nduga Regency
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- Published on Wednesday, 17 February 2016 01:14
Urgent Appeal
16 February 2016
At least 51 Children and 3 Adults Have Died of Pertussis in Nduga Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia During Past Months After Government Neglect
The International Coalition for Papua (ICP), together with Geneva for Human Rights – Global Training, Franciscans International, Tapol, Mission21, the United Evangelical Mission, the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Westpapua Netzwerk wish to bring to your attention the recent deaths of at least 51 children and 3 adults due to Pertussis (whooping cough) in the districts Mbua, Dal and Mbulmu Yalma, Nduga Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia since November 2015. As the government social and health institutions did not respond to the serious situation of malnutrition and hard weather conditions in the affected area, many children died of otherwise manageable infections. As a result of the negligence, the Indonesian government failed to fulfill its obligations to protect the health and life, as stated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in article 11/1,2 and article 12/1, 2 (a), (c) and (d).
Update Papua Roadmap - New LIPI Press Release
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- Published on Tuesday, 09 February 2016 07:39
Press Release*
In 2009, the assessment team for Papua of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI Papua Team) has published the book Papua Road Map as the result of the team's studies since 2004. Subsequently, at the beginning of 2010, the LIPI Papua Team in cooperation with the Papua Peace Network (JDP) started carrying out public consultations in 26 districts and organized 6 exploratory meetings with the goal to facilitate the peace building process and reconciliation through dialogue. The exploratory meetings, which were attended by parliament members, government representatives and civil society figures, took place in Jimbaran (Bali), Manado, Lombok, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Jakarta.
US Ambassador Robert Blake Visits West Papua
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- Published on Thursday, 28 January 2016 10:14
The US Ambassador Robert Blake visited West Papua between 17 and 22 January 2016 to view the progress of US supported development projects, meet with government officials, the Papuan Police Chief, religious leaders, civil society activists. According to the US embassy the main purpose of the trip was to visit USAID programs aimed at reducing poverty and protecting the environment in the region through the promotion of sustainable farming methods, the preservation of the region’s rich forests and wildlife, and to monitor ongoing efforts to increase the quality and availability of primary education in West Papua.
German Human Rights Commissioner Visits West Papua
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- Published on Friday, 22 January 2016 10:12
After two unsuccessful attempts to visit West Papua in 2008 and 2012, a human rights commissioner of the German Government received the Indonesian government's authorization to enter West Papua in September 2015. During his two day visit, Christoph Strässer met with government representatives and civil society actors.
Indonesian Government Plans Ambitious Road and Railroad Project in West Papua
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- Published on Tuesday, 19 January 2016 10:34
The Indonesian Government has planned to push physical development in West Papua through the implementation of an ambitious rail road and road project in West Papua. Both projects should make the transportation of goods and people cheaper and increase the local economy in Indonesia's two easternmost provinces. The Indonesian President Joko Widodo has publicly stated that he intends to finish the Trans-Papua Road by 2019. Furthermore, he has passed plans for the construction of a railroad which should one day connect the Papuan cities Sorong, Manokwari, Nabire, Timika, Sarmi and Jayapura.
HRW releases Report on Media Freedom in Papua
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- Published on Tuesday, 19 January 2016 04:06
They kept on having a friendly tone: ‘Yes, we’re looking for the right date, we’re more than happy to receive you, let’s look for a date.’ But they never said anything [regarding a solid date]. It was plausible deniability. I think what it shows is that there must be a lot to hide in Papua.
—Former UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue, describing the response of Indonesian officials to his 2012-13 request to visit Papua
Read full report on HRW Homepage
54 Children Have Died of Infectious Disease in Nduga Regency During Past Months
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- Published on Friday, 15 January 2016 09:39
The victim solidarity group Mbua SKJM ('Solidaritas Korban Jiwa Mbua') has reported the death of 54 children between early November 2015 and 5 January 2016 due to an epidemic disease. The outbreak of the disease was confirmed by various local news platforms and has affected mostly children under the age of ten years. A survey, conducted by government health institutions in November revealed that the infectious disease might be Pertussis, also commonly referred to as the “whooping cough” or “100-day cough”. The contagious disease also killed livestock, such as pigs, chicken, rabbits and fish, which remain the main source of protein for indigenous Papuans in highland communities. The solidarity group claims that neither the local government, nor national health institutions have seriously responded to stop the epidemic.
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