On
August 2, a group of Free West Papua supporters attended a morning tea
fundraiser in Darwin. The special guest was foreign affairs minister Julie
Bishop. We wanted to meet her to discuss human rights in West Papua.
Bishop
was the key speaker. She took a few questions from the crowd but, although she
knew I wanted to speak to her, she ignored me every time.
After
she sat down, we walked peacefully up to her table with the morning star flag
and asked if we could to meet to discuss West Papua. Eventually she agreed to
meet privately, but only with me and on condition that no photographs or flags
were present. It was agreed and I was taken into a room, body searched and told
to wait.
After
15 minutes the minister entered the room and asked me my name. I said: "My
name is Peter Elaby and I come from West Papua but I am an Australian citizen
as well. I want to ask you a few questions."
I
asked her: "Why does the Australian government not try to solve the human
rights problems in the Pacific and particular in West Papua?"
She
replied: "The Australian government can't do anything about human rights
issues in West Papua because we respect Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua.
The Australian government is sure that the issue of human rights in West Papua
can be solved with consultation with the Indonesian government."
I
then asked her: "What is the Australian government’s stance on human
rights in West Papua? Australia has been financing and training Indonesian
troops, many of whom are sent to West Papua. The Indonesian military kill those
who try to speak up about their rights. The Australian government helps the
Indonesian government to arrest and kill West Papuans who join democratic and
peaceful rallies."
Bishop
repeated that the Australian government cannot do anything because they respect
the boundaries of Indonesian sovereignty.
I
asked the minister: "What is the difference between East Timor and West
Papua?' She was stuck but finally she said: "Well, East Timor only got
independence because Indonesia gave them a referendum".
When
I said: "No, the Australian government sent INTERFET troops into East
Timor", she just started talking about Indonesian sovereignty again and
how Australia can't possibly interfere.
I
asked the minister: "Why does the Australian government send troops to the
Middle East but not next door to West Papua? The Indonesian government is
committing genocide on the people of West Papua and Australia does nothing.”
She
replied by repeating that Australia respects of the sovereign boundaries of
Indonesia and that it is impossible for Australia to help.
I
reminded the minister that during World War II, when Japan was threatening to
invade the Australia, the people of West Papua and Papua New Guinea stood and
helped the Australian troops in Papua. I asked her: "Doesn’t Australia
have a moral obligation to the people of West Papua to help end the human
rights situation in West Papua?"
Bishop
agreed that the people of West Papua had helped Australia in World War II. But
then she began explaining that Australia is educating some students from the
pacific islands, such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and is
working with Pacific Islands’ governments to solve the problems in the pacific
region.
But
she didn’t say anything about West Papuan human rights or the genocide that is
happening right now in West Papua. She didn’t say how Australia could help
solve the human rights issues in West Papua. She only wanted to talk about
educating students from the Pacific region.
The
foreign minister concluded the meeting by going on again about Indonesian sovereignty
and how Australia can't do much. Finally she asked me: "What do you
think?"
I
said: "I know that West Papua will get its independence one day."
