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| An activist shouts near a police line during a rally to commemorate the West Papuan declaration of independence. (photo credit: REUTERS) |
Papuans
are among the most vulnerable members of the human race, some whose only
encounter with “foreigners” has been marked with violence, oppression and
hatred.
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As a Jew living in the UK, I have always
been frustrated but also curious as to this country’s disproportionate
treatment and coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict. My moment of
“enlightenment” was during the civil war in Sri Lanka at the turn of the
century. Thousands of Tamils were being tortured and killed by the Singhalese
government. I recall watching a demonstration outside the Sri Lankan embassy on
TV. There could not have been more than 50 people there (mainly ex-pats). The
next day I was walking around the West End of London and came upon an
anti-Israel demonstration. There were tens of thousands (a mix of all races and
faiths) protesting a recent Israeli retaliatory bombing mission that destroyed
some houses and killed three people.
I started researching other global
conflicts and human rights concerns that were being marginalized and ignored
due to the power politics in the United Nations and the media’s infatuation
with Israel. Partly due to this as well, during a stint living in Australia I
became involved in the movement for self-determination for the people of West
Papua.
One of the most brutal ongoing genocides
barely registers a blip on the global radar. How many have even heard of the
West Papuan plea for freedom?
West Papua covers the western half of
the island of New Guinea just 250 km. north of Australia (the independent
nation of Papua New Guinea covering the eastern half). Colonized for hundreds
of years, in 1961, West Papua was promised independence by its former Dutch
colonists. The international community handed administration to the UN and
signed the New York Agreement in 1962 promising to provide a referendum
allowing Papuans to determine whether they wanted independence or union with
Indonesia.
However, in 1963 West Papua was taken
over militarily by Indonesia and illegally occupied.
During the so called “Act of Free
Choice” in 1969, the Indonesian government claimed that West Papuans were too
“primitive” to cope with democracy and handpicked just 1,026 West Papuan elders
and forced them at gunpoint to vote in favor of integration with Indonesia.
The West looked away even though the UN
observers conceded that the individuals were placed under duress and forced to
vote yes to annexation.
It was the time of the Cold War, with
Indonesia tilting toward the Soviets, and it was deemed that appeasing
Indonesia was more important than self-determination for the people of West
Papua. There was and still is the matter of the rich natural resources in the
region, including one of the biggest gold mines in the world which is still
subject to an extremely profitable partnership between the West and Indonesia.
Since 1963, an estimated 500,000 West
Papuans have died at the hands of the brutal Indonesian occupying forces,
accounting for more than 25% of the population. These numbers have been
ratified by several studies and human rights groups (including The
International Association of Genocide Scholars and Yale Law School). Daily killing,
torture and imprisonment without trial by the Indonesian military and police
carries on with no consequences and little condemnation.
While the Indonesian government
continues to brutalize and persecute any West Papuan that calls for freedom,
many bravely continue to do so. Despite this, little is reported by the press
or appears in the international media.
Unfortunately, for Papuans, their
oppression sits at the heart of international power politics, which Israel can
also claim to be a victim of.
Indonesia is an important member of the
powerful 57 country-strong Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a nation
strategically important for the West and one which the British government
claims shares “common interests and values.”
Indonesia is a staunch supporter of
Palestinian rights and refuses to recognize the State of Israel. The hypocrisy
is preposterous.
The leader of the Free West Papua
Organization, Benny Wenda (currently living in exile in the UK), says, “How can
Indonesia support Palestine’s independence and sovereignty, while the Papuan
People are still colonized by Indonesia? How can Indonesia actively be involved
in the peaceful settlement of the Palestine question at the UN, while it is
rejecting any form of peaceful settlement of the political status of West
Papua?”
Papuans are among the most vulnerable
members of the human race, some whose only encounter with “foreigners” has been
marked with violence, oppression and hatred.
When considering the number of Papuan
victims of the Indonesian regime, is it right and just that the people of West
Papua are being ignored as their cause is not politically convenient, doesn’t
sell papers or wins votes (as clearly the Israel-Palestine conflict does and
will)?
All that is left is for good people to
say enough is enough and call on international bodies, human rights
organizations and politicians place it on the global agenda.
BY ADAM PERRY
www.jpost.com
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