Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil speaking at the United Nations. Image: UN

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil has condemned the international community’s “neglect” of the voices of the Papuan people in protest over the repression by Indonesia for four decades.

Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, he said his country was seeking to “amplify the concerns for human rights” in
the West Papua region.

“We are very concerned indeed about the manner in which the international community has neglected the voices of the Papuan people, whose human rights have been trampled upon and severely suppressed since 1969,” he said. Read more »

The video of Indonesian repression shown by Pax Christi’s Kevin McBride during his NFIP presentation at AUT University on Saturday while criticising New Zealand police aid. Source: West Papuan witnesses video

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Anna Majavu

Fresh calls have been made for the New Zealand government to end its three-year, $6.34 million project training Indonesian police who are involved in the military occupation and repression of the West Papua region.

The government’s police training programme was slated by Pacific and local community leaders and activists at a conference held at AUT University on Saturday to commemorate international Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) day.

Chilling footage was screened showing Indonesian police invading a peaceful meeting of West Papuans, opening fire and then kicking and beating West Papuans while they were being forced to crawl along the ground. The footage has been handed over to local television stations. Read more »

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Shireen Lata in Suva

A former broadcast journalism lecturer and media centre broadcaster of the University of the South Pacific, New Zealander Patrick Craddock, is returning to Suva to take up the journalism coordinator’s post.

Craddock replaces Australian Dr Ian Weber who resigned suddenly last week.

Craddock has worked for nearly 20 years in different countries in Africa and the Pacific teaching radio journalism, writing scripts and producing radio drama for adult education. Read more »

The Big Gossan training facility at Freeport’s Grasberg mine collapsed on May 14 last year, trapping 38 workers inside a tunnel during a safety course. Image: Minipur Update

Pacific Scoop:
Report – Special correspondent

Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has found serious human rights violations in the Freeport Big Gossan tunnel cave-in tragedy in the West Papua region that claimed the lives of 28 workers and injured 10 others.

“PT Freeport had the ability to prevent this from happening but didn’t,” Komnas HAM commissioner Natalius Pigai said as quoted by kompas.com

“The lack of effort jeopardised the lives of others. The gravity of this case is serious.” Read more »

The banned Morning Star flag … symbol of West Papuan independence. Image: Amnesty International

Pacific Scoop:
Backgrounder – By a special correspondent

On Tuesday, 26 November 2013, early in the afternoon, a peaceful demonstration was held to mark the opening of the OPM (Free Papua Movement) office and to welcome a campaign to taking place in Port Moresby, thee capital of Papua New Guinea, from November 25 until December 1.

The demonstration in Jayapura was organised by the KNPB – National Committee of West Papua. Those taking part gathered in Expo Waena but as they were marching  they were blocked by the police who said they has no permission.

However, four days earlier, the co-ordinator of the action, Rocky Medlama had sent notification of the action to the police but they did not acknowledge receipt of the letter, which is what the police often do to deny Papuans the right to freedom of expression. Instead they responded by using violence to remove people  in violation of the law. Read more »

West Papuan human rights advocate Yan Christian Warinussy with the 2005 John Humphrey Freedom Award. Image: World Citizenship

Pacific Scoop:
Commentary – By Yan Christian Warinussy

The rights to freedom of expression and freedom of speech in the Land of Papua have worsened in the past 10 years as a result of the repressive situation caused by the government of the Republic of Indonesia, both systematically and well as structurally.

This is the result of the repressive activities of the security  forces, the Polri (police) and the TNI (army).

This is what happened  when the security forces attacked people after the closing session of the Third Papuan People’s Congress  in October 2011 in Jayapura as well as the attacks by the security forces against peaceful demonstrators on 6 June 1998 near the Water Tower in Biak. Read more »

Pacific women leaders Sari Rosa (West Papua), Betty Blake (Tonga), Nanise Nagusuca (Fiji), Julie Soso (Papua New Guinea), Losana Tuiraviravi (Fiji) and Tetangi Matapo (Cook Islands) at the conference in Fiji this week. Image: APWLD

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By the PMC news desk

A group of Pacific women parliamentarians, former parliamentarians, future parliamentarians, policy makers and civil society advocates are meeting in Fiji to advance women’s political participation and leadership in the region.

The Pacific Islands have consistently produced the lowest number of women in governance in the world. In the island nations that comprise the Pacific Islands Forum (without Australia and NZ), only 4.7 percent are women. If the 13 women elected in the 2006 Fiji election are not included, the figure drops even lower to 2.6 percent for the remaining countries.

The 20 women from seven different island nations and territories – Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and West Papua – are participating in the Suva workshop organised by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) have come together to address the low levels of participation but also to share approaches to transformative leadership that prioritise consensus building, accountability and solidarity. Read more »

West Papuan independence leader Buchtar Tabuni (foreground) has been forced to hide from police after he was stopped on the way to a soccer game last June. Photo: Paul Bensemann/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Special Report – By Paul Benseman

The West Papuan farmer showed me scars on his head he claimed police caused nearly two years ago.

His eyes were still bloodshot after a beating by rifle butts, boots and rattan sticks. The left eye, scarred on its edge, seemed slightly out of place.

The 35-year-old still gets headaches and has a partial loss of sight. After the beating, he said he was locked in a paddy wagon with 14 others, and left without food, water, medical attention or a toilet for 26 hours. Read more »

Tight security and military escorts keep MSG delegates to West Papua under wraps. Image: KNPB

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Pacific Media Watch

Indonesian military attack helicopters and dozens of armed soldiers “secured” the travel route in an attempt to stop Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) officials from seeing West Papuan protesters, activist sources reported.

A statement by the West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) said “Indonesia is so scared of a delegation” which it had entirely coordinated “that they did not even meet with any Papuan civil representatives”.

Tempo magazine reported more than 30 arrests, but activist sources on social media gave figures as high as 47 arrests. Read more »

Protesters demanding admission to the MSG for West Papua at the gates of Cendrawasih University in Jayapura. Video: Free West Papua Campaign

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation says foreign ministers from the Melanesian Spearhead Group have been able to see first hand Indonesia’s suppression of the Papuans, reports Radio New Zealand International.

West Papuans have sought self-determination since Indonesia seized control of the former Dutch colony in the 1960s.

On Monday, Indonesian police reportedly arrested more than 40 people in Jayapura when the MSG ministers briefly visited on a mission to vet a formal application by the coalition to become an MSG member. Read more »