New Zealand’s government should confront Indonesia over its alleged human rights violations in West Papua, human rights activists and West Papua independence activists in Aotearoa say. The UN Human Rights Council has reported the human rights situation in West Papua has deteriorated, citing reports of torture and mass displacement. “We know the violence that West Read more
Posts Tagged ‘West Papua’
NZ govt urged to apply more scrutiny in West Papua
Thursday, May 7th, 2020West Papua Action Auckland said the government should be engaging with Indonesian authorities more after a shooting attack at mining company PT Freeport Indonesia’s offices in Papua province killed a New Zealander Graeme Wall on 30 March. Continue reading
New Zealand concerned about unrest in near neighbour
Monday, September 9th, 2019
In the last four years, New Zealand has become one of the top destinations for West Papuan students to obtain higher education. Last year, there were 160 West Papuans studying in New Zealand. In August a long-simmering discontent exploded into a mass uprising. The number involved has reportedly reached tens of thousands. At least 10 Read more
West Papua Catholics call on their bishop to quit
Monday, September 17th, 2018
Catholics in Indonesia’s West Papua province of Manokwari-Sorong are calling on Bishop Hilarion Datus Lega to quit. They want the “foreign” bishop to be replaced by a native-born Papuan priest. Lega was born on Flores Island in Nusa Tenggara Timur, the southernmost province of Indonesia. The anger allegedly stems from a dispute between two priests that turned into an Read more
West Papuans face human rights violations – Church group says
Monday, December 18th, 2017
After a visit to Indonesian-controlled West Papua, the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) says the indigenous West Papuans face “grave human rights violations and repression….in their own homeland”. A three-member pastoral solidarity team spent four days in West Papua with an “intensive” programme of visits and meetings. “Indigenous West Papuans shared with the CCA delegation Read more
Indonesia’s comments on West Papua fail to impress Churches
Thursday, September 14th, 2017
The Pacific Conference of Churches says it is unimpressed by comments made by Indonesian officials about a protest over West Papua at the recent Pacific Island Forum Leaders’ Summit in Apia. Indonesia’s Ambassador to Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya, says protesters supporting West Papua independence should have sought a government permit before they Read more
Priest to be mediator in Indonesia West Papua dialogue
Thursday, September 7th, 2017Various Papuan civil society, church and customary leaders met with Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo last month about establishing dialogue over problems in Papua. Terms of reference for the dialogue are not known yet, but the Jakarta meeting agreed on the Catholic priest, Dr Neles Tebay, taking on a mediator role. Continue reading
Catholic Church calls for protection of cultural integrity in West Papua
Monday, August 14th, 2017
There has been a call to protect the livelihood and cultural integrity of the people of West Papua. The situation in West Papua was one of the main focuses in a statement issued at the end of their recent meeting in Auckland by the Executive Committee of the Federation of Catholic Bishops. They called for: Read more
Catholic leaders in West Papua need to speak out on human rights issues
Thursday, July 20th, 2017
A priest in Jayapura has added his voice to the growing call for the Catholic church to speak out about human rights issues in West Papua. Father Nico Syukur Dister who is is Professor at the Fajar Timur School of Philosophy and Theology in Jayapura accepts there are a variety of opinions on the question Read more
Bishop says official inaction contributed to alcohol linked deaths in Papua
Tuesday, September 20th, 2016
An Indonesian bishop has accused local authorities in Papua of ignoring an alcohol ban, saying their inaction has contributed to a spate of deaths linked to the consumption of bootleg liquor. According to Papua police, 86 people have died, 264 have been seriously injured and 839 injured slightly since 2013 in alcohol-related incidents. Papua governor Read more