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Red Cross (ICRC)

West Papua Report - July 2009

<p>Summary:<br /> WPAT's annual "John Rumbiak Human Rights Defender's Award for 2009 has been awarded to the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and its National Coordinator John M. Miller. Despite the remoteness of the area and Indonesian restrictions on access, reports are emerging of a new "sweep" operation in Puncak Jaya which has already led to mass civilian displacement and some civilian deaths. U.S. Representative Eni Faleomavaega has at the last minute pulled language from a key House of Representatives Bill. The language would have required State Department reporting to Congress about West Papua. Human Rights Watch in June issued two compelling reports: one on continued human rights violations in West Papua by Indonesia's "Special Forces' (KOPASSUS) and one on prisoner abuse in West Papua.Freeport shareholders fail in a vote to get an Environmentalist on the Freeport board but collect a significant percentage of shareholder votes. A new report implicates President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and U.S. officials in a miscarriage of justice concerning the 2002 murder and wounding of U.S. and Indonesian citizens at Timika in West Papua. An academic reviews the historic-diplomatic connection between West Papua and Africa. Indonesian academics have echoed calls by Papuans for several years for a Jakarta-Papuan dialogue.</p>
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Czech MPs sign the International Parliamentarians for West Papua declaration

fPcN Press Release

*** Launch of a new Free West Papua campaign NGO ***
*** Czech MPs sign the International Parliamentarians for West Papua declaration ***

Friday 15th May 2009, fPcN interCultural assisted in the creation of another Free West Papua campaign NGO: www.freewestpapua.cz in the Czech Republic, at the Native & Indigenous Film Festival (naiff) www.naiff.eu along with: United World of Indigenous Peoples (UWIP) www.uwip.org an fPcN interCultural member NGO.

After showing the documentary “West Papua - The secret war in Asia” (made by fPcN Germany in 2007 - www.fpcn-global.org/content/West-Papua-The-secret-war-Asia-2007-15min) the panel with: Mr. Ondrej Liska, the Czech Minister of Education, Benny Wenda, Sacha Kagan, social scientist from the Leuphana University in Germany and fPcN activists, discussed with about 50 visitors: “Our responsibility for Indigenous peoples”. A lively discussion about the recent developments in West Papua followed.

Benny Wenda meets Mr. Ondrej Liska, Czech Minister of Education

West Papua Report - May 2009

Contents:
* West Papua Advocacy Tam member Octo Mote spoke before the U.S. Congressional human rights commission regarding threats to the environment and human rights in West Papua
* ETAN and WPAT fault as insufficient Secretary Clinton's call for "a degree of autonomy" for West Papua*
* Repression and violence in West Papua escalates dramatically in April
* U.S.-based human rights groups call for an investigation of the violence and for dialogue
* Papuan clergy and civil society leaders also call for investigation of the violence