On 23 January 2014, only days after a report
preparing for a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU
and Indonesia was adopted, the European Parliament’s Subcommittee for
Human Rights addressed the human rights situation in West Papua,
particularly with regard to freedom of expression.
Below is an article published by the International Coalition for Papua:
A joint release by the International Coalition for Papua (ICP),
Tapol, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) – Jayapura and
National Papua Solidarity (NAPAS):
Today [23 January 2014] the human rights subcommittee of the EU
parliament in Brussels held a hearing on human rights abuses in West
Papua, Indonesia.
During the one hour meeting, the chair of the hearing gave an
overview of human rights reports they had received in preparation for
the meeting. A large group of national and international human rights
NGOs had sent letters to the subcommittee’s members.
Victor Mambor from the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) –
Jayapura, listed cases of attacks against journalists in Papua and
called on the EU to ensure the protection of media freedom in Papua.
“There are still double standards in Papua and Indonesia when it
comes to media freedom and the application of the press law,” Mambor
explained. AJI had documented 22 cases of threats and violence against
journalists in Papua in 2013.
Members of the European Parliament stressed that the situation in
West Papua had too long been ignored in discussions and called for
closer involvement.
Earlier this week, the EU parliaments committee on foreign affairs
adopted a report to prepare a partnership and cooperation agreement
between Indonesia and the EU. Member of the European Parliament
Ana-Maria Gomes emphasized that this agreement should be the framework
for the parliament to look further into the conditions in West Papua.
Norman Voss, from Human Rights and Peace for Papua, an international
coalition of faith-based and civil society organizations (ICP), called
for the release of all political prisoners in Papua and reminded of the
long outstanding visit of UN human rights mechanisms to Papua. “Papua
needs to be opened up and international human rights norms be realised
for Papuans. A peaceful and sustainable change cannot be expected in a
climate of fear and repression of political dissent.”
In June 2013, the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva reviewed
Indonesia’s implementation of civil and political rights and urged
Indonesia to lift the restrictions on freedom of expression and opinion
in Papua.
Zely Ariane from the National Papua Solidarity in Jakarta explained
that “the Indonesian government should admit that the state of human
rights in Papua is serious.” She called on the EU to put pressure on the
Indonesian government to continue their commitment to conduct a
dialogue with Papua.
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