PAPUA MERDEKA, the monthly newsletter of the Free West Papua Campaign

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Hi Rafa,

Welcome to the June edition of PAPUA MERDEKA, the monthly newsletter of the Free West Papua Campaign.

 

#AllEyesOnPapua: social media campaign draws attention to ecocide in West Papua  

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  • Mimicking the “All Eyes on Rafah” image that spread across social media in May, an #AllEyesOnPapua image has been shared millions of times on Indonesian social media. The Campaign was initially launched by Indonesian NGOs assisting the Awyu and Moi tribes in their lawsuits against palm oil giants currently destroying their ancestral forests. 

 

  • The Awyu tribe in Boven Digoel are fighting the construction of the world’s largest palm oil plantation, Tanah Merah. The Moi tribe, from Sorong on the West coast of Papua, are struggling against palm oil giant PT Sorong Agro Sawitindo.
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  • Awareness of the ongoing genocide and ecocide in West Papua is low amongst the Indonesian public, partly due to the decades-long media blackout imposed by the Indonesian government, as well as the potential consequences of showing support for the Papuan struggle. Indonesian activists Harus Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti were taken to court for defamation after accusing Government Minister Luhut Panjaitan of having interests in the massive Wabu Block gold mine in West Papua.

 

  • Here at Free West Papua we welcome the #AllEyesOnPapua movement. Public focus on the devastation currently being unleashed in the world’s third-largest rainforest can only be a good thing. But any campaign that doesn’t mention the root causes of environmental destruction – Indonesia’s invasion and sixty-year occupation of West Papua, the continued denial of self-determination, and the mass displacements and killing by the military – will never be effective. #AllEyesOnPapua has to mean all eyes on Merdeka: Papuan liberation.

News from West Papua

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  • Indonesia breaks international law again. The Indonesian military recently occupied a hospital in Paniai, turning it into a military post and expelling a number of critically ill patients – a crime under international humanitarian law.

 

  • 77 people were arrested during a peaceful protest called in response to the brutal torture of Defianus Kogoya. As students gave speeches against the Indonesian torture regime, soldiers dispersed the crowd with tear gas, water cannons, and beatings.

 

  • Two children were shot by Indonesian soldiers in Intan Jaya: Nepina Duwitau, 6, fell into a coma, while her 12-year-old brother Nardo Duwitau was shot in the head and killed. The siblings were sheltering in a house with other Papuans when they were shot. The gunshots were fired from a Police Mobile Brigade (BRIMOB) post. BRIMOB have committed a number of atrocities over recent years, including the massacre of 11 Papuans in Wamena in February 2023.

 

  • 2600 civilians were displaced in Paniai due to military raids after an Indonesian soldier was assassinated by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). 

 

Melanesian Solidarity!

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  • The Kanak people of New Caledonia have been fighting their own anti-colonial struggle against France for over 150 years. The occupation recently entered a new phase, with a proposed French law threatening to permanently tip the balance against the Kanak independence movement by allowing newer arrivals to vote.

 

  • The island has descended into chaos following protests against the bill – France has declared a state of emergency, sent in the tanks and banned TikTok, and eight people have been killed.

 

  • Kanaky and West Papua have a long-standing bond of solidarity, as two Melanesian peoples both fighting for independence. Across West Papua people have shown support for their Melanesian family.

    Free West Papua Activity

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West Papua was represented at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Honolulu, Hawaii. FWP UK spokesperson Koteka Wenda and Green State Vision spokesperson Raki Ap raised the Morning Star and spoke at a number of university, media, and cultural events.

Pacific resilience and resistance!
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In April, Scottish Friends of West Papua was launched in the Scottish Parliament, spreading the worldwide campaign for Indonesian to finally allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua.

What can I do?

 

  • Donate to the campaign. We say it every time, but taking on Indonesia takes money – and as we don’t have big donors or charitable funding available to us, we’re relying on the solidarity of people like yourself.

DONATE HERE