West Papua: Land of Peace
FoR is supporting an international campaign called 'Papua: Land of Peace'. The campaign was initiated by religious leaders in West Papua to help promote peace, justice and human rights in West Papua
West Papua is situated 250kms north of Australia. The eastern half of the island is the independent state of New Guinea. In recent years the western half of the island has been know variously as Irian Jaya (the Indonesian term for the territory), West Papua or simply Papua.
West Papua was occupied by Indonesia in 1963. Caught up as a pawn in Cold War politics, West Papua found itself as a bargaining tool to ensure Indonesia would not align itself with a communist Russia. A controversial UN-supported referendum - the ‘Act of Free Choice’ of 1969 - legitimised Indonesian authority and from that day forward West Papua has remained part of Indonesia. While the referendum results gave an illusion of majority support for Indonesian rule, the legitimacy of this referendum has been called into question by international governments, West Papuans and international NGOs.
Papuans are facing a real threat to their survival due to continued subjugation and suppression by the Indonesian authorities, human rights abuses and the neglect of theri rights. Much of this goes unreported in the Western media.
Despite these injustices, West Papuans have been working for lasting peace and justice supported by internaional solidarity organisations.
LATEST NEWS:
FoR Joins Free West Papua Campaign on Papuan Independence Day
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Peacemaker Briefing2: Papua: An Island Divided
Geneva Appeal on West Papua: Papua, Land of Peace
West Papua: The Flawed Integration into Indonesia
Free West Papua Campaign's website
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