West Papuans in Australia call on Indonesia for more openness
The Australian-based West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation says Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, should show his goodwill to Australia and the international community by allowing more outside contact with the Papua region.
RNZI
Wed, 10 Mar 2010
SYDNEY, Australia ---- The Australian-based West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation says Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, should show his goodwill to Australia and the international community by allowing more outside contact with the Papua region.
The organisation says Papua’s suffering chronic problems but the lack of access ensures that no one knows the reality of the ongoing violent repression occurring there.
The Indonesian President was today scheduled to address the Australian Parliament in Canberra and the Coalition said a visit by a delegation of Australian MPs would be a good way to encourage public interest in the development of Papua.
Spokesperson, Rex Rumakiek said this is one of three matters they want Mr Yudhoyono to consider.
“I think it makes sense that the exchange of visits by Parliamentarians from both countries is very important, it is part of the whole agreement [the Lombok Treaty]. The second one is that there should be international access to Papua, especially the media, and the third one is that the Red Cross must be allowed to return to resume its activities in West Papua.”
