The
prisoner Support section of the West Papua News site has latest updates,
prisoner addresses and calls to action. Check it out here: www.westpapua.net/cases/hr/prisoner
General
Situation
West
Papua, the Western half of a large and diverse island shared with Papua
New Guinea, has been under Indonesian military rule since the 1960’s.
Indigenous Papuans, traditionally living balanced and autonomous tribal
lives, have continuously been displaced, tortured and killed, and their
land exploited by corporations. West Papuans are demanding their freedom
and have been resisting the Indonesian army for over forty years.
The repression against them is severe, and includes Indonesian police
picking out those that are active and putting them in prison under terrible
conditions where many ‘disappear’ or are poisoned.
These prisoners need support, and support from the West can make a difference
in the way they are treated. One Papuan prisoner, who people in the UK
phoned the prison about, reports: “I was being kept in the pitch
black in an overflowing toilet. I was cuffed at my hands and feet. After
two weeks the guards pulled me out and asked me why all these people were
phoning and enquiring about me. They looked scared and I told them that
now the world is watching them. I was returned to my cell but they now
cleaned it, put a light in and removed the cuffs… It made me feel
strong to hear people outside were supporting me.”
West Papuans are collecting information about prisoners and publishing
lists. We are hoping people will pick up on this and spare some time to
phone a prison, or write to the prisoners or the prison governors.
There will also occasionally be co-ordinated efforts to get people to
phone for specific prisoners on certain days.
West
Papuan Prisoners
Please take some time to send cards or letters to some of the many West
Papuans imprisoned for struggling for their freedom against Indonesia
and the multi-national corporations invading their forests. Also you can
phone the prisons directly and tell the guards not to mistreat the prisoners.
Details of prisoners to write to are at www.westpapua.net/cases/hr/prisoner/lists.htm.
email Koteka_Prisoner_Support@westpapua.net