Pacific leaders, including Fiji, have been too silent on the issue of West Papua and the ignorance needs to stop, says Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator and human rights activist Shamima Ali.
Ms Ali said Pacific leaders were fully aware of the suffering and human rights violations caused by Indonesian state policies that had left the West Papuan people desperate for self-determination and Papuan women even worse off.
“As Pacific islanders, we should not be quiet about the issue,” she said.
“We should continue to put pressure on those responsible for the widespread extrajudicial killing and hold them accountable.” Ms Ali said keeping quiet was not the answer when people were suffering.
“We are disturbed by the escalating violence over the years perpetrated by the Indonesian Defence Force and the increased risk of renewed tensions and violence because of their inane and dreadful actions.”
Ms Ali said since Indonesia’s occupation of West Papua, gross human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, bombings, rocket attacks, torture, arbitrary detention, beatings, killings, sexual torture, rape, forced birth control, forced abortions, displacement, starvation, and burnings, had sadly become an enforced “way of life” for West Papuans.
She called for regional and international solidarity for the women of West Papua.
“We want to let the people of West Papua know that we are praying for them and we condemn the violence and injustice happening in their country. “Our Pacific leaders seem to care a lot more about the Indonesian government and what it can give to us, towards our development and in aid.
“For us, this is a form of prostitution, whereby we keep quiet about what is happening to our own brothers and sisters as long as the relationship and benefits from Indonesia stays firm,” she said.
