The secret genocide - West Papua

Far away from the attention of the mainstream media, the Indonesian army is slaughtering the native population of West Papua, while making the way for western, Asian and Australian logging companies who are rapidly destroying the second largest rain-forest in the world. Since 1969  when West Papua was unrightfully annexed by Indonesia 500,000 Papuans have killed and many others raped, tortured and dislocated. Most people are unaware that this is happening, so we have to take the responsibility of the media and raise awareness about this disaster.

Papua, the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea, belongs to the lungs of this world as it contains 31,5 million acres of tropical rain forest.

If the trees were to be cut, it would mean a threat to the livelihood and culture of many Papuan tribes. Deforestation means the destruction of their medicinal and food resources, expelling their ancestors and committing a heinous crime against nature. Deforestation will lead to suffering, disaster and chaos for the Papuans The forests form a part of their heritage.

In West Papua, Indonesia makes no pretense of negotiating with traditional landowners; they are thrown off the land, destined to become refugees or to be shot or forced into slave labor for the Indonesians. Canadian and Australian logging companies have joined the Malaysians and the Japanese in the race to destroy New Guinea's tropical forests. Concurrent with Australia token gesture of giving the rock star Sting US $205,000 to support the protection of Brazilian rain forests, an Australian company announced plans to log a massive area of pristine rain forest in the Mamberamo River area - 600,000 hectares - in partnership with an Indonesian company (Sun Herald 5/28/89). Refugees from this area are exiled in Papua New Guinea camps along with people from every region of West Papua.

This report from Channel 4 News in the UK shows the degrading level of brutality that the Papuan people are exposed to on a daily basis under Indonesian colonial rule.

Foreign journalists are banned from West Papua – the Indonesian Government are desperate to hide the genocide from the outside world. Even NGO groups like Red Cross and Peace Brigades have been expelled in recent times. This disturbing footage was shot on mobile phones by Indonesian soldiers as ‘trophy footage’ for them to show their families.

In West Papua there is no peace, no justice. There is only killing, rape, torture, intimidation, bloodshed, oppression, village burnings, racism and eternal suffering for those living under Indonesia’s colonial occupation.

Please sign the petition to stop the ongoing violence and destruction:

https://www.change.org/petitions/un-general-assembly-answer-the-legitimate-calls-for-independence-of-west-papua

Sources : http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/west-papua-forgotten-war-unwanted-people
http://freewestpapua.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/indonesias-genocide-in-west-papua-continues/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/07/17/welcome-to-west-papua-s-war-with-indonesia.html