Supporting the free West Papuan liberation movement, Australia’s closest neighbour, Sunforest organic farm is hosting a traditional moomoo pig feast this Saturday.
Rex Rumakiek, one of the five international representatives of the United Liberation Movement West Papua (ULMWP), will be talking about the self determination, de-colonisation and independence for West Papua from Indonesia in international arenas including the United Nations.
‘It is still highly militarised in West Papua,’ said organiser Matthew Jamieson.
‘There is military in every single village, people are constantly under surveillance. Human Rights abuse is a major method of control by Indonesian state through its military and police, which act with impunity.
‘Recent cases of Human Rights abuse by police, such as Paniai case, continue not to be addressed even when government has promise investigation.’
Rumakiek has been active representing West Papua in the Pacific countries since the the late 1980s. He started his involvement in the liberation movement with the Organisi Papua Merdeka (OPM) which waged a guerrilla war against Indonesia in the jungle during the 1970s, 80s and early 90s.
Seven Pacific countries are currently publicly expressing concern about continuing human rights violence in West Papua, including Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga and Marshall Islands. Solomon Islands and Vanuatu leaders, together with the leadership of the French occupied Kanaky (New Caleadonia) have voiced support for the right to self determination for the territory of West Papua
‘The Papuan population is stagnating and the Indonesian government is increasing the numbers of trans-migrants that are coming in,’ continued Jamieson.
‘In relation to the palm oil issue the locals are being threatened into signing away their land.
‘Supressing political decent by West Papuan people and backing industrial companies in conflicts over land usage is the norm for Indonesian security forces. Public outspoken criticism of Indonesia occupation and development agenda is dangerous for West Papuans in the villages and in provincial centres.
‘Development programs that are being set up to develop the region are not benefitting the local population but are to the advantage of the migrants brought in and are mostly just leading to the clearing of the forest.’
West Papua has the largest tracts of tropical forest left in the world.
‘In Merauke region about 150,000 hectares of tropical forest has been converted to rapidly expanding oil palm estates, and not counting the industrial logging impacts. The Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) has allocated 1.2 million hectare for industrial agriculture concessions and a further 4 million hectares ear marked for of conversion from forest.’
The continued clearing of forests contributes to climate change and rising sea levels that is becoming a serious issue for Pacific countries.
The first climate change relocations that started in 2016 continue to take place from Careret Islands onto the mainland in Papua New Guinea as the islands ares swallowed by the sea.
‘Carbon emissions from burning off tropical rainforest in West Papua, Sumatra and Kalimantan which is caused by industrial oil palm plantations expansion means that Indonesia was the the third largest carbon emitter in 2015,’ highlighted Jamieson.
To find out more head along to the moomoo, the is name from Lae in PNG, at Sunforest organic farm,80 Browns Cres, McLeods Shoot from 4pm this Saturday.
‘A moo moo involves cooking one of our organic pigs and sweet potato’s in banana leaf parcels under the ground on hot rocks,’ finished Jamieson.
Having spent 8 years working in Papua New Guinea during the 70’s helping establish a tax system and being an observer of Indonesian modern ambitions and politics, I feel qualified to comment.
Corruption and politicians go hand in hand in Indonesia as they now do in PNG.
West Papua will be de-forested and raped for its natural resources at the cost of cultural values, land and traditional way of life.
There is a great danger that ISIS will foster discontent to use West Papua becoming as a recruiting ground for ISIS recruitment.