2019-10-01
The Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale, today applauded the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, for raising human rights abuses in West Papua before the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Senator Di Natale commended Salwai for speaking up on the ongoing abuse, which has seen dozens of lives lost in the past few weeks alone.
“In the last week we have seen terrible bloodshed in West Papua. Dozens were killed in the town of Wamena after Indonesian security forces opened fire on an anti-racism rally of high school students, and more protestors were killed in the town of Jayapura," Di Natale said.
“Like Vanuatu, Australia should be defending the human rights of West Papuans and condemning the actions of the Indonesian Government and security forces. Instead, Australia apparently continues to support the very security forces which perpetrate this violence.”
“It’s time for the Indonesian Government to allow the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua. The Australian Government should be adding our voice to that call as loudly as possible”.