Sunday 7 April 2019

Sunday Supplement at Howie's Corner

West Papua: The forgotten conflict:

Report from: Free West Papua Campaign


A delegation from Front Line Defenders, a human rights monitoring group, has reported that over 30,000 people have been displaced, healthcare facilities burned and Papuans deeply traumatised by Indonesian military operations in Nduga, West Papua.

The Nduga Case Investigation Team from Front Line Defenders, which included respected human rights advocate, Theo Hasegem, and Father John Djonga, gathered extensive information on the human rights and humanitarian crisis in the region, reporting it to the Amnesty International office in Jakarta on Friday March 29.

The Investigation Team estimated that over 32,000 people have been internally displaced as a result of the operations, and schools have closed as a result. Mr Hasegem reported that, ‘Some civilians even died while in refugee camps’.

The Indonesian Military has been undertaking operations in Nduga since December 2018

The conditions for internally displaced persons are reportedly poor, with mothers being forced to give birth without adequate healthcare facilities and children and elderly Papuans lacking food and water.

The military operations, the Investigation Team stated, have been accompanied by assassination of civilian Papuans. Two school children, for example, were shot dead by Indonesian security forces in the Mbua district. According to the team, it is likely that ‘military forces dropped bombs using helicopters during air attacks in a number of districts’. Thirty-four schools have reportedly been damaged by the Indonesian military, and the Sion GKI church has been converted into a military barracks.

Father John Djonga called for Indonesia to allow access to media and humanitarian organisations to West Papua, and for a UN human rights mission to be granted access. In January 2019, the ULMWP Chairman, Benny Wenda, met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who promised to try and visit West Papua.

The Investigation Team will submit their findings to Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

The investigation is the latest documentation of the horror of Indonesia’s military occupation of West Papua.

The team reported in detail on the distribution of the 32,000 internally-displaced persons.

Doctor Who's Missy returns on audio

Missy Series 01

One of the most memorable new characters in Doctor Who was the transformation of the Master into Missy played by the wonderful Michelle Gomez. Last time we saw her she and her future self appear to have killed each other unable to regenerate. I'm sure they'll find a way to bring her back. No one really dies in Doctor Who.

Meanwhile we face a year without any new Doctor Who so given that I needed a fix I turned to Big Finish who during the years the Doctor was not on our screens produced regular adventures of the programme using original actors on audio. This allowed them to create a whole canon for the Eighth Doctor with some new companions and villains plus a couple of oldies to.

Other doctors that regularly appeared were Peter Davidson, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. Their  current catalogue even brings Tom Baker back on board and there are adventures by companions both past and present including Missy.

A five CD set with a four story season arrived in the post yesterday. I have only listened to the first one and am very impressed. Sentenced to imprisonment by these bat-like wardens for a crime against them she has yet to commit Missy finds herself in Victorian London unable to use technology and has to get a job.

Enter the Governess and Missy's search for magic, a way out her jailers have overlooked? Ten out of ten. Can't wait to listen to the other three! The fifth CD is a "behind the scenes" feature.

More info on Missy and other Doctor Who releases at: www.bigfinish.com

New Music from Rotting Christ

Rotting Christ are a Greek death metal band who have been around since the late eighties and I probably picked last up an album in the nineties. So it's been a while until I got hold of their latest release The Heretics which I picked up a couple of weeks back in vinyl format. Odiously you can get CD's and downloads but I like listening to music on my old fashioned mono retro record player!

The lead track In the name of God has been released on video with this sinister animation which will set the scene for those of you not familiar with the band.



More info at: www.rotting-christ.com

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