Over the past week hundreds of thousands of West Papuans have taken to the streets across the region, demanding freedom from the colonial rule of Indonesia.
The protests were initially prompted by an incident in the Javanese city of Surabaya, where Indonesian military officers and militia taunted Papuan students with racist slurs, calling them “monkeys”, “pigs” and “dogs”.
As the protests have grown in size, the Indonesian Government have responded by sending thousands more troops to the region and shutting down internet access and telecommunications.
From the highlands to the lowlands and coastal cities, communities are rising up and demanding freedom. The protests are growing daily, despite the increased military presence and intimidation. Only yesterday, a Papuan woman was shot in the arm by Indonesian security forces during a peaceful rally.
The protests were initially prompted by an incident in the Javanese city of Surabaya, where Indonesian military officers and militia taunted Papuan students with racist slurs, calling them “monkeys”, “pigs” and “dogs”.
As the protests have grown in size, the Indonesian Government have responded by sending thousands more troops to the region and shutting down internet access and telecommunications.
From the highlands to the lowlands and coastal cities, communities are rising up and demanding freedom. The protests are growing daily, despite the increased military presence and intimidation. Only yesterday, a Papuan woman was shot in the arm by Indonesian security forces during a peaceful rally.
West Papua is now in a state of emergency, and I renew calls for the United Nations to send a peacekeeping mission to protect the population from Indonesia's security forces. It is also vitally important that the Indonesian Government finally allow the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, access with her team to undertake a fact-finding mission across West Papua.
Regular updates on the protests are being posted on the Free West Papua Campaign's Twitter and Facebook pages, so please do follow those if you are not already doing so.
The people of West Papua have an inalienable right to self-determination under international law. For over 50 years we have suffered under this brutal colonial regime that has denied us our rights, murdered over 500,000 innocent people and tried to strip us of our dignity. But our cries for freedom and justice will not be silenced. West Papua will be free.
If you'd like to get more involved in campaigning please visit our website. Any steps you can take to raise the profile of the struggle will make a difference - whether it's contacting your MP, local newspaper or posting about the situation on social media using the #WestPapua and #FreeWestPapua hashtags.
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