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| Papuan Protest Human Rigths |
There
was a grim reminder recently of Australia’s very negative role in the
region with news of the actions of Indonesia’s Detachment 88. The
“counter-terrorism” unit has been involved in a string of human rights
abuses in West Papua and is suspected of the killing of separatist
leader Mako Tabuni. Detachment 88 receives support from Australian
forces including the Australian Federal Police. It also receives
assistance from the US military.
The reports
are a reminder of the aid given to Indonesia’s special Kopassus forces
that had an appalling record of rape, torture and “disappearances”
during East Timor’s long struggle for independence. Kopassus was given
assistance from the Australian military and conducted annual, joint
“counter-terrorism” exercises with the Special Air Services Regiment.
The then Howard government reluctantly and belatedly withdrew its
support for Indonesian occupation of East Timor.
The
killing of Mr Tabuni has sparked widespread criticism of Indonesia’s
heavy handed role in West Papua and the support its military receives
from Australia. Tabuni headed the National Committee for West Papua
(KNPB) which engages in non-violent campaigning for independence and a
political solution to the conflict in the province. Detachment 88 is
also deployed in the battle against the Free Papua Movement (OPM) which
is conducting a militant struggle for independence. In December 2010 it
killed OPM leader Kelly Kwalik.
But it is
mounting evidence of brutality against peaceful protest and
organisation that is reviving concerns about what is taking place in
West Papua. Greens Senator Richard Di Natale is among those speaking
out. “The fact that Australian dollars are training Indonesian
military, particularly counter-terrorism operations that are
contributing to human rights abuses in West Papua is a real concern to
me,” he told ABC TV recently.
“There’s a
very strong argument that we should be withdrawing our support of those
operations immediately,” the Senator added. “If we’re in fact fuelling
that conflict, the onus is on us to ensure that we stop doing that and
we get much better accountability in terms of our relationship with the
Indonesians.”
Senator Di Natale asked
Foreign Minister Bob Carr to raise these issues with Indonesia’s
foreign minister and to “make it very clear to his counterpart in
Indonesia that what’s going on in the region is unacceptable.” Senator
Carr has replied that he will seek a full airing of the issues but
added that it was in Australia’s interests for Indonesia to have a
formidable “anti-terrorism” capacity. 
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