“Indonesia is misusing the issue of terrorism to crush our fundamental struggle for the liberation of our land from illegal occupation and colonisation.” – Benny Wenda
Bananas, balaclavas and banners … these were stock-in-trade for human rights activists of the New Zealand-based Coalition for Democracy in Fiji who campaigned against then Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka’s original two coups in 1987 and the “banana republic” coup culture that emerged.
More than 2000 people took part in Auckland on Saturday in a demonstration for justice for Palestine and against “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”.
Branding armed Papuan resistance groups as “terrorists” has sparked strong condemnation from human rights groups across Indonesia and in West Papua, some describing the move as desperation and the “worst ever” action by President Joko Widodo’s administration.
A West Papuan envoy who was gagged while addressing the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues two years ago has been blocked again while trying to speak out.
Asia Pacific Report, the Auckland-based independent news and analysis website, has been increasingly targeted by Indonesian trolls over the past three months, involving a spate of “letters to the editor” and social media attacks.
The indigenous people of West Papua have rejected the extension of special autonomy and the planned expansion of new provinces announced by the central government of Indonesia. A special report by a Papuan contributor.
The University of the South Pacific community has protested over the draconian deportation today of USP’s reformist vice-chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia and his wife and called on the government to issue a formal apology to the academic, a Canadian, for the violation of human rights.
Presentations at the AUT Pacific Media Centre-organised event on Tuesday included cross-cultural documentaries, an industry panel on “transition”, Pasifika “brown table” initiatives, a forthcoming Asia-Pacific conference, and an Internews project on climate and coronavirus reportage.
Luc Tutugoro, a New Zealand-based Kanak: “We are creeping towards Kanak sovereignty. Work on the abstentions will be the key focus for the future – as well as a true and authentic dialogue, no matter what the result of the third and last [independence] referendum will be.”