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Australia: Papuans seek asylum

28 January 2006, 12:16PM

On 18 January 2006 a boat carrying 43 asylum seekers reached the Australian mainland at Cape York. The 30 men, 6 women and 7 children are all reported to be from the Indonesian province of Papua. Attached to the boat was a banner claiming that the group were 'seeking protection from the genocide of the Indonesian Government'. Media reports claim that the group includes key independence activists who fear persecution from Indonesian security forces. Although Australia has international obligations to permit onshore access to the asylum process, the 43 asylum seekers were instead transferred offshore to Christmas Island.

Australia's current policy of removing boat arrivals to Christmas Island is of serious concern to Amnesty International. Recent investigations, such as the 2005 Palmer inquiry, highlighted the problems associated with remote detention including: the lack of access to medical and legal assistance, hardship in contacting family and friends and isolation from the Australian community.

Amnesty International Australia calls on the Australian Government for the 43 asylum seekers to be transferred back to the mainland to await their individual assessments for asylum. Following medical, security and identity checks there should be no reason for keeping any of these people in immigration detention.

Snapshot: Human Rights in Papua

Serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions, "disappearances", torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary detentions, have taken place for many years in Papua Province where there is an ongoing struggle for independence from Indonesia. Members of local human rights organisations have been harassed and intimidated as a result of their work, and some have been forced to leave the province. Grave human rights violations have also taken place in the context of both peaceful and violent protests in support of independence.

Amnesty International is gravely concerned about reports that civilians have been shot in the village of Waghete. Given the history of impunity for human rights violations committed in the past in Indonesia, it is essential that an independent investigation into this incident is conducted regardless of whether it has a link with the 43 asylum seekers.

Amnesty International calls on the Australian Government, not only to ensure that those seeking asylum are given every opportunity to have their refugee claims properly assessed but that human rights concerns are put at the forefront of any ongoing dialogue between the Australian and Indonesian governments.

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