There are a number of ways to get involved in the campaign to support West Papuan self-determination. Check out some suggestions below or scroll down further for specific campaign areas.
Pressure the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan to review the conduct of the United Nations during the 1969 Act of Free Choice. You can find a sample letter here.
Stick a sticker or put up a sign or poster that raises awareness about West Papua.
Inform politicians and council members of your concerns for West Papua. Organise a meeting with your local member and inform him/her about what is going happening on Australia’s doorstep. Take along some information from the resource kit. Ask your local member for a position on West Papua.
Write to the editor of a newspaper. Ring up talk-back radio. Ask why the Australian Government is collaborating with a military with a shocking human rights record.
Organise for a speaker to speak about West Papua or arrange for an information-video to be screened. Contact your local campaign group to see if they can assist.
Participate in a campaign group. If you are based in Melbourne he Free West Papua Collective or the Australia West Papua Association Inc (Melbourne). Visit the contacts section to find more details. These groups are always on the look out for people with time and energy – so please make contact.
Start up your own group. Check out the resource kit.
Keep in touch with us. There are a number of email lists you can join and regular events to attend. Check out the stay in touch section.
Tell your friends about West Papua. You can organise an information sharing night. There are are audio and video resources available, or you can download a resource kit.
Contribute financially. See the ‘donate’ section for more.
Nonviolent campaigns to support West Papuans should be designed with the following two broad strategic objectives in mind.
1. Undermine Australian elite support for the occupation. Strategically directed action in Australia will undermine Jakarta’s power in West Papua and strengthen the hand of West Papuans struggling for freedom.
2. Build a movement of people who will stand-up for West Papua. This is the slow but significant work of research, relationship building, community education, alliances and cooperative action.
You can get involved by carrying out strategically directed action on Australia’s military ties with Indonesia and on corporations active in West Papua. Here are some ideas below.
Australian military ties with Indonesia
Consider participating in training to prepare for nonviolent action to resist Australian support of the Indonesian military.
If you work in an Arms factory, support moves for greater transparency of arms sold to Indonesia. Leak information about what is supplied to Indonesia.
If you help transport military aid to Indonesia, leak information about what is supplied.
If you are a soldier, educate yourself and fellow soldiers about West Papua, East Timor, Aceh and the history of human rights violations by the Indonesian military.
Leak information about Australian defence cooperation with the TNI. Contact the Free West Papua Collective at info@freewestpapua.com.
Speak-up for moves to support greater transparency and accountability surrounding military relations with Indonesia and a refusal to provide military aid to countries with poor human rights backgrounds.
If you are a student, researcher, work in a University, or have access to information about scholarships provided to Indonesian military officers contact the FWPC at info@freewestpapua.com.
If you work at EFIC, leak information about Australian government financial support for the Indonesian military.
If you are an experienced researcher, consider making your skills available.
Corporate exploitation in West Papua
Support moves for extra-territorial regulation of Australian corporations operating overseas. Basically this means that Australian corporations have to obey the same rules overseas as they do in Australia.
If you are a shareholder in a company operating in West Papua consider engaging in shareholder activism. Contact the Free West Papua Collective at info@freewestpapua.com. (Freeport’s shareholders have already raised concerns at shareholder meetings in the past and Freeport and the TNI, aware of the politicisation of their activities that results from such public action, blocked the Amungme women’s leader, Yosepha Alomang from attending Rio Tinto’s 1998 AGM in London.)
Educate unaware investment fund managers about corporate exploitation in West Papua.
Help research the activities of corporations
If you are an AMWU member, support moves for greater transparency of arms company’s (like ADI – Australian Defence Industries) selling arms to Indonesia, and leak information about what is sold to Indonesia.
If you are a CFMEU member, provide information about the activities of mining companies operating in West Papua
If you are a MUA or TWU member, provide information about the transport of goods to West Papua.