{"id":126153,"date":"2021-04-18T06:52:50","date_gmt":"2021-04-18T06:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=56617"},"modified":"2021-04-18T06:52:50","modified_gmt":"2021-04-18T06:52:50","slug":"west-papua-action-group-raises-human-rights-issues-with-taieri-mp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/04\/18\/west-papua-action-group-raises-human-rights-issues-with-taieri-mp\/","title":{"rendered":"West Papua action group raises human rights issues with Taieri MP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asia Pacific Report<\/a> newsdesk<\/em><\/p>\n

The local West Papua action group in Dunedin has met Taieri MP Ingrid Leary<\/a> and raised human rights and militarisation issues that members believe the New Zealand government should be pursuing with Indonesia.<\/p>\n

Leary has a strong track record on Pacific human rights issues having worked in Fiji as a television journalist and educator and as a NZ regional director of the British Council with a mandate for Pacific cultural projects.<\/p>\n

She is also sits on the parliamentary select committees for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, and Finance and Expenditure.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Military exports to Indonesia strain NZ’s human rights record<\/a><\/p>\n

Leary met local coordinator Barbara Frame, retired Methodist pastor Ken Russell, and two doctoral candidates on West Papua research projects at Otago University\u2019s National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPCS)<\/a>, Ashley McMillan<\/a> and Jeremy Simons<\/a>, at her South Dunedin electorate office on Friday.<\/p>\n

She also met Dr David Robie, publisher and editor of Asia Pacific Report<\/em><\/a> that covers West Papuan issues, and Del Abcede of the Auckland-based Asia-Pacific Human Rights Coalition (APHRC).<\/p>\n

New Zealand\u2019s defence relationship with Indonesia was critiqued in an article for RNZ National<\/a> at the weekend by Maire Leadbeater, author of See No Evil: New Zealand’s Betrayal of the People of West Papua<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Human rights illusion\u2019<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe recent exposure of New Zealand’s military exports to Saudi Arabia and other countries with terrible human rights records is very important,\u201d Leadbeater wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe illusion of New Zealand as a human rights upholder has been shattered, and we have work ahead to ensure that we can restore not only our reputation but the reality on which it is based.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"West
The West Papua action group with Taieri MP Ingrid Leary in Dunedin … retired Methodist pastor Ken Russell (from left), Otago University doctoral candidate Jeremy Simons, group coordinator Barbara Frame, MP Ingrid Leary, Ashley McMillan (Otago PhD candidate), Dr David Robie (APR) and Del Abcede (APHRC).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She cited Official Information Act documentation which demonstrated that since 2008 New Zealand had exported military aircraft parts to the Indonesian Air Force.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn most years, including 2020, these parts are listed as \u2018P3 Orion, C130 Hercules & CASA Military Aircraft:Engines, Propellers & Components including Casa Hubs and Actuators\u2019, she wrote.<\/p>\n

The documentation also showed that New Zealand exported other ‘strategic goods’ to Indonesia, including so-called small arms including rifles and pistols.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Zealand’s human rights advocacy for West Papua is decidedly low-key, despite claims by some academics<\/a> that Indonesia is responsible for the alleged crime of genocide against the indigenous people,\u201d Leadbeater wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cPursuing lucrative arms exports, and training of human rights violators, undermines any message our government sends. As more is known about this complicity the challenge to the government’s Indonesia-first setting must grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Massive militarisation<\/strong>
\nAsia Pacific Report<\/em> last month published an article by Suara Papua\u2019s<\/em> Arnold Belau<\/a> which revealed that the Indonesian state had sent 21,369 troops to the \u201cland of Papua\u201d in the past three years.<\/p>\n

Jakarta sends 21,000 troops to Papua over last three years, says KNPB<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n