West Papua

Contents

Chronicle

Indonesian police kill West Papuans

On Friday, December 1st, 2000, flag-raising demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the 1961 declaration of independence from the Netherlands caused a tense stand-off between Indonesia's heavy military presence and Papuans in the capital Jayapura. In the city of Merauke Indonesian police opened fire killing seven civilians after a group of Papuans insisted on flying their morning star flag.

The Indonesian government has last year been sending conflicting signals about the flag. In January, Indonesian president Wahid said the flag could be flown - with conditions attached - but now some authorities are insisting that the flag can't be flown at all. In practice, the flag still flies in a number of districts.

However, the influx of thousands of extra Indonesian soldiers in recent months into West Papua doesn't augur well for the safety of civilians as the killings have shown.

The historical background to the Indonesian presence in West Papua is Indonesia's takeover of the country in 1963. In 1969, the military regime organised a "referendum", whereby around 1000 people were hand-picked to vote in public to integrate with Indonesia. As a result some 100,000 people have died, and civilians continue to be killed, tortured and arrested without trial.

West Papua News. http://westpapuaaction.buz.org

Support needed for Irish Neutrality Amendment Bill

This Bill would amend Article 29.2 of Ireland's Constitution, which reads: "Ireland affirms its adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international arbitration or judicial determination", by adding: "To this end, the State shall, in particular, maintain a policy of non-membership of military alliance".

Despite the fact that a vast majority of Irish people support Irish neutrality, the political elite are seeking to destroy it. While our political leaders have promised a referendum, Ireland has joined NATO's PfP. The Irish leaders have already agreed to establish a European army of 250,000. This neutrality amendment, if passed, would prevent our neutrality being destroyed. If the political elite oppose it, they will be forced to expose their real objective of Irish membership of NATO and the WEU, which they still publicly oppose.

PANA, Peace And Neutrality Alliance.

FG election promise to ban flouride in drinking water

The political party FINE GAEL has pledged to end the controversial compulsory practice of adding fluoride to all drinking water in Ireland because of "serious health concerns". If elected, the party will also order every health board to investigate existing levels of fluoride in groundwater supplies. "Fine Gael believes that there are sufficient grounds to point to serious health risks from the cumulative amount of fluoride in our piped water supply system," accordingto a new policy document drawn up by Environment spokesperson Ivan Yates.

Irish Independent

Sudan's civil rights abuses and the complicity of Western multinationals

Even as the level of brutality of the present Sudanese regime, the National Islamic Front, becomes more evident, western oil multinationals are pouring into Sudan to join the government in exploiting the oil. The current campaign of genocide against civilian populations in the oil-producing areas in the South is directly related to oil exploitation. With oil wells located in the war zones, the government aims to depopulate these areas of their indigenous peoples, whom they see as supporting the opposition forces. As well as Canada's largest private oil company, Talisman, which controls a 20% share in the consortium that is exploiting the oil in Southern Sudan, numerous other western companies have now joined, including BP Amoco, which has acquired a $US750 million stake in Petro China.

Focus: The magazine on development issues. www.comhlamh.org

BSE - the Human Madness

If I were a cow I also would go mad. Two million of them shall be slaughtered and burned in Europe this year, not because they are diseased, but to stabilize the meat market. The calves of today's fattening factories never run on pastures. From the moment of artificial fertilization via separation from the mother via their vegetarian intestines being stuffed with animal-meal to the moment of automatic execution and the disposal of their bones, fattened cattle and milkers are treated as things ó as machines for the production of food and drink.

But they are not things. No living being is a thing. BSE is the animals exclaiming "Foul!" to the humans; and their message is: Animals do have a soul. They feel pain, have curiosity, desire for contact and social behaviour. They look after their young ones and communicate and think on their level.

Institute for Global Peacework tamera@mail.telepac.pt

Brazilian Congress vote on deforesting the Amazon

Brazilian congress is now voting on a project that will reduce the Amazon forest to 50% of its size. The area to be deforested is 4 times the size of Portugal and would be mainly used for agriculture and pastures for live stock. All the wood is to be sold to international markets in the form of wood chips, by multinational companies..The truth is that the soil in the Amazon forest is useless without the forest itself. Its quality is very acidic and the region is prone to constant floods. At this time more than 160,000 square kilometres, deforested with the same purpose, are abandoned and in the process of becoming deserts.

Contact: fsaviolo@openlink.com.br

Jubilee South perspective on the debt problem

Jubilee South is the southern countries' counterpart of Jubilee, a group of Northern countries working for debt reduction for the South. The Jubilee South framework and perspective on the debt problem, presented to the group of Northern countries in the Jubilee South/North consultation in December 2000, is as follows:

- The external debt of the countries of the South is immoral and illegitimate.

- These debts are not owed by the people of the South and, therefore, should not be paid by them.

- Peoples and countries of the South are creditors of an enourmes historical, social and ecological debt of the North

- The debt problem must be understood in its historical, political, and economical context.

- The neoliberal global economic system, which is responsible for the debt problem, is destructive and genocidal in its workings and effects.

Contents

Contents
Chronicle
Indonesian police kill West Papuans On Friday, December 1st, 2000, flag-raising demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the 1961 declaration of independence from the Netherlands caused a tense stand-off between Indonesia's heavy military presence and Papuans in the capital Jayapura. In the city of Merauke Indonesian police opened fire killing seven civilians after a group of Papuans insisted on flying their morning star flag. The Indonesian government has last year been sending conflicting signals about the flag. In January, Indonesian president Wahid said the flag could be flown - with conditions attached - but now some authorities are insisting that the flag can't be flown at all. In practice, the flag still flies in a number of districts. However, the influx of thousands of extra Indonesian soldiers in recent months into West Papua doesn't augur well for the safety of civilians as the killings have shown. The historical background to the Indonesian presence in West Papua is Indonesia's takeover of the country in 1963. In 1969, the military regime organised a "referendum", whereby around 1000 people were hand-picked to vote in public to integrate with Indonesia. As a result some 100,000 people have died, and civilians continue to be killed, tortured and arrested without trial. West Papua News. http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
Support needed for Irish Neutrality Amendment Bill This Bill would amend Article 29.2 of Ireland's Constitution, which reads: "Ireland affirms its adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international arbitration or judicial determination", by adding: "To this end, the State shall, in particular, maintain a policy of non-membership of military alliance". Despite the fact that a vast majority of Irish people support Irish neutrality, the political elite are seeking to destroy it. While our political leaders have promised a referendum, Ireland has joined NATO's PfP. The Irish leaders have already agreed to establish a European army of 250,000. This neutrality amendment, if passed, would prevent our neutrality being destroyed. If the political elite oppose it, they will be forced to expose their real objective of Irish membership of NATO and the WEU, which they still publicly oppose. PANA, Peace And Neutrality Alliance.
FG election promise to ban flouride in drinking water The political party FINE GAEL has pledged to end the controversial compulsory practice of adding fluoride to all drinking water in Ireland because of "serious health concerns". If elected, the party will also order every health board to investigate existing levels of fluoride in groundwater supplies. "Fine Gael believes that there are sufficient grounds to point to serious health risks from the cumulative amount of fluoride in our piped water supply system," accordingto a new policy document drawn up by Environment spokesperson Ivan Yates. Irish Independent
Sudan's civil rights abuses and the complicity of Western multinationals Even as the level of brutality of the present Sudanese regime, the National Islamic Front, becomes more evident, western oil multinationals are pouring into Sudan to join the government in exploiting the oil. The current campaign of genocide against civilian populations in the oil-producing areas in the South is directly related to oil exploitation. With oil wells located in the war zones, the government aims to depopulate these areas of their indigenous peoples, whom they see as supporting the opposition forces. As well as Canada's largest private oil company, Talisman, which controls a 20% share in the consortium that is exploiting the oil in Southern Sudan, numerous other western companies have now joined, including BP Amoco, which has acquired a $US750 million stake in Petro China. Focus: The magazine on development issues. www.comhlamh.org
BSE - the Human Madness If I were a cow I also would go mad. Two million of them shall be slaughtered and burned in Europe this year, not because they are diseased, but to stabilize the meat market. The calves of today's fattening factories never run on pastures. From the moment of artificial fertilization via separation from the mother via their vegetarian intestines being stuffed with animal-meal to the moment of automatic execution and the disposal of their bones, fattened cattle and milkers are treated as things ó as machines for the production of food and drink. But they are not things. No living being is a thing. BSE is the animals exclaiming "Foul!" to the humans; and their message is: Animals do have a soul. They feel pain, have curiosity, desire for contact and social behaviour. They look after their young ones and communicate and think on their level. Institute for Global Peacework tamera@mail.telepac.pt
Brazilian Congress vote on deforesting the Amazon Brazilian congress is now voting on a project that will reduce the Amazon forest to 50% of its size. The area to be deforested is 4 times the size of Portugal and would be mainly used for agriculture and pastures for live stock. All the wood is to be sold to international markets in the form of wood chips, by multinational companies..The truth is that the soil in the Amazon forest is useless without the forest itself. Its quality is very acidic and the region is prone to constant floods. At this time more than 160,000 square kilometres, deforested with the same purpose, are abandoned and in the process of becoming deserts. Contact: fsaviolo@openlink.com.br
Jubilee South perspective on the debt problem Jubilee South is the southern countries' counterpart of Jubilee, a group of Northern countries working for debt reduction for the South. The Jubilee South framework and perspective on the debt problem, presented to the group of Northern countries in the Jubilee South/North consultation in December 2000, is as follows: - The external debt of the countries of the South is immoral and illegitimate. - These debts are not owed by the people of the South and, therefore, should not be paid by them. - Peoples and countries of the South are creditors of an enourmes historical, social and ecological debt of the North - The debt problem must be understood in its historical, political, and economical context. - The neoliberal global economic system, which is responsible for the debt problem, is destructive and genocidal in its workings and effects.