We have received news that 60% of people in West Papua refused to vote in
Monday's parliamentary elections. This has successfully prevented the an announcement of the results of the elections but the government is trying to pretend that the elections are delayed due to a lack of ballot papers. This was certainly true in the south of Papua where a group of 20 OPM (Free Papua Movement) succesfully attacked a boat delivering ballot papers killing one policeman and capsizing the boat sending the contents to the bottom of the river!
Monday's parliamentary elections. This has successfully prevented the an announcement of the results of the elections but the government is trying to pretend that the elections are delayed due to a lack of ballot papers. This was certainly true in the south of Papua where a group of 20 OPM (Free Papua Movement) succesfully attacked a boat delivering ballot papers killing one policeman and capsizing the boat sending the contents to the bottom of the river!
Demonstrators at both entrances to the Indonesian embassy, London
This means that almost every native Papuan refused to vote (around 40% of
the population are Indonesian transmigrants) and we have also been told
that many in Aceh stayed at home and 50% of students in the Javanese city of Yogyakarta did not vote! Alongside this show of defiance global solidarity demonstrations took place in London, Sydney, Washington DC and the Hague. This is the largest ever solidarity action in support of West Papua and Aceh.
The demonstrations were made all the more effective because all the
ex-patriate Indonesians had to go to the embassies to place their votes. In
London for example the hundreds of Indonesian nationals were given leaflets
informing them of the boycott and the embassy was surrounded by banners
proclaiming 'solidarity with the OPM' on one of its most public days. News
of the demonstrations has also appeared in the Indonesain press.
In the weeks running up to the elections Indonesian police shot dead two
people and hospitalised three who they suspected of campaigning for the
boycott. Because of the successful no-vote the government has had to delay
the results of the elections but have also deployed hundreds of police to
villages across Papua where they will continue to try to force votes out of
people. We must continue to be on alert as there is still danger of
retaliatory action from the Indonesian police and army. We have also heard
that there was an OPM attack in Arso near the PNG border and a bomb was
exploded in Aceh near a polling station.
More news is expected to come out over the next week. For information check
www.westpapuanews.com
the population are Indonesian transmigrants) and we have also been told
that many in Aceh stayed at home and 50% of students in the Javanese city of Yogyakarta did not vote! Alongside this show of defiance global solidarity demonstrations took place in London, Sydney, Washington DC and the Hague. This is the largest ever solidarity action in support of West Papua and Aceh.
The demonstrations were made all the more effective because all the
ex-patriate Indonesians had to go to the embassies to place their votes. In
London for example the hundreds of Indonesian nationals were given leaflets
informing them of the boycott and the embassy was surrounded by banners
proclaiming 'solidarity with the OPM' on one of its most public days. News
of the demonstrations has also appeared in the Indonesain press.
In the weeks running up to the elections Indonesian police shot dead two
people and hospitalised three who they suspected of campaigning for the
boycott. Because of the successful no-vote the government has had to delay
the results of the elections but have also deployed hundreds of police to
villages across Papua where they will continue to try to force votes out of
people. We must continue to be on alert as there is still danger of
retaliatory action from the Indonesian police and army. We have also heard
that there was an OPM attack in Arso near the PNG border and a bomb was
exploded in Aceh near a polling station.
More news is expected to come out over the next week. For information check
www.westpapuanews.com
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08.04.2004 06:57
Ian