Word: papua
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...West Papuan asylum seekers released from Australian immigration detention last month on three-year protection visas, says the realization came to her clearly: "I was shown by the Lord that Australia has been given a role as the hand of God in helping to finally resolve the issue of Papua...
...Close as it is to their shores, the western half of the island of New Guinea remains a mystery to most Australians - as does its Melanesian people's 40-year struggle for self-rule. Home to vast mineral and timber wealth, West Papua's status is an accident of colonialism: retained by the Dutch when Indonesia declared independence in 1945, it came under Indonesian rule after the Act of Free Choice referendum in 1969 - a change decried by many Papuans, who say the 1,000 voters were hand-picked by Indonesia...
Since then, the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM), or Free Papua Movement, has waged an independence struggle of peaceful protests and occasional attacks by poorly equipped guerrillas on Indonesian soldiers and foreign interests like the giant Freeport gold mine. Jakarta, which does not want to forfeit Papua's natural wealth or see another province break away as East Timor did in 1999, agreed in 2001 to a Special Autonomy Law. But independence supporters say little has changed since then. Access to the province is notoriously difficult but in recent years human-rights groups have documented a range of abuses by Indonesian...
...arrival of Kambu and her fellow activists has certainly thrown new light on Papua's aspirations. Her husband, 32-year-old activist Herman Wainggai, says increasing military intimidation late last year sealed the group's decision to escape. But they decided against the common solution of slipping across the border with Papua New Guinea. "We have not received any serious international attention by seeking asylum in P.N.G.," says Wainggai through an interpreter. "We decided that because of Australia's role in taking responsibility in the Pacific area we would come here." The group's lawyer, David Manne, says all have...
...this means nothing to little San and Joy Kambu Wainggai as they run around in the autumn chill in bright new beanies and warm pajamas. All they remember of their journey are "big waves." Their father hopes one day to take them home to an independent West Papua. Their mother will be praying...