The Wire

While Australians are prepare to exercise their democratic freedom to vote in the upcoming election, one of our closest neighbours is still struggling to determine their own political destiny. West Papua has been a province of Indonesia since the controversial “act of free choice” in 1969. Since then numerous human rights reports, including two this year, one from Amnesty International and another from Human Rights Watch – site abuses by the Indonesian military. Over the years since the original occupation there has been a consistent call from many Papuans for independence. Now, the Pacific Islands Forum could be the key to giving West Papua the platform to discuss its grievances with Indonesia.