Letter to Indonesian Embassy
WILPF Aotearoa / New Zealand

29 November 2003

Mr Bambang Hiendrasto,
Charge d’Affaires,
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia,
PO Box 3543,
Wellington.

Dear Sir,

The members of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Aotearoa/New Zealand Section, are very concerned about the situation in West Papua and particularly so at this time. On Monday 1 December the people of West Papua should have the right to express peacefully their aspirations for self-determination, without a violent response from the Indonesian armed forces or police in West Papua.

The use of violence will never solve the current political problems in West Papua. Unfortunately this violent repression of the people seems to be escalating and we have received reports of greater troop build-ups in the region.

We request that you convey to your government our concern about the need for restraint from the use of violent force, especially on 1 December, and for the Government of Indonesia to look for peaceful means of resolving this conflict.

Yours sincerely,
Joan Macdonald,
WILPF Aotearoa / New Zealand.

West Papua index page