It is great that we who escaped persecution in 2006 were immediately recognised by the Australian government as refugees, and now three years later are permanent residents of this country.
In Australia we are free of intimidation, persecution, torture and murder. We speak freely and express our traditional cultures. We are educating ourselves, building skills for an independent country. Some of us have started families; that’s important too because we are already a minority in our own land.
I would like to thank the many Australians who have helped us settle here. It’s very difficult living in a new country with different cultures, languages and rules. Our settlement has been made easier because of so many Australian friends and I sincerely thank you all.
The terrible situation that we left in 2006 hasn't improved. There is no law in West Papua. Our friends are being poisoned, tortured and imprisoned. Our families are persecuted. They live in fear of government policies and the security forces. It gets worse every day. We can’t enjoy life here knowing what is going on there. There has been no change since we arrived here in 2006.
We dream of freedom and of peace. We want to be treated as human beings not as criminals. We don’t want to live in a system of social, economic and political apartheid. Please don’t ask us to.
Many of us have our faith to sustain us, but we shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking that all we need is patience. Time alone will not deliver us a free, fair and peaceful West Papua. We need commitment, perseverance, passion and cooperation between West Papuans and between non-West Papuans. I call all my West Papuan brothers and sisters from every social and political background to come together and work towards the Papuan dream of independence. I call on our brothers and sisters in Australia and the international community to raise your voice for human rights and peace. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith. And never give up.
In English PR means ‘permanent residency’. In Indonesian PR or ‘pekerjaan rumah.’ means homework. I have been given Permanent Residency status by the Australian Government and I have also been given Pekerjaan Rumah or homework by my brothers and sisters back home. My homework is to keep advocating for peace, justice and freedom. We all have much PR to do. Even though we are free here in Australia we cannot stop working for our brothers and sisters at home. Each contribution, big and small, is important.
Finally I would like to say I have been a political prisoner in West Papua, so I know what it is like for those who are still in prison. I was tortured; like they are still tortured. I am now free, but they are not. If we were in West Papua tonight, the police or the army would enter the building and arrest you all. Just for being here, just for raising this flag, just for talking about peace and freedom. You could be tortured. You might even be shot or poisoned. This is daily life in West Papua. It has to change. We need freedom of speech, freedom of movement. We need self-determination. We need independence. Then I want to go home.
FREE WEST PAPUA!!!! Merdeka!
In Australia we are free of intimidation, persecution, torture and murder. We speak freely and express our traditional cultures. We are educating ourselves, building skills for an independent country. Some of us have started families; that’s important too because we are already a minority in our own land.
I would like to thank the many Australians who have helped us settle here. It’s very difficult living in a new country with different cultures, languages and rules. Our settlement has been made easier because of so many Australian friends and I sincerely thank you all.
The terrible situation that we left in 2006 hasn't improved. There is no law in West Papua. Our friends are being poisoned, tortured and imprisoned. Our families are persecuted. They live in fear of government policies and the security forces. It gets worse every day. We can’t enjoy life here knowing what is going on there. There has been no change since we arrived here in 2006.
We dream of freedom and of peace. We want to be treated as human beings not as criminals. We don’t want to live in a system of social, economic and political apartheid. Please don’t ask us to.
Many of us have our faith to sustain us, but we shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking that all we need is patience. Time alone will not deliver us a free, fair and peaceful West Papua. We need commitment, perseverance, passion and cooperation between West Papuans and between non-West Papuans. I call all my West Papuan brothers and sisters from every social and political background to come together and work towards the Papuan dream of independence. I call on our brothers and sisters in Australia and the international community to raise your voice for human rights and peace. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith. And never give up.
In English PR means ‘permanent residency’. In Indonesian PR or ‘pekerjaan rumah.’ means homework. I have been given Permanent Residency status by the Australian Government and I have also been given Pekerjaan Rumah or homework by my brothers and sisters back home. My homework is to keep advocating for peace, justice and freedom. We all have much PR to do. Even though we are free here in Australia we cannot stop working for our brothers and sisters at home. Each contribution, big and small, is important.
Finally I would like to say I have been a political prisoner in West Papua, so I know what it is like for those who are still in prison. I was tortured; like they are still tortured. I am now free, but they are not. If we were in West Papua tonight, the police or the army would enter the building and arrest you all. Just for being here, just for raising this flag, just for talking about peace and freedom. You could be tortured. You might even be shot or poisoned. This is daily life in West Papua. It has to change. We need freedom of speech, freedom of movement. We need self-determination. We need independence. Then I want to go home.
FREE WEST PAPUA!!!! Merdeka!