The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

23 June 2008

Re Health Concerns in West Papua

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) about the health of the West Papuan people.

It has been reported that up to 76 people have died from diarrhea of unknown origin in the highlands region of West Papua near the district of Kammu. There are people still suffering from the epidemic and receiving very little help from local government institutions.

Earlier this month a report from human rights workers in Paniai also raised concerns about the outbreak of possible cholera which resulted in the deaths of a number of people in the regencies of Paniai and Nabire, between January and June this year. Local people believe the spread is part of a systematic campaign of malignant neglect against the West Papuan people.

The deaths of West Papuans from what should be preventable diseases is a sign of neglect on the part of the Indonesian government and a failure of public health policies of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Health is recognized as a human right by the United Nations.

The Australian Government supports the special autonomy package as the best way forward for the people of West Papua. However, seven years after its introduction, the West Papuan people have received no benefit from special autonomy as evidenced by the ever deteriorating health in West Papua and this is a significant contributing factor for the rejection of special autonomy by the West Papuan people.

We are concerned about the health of the West Papuan people in general. The current epidemic of HIV – AIDS in West Papua, the dangerous emergence of antibiotic resistant tuberculosis and the endemic malaria infection are a result of negligence on the part of the Indonesian government. Also of concern is that the strain of malaria thought to be previously 'benign' has been found to be potentially fatal. In a study just released and published by Charles Darwin University's Menzies School of Health Research (in a recent study conducted in Papua), the study found "that P. vivax is far from benign, but is responsible for a significant amount of illness with high rates of severe disease and death."

West Papua is rich in natural resources but the West Papuan people have one of the poorest health standards in the archipelago. Although the Indonesian government has established health centers in the majority of sub-districts in West Papua, these centers lack properly trained staff, medicines, diagnoses of illness and accountability of causes of death particularly in the more remote areas of the territory.

AWPA believes that West Papua will be a major foreign policy issue for Australia in the future and events in West Papua will not only effect Australian- Indonesian relations but if the situation continues to deteriorate, events in West Papua could have a major impact on countries in the region. The latest report from the International Crisis Group (ICG) "Indonesia: Communal Tensions in Papua" has warned of potential communal conflict in the country's easternmost province due to strained relations between Muslims and Christians. According to the report "Papua has seen periodic clashes between pro-independence supporters and government forces, but conflict between Muslim and Christian communities could also erupt unless rising tensions are effectively managed".

We understand that the whole of the island of New Guinea will always be strategically important to Australia but one of the best ways to have a stable region to our north is for Australia to invest in the people of West Papua and Papua New Guinea. We believe that Australia can contribute greatly to peace and stability in West Papua by supporting the West Papuan people in capacity building in the fields of health, education and in attaining economic security.

We urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government, encouraging it to support local health workers with the capacity and resources to respond to these health crises in West Papua. We also urge the Australian Government to offer to supply aid and training to West Papuan health workers so they themselves can respond to their own peoples need. If the West Papuan people themselves are not empowered in the field of health, the situation in West Papua will deteriorate further with the West Papuans believing that the lack of resources coming from the Indonesian government is deliberate.

We believe that by offering aid to train local health workers and nurses in the field of general health and aid for support infrastructure so these health workers can reach the more remote areas of the territory, would be a decisive contribution to the health of the West Papuan people. We also thank the Government for its contribution to support HIV-AIDS programs in West Papua.

Joe Collins
Secretary

AWPA (Sydney)
CC. The Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, Sydney, Australia 2088
Ph/fax 61.2.99601698 email: bunyip@bigpond.net.au