Greenwash Political Action Party and Urban Grassroots Movement for the Green Party

Thursday, January 18, 2007

New West Papua TV ads

Below is the media release outlining the new West Papua advertising campaign released yesterday. For more information visit the campaign website.

To view the ads (you need quicktime) that were launched at the press confernce (picture left) go here. Or to listen to the audio vist here and here

Media Release: Wednesday, 17 January 2007

TV advertising for human rights in West Papua

A massive new TV advertising campaign to promote human rights for West Papua was launched in Sydney today by:
- John Dowd, former NSW Liberal/National Government Attorney-General
- Sister Susan Connolly
- Lt-Col Lance Collins (rtd.) former military intelligence officer and author
- Dr Clinton Fernandes, University of NSW
- Clemens Runawery, an exiled West Papuan visiting from PNG
- Sonia Vitro, East Timorese whose father was killed by the Indonesian military
- Eko Waluyo, Coordinator Indonesian Solidarity
- Ian Melrose, human rights advocate
The TV advertisements begin screening in capital cities around the country today and will be followed in regional centres over the coming months. The TV advertisements will also screen in selected neighbouring countries.

The advertising campaign highlights the dangers of the new security treaty between Australia and Indonesia which was announced last November and is currently before the Australian parliament.

“The yet to be ratified security treaty with Indonesia presents huge dangers for democracy and human rights. The treaty effectively targets human rights advocates concerned about West Papua and will encourage the Indonesian military to continue its 40 year reign of terror in the troubled province. The Treaty will also justify Australia’s spy organisations’ surveillance of Australians concerned with human rights injustices,” John Dowd said.

The TV advertisements feature West Papuan refugee, now PNG citizen, Clemens Runawery. Clemens witnessed the Indonesian takeover over his country and in 1969 was arrested by Australian officials (at Indonesia’s request) when attempting to travel to United Nations to tell the world of his peoples’ plight and of the failure of the UN to conduct a fair election.

The advertising is being funded by Australian businessman Ian Melrose. Mr Melrose previously funded an advertising campaign in support of East Timor’s right to oil and gas revenue in the Timor Sea after the Howard Government withdrew East Timor’s right to have the dispute heard by an independent UN arbitrator. Mr Melrose was also involved in the successful campaign against the Howard Government’s asylum seeker legislation in 2006.

“The more that Australian people find out about West Papua, the more they will pressure their politicians to act. Presented with the facts, I am confident that Australians will want to help our neighbours in West Papua,” Mr Melrose said.

posted by Ben Oquist # 10:04 AM 0 comments