Free West Papua- the new East Timor

West Papua makes up half the island of New Guinea (the other half being the independent state of Papua New Guinea). It is covered in beautiful rainforest and is inhabited by one million tribal people. Shortly after its independence from Holland in 1961 it was invaded by Indonesia and thousands of Papuans were killed or imprisoned. The UN ruled that the Papuans should have self-determination and organised a referendum on independence. However, the UN allowed Indonesia to rig the vote -the Indonesian government decided that the Papuans were to 'primitive' to vote and handpicked 1026 voters (out of the 1 million population) -threatening to kill them and their families if they voted for independence.

Since the start of their occupation the Indonesian military has raped and killed thousands of Papuans, displacing whole villages of people to make way for British and American mines which have destroyed sacred sites, ancient forests and poisoned rivers.

Similar to in East Timor a small guerrilla movement sprung up, armed with bows and arrows in an attempt to protect the native people from the barbaric Indonesian army.

But Indonesia has responded with extreme brutality. Troops, under the control of those who led the massacres in East Timor during the 1990's, have continued to murder civilians, rape women and burn villages whilst the Indonesian government sells the resources of West Papua to multinational companies such as BP who rip apart the landscape with no respect for the ancient rainforests or native people.

Yet the issue of West Papua is rising up the agenda. Amnesty International has pressured Indonesia for the release of two friends arrested for flying the flag of West Papua whilst Survival International, a campaign to protect tribal people across the world, has moved to protect that Papuans.

Most significantly of all is the emergence of the Free West Papua Campaign- a dedicated and active movement which is continuing to grow and lead the fight for the protection and self-determination that West Papua deserves and so desperately needs. The Free West Papua Campaign holds events, leads campaigns and is the only national campaign in Britain working full time to stop the genocide.

Log on to their excellent website today -you can read the history of West Papua, join the mailing list and find loads of ways to get involved in the struggle for some of the most oppressed people on the planet.