5 Jul 2016

NZ greens urge PM to raise human rights concerns in Papua

3:16 pm on 5 July 2016

The New Zealand Green Party says Prime Minister John Key must address human rights in West Papua when he meets with Indonesia's Joko Widodo later this month.

05072016 Photo: Rebekah Parsons-King. Caucus run. Prime Minister John Key.

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Mr Key intended to discuss trade and economic links, but a Greens' MP Catherine Delahunty said there was no mention of discussions on the political situation in West Papua.

She said the complete absence of human rights from Mr Key's agenda was particularly damning given a schoolboy was shot by military police in West Papua only last week.

Indonesian security forces hold demonstrators

Indonesian security forces hold demonstrators Photo: Tabloid Jubi

Ms Delahunty said Mr Key should urge Indonesia to stop talking about a more democratic approach and start acting on it.

She said this should start with a commitment to end military and police abuses, political detention and state-sanctioned killings in West Papua.

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