Reporter: Mark Colvin
PM Archive
Thursday, 15 February , 2001

COMPERE: Indonesia has refused to let two senior Australian observers into West Papua to watch the trials there of a number of independent activists.

Justice Elizabeth Evatt, former Chief Justice of the Family Court and just retired from the United Nations Human Rights Committee, had applied, with a colleague Elizabeth Biok, to go in as representatives of the International Commission of Jurists.

Their visa applications have been refused on the grounds that the trials are an internal Indonesian matter only.

The ICJ sees it as a sinister move, and is giving the lie to President Wahid's talk of a more liberal regime in West Papua.

I spoke to Justice Evatt this afternoon.

JUSTICE ELIZABETH EVATT: There are several trials going on in West Papua at the moment. They relate to members of the West Melanesian Council and others who are working for the Independents of West Papua. The main accused is Dr Albert Caleely [phonetic] and there are other members of his organisation.

MARK COLVIN: Do some people regard these as political prisoners? Although the Indonesian Government would deny that?

JUSTICE EVATT: They would see themselves as political prisoners because they, like many people including myself, consider that West Papua has never had a proper act of self determination. And that it's handover to Indonesia in 1969 was a complete travesty of proper process.

MARK COLVIN: What reason is there to believe that observers are particularly needed at these trials?

JUSTICE EVATT: A number of reasons. We have recent reports that some of the prisoners have been subjected, not just to intimidation, but also to assaults, to beatings and even torture by members of the security forces. Now, of course, it's quite impossible to have a fair trial of people who are subject to that kind of intimidation and treatment.

Second, we believe there may have been some difficulties for them in communicating with their counsel.

And, thirdly, these are people who are part of an independence movement, and that is a matter of international interest and concern.

MARK COLVIN: So what does it say about Indonesia, under President Wahid, that it won't let Justice Elizabeth Evatt in?

JUSTICE EVATT: It appears that although we thought that during last year we thought there was a relaxation in Indonesia's approach to West Papua and there was talk about great autonomy and so on. But it does appear now that there is a clamping down. A tightening up. They're also refusing journalists permission to go to West Papua without, you know, special conditions. So they don't really want anybody in there to see what's happening.

And now a country that excludes observers and journalists is open to the charge of they've got something to hide.

MARK COLVIN: Former Chief Justice of the Family Court, Justice Elizabeth Evatt.