The inspirational 12 year non-violent struggle for justice for West Papua

Jacob Rumbiak and Harry Bagasel

Jacob has played a key role in the non-violent struggle for self-determination and justice for West Papua. He will outline the key issues, give a brief history of their 12 year struggle and how the people and leaders have resisted violence despite extreme acts of violence and intimidation by the Indonesian military and police. The situation inside West Papua is very tense at the moment following the kidnapping and assassination by Indonesian military, of key independence leader Chief Theus Eluay on the 11 November.

Jacob Rumbiak

Jacob Rumbiak is a West Papuan who has been living in Australia for 18 months. He is a respected leader with the Free West Papua Movement (OPM) who was jailed in 1989 for 17 years for subversion after making a freedom speech to students. He spent 11 years in jail, including several years with Xanana Gusmao. He was instrumental in setting up the West Papua Youth Awareness Team, which now has thousands of members across West Papua and other parts of Indonesia. WESTPANYAT works to empower young people. Jacob is committed to finding a peaceful path to self-determination and justice for West Papua.

Harry Bagasel

Harry was born on Yapen, an island off the north coast of West papua. He is a law student at Candrawassih (Bird of paradise) University in Jayapura, and is Chairman of the West Papua National Youth Awarenss Team (WESTPANYAT) in West Papua.

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