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West Papua: Peace worker highlights plight of West Papuan people (The Universe Catholic Newspaper U.K)
By The Universe Catholic Newspaper (UK)
Apr 4, 2008, 22:09

WP: Peace worker highlights plight of West Papuan people (The Universe Catholic Newspaper U.K)
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The Universe Catholic Newspaper (UK)

Sunday 30 March 2008

Peace worker highlights plight of West Papuan

people
The justice and peace worker for the Liverpool diocese has called on Catholics to speak out for the suffering people of West Papua.

Steve Atherton was speaking after Papuan leaders complained about the conduct in the country of oil company BP.

Papuan leaders complained that the company has blocked off their fishing grounds, attracted a flood of migrants to the villages, provided very few jobs for local people and is now siding with the Indonesian authorities against native Papuans who are engaged in a long struggle for independence.

Mr Atherton called on Catholics to look at their own lifestyles and asked them to be prepared to sacrifice some of their comforts to act for the people of West Papua.

"We need to put pressure on politicians here to act for the West Papuans," said mr Atherton.

Campaigners for Free West Papua are hoping that Catholic parliamentatarians John Battle and Lord Alton will raise the isssues of the West Papuan people in Westminster.

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Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
www.freewestpapua.org

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