Indonesia: West Papua Flashflood
Google Map of Wasior, West Papua, Indonesia
More than 80 people died and hundreds more are still missing after a flashflood devastated the remote town of Wasior in West Papua, Indonesia.
The town is now isolated which makes it difficult to transport emergency relief. Here is a report from the Indonesia Environmental Information Center
The collapse of local bridges has made it difficult for aid workers to gain access to villages and provide relief to homeless survivors. Tents, food and drinkable water are the prime necessities; the local government has sent flood assessment teams to Teluk Wondama district.
Blogger Melanophus is also trying to get more updates about the situation in Wasior
[…] banjir menutup bandara wasior sehingga pesawat batal terbang.
The blogger is trying to learn updates from radio, however the bad reception made it nearly impossible:
Siang hari juga ada laporan kontributor RRI Manokwari terkait bencana banjir bandang tersebut sayangnya telingaku kurang bisa monitor dengan baik karena suara bunyi radio kresek-kresek.
Malam ini aku mendapat info dari seorang teman yang sedang menjga keluarganya di UGD RSUD Manokwari. keluarganya adalah korman banjir bandang yang dievakuasi dengan helikopter dari Wasior soreh tadi.
seorang teman juga bercerita bahwa ada rekannya yang meninggal akibat tertimbun longsoran.
Hingga sat ini belum ada berita pasti bagaimana kondisi terkini di Wasior karen sejumlah temna yang berada di sana tidak bisa dihubungi. kemungkinan jaringan telepon sibuk atau rusak.
Blogger Amos wrote a comment on his post:
Iya kita semua prihatin atas bencana ini. Kami juga sedang mengusahakan bantuan dan relawan untuk sesegera mungkin ke wasior memberikan bantuan.
Here are some Facebook reactions
Perempuan Mencatat We express our condolences for the citizens of Wasior, West Papua, on the flood that had taken dozens of casualties and thousands refugee.
Chisato Tomimura Last week, I audited a logging company in Wasior, Papua. Two days after we left, the town of Wasior was hit by landslide and flood. 78 people died, and 85% of the town is now covered with debris, including the airport where we spent 8 hours waiting for a flight. If it had occurred 2 days earlier, or if our scheduled had delayed for 2 days, I would be dead now. Thank goodness I'm alive :)
Setiadi Sopandi 86 dead 66 missing in wasior, papua – seems no big deal compared to today's jakarta traffic & flash flood
8 comments
Clinton’s Empty words.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed sympathy and condolences over the destruction and loss of life caused by landslides in West Papua; but not the suspension of human rights in West Papua since 1962 at the request of the United States.
The Department of State published Hillary Clinton’s statement on Wednesday October 6, 2001 via the government website http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/10/149085.htm
West Papua was claimed as a colony by the Netherlands in 1895 but the United States in 1962 “pressed the Netherlands to” sign the New York Agreement trading the people of West Papua without their consent to Indonesian rule. Mining rights for their gold and copper were sold to the Freeport corporation in 1967, and since 1969 the Department of State has taken advantage of mistaken news media claims that the United Nations had conducted and endorsed an act of self-determination.
The US Secretary of State blithely disregards Papuan mass rallies since 1962 asking for the resumption of the self-determination process promised in UN General Assembly resolution 1514.
the secon flashlood coming again this morning.
more than 1000 people have moved to Manokwari and Nabire
Those interested to read more on West Papua should read: http://balibollocks.blogspot.com/2009/05/free-west-papua-aka-indonesian-irian.html
Kim Peart
PO Box 1848
Sunshine Plaza
Queensland 4558
kimpeart@iinet.net.au
0400 856 523
Anyone interested in the suggestion for an apology being issued by the government of Australia to the people of West Papua?
If we can bring ourselves to say “sorry” for how we have allowed them to be treated, we may also be willing to call for the vote on independence that they were cheated out of in 1969.
Below is a story on West Papua built around this and current events.
The story has been published in the Tasmanian Times, which is also open for comments:
http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/apology-to-the-west-papua-people/
Anyone supporting this suggestion could:
1. Leave a comment after the Tasmanian Times story,
2. Invite a politician to read the story and act on the suggestion and
3. Invite another person to act on 1. and 2.
In the age of democracy, when enough people speak, action follows.
Yours sincerely,
Kim Peart
Mountain Creek