Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) - The question of respect for human rights in Indonesian Papua is urgent, and it needs the attention of the government in Jakarta and the international community according to NGO Franciscans International which has denounced threats and intimidation of religious and lay people working to promote respect for human rights in this province (called also Irian Jaya).
Papua is one of many contexts where Franciscans International is active. Recently with the help of all the different branches of the Franciscan family the NGO issued a report “Human Rights, Poverty and Extreme Poverty”. The report aims to raise the question of human rights and poverty at the regional national and international level to allow the Franciscan family to share its concerns and present its recommendations to governments and to the United Nations experts, on an extremely urgent matter in Latin America Africa and Asia.
In the report the Franciscans say they wish to contribute to promote respect for human rights”, they call on governments “to consider the poor people as the first agents in the fight against poverty; to associate the poor people with policies which concern them; to aim for a world without poverty where there is respect for the right to a family life, a dignified job, and social, cultural and political participation”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/10/2007 righe 26 parole 269)
