Free West Papua

October 4th was designated a national day of solidarity with the West Papuan people, who were invaded in 1963 by Indonesia, with direct actions in solidarity happening around the UK. For background information and to get involved, contact OPM Support Group, c/o 43 Gardner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UN. A national action is planned before the 300,000 West Papuans already murdered turn into another East Timorese bloodbath.

Two offices of Rio Tinto Zinc in Bristol were occupied. In the morning 15 people entered the Mining and Exploration office, ejected eventually by the police. Others leafletted and hung a West Papuan flag from a footbridge across the high street. In the afternoon the Admin building was occupied for over two hours. Activists were locked on and barricaded in. There were three arrests. Reception from the general public was good, and people got to talk to the staff about what their company is doing.

Meanwhile in Manchester, British Gas got a visiting. They have major offshore gas projects, as well as onshore holdings covering nearly 5,000 square kilometres, together with the Indonesian state oil & gas company. This is all only possible due to the ‘stability’ Indonesia has brought to the island with its British Aerospace weaponry. British Gas Trading denied having anything to do with the ‘other British Gas’. But they refused to disassociate themselves from the goings-on on the other side of the world.