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April 17, 2019

Neles Tebay, Noted West Papuan Peace Activist, Dies at 55
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Residents of Papua are mourning the death of West Papuan peace advocate
Neles Tebay, who died Sunday at the age of 55 after a battle with
cancer. Tebay was the coordinator of the Papua Peace Network and a
Catholic priest, who covered human rights stories and military conflict
in the region for The Jakarta Post and other outlets. He was credited
with helping establish a dialogue between the Indonesian government and
West Papuans who have been seeking independence since the 1960s. Tens of
thousands have been killed by Indonesian security forces since the
1990s. In 2017, Indonesian President Joko Widodo appointed Tebay as an
adviser on Indonesia's relationship with West Papua. Neles Tebay
continued to tirelessly campaign for peace even as his cancer progressed
in recent years.


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