The Politics of Papua Project, supported by the Centre for Human Rights in Practice and the PaIS department at the University of Warwick, is looking for a student researcher to work for 50 hours (paid at standard research rates of approx. £10/hour) on the philosophical and international legal aspects of a proposed independence referendum in the Indonesian-ruled territory of West Papua. The research will centre around the question of whether ethnically-Indonesian migrants in the territory should (ethically and legally) be eligible to vote a proposed referendum on Indonesian rule in West Papua.

The research will last throughout term 1 – with a view to a larger funding application for future research into a hypothetical referendum – and will require a short brief to be written by the end of the period summarising arguments and findings, to be published under the Politics of Papua Project. The researcher should be prepared to contact and discuss the issue with relevant experts on international law and West Papua, and compare the situation with relevant case studies (such as East Timor, South Sudan and Western Sahara).

Candidates will need to display the following:

• Understanding of basic international legal principles;

• Ability to intelligently navigate through legal argumentation;

• Good research skills.

It is preferable that the candidates have the following qualities:

• Writing skills;

• Communication skills.

To apply, please send a CV with relevant experience and covering letter of no more than 400 words to Connor Woodman at c.d.w.woodman@warwick.ac.uk by Friday October 7^th at 5pm.

Lacuna returns after a summer break with a series of articles which give voice to vulnerable and marginalised individuals and communities.

In our lead article, “Hear No Evil See No Evil: The UK and the Iraq Allegations“, Andrew Williams tells the story of widespread allegations of abuses by British soldiers in Iraq. The front pages of the national newspapers have been full of the allegations in recent weeks and months. But they only tell a partial story.

We also tell a less well-known story: photojournalist Ángel López Soto and journalist Eva Mateo Asolas report on the human cost of the drought for women in Ethiopia, in two linked articles which tell the story in pictures and in words.

Finally in this edition, Sharifah Sekalala reflects on a recent UK High Court decision which opened the way to providing preventive treatment for both gay men and sex workers at risk of HIV infection in England.

REMINDER: Call for submissions on Environmental migration - deadline 30th November 2016

The University of Warwick Politics of Papua Project has published a Policy Brief in conjunction with the Foundation for Law, Justice and Society. It provides a summary of the 14 key recommendations and highlights the unique position of the United Kingdom to take effective leadership to resolve the conflict in West Papua. The brief draws from a full-length report published by the University of Warwick Politics of Papua Project, presented in Parliament earlier this year.

For a shorter read on West Papuan independence movement, read Silencing West Papuan independence supporters overseas written by one of the Politics of Papua Project team members for Lacuna magazine.