POLRES MERAUKE POLICE ARREST 15 KNPB ACTIVISTS and CHAIRMAN of the PRD MERAUKE.
by West Papua Media, with sources in Merauke
May 1, 2015
Information from KNPB has just been confirmed from independent credible sources.
On Friday May 1, 2015, at 01.06 WPB (Papua time) heavily armed police officers of Merauke Polres forced entry into the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Secretariat office in Merauke, and arrested 15 KNPB activists, together with their Mother, PRD (Parleman Rakyat Daerah or Regional People’s Parliament) Chairperson Panggresia Yeem, who were still preparing for a rally today to commemorate the forced takeover of West Papua by Indonesia.
Earlier on Thursday night , the Merauke KNPB sent an alert that an attack was imminent:
“Police and military apparatus have surrounded the KBPB MERAUKE SECRETARIAT this night. KNPB this News. Tonight, hundreds of Police officers from Merauke police station and members of the military from Kodim Merauke came down at 20:00 WPB. They are placed in the driveway exit of the secretariat and PRD Merauke. The KNPB chairman Merauke reported via phone ‘that we were surrounded by military / police with full force being placed around the secretariat KNPB Secretariat building) in Merauke.”
An independent source confirmed to West Papua Media that police were heavy-handed during the arrest, allegedly causing damage and rough treatment, however it is unknown at this stage whether any injuries have been sustained. An urgent call from West Papua Media to the Polres HQ went unanswered.
Those 16 arrested in Merauke overnight are:
1. MS. PANGGRESIA YEEM, PRD CHAIRMAN of MERAUKE
2. GENTO EMERICUS DOP, CHAIRMAN KNPB MERAUKE
3. YOSEP MUYAN, KNPB MERAUKE MEMBERS
4. YOSEP IMBANOP, Chairman of PARLIAMENT of MUJU District
5. The CHAIRMAN of the ONGKATMIT SECTOR, KNPB
6. ZAKARIAS Y SRAUN
7.EMANUEL MATEMKO
8.YOHANES KAYOP
9. IBRAHIM DEWAP
10. JAN OBAKAM
11.IKNASIUS WAMIN
12.THOMAS PISAKAI
13. FRANSISKU PISAKAI
14 . JULIANUS TABIET
15. ISAK SOSOCHOM
and 11 other KNPB members whose names are not yet available.
Heavily armed Police have just taken all 16 people, including the matriarch head of Merauke PRD for interrogation at the Police HQ in Merauke.
The raids come after the KNPB refused to accept the local police chiefs threats (see Jubi article below) against holding democratic gatherings to mark the May 1st Day of Mourning.
More information as it comes to hand.
West Papua Media
KNPB and PRD Merauke Not Threatened by Police Chief’s Statement
from our partner Tabloid Jubi’s West Papua Daily
April 29, 2015
Jayapura, Jubi – The chairman of the Merauke People’s Representatives (PRD) in Pancrasia Yem said they were not afraid and intimidated by threats from security forces in Papua, especially the Merauke Police chief.
Merauke Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissionaire Sri Satyatama said police will not allow the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) to conduct activities including the prayer on 1 May 2015 and warned they would be disbanded if they ignored the ultimatum.
“The Police Chief’s statement is not big deal. He’s part of invaders. The invaders will keep doing anything to suppress any action taken by Papuans. KNPB and PRD Merauke Region will keep fighting. We will do something on 1 May to express the injustice that had occurred in 1963,” he told Jubi on Tuesday (28/4/2015) from Merauke, Papua.
According to Yeem, KNPB and PRD Merauke Region will keep fighting to bring West Papuan people’s aspiration to decide self-determination in accordance with the mechanism of international law. (Arnold Belau/rom)
West Papua Media Alerts 
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