Month: August 2010

Thousands call for Referendum at grave of slain West Papuan hero

Photos courtesy of Yasons Sambon, KNPB

Sentani, West Papua, Monday August 2 2010 (West Papua Media Alerts)
Reports have been filtering from Sentani that over five thousand people have been gathering at the grave of slain West Papuan independence hero Chief Dorotheys (Theys) Eluay, continuing the unprecedented mass mobilisations calling for a return of Special Autonomy to Jakarta, and for internationally mediated dialogue and a referendum to determine West Papua’s future.

This rally was called by KNPB (West Papua National Committee) with support from West Papua National Authority, Dewan Adat Papua, students and youth.

The rally was called to commemorate the anniversary of the fraudulent conduct of the Act of Free Choice in 1969, and to remind the international community that West Papuan people still contest Indonesian occupation, human rights and environmental abuses, corruption and impunity. The organisers of the demonstrations have asserted that rolling mobilisations will be increasing to demand a review of the Act of Free Choice until its 41st anniversary on August 15.

Today’s gathering at Sentani remained peaceful, although large numbers of security forces, 3 trucks of heavily armed anti-terror Dalmas paramilitary police, over 100 armed plain clothes intelligence agents, and water cannon were in attendance. Despite intimidation from Indonesian security forces, the mass gathering maintained peaceful discipline and listened to speeches and music.

More demonstrations will be held tomorrow as the special sessions of the DPRP will be held in Jayapura to discuss the final handback of the failed Special Autonomy package to Jakarta, Tens Thousands of people are expected to gather in the morning in a mass mobilisation called by ForDem (Forum Demokratik Rakyat Papua / Democratic Forum of Papuan
People). Security forces are expected to prevent people from gathering, so this is a situation that will need monitoring to ensure restraint by Indonesian Police and military.

Nick Chesterfield @West Papua Media Alerts

Jayapura 02/08/2010, ratusan masa aksi yang diakomodir oleh komite nasional Papua Barat (KNPB), mengakomodir seluruh komponen masyarakat papua dan semu organ-organ pergerakan, dan semu tokoh-tokoh. Masa berkumpul di beberapa titik kumpul menuju ke sasaran aksi mimbar politik bebas di pemekaman pahlawan Theys Eluai Sentani Jayapura Papua.

Acara tersebut mulai pada pukul: 12 :15 wpb, berlangsung mulai dengan orasi-orasi dari masing-masing organ dan juga pelaku PEPERA 1969 menjelaskan tentang pelaksanaan PEPERA pada masa lalu, namun semua menyatakan tidak sah karena Indonesia Amerika dan PBB telah melanggar hukum internasional dan tidak laksanakan PEPERA 1969 sesui dengan prinsip-prinsip hokum internasional yaitu (one people one soul).

Pelaku Sejarah Fred Suebu menjelaskan bahwa;

-Pada perjanjian New York orang Papua tidak ikut tanda tangan, maka dinyatakan PEPERA 1969 adalah tidak sah dan cacat hukum dan moral.

– dan saya minta kepada PBB segera lakukan Referendum bagi bangsa Papua Barat .

Dalam orasinya Forkorus Yoesiebu bahwa;

– Kita orang Papua barsatu menuntut kedaulatan dan gugat aneksasi.

– Pertanyaan; apakah rakyat setuju besok bentuk Pemerintahan Negara Papua Barat?

– Rakyat menyatakan setuju.

– Aneksasi PEPERA 1969 harus kugat dan kami rakyat bangsa Papua Barat menembalikan PEPERA 1969 ke PBB.

– Amerika, Belanda, Indonesia dan PBB tidak menghargai hak orang Papua , maka kami menuntut kugat aneksasi.

Demikian Yang mana komite nasional papua barat telah diadakan mimbar bebas politik dalam ranggga mengembalikan anekesasi PEPERA 1969 ke pangguan PBB, bentuk mayat peti PEPEPRA 1969 dan beberapa surat piagam telah kembalikan dan rakyat bangsa Papua Barat Menuntut Referendum untuk pepentuan nasib sendiri bagi bangsa papua barat. Demikian guna menggukat PEPERA 1969 di tingkat Internasional yaitu pengadilan Internasional (ICJ) melalui lembaga diplomat papua yang ada yaitu (ILWP).

Demikian laporan kami Jayapura Papua barat dan atas kerjasama yang baik kami sampaikan banyak terimaksih.

By yasons sambom

West Papua Human Rights Activist

Ceremony in Timika for symbolic return of Act of Free Choice and calling for Referendum

*Original in Indonesian received. The following is their translation. TAPOL

*
A number of photos were also attached, mainly showing the ceremonial burning of a coffin containing the Act.

*Report by: Romario Yatipai*

*KNPB Timika Chairman*

*KNPB News-*Monday, August 2, 2010 are not left alone by the people of West Papua nation which is in the Timika area. In the day of birth of the manipulation process 1969 was celebrated by the people of West Papua in Timika as a venue for the manipulation of political status by the Dutch West Papua, Indonesia and the United States in the process undertaken by the United Nations Act of Free Choice. Mimika city calmed the situation with the activities of life for people in nations around the existing West Papuan town of Timika. In the peace of the Timika region KNPB worship Choice in 1969 Returns to the United Nations. Maranata Church Kesehatan Street in Timika Indah into place to restore the 1969 Act of Free Choice coffin symbolically in the form of prayer and praise and the burning of Coffin 1969.

Promptly at 11 o’clock worship WPB began to be implemented with compliments. Worship is a theme in saying that “God is crying Eliminate Child Affairs”, which means that the intervention of God cries of suffering people of West Papua nation will end up passing everyone both at the international, national and local. Meditations take place with a short religious service in told by the Rev.Dese Adii interspersed with poetry, song and dance, it states that 1969 is the manipulation in the interest of the warring parties in the International in West Papua in the year 1960-1969.

Worship is held at the end of the combustion Coffin Choice in 1969 by the people of West Papua nation which is in the church yard. After the 1969 burning of the coffin by the people of West Papua in the nation continue with the reading of the political declaration of West Papuan people of the nation. Political statement of the people of West Papua nation is as follows:

*Petition of Choice in 1969 RETURN TO DEMAND UN referendum*
We the people of West Papua nation states that:
1. We are a nation that once independence as a state on December 1, 1961 according to the spirit of the resolutions of the UN decolonization No. 1514 1960.

2. UN, DUTCH, U.S. and INDONESIA never involve us Papuans as owners of this country in determining the status and future of our nation, West Papua. Therefore, the status of West Papua in the Homeland is illegal because it violates the standard-standard and principles of international law and human rights.

3. Implementation of Choice in 1969 is an event full of engineering for economic and political interests of the United States, Indonesia and the United Nations. Because we Papuans never wanted or chose unanimously to join the Homeland. Thus the UN has failed to implement the mechanism of a referendum on the date, July 14 until August 2, 1969.

4. Until now, we the people of Papua demanding the implementation of a democratic referendum, so that we the people of Papua can determine our political rights for our future Papua people. Therefore:
1) We are all people of West Papua with the official returns of defective Choice in 1969 to the UN and the UN soon hold a referendum for the sake of respect for the standards and principles of international law and human rights, and particularly special for justice and peace on the political conflicts that have been and are being people of west Papua casualties.

2) We ask the IPWP and ILWP and Vanuatu Government soon became the facilitator for political accountability and legal status of West Papua to the UN.

Port Numbay, West Papua, August 2, 2010.

*”WE MUST BE ENDING”*
WEST PAPUA NATIONAL COMMITTEE (KNPB)
*_
Buchtar Tabuni_*
General Chairman

Journalist murdered in West Papua, spreading fear amongst Papuan media.

Sources: FOKER LSM and Kompas
Ardiansyah Matra’is, a journalist working for Merauke TV, was found dead near the Gudang Arang river in Merauke, Papua, on Friday morning. Ardiansyah had been reported missing for two days.

He worked as a stringer for TV station Anteve and as a reporter for Papua’s Rajawali daily before joining Merauke TV.

Jojo, the chief editor of Rajawali daily, told news portal Kompas.com that journalists in Papua have been receiving death threats through text messaging over the past week.

“The SMS messages said that journalists in Papua would be killed and there would be no action from the police and the military. Several journalists had lodged a report with the Merauke Police about the death threats [they received],” Jojo said.

One text message reads: “To cowardly journalists, never play with fire if you don’t want to be burned. If you still want to make a living on this land, don’t do weird things. We have data on all of you and be prepared for death.”

Statement from FOKER LSM
Slightly abridged by Pro Papua

We are saddened to inform you that Adriansyah Matrais a member of Foker (Forum Kerja Lembaga Sosial Masyarakat, NGO working forum) has died under suspicious circumstances.

Adriansyah worked as a journalist for the Foker bi-weekly tabloid JUBI (Jujur Bicara, Honest Talk) and Merauke TV. He was initially declared missing in Merauke Regency, Papua Province on 28 July when his motorbike and helmet were found on a bridge near the River Maro. On 30 June the naked and handcuffed body of Adriansyah was discovered in the Gudang Arang River.

In an attempt to reduce the level of threats and improve the personal security situation of Adriansyah, people advised Adriansyah to cease his investigations in Jayapura Regency, Papua Province and return to his home in Merauke Regency, Papua Province.

During the period of increased intimidation, Adriansyah had been investigating financial irregularities in funding for improvements in Mandala Stadium (Jayapura Regency, Papua Province), in the plans to build a bridge over Yotefa Bay as part of a ring road for Jayapura (Jayapura Regency, Papua Province) and in the provision of electricity to Enggros Island (Jayapura Regency, Papua Province), as well as following up on unresolved human rights cases in Papua and investigating illegal logging in Keerom District, Papua Province.

In the week before the disappearance Adriansyah had become increasingly paranoid about his personal movements, according to his wife.

50 members of US congress call on Obama to place West Papua at the top of his foreign policy agenda

Source: Office of Congressmen Eni H Faleomavaega, and Donald M Payne, Washington DC

For original release, please download pdf here:
West Papua press release 7.31.10

The Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, Rep. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, and Chairman Donald M. Payne of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health have spearheaded an effort in Congress calling upon President Obama to “make West Papua one of the highest priorities of the Administration.”

As a result of their efforts, 50 Members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter to the President stating that there is strong indication that the Indonesian government has committed genocide against the Papuans.  West Papua is the half of New Guinea that was invaded by Indonesia in 1962.

While Papuan leaders have repeatedly tried to engage in dialogue with the Indonesian government, dialogues have failed to produce concrete results and Papuan leaders are now calling for an International Dialog.  In this context, signatories of the letter have asked President Obama to meet with the people of West Papua during his upcoming trip to Indonesia in November.

Many Members who signed the letter are members of the Congressional Black Caucus.  The signatories include men and women who fought for civil rights in America in the 1960s.  Younger politicians have also joined this initiative to support the people of West Papua who have suffered long enough.

In addition to the Congressional Black Caucus, many other American leaders who are long-time advocates of human rights joined this request to the President of the United States, including members of the Hispanic Caucus.  The last remaining member of the Kennedy family in Congress, Rep. Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island, also signed the letter to President Obama.

The letter to the President suggests that slow motion genocide has been taking place in West Papua and reviews findings by human rights organizations and scholars who have conducted extensive research about crimes against humanity and genocide by Indonesian security forces.  “Genocide is usually difficult to document since leaders are often reluctant to state their intention to destroy another nation, race, or ethnic group,” Members of Congress wrote.  “Even still, in 2007 Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, who was then the local regional commander (DANREM) said, ‘If I encounter elements that use government facilities, but still are betraying the nation, I will destroy them.’”

According to international agreements, other nations are legally obligated to intervene when a genocide is in process and Members of Congress remain hopeful that President Obama and the U.S. State Department will hold Indonesia accountable.  Members concluded their letter by encouraging the President to meet with the Team of 100 from West Papua during his upcoming visit, noting that President Obama has the opportunity to bring lasting change to this part of the world.

West Papua political prisoner Filep Karma warns of the danger that new US-Indonesia ties present in secret interview for Al-Jazeera

From Al-Jazeera

Around 200 people raised the Morning Star flag in Indonesia’s Papua province in December 2004, in a symbolic move to mark the Papuan independence campaign that has been pursued since 1962.

Filep Karma was arrested at that ceremony and jailed 15 years for flying the outlawed Papua flag.

And he warns, in a secretly recorded interview with Al Jazeera, that the decision to renew military co-operation between the US and Indonesia could have dangerous consequences for the Papuan people.

Watch the interview here
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/asia-pacific/2010/07/201073124515884622.html

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