News from Papua: Villagers flee to PNG, 7 arrested; DAP leader on Papua's peaceful struggle; Imparsial on need to criticise Komnas HAM

>From Bintang Papua, 19 October 2010

DOZENS FLEE TO PNG

After the Papuan Morning Star Flag was recently flown outside a
customary dwelling in Kampung Ambora, dozens of villagers have fled
across the border to Papua New Guinea, fearing that they are likely to
be hunted down by the security forces.

This was confirmed for Bintang Papua  by Decky Yakore, a member of the
district legislative council  - DPRD of Jayawijaya district..

In connection with this incident, the local police force in Jayapura -
polres Jayapura - have taken seven people into custody. They have
already been designated as suspects and will face charges under Article
110 and Article 107 of the Criminal Code, regarding conspiring to
engaged in acts to overthrow the government, and face punishment of up
to 15 years.

According to a local inhabitant named Daud (not his real name), the flag
flying occurred as the result of a provocation, and others too were
arrested. News was spread that Papua was now free, following a visit to
the area by chairman of DAP, Forkorus Yaboisembut who had just returned
from the USA, which inspired the people to unfurl the Papuan flag.

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JUBI 19 October 2010

Papuan people will use peaceful means in their struggle

Forkorus Yaboisembu, chairman od DAP, the Papuan Customary Council has
said, on his return from the USA that the US government (sic) has
promised to support the struggle of  the Papuan people.He said that
fifty members of the US Congress, along with 80 representatives of a
variety of NGOs have proclaimed their support for the Papuan struggle.

The Papuan people he said are gathering together as much data as
possible and continuing to formulate their strategy for a peaceful
struggle, he said, citing the words of the leader of the Republican
Party in the US, Michael Steele.

Forkorus also met John Miller, director of the East Timor Action
Network, to discussed ETAN's support for the Papuan struggle for
independence.

'You supported Timor Leste in their struggle for freedom, which means
that you should also support Papua's struggle for freedom.

Forkorus also used this visit to Washington to inform the US government
via the intermediary of Congress about why the Papuan people want
independence . He said they had also had a  private meeting with the
Republican Party.

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JUBI, 18 October 2010

IMPARSIAL:  Komnas HAM should be criticised

Imparsial issued a statement in Jakarta  in which it said that Komnas
HAM, the National Human Rights Commission, needs to be criticised in
connection with a number of cases of gross violations of human rights
that have occurred in Papua.

Imparsial director, Poenky Indarti said that there are many human rights
violation cases in Papua that still not been resolved. Many of the cases
have got stuck with the police and the attorney-general's office.
Poengky said: 'The police are not capable of resolving these cases.'

She said that the police are always spying on civilian activists,
especially those involved in defending human rights and always making
accusations of separatism against human rights activists.

She also said that incidents of violence continue to occur. These
include the case of Opinus Tabuni who was killed in August 2008 and the
case of the JUBI journalist Ardiansyah Matrias, who was killed on 30
July 2010.

'Human rights activists need to continue to sruggle about these cases,'
she said.