Breaking News: REPORTS OF MAJOR TNI OFFENSIVES IN PUNCAK JAYA AND PANIAI

BREAKING NEWS
SATURDAY DECEMBER 3

2100 Papua time.

by westpapuamedia.info

UNCONFIRMED REPORTS:  INDONESIAN ARMY LAUNCHES SIMULTANEOUS, MASSIVE OFFENSIVES AGAINST  WEST PAPUAN ARMED FIGHTERS.

UNCONFIRMED reports have been provided to West Papua Media detailing simultaneous and massive Indonesian military offensives that have been launched against National Liberation Army/Free Papua Movement (TPN/OPM) armed struggle guerrilla units in Puncak Jaya and Paniai districts, just two days after security forces were restrained by international attention and nonviolent movement discipline from taking threatened brutal crackdown actions on peaceful flagraisers.

In Puncak Jaya – in the sub-district of Tingginambut – reports to West Papua Media from credible sources have claimed that at least one full battalion of  Kostrad soldiers (1500 combat soldiers),  plus two companies of Kopassus special forces who were deployed to Yakuhimo and Wamena ahead of the December 1 demonstrations and flagraisings, were launching a full-scale military assault on villages in the highlands.  Local human rights sources have also claimed heavy weaponry, artillery, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft are being  used in the assault, greatly increasing the risk for civilian casualties to occur.

Significant exchanges of fire have been reported from Tabuni’s forces, and according to unconfirmed reports, casualties have been sustained on both sides.

The villages around Tingginambut have been subject to regular and ongoing full-scale military punishments and raids in the hunt for the TPN forces of Goliat Tabuni, who has carried out regular attacks against Indonesia security forces personnel.

The reported offensive comes after video was released showing Tingginambut hosted a ceremony raising the banned Morning Star on December 1 attended by over a thousand local people.  Local human rights sources have claimed via SMS that a major offensive against Tabuni had been prepared  for several weeks, but that TNI were waiting for a mass act of civil nonviolent resistance to occur in order to extend an offensive against civilians in villages that are sympathetic to the Free Papua guerrillas.

Meanwhile, In the Paniai district to the west of Puncak Jaya, reports are also filtering out that a simultaneous assault is occurring on the Paniai/Enarotali TPN/OPM units of Jhon Yogi.  Local sources in Paniai have indicated that a mixed battalion of Army and paramilitary police Brimob troops are currently trading heavy gunfire with Yogi’s forces.  No information is available on the amount or nature of casualties at this stage, however the assault is taking place in a populated area of farmers gardens.

Further updates to come.


ANY JOURNALISTS OR HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORS THAT CAN ASSIST IN MAKING ENQUIRIES INTO THESE REPORTS WOULD BE PROVIDING A CRITICAL SERVICE.  PLEASE CONTACT WEST PAPUA MEDIA at editor@westpapuamedia.info or +61450079106 IF YOU GET ANY UPDATES.  THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.

Indonesia Pressured Us: PEPERA (Act of “free” Choice) 1969 Testimony

by Papuan Voices [Merauke] — via EngageMedia.Org

Dec 01, 2011

Witnesses talk about what really happened during West Papua’s (supposed) Act of Free Choice (or in Indonesian Penentuan Pendapat Rakyat, PEPERA), in July 1969. The testimonies reject the Indonesian government’s claim that the people of Papua willingly voted to be integrated with Indonesia. They say people were intimidated, tricked and even killed during the process. Mama Rosa Tambaib was the woman who read out the PEPERA statement of integration, and Elias Yos Moiwend helped the Indonesian Armed Forces to socialise PEPERA to villagers.

07:36
Video information
Produced by Papuan Voices [Merauke]
Contact write the producer
Produced Nov 29, 2011
Copyright 2011, by the Contributing Authors. Cite/attribute Resource. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License Creative Commons License

Indonesian police deny claims of four civilians being shot: Radio Australia interview with West Papua Media

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201112/s3382006.htm

Updated December 2, 2011 09:49:07

The unofficial independence day in the Indonesian province of Papua wasn’t without violence.

Four civilians are believed to have been shot and wounded by police and military after they were caught celebrating 50 years of the Free Papua Movement yesterday.

But police in the Indonesian province are denying the claim.

They say one officer was left severely injured after he was attacked by around 15 armed men in the city of Timika.

But the National Police did confirm they dispersed a mass gathering in Timika after a Morning Star flag was raised to commemorate the day.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts
Speaker:Nick Chesterfield, Editor of West Papua Media

CHESTERFIELD: Look we’ve received some pretty honest assessments of what’s going on, we’ve got a network of stringers all over West Papua and we have witnesses on the ground in Timika. We’ve got a list of names of people who’ve been shot and their injuries, so it’s pretty clear that the Indonesian police did storm the gathering and shoot people. We’ve actually got five people who were shot, including people who were shot in the head. Now the police have been usually denying all attacks and then admitting it and then trying to change the narrative of it, so pretty much every act of violence that’s been occurring in West Papua over recent weeks. But it is a concern that five people were shot in Timika, and it is absolutely confirmed that the actions by the protestors on the ground were completely non-violent and they were not attacking police in Timika.

COUTTS: Alright the five that were shot, there were no deaths?

CHESTERFIELD: Not at this stage but people have been shot in the head and upper body and there has been some pretty significant injuries. So yeah it’s not just bullet grazes.

COUTTS: So they are death threatening as well?

CHESTERFIELD: Well certainly two of the victims have life threatening injuries, yeah.

COUTTS: Now are the celebrations likely to be ongoing or is that it, just a one-day affair?

CHESTERFIELD: It generally is a commemoration on December 1, now it happened in at least 15 centres across West Papua. It is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of West Papua, which was the transitional arrangement towards independence, it was created by the Dutch. Now it was officially recognised by the Dutch as a transitional republic. So it’s certainly not just the anniversary of the formation of the Free Papua Movement, but the formation of independence in West Papua, which was taken away less than a year later with the invasion of West Papua by Indonesia.

COUTTS: Quite early in the day we were getting reports that the Morning Star was raised up a flag pole on the highest point possible. Was that taunting the Indonesian military by doing that, because it is illegal?

CHESTERFIELD: It is illegal under Indonesian law currently, but it was also made legal under international law by President Wahid in 2000 where the Morning Star flag was allowed to be flown. It is a cultural symbol as well as political symbol, so the acts of subversion and rebellion that they put on the raising of the flag are actually invalid under Indonesian law. But certainly the act of raising the flag on top of Carstensz Pyramid or Puncak Jaya as the Indonesians know it, was an act of solidarity with the Papuans by an international climber. It was certainly not done as a provocation to the Indonesian military, but rather recognition that it is West Papua’s land and West Papua’s flag should be flying across the top of its mountain.

COUTTS: Is there any evidence at this stage that the Indonesian government is releasing its grip even slightly on the West Papuans given the extent and the lack of use of Freeport over so many years?

CHESTERFIELD: Look one of the key things about events yesterday and the restraint shown by the Indonesian security forces in not cracking down, there was a briefing the other day in Jayapura by the police to all police officers to, to use a colloquial statement, to not do the wrong thing and not react with violence in any situation, because they knew that the world was actually watching. Now it is actually a testament to several things, it’s a testament to the discipline of West Papuan people in not responding to Indonesian provocations yesterday, but it’s also understanding that the international community was actually paying attention and Indonesia knows what it’s doing in Papua is wrong. It’s not really loosening its grip as such, the Indonesian military itself is trying to tighten its grip on its business operations across Papua, including the protection rackets that it runs around the Freeport mine. But certainly it has been unable to influence events in West Papua and Freeport, like the strike that’s been ongoing at the Freeport mine since July, been unable to influence it very effectively at this point to force Freeport back to production. So it’s certainly trying to increase the blood that it draws from Papua, but it’s not having very much success at this point, and certainly dialogue within Jakarta’s elite is actually starting to ask what value is the total cost of the occupation of Papua.

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacbeat/stories/m2055615.asx

SBS Radio: New dawn for West Papua struggle

02 Dec 2011

Download Episode Duration00:04:15 Download2MB
 

Papuan activists take part in a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, marking the 50th anniversary of failed efforts to declare independence. (aap)

West Papuan independence rallies pass relatively peacefully.

The relatively peaceful passing of West Papuan independence rallies in Indonesia yesterday (1 Dec) are being hailed as a breakthrough for the movement.

The Morning Star flag was illegally raised across two provinces just north of Australia, and while there was gunfire, fears of another brutal crackdown were not realised.

West Papuans have been seeking independence since Indonesia invaded in 1962, after the end of 130 years of Dutch colonial rule.

Queensland correspondent Stefan Armbruster spoke with Jason McLeod from the University of Queensland, whose speciality is the West Papuan non-violent movement.

SBS Radio: Gunfire mars West Papuan flag day celebrations

By Stefan Armbruster

Download Episode  Duration00:02:58  Download1MB

Papuan activists painted with the colors of ‘Morning Star’ separatist flag. (AAP)

Indonesian police have fired gunshots during West Papuan celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of their independence movement’s flag … the Morning Star.

Security forces had massed in the provinces just north of Australia ahead of the rallies to try to prevent the flag being raised.

There are unconfirmed reports two Papuans were shot in the regional capital Timika and that police were attacked with bows and arrows.

West Papuans have been seeking independence since Indonesia invaded in 1962 after the end of 130 years of Dutch colonial rule.

Stefan Armbruster spoke with environmental and indigenous activist Yohanis Goram during a rally in the city of Sorong.

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