Author: westpapuamedia

Independent Journalism from West Papua to the World

Garda-P calls for all human rights violations in Papua to end immediately

JUBI, 29 May 2012
Jayapura:  Garda-P, the Papuan People’s Democracy Movement, has called on the Indonesian government to immediately halt to all acts of violence and violations of the basic human rights of the Papuan people, which they commit  in the name of the Indonesian State in order to preserve the NKRI – the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.This call was made in response to the statement made by Marty Natalagawa, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, at the 13th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) regarding  the human rights situation in Indonesia which took place in Switzerland on 23 May 2012.

The chairman of Garda-P, Bovit Bofra said: The Indonesian government should arrest and put on trial all the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and those who spread lies about the Papuan people.

In the opinion of Garda-P, acts of intimidation, terror and violence against human rights defenders, lawyers acting for those facing the charge of makar, and student activists in Papua as well as human rights violations continue to be committed by the Indonesian government.

‘The militarisation  in Papua which poses a threat to the security situation and the rights of the Papua people must stop,’ he said.

Bovit also said that there should be access to Papua for  independent observers as well as foreign journalists, so that they can see for themselves the human rights situation in Papua. This is why various human rights institutions as well as a number of countries  tabled recommendations to the  UPR and called for observers to visit Papua to see the human rights situation there.

[Translated by TAPOL]

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Peaceful protest against human rights violations in Yapen leads to arrests

by West Papua Media team

May 30, 2012

The transitional government declared by the Federated Republic of West Papua organised another peaceful demonstration on May 29, with participants from Yapen, Waropen and Mamberamo gathering to peacefully condemn ongoing acts of violence, terror and intimidation by members of the Indonesia Police and military forces (TNI).

Villages such as Daway, Kainui, Ansus, Wadapi and others around Yapen are under constant threat and fear from Indonesian security forces, according to rally organisers outlining the reasons for holding another demonstration on the restive island.

Crowds began to gather for a series of long marches in the villages of Mantembu, Warari and at the courtyard of the DPRD (Papuan Legislative Council) office in Serui. At 9:30am, WP local time, police and TNI were already blockading the road to prevent the peaceful action from going ahead, with police seizing one car being used for the rally.

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More than five hundred people were expected at the gathering, with large numbers of heavily armed police and military personnel creating a show of force against the peaceful gathering. According to sources in Serui who spoke to West Papua Media, the security forces were present to intimidate and stimulate fear to discourage activists from carrying out the action.

Meanwhile, Police seized nine black banners outlining Papuan people’s demands and aspirations, with one banner demanding an end to constant military intimidation and terror. As another long march was making its way from Mantembu, it was blockaded and stopped by the military-police apparatus in the village of Warari.

At 4 pm, local time, two trucks from TNI attacked Wadapi village and many locals seek refuge in the bush. Many people are still in hiding until now.

Pieter Hiowati, spokesperson for FRWP Governor of Yapen/Waropn and Mamberamo Daud Abon, told West Papua Media that the DPRD office in Serui has been turned into an Indonesian military headquarters. The DPRD office was fully guarded by heavily armed military and police, both inside and outside of the building. “It is sad but it’s a reality, the demand of the people falls on deaf ears from staff members in DPRD and responded with heavy military presence,” said Hiowati.

Approximately 800 representatives of indigenous people from Saireri went to the DPRD office to express their aspirations in a peaceful and disciplined manner, however police still arrested four people. Those still held in the Serui police station cells include a mother, Lea Kumumbuy (later released at 7 pm), while three others – Josep Mangge, Josep Rudamaga and Jeremias Rabrageri – are still shackled in Serui police prison, according to local advocates.

Note:
On Friday May 25, governor of Saireri under FRWP, Daud Abon, has been presented with a police summons for him (No: S.Pgl/251/2012/Reskrim), notifying that he has been charged with a criminal act of treason (makar) and investigation must be carried out for the rally organized on May 23.

West Papua Media

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Papuan Peace Network continue to make preparations for dialogue

JUBI, 26 May 2012According to Muridan Widjojo of the Papuan Peace Network (JDP), the network is still working on the correct format for a dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Papuan community.

‘We are still preparing the best format for the dialogue. The Revd  Neles Tebay is working on consolidation in Papua and we here in Jakarta are trying to find the correct format. It// may seem as though the JDP  is now stagnant but this is because  we are not revealing everything we are doing to the general public,’ Muridan told JUBI.

He went on to say that the JDP is doing everything it can to reach the maximum possible consolidation regarding all the components within the network so as to make sure that the situation doesn’t go backwards, as well as trying to consolidate components  which are not yet involved in the dialogue.’

He said that there was still a question about who will be invited to take part in the dialogue. ‘Will it be with Forkorus and his colleagues? Will it be with the West Papuan National Authority? Or who will it be with? And will the Papuan people  accept the results? These are questions that we are still discussing.’

Asked about the influence on Indonesia of the session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations which took place in Geneva from 23 – 25 May this year, he said that it would certainly have an influence on the government as well as on the implementation of the dialogue itself.

‘Particularly with regard to the security situation, this must be the priority of the  Indonesian government,’ said this senior academic of LIPI, the Indonesian Association of the Sciences.

Translated by TAPOL

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South Sorong police drive away Papuan women traders

JUBI, 17 May 2012Teminabuan,  South Sorong:

The local administration in South Sorong, Papua, along with the police have destroyed a market run by Papuan women  who are known as  mama-mama.  Their tables, chairs and the goods for sale were all destroyed . And then the mama-mama were forcibly removed  These actions commenced on Friday 11 May  and have continued until now,

This was reported by Sarce Safles, one of the women who is responsible for the trading activities of the mama-mama, in a message sent to Jubi.

She said that beforehand the local government had called a meeting with some of the traders, while others had not been invited.

She said that at the meeting which she had attended, the women who were present  explained about what happened to them. ‘We said that the mama-mama should be allowed to continue with their trading business at the usual location because conditions there very busy and good for business.There are many people living in the area which means that there any many people who will purchase goods on sale. Besides this, the location is regarded as sacred.

The local government people ignored all these points made by the women, On 10 May, the assistant secretary of the local administration along with members of the local police descended on the location, smashed up everything  and forced the women to leave. These acts of destruction continue on the following day and on then on Friday, other marketing places were smashed up and the traders were told to move to another location.

But there is no one is living at this new place, which means that there is no one there to buy anything, yet even so the local government continued their destructive activities.

To this day, these activities are still going on and traders are still being forced to find somewhere else. to carry on with their business.

However the mama-mama are determined to remain at their old place for three reasons. First of all, they have been trading there for a long time already., secondly it is a very convenient place for these activities and thirdly, it is a sacred location.

For all these reasons, the mama-mama have decided to stand their ground but the government’s response was to mobilise the police, destroy the market.and smash up their tables and chairs.

The women did try to returned to their old market in Ampera  because the new location was a very great distance away, it was difficult to access and without anyone around who would buy anything. It is about three kms away and neither cycles nor motor cars cannot approach the new market place. Yet even so, the local government is forcing the women to move there.

An activist in Jayapura who confirmed all this information said: ‘The mama-mama traders have every right to insist on staying at that place and the local government should not behave in this way. They have no right to force the women to do anything.’ In her opinion, the local government should be facilitating the traders  and should be responsible for providing profitable market places for the women.

Slightly abridged translation by TAPOL

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UN has begun to open its eyes to the Papua problem

BINTANG PAPUA,  23 May 2012

Jayapura: The continued perpetration of state violence and human rights violations in Indonesia  and especially in West Papua have begun to gain awareness in the international community. This is evident from the  UN Hiuman Rights Council in Geneva on 23 May  at which almost seventy countries expressed their concern about state violence  and human rights abuses in Indonesian and especially in West Papua.

This was stated by the General Chairman of the Alliance of Baptist Churches in Papua, the Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman, referring to their network in Jakarta and also the international community. ‘We have monitored all this from reliable sources via the intermediary of our own network,’ he told Bintang Papua.

According to this highly vocal religious leader, the governments of the USA, Japan, Denmark and Germany have called on the Indonesian government to allow access to West Papua and also to release Filep Karma unconditionally ‘This also includes other political prisoners without exception whose cases are being discussed, including that of Forkorus and his colleagues.’

He went on to say that the German government  has also called on the Indonesian government to stop using Articles 106 and 110 of the Criminal Code [against Papuans].

The international community, he said,  via the intermediary of UN institutions have opened their eyes  to the sufferings of the Indonesian people and of the Papuan people who  experience injustice and violence as well as State crimes. There are no grounds whatever for the Indonesian government to deny access to Papua for the international media and for diplomats from other countries.

It is now time for the Indonesian government to put an end to all their fabrications and lies  about the issue of Papua. It is now time for the Indonesian government to enter into dialogue on the basis of equal status between the two sides to bring an end to the violence and crimes against humanity in the Land of Papua. ‘All this international pressure is also related to the failure of the Special Autonomy Law for Papua as the political solution of the Papua question. All these actions of so-called affirmative  action have been a total failure while State crimes and violence  have got even worse, causing so many sufferings for the indigenous Papuan people, said Sofyan Yoman in a press release.

[Slightly abridged translation by TAPOL]

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