Author: westpapuamedia

Independent Journalism from West Papua to the World

Manokwari pro-Referendum rallies May 2: Photo Report

From Alfred Auparai (Executive Secretary) & Markus Yenu (Exec Governor), West Papua National Authority, Area II Domberai

The masses came together from different directions and assembled at the rally point following the call for peaceful protest. The crowd that consisted of students and common people started to move towards the Banyan Tree at UNIPA Manokwari together with the protest Coordinator (Alex Nekemen) and speakers, amongst them Silas Ayemi (secretary area Bintuni WPNA),  Abraham Waynarisy (SH Chairman Solidaritas Pemuda Melanesia Papua Barat SPMPB) and KNPB. Political orations were held accompanied by slogans of Papua Merdeka along the way.

The crowd started at 10:30 with the long march around the city of Manokwari towards an open field, on the route the executive governor of the West Papua National Authority area 2 Domberei, Tuan Markus Yenu, gave political speeches. In front of the office of the State Attourney of the Republic of Indonesia Markus Yenu openly inquired about the detainees of the december 14th incident Melkianus Bleskadit, Rev. Dance Yenu together with 5 students from UNIPA Manokwari who are kept in detention already 4 months and their case is moved from table to table within the Indonesian police.

Manokwari, may 2nd 2011

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Photo News: Thousands of people of West Papua Rally to Demand Referendum

Morning Star flag, Flag of West Papua
Image via Wikipedia

2 May 2010

by Victor Yeimo and sources

Jayapura: Thousands of the people of West Papua, coordinated by the West Papua National Committee, held rallies across Papua today to demand referendum to be held in West Papua. The demonstration was to commemorate the illegal occupation by Indonesia in West Papua in May 1, 1961. They also give full mandate to the government of Vanuatu, International Lawyers for West Papua( ILWP) and International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) to bring the political issue of West Papua to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The rally was carried out from Sentani, Abepura and Jayapura. Many people came from every regency, town  and city; many participants from Students, Indonesia security force victims, and the witnesses of Pepera 1969 (the illegal act of Free choice). The streets along the city of Abe, Jayapura and Sentani were brought to complete standstill with no activities able to occur other than the rallies

At the Lingkaran Abe, the central of city in Abepura, there was a mass sit-in, where open platform speeches were made by participants, and a joint petition was signed.

According to Victor Yeimo, International Spokesperson of KNPB, this rally was held to demonstrate to the Indonesian and international community that the people of West Papua want self-determination thought a Referendum as a final and democratic solution. “We want to show Indonesia and the international community that we are not just a handful of people who want independence. All people of West Papua want to be free”.

Mako Tabuni, KNPB vice chairman, read the petition and invited the people of West Papua to unite, and support the legal process which is being driven at the international level. Benny Wenda as a West Papuan leader in exile, also spoke directly from London via mobile to the thousands of people of West Papua at the rally..

This peaceful demonstration ended at 5:00 P.M. The KNPB also invited West Papuan people to join the next demonstrations to be held across all of West Papua.

For further info contact westpapuamedia for local number

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DAP – Straighten history of annexation of West Papua

FROM DEWAN ADAT PAPUA via SMS

PAPUA NEWS: May 2 2011.

Today there will be major demonstrations across Papua.  The objectives for today are:

1. to commemorate that today is the anniversary of the annexation of West Papua by Indonesia using the New York Agreement and brutal military operations by the Indonesian military;

2. to challenge and resist the annexation of West Papua by Indonesia, and to continue follow up the demands by the 2nd Papuan Peoples‘ Congress to take the straightening of the history of Papua’s annexation by Indonesia to the next stage;  the first stage was successful historical review of the Act of Free Choice written by Professor Pieter Drooglever.

3. to give support to International Lawyers for West Papua, with 60 international lawyers and the Government of Vanuatu who are assisting with a legal challenge to the annexation and Act of Free Choice of West Papua, that will occur on 2nd August 2011 in London, UK.

The Coordinator of demonstrations across Papua is KNPB (Komite Nasional Papua Barat or West Papua National COmmittee).  Demonstrations are also occurring in Biak, Serui, Manokwari, Sorong as well as Jayapura.  Currently, approximately 2000 people are gathered outside the Governor’s office in Jayapura, conducting peaceful protests, political speeches, and placards.

It is not known at this stage if security forces are attempting any dispersals.

(with aditional reporting from westpapuamedia.info)

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Indo Police Arrest 6 KNPB Activists in Wamena, West Papua; major tension on streets

from West Papua National Committee [KNPB] on 30 April 2011 jam 17:35

Wamena, West Papua, Saturday April 30 2011

Six people, including a 10-year-old child, have been arrested in West Papua for delivering leaflets promoting major pro-democracy mobilisations across the country scheduled for May 2.

According to Victor Yeimo, international spokesperson for activist group KNPB the names and ages of the arrested activists are Baroy Sambom (24), Etus Wandik (29), Victor Kepno (19), Agustinus Mabel (20), Tohmas Loho (21 and Yarimi Yare (10).

He said: “We got information directly from Simion Dabi, chairman of KNPB Wamena, that the six men are still being questioned by Indonesian Police in Wamena.”

Meanwhile, in Jayapura, West Papua, reports are coming in that the government pressure on activists is mounting. Large numbers of Indonesian troops (TNI) are patrolling and placing red and white Indonesian flags on most street corners. They are also forcing West Papuans to fly red and white flags in front of their homes to commemorate the annexation of Papua into Indonesia on May 1, 1962.

KNPB, through demonstrations coordinator Mako Tabuni, has urged the people of West Papua to not be affected by the provocation of the TNI and to stay focused on the agenda of the demonstrations on May 2. According to its plan, announced last week, KNPB is organising the people of West Papua to commemorate the annexation more somberly as the beginning of oppression in Papua under Indonesian control. It is calling for mass demonstrations to demand a new referendum over the sovereignty of West Papua.

Phone contact available to sources via westpapuamedia.info; please click on contact page for more details.

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PT Medco refuses to pay compensation for Papuan land used for three years

[COMMENT: Here is a major company bemoaning its fate if required to pay compensation for Papuan land, without acknowledging that its operations have certainly led to the devastation of the livelihoods of the people whose land it has been using for three years. How does one weigh the demise of a company against the lives and livelihoods of indigenous Papuan people who are bereft of the land that is the very heart and soul of their physical and spiritual beings?  This is the first time we have read reports  about the absence of any compensation for Papuan people. It sums up a problem besetting Papuan people across the length and breadth of West Papua. TAPOL]JUBI, 21 April 2011

The inhabitants of Sanggase kampung, district  of Okaba, district of Merauke, have submitted a demand for compensation of sixty-five billion rupiahs from PT Medco for their operations in the kampung for the past three years, but they have had no response from the company.

In other words, the company has simply washed its hands and is not prepared to pay any compensation.

At a meeting held on Thursday this week with the district chief (bupati) of Merauke which was also attended by representatives of the local administration and military chiefs, as well as a number of local people, the representative of PT Medco in Papua Aradea Arifin,  said that paying compensation  of sixty-billion rupiahs  would mean that the company would not be able to function any more.

He said that the land being used by the company is 2,800 hectares. Should such a large amount of money be paid in a case like this?. ‘It simply means asking us to close down our company,’ he said. ‘So it is quite impossible for us to pay the community such a huge amount of money.’

He claimed that during the years of its operations in Kampung Boepe, the company had  given assistance to the local people in the form of building houses, building a church, provided motor cycles and so on which he claimed meant that the company  had acknowledged the problems confronted by the people there

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