Category: News alert

Selpius Bobii disappeared briefly by prison authorities objecting to music rehersal

May 3, 2012

by West Papua Media sub-editors*

As preparations were underway for mass non-violent demonstrations across West Papua on Monday, 30 April, an incident occurred simultaneously inside Abepura prison between prison guards and inmates. Local stringers informed West Papua Media that Selpius Bobii, one of the ‘Jayapura Five’ political prisoners (and organisers of the Third Papuan People’s Congress) had a verbal confrontation with a prison officer during lunch time, after prison officials refused his permission for a music rehearsal.

“The incident occurs between prisoners and prison officers April 30th, 2012”, said Gustaf Kawer, legal representative of  the ‘Jayapura Five’  political prisoners.

A simple misunderstanding escalated into armed prison security forces sweeping and raiding inmates’ cells on Monday evening.  West Papua Media was notified through local stringers on Tuesday that around 10pm, Monday, West Papuan local time, Selpius Bobii was taken out from his cell and taken away. Simultaneously, sweeping was carried out inside the prison that left several inmates bruised and beaten, and all inmates locked down indefinitely in isolation in their cells.

The West Papua Media team made direct contact on Tuesday night to the ironically named Head of Abepura Prison, Liberty Sutinja.  Mr. Sutinjah said he “was not at liberty to speak over the phone due to (prison) protocol.”

West Papua Media rang Mr Sutinja again today, Thursday, 03 May 2012, around 11am local time but he refused to speak and switch off his mobile phone after the third attempt.

Mr. Kawer further mentioned that as of Monday, from May 1 to 7, 2012, visits and access to prisoners – including Mr. Yaboisembut and Mr. Waromi – from families, clergy and lawyers are effectively closed.

Kawar urgently calls for the Regional Office and Human Rights Office of Papua Province to open up access to the detainees in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The regulations regarding visits outlines the terms and procedure guaranteed for prisoners rights to have access and visits whilst in prison.

Article 1, paragraph 32/1999 states that, “every prisoners and juveniles are entitled to receive visits from family, legal counsel or other or appointed person”.

Since Tuesday, unconfirmed reports sent to West Papua Media via SMS are stating that Selpius Bobii was believed to be transferred to Polda Papua – Papua Regional Police prison.

As this article went to press, information was provided by credible legal sources to West Papua Media that Selpius Bobii will be taken back to Abepura prison tomorrow, Friday, 04 May, 2012. According to the source, activities should be back to normal and prison visits from families are reinstated as of 3 May 2012.

westpapuamedia

*West Papua Media’s Editor is away recovering from serious health issues.

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Mass Rallies across West Papua challenge anniversary of Indonesian invasion

Ten Thousand Defy Police bans to march; flotilla of war canoes fly banned flags

from West Papua Media and local sources

May 1, 2012

Indonesian security forces are currently preparing to disperse a mass  demonstration near Serui, as tens of thousands of people take to the streets across West Papua to reject the Indonesian annexation of West Papua
on May 1 1963.

The yearly demonstration are being held by two sectors of West Papua civil resistance _ the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Jayapura, Puncak Jaya and Sorong, and the Federated Republic of West Papua (FRWP) has organised similar rallies in Manokwari, Yapen Island, and Fak-fak. Indonesian Police have generally allowed the rallies to occur across Papua, however in Yapen, Police have banned all gatherings from occuring across Yapen, and have reportedly blockaded all marches.

According to the FRWP, Head of Police in Serui Regency, Roycke Harry Langie S.IK MH, refused permission for the Federated Republic of West Papua to hold its rally, even while citing rights under Indonesian regulation No. 9/1998 concerning free speech in public spaces.

“The Police Commander’s order not only violates Regulation No. 9, but also Article 28 of the Indonesian Constitution 1945” said Jacob Rumbiak, Head of Foreign Affairs for FRWP.

Despite this ban, over 10,000 people have reportedly gathered at Wombai Beach outside Serui on Yapen. According to West Papua Media sources spoken to by phone, Ten Canoes (large outrigger war canoes) flying Morning Star flags, full of demonstrators from outlying islands, are about to land. However the Kapolres Roycke Harry Langie, is at the time publication using a loudhailer to try to force the boats to furl their flags and Morning Star paraphernalia, though it is understood that the boat crews are refusing to do. The situation is described as tense and dynamic, with the chance for armed Naval action occuring against the war canoes. However permission has just been granted for the rally to continue until 2pm local time, when a forces dispersal would be made if not already done.

In Manokwari already about 30 morning star flags have been raised in from of the Manokwari district DAP office. Around 20 have been raised during a Long march fromm the UNIPA university campus to the DAP office.  Up to 5000 people are now believed to have gathered listening to speeches and carrying on more Long marches.

Photos from Manokwari below:

No news has yet been confimred from Jayapura at this stage.

This is a developing situation – more updates as they come to hand. Please stay tuned.

West Papua Media


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Indonesia conducts more culpable targetting of leading Papuan politicians

 PRESS RELEASE – FEDERATED REPUBLIC OF WEST PAPUA

1 May 2012

The Indonesian Republic’s top-level intelligence of its special forces (KOPASSUS) held a secret meeting in Manokwari on Friday 27 April 2012 to finalize plans for the kidnapping and assasination of key leaders of the Federated Republic of West Papua.

The leak shows those named for elimination as President Forkorus Yaboisembut and Prime Minister Edison Waromi.  Other listed are Aluis Aso and Sius Ayemi; Hendrik Warmetan, Edison Kendi and Daud Abon from Serui;  Markus Yenu and Billy Auparay from Manokwari.

At its inauguration on 19 October 2011, the Federated Republic of West Papua outlined its intention—and policy—of charging politicians as well as military commanders for war crimes.

Today on 1 May 2012, in non-violent rallies across the territory, the Republic is demanding concerted action by the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Nations in down-grading the level of Indonesian militarism and governance in West Papua.

Head of Police in Serui Regency, Roycke Harry Langie S.IK MH, refused permission for the Federated Republic of West Papua to hold its rally, even while citing rights under Indonesian regulation No. 9/1998 concerning free speech in public spaces.

“The Police Commander’s order not only violates Regulation No. 9, but also Article 28 of the Indonesian Constitution 1945” said Jacob Rumbiak.

“The Indonesian government is jammed between the political sophistication of the Papuan Republic and the Australian, American, and British governments fiscal support for its Special Autonomy projects” he added.

Interviews available (English, Indonesian) – Please contact West Papua Media

(West Papua Media has spoken with Markus Yenu, one of those targeted, and he has confirmed that he has personally seen the intelligence documents, and is fearful for his safety.)

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An Agribusiness Attack in West Papua: Unravelling the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate

PRESS RELEASE FROM awasMIFEE

April 25, 2012

Announcing the publication of a new report into a major land grab in West Papua:

“An Agribusiness Attack in West Papua: Unravelling the Merauke
Integrated Food and Energy Estate” is now online at:
http://awasmifee.potager.org
(direct pdf download: http://awasmifee.potager.org/uploads/2012/03/mifee_en.pdf )

AwasMIFEE

The Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) is a vast mega-project, a plan for over a million hectares of plantations and industrialised agriculture that threatens the people and environment across the southern part of West Papua. Indonesian and foreign companies have each claimed their share of the land, and offer the local Malind people next-to-nothing in exchange for the forest that has sustained them for countless generations.

West Papua, where the MIFEE project is set to take place, is a conflict zone. The Papuan people have been struggling for decades for their freedom and self-determination. West Papua is also the next frontier for Indonesia’s plantations industry – after Sumatra and Borneo’s forests have been decimated for the pulp and oil-palm industries, now Papua becomes the target. Although some plantations already exist, MIFEE represents another order of magnitude, opening the floodgates to development projects across Papua in which the losers will be the Papuan people.

awasMIFEE! has been created as an act of solidarity with the social and ecological struggles of the people of Merauke and elsewhere in West Papua. We believe that it is important that people outside of West Papua also know what is happening in Merauke. However, information available about MIFEE can be confusing – much of it comes from different companies and government bodies, and each have their own way of describing the project that fits with their own interests and objectives.

By compiling information from different sources, such as reports from the villages affected, from NGOs and other groups, from Papuan, Indonesian and financial media, from local and national government, and from company websites, we have tried to unravel what MIFEE is likely to mean for the people of Merauke. We hope that a more coherent understanding of how this land grab is taking shape will be of interest to people who are interested in West Papua, in the defence of forests and forest peoples, in the struggles against agro-fuels and against the growth of industrialised agriculture.

Most of all we hope that this information can be the catalyst for action! Our initiative is independent, unconnected to the programs of any NGO, and we hope it can also be a source of inspiration.

The report “An Agribusiness Attack in West Papua : Unravelling the
Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate” is an attempt to give an
overview of the situation in April 2012. It focusses on the following areas:

  • Background information – to understand MIFEE in the context of West
  • Papua, it’s history and struggles, and the local Malind people.
  • What is MIFEE – how MIFEE presents itself as the answer to Indonesia’s food security needs. But is it actually just an excuse for oil palm and logging companies to conquer new territory? A look at the difference between the propaganda and the reality of development in Merauke.
  • Reports from villages: A summary of news of what has been happening on the ground around the MIFEE project area, compiled from reports of NGOs that have visited the area, local media and letters sent from villagers.
  • Company Profiles: Tracing where the money comes from behind each proposed plantation.
    • Which of Indonesia’s top business conglomerates are involved?
    • How South Korean companies have been buying up plantations.
    • How Australia’s top-selling sugar brand is connected to forest destruction in Papua.

News of further developments will be posted on the website, and from
time to time updates containing news of all recent developments will be published.

[awasMIFEE minta ma’af karena versi Bahasa Indonesia belum siap. Laporan masih dalam proses terjemahan. Semoga dalam waktu dekat kami akan menerbit versi Bahasa Indonesia]

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Journalists and foreign NGOs banned from visiting Papua

JUBI, 22nd April 2012

During the course of 2010 – 2011, the Indonesian Government has restricted the number of foreign journalists who are given access to enter Papua and report on the situation there.  As well as journalists, a number of foreign NGOs have been prevented from functioning in West Papua.

All this was said in a report issued by the Faith-Based Network on West Papua, Franciscan International, Papua Land of Peace and the Asian Human Rights Commission which was launched at the P3W Aula in Padang Bulan on 21 April. The report states that in January 2011, Peace Brigades International (PBI) closed its operations in Papua and left Indonesia.

After working in the province for six years,  the lack of legality for its work and visa problems were among the factors that made it impossible for the PBI to offer protection for human rights defenders who were under threat. Two years earlier, in 2008, the International Committee of the Red Cross was ordered by the Indonesian Government to close its offices in Papua and Aceh..

The report also states that even though some foreign journalists were granted permits to vist many parts of Indonesia, access to Papua was restricted. Journalists who were granted access were followed and restricted in their activities. In May, 2010, the French journalist Baudouin Koenig was arrested by the Indonesian police because he was taking photos of a peaceful demonstration in the city of Jayapura. even though he was in possession of a journalist’s visa that permitted him to write  reports about all parts of Indonesia, including the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

Kristina Naubauer, the co-ordinator of the Faith-Based Network on Papua, said that up to this day, the world at large knows nothing about Papua because the Indonesian Government refuses to grant access to foreign journalists, to human rights activists and to other observers from outside Indonesia.

‘Up to this day, when we people from outside Indonesia give talks about Papua, no-one knows anything about Papua. People ask us, ‘Where is Papua?’  she said during the launch of the report about human rights in Papua in 2010 – 2011.

[Translated by TAPOL]

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