Category: Press Release

End the violence against Papuan journalists: Oktovianus Pogau

A statement issued by Pantau Foundation and Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

 

Jakarta (23 October 2012):- Police today attacked a journalist covering a rally organised by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Manokwari in West Papua. Oktovianus Pogau, a reporter with Suara Papua and a contributor to the Yayasan Pantau, was beaten by five policemen while trying to take pictures of police use of excessive violence against the KNPB demonstrators in front of the State University of Papua, Manokwari. Pogau had displayed his press card, but some police did not stop the beating. He sustained injuries to his face.

 

The security forces had attempted to stop the rally but the KNPB activists went on with the demonstrations.

 

In Jayapura, police dispersed thousands of demonstrators using the water cannon and tear gas. In Manokwari, five people were reportedly shot but it is still not clear their conditions.

 

In 2011, two journalists were killed in Papua, eight were kidnapped and 18 attacked. Foreign journalists are required to apply for special permits to enter and cover stories in Papua since Indonesia took over the administration of West Papua in 1963. Only three news organizations, including BBC, obtained the permits last year.

 

Pantau Foundation and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance condemn the attacks against the media, especially in Papua where activists, human rights defenders and journalists are frequently targeted for their work. Since October, two veteran human rights defenders, respectively from Wamena and Jayapura, have moved out of Papua due to serious threats against them. 

 

We call on the police to:

 

1. Respect the rights of citizens to freedom of expression;

 

2. Ensure the safety of Oktovianus Pugao;

 

3. Stop all forms of violence against journalists;

 

4. Arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of violence.

 

 

 

We also call on the Indonesian government to:

 

1.    Open up Papua to international journalists and human rights monitors; and

2.    Guarantee the rights of all journalists working in West Papua  to ensure they can work free of violence, hindrance or intimidation from any members of the security forces

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Commonwealth Attorney-General should push for inquiry into human rights abuses while in Indonesia

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Media Release

www.hrlc.org.au
For immediate release: Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Commonwealth Attorney-General should push for inquiry into human rights abuses while in Indonesia

The Commonwealth Attorney-General should push for a full, independent and public investigation into the alleged involvement of an Indonesian counter-terrorism unit in human rights abuses in West Papua, according to a leading human rights advocacy organisation.

Nicola Roxon is in Indonesia this week for a series of meetings with her Indonesian counterparts on issues of law and justice.

According to a post by Winters & Yonker, P.A., Ms Roxon’s visit comes just a month after the ABC’s 7.30 program aired evidence that an Indonesian counter-terrorism unit, which receives extensive training and support from the Australian Federal Police, has been involved in torture and extra-judicial killings in West Papua. The evidence included interviews with victims and witnesses, together with video of alleged incidents of abuse by the unit, known as Detachment 88.

“The Attorney-General should advise her Indonesian counterparts that Australia will suspend support for Detachment 88 pending a full, independent and public investigation into the alleged involvement of its members in recent human rights abuses in West Papua,” said Phil Lynch, Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre.

In 2008, the US cut off assistance to Detachment 88 due to human rights concerns.

Previous allegations of torture and ill-treatment perpetrated by members of Detachment 88 – together with Indonesia’s special forces, known as Kopassus – have been verified by Human Rights Watch and brought to the attention of the Australian Government.

“While Indonesia bears primary responsibility for protecting and ensuring respect for human rights within its provinces, Australia’s human rights obligations do not end at our borders,” said Mr Lynch.

“Australia has a legal and moral duty to ensure that our military and security cooperation with Indonesia does not in any way aid, assist or otherwise support operations which may lead to human rights violations,” he said.

According to the Human Rights Law Centre, as part of our commitment to human rights and the rule of law, Australia should develop a vetting procedure to ensure that units and members of military and security forces accused of human rights violations are precluded from receiving Australian support until those allegations are fully investigated and perpetrators held to account.

“Ms Roxon should commit to making human rights safeguards central to all policies and practices relating to Australia’s police and security cooperation with Indonesia,” said Mr Lynch.

“She should also commit to ensuring that human rights education is a significant and essential component of any training provided to Indonesian units and forces.”

Mr Lynch said that, far from “meddling” in Indonesia affairs, such an approach would be consistent with Australia’s responsibility to show principled leadership and act as a force for peace, security and stability in the region.


For further information or comments, contact Phil Lynch, Executive Director, on 0438 776 433 or phil.lynch@hrlc.org.au  

www.hrlc.org.au
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Wamena Bomb Scenario is false: Open letter from Wamena KNPB chief

Open Letter/ Statement from Simeon Dabi, Chairman of KNPB Baliem

October 15, 2012

On September 20 2012, I, Simeon Dabi, Head of the KNPB (National Committee for West Papua), was in Jayapura and received a telephone call from Kasat Reskrim Agus Supriadi Siswanto about bombings that occurred in two places: a Traffic Police Post at Irian street, Wamena and at the Jayawijaya Province Parliament Building. I was urged to immediately come to Wamena. On the 27th of September I received another telephone call urging me to quickly come to Wamena about the bombing case there. I arrived in Wamena on Friday September 28th, 2012, and when I arrived at Wamena airport I directly headed to the Jayawijaya Traffic Police Post so that I could become a witness to the treason charges against two of my colleagues, Enos Itlay and Semi Sambom who were arrested on July 1st 2012 related to possessing an OPM (Free Papua Movement) document.

Once I arrived at Jayawijaya Police District Command, I immediately met with Kasat Reskrim Agus Supriadi Siswanto in his office. I was asked many questions about the treason case against my two colleagues, then forced to become a witness for my two colleagues from 11:09-15:27 WPB. I was asked a number of questions including: “Where is the KNPB Secretariat at the moment?” to which my answer was that the KNPB does not yet have a clear secretariat; “What is the total number of KNPB members?” to which my answer was the entire Papuan society; “Does the KNPB wish to separate itself from the United Republic of Indonesia?” to which my answer was the KNPB is a medium for the people and the people will decide.

After this I went home. One day later, on Saturday 29th September 2012, at 5:15pm. The Traffic Police together with Densus 88 troops carried out a sweep and ambush of the KNPB secretariat of the Baliem-Wamena Region with goals that are not clear. In my opinion, the sweep of the KNPB secretariat was done because from the time of the bombing until when I arrived in Wamena, officers had not been able to find the bombers, due to the fact that Kasat told me last time that they will give imbalah (poss. transl. money to God?) to find the bombers.

Until now I am deeply surprised and do not believe that the sweep carried out by police officers found homemade bomb materials in the KNPB Baliem-Wamena Secretariat office – it is not true!! This is proof that the police were not able to find the bomber, so the KNPB were framed by the Jayawijaya Chief of Police. It is a political scenario to frame West Papuan civil society, especially people in the central highlands of West Papua.

Sweeping and arbitrary arrests of civilians by the Military/Jayawijaya Police occurred in places including Kurulu district, Wosi and Kimban district on Sunday 30th September 2012, at 5:00am Papuan time.

From then until now, the Military/Jayawijaya Police are carrying out pursuits and arrests of all KNPB members, even KNPB people throughout the entire Central Highlands region of West Papua, and are entering into villages.

From the brief description above, as head of the KNPB Baliem-Wamera, I have several concluding questions:

  1. Why was I, head of KNPB Wamena, made to immediately come from Jayapura in relation to the Wamena bombing case?
  2. What is my connection to the bombings that occurred in Wamena whilst I was in Jayapura?
  3. Why upon my arrival at Wamena did Kasat of Jayawijaya Police force me to search for the bomber?
  4. After I was interrogated at Jayawijaya police, one day later Jayawijaya Police District Command carried out sweeps at the KNPB Baliem-Wamena Secretariat. How and from where did police get an explosive?
  5. Are Papuan people, particularly people of Wamena, capable of designing/creating a homemade bomb?

Conclusion:

The Military/Police have created a political scenario in order to frame the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Baliem-Wamena with a criminal offence. Police are the main troublemakers in Wamena, the Wamena bombers are themselves actors of state security forces. (emphasis added by WPM)

Police officers of the Republic of Indonesia: Why does a united nation need national security? Police are security for the United Republic of Indonesia. In simple language, police are often called ‘security’. Police are often also called troublemakers in situations of national security?? Is the role and function of Indonesian Police as security or troublemaker?? Especially throughout all parts of West Papua, police are vandals of national security that always act outside the procedure/law of the United Republic of Indonesia.

Simeon Dabi is currently being held in the Jayawijaya Police HQ prison in Wamena and there are grave fears for his safety, his access to legal representation, and the likelihood of a fair and impartial trial.

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Statements from Indon parliamentarians on Papua should greatly concern Australian Govt, international community

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Media release

5 October 2012

Statements coming out of the Indonesian House of Representatives should be of great concern to the Australian Government and the international community . Joe Collins of AWPA said that statements reported in an article in the Jakarta Globe “House bangs drum of war in Papua” , must create fear in the West Papuan people who have already suffered so much from Indonesian military operations. Statements from the deputy chairman of Commission 1, Tubagus Hasanuddin such as “To keep Papua integrated with the country we must encourage the TNI to do what they have to do in Papua” And ” that the House was yet to give political support for any TNI offensive against the separatist movement in Papua, but it would not hesitate to back it if the occasion demanded”.

Joe Collins of AWPA said that “these statements indicate a new crackdown is likely to occur against so called separatists in West Papua and as usual the Indonesian authorities are trying to blame the problems in West Papua on overseas groups”. “Certain pro-
independence figures, who are living overseas, use this opportunity to nurture opposition against the government. The people have obviously welcomed [the idea of independence]. Therefore, we must seriously do something about it,” Tubagus said.

AWPA is calling on the Australian Government to raise concerns about these statements and follow the lead of PNGs Prime Minister Peter O’Neill who said he will raise concerns over human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian Military in West Papua with the government of Indonesia.

The ABC 7.30 program reported last night that Detachment 88 had launched a fresh crackdown in West Papua detaining eight men who they accuseof bomb making. However the KNPB said the explosives were planted and they are been framed to justify the squad’ activities.

Detachment 88 is trained and funded by Australia.

From Joe Collins, Australia West Papua Association.

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Papuan Prisoner of Conscience Filep Karma in Jakarta for Medical Treatment

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Press Release – Karma family

Papuan Prisoner of Conscience Filep Karma in Jakarta

for Medical Treatment

Jakarta, Indonesia [27 September 2012].

Filep Karma, a political prisoner of conscience from Papua, has attended a two-week medical treatment in Jakarta hospital and now is back in the Abepura prison in West Papua. He arrived in Jakarta on September 14 and took a colonoscopy treatment in PGI Cikini hospital, Jakarta.

Indonesian physicians in Jayapura, who earlier examined Karma with simple equipment, suspected that he has a colon tumor. As it is not possible to conduct a colonoscopy in West Papua the physicians referred him to the hospital in Jakarta.

Karma was imprisoned in 2004 and is serving 15 years in prison for participating in a peaceful independence demonstration and for raising the Morning Star flag, an important Papuan symbol of independence.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared him a political prisoner in September 2011, asking the Indonesian government to immediately and unconditionally release Karma. The government, however, denies the existence of “political prisoners” in Indonesia. His injuries were sustained from acts of torture inflicted on him while in prison. He also injured his hip during a falling in 2006.

It took nearly six months for Karma to be able to be transferred to Jakarta despite this referral. Abepura prison officials, under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, have refused to cover cost of his medical treatment and travel. The Indonesian government’s refusal to cover his costs is in direct contravention of national and international law.

According to United Nations Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment (Principle 24), and Indonesian law (Regulation No. 32/1999 on Terms and Procedures on the Implementation of Prisoners’ Rights in Prisons) it is required that all medical costs for treatment of a prisoner at a hospital be borne by the State.

Despite the Abepura prison authorities recently giving permission for Karma to travel to Jakarta, they still refuse to cover the cost of his medical treatment and travel. Funds have been raised through donations from the Prisoners of Conscience Appeal Fund (London), Rev. Socratez Yoman’s church service (Timika), STT Walter Post (Jayapura) and many individuals.

Not only Karma, there are seven political prisoners in Papua with variety of illness. They are Apotnagolik Lokobal (stroke); Ferdinand Pakage (stroke); Forkorus Yaboisembut (impaired vision); Kanius Murib (memory loss); Kimanus Wenda (hernia);  Jefrai Murib (stroke);  and Yusak Pakage (indigestion).  Karma urges the Indonesia government should release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally and give them the proper medical treatment.

(Note from Andreas Harsono/ HRW: Note: Filep Karma finished his medication on Tuesday and returned to Jayapura Wednesday night. He has arrived safe and sound in Jayapura Thursday morning. But he’s back to his Abepura prison. A number of family members, assistants and friends helped his hospitalization in Jakarta.  I am sending you some photos from his medical treatment in Jakarta as well as the airport departure in Jakarta. His sister Margaretha, daughter Audryne (and her boy friend), assistants Cyntia Warwe and Soleman travelled with him back to Jayapura.

 

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