Tag: civil resistance

Buchtar Tabuni sentenced to eight months; tight security round the courthouse.

 

 

Bintang Papua
24 September 2012
The former chairman of the KNPB – National Committee for West Papua – was sentenced to eight months in prison, having been charged with inflicting damage on the prison where he was held. The sentence was  less than the demand of the prosecutor who wanted the accused to be sentenced to one year. The eight month sentence will be reduced by the time the accused has already spent behind bars.Aggravating circumstances were that he had previously  been sentenced and that his actions caused anxiety among the people, while the mitigating factor was that he had behaved politely in court.

Following the announcement of the verdict, the defence team said that they had not yet decided whether to launch an appeal against the sentence. ‘We are still thinking about how we will respond,’ said Gustav Kawar.

The defence team said that the sentence was light and the accused should have been released. However, according to Gustav Kawar. the panel of judges had  given him a sentence as the result of external interference.
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Bintang Papua, 25 September 2012

After further consideration, the defence team said that the verdict had not been decided independently and had been seriously influenced by the authorities, Gustav Kawar told  journalists. This influence had come from the security forces, that is to say the army and the police This was the factor that had caused the judges to hesitate before reaching their verdict. There were also doubts because of the fact that the testimony from several of the witnesses was contradictory. Nor had it been proven that the accused had been acting  in consort with others.

According to Gustav Kawar, the Criminal Procedural Code (KUHP) stipulates that  if  any element in the charge has been proven to be invalid, the entire charge must be declared invalid. The accused as well as his defence team said that they would consider what to do in the coming seven days.

Security measures round  the court

On the day the verdict was announced, around 230 security forces from the local and district forces, including personnel  from the police intelligence unit, Brimob  were among those standing guard.

The chief of police said that several  elements of the security forces had taken part in security at the time of the various hearings.  He asserted that  they had discovered sharp weapons among the crowd of people outside the courthouse following the earlier hearings but after measures had been taken, this did not occur during the latter hearings.

[Translated by TAPOL]

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No witnesses appear at the trial of Buchtar Tabuni

 

 

Bintang Papua
13 September 2012Jayapura: A hearing in the trial of Buchtar Tabuni took place today in the Jayapura district court, without the presence of any witnesses  who might have been able to testify in court in support of the charge that the defendant had damaged Abepura Prison where he was being held.at the time.

One of his team of lawyers, Gustaf Kawer, said that there were a number of people who the prosecutor could have summoned to appear in court during the trial but he had not done anything to call these witnesses

Kawer said this was already clear at the earlier hearing on 10 September when the prosecutor  said that Matius Murib would be called to testify, but at the following hearing,  Murib did not attend as a result of which the presiding judge suspended. the hearing.

At the next hearing, it was the defendant, Buchtar Tabuni who was questioned. The presiding judge, Haris Munandar, asked Buchtar to tell the court  what he had done on 3 December 2010 when the prison was damaged.

Buchtar told the court that he had done everything he possibly could to prevent a crowd of people from inflicting damage in the prison.

‘I shouted to a crowd of people, calling on them not to enter the prison and start damaging it.’

This is the same as what Buchtar Tabuni told the court at the beginning of the trial.

[Translated by Carmel Budiardjo]

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Lawyer complains of lack of professionalism as Buchtar trial

 

 

JUBI, 10 September 2012The tight security by the police round the courthouse  while the trial of Buchtar Tabuni was  in progress was described as being unprofessional by a member of the legal team of the defendant.

Gustaf Kawer said: ‘The tight security round the courthouse  is a violation of the basic principles  of court practice. This is a public trial which means that anyone can come and attend it.  Excessive security  while the trial is in progress is very unprofessional,’ said Kawer.

Buchtar Tabuni is charged with having caused damage to the Abepura Prison on 3 December. The trial hearing was suspended and the trial will resume on 13 September, because witnesses did not turn up for the hearing as a result of which the lawyers  promised that they would produce the witnesses, said Matius Murib.

The hearing on 13 September will be the last occasion  for the witnesses to appear. The deputy director of the prison is adequate and will not be summoned again after having be summoned to appear three times.

Kawer said that the proceedings were not conducted professionally; the witnesses should have appeared at the appointed time but that did not happen. Furthermore, he said, the judge should behave  independently in the way he chairs the court and should not take sides either with the state or the victim..

At today’s hearing of the Buchtar Tabuni trial, there were forty people from Dalmas and the Jayapura police command, who were fully backed up  by personnel from the Abepura police command, who were headed by the head of the Jayapura police command, Kiki Kurnia.

[Translated by TAPOL]

 

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So, who is the real terrorist? West Papua Responses to Australia, U.S. and Indonesia

Opinion

By Victor F. Yeimo
Chairman of the West Papua National Committee [ KNPB ]

September 9, 2012

(text edited/retranslated by West Papua Media for linguistic clarity)

Last week, Australia, the United States and Indonesia strengthened their economic, political and security ties while the people of West Papua were lamenting their oppression. That’s a sure sign that the practice of colonialism and capitalism will continue in West Papua. We do not know how much more blood will be shed as the people of West Papua will fall victim to the Indonesian military.

The world seems blind and deaf to the repression in West Papua. The world does not care about the Papuan struggle in upholding truth, justice, honesty and humanity. Instead, the world (community seems to be) trampling human values, truth, justice, honesty and all the rules of its international law.  The world only cares about its political and economic interests.

West Papua has become the object of economic transactions and political interests of U.S and Indonesia.  This dirty practice is still applied in the so-called “open era”. The lust of economic and political expansion of the states, without feeling of guilt, continues to increase the suffering of the West Papuans. The people of West Papua are not stupid.

People of West Papua fully understand how colonialism and exploitation scenarios work in this modern century.  Labelling and stigmatisation of indigenous people as terrorists, and then kill and take control of land and its natural resources are the ways that are always used by the colonial countries and capitalists.  Australia, Britain, the U.S. and Indonesia are implementing those ways in West Papua.

The peaceful resistance movement in West Papua is being silenced by the Indonesian military forces.  The space of peace and democracy has closed and Indonesia has opened a space of violence, so that they can easily kill and destroy the West Papuan peoples’ struggle with the stigma of terrorism.  Using that stigma to cement military cooperation between Indonesia, the U.S., Australia and other countries is considered essential.  For them, it is important to kill Papuans and to occupy the land of West Papua.

Violence has been created by rulers who oppress and exploit the people and the land of West Papua.  Terrorism is created for global rulers who have an interest in mastering the fields of exploitation.  Terrorism was created by the colonial rulers who invaded to take control of someone else’s land.  The territory of West Papua is controlled by Indonesia. The people of West Papua were massacred by Indonesia. Military power is funded, supported and trained by Australia, the U.S. and other pro-colonial and capitalist countries.

This is evidenced by the attitude of the Australian government and the presence of three ministers from Australia during the visit of the U.S. Secreatary of State Hillary Clinton to Indonesia while increasing support for the Indonesian defense forces. Meanwhile, thousands more Indonesian troops are being deployed to West Papua, and police in West Papua, led by the former head of Detachment 88 Anti-Terrorism Tito Karnavian, and detectives at the Criminal Investigation Unit of Papua Police are now controlled by members of Detachment 88.
Their goal is only one, to kill all members of the peaceful resistance movement in West Papua, to eliminate the people of West Papua, and to rule the roost on this land for the benefit and prosperity of colonialism and global capitalism.

So, who is the real terrorist?

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Greens condemn mixed messages on West Papua

 

Media Release

  PRESS RELEASE – AUSTRALIAN GREENS

September 7, 2012

The Australian Greens have today questioned the mixed messages the Australian Government is sending Indonesia about human rights in West Papua.

“The Australian Government needs to take a consistent stance in defence of human rights in our region, not just pay them lip service,” said Australian Greens Leader and Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne.

“Why is Stephen Smith signing a new ‘Defence Co-operation Agreement’ with Indonesia this week, when just last week Bob Carr was calling for an inquiry into the alleged involvement of the Indonesian military in the assassination of an indigenous West Papuan leader?”

The Australian Greens spokesperson for West Papua, Senator Richard Di Natale, questioned how Stephen Smith could have ‘no concerns’ about West Papua.

“The human rights abuses in West Papua were exposed on ABC’s 7:30 Program just last week. For Minister Smith to say that he has no concerns regarding West Papua is a clear case of wilful ignorance,” said Senator Di Natale.

“How can Australia turn a blind eye to the allegations that troops we have funded and trained are carrying out human rights abuses against the indigenous peoples of West Papua?

“Australia should require assurances that our military support will not lead to further violations of human rights. And we must call for West Papua to be opened up to foreign journalists and human rights monitors so that we can hold those assurances to account.

“The lives and human rights of our West Papuan neighbours should be a priority in our dealings with Indonesia. And it should certainly warrant a lot more attention and respect from Australia’s Foreign and Defence Ministers than just a discussion ‘in passing’.”

Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600

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