Tag: civil resistance

Melkianus Bleskadit sentenced to two years

JUBI, 19 August 2011

Melkianus Bleskadit was sentenced yesterday in Manokwari court to two
years for his role when the 14-star flag was raised.

A day earlier, the prosecutor asked for him to be sentenced to five
years. The prosecutor has announced that he will mount an appeal against
the verdict.

In a report made public by the human rights lawyer Yan Christian
Warimnussy it was stated that Melkianus was arrested along with Dance
Yenu for flying the 14-star flag to mark the anniversary of independence
for ‘West Melanesia ‘ on 14 December 2010.

In a comment on the verdict, Yan Christian Warinussy who was also a
member of the defence team, said that while the judges had taken a good
decision by limiting the punishment to the criminal element of the
incident, indicating that he was not willing to go as far as the
prosecutor, in the end his client had been given a much higher sentence.
According to past experience involving the case of Jacob Wanggai and his
colleagues, the judges had passed a shorter sentence which was
subsequently increased at the request of the prosecutor, resulting in a
far higher sentence.

He also said that the defendant had been held in a cell of the Manokwari
prosecutor at the Manokwari prison in breach of the law. He said that
both the judge as well as the chief prosecutor had obstructed his
client’s release to the moment when the high court judge could decide on
extending the period of the appeals detention which should have ended
on 19 August.

The three hours of freedom that his client should have enjoyed had been
denied him by the decisions of the prosecutor and the judge. Moreover,
there was a show of force when a company of police security officers as
well special intelligence personnel stood on guard round Bleskadit at
the office of the prosecutor. He said that the the lack of
professionalism by both of these institutions had resulted in his client
being deprived of his basic rights.

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Security measures escalate in Papua

Bintang Papua, 20 August 2011

KNPB, the National Committee for West Papua, is scheduled to announce
the results of the meeting organised by ILWP, International Lawyers for
West Papua in Oxford, at 9am this morning , at the tomb of Theys Hiyo
Eluay.

Bintang Papua also reported that Major-General Erfi Triassumu, commander
of the XXVII/Cendrawasih Military Command, said he has not yet had any
reports about the results of the ILWP meeting in Oxford, but said that
the ILWP event has triggered events affecting the security situation,
especially in Papua.

In a meeting with the press, he said that promises made by various
groups were causing confusion among the population. It was not only
because of the armed activities of civilian groups that had occurred
before and after the ILWP meeting. The security situation had indeed
intensified throughout Papua recently, which had happened both before
and after the ILWP meeting.

Other factors were the election of the governor of Papua as well as the
special autonomy law – OTSUS. People were hoping that OTSUS funds would
be evenly distributed among the communities, although some of the funds
could not yet be released.

He said that he along with the police chief in Papua had together
committed to doing what they could to restore a conducive situation in
Papua.

Meanwhile, the district chief of Puncak Jaya, Lukas Emenbe. called on
everyone whatever their differing opinions to hold a dialogue in order
to agree on peaceful solutions. ‘ All these problems can be resolved,’
he said, ‘as long as we publicly express our opinions.’

The military commander, asked whether there would be an increase in the
number of troops in preparation for the forthcoming Idul Fitri [the last
two days of Ramadan] said that organic troops may carry out routine
movements because the Korem under Battalion 751 in Sentani does not
have special units available for security purposes.

Asked about the manoeuvres by armed groups which had been involved in
fighting in urban areas such as in Nafri, he said because of the current
civil emergency status, the police would be in the front line together
with the local government, because the govrnor, the district chief and
the city mayor are the ones who are responsible for security.’

‘I will assist if there is a request from the police for additional
personnel to help the police,’ he said.

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Indon military open fire on vehicles carrying KNPB activists, arrests ahead of Aug 20 gathering

from Westpapuamedia.info and Local Sources

Indonesian Police and Army from a joint taskforce opened fire on a car of West Papua independence activists in Abepura, West Papua, on August 18, after arresting three other activists from the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) for distributing pamphlet in support of demonstrations planned for August 20.

The shooting occurred when KNPB (Komite Nasional Papua Barat) members attended the Jayapura police headquarters to check on the welfare of detainee Octovianus Mayor.   Mayor was arrested by members of the joint TNI/POLRI taskforce at 1000am local time at Expo Waena, for distributing pamphlets for a planned announcement on August 20 of resolutions from the Oxford ILWP “Road to Freedom” conference, at the grave of the late Theys Hiyo Eluay in Sentani.  Mayor is the Secretary General of the Timika Region KNPB.

Colleagues of Mayor went by car to Abepura police station upon hearing of his arrest to ensure his safety.  Demi Asso, Soni Kosa and several friends asked police guarding a post at Abepura of the whereabouts of their friend, whose location was given by police at District Police Jayapura.   After they left the  police station and drove towards PolRes Jayapura.   According to witnesses, police followed the activists from the police station, and began to shoot at their car, a black Avansa.

Police quickly pursued the KNPB activists vehicle, which was fired on by police officer Bripka Numberi at 12.000 midday, at Abepura circle, Jayapura, Papua.

Bripka Numberi allegedly fired indiscriminately in pursuit of the vehicle,shooting 10 rounds into the rear of the car, 4 rounds through the windscreen, 6 rounds into the rear bumper and 1 round in the wheel, causing the Avansa to stop.  The vehicles occupants panicked and ran, according to a a KNPB witness report and chronology obtained by West Papua Media.  The police continued to open fire on the unarmed group, shooting Demi Asso, Soni Kosay in the feet.  The three other unidentified activists did not sustain bullet wounds, and police arrested all immediately.  At around 13:00 the two shot KNPB activists and three others were taken to the Jayapura Police for further processing.

KNPB have appealed for support from international human rights observers, lawyers and NGOs to press for a credible investigation into the circumstances of this arrest and the excessive force used by Police to capture unarmed activists.

Nick Chesterfield, local sources
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FILEP KARMA REFUSES INDONESIA’S REMISSION

by Cyntia Warwe 

West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma rejected the prison sentence remission offered by the Indonesian Government in correlation with the August 17 Independence Day. Karma said he preferred to serve out his normal sentence and demanded the Indonesian Government to apologise to the Papuan people for all the atrocities it has caused. Karama was arrested during a Morning Star flag rising on December 1, 2004. He is currently serving a 15 year sentence in Abepura Prison, Jayapura.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/27934096 w=500&h=400]

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ROAD TO FREEDOM IN JAYAPURA – Video

by Frengky Making

The rally organised by the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) on August 2 2011 was led by Mako Tabuni from KNPB. The protesters were on the streets the whole day. There were more than 10,000 people, from Sentani, Jayapura as well as students from Abepura. The peaceful rally was organised to support the seminar by International Lawyer for West Papua (ILWP), initiated by Benny Wenda in London, the UK, which looked into the history of the 1969’s People’s Act of Free Choice (PEPERA).

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/27921972 w=500&h=400]
 07:05
video information
produced by Frengky Making
produced Aug 18, 2011
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