Tag: civil resistance

SMH: Video shows Papuans being tortured

Video shows Papuans being

tortured

Tom Allard in Jakarta

westpapuamedia.info worked closely with SMH to break this story – it was released early after Papuan people released the footage on YouTube.  As predicted, YouTube had removed this footage completely due to the depiction of actual sexual torture by Indonesian security forces.  westpapuamedia.info is displaying the full unedited footage in the public interest.

October 18, 2010

‘‘Get a fire’’ ... video posted on YouTube shows two Papuan men being tortured by apparent members of the Indonesian security services. One has a smouldering stick applied to his genitals.‘‘Get a fire’’ … video posted on YouTube shows two Papuan men being tortured by apparent members of the Indonesian security services. One has a smouldering stick applied to his genitals.

A graphic and disturbing video shows a Papuan man being poked in the genitals with a fiery stick as he is interrogated by a group of men who appear to be members of Indonesia’s security services.

The video has come to light as the Indonesian government faces continuing criticism about abuses by its security forces in Papua, scene of a long simmering separatist struggle.

The Papuan man, stripped naked, bound and with one of the interrogators placing his foot on his chest, is being asked about the location of a cache of weapons. After he tells his interrogators it has been hidden in a pigpen, one of them screams at him: ”You cheat, you cheat.”

Another interrogator then yells ”get a fire, get a fire” before a colleague administers the torture with a stick that has been burnt in a fire and is smouldering. The man screams in agony, and does so again when the treatment is repeated.

The video appears to have been taken with a mobile phone by one of the interrogators, who speak Indonesian with Javanese and Ambonese accents and wear plain clothes.

While it is common for Indonesian police and military personnel to wear civilian clothing, it is impossible to verify those in the video are members of the security services.

But the nature of the interrogation suggests professionals are at work, as does a later incident shown on the 10-minute video when an M-16 rifle is pointed at the man’s mouth.

”So you want me to shoot your mouth? So your mouth breaks?” the interrogator shouts.

The emergence of the video – it was posted on YouTube three days ago by someone using the moniker papualiberationarmy and obtained independently by the Herald – will do nothing to lessen criticism of abuses by security forces in Papua.

”We have been living under Indonesia for almost 48 years,” said Victor Kogoya, a member of the central committee of the Aliansi Mahasiswa Papua, a Papuan student group. ”For all this time, we have never felt calm, never peace. Why? Because ever since the security state has been chasing us, arresting us, killing, terror and intimidation.”

Although Jakarta made an autonomy deal with the province almost 10 years ago, its indigenous Melanesian people remain the country’s poorest while migrants flood into the resource-rich area and dominate business and paid employment, further marginalising the Papuans.

There have been repeated reports of abuses by the military and police, but foreign journalists are banned from entering Papua without special permission, while non-government groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have been told to leave in the past year.

Two Papuan victims are recorded in the video – one naked and being burned, while the other is clothed and has a large knife placed under his nose as he is being questioned by the men. At one point, one of the interrogators says: ”I’ll cut your throat.”

The footage is graphic, with the men hit and threatened throughout the interrogation.

The victims speak in the Papuan dialect Lani, strongly suggesting the video was filmed in Puncak Jaya, a regency in Papua’s highlands where a unit of the armed Free Papua Movement commanded by Goliath Tabuni has been staging sporadic attacks on Indonesian police and military posts for the past two years.

Numerous weapons have been stolen in the raids and at least four soldiers and police have been killed in the past two years.

Jakarta has sent members of the national police’s mobile brigade and anti-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, to the region. Both units have been accused of using excessive force.

There have been repeated allegations of security forces making violent sweeps through villages in Puncak Jaya, a region characterised by soaring mountains covered in thick jungle. The military, including its controversial special forces unit Kopassus, also has a strong presence.

Papua, which was formerly known as Dutch New Guinea, was not incorporated into Indonesia when it became a state in 1949. It was held by the Dutch until 1962 when, following Indonesian military incursions into the area, an agreement brokered through the Untied Nations gave Indonesia administrative control of the region pending a referendum.

That ”referendum” involved just 1025 handpicked tribal leaders who unanimously agreed to join Indonesia. The so-called ”Act of Free Choice” has been labelled fraudulent and remains a source of great anger for many indigenous Papuans.

While separatist sentiment remains strong, it has little international support. Australia recognises Indonesia’s sovereignty over the region. The Herald was unable to obtain a response from the Indonesian military or police late yesterday.

Forkorus and friends receive heroes' welcome

Forkorus and friends receive heroes’ welcome

(Bintang Papua)The chairman of DAP, the Papuan Traditional Assembly, Forkorus Yaboisembut, and five others who recently attended the public hearing at the US Congress arrived back on Papuan soil yesterday at Sentani Airport to a heroes’ welcome as if returning from the battle-field. On their
arrival, Forkorus and his group were welcomed  by the Boy Eluay, the son
of Theys Eluay.

Troops from the Petapa  security forces maintained a tight guard along
the way taken by Forkorus and the others. As they entered the airport
arrivals area, they were invited to step on a large china plate and
nokens [string bags] were draped round their necks [a ceremonial welcome
for special people] while the woman in the group had her head half
covered with a jilbab. The Petapa guard was closely maintained from the
arrivals area to the cars waiting outside. A group of musicians was also
there to welcome Forkorus and his colleagues. They then drove for 45
minutes to a specially constructed pendopo .

After prayers were said, Forkorus said that they had visited the US at
the invitation of the US Congress to attend a public hearing at the
Congress. He said that this was evidence that the US regards the Papuan
with respect and wants to build a new friendly relationship in order to
help the  Papuan people.

Responding to negative remarks  made by the US ambassador  who said that
Papua is  part of  NKRI, he said that this was just a political
statement whereas all the arrangements for the group’s departure to the
US had been handled by the US embassy in Jakarta.

Herman Awom who also particiated in the visit to the US said that during
their  presence at the congressional hearing,  two other Papuans were
deliberately  included by Indonesia,  Franzalbert Yoku and Nikko Messet,
whose words describing Papuans as stupid and lazy were described as
regrettable by Eni Faleomavaega. a member of the US Congress.

Eni Faleomavaega said it was regrettable that Nikko Messet had said of
his own people that they were lazy and stupid.

It was also reported that Forkorus and his colleagues will repeat their
testimonies on the following day at the graveside of Theys Eluay.

UNCEN students raise referendum with new US ambassador

Abridged in translation.

Bintang Papua 6 October 2010

UNCEN students raise referendum with new US ambassador

During a visit to Jayapura, the new US ambassador to Indonesia, Scot
Marciel, visited the Padang Bulan health  clinic and a number of
government offices.

During a visit to Cenderawasih University, there was a one-hour dialogue
with the students at which the students raised their demand for a
referendum and called for merdeka a number of times during questions and
answers. They expressed their disappointment that the ambassador's visit
to the university was only one hour long and the newly appointed
ambassador  made no reference to the issue of a referendum or similar
matters.

[According to a report in JUBI posted earlier, UNCEN students had said
that they rejected the ambassador's visit if it was only to discuss
matters such as education.]

Ambassador Marciel who was accompanied by several staff members from the
US embassy said he had just be appointed to the job and did not yet know
much. 'I  still need to study a lot. I will study everything first,' he
said.

Speaking to journalists, he said that the purpose of his visit to Papua
was to visit UNCEN and the health clinic and a number of officials such
as the MRP and the governor and he would be discussing the question of
education with the Indonesian authorities.

Responding to questions about a referendum, he said that the US
government supports special autonomy status for Papua within the NKRI.
He said that his government had never supported separatism for Papua.

During his visit to the health clinic, he met midwives. 'I am visiting
Papua to take a look at development here and to meet health personnel
and other Papuan leaders.' During his meeting with midwives,  he
discussed issues related to pre-natal care and malaria which have been
funded by the US since 2006.

During his meeting with members of the MRP, the implementation of
special autonomy was discussed. MRP members told him that special
autonomy had been a failure. 'The Papuan people have said that special
autonomy has failed and we facilitated this,' they said. They said that
the failure of special autonomy was evident from the fact that there had
been very little improvement in the living conditions of the Papuan
people and moreover, the government had pressed ahead with a decision to
split up the province which was not in accord with the terms of special
autonomy.

According to Agus Alua, chairman of the MRP , the ambassador said only
that he first needed to study all this information.

No separatism in Papua, says military commander

Bintang Papua, 5 October 2010

[Abridged in translation]

No separatism in Papua, says military commander

According to the military commander of the Cenderawasih Command, there
are no separatist groups functioning in Papua any more, Security can
therefore be left to the police, with the army providing back-up when
called upon to do so, said Major-General Hotma Marbun. 'If there were
any separatists, we would crush them,' he said.

He was speaking on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the
Cenderawasih military command, he said. Asked about the 'Papua Peace
Force' which has been announced by Forkorus Yoboisembut, chairman of
DAP, the Papuan Traditional Council, Hotma said: 'There is no such
thing. I dont know anything about it. If it did exist, it wouldn't mean
anything. They are using the word peace, aren't they?'

A message was read out on behalf of the commander of the Indonesian
armed forces Admiral Agus Suhartono. He said that reflecting the
emerging global framework strategy and Indonesia's national interests,
the country is facing a number of threats to its national security
including security in South Maluku, terrorism, separatism, violations of
its borders, natural disasters, illegal activities (no mention about
what these are), horizontal conflicts and a lack of energy resources.

In the context of the strategic environment, he said that Indonesia
faces the threat of global warming and  continual endeavours together
with all components to safeguard the integrity of NKRI, the Unitary
State of the Republic of Indonesia. He then said that the armed forces
would continue to pursue the process of reformasi.



			

		
	
	

					
					



	
 

	


	


	


		
Papuans in Merauke reject MIFEE
			

				
National Executive


UNITED FRONT OF STRUGGLE OF THE PEOPLE OF WEST PAPUA [Eknas Front PEPERA PB]


‘SAFEGUARDING THE HISTORY OF THE MORNING STAR’


STATEMENT


The mega project, the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate – MIFEE – was announced on 18 February 2010 by the former Bupati of Merauke, J.G

Gebze and officially launched on 11 August 2010 by the Minister of Agriculture, Siswono Yodohusodo on behalf of the President. The project

will involve 36 investors, 13 of whom are already operating in the area. The project will cover an area of 2.5 million hectares and bring into

the area a work force of four million people.


MIFEE will have an impact on every aspect of the lives of all indigenous Papuan people, particularly the Anim Ha customary people in South Papua.

The project which has been declared a National Food Granary is unacceptable to the local communities. On 8 August 2010, the customary

Ha Anim people sent a letter to President Yudhoyono but the Indonesian State has ignored the Ha Anim people’s rejection of this project.


The attitude of the government is in contravention of the principles of democracy that have been adopted by the Indonesian state. Any legal

instrument or policy that the government intends to adopt must conform with genuine democratic mechanisms. We herewith make seven points that

would comply with these democratic mechanisms, which the government should take account of in the implementation of this project:


One, in recognition of the aspirations of the people, any government policy should be acceptable to the people after having been made public.

In the case of MIFEE, this has not happened. The MIFEE project was on the working agenda of the SBY-Budiono regime for a hundred days and it

was never made public. The decision to launch the MIFEE project did not involve the people who have customary rights over the land; there were

no meaningful negotiations in compliance with rights and responsibilities taking into account the needs of the people. In other

words, the government and the investors regard this region of Papua as being land that doesn’t belong to anyone. The government and the

investors are not interested in the people but only in the land and its natural resources.


Two, the aspirations of the people as well as the policy of the government should be drawn up within a legal framework. In the case of

MIFEE, the interests of the Indonesian state are involved and therefore during the one hundred day period, the SBY-Budiono government entered

into a Memorandum of Understanding – MoU – with the foreign investors, after which the MoU was adopted as a draft regional regulation – RAPERDA

– of the district of Merauke.


Three, the results of these decisions should have been discussed with the people. In the case of MIFEE, neither the MoU nor the RAPERDA were

discussed with the people. Nor did the plans that were drawn up involve the customary people, the owners of the land. Neither the Indonesian

government nor the local government did anything to publicise the MoU or the RAPERDA.


Four, adoption of the legal documents. The MoU entered into by the SBY-Budiono government during the one hundred day preparatory period was

adopted as Regional Regulation (Perda) No 23 by the Bupati of Merauke, John Gluba Gebze.


Five, there was no announcement of the decision that had been taken regarding the MIFEE project. As is always the case in Papua, the

decisions were not made known to the people: neither the MoU nor the Perda were made known to the customary owners of the land.


Six, adoption of a legal decision. The announcement of the MIFEE project by John Gluba Getze on 12 February, 2010, the 108^th anniversary of the

town of Merauke, was officially announced on 11 August 2010 by the minister of agriculture, Siswono on behalf of the President of Indonesia.


Seven, should the decision fail to comply with the interests of the people, it should be revoked, either because (a) it is ineffective or

(b) the decision in question should be amended if it is lacking in any material way. In the case of MIFEE, the Indonesian state closed its ears

to the many protests made by the indigenous people, by observers and by NGO activists. This is obvious from the fact that thirteen companies are

already operating in Merauke.


As regards the social implications, the number of inhabitants in each kampong could decline sharply and they will become a minority as

compared to ethnic groups brought in from outside Papua, a situation that will become even worse with the arrival of four million low-paid

workers, some of whom have already arrived and who will continue to arrive to work on the MIFEE project. The companies and the government

have never involved the local communities in any decision-making or other mechanisms in compliance with the basic daily needs and customs of

the local communities. The local inhabitants have become mere spectators. These violations have become part of the ‘culture’ of the

companies and the government with MIFEE serving the interests of the Indonesian state and the foreign investors. As a result, social problems

are emerging, such as ethnic cleansing or genocide which infringe the ethical and moral principles of the local tribes and the indigenous

Papuan people in general.


In view of all the above and in order to safeguard the people and land of Papua from the threat posed by the mega MIFEE project, a meeting was

held on 4 June at the OFS Convent, attended by young Papuans and students, primarily from South Papua . It was decided to set up the

Papuan People’s Solidarity to Reject MIFEE or SORPATOM.


One of its activities was the public discussion held on 11 August in Jayapura the theme of which was: ‘Investments in Papua, especially

MIFEE: A catastrophe or a blessing for the Indigenous Papuan people?’


In view of the threats posed by investments, in particular the MIFEE Mega Project, we hereby declare:


1. We support the position adopted by the Ha Nim indigenous people and their sympathisers who reject the MIFEE project on their land

because it poses a threat to the right to life of the local communities.

2. We urge the Indonesian state – SBY – to repeal the MoU about MIFEE.

3. We urge the local government to immediately revoke PERDA No 23 about MIFEE.

4. We call on the provincial assembly, the DPRP, to hold a hearing attended by all those affected, to discuss the MIFEE project.

5. We call on all those who are concerned with safeguarding the people and the land to close ranks and reject every form of

investment which poses a threat to the right to life of the local communities, especially the MIFEE project.


Port Numbay, Thursday, 30 September 2010


[Translated by TAPOL]


Papuan People’s Solidarity to Reject MIFEE or SORPATOM.

			

		
	
	

					
					



	
 

	

			
 
			
			
	
 

 


	 


	

		


			

				
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