Tag: filep karma

Karma continues his hunger strike; KomnasHAM unable to visit Filep and Buchtar

via Tabloid JUBI, 9 December 2010

Karma continues his hunger strike
The political prisoner, Filep Karma has said that he will continue with
his hunger strike, not taking food or drink, until he is returned to
Abepura Prison in Jayapura.

‘I will continue with my hunger strike until I am returned by the
police,’ he said when he met with JUBI. He said he was very
disappointed with the way he was being treated, being accused with
Buchtar Tabuni of causing a riot in the prison last Friday, 3 December.

‘There is no justification for all this treatment towards us,’ he said.

According to JUBI who met him at the police headquarters, even though he is on hunger strike, he looks healthy and keeps smiling.

The head of the District Office of the Department of Law and Human
Rights, Nazaruddin Bunas said that Karma and Tabuni were transferred to police custody because they were the ones who were behind the rioting in Abepura Prison, which is why they are at present in police custody.

The director of Abepura Prison said that he knows nothing about the
transfer of the two prisoners.

——————

JUBI, 8 December 2010

KomnasHAM unable to visit Filep and Buchtar

The deputy head of the National Human Rights Commission in Jakarta, M. Ridah Saleh has expressed his disappointment at not being able to meet Filep Karma and Buchtar Tauni and regrets the fact that their families are not being given access, either

‘The police told us that we should make contact with the prison, even
though we have been given permission to meet them by the police (in
police custody),’ said Ridah Saleh.

He said that the rights of prisoners should be fully protected and
KomnasHAM and members of their families should be given the opportunity to visit the two men. Access to them must not be closed’

Their rights to get medical treatment must also be respected, to avoid
any further problems.

Members of their families are also hoping for access because this is in
accordance with the procedures. This should also apply to the other
three prisoners.

Before going to the police, they had paid a visit to the direskrim
(criminal investigation) where they met Petrus Waine, who said that
KomnasHAM could come and discuss the matter of there being no access to the two prisoners but when they arrived there, no disreskrim people were available to meet them.

‘This is very disappointing indeed, because we were given a promise but when we went there, there was no one who wanted to meet us to discuss this matter.’

The plan of KomnasHAM to visit Filep and Buchtar also had to be
abandoned because these two political prisoners had been moved away from Abepura Prison.

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Indonesia: Respect Rights of Papuan Prisoners Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni

Indonesia: Respect Rights of Papuan Prisoners Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and the West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) urge the Indonesian Government to respect the rights of and end the persecution of internationally recognized prisoners of conscience Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni who were transferred from Abepura Prison to Jayapura Police Headquarters on December 3.

ETAN and WPAT also urge the U.S. government to use its considerable influence with the Indonesian government and police, deriving in part from its extensive assistance to and training of the police, to ensure that persecution of these prisoners of conscience ceases.

The transfer of Karma, Tabuni and several other prisoners to the police headquarters followed a riot at the prison which in turn was prompted by the killing of one of five prisoners who had escaped the previous day. The authorities are accusing the two activists of inciting the riot. However, reliable reports says that Karma and Tabuni had sought to calm the situation at the prison.

Karma is serving a 15-year sentence for raising a Papuan flag in 2004, while Buchtar Tabuni is serving a three-year sentence after supporting the launch of International Parliamentarians for West Papua in October 2008.

Since their transfer to the police headquarters Karma and Tabuni reportedly have had very limited contact with their families and no contact with legal counsel. Karma has launched a hunger strike in support of his demand for proper treatment for himself, Tabuni and the other transferred prisoners, including access to adequate food or drink.

ETAN and WPAT note that Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that “All  persons who are deprived of their freedom must be treated humanely and with respect for their dignity as human beings.”  ETAN and WPAT also note that under Indonesian regulations Karma and Tabuni are entitled to correspond with and receive visits from their families, legal counsel and others.

ETAN and WPAT are also deeply concerned that the Indonesian authorities may seek to pursue charges against Karma and Tabuni related to the prison riot. Such a course would be particularly ironic insofar as the Indonesian authorities have failed to prosecute the security force personnel who were recorded torturing two Papuans in May 2010.

Observers in West Papua are concerned that the authorities may transfer Karma and Tabuni to the infamous Nusakembangan prison in Java, where violent criminals are incarcerated. As nonviolent prisoners of conscience, Karma and Tabuni would be at risk. Such a transfer would also make it much more difficult for their families and counsel to monitor their welfare. ETAN and WPAT strongly urge that Karma and Tabuni not be transferred out of West Papua.

Contact: Ed McWilliams – 401-568-5845
John M. Miller (ETAN) -917-690-4391

see also West Papua Report

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West Papuan political prisoners denied food for 2 days

via Tapol

Since 3 December 2010 when Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni were transferred to the police authorities in Papua, no legal proceedings have been started against them and they still do not have any legal counsel. They have also been denied food for two days.

Since 4 December, access to the two prisoners has been prevented. Two younger siblings of Karma as well as a representative of the SKPHP tried to visit them on 6 December but they were confronted by police officers. At 4pm, a member of his family asked the police for permission to meet Karma because visiting regulations allowed for daily visits except on holidays and other special days [tanggal merah] from 3pm till 5pm.

The family member asked a police officer: ‘Why aren’t we able to meet our brother Filep Karma?’  to which the officer replied:  ‘Because Karma and the others have been transferred here from Abepura Prison. According to orders from our superiors, if you want to visit them, you must first report to the head of the criminal investigation branch (Kasat Reskrim, Polda Papua)  because we here are only carrying out orders from our superiors.’  The relative said that he only wanted to give Filep Karma some food and other essential needs and to hear what he himself had to say about why he had been transferred and why they couldn’t meet him.

The police officer then allowed only a very brief meeting to take place, only time enough to hand over the things he needed whereupon the officer asked the relative to leave.

According to information from the family, the five prisoners were given no food at all until 5 December. When Karma asked why they hadn’t received any food,  he was told that it was because ‘all of you have been transferred from Abepura Prison and it is the responsbility of the prison authorities, not the police’.

Five of the convicts had almost no access to food and drink till 5 December and since 5 December, they have been given some food but without anything to drink. Relatives had to bring the prisoners a gallon of Acqua  to be shared between five men.

Since 4 December, Karma who insists that he is not guilty of anything, has been on hunger strike in protest against treatment by the district chief of  Papua and the director of the Abepura Prison.

On 7 December, the family wrote to the director of Abepura Prison, the police chief of Papua and the head of criminal investigations asking to know what legal provision is being used to prevent them from visiting Karma.

The situation now being faced by Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni represents a form of non-physical torture by the State, quite apart from the law on treason and incitement which was used to sentence Karma to 15 years and Buchtar Tabuni to three years. They said that convicted prisoners are human beings with the same rights and dignity as people who are not in prison.

The transfer of Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni  represents a case of  wrongful treatment by the  State against Papuan political prisoners. They are failing to act in accordance with Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which states: ‘All persons who are deprived of their freedom must be treated humanely and with respect for their dignity as human beings.’

It is also clear that state officials are not acting in accordance with Law 8/1981 of the Criminal Procedural Code, bearing in mind that the police officials stated that they were acting in accordance with orders from their superiors and not in accordance with the  law which in the legal basis which should be the basis for their actions.

Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni are entitled to receive visits from their families, from legal counsel and from other people in accordance with Article 18,  paragraph 1 of a decree by the minister of law. And furthermore, Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni are free to correspond with legal counsel and family members, according to paragraph 4 of the above mentioned ministerial decree.

The families of people who have been convicted for incitement and are now in custody because of the  recent riots in Abepura Prison have asked what is the legal basis being used by the police in Papua towards prisoners who have been transferred to them from Abepura Prison already for four days. who have been told that they cannot receive visits from their families, from legal counsel or from anyone else.

Meanwhile, an online campaign has started in a bid to award Filep Karma the Nobel Peace Prize. So far over 200 people have joined the group on social network Facebook. Click here for more info

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Indonesian soldiers receive 5 month prison sentences for torture that shocked the world; human rights groups label trial a ‘farce’

AFP
Indonesia on Thursday sentenced four soldiers to between five and seven months in jail for “minor disciplinary infringements”, after they were filmed abusing Papuan civilians.

The soldiers sentenced were not those filmed burning an elderly Papuan man’s genitals, but ones captured kicking a group of villagers around the head. The soldiers involved in the more horrific footage have not been located, leading to human rights groups demanding an international enquiry into allegations of widespread torture across West Papua.

A military tribunal gave three privates five months each for breaching the military code of conduct and their platoon commander seven months for allowing the abuse to occur.

“The defendants kicked the detainees’ heads and backs and hit their heads with helmets,” chief judge Lieutenant-Colonel Adil Karokaro told the tribunal in Papua provincial capital, Jayapura.

The sentences were heavier than military prosecutors’ recommendation of three months.

Critics of the Indonesian military say the case would never have gone to court had a video of the abuse, which occurred in the Punjak Jaya area of Papua in March, not appeared online.

Human rights workers labelled the trial a farce after senior military officials said it would deal with soldiers involved in the gruesome and far more serious torture of two Papuan detainees in May.

A video of the May incident also found its way to human rights workers, who released it online ahead of visits to Jakarta by the leaders of Australia and the United States, two key backers of the Indonesian military.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised “no immunity” for the perpetrators but no charges have been laid.

Human rights activists accuse the Indonesian military of killings, murder, torture and abuse of Papua’s ethnic Melanesian majority.

Papuan separatists have fought a low-intensity war for independence for decades, claiming that a vote by a small group of tribal elders which ceded the massive territory to Indonesia in the 1960s was a sham.

Peaceful Papuan political activists are regularly given lengthy jail terms for crimes such as possessing outlawed rebel flags. One such person is Filep Karma, currently serving a 15 year jail sentence for his part in a peaceful flagraising ceremony.

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Emergency: Papuan Political Prisoner Filep Karma refusing to Eat

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Forwarding on:
Emergency: Papuan Political Prisoner Filep Karma refusing to Eat

Beginning today, Tuesday 5/10/2010 the Papuan Political Prisoner Filep Karma is refusing to eat because of the inadequate medical treatment being afforded to Papuan political prisoner, Fery (Ferdinand) Pakage who has been tortured by Sipir Lapas (jail authorities?) Abepura.

As a result of that torture that he has become physically disabled and totally blind in his right eye. This has now motivated Filep Karma to stop eating until the Indonesian government through Ministry of Law and Human Rights facilitate the medical treatment of Fery Pakage.

If this does not happen then Filep Karma has decided that he will no longer eat until Fery pakage has been evacuated for medical treatment. This report is released appealing for international advocacy.

Direct Message from sources inside the prison.

More to come

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