West Papua's Independent Human Rights Media
October 19, 2013
West Papua Media team and local stringers
Early reports received from West Papua Media stringers have described another serious and violent crackdown across West Papua on October 19 by Indonesian security forces, against peaceful gatherings commemorating the second
Continue reading “Police violently break up 3rd Congress NFRPB commemorations across West Papua”
BY WEST PAPUA MEDIA TEAM
October 18, 2013
In several centres across West Papua on October 16, Indonesian police and army (TNI) have again cracked down violently on peaceful political demonstrations held by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), resulting in the injuries of several participants, with unconfirmed reports of police opening fire in related incidents against KNPB members in Kaimana.
The demonstrations, called for October 15 by the KNPB to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the founding of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, were delayed for a day out of respect for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The rallies were also highlighting the historic speech made by Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Kalosil Carcasses to the United Nations General Assembly in late September, calling for the international community to take action on West Papua.
Despite formal permission being sought from the Indonesian police in Papua to conduct acts of free expression, Papua Police Chief Tito Karnavian rejected the permit due to the political and “separatist” nature of the rallies, according to KNPB spokesman Wim Medlama. Karnavian, the former commander of Australia-funded anti-terror police unit Detachment 88, authorised the deployment of thousands of heavily armed police and military to prevent the commemorations from occurring, according to local human rights sources.
Police banned rallies from going ahead in Jayapura, Waena, Sentani, Boven Digul, Merauke, Biak, Kaimana, Nabire and Timika, however participants were allowed eventually to hold prayer sessions under tight military and police surveillance and a show of force in Biak and Nabire, according to KNPB sources. In Timika, according to West Papua Media sources, several thousand people ignored the police ban and show of force and joined the KNPB event at Jayanti field in Timika.
Credible human rights sources have also reported that in several centres across Papua, combined Indonesian security forces of the Army (TNI), Brimob paramilitary police, and plain clothes members of Detachment 88 physically blockaded and prevented demonstrations from going ahead with dispersals and beatings in several centres. In Merauke, police and undercover personnel said by credible sources to be members of Detachment 88, were conducting heavy surveillance of local people whilst blockading roads to prevent people from accessing the commemorations at the KNPB Merauke office.
The demonstration in Waena just prior to the dispersal by Indonesian Security Forces. (Photos: KNPB)
In Jayapura, rally participants met anyway from 5 am at the gravesite of Theys Eluay, where they began music, prayers and political speeches before dawn under the rising morning star, the celestial inspiration for the banned Papuan freedom flag. KNPB Secretary-General Ones Suhuniap told WPM stringers, “The Jayapura police began violently dispersing them at 6:30am with full force and weapons, with members of the TNI. The violent dissolution by the police also involved confiscation of KNPB member’s valuables, such as a camera and all the KNPB’s flags.”
While this peaceful demonstration was dispersed, another gathering at the Highland people’s housing complex Perumnas III in Waena, was blockaded by police under the command of Jayapura Police Chief Commissioner Alfred Papare. This gathering was then surrounded by the police and army and were forced out of the area, according to the KNPB and confirmed by WPM stringers.
Suhuniap explained “Until the afternoon the demonstrators were violently dispersed by the combined police and army forces and assisted by the Papuan police’s special operations forces,” referring to uniformed members of the Australian trained counter-terror unit Detachment 88.
KNPB activists told WPM that they observed the army and police were prepared to suppress KNPB members with force, heavy weapons, assault vehicles and armoured vehicles. Over 200 police, including 50 fully armed Brimob paramilitary police and a platoon of TNI soldiers, and scores of plain clothes intelligence – said by KNPB to be members of Detachment 88 – participated in the dispersal and blockading the peaceful demonstrators of KNPB.
West Papua Media has been unable to confirm independently if any people in Jayapura were injured during the dispersal.
Meanwhile in Boven Digul, KNPB sources reported that Indonesian police took to local radio stations to announce the prohibition of freedom of expression, telling local people not to participate in KNPB actions. All local people were stopped and searched, with police allegedly confiscating cameras from citizen journalists.
In Kaimana, on the south west coast of Papua, Tabloid Jubi has reported that rally organisers decided to hold a prayer service instead to commemorate the IPWP anniversary. However, police banned that too and came to arrest organisers.
A night of terror and shootings was reportedly unleashed by Indonesian security forces against KNPB members’ families after the commemorations in Kaimana. Police Special Forces raided the KNPB Kaimana offices three times during the night of October 16, with the first raid occurring at 2130. Six shots were fired into the house from Police rifles during the first raid. Three residents, Barias Wesfete, Demianus (Luter) Baunu and Jesse Irini were severely beaten and arrested by police.
However, according to KNPB spokesman Medlama when interviewed by WPM partner Tabloid Jubi, Police returned twice more during the night, with at least ten bullets shot by Police to the house at different times throughout. “The first shooting at 9:30 pm, was 6 times (shots.) The second shooting at 2 o’clock at night up to 2 times, and the third time at 4 am as much as 2 times,” Medlama told Jubi.
The three Kaimana arrestees returned home the morning after, however no information has been received of their charges, if any.
Jubi reports that the KNPB assessed that police are just looking for an excuse to put extreme psychological pressure on Papuan people, in ways that make no sense. “We are not concerned with their efforts to pressure us. We only know one word – LAWAN”.
WestPapuaMedia, with local sources, Tabloid Jubi, and KNPB sources
Exclusive investigation from West Papua Media team
October 12, 2013
(The Hague): As allegations surface of Indonesian military-linked businessmen providing envelopes of “hefty cash” to senior officials in the Solomon Island’s Prime Ministerial delegation during the recent APEC summit in Bali, a high level source inside the Melanesian Spearhead Group has raised concerns over Indonesia’s subversion of the agreed visit of Melanesian Foreign Ministers to West Papua, in an exclusive interview with West Papua Media.
An explosive but carefully worded article in the Solomon Star newspaper on October 11 has alleged that Indonesian officials provided members of Solomon Islands government with large amounts of cash contained in yellow envelopes, during an official dinner hosted in honour of the Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo and his delegation.
According to the Solomon Star report, at least five members of the delegation have admitted to receiving the payments, amongst a total of 17 delegation members alleged to have received the envelopes. The report, from interviews by journalist Alfred Sasako with a highly placed whistleblower in Honiara, alleged that at least two “names withheld” senior officials received USD$25, 000 each, three others received USD$10, 000 and a final two delegation members received USD$5, 000 each respectively.
“It seems the level of payment is based on seniority, the higher you are, the more you get,” the sources told the Solomon Star.
After the publication of the new allegations, West Papua Media spoke on Saturday to a well-respected customary figure in the Solomon Islands, who described the latest revelations as proof of long-standing suspicions “that Indonesia is involved in a corrupt subversion of Melanesian solidarity on the West Papua issue. The source described the behaviour of Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo in arranging unilateral visits to West Papua as “an affront to the Melanesian Way that is deliberately undermining the quality of what a properly constituted MSG Fact-finding mission can uncover in West Papua.”
“The Prime Minster is siding with Indonesia to cover up the crimes against the West Papuan people, by diluting the effectiveness of a multilateral fact-finding team to assess the real situation in West Papua. What other deals is he doing for the Solomon Islands with these Indonesian military businessmen? Are our islands going to be the next West Papua?” the source told WPM. The customary source, who had no involvement with the Solomon Star revelations, declined to be identified for this article citing fears of being labelled as the whistleblower.
“This is not about me anyway, this about the questions for all Melanesian people about how far Indonesia is willing to bully or bribe Melanesians, and how some Melanesians like our Prime Minister are potentially having their pockets lined with blood money for turning their backs on the suffering of our Melanesian family in West Papua,” the source told WPM with some indignation.
Prior to the MSG meeting in Noumea in June 2013 the Indonesian and Fijian governments agreed to a multi-lateral visit to West Papua by MSG Foreign Ministers. The proposal was raised at the Noumea meeting by Fiji in part to defer a decision over whether West Papua would be granted membership into the MSG or not. The MSG Ministerial team has undertaken to write a report following their visit. This report will then help guide the MSG’s decision regarding West Papua’s membership. Since June, however, serious doubts have been raised as to how transparent the organising of the MSG Foreign Ministers is, or even whether it will happen at all.
A high-level source inside the MSG who was at the meeting in Noumea but asked not to be named told WPM on condition of anonymity, that it was highly unlikely that the MSG will revoke Indonesia’s observer status, but that they could give West Papua ‘associative status’, which is a higher level of membership. However, the source then went on to say that it is now “not clear what is happening”.
The concerns are serious. First, no date has been set for the Foreign Ministers visit to West Papua. Second, neither the MSG Secretariat nor Melanesian nations are organising the visit. “The Foreign Ministers all rely on an invitation from the Indonesian government. It is not clear if such an invitation has been issued and it is not clear who will pay for it. My advice to member countries is that each Melanesian country pays for their own visit themselves” said the senior MSG bureaucrat. “That way the Foreign Ministers will not be beholden to the Indonesian government and that their status as independent advisors to the MSG is more likely to be guaranteed.”
Most concerning is that the idea of a multi-lateral visit could be abandoned. “It is possible” said the MSG official “that the foreign ministers could travel to West Papua separately and not as a group”. This is the most likely possibility given the revelations in the Solomon Star.
Although privately many Melanesian politicians support independence for West Papua the official cautioned against false hopes. “West Papuans should not have high expectations from the forthcoming MSG foreign ministers support.”
At this stage it appears highly unlikely that the Melanesian foreign ministers report will reflect the political reality inside West Papua or the aspirations of the West Papuan people. This view is reflected in the recent comments from Mr Gordon Lilo, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, who told Indonesia’s Antara state news agency that he is “impressed with the progress” the Indonesian government has made in West Papua. Mannaseh Sogovare, the Solomon Islands opposition leader, criticised Lilo’s comments saying that he had “probably been overwhelmed by the reception of the hosts and obviously the Indonesians have gone out of their way to put on the wow factor to make sure that Lilo is wooed out of any views that he may have had in support of West Papuan membership of the MSG,” reported Radio New Zealand.
Comment about the corruption of the Fact-Finding process has also been repeatedly sought by West Papua Media from the office of Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses, however the Prime Minister was unavailable to comment on the allegations. However, Carcasses issued a historic and moral challenge to the international community at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in late September, by calling for the appointment of a Special Representative to investigate historical and ongoing of human rights abuses by Indonesia.
‘How can we then ignore hundreds of thousands of West Papuans who have been beaten and murdered? The people of West Papua are looking to the UN as a beacon of hope… Let us, my colleague leaders, with the same moral conviction, yield our support to the plight of West Papuans. It is time for the United Nations to move beyond its periphery and address and rectify some historical errors,” Carcasses told the UN General Assembly.
These are the words that Melanesian leaders may well be reflecting on as they ponder the ramifications of accepting Indonesia’s subversion of the MSG Fact Finding Team process.
As well as sharing his concerns, the senior MSG official also had some practical advice for Papuan leaders. “All of us at the MSG are observing very closely developments inside West Papua. In order for us to assist the West Papuan application for membership Papuan leaders need to present a unified position that is backed up by strong support from civil society. The good news is that there is moral support from inside the MSG. Even senior leaders in the United Nations privately recognise that West Papua is an occupation.”
However, without unity of purpose from West Papuan leaders and strong grassroots support from inside Melanesian countries, the Indonesian government could out-manoeuver West Papua again.
WestPapuaMedia team
by Daniel Drageset, Pacific Media Watch
October 7, 2013
AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): Three West Papuan student activists entered the Australian consulate in Bali this weekend with calls on Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to open up for greater press freedom and push Indonesia to release at least 55 political prisoners jailed in the Indonesian-ruled region.
“We want the Indonesian government to lift the 50 year restriction it has imposed on West Papua.
“We want foreigners, including journalists, diplomats, observers and tourists to be able to visit West Papua freely without asking for special permits,” the West Papuans wrote in an open letter addressed to the Australian people.
The student activists said in the letter they wanted to deliver a message to the leaders attending the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali this weekend.
Several organisations have asked Australia to give sanctuary to the three West Papuans, but according to Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb the West Papuans did not seek asylum.
“They left [the consulate] voluntarily so the matter’s been resolved,” Robb said, according to Radio Australia.
The Guardian, however, reported that the consul-general had warned the three West Papuans that the Indonesian army would be called if they did not leave the consulate.
One of the students, Rofinus Yanggam, told the newspaper the group left in fear of their lives.
Calls for sanctuary
Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon called on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to give sanctuary to the three West Papuans.
“These three young men were not asking for West Papuan independence from Indonesia. All they were asking for is entirely consistent with the Lombok Treaty of 2006, signed by both Australia and Indonesia,” he said, according to AAP.
“Instead of getting sanctuary and help, the Australian government effectively threatened them and now there is serious concern over the activists’ safety,” Xenophon said.
Professor Clinton Fernandes at the University of New South Wales backed Xenophon’s call.
He said when the media circus had moved on after APEC, the trio “may be tried, most certainly they will be beaten, and at some point might be disappeared”.
Rinto Kogoya, co-ordinator of the Alliance of Papuan Students, said it was time the world understood what was happening inside the province, which was officially acquired by Indonesia in 1969.
“The international community doesn’t know the reality in Papua. The military oppresses the civil society – we’re not free to do anything – and I think this is the moment to open democracy to Papua,” he said in The Guardian.
‘Great concern’
Joe Collins, of the Australia West Papua Association (AWPA), was alarmed by the events at the Australian consulate in Bali.
“It’s of great concern that they [the West Papuan students] may have been coerced to leave as the students would have great reason to fear the Indonesian security forces.
“There are ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua and the security forces have been banning and cracking down on recent rallies to try and stop international attention being focused on the territory,” he said in a statement.
AWPA wrote a letter to the consul-general Brett Farmer in Bali yesterday asking for “clarification” regarding the students.
“We understand that they have now left the consulate and we would like clarification from you if they left voluntarily or as some media reports have indicated that they were told that they would be handed over to the Indonesian military if they did not leave,” AWPA wrote in the letter.
Australian Green senator Dr Richard Di Natale has also joined those who have called for Australia to give sanctuary to the three West Papuans.
“By speaking out in this way, these brave West Papuans have put their lives in serious danger.
“If Australia fails to offer them protection, I have grave fears for their safety,” he said in a statement.
‘Stand up to Indonesia’
Yet another senator to voice his support for West Papua this weekend was John Madigan.
“It is about time our government had the courage to stand up to Indonesia, instead of ignoring the issue of West Papuan oppression and the human rights abuses that occur there on a daily basis,” he said in a statement.
He also said he demanded that the Australian government provided sanctuary for the three West Papuans.
The issue of the West Papuan students came just days after pleas from several organisations that Australia should not deport seven West Papuans who arrived in the Torres Strait Islands in northern Queensland recently.
The group of seven, who took part in the recent West Papua Freedom Flotilla sought asylum in Australia, but were deported to Papua New Guinea under a memorandum of understanding between Australia and Papua New Guinea, Radio New Zealand International reported.
Refugee advocates in Australia said the deportation failed to abide by the Refugee Convention that Australia was a party to.
Spokesperson for the West Papua Freedom Flotilla Izzy Brown said she wanted to draw the United Nations’ attention to Australia’s commitment to the Refugee Convention.
“It’s really unfortunate that Australia thinks it can send asylum seekers offshore without due process or just blatantly illegally deported like in this case here, and we really want to try and draw the world’s attention and especially the UN’s attention to Australia’s behaviour in this matter,” she said.
Read the West Papuan students letter to “the people of Australia”
September 27, 2013
Compiled by West Papua Media stringers and reports from West Papua National Authority:
At 8pm on the 25th of September 2013 in Serui, Yapen Island, members of police, mobile brigade, military and Detachment 88 complete with weapons made a forceful arrest of former Papuan political prisoner and organsiser, Edison Kendi. Edison’s family watched on, unable to do anything but witness the brutality carried out by the security personnel against Kendi. He was taken to the Serui Police station and interrogated. At 11pm police continued to destroy property around Kendi’s house while looking for documents thought to be related to the Freedom Flotilla, however nothing was found.
The next day, 26th September 2013 several thousand people did a pick-up at the Serui airport, and walked to Mantembu, as a thanksgiving worship to welcome the arrival of ashes and water that were taken to Yapen Island by Frans Kapisa. Two people who intended to come and participate in the thanksgiving were Demmiamus Brumi and Nataneal Karubaba, however they were prevented from exercising their freedom of expression and obstructed by security personnel, forcefully arrested and taken to the Serui Police Station, according to credible but anonymous sources.
As the thanksgiving was taking place, the security forces forcefully dispersed the crowd, threw away all the food that was provided by the community in Serui, according to witnesses. The situation escalated into panic according to organisers, several of the participants and organisers protected Frans Kapisa and brought him to a place which they judged to be safe.
According to sources for West Papua Media, “Not only the participants were victims of the police brutality but also the whole community of Yapen Island. At that point in time the people where not able to carry out any activities whatsoever. The District Police Chief (Kapolres) also instructed his forces to fire should there be any resistance from the people. After 8pm, 3 of the people arrested where released, namely Edison Kendi, Demianus Burumi and Natanael Karubaba.
The following people are still on the run from the police, and grave fears are held for their long term safety;
1. Drs . Frans Fredrik Kapisa
2. Markus Yenu
3. Martinus Wondamani
4. Marselus Daimboa
5. Yani Manyamboi
6. Piter Tiowai
7. Agus Ayamseba
8. Herman Warmetan
9. Ruben Bonay
10. Asalon Wanggori
Eduard Paririe, a Papuan activist in Yapen told West Papua Media, “that whatever the security forces (do) against the people does not diminish their will to struggle and demand justice in the land of Papua.
The following is information direct from West Papua National Authority:
The situation has begun un 25 September 2013 as West Papuan National Authority activists heard on Radio Republik Indonesia that the chief of police in Yapen had prohibited all Papuans in Yapen from taking part in a demonstration planned for 26 September.
The police under the command of the head of Criminal Investigation [Kabag Reskrim Polres] arrested Edison Kendi (40 years old), a political leader of Papua Merdeka at his home at 8 pm. This action involved twenty policemen who were not dressed in their uniforms, together with two members of Kopassus. Some of the police were armed with M16s and pistols and were travelling in Avansa 2 vehicles, one of which was black and the other two were white, together with a patrol vehicle.
The police said that these people had been arrested because they had not been granted permission to undertake this action and moreover, the group in question is not registered with the National and Political Unit as is required by the Law on Mass Organisations (Ormas) . They were intending to hand over the holy waters to the Aboriginal People from Torres Straits and were accompanied by Drs Frans Kapisa.
Edison Kendi was arrested in accordance with a warrant issued by the police in Yapen and signed by the head of the unit.
Edison Kendi was taken to police headquarters to be interrogated. This interrogation is still continuing.
Following the arrested of Edison Kendi, more police arrived in two trucks to search Edison’s home, hoping to find evidence against him such as documents of Papua Merdeka. This happened late at night, at 10.22.
Furthermore:
On 26 September at 7.12 in the morning, the Yapen police force carried out sweepings and arrested Demianus Buruni while he was on his way to the Serui Airport where he was intending to take part in welcoming Drs Frans Kapisa while was bringing the holy waters and dust from the Aboriginal people. The other reason for Demianus’ arrest was that he was carrying a Morning Star flag. At the time of writing this report, Demianus was still being interrogated.
At 11.34, a joint force of the army and the police in Yapen led by the chief of the military unit and the chief of the police force went to the place where the proceedings to hand over the holy waters and dust from Aboriginal people in Mantembu were due to take place. The army and police also ordered the people there to disperse and to vacate the area where these activities were taking place. They also ordered the arrest of Dra Frans Kapisa and Markus Yenu. Subsequently however, the local people were able to free these two men.
At the time of writing, the security forces were on guard in the area where the command post of Papua Merdeka in Kampung Mantebu is located.
[Translated by TAPOL]
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