DAP chairman calls for the withdrawal of police and army from around Freeport

JUBI, 13 October 2011In connection with the shooting dead of Petrus Ayamiseba  who worked at the catering department for workers at Freeport, the Dewan Adat Papua  has declared that  it is essential to withdraw army and police troops from area around the Freeport mine.

Speaking on behalf of DAP, Dewan Adat Papua, Forkorus Yaboisembut said that the chief of the Indonesian police, the chief of police in Papua and the commnder of the XVII Cenderawasih Command should withdraw all their troopa who are currently deployed in the vicinity of the mine. He said that it was important for the police and the security forces to stop exerting pressure on the company. They should also be ordered to stop exerting pressure on the workers.

‘The security forces should stop interfering in any way with the company,’ he said. ‘The two sides involved in a dispute must find a solution together. If they are subjected to pressure, the dispute will never be solved,’ he said.

He also said that the Indonesian govrnment should urge the company to provide a clarification about its  revenues. ‘If the government can convince the company to review the wages that they  pay to the workers, the dispute can be speedily resolved,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the lawyer, Yan Christian Warinussy said that the shooting of Petrus Ayamiseba was a gross violation of human rights, and he hoped that the Papua branch of the National Human Rights Commission would speedily hold a meeting with  the chief of police in Papua, Police Inspector-General  Bigman Lukkaman Tobing to press for this shooting incident to be resolved in the human rights court. He said that if this does not happen,  the police will claim that this was nothing more than a criminal act.

He want on to say that the shooting to death was a breach of Law 39/1998 regarding safeguarding actions undertaken by the people.

Warinussy also said that  the company should halt all their provocative actions. ‘The company and the workers should sit down together to discuss the rights of the workers.’

Warinussy said that he was currently in Timika and was carrying out his own investigations and he said that he would be having a meeting with the chief of police in Mimika and with the company. The results would be conveyed to the chairman of the  Papuan branch of the National Human Rights Commission. Matius Murib.

Petrus Ayamiseba who was 36 years old died when he was struck by a burning rod of tin belonging to the police while he was taking part in a demonstration at the Gorong-Gorong Terminal.

During the incident, another person was also killed, namely  Jamil, a member of Brimob.

Photos: Indonesian Police open fire on student dormitory in Jayapura

By Nick Chesterfield/ westpapuamedia.info

October 13, 2011

Plain clothes Indonesian police agents in Jayapura opened fire late on October 12 outside a student dormitory, in another violent act of security force intimidation before the Third Papuan People’s Congress starts on October 16.

Local human rights sources and stringers for West Papua Media have reported that the Rasunawa dormitory, housing West Papuan students from Cenderawasih University (UNCEN) , came under attack at 11pm local time by five plain clothes police agents. The agents arrived in a new white Toyota Kijang with police license plate Ds. B 9481 PAA ( expiry June 2015).

Witnesses from the student dormitory, who have declined to be identified for their safety, have reported directly to West Papua Media that the agents arrived and started shooting immediately outside the dormitory. “For some reason, these five police goons (polisi preman) entered Rasunawaa and fired wildly, so that all the male resident of the three-story building came down and surrounded the five thugs”.

According to an activist with SONAMAPA WP (Papuan Students National Solidarity Organization) who was a witness to the altercation, the students interrogated the five men at the centre of the group. “They were feeling cornered and fired shots incessantly in the air, we think over 30 bullets were flying. ”

the Five Brimob Police shooters after being surrounded by Students

“We are still looking for eyewitnesses or if there is a gunshot victim from the incident or not – the investigation remains ongoing”.

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In dramatic scenes, the West Papuan students successfully detained the men until an entire platoon of uniformed police arrived, who then arrested the Indonesian gunmen by force. Uniformed police, also from Jayapura, were reportedly fired upon by one of the five men. However,the platoon of police also opened fire to disperse the crowd in order to retrieve their men.

Photographs of the incident provided to West Papua Media by witnesses appear to show the police vehicle used in the incident. According to the SONAMAPA WP activist, the new vehicle registration means the car has just been imported directly from Jakarta

A formal report has been made to the Rector of UNCEN, and students have reported to West Papua Media that they hold grave fears for a continuation of the incident, and for the safety of the residents of the Rasunawaa UNCEN domitories.

with local sources

Greens call for release of West Papuans in custody

http://richard-di-natale.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-call-release-west-papuans-custody

 by RichardDiNatale in Media ReleaseWest Papua

Greens’ spokesperson for West Papua, Richard Di Natale, has expressed concern over the arrests of West Papuan activists and is calling for their immediate release.

“The Greens are concerned for West Papuan human rights defenders, Henok Dori, Noak Kandipi and Melkianus Bleskadit, who were all arrested on their way to a conference last week, and are still in custody in Jayapura and Manokwari,” said Senator Di Natale.

“We understand that some of their colleagues have been released and we call for these West Papuans to be released.”

The conference was a preparatory event for the important Congress being held this weekend. The Congress brings together different human rights, faith and student groups across West Papua to discuss strategies for bringing peace and justice to the troubled Indonesian province.

“West Papuans have a right to meet and discuss their own future. This congress is a peaceful assembly. We ask the Indonesian government to stand by its stated support for the rights of its residents to move freely and assemble peacefully.”

The situation in West Papua remains critical, with a striking worker at the Freeport McMoran copper and gold mine shot dead this week, and further reports today of police shooting at a student dormitory in Jayapura.

Media contact: Andrew Blyberg             0457 901 600

Greens concerned over escalation of conflict in West Papua

HomeGreens concerned over escalation of conflict in West Papua

 in Media ReleaseWest Papua

Greens’ spokesperson for West Papua, Senator Richard Di Natale, has expressed his deep concern for those involved in the violent clashes at the Grasberg mine site in West Papua, where ongoing pay disputes have led to one protester being killed and eight others injured by armed security forces.

“I was saddened to hear of this worker’s death and the injuries sustained by others protesting,” said Senator Di Natale.

What was a peaceful strike became violent when Indonesian police opened fire on the Freeport Mine workers. This conflict comes on the back of news that ten West Papuan activists were arrested by Indonesian authorities in Jayapura last week for being in possession of material that featured the banned West Papuan Morning Star flag.

“There needs to be a thorough investigation into the shooting and acts of violence that occurred against ordinary workers.”

“I am deeply concerned that the conflict in West Papua is escalating . The only long term solution is to ensure that the West Papuan people are free to determine their own future.”

Alleged OPM members may be charged with Nafri and Skyland incidents

(West Papua Media Note:  despite reams of evidence available to the contrary that indicated clearly that the Nafri attacks were the work of “unknown persons”, Indonesian police are still refusing to investigate the connections with Indonesian military operations.  The only credible way these trials can proceed is with the presence of international legal observers.  )
See the following Related articles:

Bintang Papua, 19 September 2011

Jayapura: Two Papuans who are allegedly mmbers of TPN/OPM and who are
facing charges in connection with the burning of a taxi and shootings
that occurred in Kampung Nafri as well as at Skyland and were arrested
on 31 August, are now at the stage of processing by the police force in
Jayapura. In order to obtain more documentation about the case, the
police have questioned two further witnesses. The results of these
investigations cannot yet been reveal.

The public relations officer of the police said that other witnesses
were likely to be summoned which may hopefully speed up the handling of
the case. These witnesses were being summoned as they may have seen
people who fled when a group of armed criminals opened fire on local people.

He said that one of the accused has been identified as PK who is alleged
to have been involved in the killing of the driver of the taxi that was
burnt and the other accused, EK was only allegedly involved in the
burning and killing of the taxi driver in Skyland.

‘It is hoped that the questioning of the witnesses will lead to the
identification of other suspects.,’ the official said.

The police say that they intend to continue their investigations and
hunt down other possible perpetrators in the case of the shootings in
Kampung Nafri.

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