Tag: Indonesian State Violence

Indigenous Papuans Arrested for the Celebrating the UN International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

by West Papua Media team

9 August 2012

UPDATED: 2300 West Papua Time

On the International Day of the Indigenous Peoples, Papuan people took to the streets to celebrate their continued survival as indigenous people, and called for an end to the Indonesian government’s occupation of their land.  Demonstrations took place in Manokwari, Serui, Baliem, Jayapura and various other locations around West Papua.

Although the United Nations declaration of 2012 as the year of ‘Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices’ communicated a sense of optimism to First Nations people around the world, indigenous Papuans continue to experience a media blackout and silencing of indigenous voices by the Indonesian military. Despite the repression of Papuan voices this report demonstrates that local indigenous media activists continue to find ways to circumvent Indonesian government censorship and control of the press.

According to local sources a few days prior to the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, the head of Police in Yapen Island, Roycke Harry Langie, officially issued a letter rejecting a request for Papuans to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People’s in Serui. In defiance of the Police refusal indigenous Papuan leaders in Serui proceeded to organise their planned celebration.

At around 9:00am (West Papua local time) on August 9, 2012 the combined forces of Brimob (Police Mobile Brigade), Densus 88 and TNI (Indonesian Army) blocked off access to Mantembu District and destroyed several houses.

Local stringers sent SMS messages to West Papua Media that at Anotaurei junction in Mantembu district, peaceful demonstrators were confronted with shots fired into the air by the police. A local source reported that sixteen shots were fired – six to the air and ten at human targets. The shoting generated fear and panic amongst the people and forced many, including local villagers to seek refuge in the nearby jungle.

At midday Australian time, West Papua Media team rang the Head of Police, Roycke Harry Langie but the call was redirected to an interrogation squad spokesperson (Reskrim), Mr Waluyo, who denied that any shots were fired and stated that no arrests had been made.

Despite police claims West Papua Media continued to get reports from several people in Serui who confirmed that eleven people had been arrested including a seven months pregnant woman, Ratna Semboari, who is a Member of State Council of Yapen of the Federated Republic of West Papua, an Indonesian-banned independence organisation. A witness told West Papua Media by phone conversation that Ms Semboari was pushed forcefully into BRIMOB truck and fell very hard on her belly.

Sopina (Yosina) Pangkurei, the wife of Daud Abon, governor of Saireri of the Federated Republic of West Papua was also arrested, despite also being  8 months pregnant.  Activists told West Papua Media that she stood in agony as she watched the security forces destroy her house. Local stringers report that police took a printer, a laptop and four banners declaring that ‘The indigenous Papuans also support indigenous people’s birthday.’

Other people arrested in Serui are:

  • Edison Kendi – Deputy governor of Saireri of the Federated Republic of West Papua
  • Sopia Kayani – Member  of State Parliament of Federated Republic of West Papua
  • Yosina Pangkurey, wife of Daud Abon.
  • Hendrikus Warmetan – State secretary of Saireri of Federated Republic of West Papua
  • Ruben Bonai – Member of  State Parliament Federated Republic of West Papua
  • Yan Piet Maniambo – Member of State Parliament of Federated Republic of West Papua
  • Matius J Pedai – Head of Regency of Mamberamu under Federated Republic of West Papua
  • Bram Wainarisi – a local activist
  • Elia Karma
  • Arnelda Kayane
  • John Paririe
  • Daniel Kandipi – a local activist
  • Beni Yobi – a local activist

At time of writing, Kayani, Waremtan, Wainarisi and Maniambo had been released from arrest.

After the release of the arrested women,  Mrs. Yossi Pangkurey (28 yrs) told another West Papua Media stringer that after they were arrested by a joint military-police apparatus in the village of Anatourei, they were immediately taken to the Police HQ of Yapen island.  Police officers immediately separated the men and women, with all the women in one room to undergo interrogation.  Male police officers, who claimed to the detainees that they were acting  on the orders of chief of Yapen police Roycke Harry Langie,  forced all the arrested women to strip and conduct the interview semi-naked, dressed only in their underwear under assumption of imminent sexual assault, according to the women.

In Manokwari, the celebration was held in front of the Papuan Tribe Council office with up to twelve Morning Star flags flying high in defiance of laws banning the West Papuan national flag. Many other people held smaller flags. Local stringers report that a thousands paraded around Manokwari town. Heavily armed Security forces attempted intimidation on the protest, and confiscated the Morning Star flags but people proceed to continue the march peacefully.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Slideshow: Images from the demonstration in Manokwari, August 9, 2012 (Photos: West Papua Media stringers)

Meanwhile, in Jayapura, the Baliem Valley and other locations across Papua, celebrations were carried out under strict police supervision.  In Jayapura the police prevented Papuan protesters from marching.  However, protesters proceeded to the Council of Papuan Customary Chiefs to continue the celebration.

In the central highlands celebrations were also held at the Council of Papuan Customary Chiefs despite provocation by police, who according to local stringers surrounded the event in full combat gear.  A Lani highland chief told West Papua Media by SMS that “the reason the police tried to stop the demonstrations was that they were held by ‘unregistered’ groups.”

What this means,” he continued, “is that the Indonesian Government does not respect human rights and universal freedoms.”

Related articles
2

Bishop wants Papuans to hold dialogue before any dialogue with Indonesia

Bintang Papua, 20 July, 2012Mgr Leo Laba Ladjar , the Bishop of Jayapura, believes that the Papuan people should hold a dialogue between themselves before entering into dialogue with Indonesia. He acknowledged that this dialogue would be quite difficult. He was speaking during a meeting of all Catholic clerics with representatives of the police force to build a  partnership for security and order in Papua.

He said that Papuan people should sit together and discuss how to promote development in Papua.

Response to KNPB calls

In response to the desire of the KNPB – National Committee of West Papua for all its members to surrender to the police and to call on the Bishop to mediate,  he said that this was quite acceptable  as long as the organisation’s intentions were genuine and it was not simply seeking to meet the Bishop which might cause people to suspect their intentions.

He described the KNPB as an organisation that has rejected all the programmes of the government such as Special Autonomy, UP4B and other things

‘I have the impression that the KNPB refuses to listen to anyone. I would not want to listen to things that they are doing  at a time when they are becoming ever more determined and radical. I dont know how long the KNPB will continue to reject any improvements. Perhaps they are seeking to get something that they have not been able to get so far.’

[COMMENT from Tapol: Perhaps what the Bishop describes as radical is the recent call by the KNPB for a referendum to be held in West Papua.]

0

KNPB members unable to attend trial of Buchtar Tabuni

 

JUBI, 18 July 2012The first hearing in the trial of Buchtar Tabuni, chairman of the KNPB, the National Committee of West Papua took place but none of the thousands of members of the KNPB were present to give their support to the accused.

They were probably absent because of the circulation of text messages  and terror phone calls, giving them reason to believe that they would be included on the DPO, the  ‘wanted persons’ list and would be arrested and they didn’t want their names to be made public.

One man from the central highlands who did not want to give his name said that not all the members of the organisation were known to the police. ‘We dont want to have our names included on the ‘wanted’ list. Had we attended the trial, this would have helped.them..

He said that the absence of KNPB members at any of the trial hearings  would mean that the police succeeded in dampening the militancy of the KNPB.

But others who attended the trial said that the absence of KNPB members was a sign of who supports their struggle and who doesn’t support it. ‘It  proves,’ said one person, ‘who are the real friends and who are people who just want to take part in activities.’

But another person said that the KNPB members  were not prepared to take the risk of facing fabricated charges. They were protecting themselves by not attending the trial. ‘They probably don’t want to be charged with all manner of things,’ he said.

The police guard round the courthouse for the Buchtar trial was not as tight as the guard that was mounted when Forkorus Yaboisembut was on trial, when Brimob troops were guarding the courthouse. Nor were there as many people attending the trial of Buchtar as had attended the trial of Forkorus.

[Translated by TAPOL]

[Comment: Following the brutal murder on 16 June of Mako Tabuni, a leader of the KNPB, members of the organisation certainly could not take the risk of attending any trial that would put them in danger of suffering the same fate. TAPOL]

Related articles

 

0

Police disperse humanitarian action in Jayapura

JUBI, 19 July 2012
Note: The bulk of this posting was posted yesterday but we are re-posting it with an important addition from Andreas Harsono. TAPOL]

Note: The Papuan Solidarity  for Human Rights Victims, SKPHP, is the
organization which supports political prisoners, including Filep
Karma, in Papua. They regularly do fund raising to buy medicines for
the prisoners. In 2010, they did a specific campaign for Filep Karma,
raising around $3,000 from the streets. Now the Indonesian police
stopped them from doing that on the grounds that SKPHP has no legal
entity.

Regarding Filep Karma’s fund raising, we have now raised IDR116
million. It is enough to do the surgery in Jakarta. He will meet his
local doctor, Donald Arrongear, this week. SKPHP and Karma are still
negotiating with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights about he goes
directly to the PGI hospital in Jakarta (without going to the Jakarta
prison first). They’re also suspicious with a new prison guard from
Java Island who wants to accompany him to Jakarta.

Police disperse humanitarian action in Jayapura

JUBI, 19 July 2012

The police in Papua forcibly dispersed  a humanitarian action taking
place when Papuans were out collecting money to help political
prisoners. They were from an organisation called Solidarity  for Human
Rights Victims, SKPHP. The police said that they had dispersed the
people because the SKPHP  has not registered with the provincial
administration.

The news was confirmed by Peneas Lokbere, a member of the SKPHP, who
told JUBI that before undertaking the action they had notified the
police of their intentions in both Abepura and Jayapura. Having done
this, it meant that the police would grant permission for the action
to take place.

Nevertheless, while the action was in progress on Friday at 1pm, the
police dispersed those taking part in the action. ‘We were forcibly
dispersed,’ said Peneas. ‘They said that this was because  we had not
registered the organisation with the authorities. and therefore, we
were not allowed to continue with this collection of funds.’ He also
said that after the police came to disperse the action, they dispersed
peacefully.’We did not offer any resistance. If we had resisted, it
would have led to a lengthy process.’

Peneas said that  they would follow up their action on Friday, 20
July. ‘We will go to the police and ask for permission to continue
with action.’

The street collections were being undertaken to provide for the
medical requirements of the political prisoners and the other prisoner
who are  ill at the prisons in Abepura and Jayapura. Among those who
are ill in Abepura Prison are Filep Karma, Ferdinand Pakage and Jefrai
Murib.

Their intention was to carry out this action from 9am Thursday 19 July
until Saturday.21 July.

[Translated by TAPOL]

The article is illustrated by a photo showing a large banner which
says: ‘The government doesn’t want to pay for medical treatment for
Filep Karma and Ferdinand Pakage’.   They are carrying posters which
say: ‘The Papuan  political prisoners are not criminals.’

Related articles
0

Statement from the International Parliamentarians for West Papua on the Escalating Violence in West Papua

West Papua flag
West Papua flag (Photo credit: lussqueittt)

P.O. Box 656, Oxford, OX3 3AP England, U.K.Date: : July 22nd 2012

Statement from the International Parliamentarians for West Papua on the Escalating Violence in West Papua

To: Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President, Republic of Indonesia
Mr. Andi Matalatta, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Republic of Indonesia
Mr. Hendarman Supandji, Attorney General, Republic of Indonesia
Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Chief of National Police, Republic of Indonesia

As members of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, we voice our concerns over the escalating violence in West Papua, especially in Wamena and Jayapura.
We are saddened by the recent murder of West Papuan independence leader Mako Tabuni and we express our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. We call on you to conduct a thorough investigation into Mako Tabuni’s death.

We are also concerned by the recent re-imprisonment of Buchtar Tabuni and his colleagues, Jufri Wandikbo and Assa Alua, and the continued imprisonment of Filep Karma, an Amnesty International recognized prisoner of conscience, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raising the Morning Star flag at a peaceful protest.  We ask you to release and to drop all charges against these detainees and others who have been held for peacefully expressing views. We also request your help in assuring that Mr. Tabuni and his colleague be released immediately from custody, as we have further concerns that he may be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

We call on you to allow foreign journalists and humanitarian organizations entry into West Papua in order to provide a comprehensive report of the human rights situation there.

As the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, we support the indigenous people’s of West Papua’s call to a genuine act of self-determination, a right which was not recognized in the 1969 Act of Free Choice. We are therefore deeply troubled by your government’s suppression of political activity in West Papua. We urge you and your government to end the violence in West Papua, by listening to West Papuans call to self-determination, rather than attempting to silence them.

Signed,

Andrew Smith, MP (United Kingdom)
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion House of Commons (United Kingdom)
Lord Richard Harries (United Kingdom)
Dr. Russel Norman, MP (New Zealand)
Jamie Hepburn, MSP (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scotland)
Catherine Delahunty, MP (New Zealand)
Bill Kidd, MSP (Glasgow Anniesland, Scotland)
Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, MP (Port Vila, Vanuatu)
Cllr Alex Sobe (Leeds City Council)
Eugenie Sage, MP (Aotearoa)
Cate Faehrmann, MLC Green MP (Australia)

Related articles
1

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑