Tag: Jayapura

Human Rights Commission urges police chief to withdraw his troops from Paniai

JUBI, 17 December 2011The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has urged the chief of police  to immediately withdraw his Brimob troops  from the district of Paniai and not to send any more troops there.

This request is made in a letter signed by the deputy head of Komnas HAM, M. Ridha Saleh, which is a follow-up of the complaint made by   the chairman f the Regional Traditional Council (DAD)  in Paniai several days ago. He said that the complaint  was made  because of two recent incidents involving members of the police force. One was shooting in the vicinity of the copper-and-gold mine in Degheuwo which led to the death of a civilian and the other relates to the situation following the dispatch of 150 additional Brimob troops who arrived in Enarotali  on 11-14 November 2011

In the second place, the Brimob post which was set up in the midst of several kampungs. should be removed.

Thirdly, to immediately conduct an investigation into what caused the death of Mateus Tenouye. Fourthly, to restore a conducive situation so as to enable the people in the district of Paniai to go about their daily activities.

And fifthly, to speedily hold dialogue with all parties involved in conflicts and to help the community to resolve problems that have occurred in the district of Paniai.

‘This request is in accordance with the authority rested in Komnas HAM according to Article 89, para (3) of Law on Human Rights 39/1999,’ the letter said. Copies of the letter have been sent to the chairman of Komnas HAM, the chief of police in Papua based in Jayapura and to the Paniai chief of police in Madi.

Komnas HAM very much hopes that the situation of the people in Paniai will be more conducive, bearing in mind that all people have the right to live in peace and tranquillity and to be protected against threats of fear, in accordance with article 15, para (30) of Law 39/1999.

Komnas HAM also calls upon all people to do everything possible to safeguard a conducive situation for people living in Paniai.

‘The chief of police needs to re-evaluate  the policy of sending additional  Brimob troops to Papua, particularly to Paniai. His troops must be withdrawn  because the people there are very upset, especially because of the attack on Eduda several days ago which has only intensified these fears and are having a significant impact   because people are unable to organise activities  in preparation for Christmas Day which is fast approaching.’

At the present time, there are hundreds of Brimob troops and police in Eduda, which is the headquarters of TPN/OPM, after managing to occupy the area.

Calls for the withdrawal of these troops  have also be made by others, especially since, in the past couple of days, operations in the area have intensified  in an attempt to hunt down the group of John Magai Yogi, who recently moved into the forest.

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SBS: Indonesia attacking Papuans: claim

19 Dec 2011
By Stefan Armbruster
Download Episode Duration00:03:09 Download2MB
POLRI GEGANA anti-terrorism troops attacking peaceful flagraisers, Taokou Village, East Paniai , December 1 (West Papua Media)

A Papuan human rights group says Indonesian helicopters have been strafing villages, killing more than a dozen people and displacing up to 25,000 others, in their latest operation against the Free Papua Movement, or OPM.

Indonesian media has reported clashed between OPM fighters and the police and military – known as TNI – in the past week in the troubled province.

West Papuans have been seeking independence since Indonesia invaded in 1962, at the end of 130 years of Dutch colonial rule.

Stefan Armbruster spoke with the director of the Institute of Human Rights Study and Advocacy in the Papuan city of Jayapura, Ferry Marisan.

Download Episode Duration00:03:09 Download2MB

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Forkorus Yaboisembut rejects charge of treason

Bintang Papua, 16 December 2011
Abridged in translation
After spending 56 days in  police custody,  Forkorus Yaboisembut along with four others, has finally been charged with treason. He is now being held in Abepura Prison.

The charge was strongly rejected by Gustav Kawar as one of their legal team. They say that police interrogators insisted that the five men be  charged even though  the police would need first to consider the incident in which they were involved right from the start.

Before the Papuan Peace Congress was held, the committee sent a letter of notification  to the police  requesting  permission for the congress to be held, and had also sent a letter to the minister for legal, political and security affairs  requesting him to be the keynote speaker at the congress, which the minister had agreed to, and had instructed the director-general of the ministry to open the congress.

‘How can this be said to be treason when there have been letters received from the police and the minister?,’ said the lawyers.

Even though the police interrogators have said that the documents for the trial are now complete, the lawyers will make a formal complaint, stressing that  what their clients had done was to express their opinions which is guaranteed  under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights .

The lawyer said that their client(s)  had not yet signed any documents relating to the trial.Yet even so, the police interrogators consider that the documents are complete and have been submitted to the prosecutor’s  office..

He said that  usually when someone is charged with treason, there should have been an attack, but the Congress proceeded  peacefully  and came to a conclusion according to the aspirations of the Papuan people  who want to exercise their right to self-determination and to set up a state of West Papua.

When Forkorus and  his colleagues arrived at the prosecutor’s office, they were sent straight for interrogation by the prosecutor, Maskel Rombolangi, and were accompanied by their lawyer, Anum Siregar, and there was a request that the men should be held in custody  at the detention centre of the police.  This was firmly rejected by Selpius Bobii, accompanied by Domingus Serabut. Things then became quite tense . The five accused  were taken to the prosecutor’s office in Jayapura  for proceedings to continue.

‘We dont yet know whether they will be sent back to police custody,’ said the lawyers.

Gustav Kawar said that the five accused are: Forkorus Yaboisembut, Edison Waromi, Selpius Bobii, Domingus Sarabut and Agus Krat who have been charged under Article 106  with treason and for incitement under article 160 of the Penal Code. After the Congress, the five men and Gat Wenda  were arrested by the police after they had been involved in proclaiming the State of West Papua on 19 October in Abepura. At the sime time, three members of PETAPA, were killed. The first charge could result in sentences of twenty year or life , while the second charge can lead  to a six-year sentence.

One of the lawyers of Forkorus, Anum Siregar said that since 7 December, they had refused to be interrogated on the basis of an international covenant and rejected the charge of treason . Anum Siregar said that her clients had refused to be held at the police detention centres because they did not feel safe there and moreover, their families had not been permitted to visit them. The detained men said that they would prefer to be held at Abepura Prison because their families would be able to visit them and they felt safer there.

When the men met a reporter from Bintang Papua,  they said had been ill and had be treated violently , They also rejected medication provided by the police  and wanted to be treated by doctors at the general hospital. Finally, the men were handed over to the authorities at Abepura Prison  and they have been given medical check-ups.

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‘Pro M’ Aspirations are guaranteed under the law: Police chief

“….But violations will be dealt with”

Bintang Papua, 7 December 2011

Jayapura: Activities that are conducted by people, such as freedom of
assembly and the expression of opinion or aspirations such as pro-independence for West Papua (‘M’) which are being promoted by some
West Papuan people are guaranteed under the law, said the Chief of
Police Police-General Drs Timur Pradopo, speaking after participating
in a dialogue with stakeholders about accelerating development in West Papua at the office of the governor of Papua.

He went on to say that if this freedom of assembly and talking about
independence aspirations are done in ways that violate the law, it is the responsibility of the police to enforce the law. Nevertheless,
before the law is enforced, certain steps need to be taken. If, for
example, the persons who assemble wish to present their views, it is up to the police at the local level (Polsek) or the regional level (Polres), backed by the regional police chief along with the rest of society and religious leaders, to take action for their protection but they should not act in violation of the law.

‘This is what is always done by police officers in Papua (Polda, Polres, Polsek), so as to safeguard the activities of each side.’

He said any violation of the law will be dealt with by the police. And furthermore, action will be taken against police officers who violate the law, such as maltreating people in the community.

He went on to say that if anyone feels that they have been harmed by the presence of the police, this should immediately be reported, along with facts and data, and there will be a response from Polsek, Polres, Polda or even the chief of police (Kapolri) will deal with the matter when the law has been violated.

‘No one is immune, including police officers.’

Asked whether there could be an increase in the number of police, taking into account the current security situation in Papua, the police chief said that there is no plan in the coming days for the number of police to be increased But what is being done is enforcement of the law.

‘It is the task of the police to preserve a situation of security in
Papua and this should be done in a proper way in order to ensure that
the plans for development and activities by the people can proceed smoothly.

[COMMENT: A shift towards greater leniency seems to be in the air]

[Translated by TAPOL]

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New Docos examine upheaval in West Papua

As the 1st of December looms, two new short documentaries published by West Papua Media take a look at the recent wave of unprecedented political and industrial action and state repression in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of West Papuan Independence.

The Third Papuan People’s Congress

PLEASE NOTE: FOOTAGE FROM TIMECODE 04:59 – 05:43, OF PAPUAN GUERRILLAS FROM TPN/OPM RAISING THE MORNING STAR FLAG IS INDICATED AS FILE FOOTAGE FROM “FORGOTTEN BIRD OF PARADISE”, AND IS USED PURELY FOR HISTORICALLY ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES.  THIS FOOTAGE WAS SHOT IN 2008 IN THE HIGHLANDS OF PAPUA AND DOES NOT INDICATE, IMPLY OR ILLUSTRATE ANY ARMED PRO-INDEPENDENCE PRESENCE AT THE THIRD PAPUAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS, WHICH IS FACTUALLY CONFIRMED AS BEING A PEACEFUL, NON-VIOLENT ASSEMBLY, WITH NO WEAPONS OF ANY SORT PRESENT BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER PROCEEDINGS, OTHER THAN WEAPONS USED AND BELONGING TO INDONESIAN SECURITY FORCES.
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE MISREPRESENTATION OF THIS FACT WILL BE CONSIDERED DEFAMATION AND LEGALLY ENFORCED.

Credits

Production:  traverser11 and Nick Chesterfield

Music: Airi Ingram and Ak Rockefeller

Script: Nick Chesterfield and Mark Davis

Video Supplied by: West Papua Media, Tapol/Down to Earth, Dominic Brown; ABC  Lateline, SBS, TV Papoes, Metro TV Papua
Freeport Miners Strike

Video from the three month long strike at Freeport Mine in West Papua, police repression and actions in solidarity with the miners. Produced by traverser11 with music by Airi Ingram.

Credits

Production:  traverser11 and Nick Chesterfield

Music: Airi Ingram and Ak Rockefeller

Video supplied by:  SPSI Freeport (miners Unions), West Papua Media, Lococonut, Theagapaipho, WPACTION Network, Yerry Nikholas, Beni Pakage

and public domain content from: Al Jazeera English, Reuters

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