Tag: Papuan people

ABC LATELINE: West Papuans attacked by Indonesian army

(MEDIA NOTE: WEST PAPUA MEDIA was fixer for this story, and supplied this exclusive footage to Lateline, not “West Papua independence activists” as reported by Lateline.  Footage can be made available to other media outlets by contacting editor, @ westpapuamedia.info .  West Papua Media HAS independently verified the authenticity of this footage.)

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 27/10/2011 http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3350029.htm

Reporter: Hamish Fitzsimmons

Six people have died in shootings after the West Papuan Independent Movement declared independence, which Indonesia describes as an act of treason.

Transcript

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: Last week six people were killed in the Indonesian province of West Papua after separatists declared independence from Indonesia at a people’s congress.

Lateline has obtained exclusive pictures of the aftermath of the shootings, which were alleged to have been carried out by Indonesian security forces, including anti-terrorist troops trained by Australia.

Indonesia says the declaration in the restive province is an act of treason and people have been charged according to the law.

West Papuan independence activists say the shootings were planned.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs says the Indonesian police response was disproportionate.

Hamish Fitzsimmons has this report.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: Thousands attended the third West Papuan People’s Congress on 19th October in Jayapura

It was organised by the West Papuan independence movement, which says it was forcibly included in the Indonesian republic almost 50 years ago.

And last week, the congress took the dramatic step of declaring independence from Jakarta and electing its own government.

EDISON WAROMI, PAPUAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS PRIME MINISTER: We will appoint a main leader who will unite the movement and ideologies. This is the time to make clear to God, to the international community, also to Indonesia and the people of Papua.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: After the declaration was made, security forces moved in to break up the meeting. The Indonesian government says police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and made many arrests, six people have been charged with treason.

But six people are also reported to have been killed and many more injured. Those who witnessed the violence want the international community to intervene in West Papua.

JOHN BARANSANO, WEST PAPUAN YOUTH CHURCH: I call on the churches around the world to care about this. I’m calling for an intervention for us because today’s events show that we need a transitional government and this needs to happen to help the people of Papua. We are now in a dangerous situation and we’re calling for a UN intervention to help us.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: John Baransano is a Protestant minister in Jayapura who was at the peoples’ congress. He says he saw people being shot and beaten and others herded into trucks.

JOHN BARANSANO: I saw with my own eyes people who were bleeding. They had been hit. We saw how they were terribly harassed. They were forced into a truck and ordered to sit down so they wouldn’t be seen by others. But if we were up higher, we could see what had been done to them.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Anglican minister Peter Woods lived in Indonesia for many years and is dedicated to helping West Papuans achieve independence.

He was in Jayapura during the congress and filmed interviews with many of the independence movement’s leaders. He says the security forces waited until independence was declared at the meeting.

PETER WOODS, WEST PAPUAN INDEPENDENCE SUPPORTER: The Army, the special police, the Brimob, the Densus 88, which had been along the road for the last three days in various barracks and positioning areas, they all moved in and started firing.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Indonesian government says there were deaths, but not at the site of the congress and the victims’ wounds were not gunshot wounds, but from a sharp weapon.

This vision has been supplied by West Papuan independence activists and can’t be independently verified. It appears to show many bullet holes.

Reverend Woods believes the violence on 19th was premeditated.

PETER WOODS: It was very well-planned and they waited until the declaration had been made. The justification for that was that – well we’ve heard variously a coup d’etat was being planned, or a state within the state of Indonesia was being declared.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Amongst the troops were soldiers from the Densus 88 unit, Indonesia’s elite anti-terror squad, which is funded and trained by Australia and the United States.

The Australian Government says it funds training for the Indonesian armed forces that emphasises human rights awareness, accountability and respect for the rule of law, including in Papua, and that it doesn’t train Indonesia’s military to counter separatist groups.

The Greens want military training halted.

RICHARD DI NATALE, GREENS SENATOR: The Australian Government should immediately suspend all support for the Indonesian military. It should, as a matter of urgency, send a fact-finding mission to the region.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Elite police from Jakarta and Indonesia’s National Commission for Human Rights are investigating the shootings, but there are claims that some of the injured in the crackdown are too afraid to seek treatment, fearing they’ll be arrested.

One of those is Abraham Kereni, who was one a representatives at the congress.

ABRAHAM KERENI, WEST PAPUAN INDEPENDENCE REP.: Then those – the security forces, they immediately held pistols and opened the door of the car of the prime minister. It was there that shots were fired. They opened the door and pulled me out. As they were pulling me out, there were three crew that came and hit me.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: A spokesman for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs says it appears from reports that the police’s response, following calls for independence at the conclusion of the congress, was disproportionate.

Hamish Fitzsimmons, Lateline.

Related articles

CSW URGES INDONESIA TO ESTABLISH DIALOGUE WITH PAPUAN PEOPLE FOLLOWING BRUTAL CRACKDOWN BY MILITARY IN WEST PAPUA

From: Socratez Yoman

24 October 2011

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) today urged the Indonesian Government to take urgent steps to address the grievances of the Papuan people after tension escalated in West Papua last week.

On 19 October, the Indonesian military and police brutally suppressed a peaceful Papuan People’s Congress after delegates raised the Morning Star flag, a symbol of West Papua’s resistance to Indonesian rule, and declared independence. At least six Papuan people were killed and six have been charged with treason. Several hundred were initially arrested, although many have since been released.

According to media reports, the police and military fired shots into the air to disband the gathering, but some soldiers reportedly pointed weapons directly at people. Delegates were beaten by the police and soldiers with batons, bamboo poles and rifle butts. Security forces raided a nearby Catholic seminary and priests’ residence.

In a chilling warning, the police chief in Jayapura, Imam Setiawan, told the media, “Whoever supports separatism or subversion activity, I will do the same as yesterday. I’ll finish them.”

Rev Socratez Sofyan Yoman, Chairman of the Alliance of Papuan Baptist Churches, told CSW, “We call on the Indonesian authorities to open the door for peaceful dialogue between the Papuan representatives and the Indonesia Government. Dialogue must take place without preconditions and be mediated by  a neutral party. The Indonesian military and police must respect the Papuan people’s dignity and rights and stop the violations. As church leaders we strongly support genuine dialogue between the Indonesia Government and West Papuan leaders to solve West Papua’s problems.”

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “It is overwhelmingly clear that the Indonesian military and police used disproportionate force against a peaceful gathering, flagrantly violating human rights and brutally beating and killing unarmed civilians. As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Chairman of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a member of the G20, Indonesia has a responsibility to uphold the rule of law, protect human rights and respect international law. The tragic and bloody escalation in tensions serves as a wake-up call to Indonesia and the international community, that the grievances of the Papuan people must be addressed. Indonesia cannot continue to suppress the Papuan peoples’ freedom of expression as it did last week. Instead, a dialogue process is urgently needed, in which concerns about human rights, health care, education, development, environmental degradation and the impact of migration should be discussed, and Papua’s political future negotiated. We urge the Indonesian government to take the following steps to build confidence with the Papuan people, which has been further damaged by last week’s brutal crackdown: release all political prisoners, lift the ban on raising the Morning Star Flag, demilitarize Papua by reducing the military presence, and start to address the basic needs and rights of the Papuan people. The time for genuine dialogue is now.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is an organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

Related articles
19

End the theft, end the violence, close Freeport now Joint statement in solidarity with Freeport Indonesia worker – Indonesian Labour Unions

October 20, 2011

PT Freeport Indonesia,  a subsidiary of Freeport McMoran Cooper and Gold – of which 90.64 percent of the shares are owned by Freeport CEO James R. Moffet – is the largest mining company in the world. Freeport contributes 95 percent of the entire production of gold by Freeport McMoran and a significant percentage of its copper production.The controversial corporation obtained the exploration and mining rights through Work Contract I, several months before the enactment of Law Number 1/1967 on Foreign Capital Investment and Law Number 11/1967 on the Basic Provisions of Mining during the rule of the New Order regime of former President Suharto. Odd but true!

Work Contract I was then renewed by Suharto in 1991. As a result Work Contract II will expire in 2040 and the area of exploration and exploitation was extended to cover 6.5 percent of the total territory of Papua province. It also includes the right to conduct of underground exploration. Freeport began operating 44 years ago but it was not until 1971 that the company began extracting minerals (gold, copper, silver, molybdenum and rhenium).

In the first decade of its operations, Freeport extracted more than 1 million tons of gold, copper and shiver annually. By 2010 this had reached 3.4 million tons a year. Freeport reaps profits of as much as 114 billion rupiah a day, so in one year Freeport’s net profit is a high as 41.04 trillion or US$45.60 billion.

The irony is that the total combined wages of all Freeport’s employees is only 1.4 trillion rupiah a year or $2.1-3.5 dollars US per hour. This is far lower than the wages received by Freeport workers in other countries who receive US$15 or 128,250 rupiah per hour. The proportion received by workers is only 3.4 percent of Freeport’s total profits and 60 percent of its net profit are turned over to Freeport McMoran.

Based on this compression, it is understandable that the Freeport Indonesia All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI) is demanding a wage increase of between US$17.5 to US$43 per hour. Never mind that Freeport workers in the US receive 30-250 dollars US per hour. Meanwhile the wage increase awarded to Freeport Indonesia workers every two years have only been US40c an hour.

The Freeport Indonesia management meanwhile has responded to workers’ demands with accusations of separatism, psychological intimidation, prohibiting workers from joining the strike, criminalisation of workers and most recently repressive acts by police that resulted in the fatal shooting of two people, Petrus Ayamiseba and Leo Wandagau, and the wounding of seven others.

Acts of violence involving Freeport are not new. During its 44 years of theft, there have been numerous cases of violence in Papua and the Freeport mining area of Timika against Freeport workers and indigenous Papuans.

This clearly demonstrates that Freeport is using violence as a tool and means to secure its vital assets. And, of course, the state since the time of the Suharto regime through to the current administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono, has fully supported Freeport’s interests.

It is already public knowledge that since the 1970s Freeport Indonesia has been providing a huge sums of money for security. A number of documents have cited that between 1998 and May 2004, Freeport paid at least 20 million dollars (around 184 billion rupiah) to the TNI (Indonesian military) and the police in Papua. There has also been an additional 10 million dollars (around 92 billion rupiah) paid to the military and police over this period bringing the total to around 276 billion rupiah. And as admitted by the Papuan regional police themselves, out of a total of 720 police and military personnel that are deployed in the Freeport exploration area, each officer receives 1.25 million rupiah a month in additional wages outside of regular funds.

In contrast to this, in 2011 the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that the poverty rate in Papua province stood at 80.07 percent or 1.5 million people living in poverty. This is clear evidence that Freeport does not provide any contribution to the welfare of the Papuan people.

Freeport, which is the largest gold and cooper mine in the world, not only steals the country’s natural wealth, muzzles democracy, violates human rights and impoverishes the Papuan people, but also destroys the environment. In a single day of operation, Freeport disposes 230,000 tons of waste into the Aghawagon River and other rivers in the vicinity. The acid rock drainage, or the disposal water containing acid (around 360,000-510,000 tons a day), has already destroyed two valleys covering an area of 6.5 kilometers to a depth of 300 meters.

It becomes increasingly clear that there are no grounds to for Freeport Indonesia to be allowed to continue its exploration and mining activities. Freeport must be closed down!

Based upon the fact above we make the following demands:

– The withdraw all non-organic TNI and police personnel from the Freeport area and Papua
– The arrest of James Moffet, Freeport Indonesia President Director Armando Muhler, Freeport Executive Vice President Sinta Sirait and company spokesperson Ramdani Sirait
– The broadest possible dialogue for the Papuan people that is democratic and free from coercion
– A full investigation into human rights violations at Freeport and in Papua;
– An end to union busting
– An end to the use of contract labour
– An international standard wage
– Freeport must be held liable for its past and current crimes
– Dismiss the national police chief, the Papua regional police chief and the Timika district police chief
– Freeport must take responsibility for the environmental damage it has caused

We call on all people, let us unite. We are the 99 percent in the world who are oppressed. Freeport, James Moffet, President Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono, the political elite and the Indonesian political parties that benefit from Freeport, are the 1 percent that oppresses the rest of us. Yesterday it was Petrus Ayamiseba and Leo Wandagau who were murdered. Next anyone who resists will suffer the same fate. We must therefore unite, act in solidarity and fight back!

44 years of theft, 44 years of state protection, end the violence and close Freeport now

Jakarta, October 20, 2011

Tri Puspital
Public Relations Officer

This joint statement is supported by:

The Student Alliance Against Neoliberalism (AMAN), the Working People’s Association (PRP), the People’s Liberation Party (PPR), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Papua Student Alliance (AMP), the Free Women’s National Network (Perempuan Mahardika), the Papuan Traditional Social Community Against Corruption (Kampak), the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI), the National Solidarity Committee (KSN), the Papuan NGO Forum for Cooperation (Foker Papua), the PT Freeport Indonesia All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI PT FI), the National Students Front (FMN), the Association of Independent Trade Unions (GSBI), the Indonesian Independent Union (SMI), the Greater Jakarta Workers Federation of Struggle (FPBJ), the Indonesian Center for Labour Struggle (PPBI), the Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (PEMBEBASAN), the Indonesian Transportation Trade Union of Struggle (SBTPI), the Working People’s Association-Organisational Saviours Committee (KPO-PRP), the Green Indonesia Union (SHI), the State Electricity Company Trade Union (SP-PLN) and the United Student Action (KAM Laksi).

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Related articles
4

DPRP members say police and army chiefs should be held responsible for casualties

Bintang Papua, 25 October 2011
[Abridged in translation by TAPOL]

Jayapura: A member of the Provincial Legislative Assembly of Papua, the DPRP, had called for the Chief of Police in Papua and Commander of the Cenderawasih Military Command to be held responsible for the loss of life when the Papuan People’s Congress was broken up last Wednesday.

‘The actions of the security forces in dispersing the Congress exceeded all bounds and exceeded their authority and in so doing were in violation of the laws in force,’ said Yan Mandenas, chairman of the Pikiran Rakyat group in the DPRP.

‘They exceeded their powers in attacking and shooting people who happened to be in the location, whether or not those people were involved in the Congress.’

‘If indeed they were committing an act of subversion, then those responsible should be arrested, not beaten up and shot. This is a serious violation of human rights and should be thoroughly investigated,’ he said.   ‘This is not a trivial matter but something which attacks the self-respect of Papuan people. It seems as though  whenever anything happens in Papua, the security forces act uncontrollably and start shooting.’

‘Killing innocent people is inhumane and it is always Papuans who are the casualties. If we want to develop Papua and preserve the unitary Republic of Indonesia, then we should stop hitting out at people and treating Papuans as if they are worthless.’

As for the claim of the chief of police in Papua that the casualties were only stabbed and not shot, if this is true, there should be autopsies. ‘Why have there been no reports of the result of autopsies?’

He said that if Papua is an indivisible part of Indonesia, then why do so many conflicts occur there. ‘There have been a number of mysterious shootings, none of which has been properly investigated.’

Mandenas said that an investigation team should be set up immediately to see whether violations were committed. ‘If there were violations, then those members of the security forces who were responsible should be sacked.’

Similar views were expressed by Ruben Magay, chairman of Commission A on Politics and Law of the DPRP.

He went on to say that he had urged the chief of police to withdraw his men because it (the Congress) was already over, but what in fact happened was that even though the event was at an end, they started chasing people, hitting them and shooting at people who happened to be in the vicinity;  And no one was fighting back. ‘This is clearly a violation, with armed people shooting at random, hitting people who were not showing any resistance or carrying firearms.’

‘The National Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM, as the competent body should carry out an investigation and say whether human rights were violated or not.’ He went on to say that the DPRP will press for an investigation team to be set up.

Meanwhile, a man named Yosep Nawipa who was happened to be in the vicinity became a casualty and was held in custody at police command headquarters. He said that he has been struck with a rifle butt by a member of the security forces, then pushed into their vehicle and taken to the police station.  ‘Just as the event was being dispersed,’ he said.   ‘I happened to pass through the location and I too was beaten up,
dragged into their vehicle and struck on the crown of my head,’ he said, pointing to the injury that he had sustained.

Related articles
6

Imparsial: Urges SBY to speedily resolve the Papua Problem

Bintang Papua, 21 October 2011Jayapura: Imparsial had condemned the shooting that occurred on 19 October during the Third Papuan People’s Congress which was held at the Zakeus field and has called on the president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono  to take measures to resolve the Papuan problem as quickly as possible.

‘There should have been no loss of life or the injuries; what happened has only made the situation in Papua worse than than ever and is not in accord with the pledge made by the president – SBY -in his address on the occasion of 17 August this year that the situation in West Papua must be handled with care.

In an open letter. Poengky Indarti, executive-director of Imparsial said that the use of excessive force  by the security forces, alleging that the congress was engaged in subversion ws totally unjustified.  ‘ The mobilisation of the security forces  which was very un-coordinated  has only resulted in Papuan people feeling more insecure,’ said Indarti.

‘Now is the time to resolve the problems in Papua by means of good communication with the Papuan people.’ she said. The continued use of force and violence  will not only destroy the Papuan people’s confidence in Indonesia, but will also undermine the confidence of the international community in the the president’s respect for human rights principles.’ Imparsial called on all sides to do everything to preserve  peace in Papua, by showing respect for human rights.

According to the Papuan branch of Komnas HAM, the National Human Rights Commission, the six people who died were: James Gobay, 25 years old, Yosaphat Yogi 28, Daniel  Kadepa  25, Maxsasa Yewi 35, Yacob Samonsabra 53, and Pilatus Wetipo. 40.

Those under arrest include Forkorus Yaboisembut, chairman of the Papuan Customary Council, and Edison Waromi who will face the charge of subversion under article 106 of the Criminal Code.

Others currently being interrogated include: August Makbrawnen Sananay Kraar, Selpius Bobii, chairman of the Congress, and Dominikus Sirabat, a Papuan human rights activist.

Related articles
6

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑