West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma rejected the prison sentence remission offered by the Indonesian Government in correlation with the August 17 Independence Day. Karma said he preferred to serve out his normal sentence and demanded the Indonesian Government to apologise to the Papuan people for all the atrocities it has caused. Karama was arrested during a Morning Star flag rising on December 1, 2004. He is currently serving a 15 year sentence in Abepura Prison, Jayapura.
Buchtar Tabuni, a Papuan political prisoner now being held in Jayapura, has complained that some Papuan political prisoners are not being given enough attention by NGOs and religious organisations. They are focusing most of their attention on particular political prisoners while others are being neglected.
‘ The NGOs have so far failed to give proper attention to some of us political prisoners, while paying attention to certain prisoners, in partiulcar’ said Buchtar Tabuni. He expressed this opinion on Monday, 20 June at the Narcotics Prison in Doyo Baru, Sentani, Jayapura, where he is being held.
‘Sometimes they pay us no attention at all, even though we are also political prisoners, he said. ‘
‘This is happening not only in Jayapura but also elsewhere in Papua. Almost all our colleagues have the same experience., he said. He thought that this problem should be discussed to ensure that NGOs and religious organisations play a role in all this.
He said that he regretted the attitude of the NGOs. Local as well as international NGOs are doing a lot of campaigning about convicted prisoners and political prisoners in Papua but they are not paying enough attention to most of us.’ Buchtar himself is apparently quite unwell and is suffering from malaria.
He said that he hoped that more attention would be paid to all the convicted prisoners (napi) as well as all the political prisoners, including not only those in Jayapura but elsewhere in Papua too. ‘We should all get proper attention,’ he said. (ALDP)
Manokwari, June 10, 2011: Over 5000 people have gathered peacefully in Manokwari, West Papua, watched by about 200 security forces, to call for the release of political prisoners and detainees in Papua. At time of publication (1530 West Papua Time), the gathering has paralysed Manokwari, according to organisers, but is unimpeded by security forces..
Organised by West Papua National Authority (WPNA), the rally began with a three mile march from Sanggeng soccer stadium to the government’s provincial office (DPRD) at Manokwari. Thousands of Papuans were chanting “Thou Shalt Not Kill”, calling on the Indonesian government to end human rights abuses.
“Currently the situation in Manokwari is fine and is understood that there are military personal and POLRI present at the scene”, said Markus Yenu, Governor of Area 3, Manokwari. Mr Yenu highlighted that 100 security personal in civilian clothing and 20 POLRI surrounded the civilians. “We have paralysed Manokwari, but our aspiration is for peaceful action”.
The rally dispersed peacefully with a closing prayer by Reverend Terryanus Yoku. The majority of demonstrators were women and children.
Yohanna Wainggai, a housewife representing Melanesian Women in West Papua, said “I have to leave all my household duties and come down to this rally to speak on behalf of my children, who completed their studies but have no jobs provided after their studies”.
The organisers were pleased with the demonstration. Hans Sakorai, chairman of FNMPP (Front Nasional Mahasiswa Pemuda Pelajar Papua or National Front for Papuan Youth and Students) stated “our peaceful rally has nearly 200 military personnel present, but no violence erupted”.
Jack Wainggai, spokesperson for the executive president of WPNA, demanded the “Indonesian authority to release all political prisoners,” and he calls out “for the international community such as Australia, USA and the UN to seriously consider the aspirations of West Papuans for self-determination”.
“Liberation of the POlitical prisoners in Papua is act of good intention by Indonesian government to solve the root of conflict in Papua”
March to DPRD office, Manokwari, June 10, 2011
People of Papua call for respect of the South Pacific Commission agreement of 1948
KNPB Holds Solidarity for West Papua Polical Prisoners
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 10:28am
On February 17, 2011, KNPB has held a solidarity action to demand the release of political prisoners Buchtar Tabuni and Fileb Karma who are still detained at Papua police headquarters. This action took the form of fund raising as a form of solidarity and concern for the condition of two prisoners who are very apprehensive.
Mikerla Bidau Mote, as the chairman of Justice and Human Rights for KNPB (Komite Nasional Papua Barat) said that this action will carried out every week for the solidarity of the people against Filep, Buchtar and other political prisoners in West Papua.
Two Papuan prisoners, Melkianus Bleskadit and Dance Yenu, both of whom are alleged to be involved in flying the 14-Star flag in Manokwari, West Papua on 14 December 2010 have received notification from the attorney-general in Manokwari giving them respite from their imprisonment (pembantalan?).
Simond Riziard Banundi, one of the lawyers working for the two men, said that the letters have been issued to give them time to rest at home. ‘Our two clients have received these letters from the attorney-general to free them for a time, so as to rest in their homes,’ said Banundi. But he said that this would not be possible because what they need is treatment to deal with their physical conditions.
He said it was true that the attorney-general had given the two men ten days respite, from 12 till 21 February . ‘We have received the letters,’ he said, ‘and our clients are currently being treated in hospital.’
[NOTE: The word used for the letter – pembantalan – is one that we are not familiar with in this connection and our dictionary hasn’t helped. We posted several articles about these prisoners yesterday. TAPOL]
West Papua Media Alerts 