Tag: Theys ELuay

800 arrested, many tortured after troops open fire on Papuan Congress

in partnership with newmatilda.com

STOP PRESS – AT time of publication, confirmed information that another victim, Melkias Kadepa has been found dead in the bushes, in Abepura, according to Matius Murib, the Chairperson of Papuan Human Right Committee in Jayapura.

Troops Open Fire On Papuan Gathering

By Alex Rayfield

arrests in west papua
Participants in the Third Papuan People’s Congress are arrested by Indonesian security forces.

The Indonesian military and police opened fire late yesterday on a gathering of West Papuan leaders. At least one person is believed to have been killed and hundreds have fled the capital

The Indonesian military and police started shooting at around 2:37pm West Papua time, yesterday 19 October. Information about what exactly transpired are still sketchy but at least one person was shot (believed dead), scores have been arrested, hundreds have fled to the hills and jungle surrounding the capital, and the capital is in a state of lockdown.

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A Papuan priest who was fleeing the shooting contacted New Matilda to report that an army truck passed him carrying Papuan participants who had been present at the Third Papua Congress. According to the witness they were “covered with blood” and had been “beaten and shot”.

The violence erupted at the conclusion of the Third Papuan Congress, a three-day gathering held at the Taboria oval (Zaccheus Field) in Abepura, during which Papuan leaders declared their independence from the Indonesian state.

As many as 20,000 West Papuans met, danced and debated how to achieve their civil and political rights. For three days the atmosphere had been tense. The venue was ringed by Armed Personnel Carriers, military trucks and Barracudas — a type of armed jeep favoured by the paramilitary police. Machine guns were trained on the participants and thousands of soldiers and paramilitary police armed with automatic weapons were present.

Papuan activists feared that the military and police would try to forcibly break up the peaceful gathering. But the Papuans were determined to have the congress.

One activist told New Matilda “maybe we will die but the congress will go on”. Continue it did. The banned “morning star” flag was flown and the banned national anthem was sung. By lunch time on the third day (19 October) Papuan activists, members of the organising committee and well connected church leaders heard that the police and military were going to use force to break up the congress.

By 2pm Jayapura time the Congress was concluding. Forkorus Yaboisembut, the Chair of the influential Customary Papaun Council was elected President and Edison Waromi was elected Prime Minister of the “West Papua Federal State”. The crowd was ecstatic. One senior tribal leader sent New Matilda the following message by SMS: “Kongres has been successful! No reaction from the military. God bless!”

The jubilation was premature.

Immediately after New Matilda received that SMS, Yaboisembut and Waromi read a declaration of independence. The police and military then opened fire and stormed the stage. As Forkorus Yaboisembut was being arrested, his personal bodyguards stepped in to protect him. A witness reports at least one person was then shot. According to an SMSNew Matilda received from Yaboisembut: “hundreds were surrounded, shot, beaten and then arrested”.

Prior to being arrested, Yaboisembut spoke to a journalist from Bintang Papua, a local Jayapura daily. Yaboisembut was reported as saying that the objective of the congress was to discuss the basic rights of the indigenous Papuan people and not to destroy the the republic of Indonesia.

“Although we will be discussing political rights, we respect the Indonesian government because our intention is not to destroy [the republic of Indonesia]. This is a matter of principle,” he said.

“What we are doing is to struggle for the rights of the indigenous Papuan people. This includes our basic right as a nation.”

Yaboisembut knows what he is talking about. He recently wrote a book about international law, self-determination and the right to secession — a right upheld by the international community most recently in South Sudan and before that Kosovo.

Human Rights defenders in West Papua can confirm that in addition to Yaboisembut, Edison Waromi and his wife and child, Selfius Bobi (Chair of the organising committee), Agus Krar, Abraham Kareni, Yudit Kambuaya and Jan Piet Mirino were also arrested.

At the time of writing those arrested were being detained at the local Jayapura police station. Another source reports that Selfius Bobi has not been seen since. Staff fromWest Papua Media Alerts hold grave fears that he is being tortured.

Extreme violence has been used to break up a peaceful gathering.

This was the third time West Papuans have held a congress. The second congress was in 2000. It culminated in the election of the Papuan Presidium Council which collapsed in late 2001 after the Chair, Theys Hiyo Eluay, was assassinated by Kopassus, Indonesia’s Special Forces.

The first Papua Congress was held on 1 December 1961, a day West Papuans commemorate as their national day, and some 18 months before Indonesia occupied West Papua on 1 May, 1963.

Yesterday was the second time the Papuans declared independence from Indonesia. The first was by Seth Rumkorem on July 1 1976 at Markas Viktoria, a guerrilla base on the Papua New Guinea border.

Yaboisembut’s declaration of independence in front of thousands of Papuan people and thousands of heavily armed police is a clear escalation of the struggle for independence. It also illustrates Yaboisembut’s conviction that the struggle needs to be waged through an unarmed popular civilian uprising.

UPDATE 12.35pm:
This information was gathered by West Papua Media Alerts from local contacts. It has not been verified by New Matilda.

Two victims have been named: Martinus Siep was shot dead, and Pilatus Wetipo was shot in the leg and is now in hiding.

Eight truckloads of Congress delegates were taken into police custody. People arrested by the security forces are now missing.

A witness from Wamena has said: “While I was in hiding I saw with my own eyes in front of me nine people who tried to escape up the hill behind the catholic dormitories were shot dead and were taken away by security forces in Panser [armoured vehicle]. Until now I don’t know where they’ve been taken too”.

The security forces have raided Cendrawasi University in pursuit of two delegates from Serui who got shot in the leg and arm. Therefore, all students and delegates in Yawa dormitory have dispersed and are in hiding.

The security forces have also raided dormitories looking for the Congress committee, the Congress leadership and student leaders. Delegates from Biak are reporting that a lot of their representatives are still missing.

Selfius Bobi, who is chair of the Congress organising committee, is missing.

A priest who was hiding in the jungle behind the Congress venue witnessed security forces positioned in the bush shooting down to the venue below, and forces in armoured Panser and police trucks open fire, causing confusion and chaos among participants. He believed security forces had placed themselves behind bushes and were waiting for anyone who escaped up the hill so that they could shoot them and quickly throw them into the vehicles.


UPDATE 1.10PM:
This message was just sent to West Papua Media Alerts by Congress participant Djenggo Nubiri. It has been translated from Indonesian.

“Sister/brother, I’ve just left the police headquarters along with other students who have exams this morning. There are still around 800 detainees in the Jayapura Police Station at the moment. Yeboisembut was injured by the police, he is still being interrogated in a special room. Eduard Pariri, Mrs. Sroer, Kelly Pedai, Abraham Kareni, Nova Sroer, DAUD ABON (Governor of Yapen-Waropen and Mamberamo), Mr. Jacob Sroer and Elieser Awon (ex Free West Papua – OPM – member), Mama Sroer and there are still so many other activists, youths, students, petapa (?), mama-mama (older women), OPMand others. They are still being detained in the Jayapura Police Station’s tennis court since last night. The repressive and violent act by the authority has caused a lot of injuries to the people, some fractured their skulls, broke their legs, while others suffer serious injuries. We had to sign the letter stating we’ve committed criminal acts as they did not allow us to defend ourselves.”

more information as it becomes available. 

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Third Papuan Congress to go ahead despite efforts to obstruct it

(Note – the Congress is currently underway, more reports to come)
Bintang Papua, 14 October 2011

[Abridged in translation by TAPOL]

Although the Third Papuan Congress is due to start in two days time, it is not yet known where it will take place. Selpius Bobii, chairman of the organising committee, said that plans to hold the congress at Cenderawasih University are facing obstacles because permission for the UNCEN auditorium has not yet been granted even though, he said, notification of the congress had already been submitted some time ago. Permission to hold the congress at GOR Cenderawasih has also not been received.

Bobii said that those organising the congress believe that there are forces who are exerting pressure to ensure that neither of these locations will be made available. He went on to say that however that may be, the congress will go ahead as planned because Papuan people throughout the territory fully support it.

Bobii said that they were still waiting for permission (STTP) from the police.The main issues to be discussed are the basic rights of the Papuan  people in a situation where Papuans are being violated and intimidated. The intention is to discuss the things they are experiencing  and what measures they need to take to uphold their rights.

The congress will go ahead without any support from the central government; all expences will be covered by the Papuan people themselves, transportation, food and drink will be provided thanks to contributions from Papuan people.

While there are elements who are trying to prevent the congress from taking  place and spreading all kinds of stories to discredit it,, Bobii said this was simply a reflection of the democracy now in place. He said that what was most important was that 273 Papuan tribes would be attending the congress, covering their own costs and even helping out with financing the congress as a whole. ‘There is nothing that will stand in our way,’ he said. Also, security will be guaranteed by a force of about 4,000 people. If anyone moves to prevent the congress from taking place, he said, they will expose the forces who are behind these attempts.

More than 8,000 people have already arrived. As for the location, if not in the UNCEN auditorium, it may take place in Theys  Square in Sentani or at the  graveside of Theys Eluay, as the final alternative.

As for the police permit, this will not be a problem because the central government has already given the green light. Bobii also said that they had received a letter  from the minister of political and legal affairs in Jakarta which, he said, had arrived by fax. This means, he went on, that ‘neither the military commander or the chief of police can prevent us from proceeding with our agenda’.

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Security measures escalate in Papua

Bintang Papua, 20 August 2011

KNPB, the National Committee for West Papua, is scheduled to announce
the results of the meeting organised by ILWP, International Lawyers for
West Papua in Oxford, at 9am this morning , at the tomb of Theys Hiyo
Eluay.

Bintang Papua also reported that Major-General Erfi Triassumu, commander
of the XXVII/Cendrawasih Military Command, said he has not yet had any
reports about the results of the ILWP meeting in Oxford, but said that
the ILWP event has triggered events affecting the security situation,
especially in Papua.

In a meeting with the press, he said that promises made by various
groups were causing confusion among the population. It was not only
because of the armed activities of civilian groups that had occurred
before and after the ILWP meeting. The security situation had indeed
intensified throughout Papua recently, which had happened both before
and after the ILWP meeting.

Other factors were the election of the governor of Papua as well as the
special autonomy law – OTSUS. People were hoping that OTSUS funds would
be evenly distributed among the communities, although some of the funds
could not yet be released.

He said that he along with the police chief in Papua had together
committed to doing what they could to restore a conducive situation in
Papua.

Meanwhile, the district chief of Puncak Jaya, Lukas Emenbe. called on
everyone whatever their differing opinions to hold a dialogue in order
to agree on peaceful solutions. ‘ All these problems can be resolved,’
he said, ‘as long as we publicly express our opinions.’

The military commander, asked whether there would be an increase in the
number of troops in preparation for the forthcoming Idul Fitri [the last
two days of Ramadan] said that organic troops may carry out routine
movements because the Korem under Battalion 751 in Sentani does not
have special units available for security purposes.

Asked about the manoeuvres by armed groups which had been involved in
fighting in urban areas such as in Nafri, he said because of the current
civil emergency status, the police would be in the front line together
with the local government, because the govrnor, the district chief and
the city mayor are the ones who are responsible for security.’

‘I will assist if there is a request from the police for additional
personnel to help the police,’ he said.

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Indon military open fire on vehicles carrying KNPB activists, arrests ahead of Aug 20 gathering

from Westpapuamedia.info and Local Sources

Indonesian Police and Army from a joint taskforce opened fire on a car of West Papua independence activists in Abepura, West Papua, on August 18, after arresting three other activists from the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) for distributing pamphlet in support of demonstrations planned for August 20.

The shooting occurred when KNPB (Komite Nasional Papua Barat) members attended the Jayapura police headquarters to check on the welfare of detainee Octovianus Mayor.   Mayor was arrested by members of the joint TNI/POLRI taskforce at 1000am local time at Expo Waena, for distributing pamphlets for a planned announcement on August 20 of resolutions from the Oxford ILWP “Road to Freedom” conference, at the grave of the late Theys Hiyo Eluay in Sentani.  Mayor is the Secretary General of the Timika Region KNPB.

Colleagues of Mayor went by car to Abepura police station upon hearing of his arrest to ensure his safety.  Demi Asso, Soni Kosa and several friends asked police guarding a post at Abepura of the whereabouts of their friend, whose location was given by police at District Police Jayapura.   After they left the  police station and drove towards PolRes Jayapura.   According to witnesses, police followed the activists from the police station, and began to shoot at their car, a black Avansa.

Police quickly pursued the KNPB activists vehicle, which was fired on by police officer Bripka Numberi at 12.000 midday, at Abepura circle, Jayapura, Papua.

Bripka Numberi allegedly fired indiscriminately in pursuit of the vehicle,shooting 10 rounds into the rear of the car, 4 rounds through the windscreen, 6 rounds into the rear bumper and 1 round in the wheel, causing the Avansa to stop.  The vehicles occupants panicked and ran, according to a a KNPB witness report and chronology obtained by West Papua Media.  The police continued to open fire on the unarmed group, shooting Demi Asso, Soni Kosay in the feet.  The three other unidentified activists did not sustain bullet wounds, and police arrested all immediately.  At around 13:00 the two shot KNPB activists and three others were taken to the Jayapura Police for further processing.

KNPB have appealed for support from international human rights observers, lawyers and NGOs to press for a credible investigation into the circumstances of this arrest and the excessive force used by Police to capture unarmed activists.

Nick Chesterfield, local sources
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Photo Report: Mass ralllies show Papuans refuse to accept Indonesian Occupation

by Westpapuamedia.info sources

Social Media across West Papua is abuzz with declarations of relief and pride for the successful and peaceful mass mobilisations called by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) to support the “West Papua: Road to Freedom” conference in in Oxford UK, on August 2.   The Photo Galleries below demonstrate unequivocally the scale of Papuan opposition to Indonesian rule.

Despite threats of heavy-handed Indonesian security force actions preventing free expression, attempts by the army to blocakade demonstrators, and unexplained act of violence suspected by many to be the work of Special Forces prior to mobilsations, tens of thousands of people across Papua took to the streets to demand their universal human rights to self -determination and a Referendum on the future of Papua.  Though vibrant and very loud, the rallies across Papua reportedly proceeded without any violence or provocations from security forces or proxies.

Bukhtar Tabuni, Chairman of KNPB, said “My appeal to all West Papuans living in jungle, in prison, in various parts of Papua and those living in exile that today all West Papuans must show their solidarity to support the KTT ILWP in Oxford. This event is important because it will conclude whether “Act of Free Choice” in 1969 was illegal and because the UN involved in the transfer of West Papua, it is an international issue.”
Terrianus Yoku, President National Congress West Papua National Authority said, “WPNA fully supports the rally organised by KNPB and appeal for international advocacy to monitor the current situation because it’s very volatile and unsafe.”
In Jayapura, the Rally coordinator from KNPB, Bernard Tabuni, explained that by mid afternoon the marchers paralysed Abepura, with traffic jammed, shops and schools closed and the marchers stretching for well over a kilometre with around 15,000 demonstrators.  The marchers were painted with mud on their body and also painted with stylised depictions of the banned Morning Star flag, thereby upholding the agreement with security forces that no flags would be flown.  The marchers were exuberantly singing and chanting, playing traditional instruments along the route, joined in the Long March by over 30 trucks, 20 station wagons, 17 Kijangs, 400 motorbikes of people joined the long march.”
With its roots in ancient Papuan traditions, demonstrators had planned several marches, called Long Marches, to converge on the DPRP – the focal point for the day’s events.  Troops from the TNI and Brimob riot police attempted to blockade one Abepura-bound Long March at Waena, but demonstrators outwitted the security forces by getting into vehicles and driving around them.  Exuberant scenes of yelling and singing greeted the procession of vehicles as they joined the main body at Abepura.
Daniel Wenda, secretary of KNPB, mentioned that four TNI truckloads of red and white uniformed Barisan Merah Putih (Pro-Indonesian militia) also organised a rally outside DPRD office in Jayapura.   Slogans on the banners stated “Reject the ILWP Summit” (KTT ILWP),  “Don’t lie to the people”, “Detain all corruptors.” and also “anti-Corruptor”.  Observers i Papua have taken the BMP slogans with mirth and irony given that their chief, Ramses Ohee, is regularly the beneficiary of corrupt dealings, has extensive illegal business interests, and receives significant funding from the notoriously corrupt Kopassus special forces.
“This demonstration is aimed to attract attention and counter our main rally but we will not be provoked”, said Daniel Wenda.
Bernard Tabuni reported that undercover military intelligence officers were amongst the demonstrators, and four truckloads of fully armed security forces were following behind the marchers.  TNI and Kopassus were also amongst the bystanders with cameras recording every movement.
A screening of a live internet stream from the Road to Freedom conference in Oxford was planned to be held at the grave of Theys Eluay on Tuesday night, but there are conflicting reports on the success of this.
A carload of armed BMP members appeared at the KNPB Secretariat in Waena late on Tuesday evening.  According to Daniel Wenda, the militiamen – a mix of Javanese and older Papuan men – attempted to gain entry, allegedly to abduct Mako Tabuni, KNPB Vice Chairman.  Tabuni was quickly bundled by KNPB security to a safe location.

In Wamena in the Baliem Valley, almost 17,000 people to a mass gathering that saw scenes of exuberance, singing and dancing.  After several hours of speeches and music, demonstrators peacefully dispersed.

In Sarmi, Yakuhimo and Keerom, reports are filtering out that flagraising ceremonies were held successfully without incident.

The slideshow below shows the August 2 actions in (in this order) Abepura, Waena and Wamena; and also those of  the weak counter-demonstration of Barisan Merah Putih militias funded by the Indonesian special forces, Kopassus, that was held close to the DPRP, or (Papua Province People’s Representative Council).

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