Friday, February 7, 2014

1) Increasingly complex problems in Papua


1) Increasingly complex problems in Papua

2) Papuans Behind Bars: January 2014 update at

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A google translate of article in Majalah Selangkah. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic. 
Original bahasa link at
http://majalahselangkah.com/content/persoalan-di-papua-semakin-kompleks

1) Increasingly complex problems in Papua
 Author : Admin MS | Friday , February 7, 2014 21:17 Viewed : 183 Comments : 0
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Conditions for mothers indigenous Papuan traders in the market Reef Nabire . Photo : Ist .
Jayapura , STEP MAGAZINE - In response to a number of conditions of violence and weakness of civil society , Theo Van Den Broek spoke on the Final Evaluation in 2013 by the Alliance for Democracy for Papua ( ALDP ) .

According to him , despite the implementation of democracy and civic life in Papua is going badly , no sound or group who are able to convey the problem and then heard by Jakarta .

" Despite all realize , there are a number of problems that occurred in Papua , " he said ALDP released official website .

According to Theo , the existing problems in Papua is very complex but it is difficult to be held accountable state . Even if there is , according to him , the sound will easily be accused against the state or separatists .

" There are some things that do not allow the Papuans living on its land . They become part of a development which actually makes them victims , " he explained .

Theo worried and concerned also with the problem of demographic situation in Papua . He is very worrying depopulation increasingly strengthened against the indigenous Papuans .

" There can be no partisanship in the quantity of concrete if the Papuans to be a bit , " he said .

This condition is exacerbated by the expansion aspirations are unstoppable and will make Papuans increasingly marginal .

" Including also continues incoming investment . Needs labor will increase . Thousands in number , will be brought into Papua and is increasingly threatening the existence of the indigenous people of Papua , " said Theo concerned .

He hoped that all parties recognize this and seek solutions . ( aldp-papua.com/BT/MS )




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2) Papuans Behind Bars: January 2014 update at


At the end of January 2014, there were at least 74 political prisoners in
Papuan jails.

The visiting delegation of Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders was a
highly politically charged event, and demonstrations were predictable.
However, both the seniority of the civil society leaders heading the
demonstrations and the repressive police response, in defiance of the
media spotlight, highlighted just how high the stakes were on all sides.
As is often the case in Papua, protests were intended to highlight the
long history of human rights violations in Papua, and in doing so the
ongoing nature of those violations was demonstrated as protestors were
arbitrarily arrested yet again. While protestors targeting the MSG
delegation in Jayapura were manhandled, arrested and dispersed, protests
targeting the delegation in Jakarta were not subject to these repressive
tactics, despite getting far closer to members of the delegation than
their colleagues in Papua. As numerous commentators noted, the state
response to the protests was something of an ‘own goal’ for Indonesia,
given that the original reason for the visit was to investigate the human
rights situation in Papua.

The extremely heavy sentences proposed by the Prosecutor for defendants in
the 1 May 2013 Biak case crystallised the trial into a critical test case
for Indonesia’s policies in Papua. Five of the six defendants are
threatened with 15-18 year sentences for peacefully raising the Morning
Star flag in Biak. Their case echoes that of Filep Karma, who was
imprisoned ten years ago and continues to serve a 15-year sentence for the
same peaceful act. As the trial continues, Papua’s courts face a clear
choice: to allow history to repeat itself in defiance of national and
international law, or to steer a new course.

Reports of the torture of 12 men detained at demonstrations in November
2013 once again raise concerns about the treatment of political detainees
in Papua, particularly in the Jayapura regional police station. The
detainees were tortured, isolated and denied access to lawyers, with
reports of torture only surfacing once the detainees were transferred to
Abepura prison and could be accessed by lawyers and human rights workers.
This is a recurring pattern. An area of particular concern is the fact
that police were untruthful to human rights lawyers offering to represent
the detainees, stating they already had representation, although this was
not the case. These tactics are frequently reported and appear to be a
deliberate strategy to ensure that illegal and inhumane police practices
can continue undisturbed throughout the investigation process.

The slow emergence of information about political arrests in Sarmi and
violence, political arrests and population displacement in Puncak Jaya
highlighted the extreme difficulties in accessing accurate real-time
information from most parts of Papua.

The full Update is attached - we hope you find this information useful.

You can read the update online here: http://www.papuansbehindbars.org/?p=2546

With best wishes,

Papuans Behind Bars team

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