Sunday, October 11, 2015

1) Indonesia could change law on Papua mine contract

2) Police Commit serious human rightsviolatios in Abepura
3) TELL OBAMA TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS IN WEST PAPUA
4) Letter to the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs
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1) Indonesia could change law on Papua mine contract
Updated at 7:23 am today
Indonesia's government is planning to amend its rules on mining contracts to allow the United States company, Freeport-McMoRan, to extend its contract at the Grasberg mine in West Papua.
Freeport's contract for the world's largest copper and gold mine ends in 2021, but present rules only allow talks on an extension to end two years before a contract is due to expire.
Reuters reports a mines ministry official, Bambang Gatot, saying a revision to the government's regulations is being processed by the economics ministry, and should be released by the end of the year.
The new rules may allow companies to propose an extension 10 years before their contracts expire.
Freeport says it has been assured by the Indonesian government that its Grasberg contract would be extended beyond 2021.
The company plans to invest 18 billion dollars to transition the mine from an open pit to underground mining in late 2017.
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2) Police Commit serious human rightsviolatios in Abepura
Statement by the Executive-Director of the LP3BH on 11 October, 2015

  The Security Forces of the regional police in Jayapura have yet again committed serious human rights violations/illegal acts by
resorting to violence  against six  monks from the Catholic Church on Thursday 8th October in Abepura-Jayapura.

   The names of the monks are: Sofer Pangguem, OSA, Fr Freddy Y.Pawika, OFM, Fr Dorman Skukubun OFM, Fr Benyamin Tanang, OFM, Fr
Gaspar Bahala, OFM, and Fr Didimus, OFM. According to reports circulated on online media in the Land of
Papua, it is clear that these were anarchistic and destructive actions that were perpetrated by members of the Security Forces from the
Police Resort, Jayapura against people who were taking part in a demonstration.

   The actions taken by members of Polresta Jayapura  were in violation of  the principles set out in Law 39/1999 on Basic Human
Rights and the Indonesian Constitution of 1945 which guarantees the right to freedom of expression and opinion. They were moreover against
the Principles laid down for handling demonstrations, Law 9/1998 on Freedom of Expression.

  There were no negotiations between the Jayapura Police and the Coordinator of the mass of people involved in the action. All of
sudden without warning, the police turned up and arrested a number of monks and some members of the public who were involved in a peaceful
action demanding that those who perpetrated these actions should be brought to justice for carrying out grave  human rights violations in
Enarotali-Paniai, in December last year.    Bearing all this in mind,  we feel that we are perfectly entitled
to call for the Chief of Police as well as the Head of Reskrim of the Police of Jayapura  to be replaced because they showed no willingness
to talk to the people involved in the peaceful demonstration.

   The acts taken by  several members of the police Jayapura to arrest and mal-treat one of the monks, Father Yulianus Pawika are
serious violations of his rights. Photographs of all this  have been sent to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva,
Switzerland. These documents are evidence of the human rights violations being perpetrated  by the Indonesian Military and Police
against people who were giving expression to their aspirations in accordance with democratic principles as guaranteed in the Indonesian
Constitution-1945 and Law 39/1999.    It is extremely regrettable that Father Yulianus Pawika OFM was
severely maltreated which shows yet again that the police forces in the Land of Papua continue to behave very arrogantly and completely
fail to abide by the principles of democracy and  basic human rights which guarantee protection for people who are involved in peaceful
demonstrations.   Moreover, apart from the fact that such actions should be handled before a court of law, these actions incur  the anger of the Lord
Almighty, whose monks of the Cathoic Church were treated in such a way here in the Land of Papua.

  This means that the Catholic Church via the intermediary of the Fransiskan Order and civil society  as well as BP Am Synode GKI
organisation are fully entitled to take legal action against  the Chief of Police of Jayappura in the appropriate court, here in the Land of Papua.
Peace
Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive-Director of the LP3BH (Institution
of Research, Analysis and Development for Legal Aid.
Translated by Carmel Budiardjo, Recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, 1995.
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3) TELL OBAMA TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS IN WEST PAPUA

sign here: 
http://diy.rootsaction.org/petitions/tell-obama-to-support-human-rights-in-west-papua

On October 26, 2015, President Obama will meet with Indonesia's 
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Beginning in May 1963, West Papua was occupied by Indonesia with U.S.  government support and encouragement. By 1969, Indonesia had annexed 
the territory. Over the course of five decades, West Papuans have  suffered mass killings, torture, rape, and the loss of their culture 
and lands. U.S. corporations like the mining giant Freeport McMoRan  have devastated the environment. At least 100,000 Papuans are 
estimated to have died as a result of Indonesian rule. In addition,  the region has been so inundated with migrants that indigenous 
Papuans are no longer a majority in their own land.

The U.S. continues to arm and train the security forces that repress  the West Papuan people. The Indonesian government's attempts to 
conceal the truth about West Papua include banning foreign  journalists and UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights from visiting 
the territory. While President Widodo has announced several positive  initiatives, elements in his government, including the security 
forces, are resisting change and the human rights violations continue.

The West Papuans continue to resist Indonesian rule. Groups  supporting self-determination recently came together in the United 
Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) in a broad coalition to  press their case within West Papua and internationally.

Restrictions on security assistance from the United States were  important in Timor-Leste (East Timor) gaining their independence from 
Indonesia. The U.S. should again restrict training and weapons to  Indonesia in support of the rights of West Papuans.
This is a petition of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN).
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Urge Obama to support human rights in West Papua when he meets 
Indonesia President Jokowi Widodo. Sign ETAN's petition. 
http://diy.rootsaction.org/p/papua
Help us shatter the 50 years of silence concerning US complicity in
Indonesian mass violence, murder. Sign, share http://chn.ge/1v50Edj
ETAN needs your support. Please donate today. Go to http://etan.org/Donate.htm
John M. Miller, National Coordinator
East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)


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3) Letter to the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Drs. A.G. Koenders
Postbus 20061
2500 EA Den Haag

10 October 2015
subject: Papua

Dear Mr. Koenders,

I am writing to you on behalf of Foundation Pro Papua concerning a number of recent incidents in West Papua which raise grave concerns for human rights defenders and peaceful activists trying to bring the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua to international attention.

On Thursday the 8 October, 18 peaceful activists (6 who were priests) were arrested for holding a peaceful rally in front of a Catholic Church in Abepura, Jayapura.  The Rally was organised by  SKP-HAM  (Solidarity with Victims of Human Rights Violations Papua). The purpose of the rally was to bring attention to the Indonesian authorities that so far nobody has been held accountable for the killing of four students in Paniai on the 8 December 2014 by the security forces*.  As the rally progressed a police truck arrived with sirens blaring driving into the demonstrators nearly hitting a number of them.   A large number of police jumped of the truck breaking up the rally and arresting 18 demonstrators.  A number of journalists who were reporting on the rally were intimidated by police and banned from taking photographs. One journalist had his camera stolen (at gunpoint) and the entire contents of photos and videos were deleted.  Although the demonstrators were eventually released, during the arrests the Police acted in a brutal and heavy-handed way. 

Other incidents.
Two high school students were shot by the Indonesian security forces in Timika on Monday the 28 September. Caleb Bagau, aged 18, died while his friend Efrando Sabarofek, aged 17, was wounded in the chest and legs. At approximately 19.00 hrs while the students were sitting in a market culvert with their school friends, dozens of police officers armed with weapons and cars surrounded the area. Because they were afraid the two students ran, however the police shot in their direction killing Caleb Bagau and wounding Elfrando who was shot in the chest and leg.  Another shooting occurred when the local community went to the police station after hearing the news that a student had been shot dead at the water channel. Although the local people were angry with the police,  the police basically refused to listen and responded by firing at them wounding three.

Also on Monday 28th Levi Gebze a 16-year-old West Papuan boy was arrested and tortured by the Indonesian police in Merauke. According to a report received, the incident occurred at 13:30 hrs as Levi was on the way home on the Muli Road. He was suddenly followed by an Avanza car with 4 members of  the Indonesian police/intelligence inside. He was stopped and forced to get inside the car and with no questions asked was beaten by the police. He was then brought to the police station where he was interrogated and tortured again. He was beaten and also electrocuted. The police arrested him under charges of stealing a bag and laptop on the Yobar beach but when he denied the charge the police continued to beat and electrocute him. Levi is still suffering the effects of this brutal torture and there has been no investigation into the actions of the police whatsoever.

We urge you to raise our concerns again about the grave human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian Government, the crackdown on peaceful civil society groups, the intimidation of journalists simply doing their job and the tragic killing of civilians including school children by the security forces.

We note that in the Communiqué from the 46th Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port Moresby, that the PIF Leaders requested the Forum Chair to consult on a PIF fact-finding mission to West Papua to discuss the situation in Papua with the parties involved. We urge you to encourage the Indonesian Government to allow such a fact-finding mission to investigate the human rights situation in the territory. 

Yours sincerely
Foundation Pro Papua
Koen J. de Jager

*  Questions to the Min. of FA – ref. MINBUZA-2014.722164

CC: Australian West Papua Association
       West Papua Action Auckland 
       Tapol (UK)
       ETAN (US)
       ICP (Germany)
       West Papua Netzwerk (Germany)
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