1) One Killed
in Papua After Unidentified Gunmen Fire at Ambulance
2) Statement by
LP3BH on the Need for Dialogue between Papua and Indonesia
3) Government
must apolgis for past violations in West Papua
4) DOCUMENT - INDONESIA:
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
5) West Papuan women ‘shield’ activists as rally
forcibly dispersed by police
6) West Papuans force release of abused political
prisoners in Yapen
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/one-killed-in-papua-after-unidentified-gunmen-fire-at-ambulance/
1) One Killed in Papua After Unidentified Gunmen Fire at Ambulance
An armed civilian group shot at an ambulance carrying a patient in the restive Papua district of Puncak Jaya on Wednesday, killing one and injuring two others.
“An ambulance has been shot in the village of Puncak Senyum in Puncak Jaya. We suspect that an armed civilian group was responsible,” Col. Inf. Lismer Luban Siantar, a spokesman for the military’s Cenderwasih Command, which oversees the province of Papua, told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.
The ambulance, which was transporting a sick patient, was heading to the Mulia Regional Hospital in Puncak Jaya from Tingginambut when a group of gunmen opened fire from 30 meters above it.
The three people sitting in the front seats of the ambulance were hit, while eight others, including the patient, were not.
“We suspect there were five to 10 shooters,” Lismer said.
The deceased victim has been identified as medical worker Erik Yoman, 35.
Prins Baransano, another medical staff who was shot in the arm, and ambulance driver Darson Wonda, who was hit in the shoulder, are being treated at Mulia Hospital.
“Even after he was injured, the driver kept driving to the hospital,” Lismer said.
Earlier this month, an unidentified gunman fatally shot a passing motorcycle taxi driver in Puncak Jaya.
Papua’s highland districts of Puncak Jaya and Jayawijaya are especially prone to violence and shootings mostly directed against soldiers, police officers and migrants. Authorities have tended to blame armed groups such as the the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM), which has been waging a low-profile resistance since the 1960s.
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2) Statement by LP3BH on the Need for Dialogue between Papua and Indonesia
Statement by the Executive Director of LP3BH
31 July, 2013
LP3BH-Manokwari, an organisation which advocates human rights for the people of the Land of Papua, strongly supports the move which has been taken by the MRP (Papuan People's Council) to call for peaceful dialogue between Papua and Indonesia.
This move is very much in accord with Law 21/2001 on Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua which grants full powers to the MRP as the cultural representative of the indigenous Papuan people.
It is crucially important for the dialogue to take place in 2013 because this is the best way to secure a peaceful and dignified solution to the conflict and the many substantial problems in the Land of Papua.
A number of leaders of countries such as the UK, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and several European countries, as well as the United Nations, have also called on the Government of Indonesia to agree to a peaceful dialogue as the way to resolve the problems in Papua. Bearing all this in mind, the LP3BH believes that there are strong reasons for the Government of Indonesia under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to provide the space for such a dialogue to take place.
Moreover, it is unconstitutional for the Ministry of the Interior and other government ministries in Jakarta to press for an evaluation of of the Special Autonomy Law as this is in violation of Articles 77 and 78 on the evaluation or amendment of the law.
The LP3BH once again expresses full support for the moves by the MRP for Papua and West Papua for the holding of a dialogue between Papua and Indonesia and various people's representative bodies bodies such the DPR-Papua and the DPR-West Papua to support such a move.
Peace
Yan Christian Warinussy,
Executive Director of the LP3BH
[Translated by TAPOL]
31 July, 2013
LP3BH-Manokwari, an organisation which advocates human rights for the people of the Land of Papua, strongly supports the move which has been taken by the MRP (Papuan People's Council) to call for peaceful dialogue between Papua and Indonesia.
This move is very much in accord with Law 21/2001 on Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua which grants full powers to the MRP as the cultural representative of the indigenous Papuan people.
It is crucially important for the dialogue to take place in 2013 because this is the best way to secure a peaceful and dignified solution to the conflict and the many substantial problems in the Land of Papua.
A number of leaders of countries such as the UK, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and several European countries, as well as the United Nations, have also called on the Government of Indonesia to agree to a peaceful dialogue as the way to resolve the problems in Papua. Bearing all this in mind, the LP3BH believes that there are strong reasons for the Government of Indonesia under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to provide the space for such a dialogue to take place.
Moreover, it is unconstitutional for the Ministry of the Interior and other government ministries in Jakarta to press for an evaluation of of the Special Autonomy Law as this is in violation of Articles 77 and 78 on the evaluation or amendment of the law.
The LP3BH once again expresses full support for the moves by the MRP for Papua and West Papua for the holding of a dialogue between Papua and Indonesia and various people's representative bodies bodies such the DPR-Papua and the DPR-West Papua to support such a move.
Peace
Yan Christian Warinussy,
Executive Director of the LP3BH
[Translated by TAPOL]
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3) Government must apolgis for past violations in West Papua
[Apologies for the delay in posting a translation of this item. TAPOL]JUBI, 6 July 2013
Human rights organisations in Papua have called on the Indonesian Government to apologise to the victims and the families of victims who lost their lives as a result of the brutal incident perpetrated by the security forces on 6 July 1998 in Biak.
Nehemia Yarinap of BUK (Bersatu Untuk Kebenaran - United for Truth) . speaking at a press conference in Jayapura, said: 'The Indonesian government must apologise to the victims and their families for the brutality perpetrated by the security forces in Biak on 6 July 1998.'
On the 15th anniversary of Bloody Biak Tragedy, three NGOs in Papua - BUK, KontraS Papua and Elsham Papua, all of which are active in the field of human rights, said that the government should acknowledge and accept legal responsibility for the Bloody Biak Tragedy and for other human rights violations that have occurred in the past and should set up a Human Rights Court.
The Director of KontraS Papua, Olga Hamadi said: ' We demand guarantees that such brutal activities by the security forces will never occur again.'
The three human rights organisations regard the Bloody Biak Incident as a reflection of the many other grave human rights violations that have bedevilled the human rights situation in Papua, a situation that has not improved because the security approach is always taken towards everything that happens in Papua, all of which is proof the weakness of the rule of law.
'We urge the government to end the isolation and open up Papua to all human rights organisations, national and international,' said Nehemia Yarinap, speaking to journalists.
[Translated by TAPOL]
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HTTP://WWW.AMNESTY.ORG/EN/LIBRARY/ASSET/ASA21/026/2013/EN/4580CCB5-7794-4A10-BB89-C6AC357C9D05/ASA210262013EN.HTML
4) DOCUMENT - INDONESIA: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
Index: ASA 21/026/2013
31 July 2013
Indonesia: Human Rights Committee makes recommendations on civil and political rights
Amnesty International urges the Indonesian government to take concrete and immediate steps to implement recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Committee to ensure that civil and political rights are respected and protected in the country.
On 25 July 2013 the UN Human Rights Committee (the Committee), an independent body of experts tasked with reviewing the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant), published its Concluding Observations after assessing Indonesia’s compliance with the provisions of the Covenant both in law and practice during its 108th session. In the Concluding Observations, the Committee expressed concern about a range of areas where Indonesia is failing to meet its obligations under the Covenant.
The following are some of the concerns raised and recommendations made by the Human Rights Committee:
The Committee expressed “regret” about ongoing impunity for past human rights violations by the security forces and called for the setting up of an ad hoc Human Rights Court to bring to justice those involved in the enforced disappearances of 13 political activists in 1997-98. It also called for the “effective prosecution” of all those involved in the killing of prominent human rights activist Munir;
The Committee expressed concern about reports of extrajudicial executions and excessive use of force by the Indonesian security forces during protests. It highlighted in particular concerns that Indonesia “uses its security apparatus to punish political dissidents and human rights defenders”. The Committee called on Indonesia to ensure full accountability for human rights violations by the security forces and provide adequate compensation to victims’ families. The Committee also recommended that Indonesia take steps to strengthen the National Police Commission to ensure that all cases of misconduct by law enforcements officers can be effectively dealt with;
The Committee raised concerns about “undue restrictions” on the rights to freedom of expression and assembly in the Papua region during demonstrations and protests. It called on Indonesia to protect protesters from harassment, intimidation and violence. It also called for the revision of criminal defamation provisions in the Criminal Code and the Law on Information and Electronic Transaction, both of which have been used to criminalize human rights defenders and others critics of the state;
The Committee expressed concern about the recently revised Law on Mass Organizations, which “introduced undue restrictions on the freedoms of association, expression and religion of both domestic and ‘foreign’ associations”. The Committee called on Indonesia to revise the law to bring it in to line with Indonesia’s obligations under the Covenant.
The Committee expressed concern at the “inordinate delay” in enacting a revised Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, KUHP) which includes a comprehensive definition of torture. It called on the Indonesian authorities to “expedite the process” of enacting a revised Code, and to ensure that it includes a definition of torture consistent with the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
The Committee expressed concern about the failure of the authorities to protect religious minorities against violent attacks. It urged the Indonesian authorities to take adequate steps to protect them as well as to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice;
The Committee called for blasphemy laws such as Law No. 1 of 1965 on Defamation of Religion to be repealed and stated that a 2008 Joint Ministerial Decree places “undue restrictions” on the religious minorities such as the Ahmadiyya;
The Committee raised concerns about laws at the national and regional level that it considered “severely restricted” human rights and that discriminated against women. It reminded the Indonesian authorities of their duty to ensure that all laws at the national, regional and local levels are consistent with Indonesia’s obligation’s under the Covenant;
The Committee highlighted concerns around the use of corporal punishment in the criminal justice system, particularly in Aceh province. The Committee called on the Indonesian authorities to end the use of caning in Aceh province and to repeal laws which allowed for it within the legal system;
The Committee raised concerns about ongoing reports of early marriages among girls in Indonesia and called for a review of laws to prohibit the practice. It also called on the authorities to repeal the 2010 Regulation of the Minister of Health No. 1636 which authorizes medical practitioners to perform female genital mutilation, and to enact laws with adequate penalties to prohibit the practise of FGM in the country.
The Committee called on the Indonesian authorities to establish a moratorium on the death penalty. It noted that Indonesia retains the death penalty for drug-related offences, offences which do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes”. In the event Indonesia refused to establish a moratorium, the Committee called on the authorities to review legislation so that the death penalty is not imposed for drug-related offences.
Many of these recommendations echo calls by civil society groups and national and international human rights organizations. Amnesty International believes that if effectively implemented, the recommendations would strengthen the protection and promotion of civil and political rights in the country.
Amnesty International submitted a briefing entitled Indonesia: Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (Index: ASA 21/018/2013) in June 2013. It highlighted a number of concerns relating to human rights violations by the security forces; restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and religion; discrimination and other violations of women’s human rights; abuses of the rights of migrant domestic workers; the failure to ensure justice, truth and reparation for past abuses; and the continued use of the death penalty.
The Human Rights Committee’s Concluding Observations can be accessed via the following link: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/co/CCPR-C-IND-CO-1_en.doc
Background
The Human Rights Committee comprises 18 independent experts who monitor implementation of the treaty by the 167 States Parties to the Covenant. At the 108th session, held from 8 to 26 July 2013 in Geneva, Amnesty International presented information in respect of Albania, Czech Republic, Finland, Indonesia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.
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