Australia
West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088
Summary of events in West Papua for June - 10 July
More arrests at
peaceful rallies in June
Up to 31 KNPB activists were arrested in Jayapura on Friday the 10
June. Those arrested were simply handing out leaflets informing the public
about an upcoming rally to be held on the 15 June. For all the talk about
Indonesia being a democracy the security forces still have to learn the principles laid down in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights which states,
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference
and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers. (Article 19)
Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly
and association. (Article 20). AWPA release at
The Director
of Manokwari LP3BH Yan Christian Warinussy protested the arrests, "The
deeds of the Jayapura police chief clearly violates the principles of respect
for human rights set out in the Criminal Procedure Code and Law No. 39 of 1999
on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been ratified by
the Government of Indonesia, "he said. (Jubi 13 June).
On the 13 June another 65 KNPB and student activists were arrested in Sentani and 4 in
Nabire, again simply for distributing leaflets about the rally to be held on 15
June. They were released in the
afternoon after being held for several hours by the police.
KNPB activists and students in a sit-in handing out pamphlets for today's planned rally in Sentani before being arrested on Monday. Image: Doc KNPB Sentani regency/Suara Papua
On the 15 June a large
number of rallies took place with over 1000 people being detained.
It was also reported that
over 700 security force personal were brought in to control the demonstrators.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/306516/over-1000-detained-in-papua-for-protesting The West Papua National
Committee (KNPB) Center reported that between the 10-15 over 1,236 people were
arrested.
A
media report at
18 years since the Biak massacre, but suffering still
ongoing
On
the 2 July 1998, the West Papuan Morning Star flag was raised on top of a water
tower near the harbour in Biak. Up to 75 people gathered beneath it singing
songs and holding traditional dances. As the rally continued, many more people
in the area joined in with numbers reaching up to 500 people. On the July 6 the
Indonesian security forces attacked the demonstrators, massacring scores of
people. The victims included women and children who had gathered for the
peaceful gathering. They were killed at the base of the water tower. Other
Papuans were rounded up and later taken out to sea where they were thrown off
naval ships and drowned. No security force personal were ever charged over the
killings…….
http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/07/06/18-years-since-the-biak-massacre-but-suffering-still-ongoing/
Photos of commemoration of Biak Massacre outside
Indonesian Consulate Sydney on 6 July
West Papuan murals in Darwin and Redfern
In response to the Indonesian Consul in Darwin, Mr Andre Siregar, who said that he believed there were about “two people" in Darwin who, supported the West Papuan independence movement,
Anthony Ash Brennan of Punks for West Papua responded with the video “Save the West Papua Friendship Mural, Darwin” at
Congratulations also to graffiti artist “Kasino” on his new West Papuan mural of Benny Wenda in Redfern, Sydney in a show of support with the Darwin mural.
Photos at http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/new-west-papuan-mural-of-benny-wenda-in.html
On the 1st July in 1971, West Papuan Independence was
declared by the OPM.
The
Papua Student Alliance (AMP) central committee issued a general call to all the
students and the people of Papua to commemorate the reading of the proclamation
of independence of Papua. In an article in suarapapua.com it was reported that
the Papuan Police Chief, Inspector General of Police Paul Waterpauw had issued
a statement that on the 1 July 2016, the people of Papua should not commemorate
the anniversary with the raising of the Morning Star flag. AWPA release at http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/media-release-more-intimidation-of.html
A
google translate of postings in Werene News about the Commemoration events.
Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic. Original bahasa links above
postings.
In brief
Indonesia, Australia agree to enhance intelligence, counterterrorism
cooperation
Jakarta and
Canberra have agreed to enhance counterterrorism cooperation following a
meeting in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday. The "Australia-Indonesia
Ministerial Council on Law and Security" is a follow-up to the first
meeting of the same name held in December 2015 in Indonesia, where delegations
from both countries discussed ways they could coordinate to address
international security threats. Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security
Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the head of Indonesian delegation,
said the meeting was fruitful, particularly in addressing terrorism threats and
capacity enhancement for specific programs. (Marguerite
Afra Sapiie The Jakarta Post June 9
2016)
NZ greens urge PM to raise human rights concerns in
Papua
RNZI
5 July
2016
The
New Zealand Green Party says Prime Minister John Key must address human rights
in West Papua when he meets with Indonesia’s Joko Widodo later this month. Mr Key intended to discuss trade and economic links,
but a Greens' MP Catherine Delahunty said there was no mention of discussions
on the political situation in West Papua. She
said the complete absence of human rights from Mr Key's agenda was particularly
damning given a schoolboy was shot by military police in West Papua only last
week. Ms
Delahunty said Mr Key should urge Indonesia to stop talking about a more
democratic approach and start acting on it. She said this should start with a
commitment to end military and police abuses, political detention and
state-sanctioned killings in West Papua.
Indonesia
given deadline to end Papua violations
RNZI 8 July 2016
Indonesia
has been given a 2017 deadline to address press freedom violations in its Papua
province. The call from the chair
of the regional media watchdog Pacific Freedom Forum came as Indonesia was
earmarked to host the International Press Freedom Day event in May next year.
Speaking from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea Titi Gabi said Jakarta must end
abuses against local media in Papua and West Papua and ensure open access for
foreign media to the restive Melanesian provinces.
Papuans and Indonesians at the same table in MSG
RNZI 17 June.
The
chairman of this week's Melanesian Spearhead Group Foreign Ministers meeting in
Fiji has lauded the occasion of having West Papuan and Indonesian delegates at
the same table. However, Milner Tozaka, who is the Solomon Islands Foreign
Minister, has admitted that this was not the way Indonesia initially wanted it
to be. Mr Tozaka claimed it was the first time in the MSG history that
Indonesia and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua were seated with
the rest of the group's full membership at the meeting in Lautoka. The
Liberation Movement, which has observer status in the MSG, and Indonesia, with
associate member status, are both vying for full membership in the group. An
upcoming MSG leaders summit in July in Honiara is expected to deliberate on
this.……..
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/306639/papuans-and-indonesians-at-the-same-table-in-msg
West
Papua activists in Solomons ahead of MSG summit
RNZI
9 July 2016
Members
of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua have arrived in Solomon
Islands ahead of the expected Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders' summit next
week. The Solomon Star reports the West
Papua campaigners arrived in Honiara on separate flights. The MSG summit was
originally scheduled for Port Vila in Vanuatu at the start of May, but moved to
Port Moresby towards end of June. Then it was postponed again because the
leaders could not find time to meet during the Asia Caribbean Pacific meeting
in Port Moresby. It was understood the MSG Leaders' Summit will now be held
back to back with the Pacific Islands Development Forum which is also scheduled
to be held in Honiara next week. The paper reports that peaceful demonstrations
are expected during the MSG Leaders' Summit with West Papuan supporters
denouncing human rights violations by Indonesia in Papua.
Pacific
churches back UN complaint over Papua
RNZI 8 July
The
Pacific Conference of Churches is backing a formal legal complaint to the UN
Human Rights Council accusing Indonesia of human rights violations in West
Papua. The Dutch human rights
law firm, Prakken D'Oliveira, has submitted the complaint to the UN Human
Rights Council.
It
details vast and continuing alleged human rights violations by the Indonesian
government against the people of West Papua. The
general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend Francois
Pihaatae, says the action has been taken on behalf of the group calling itself
the Federal State Republic of West Papua, its president Forkorus Yaboisembut,
and 19 unnamed citizens of West Papua. The
complainants are urging the UN to formally formally condemn Indonesia for
committing systemic human rights violations in the region. Reverend
Pihaate said the submission marked the beginning of a legal campaign for
improved self-determination and independence in West Papua, as well as an end
to the ongoing policy of systemic human rights violations.
PIANGO
reiterates World Churches call for West Papua solidarity visit
04/07/2016, Fiji
Pacific
Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) executive director, Emele Duituturaga has
welcomed a call made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) for a solidarity
visit to West Papua by an international ecumenical delegation. Duituturaga said
the call made by the WCC for a solidarity visit to be organised as soon as
possible, is timely given that the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) will be
meeting next week in Honiara, Solomon Islands. “WCC has called for this visit
to demonstrate the ecumenical movement’s accompaniment of the churches in the
region, to hear the voices of the victims of violence and human rights violations,
and to pursue the pilgrimage of justice and peace,” Duituturaga said. “WCC
joins the many voices from around the world that have been calling for justice
and peace in West Papua and it’s a call that should weigh heavily on the hearts
and minds of our leaders who will meet in Honiara next week.”……….
Papua
rights abuses under the spotlight
Allegations
of human rights abuses in Indonesia's Papua region, or West Papua, have been
highlighted at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this week.
But
as the international focus sharpens on ongoing human rights abuses against West
Papuans, Jakarta says its taking concrete action to address the issue…..
West Papuan demonstrators tightly monitored by Indonesian police. Photo: Whens Tebay
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201805680/papua-rights-abuses-under-the-spotlight
Solomon Islands, Vanuatu condemn Papuan rights
violations at UN hearing
The
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have condemned the “unresolved” human rights
violations in West Papua by Indonesian security forces, saying they have
continued in spite of President Joko Widodo’s greater attention to the region.
Both
countries say the agreed future visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom
of Expression to Indonesia should also include West Papua.
The
Vanuatu statement expressed its “deepest concerns on the deteriorating human
rights situation” in the region. “We continue to receive increasing reports of
gross human rights violations in West Papua,” the statement said.
The
Solomon Islands strongly endorsed the International Parliamentarians for West
Papua (IPWP) Forum in London on May 3 which called for an internationally
supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.
The
declaration had been endorsed by cross regional parliamentarians coming from 15
UN member states. “Whilst we welcome the increased attention given by President
Joko Widodo to West Papua, the violation of human rights against West Papuan
remains unresolved,” said the Solomon Islands statement……………….
Indonesian Densus 88 police shoot dead student, reports West Papua
Media
Australian-supported
Indonesian police special forces have shot dead a teenage Papuan high school
student in central Nabire city, West Papua, reports West Papua Media.
The
shooting took place on Monday in an “apparently premeditated ambush without
provocation, according to credible reports and witnesses from the scene”. The
student was unarmed , reports West Papua Media………..
Oen (Owen) Pekei … the 18-year-old student who was allegedly shot by Indonesian special forces police on Monday. Image: West Papua Media/UmagiNews
http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/06/29/indonesian-densus88-police-shoot-dead-student-reports-west-papua-media/
http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/06/29/indonesian-densus88-police-shoot-dead-student-reports-west-papua-media/
NZ groups launch petition to support West Papua
RNZI 7
July 2016
West
Papua solidarity groups in New Zealand have launched a petition calling for the
New Zealand government to speak out about human rights in the Indonesian
region. Green MPs have been among protestors outside the Indonesian Embassy in
Wellington today marking the death of a teenager Owen Pekei last week. The
high school student was displaying the outlawed West Papuan independence flag
when he was killed, allegedly by security forces. A spokesperson for the group Catherine Delahunty says
3000 people have been arrested since May so far this year at rallies. The groups say the situation is at breaking point
with young people being arrested for nothing more than peacefully marching or
carrying a placard. The
groups are hoping to get thousands of signatures on the parliamentary petition
before the end of August calling for fundamental UN guaranteed freedoms to be
respected in West Papua. "We cannot be silent about these abuses in our
backyard, especially with the Prime Minister's imminent trip to
Indonesia," said Ms Delahunty.
Papuan citizenship promised soon for West Papuan refugees
West
Papuans who have been living in Papua New Guinea for many decades will be
granted citizenship soon. The PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority will
also embark on registering all West Papuan refugees who have crossed over from
Indonesia to seek refugee status in Papua New Guinea. “So
far we have over 10,000 refugees from West Papua who have lived with us for a
very long time, and we have commenced registration of them with the view to
finally granting them legal status,” said Deputy Chief Migration officer for
Refugee Division, Esther Gaegaming. “We’re pleased to announce that for more
than 1000 of them, their applications have been finalised and they will be
going before the Citizenship Advisory Committee very soon for issuance of their
citizenships. “This Friday, a team from our office will commence registration
in Vanimo, another one of the biggest refugee settlement areas for West Papuan
refugees. We will follow onto Wewak after that and then to Lae. “So
by the end of this year, we hope to have over 85 percent of West Papuans
registered……………………….
Opinion pieces/press releases/reports etc.
DFAT reply to AWPA letter
New companies
threatening the Papuan forest: Number 1 Pacific Inter-link. https://awasmifee.potager.org/?p=1426
Human Rights
Watch-
Response to
the question re human rights in Indonesia
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/21/australia-where-parties-stand-human-rights
Press
Release on final outcome of the MSG SOM & FMM Meeting
New report-,
“Rising Voices, Rising Arrests:
Papuans
Behind Bars 2015 report, “Rising Voices, Rising Arrests: A look at West Papua
in 2015. The report is available online at: http://tapol.org/id/node/525
Indonesia
– An activist’s account of his dedication to peaceful protest
MSG, ACP
and the (almost) forgotten case of West Papuan independence
Energy
Indonesia: BP to Invest in Tangguh Expansion Project (Train 3)
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