2) Indonesian police fire water cannon at pro-Papua demo
3) Lend West Papua your voice
4) West Papuans protest against Indon rule
5) West Papuans Protest Against Indonesian Rule
————————————————————-
1) PARTICIPANTS OF WEST PAPUA RALLY ARRESTED
Safrin La Batu The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Thu, December 1, 2016 | 01:34 pm
Participants of a rally held to demand a referendum for West Papua gather on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta on Thursday. Some of their colleagues were arrested during the event. (JP/Safrin La Batu)
Police apprehended on Thursday several people who were participating in a peaceful rally to demand a referendum for West Papua.
One of the people arrested was the coordinator of the rally, Surya Anta, a lawyer for the rally participants, Veronica Koman, said on Thursday.
(Read also:Group supports referendum for West Papua)
Veronica said the protesters were beaten and arrested by police officers who wore civilian attire on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta when they were about to head to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, located a few meters away from the scene.
"We may report the police because we saw many procedures the police violated. They beat and arrested [participants] without wearing police uniforms," Veronica said.
Veronica said she was not sure how many of the participants had been arrested, but said there were no more than five.
About 100 people participated in the rally, which coincided with what they called "the aborted independence day of West Papua" in Dec. 1.
Other participants, consisting of both Papuan and non-Papuan students, remained at the scene after their colleagues were arrested and demanded the police release them.
The police at the scene refused to comment about the arrest of the rally participants.
Veronica said the police had blocked the participants from advancing to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in fear of disrupting the traffic flow.
"[The ban] has no valid grounds. Why can't they stage a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle?" she asked. (jun)
———————————————-
2) Indonesian police fire water cannon at pro-Papua demo
- Posted 01 Dec 2016 14:32
Protesters confront police using water cannons during a protest by mostly university students from the Free Papua Organization and the Papua Student Alliance in Jakarta. (Photo: AFP/BAY ISMOYO)
JAKARTA: Indonesian police Thursday (Dec 1) fired water cannon in a bid to disperse a demonstration against Jakarta's rule over the insurgency-hit eastern region of Papua, and rounded up scores of protesters.
About 150 protesters rallied in Jakarta to mark the anniversary of Papua's 1961 declaration of independence, two years before Indonesia took control of the region from former colonial ruler the Netherlands.
Insurgents have been fighting against rule from Jakarta ever since, while the central government has sought to keep a tight grip on the resource-rich region with a heavy military and police presence.
The protesters, mostly university students from the Free Papua Organisation and the Papua Student Alliance, yelled "Free Papua", facing off against hundreds of police in riot gear.
"It's enough. Our people have been killed and detained, it's enough," said protester Cheko, who only gave one name.
Four demonstrators were detained after police accused them of displaying the pro-independence "Morning Star" flag, which is banned, and most of the other protesters were later taken away in police vans, going voluntarily without any violence breaking out.
Veronica Koman, a lawyer from Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation, said the group had a team of lawyers ready to defend the protesters.
Six years after taking control of Papua, Indonesia held a referendum that it says validated its claim to the region. But the vote was widely seen as a sham, with Jakarta hand-picking 1,026 people to vote on behalf of all Papuans.
Tregular small-scale clashes between insurgents, fighting on behalf of the ethnic Melanesian population, and security forces in Papua. Activists often accuse police and the army of committing human rights abuses in the name of anti-rebel operations.
President Joko Widodo has pledged to improve livelihoods in Papua, which is one of the least developed regions of the archipelago, and has repeatedly travelled there during his two years in office.
- AFP
—————————————————-
3) Lend West Papua your voice
LICE MOVONO Thursday, December 01, 2016
Update: 12:40PM AS futile as it may seem, your voices can make a difference in the Free West Papua movement, a group of young Pacific Island activists told students today.
Speaking at the "Raise The Morning Star" gathering at the Unviersity of the South Pacific today, students who make up the Youngsolwara movement called on youths to join them.
Second year student, Elizabeth Volavola told hundreds of peers at the Free West Papua event that prayers were not enough.
"It made me emotional and it made me want to take a stand so that the flame that they ignited in the hopes of freeing West Papua - we as students will fuel that flame," Ms Volavola said.
"Not just sit back on the side on facebook and say we hope and pray that you will continue the fight. No we will stand up!"
"At the end of the day, we are connected by one ocean."
Event organiser, Joey Tau said the event was focused on using art to raise awareness on the Free West Papua movement.
The "Raise The Morning Star" event used drama, music and poetry to mark West Papua's original independence day when it first raised the Morning Star flag, the current day simple of the Free West Papua movement.
"With due respect to the explicit realities put before on social media, the (We Bleed Black and Red) campaign tries to encourage a lot of young people and their creativity. Some people have reservations about explicity - the campaign brings in another dimension to the whole movement," Tau said.
The campaigner said using a creative arts approach has created a larger following of the movement.
—————————————
1 DEC 2016 - 4:44PM
4) West Papuans protest against Indon rule
Dozens of West Papuan protesters calling for the region's independence have been detained after clashing with police in Jakarta.
West Papuan protesters have faced off with police in the Indonesian capital while calling for the remote region's independence.
Organisers had promised protests in other cities and said on Thursday police had denied them permission to march in central Jakarta.
The dozens of demonstrators were blocked from marching on to a busy traffic circle in the capital by several hundred police, who fired water cannons and dragged several men from the crowd into waiting police vans.
After about three hours, they agreed to end the protest and were detained by police.
"Don't hinder our right to voice our aspirations. Papuans are demanding the truth of our history," a speaker standing on a small truck shouted at the crowd.
Members of the Papua Students Alliance chanted "Freedom Papua" and others sang independence songs.
Rights groups accuse the Indonesian military of serious human rights abuses in Papua and some Melanesian island states have also voiced concerns and called for Papuan independence.
Many West Papuans see December 1 as the anniversary of what should have been their independence.
The Dutch colonisers of the Indonesian archipelago held onto West Papua when Indonesia became independent after World War II.
It became part of Indonesia following a UN-supervised referendum in 1969.
A low-level insurgency has plagued the mineral-rich region, which is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia, for years.
———————-
5) West Papuans Protest Against Indonesian Rule
By STEPHEN WRIGHT AND NINIEK KARMINI, ASSOCIATED PRESS JAKARTA,
Indonesia — Dec 1, 2016, 1:36 AM ET
West Papuan protesters faced off with police in the Indonesian capital on Thursday in a demonstration calling for the remote region's independence.
Organizers had promised protests in other cities and said police had denied them permission to march in central Jakarta.
The dozens of demonstrators were blocked from marching onto a busy traffic circle in the capital by several hundred police who fired water cannons and dragged several men from the crowd into waiting vans. After about three hours, they agreed to end the protest and were detained by police.
"Don't hinder our right to voice our aspirations. Papuans are demanding the truth of our history," a speaker standing atop a small truck shouted at the crowd. Members of the Papua Students Alliance chanted "Freedom Papua" and others sang independence songs.
Rights groups accuse the Indonesian military of serious human rightsabuses in Papua and some Melanesian island states have also voiced concerns and called for Papuan independence.
Many West Papuans see Dec. 1 as the anniversary of what should have been their independence.
The Dutch colonizers of the Indonesian archipelago held onto West Papua when Indonesia became independent after World War II. It became part of Indonesia following a U.N.-supervised referendum in 1969 criticized as undemocratic.
"They feel that the referendum back then in 1969 was a sham," said Veronica Koman from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.
"There were 800,000 West Papuans at that time. West Papuans were promised one man and one vote. But instead only 1,022 turned up, it was set up that way. They have to vote with the military all over them and intimidation. It's illegal. And they want Indonesia to admit that and hold a referendum," she said.
A low-level insurgency has plagued the mineral-rich region, which is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia, for years.
The Indonesian government, which for decades had a policy of sending Javanese and other Indonesians to settle in Papua, is now also trying to spur economic development to dampen the separatist movement.
----------------
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.