2) Veronica Koman Rallies Support for Papuans Charged for Treason
3) Amnesty International Urges Jokowi to Release Papua Activists
4) Indonesian court issues guilty verdicts in West Papua trial
5) Media Release - June 17 2020 "Papuan Lives Matter"
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1) Seven Papuans tried in Balikpapan are not political prisoners: police
3 minutes ago
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Police spokesman, Inspector General Argo Yuwono, dismissed a claim that seven Papuan youths, being tried in connection with a treason case at the Balikpapan District Court in East Kalimantan Province, are political prisoners.
Tendering a clarification to this end, Yuwono told journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday that Papuan youngsters were purely criminals, who had allegedly incited a string of deadly violence and rioting in Papua Province, especially in the areas of Jayapura, last year.
As a consequence of their provocative acts, violence and riots erupted in the easternmost province, resulting in several locals incurring material losses and resulting in destruction to personal property, he stated.
Hence, Yuwono rebuked the rumors of Papuan youths tried at the Balikpapan District Court being political prisoners circulated by small demonstrating groups among members of the public in their recent rallies, calling them completely baseless and groundless.
"They are obviously criminals, and their court proceedings have met the legal basis in accordance with what they did," Yuwono stated, adding that the youths' trial was not considered to be a political matter since it was purely related to their acts of crime.
The seven defendants are Ferry Kombo, Alex Gobay, Hengku Hilapok, Irwanus Urobmabin, Buchtar Tabuni, Steven Itlay, and Agus Kossay. The public prosecutors have demanded to extend the prison term of the defendants, from five to 17 years.
ANTARA noted that Papua and West Papua had come under the radar of both Indonesian and foreign media after a spate of violence broke out in several parts of these two Indonesian provinces in August and September 2019.
On August 28, 2019, violence erupted in Deiyai District, some 500 kilometers away from Jayapura, resulting in the deaths of an army soldier and two civilians.
The indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura again protested on August 29, as they vented out their ire over the alleged racist behavior against their Papuan compatriots in Surabaya, East Java, but their rally then took a violent turn.
On September 23, a deadly riot had erupted in Wamena, the capital city of Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, which claimed the lives of 33 civilians, including a senior medical doctor, who had served the native Papuans for 15 years.
The Indonesian police accused Benny Wenda, a member of the West Papua movement separatist group, of involvement in the spread of fake news to instigate native Papuans.
Related news: Special autonomous status ushers in progress for Papua: official
Related news: Flight services resume in West Papua's Sorong City
Close
EDITED BY INE
Tendering a clarification to this end, Yuwono told journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday that Papuan youngsters were purely criminals, who had allegedly incited a string of deadly violence and rioting in Papua Province, especially in the areas of Jayapura, last year.
As a consequence of their provocative acts, violence and riots erupted in the easternmost province, resulting in several locals incurring material losses and resulting in destruction to personal property, he stated.
Hence, Yuwono rebuked the rumors of Papuan youths tried at the Balikpapan District Court being political prisoners circulated by small demonstrating groups among members of the public in their recent rallies, calling them completely baseless and groundless.
"They are obviously criminals, and their court proceedings have met the legal basis in accordance with what they did," Yuwono stated, adding that the youths' trial was not considered to be a political matter since it was purely related to their acts of crime.
The seven defendants are Ferry Kombo, Alex Gobay, Hengku Hilapok, Irwanus Urobmabin, Buchtar Tabuni, Steven Itlay, and Agus Kossay. The public prosecutors have demanded to extend the prison term of the defendants, from five to 17 years.
ANTARA noted that Papua and West Papua had come under the radar of both Indonesian and foreign media after a spate of violence broke out in several parts of these two Indonesian provinces in August and September 2019.
On August 28, 2019, violence erupted in Deiyai District, some 500 kilometers away from Jayapura, resulting in the deaths of an army soldier and two civilians.
The indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura again protested on August 29, as they vented out their ire over the alleged racist behavior against their Papuan compatriots in Surabaya, East Java, but their rally then took a violent turn.
On September 23, a deadly riot had erupted in Wamena, the capital city of Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, which claimed the lives of 33 civilians, including a senior medical doctor, who had served the native Papuans for 15 years.
The Indonesian police accused Benny Wenda, a member of the West Papua movement separatist group, of involvement in the spread of fake news to instigate native Papuans.
Related news: Special autonomous status ushers in progress for Papua: official
Related news: Flight services resume in West Papua's Sorong City
Close
EDITED BY INE
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2) Veronica Koman Rallies Support for Papuans Charged for Treason
Translator: Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor: Laila Afifa
17 June 2020 15:03 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vocal human rights activist on Papua issues, Veronica Koman, remains adamant that the Balikpapan High Court should completely acquit the defendant of a treason case, Irwanus Uropmabin, of all charges.
The panel of judges at Balikpapan high court on Wednesday, June 17, sentenced Irwanus Uropmabin to 10-months imprisonment, reduced by the jail time the defendant had already undergone.
Irwanus is a Papuan student of the Science and Technology University of Jayapura (USTJ) charged for treason. He was arrested for protesting the racial acts committed against Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java in 2019.
The public prosecutor initially charged him to five-years imprisonment.
“[The defendant] should have been acquitted and be found not guilty. But a 10-month sentence is an improvement which means he will be set free soon. But if the public attorney appeals [the decision], it would suggest that the attorney is racist,” said Veronica Koman in the online #PapuanLivesMatter oration held by Amnesty International, June 17.
Another political prisoner, Fery Kombo, had also undergone court hearing at the Balikpapan high court and was also sentenced to 10-months imprisonment.
The #PapuanLivesMatter online oration was intentionally held to give voice and demand justice for the seven defendants that Amnesty International deems as political prisoners, who are all charged for treason.
The movement also urges President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to free the prisoners from Papua by acquitting all charges.
DEWI NURITA
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3) Amnesty International Urges Jokowi to Release Papua Activists
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amnesty International Indonesia held an online oration with the theme #PapuanLivesMatter on Wednesday, June 17. The event was held to demand justice for seven Papuans, who are in detainment and facing heavy charges for accusations of treason. The orators urged President Joko Widodo or Jokowi to free the political prisoners without conditions.
"We urge the authorities to release Papuan 'prisoners of conscience' immediately and without conditions," Amnesty International Indonesia's executive director Usman Hamid said in a statement Wednesday, June 17.
The seven political prisoners are Fery Kombo, a Papuan student facing possible 10 years imprisonment for organizing protests against racism towards Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, last year. He is facing treason charges along with three other students, Alexander Gobay, Irwanus Uropmabin and Hengky Hilapok; as well as three Papuan activists, Buchtar Tabuni, Agus Kosay and Stevanus Itlay.
The prosecutors recently demanded that they be sentenced to 5-17 years in prison, during hearings at the Balikpapan District Court.
The case gains traction and attracts public attention amid a rising global sentiment against racism.
"Fery and other Papuan political prisoners, who peacefully expressed their opposition to racism, should not be criminalized," Usman Hamid said.
TEMPO.CO
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4) Indonesian court issues guilty verdicts in West Papua trial
Buchtar Tabuni, one of the leading West Papua activists and part of ‘Balikpapan Seven', sentenced to 11 months in jail.
an hour ago
An Indonesian court issued on Wednesday guilty verdicts against the first three West Papuan defendants accused of treason, in a case that has drawn concern about deteriorating political freedoms in the world's third-largest democracy.
Buchtar Tabuni, one of the leaders of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, was found guilty of treason and sentenced to 11 months in prison - significantly lower than the 17 years that prosecutors had asked.
Following his sentencing, Tabuni, who was previously imprisoned for three years from 2008 to 2011, told the court, "in my conscience, I am innocent."
Ferry Gombo and Irwanus Uropmabin, both university students, were also found guilty of the same charge and sentenced to 10 months in prison. Prosecutors had earlier demanded 10 years for Gombo, student union
president at the University of Cenderawasih in West Papua, and five years for Uropmabin, a student activist at a university in Jayapura.
Other defendants received between 10 to 11 months in jail, after being convincted of similar charge.
The seven men were charged after they joined anti-racism protests that swept across Indonesia's easternmost provinces last August.
In a statement posted on social media, Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman said, that "despite the leniency, the verdicts still reflect racism under Indonesian justice system."
"No matter what happens, West Papuans *must* be found guilty by Indonesian courts, especially in treason and incitement cases," Koman, who is living in exile, said.
The verdict and sentences were delivered by the judges online through the video app, Zoom.
The demonstrations in Papua and West Papua were sparked by alleged racist attacks on several Papuan students on the island of Java, including being called "monkeys".
They defendants were arrested in West Papua's provincial capital Jayapura last year and moved to Balikpapan on Indonesian Borneo for security reasons.
Many Indonesians have criticised the country's Attorney General for prosecuting the defendants, also known as the "Balikpapan Seven".
More than 150 Papuan politicians, civic and religious leaders, including members of parliament and the senate, have signed a petition asking President Joko Widodo to drop the charges against them.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also urged the government to release the accused individuals.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Andreas Harsono, the group's representative in Indonesia, said that he was "afraid" the judge would convict the defendants and sentence them to jail.
"It may be not as extreme as the prosecutors have demanded, but still there are going to be prison sentences, because it is very common. Those treason articles have been used against Papuans for more than five decades in Indonesia."
Videos posted on social media on Wednesday showed protesters in Jayapura and Sorong in West Papua demanding for the release of the defendants.
'Papuan Lives Matter'
The resource-rich provinces of Papua and West Papua came under Indonesian rule after a controversial 1969 referendum sanctioned by the United Nations - a process that was viewed as rigged by many native Papuans.
A low-level separatist rebellion has simmered ever since in the former Dutch colony - which shares New Guinea island with the independent nation of Papua New Guinea.
The majority of Papuans are Christian and ethnic Melanesian with few cultural ties to the rest of Muslim-majority Indonesia.
The tensions spilled over in August 2019, with several areas in West Papua erupting into fiery protests that left several dead, prompting the government of President Joko Widodo to deploy thousands of military troops to the area. The final death toll in the months-long unrest remains unknown.
At the height of the protests, thousands of residents were forced to flee the region, the poorest in the archipelago.
During the protests, many demonstrators were seen flying the Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence, which is banned in Indonesia.
Independence figure Filep Karma was convicted of treason after raising the flag publicly and spent 11 years in jail before his release in 2015.
The Balikpapan trial has drawn unusual levels of support in Indonesia, where it has coincided with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.
That has inspired a local adaptation - Papuan Lives Matter - which Indonesians have used on social media and in street demonstrations calling for the Papuans' release.
The global movement has also sparked online forums about perceived racism and discrimination in Indonesia, events that activists say have been subject to obstruction and intimidation.
"Indonesian police have created a revolving door by arresting Papuan activists like Buchtar Tabuni for peaceful protests that needs to stop," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
"Indonesian authorities should recognise that given the global attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, sending peaceful activists to prison will only bring more international attention to human rights concerns in Papua.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
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5) Media Release - June 17 2020 "Papuan Lives Matter"
The West Papua Action Aotearoa network and 109 signatories from churches, academia, community leadership and Pacific groups have sent an urgent open letter to Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters today calling for the release of the Balikpapan 7 who are a group of West Papuan political prisoners.
" These people were arrested for non violent participation in actions to uphold the value of Papuan lives last year and are being threatened with treason sentences of up to 17 years in prison. Basically they have been arrested because they are leaders for West Papuan freedom. They have also been transported away from their families in West Papua to prison Kalimantan in Indonesia," said network co spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.
"We are asking the Government to urgently raise the issue with the Indonesian Government. West Papuans are our neighbours who are experiencing state killings and imprisonment and their lives matter. There is a call from all over the world to stop racism against marginalised groups and that must include West Papuans who were protesting last year against being called " monkeys" by Indonesians. The threat of up to 17 years for non violent protest is a bizarre attack on human rights. Our Government must use its voice to protest against these human rights abuses. Otherwise they are choosing to say that West Papuan lives do not matter." .
Catherine Delahunty 021 2421967
Leilani Salesa - 027 743647
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OPEN LETTER
West Papua Action Aotearoa
12 June 2020
Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister
Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
Dear Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters
We urge you to raise New Zealand’s voice to help prevent a travesty of justice and honour against the indigenous people of West Papua who are courageously fighting a “Papuan lives matter” campaign.
The most urgent call is to back the global campaign for the immediate release of the ‘Balikpapan Seven’ who face the possibility of being put away for years because they stood up to racism. The seven are indigenous activists and students and they are being tried for their involvement in antiracism protests in Jayapura, West Papua, in August 2019. Unbelievably prosecutors are seeking between five and 17 years of prison, despite the fact that none were involved in any violence. They are on trial for ‘treason’ in a court in Kalimantan, thousands of kilometers from their homes and families. They were transferred to this distant jurisdiction for ‘security reasons’.
The call for the release of the ‘Balikpapan Seven’ has the outspoken support of a large number of Papuan politicians, civic leaders, and religious clerics. Church leaders, student unions, and Indonesian and international human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch have also criticized the government’s harsh actions. The parallels with events in the United States are obvious and Indonesia should realize that they are now on notice for failing to uphold the rights of Papuan people to freedom from discrimination and freedom of expression.
On August 17 last year a West Papuan ‘Black Lives Matter’/’Papuan Lives Matter’ uprising was triggered by a racist attack undertaken by Indonesian militia and army officers on a West Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya. The violence against the students was documented in videos that showed some Indonesian soldiers repeatedly banging on gates of the dormitory while shouting words such as ‘monkeys’ and ‘dogs’ while hurling stones and firing teargas canisters. The military responsible for the violent siege on the Papuan students’ dormitory in Surabaya last August have escaped sanction. Only three civilians who took part in the siege got light sentences. But dozens of those involved in the ensuing protests which swept across Indonesia and West Papua were arrested. Those seen as responsible for organising the protests were detained and charged with treason. A number of these leaders have now been released after serving months’ long sentences, so it is confounding that the ‘Balikpapan Seven’ should be facing such extreme penalties.
The defendants are: Buchtar Tabuni, a leader of the pro-Papuan independence group United Liberation Movement for West Papua (prosecutors are seeking a 17-year prison term); Agus Kossay and Stevanus Itlay from the National Committee of West Papua (Komite Nasional Papua Barat) (15 years); Ferry Gombo, Cenderawasih University student union head, and Alexander Gobai, Jayapura University of Science and Technology (USTJ) student union head (10 years); and Irwanus Uropmabin and Hengki Hilapok, USTJ students (5 years), who were helping Gobai to rent a truck and sound system for the protest.
Buchtar Tabuni has been a leading activist for over a decade – this is his third time of imprisonment including a three year jail term for ‘treason’ following a peaceful independence gathering on December 1, 2008. Stevanus Itlay has also been jailed twice previously, the last time for organizing a prayer meeting.
Buchtar Tabuni has been a leading activist for over a decade – this is his third time of imprisonment including a three year jail term for ‘treason’ following a peaceful independence gathering on December 1, 2008. Stevanus Itlay has also been jailed twice previously, the last time for organizing a prayer meeting.
Indonesia’s response to last year’s uprising was to crack down and to send in more more than 10,000 additional security personnel to West Papua. The internet was shut down – an action considered unlawful by Indonesia’s State Administrative Court.
At least 61 lives, including police and migrants were lost during the uprising.
The litany of abuses of the Papuan people stretches back over more than half a century since Papuans were forced to accept Indonesian rule. Indonesia’s own National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) notes that in 2019 there were as many as 154 complaints of violence on the part of Security forces, more than two times the figure in 2018.
Please call for the release of ‘Balikpapan Seven’ – an essential first step towards redress.
Yours sincerely,
Catherine Delahunty West Papua Action Aotearoa
Maire Leadbeater West Papua Action Aotearoa
Brian Turner (Revd) West Papua Action Aotearoa
Celeste Donovan West Papua Action Aotearoa
Leilani Esmae Sieni Salesa Oceania Interrupted
Dr Philip Temple ONZM, Dunedin. Author and commentator
Mons. Gerard Burns (Catholic Priest Wellington New Zealand)
Lesley Young (Yearly Meeting Clerk,Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri,Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa New Zealand
Nik Naidu, Secretary, Then India Sanmarga Ikya (NZ) Trust
Golriz Ghahraman M.P.
Pauline Mckay, National Director, Christian World Service
Edwina Hughes (Coordinator, Peace Movement Aotearoa)
Dr. Heather Devere (National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies)
Camille Nakhid (AUT Pacific Media Centre)
Gretchen Druliner (Masters student at National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies)
Warren Brewer
Dr Philip Cass
Dr Briar Wood
Richard Manning
Luka Lim-Cowley
And 90 others
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