2) Press Release: Benny Wenda ready for talks; British Ambassador summoned in Jakarta;
4) Govt, military, police urged to maintain state authority in Papua
Thirty-six people were arrested in Manokwari and Sorong, in West Papua, on November 27, after raising the banned flag. Two Papuan high school students were shot (one fatally) on November 20 by an Indonesian paramilitary unit trained by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and now war crimes-notorious Special Air Services Regiment (SAS).
This year, December 1 was also marked by the announcement by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) that it had begun to form a provisional government-in-exile.
The ULMWP was formed in 2014 at a meeting of leaders of three major factions of the West Papuan liberation movement in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.
The provisional government aims to mobilise the people of West Papua to achieve a referendum on independence, after which it will take control of the territory and organise democratic elections. Indonesian repression currently renders elections impossible, the ULMWP said in a statement on December 1.
“This move is a direct rejection of Jakarta’s attempts to extend ‘Special Autonomy’ provisions in West Papua,” said the ULMWP. “‘Special Autonomy’, first imposed in 2001, will expire at the end of the year, and is the target of a mass petition sponsored by 102 civil society organisations across West Papua.”
A new provisional constitution for West Papua “centres environmental protections, social justice, gender equality and religious freedom, and protects the rights of Indonesian migrants living in West Papua,” the statement said.
“The Constitution establishes a governance structure, including the formation of a Congress, Senate and judicial branch.”
The provisional government says it has the support of all liberation groups inside West Papua, representing the overwhelming majority of the people.
Last year, the ULMWP delivered a petition – signed by 70% of West Papuans – calling for a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The ULMWP announced that the West Papuan state-in-waiting will be represented internationally by an interim President, Benny Wenda, a West Papuan exile based in Britain.
The rest of the cabinet will be announced in the coming months.
The provisional government plans to make a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) at an appropriate time, on behalf of the people of West Papua.
“Today, we honour and recognise all our forefathers who fought and died for us by finally establishing a united government-in-waiting,” said Wenda. “Embodying the spirit of the people of West Papua, we are ready to run our country.”
“As laid out in our Provisional Constitution, a future Republic of West Papua will be the world’s first Green State, and a beacon of human rights – the opposite of decades of bloody Indonesian colonisation. Today, we take another step towards our dream of a free, independent and liberated West Papua.”
Meanwhile, in Melbourne, a group of West Papua solidarity activists climbed onto the roof of the Indonesian Consulate on December 1 and dropped large banners with the Morning Star flag and the demands: “TNI Out: Stop Killing Papuans” and “Free West Papua”.
Australian solidarity activists are campaigning to end Australia's military and political support for the Indonesian occupation of West Papua.
Dr Jason MacLeod, an Australian-based activist with the Make West Papua Safe campaign, said there were “disturbing similarities” between the tactics used by Indonesian paramilitary and special forces units in West Papua and those used by Australian special forces in committing war crimes in Afghanistan.
Make West Papua Safe said ex-SAS officers are part of the training team at the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) where, alongside the AFP, the CIA and former British special forces, they have trained more than 21,000 Indonesian police.
Those trained include the counter-insurgency group Special Detachment 88 and the paramilitary police BRIMOB, which is routinely accused of human rights violations, including the murder of children.
Since the SAS and the AFP began training the Indonesian police at JCLEC, human rights organisations, including Amnesty International Indonesia, have reported that human rights violations, including torture and extra-judicial killings in West Papua, have become considerably worse.
- Interim President Benny Wenda ready to sit down with Jokowi ‘president-to-president’;
- British Ambassador in Jakarta summoned by Indonesian Foreign Minister;
- Indonesian military and police threaten action against President Wenda and all his followers;
- UN High Commissioner must visit West Papua.
Following the announcement of the Provisional Government of West Papua on Tuesday, the new interim President, Benny Wenda, has said he is ready to sit down with President Jowoki and discuss a solution to the conflict, amidst massive controversy in Indonesia regarding the announcement.
In Jakarta, the Indonesian Foreign Minister has summoned the British Ambassador to clarify his government’s position on the formation of the Provisional Government.i
Indonesia’s leading military official, TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, named Benny Wenda as a central government target.ii Vice Chief of Police Gatot Eddy Pramono stated: ‘Any group or individual following Benny Wenda in trying to separate themselves from Indonesia will be met with firm action’.iii This may be a prelude to mass arrests of ULMWP members in West Papua. Colonel Czi IGN Suriastawa has responded to the announcement by calling it an act of ‘treason’ that the Indonesian police must investigate.iv ‘Let BW (Benny Wenda) be handled by the police’,v the officer said.
Hikmahanto Juwana, professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, has claimed that the Provisional Government has no legal standing. This is refuted by a statement by the International Lawyers for West Papua, which shows a clear and unequivocal basis in international law for the move.vi
Previously, in 2019, Indonesia’s security chief and head of police named Benny Wenda, and the Foreign Ministry, Indonesian intelligence service and police were tasked with undermining him.vii Head of security General Wiranto, wanted by the UN for crime against humanity,viii claimed there was ‘very high’ levels of monitoring Mr Wenda’s activities abroad.ix
Benny Wenda, interim President of the Provisional Government of West Papua, said: ‘I am ready to sit down with President Widodo, state-to-state, and agree a process for ending this conflict once and for all, through an internationally-mediated mechanism. The people of West Papua must decide. We are willing to work on arrangements for a referendum on independence. This is no time for military operations and killings – instead, the UN High Commissioner must be allowed in, in accordance with the call of 82 countries.x The President must end martial law in West Papua and sit down to talk.’
Jennifer Robinson, Doughty Street Chambers, said: ‘This reaction in Jakarta shows how shaken the Indonesian government is. They knows they have no claim in law to West Papua. They are threatening an internationally-recognised human rights defender and leader of his people, Benny Wenda, whilst he is resident in the UK. The West Papuans are organised and ready to self-govern, in accordance with their right to self determination under international law, and the Indonesian government has nothing other than brute violence to enforce their claims over the territory. The international community has a duty to assist West Papuans give effect to their right to self determination.’
Contact: UK time: Benny Wenda (through press@ulmwp.org); Australian time: Jacob Rumbiak, ULMWP Spokesperson (rumbiakjacob@gmail.com).
References
i https://www.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20201203153750-106-577607/menlu-panggil-dubes-inggris-soal-deklarasi-papua-benny-wenda
ii https://www.jpnn.com/news/bicara-soal-separatisme-panglima-tni-sebut-nama-benny-wanda-dan-veronica-koman
iii See video at the end of this article (translated): https://news.detik.com/berita/d-5279728/profil-benny-wenda-yang-didaulat-jadi-presiden-papua-barat-merdeka. See also: https://republika.co.id/berita/qkrc1s428/polri-akan-tindak-tegas-benny-wenda
iv https://republika.co.id/berita/qkqpuo430/reaksi-tni-soal-deklarasi-papua-barat-oleh-benny-wenda
v https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20201202115755-20-576998/tni-respons-soal-benny-wenda-bentuk-pemerintahan-papua
vi https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ec24444be68167e74a762fe/t/5fc608ec61e25426e106f7b2/1606813932581/ILWP+statement+on+ULMWP+Provisional+Government+announcement.pdf
vii https://en.tempo.co/read/1242861/police-bin-team-up-to-probe-foreign-involvement-in-papua-unrest; https://en.antaranews.com/news/132252/wiranto-discloses-conspiracy-involving-separatist-leader-benny-wenda; https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4689670/ternyata-ada-jaringan-mancanegara-saat-rusuh-di-papua; https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4690540/wiranto-sebut-benny-wenda-bagian-konspirasi-masalah-papua
viii https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/25/indonesia.unitednations
ix https://en.antaranews.com/news/132252/wiranto-discloses-conspiracy-involving-separatist-leader-benny-wenda; https://m.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20190902173815-32-426880/wiranto-akui-pemerintah-pantau-aktivis-papua-benny-wenda
x https://www.ulmwp.org/uk-government-becomes-82nd-state-demanding-un-access-to-west-papua
Protest actions took place in several cities around Indonesia on December 1 including in Jakarta, Yogyakarta (Central Java), Ternate (North Maluku) and Sinjai (South Sulawesi). The actions were launched to commemorate West Papua Independence Day.
But even before the actions were launched, security forces attempted to thwart them by blocking protesters, breaking up rallies and arresting demonstrators. The following are reports on the actions in Jakarta and Yogyakarta.
Jakarta
In Jakarta, protesters from the Papuan Students Alliance (AMP), the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Central Highlands Indonesian Student Association (AMPTPI) had been preparing to launch an action since 5.30 in the morning.
The protesters gathered at the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) in Central Jakarta holding banners reading "Reject Special Autonomy and Give the Right of Self-Determination to the West Papuan Nation" along with posters with similar demands.
The women demonstrators wore Sali (traditional Papuan women's clothing) while other painted pictures of the Morning Star independence flag on their faces and bodies.
The protesters then moved off in an orderly manner to the intersection near the Indonesian Alkitab Foundation before taking vehicles to the United States Embassy in Central Jakarta.
At 6 am the demonstrators had gathered in front of the US Embassy and were giving speeches. AMP member Roland Levy said in a speech that Special Autonomy (Otsus) had failed to protect the Papuan people.
"Many Papuan people have been killed, evicted, discriminated against and labeled as separatists. Because of this the solution is independence for the West Papuan nation as a democratic solution", he said while shouting "Referendum? Yes!"
Following this, the protesters moved off to the nearby Presidential Palace but were blocked by police from entering the National Monument from the west near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
The demonstrators then gave speeches, made up games, performed the Wisisi dance (a traditional Papuan dance) and prayed together to commemorate the declaration of West Papuan independence on December 1, 1961.
One of the participants read out a poem about the Papuan people's spirit of nationalism for December 1. One of the women comrades then related how independence is the right of all nations. A statement was read out at 9.30 am and the action closed with a prayer.
At the end of the action as the protesters were to return to the start point, they were provoked by a small group of unknown individuals. The demonstrators restrained themselves and did not respond referring to the group as "The 1,000 or so people", meaning a group hired by the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI)".
Yogyakarta
In Yogyakarta, hundreds of students from the Free Papua December 1 Movement Alliance launched an action commemorating the declaration of independence in Papua.
The action, which started at 9 am, started with a long-march from the Papuan student dormitory to the nearby zero kilometre point in front of the central post office. During the march the protesters shouted slogans such as "Free West Papua", "NKRI no" and "Referendum yes".
They also took turns in giving speeches with Momiake Gresya saying, "We Papuan people constantly live under the shadow of death, being killed, tortured like animals, and all of this is perpetrated by the TNI [Indonesian military] and Polri [Indonesian police]".
"An example of this is in Nduga [regency] today, for two years more than 40,000 people have fled seeking shelter and 240 have died as a result of Indonesian military operations", explained Gresya.
In another speech, FRI-WP representative Muhamad Iis explained about the ordinary Indonesian people's support for the Papuan struggle for independence.
"Today we declare our full support for Papuan independence", he said. Iis asserted that colonialism in Papua is not supported by all the Indonesian people. "Colonialism is not the position of the majority of Indonesian people, just a greedy handful of people", he said.
Accompanied by the song Let the Coordination Posts be Torn Down, at 1 pm the protesters danced around the command vehicle waving two Morning Star flags.
This managed to incite security personnel who tried to move into the crowd but demonstrators succeeded in blocking them and the situation returned to normal.
The action ended at 2.30 pm with the reading out of a statement and shouts of "Free West Papua, Free West Papua, Free West Papua". (hr, mm)
Demands
A number of other demands were also made during the demonstrations including calls to try the perpetrators of human rights violations in Papua, the withdrawal of all organic and non-organic troops and an end to military operations, an end to the theft of land and natural resources, that the Indonesian government acknowledge that West Papua has been independence since 1961, the closure of PT Freeport and other mining operations, for the UN to take responsibility for and be active in an act of self-determination, the straightening out of history and resolving human rights violations in Papua, allowing access for national and international journalists to report in Papua, an end to racial discrimination against Papuans, the ratification of the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence and for the government to revoke the recently enacted Jobs Law.
Notes
Although it is widely held that West Papua declared independence from Indonesia on December 1, 1961, this actually marks the date when the Morning Star (Bintang Kejora) flag was first raised alongside the Dutch flag in an officially sanctioned ceremony in Jayapura, then called Hollandia. The first declaration of independence actually took place on July 1, 1971 at the Victoria Headquarters in Jayapura where the OPM raised the Morning Star flag and unilaterally proclaimed West Papua as an independent democratic republic.
[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peringati 1 Desember di Jakarta dan Yogyakarta, Mahasiswa Menyatakan Tolak Otonomi Khusus dan Berikan Kemerdekaan Bagi Papua".]
4) Govt, military, police urged to maintain state authority in Papua
7 hours ago
Following Papuan separatist leader Benny Wenda’s “act of treason” against the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, the state’s authority and the safety of the state and its entire people can be maintained by enforcing laws objectively and measurably in the region, he said here on Thursday.
On December 1, 2020, Wenda had declared a so-called "interim government" in West Papua.
In response to this maneuver, Azis Syamsuddin said the House backs the government's efforts to enforce the law against those responsible for violating it.
Earlier, Hikmahanto Juwana, professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, had urged the government to ignore Wenda's maneuvers regarding the "interim government" in West Papua.
If needed, the Indonesian police can initiate legal action against the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (UMLWP) leader for the move that can be regarded as an act of treason against the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, he said earlier.
Juwana argued that the "interim government" that Wenda declared on December 1, 2020 has no foundation under international law because it is unclear for which state it has been created, where it exists, and when the state's creation was declared.
The separatist group's loyalists have declared an "interim government" within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia's sovereign territory, he noted.
He further argued that the creation of a state comes first under international law. In this regard, the existence of a state comes first, followed by a government, he said.
Therefore, it would be absurd if the so-called interim government is declared, but it is not clear which state is recognized by the international community, Juwana, who is also rector of the General Ahmad Yani University (Unjani), stressed.
The support shown by several Pacific countries for the UMLWP cannot be taken as a yardstick owing to their insignificance as recognizing states, he argued.
According to Juwana, it would be better for the Indonesian Government to ignore the UMLWP maneuver, which came on a day supporters of the separatist group claim as West Papua's independence day.
ANTARA has earlier reported on the criminal record of Benny Wenda, who is currently living in Oxford city, United Kingdom.
Reports have claimed he believes in the use of violence to achieve his political goals and that there is evidence linking him with several cases of armed violence in Papua.
In the Wamena riot, which erupted in September, 2019, the Indonesian police had accused Wenda of being involved in the spreading of fake news to instigate native Papuans.
The riot which, according to local media, was instigated by hoaxes regarding a teacher's racist slur against native Papuan students left several civilians dead and several others injured.
The alleged masterminds of the deadly riot were reported to be members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB). (INE)
Related news: Benny Wenda has no authority to declare independence: Lemhanas
Related news: Govt must ignore Benny Wenda's maneuver: UI law professor
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