Wednesday, July 7, 2021

1) Papuan students in Surabaya take to streets remembering the Biak Massacre


2) Are Morning Stars starting to fade in Papua?
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https://en.jubi.co.id/papuan-students-protest-biak-massacre/

1) Papuan students in Surabaya take to streets remembering the Biak Massacre

 News Desk July 7, 2021 5:13 pm





Papuan students held a peaceful rally in East Java's Surabaya to commemorate the Biak massacre occurred on July 6, 1998. Courtesy of the Papuan Students Alliance.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papuan Students Alliance in Surabaya, East Java have staged a protest on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Biak massacre. The students demand the state to resolve the alleged human rights violation.

 

On July 2, 1998, The Indonesian Military (TNI) and police allegedly arrested, shot, and persecuted the Papuan people who took to the streets in Biak Numfor regency demanding a referendum. The incident resulted in eight people died, three people missing, four severely injured, 33 mildly injured, 150 people arrested and persecuted, and 32 bodies found in the Biak waters.

Rally coordinator Ever Walela said that even after 23 years, the Indonesian government had never tried the alleged perpetrators of the Biak massacre. Such impunity has only been perpetuating rights violations and exploitation of natural resources in Papua.

“Today we continue to see massive land grabbing, police brutality, the arrests of Papuan activists, and internet blackout in Papua. The state, through its military, continues to commit human rights violations and unlawful killings,” Walela said.

 

 

Meanwhile, rally spokesperson Nelvin Walela said that ever since the Biak massacre, the spiral of violence continued in Papua, such as the Wamena massacre in 2000 and 2003, the Wasior massacre in 2001, the Uncen massacre in 2006, the Nabire massacre in 2012, and the Paniai massacre in 2014. All of them saw the same fate as the Biak massacre, in which the government has yet to punish the alleged perpetrators to date.

 

“Therefore, today, in the memory of the Biak massacre, the Papuan Students Alliance demands the Indonesian government and the international community, the United Nations, to investigate the human rights violations committed by the state,” Nelvin said.

 

“The state must be responsible for the Biak massacre and other rights violations in Papua,” he added.

The protest on Tuesday was closely guarded by the police that participants were unable to distribute leaflets containing their demands for action.

 

“There were around 40 policemen in our meeting point including intel officers in casual outfits. We managed to do a long march but when we arrived at the Grahadi building, the police had closed the road,” Nelvin said.

 

With the road being closed, not a single vehicle passed and protesters could not distribute their leaflets to the public. “We tried to negotiate [with the police] to allow vehicles to pass through the demonstration site to no avail,” said Nelvin.

 

The students eventually read their demands and went back to the Kamasan Student Dormitory. On their way home, the students distributed the leaflets to the pedestrian.

 

Reporter: Hengky Yeimo
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G

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https://www.ucanews.com/news/are-morning-stars-starting-to-fade-in-papua/93172

2) Are Morning Stars starting to fade in Papua?

Low turnout for 'republic day' indicates Indonesia's crackdown on independence supporters is starting to bite


Siktus HarsonSiktus Harson, Jakarta
Published: July 07, 2021 09:50 AM GMT ▾





Papuan students rally in Jakarta in August 2019 to protest against the arrest of 40 students in Surabaya in East Java
province several days earlier. (Photo supplied)

The 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of West Papua on July 1 was expected to be a special day

 for Papuans. 

Along with Independence Day on Dec. 1 — the day in 1961 when the Dutch gave Papuans their freedom — the 

declaration of the republic is a very important one on the separatist calendar.

It dates back to July 1, 1971, when the leaders of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), which has opposed 

Indonesian rule since the transfer of West Papua by the Netherlands to Indonesia and a “rigged” referendum 

that officially made it a province in September 1969, unilaterally declared independence.


The declaration was followed by the formation in 1973 of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), 

which became the military wing of the OPM.

In recent years, it has become quite common to see thousands of Papuans, both at home and across Indonesia,

 take to the streets waving the banned independence symbol, the Morning Star flag, to demand justice for

 human rights violations and freedom.

However, this was not the case last week despite repeated calls from pro-independence activists to mark the event.



"Some have asked whether the low turnout signaled a decline in support for the independence cause "


Some had predicted that this year’s special anniversary would see a bigger turnout despite the pandemic fears. 

But all was largely quiet other than a few statements from members of TPNPB.

In a message published by Suara Papua, the group said it will not stop waging war against Indonesia until

 Papua gets its independence. It threatened to kill anyone collaborating with security forces and demanded

 local leaders stop seeking to extend special autonomy status for the region.

Some have asked whether the low turnout signaled a decline in support for the independence cause or

 was a result of pandemic fears or an increase in anti-terrorism measures in the restive region.

It was unlikely the pandemic because even social media messages were few and far between. 



Some things have changed since the Indonesian government declared the TPNPB and its supporters as 

terrorists in April, adding to pressure on separatists brought earlier by Operation Nemangkawi, an anti-terrorism

 campaign waged by the security forces since 2018.

This pressure was seen on the eve of the July 1 anniversary when government forces stepped up security

 measures in anticipation of large-scale demonstrations in the region. It sent a strong message to the 

Papuans and separatist groups that the government would not tolerate acts of defiance.

A few days earlier, the Nemangkawi task force issued a statement claiming a major success over armed

 separatist groups.

Police Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Alqudussy said at least eight armed separatists have been killed 

and 11 others arrested during operations against rebels so far this year. He also revealed government forces 

had captured the TPNPB headquarters and confiscated an array of weapons.

Despite more than 20 other people being killed, including seven soldiers and two policemen, the task force

 said it was a successful operation that had restored security and social order to the region.

The violence is far from over as the Indonesian government has decided to extend the Nemangkawi operation.


"Things are likely to get worse for separatists as the new terrorism status gives anti-terror unit Densus
 88 more scope to operate “

Observers and rights activists warned that labeling the TPNPB and supporters of the Free Papuan Movement

 as terrorists would have a big impact on Papuans.

Things are likely to get worse for separatists as the new terrorism status gives anti-terror unit Densus 88 

more scope to operate. As of now, national police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo has not used it.

Terrorism experts believe that if Densus 88 is deployed, it will lead to more arrests as it has the authority to

 arrest even those who only voice support for independence.

In any event, branding the TPNPB as a terrorist group has escalated violence in recent months and resulted 

in many people laying low and refraining from commenting on anything related to the Papuan struggle.

The quiet passing of the Republic of West Papua anniversary is a testament to this and shows people are

 fearful of what the Indonesian government will do next.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official 

editorial position of UCA News.

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