Jayapura, Jubi – The eight people who raised the Morning Star flag at the Cenderawasih Gymnasium in Jayapura City on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, were named suspects for alleged treason.
Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ahmad Musthofa Kamal said the eight flag bearers were suspected of treason after they were intensively examined by investigators from the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation of the Papua Police. Kamal said they were named suspects after investigators conducted a case title led by Criminal Investigation director Sr. Comr. Faisal Ramandani.
Kamal explained that the eight people raising the Morning Star flag at Cenderawasih Gymnasium were charged with Article 106 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 110 and Article 87 of the Criminal Code on committing treason. “The investigation of the case is based on the Police Report LP/A/182/XII/2021/SPKT/Ditreskrimum/Papua Police dated Dec. 1, 2021,” Kamal said on Thursday.
According to the investigators, Kamal said, a suspect named MY played the role of the leader. MY is suspected of making flags and banners, as well as leading a meeting on Tuesday at the Maro Dormitory, to prepare for the rising of the Morning Star flag on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the other seven people were participants in the ceremony and rally from Cenderawasih Gym to the office of the Papua Legislative Council. The people unfurled banners while singing songs and shouting “Papua is free”. The seven participants also attended the meeting on Nov. 30.
All of the eight suspects are now being held at the Papua Police Headquarters Detention Center to undergo further legal processes. “The detention was based on Detention Warrants No. 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, and 204, dated Dec. 2, 2021,” said Kamal. (*)
Jayapura, Jubi – Lawmaker of Papua Legislative’s Council’s Commission for Government, Politics, Law and Human Rights Laurenzus Kadepa said that that the raising of the Morning Star flag in six locations in Papua on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, should be a reflection to all parties in resolving Papua problems.
According to him, the most important thing to look at was that after the Morning Star flag was raised on Wednesday, the situation remained safe in Papua, there was no turmoil and chaos following the ceremony. It showed that the people demanded peace and respect in a respectful manner, Kadepa said.
“Through such an event, I think all of us, both the central and regional governments, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police, the legislature, and other institutions, must reflect on ourselves. In the future, we will work together to see Papua with new approaches, new policies,” Kadepa told Jubi on Thursday, December 2, 2021.
Previously, eight youths were arrested for flying the Morning Star flag at Cenderawasih Gymnasium on Wednesday. Kadepa demanded the police to release those young people and instead see the event from various sides, not only from a legal point of view.
“I ask the authorities to release the people who are still being held at the Papua Police Headquarters. Let’s be wise in looking at the Papua issue,” he said.
Kadepa admitted that raising the Morning Star flag violated the country’s current law but the police must consider other things. “Please look at the case with a human rights perspective and other considerations and release these people,” he said.
The people in five regencies and one city, namely Central Mamberamo Regency, Puncak Regency, Bintang Mountains Regency, Intan Jaya Regency, Paniai Regency, and Jayapura City, raised the Morning Star flag on Wednesday, commemorating 60 years of the flag been being flown in Papua land since December 1, 1961. The Morning Star flag has been a symbol of the fighting spirit of the Papuan people.
Deputy chief of the Papuan Police Brig. Gen. Eko Rudi Sudarto acknowledged that although the Morning Star was raised in several areas, the security situation in Papua was under control. However, his party still arrested eight people who raised the Morning Star flag at the Cenderawasih Gym in Jayapura as the action was deemed against the law.
Sudarto said that after raising the Morning Star flag, the people walked in front of the Papua Police Headquarters. Police members who saw them instantly arrested them and took down the flag that was hoisted at the gym. (*)
Reporter: Arjuna Pademme
Editor: Edho Sinaga
Ambon – A demonstration by scores of Papuan students commemorating 60 years of West Papua independence in the city of Ambon, Maluku province on Wednesday December 1, ended in chaos after it was forcibly broken up by police.
The Papuan students, who are undergoing their studies in Ambon, refused to accept the police's actions and fought back with students and police pushing and shoving each other.
The police finally succeeded in forcing the demonstrators back, who appeared to be wearing clothing and accessories with the Morning Star flag on them.
Ambon and the Ambon islands municipal police public relations division head, Second Police Inspector Izaac Leatemia, explained to journalists that the demonstration was broken up because the protesters did not have a permit from police. The action was also disrupting the flow of traffic.
"Indeed there was a written order to provide security for the (West) Papua anniversary commemoration. Of course (it was broken up because they didn't have a permit)", said Leatemia.
The protest action commemorating West Papua independence on December 1, 1961 was initiated by the Papua Student Alliance (AMP), the Papuan Central Highlands Indonesian Student Association (AMPTPI) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP).
During the action, the Papuan students made 17 demands including:
- The right to self-determination as a democratic solution for the West Papuan nation
- That the extension of special autonomy be cancelled
- That journalists be given the broadest possible access to West Papua
- The withdrawal of all organic and non-organic troops from West Papua
- An end to all forms of discrimination and intimidation against West Papuan students
- The unconditional release of West Papuan political prisoners
- The closure of PT Freeport, BP, LNG Tangguh, and an end to development of the Wabu Block and exploitation by PT Antam in the Bintang Mountains
- Fully investigate the shooting of two children in Intan Jaya
- Arrest, try and imprison the generals and human rights violators
- End all racism and racist politics by the Indonesian government, the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police)
- End the military operations in Nduga, Intan Jaya, Puncak Jaya, the Bintang Mountains, Maybrat and all other parts of West Papua
- Revoke the Omnibus Law
- Enact the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence
- That the Netherlands be held liable for failing to complete West Papua's decolonisation process as they had promised
- For the United Nations to be responsible for and actively involved in a fair and democratic manner in the process of self-determination, the straightening out of history and resolving human rights violations which have taken place in West Papua
- Urging the Indonesian government to provide the broadest possible access to the United Nations Human Rights Commission to observe the human rights situation in West Papua
- Provide guarantees of freedom of information, expression, opinion and organisation to the nation of West Papua
[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo 60 Tahun Kemerdekaan West Papua di Ambon Dibubarkan Polisi".]
Source: https://beritabeta.com/demo-60-tahun-kemerdekaan-west-papua-di-ambon-dibubarkan-polisi
Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has revealed that scores out of the 23 organisations referred to by the government as armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua want peaceful dialogue. Komnas HAM Chairperson Ahmad Taufan Damanik said that the commission heard this directly for themselves when they visited Papua.
"The Komnas HAM met with scores [of organisations] and we asked if for example a peaceful dialogue was held, we gave the example of Aceh, would they be prepared [to take part], in general they answered they were ready", said Damanik during a discussion titled "Human Security in Papua" on the Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) YouTubechannel on Thursday December 2.
Damanik said that it is not just KKB groups who want peaceful dialogue. Civil society, Papuan social and religious figures and even activists want the same thing.
However, he continued, the formula for a peaceful dialogue varied. Some wanted the dialogue to be held internationally while others said it would be enough to hold it domestically.
"But no matter what, I think what’s important is that there’s a desire for dialogue. So it isn't true if there are people who say that people in Papua reject dialogue with Jakarta. It’s not so. That's what we found", he said.
Damanik however admitted that it may well be that such a peaceful dialogue would not proceed as smoothly as many people imagine, especially in comparison with the peace talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh.
Damanik said that the pace talks with GAM were easy because as an organisation it was more structured and its leadership clearer.
"Certainly in Papua it's different, the different groups are not necessarily of one voice. But if all parties declare that they want dialogue then this is hope for a new approach, no longer using a security approach", he said.
"So this convinced us that a dialogue approach is indeed a humanitarian and dignified choice to try despite of course it not being easy", he said. (yla/pmg)
[Abridged translation by James Balowski. The second part of the article titled "Communication not Harmonised", which discussed the lack of communication and coordination between the Papua provincial government and Jakarta, was not translated. The original title of the article was "Komnas HAM: Belasan Organisasi KKB di Papua Ingin Dialog Damai".]
Sui Suadnyana, Denpasar – A protest action by the Bali City Committee Papua Student Alliance (AMP-KKB) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar on Wednesday December 1 ended in a clash with a social organisation (ormas) called the Nusantara Garuda Patriots (PGN).
The AMP-KKB said that 12 of its members were injured during the clash. "Based on our data from the AMP there were 12 of our comrades (who suffered injuries). Some were kicked by the PGN, and then there were comrades who were hit by rocks", said AMP-KKB Chairperson Yesaya Gobay when contacted by Detik.com on Wednesday.
Gobay said that they had initially set the gathering point for the action as the Captain Ida Bagus Japa Monument in Denpasar. From this point they planned to march to the United States Consulate General for the protest.
It was during the march to the US Consulate that the protesters from the AMP-KKB and the FRI-WP were blocked by the PGN.
"It was right in the middle of the road that we were blocked by the PGN ormas. We were blocked, there were police there. We were blocked, so we said this isn't where we want to hold the action, we want to demonstrate at the American Consulate, but the ormas still wouldn’t listen, they continued blocking us", explained Gobay.
"But there were police there, except the police didn't secure the situation, they just looked on, they didn't secure the situation", he said.
Gobay said he regrets the police's lack of action in allowing the PNG to block the protesters from the AMP-KKB and FRI-WP. It was because the police took no action that in the end the PGN started throwing things at them.
Initially, the PGN just threw water bottles at the protesters. Then they started throwing rocks. Despite this, Gobay said that the Papuan protesters did not retaliate.
"(Despite having rocks thrown at us), we held our ground, we said we're students, we're intellectuals, we want to convey our aspirations, namely [marking] 60 years since the declaration of [Papuan] independence, we want to commemorate it. But not here, we want to rally at the American Consulate General. But they did not want to make way", he explained.
Despite their explanations, the PGN continued to throw things at the protesters from the AMP-KKB and the FRI-WP. In addition to this, a pickup truck brought by the protesters to the action was also targeted.
"Our pickup truck's windows were smashed, the car's door window was smashed. Our banners were damaged, several of the thrown rocks went into the crowd of protesters", he said.
Because of this, the AMP-KKB and FRI-WP protesters felt that they could no longer accept rocks continually being thrown at them and their pickup truck being damaged, so they then pick up instruments and counter attacked the PGN. (nvl/nvl)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "12 Mahasiswa Papua Terluka Saat Demo Berujung Ricuh dengan Ormas di Bali".]
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