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https://en.jubi.id/police-who-shot-protesters-must-be-punished-lbh-papua/
1) Police who shot protesters must be punished: LBH Papua
Police Brutality - News Desk 17 June 2022
Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) has asked the Jayapura City Police to punish their members who fired rubber bullets to disperse the rally commemorating the death of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) leader Mako Tabuni on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Director of LBH Papua Emanuel Gobay said at least four rally participants were allegedly injured by rubber bullets, namely Aris Nepsan, Jon Kadepa, Benediktus Tebai, and Natan Pigai. They were injured on the forehead, head, hands, and buttocks respectively.
Gobay said the use of rubber bullets to disperse demonstrations indicated a violation of Emergency Law No. 12/1951, which regulates the use of firearms. Gobay urged the police to legally process any personnel who fired rubber bullets at protesters.
“Law enforcement [against police brutality] has to be done instead of arresting the masses who exercise their democratic rights,” said Gobay in Jayapura City on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
He emphasized that the commemoration of Mako Tabuni’s death took place peacefully. The participants did not block the road. The police, however, repressively dispersed the mass.
National Police Chief Regulation No. 16/2006 on Guidelines for Crowd Control has indeed regulated procedures for controlling protests. However, on the ground, the police in Papuaoften disperse demonstrations by making arrests, beatings, or even opening fire.
Gobay said that the police’s repressive way to disperse the mass would only add to the list of violence experienced by Papuans. In the past year, there have been at least 10 demonstrations that were disbanded by the police.
The International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) held a meeting in the British Parliament on June 14th 2022. At the meeting, which was attended by a number of UK MPs, the IPWP reaffirmed their unified call for a visit to West Papua by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet.
The meeting was hosted by IPWP Chair Alex Sobel MP, and saw speeches in favour of a UN visit by Sobel, Pernando Barrena (MEP from the Basque Country), Jen Robinson (Human Rights lawyer and cofounder of the International Lawyers for West Papua), Carles Puigdemont (MEP and former President of the Government of Catalonia) and ULMWP Interim President Benny Wenda.
Along with calling for a UN visit, Mr Sobel gave an update on the IPWP’s progress, following a number of successful meetings in recent months. Mr Barrena talked about the progress the IPWP have made in the Spanish Parliament. Ms Robinson discussed the illegality of Indonesia’s occupation under international law and outlined the legal basis for an independence referendum. President Puigdemont, calling in remotely from Brussels, spoke of the criminalisation of protest in West Papua and the need to free Victor Yeimo. Interim President Wenda discussed the dire state of human rights in West Papua, and the recent revelation that Indonesia is secretly bombing West Papua with European munitions. Speakers also urged the EU to halt its trade deals with Indonesia until they welcome a UN investigation.
Large gatherings and prayer services took place across West Papua in support of the meeting.
Video of the meeting is available here.
Interim President Wenda said: ‘Indonesia must allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights into West Papua. The Chinese government recently allowed the High Commissioner into Xinjiang to investigate human rights abuses against Uyghurs. Why has Indonesia not done the same?’
Contact: press@ulmwp.org
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