Editor: Azis Kurmala
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2) 13 activists in Sentani arrested for inviting people to protest
News Desk - Restriction To Freedom Of Expression
10 April 2023
Jayapura, Jubi – A total of 13 West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Sentani activists were arrested by police at the Sentani Old Market in Jayapura Regency on Saturday, April 8, 2023, while distributing leaflets calling for the people to join a protest demanding the release of KPNB activist charged for alleged treason, Viktor Yeimo.
According to KNPB spokesperson Ones Suhuniap, the 13 activists were Wasuok Siep, Kurus Felle, Sadracks Lagowan, Huber Bagau, Melinus Bagau, Yan Itlay, Denny Esema, Gaoulin Balingga, Nodi Taplo, Emis Telenggen, Etap Kalakmabin, Arkelaus Lokon, and Vero Manggi Walilo.
“At 3:08 p.m. Papua time, the activists negotiated with the police but the police arrested and transported them by patrol car to the Jayapura Police Headquarters in Doyo, Jayapura Regency,” Suhuniap told Jubi on Saturday afternoon.
On April 11, 2023, the public prosecutor is scheduled to read out the charges in the treason case against Viktor Yeimo. Yeimo is charged for his alleged involvement in the Papuan anti-racism protest against racial slurs directed at Papuan students at the Kamasan III Surabaya Papuan Student Dormitory on August 16, 2019.
When contacted by Jubi on Saturday night, Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Frederickus Maclarimboen confirmed his party had arrested 13 KNPB activists in Sentani. However, all of the 13 activists were not detained and were allowed to go home after being questioned by the police.
“We only questioned them regarding their actions. They went home in the afternoon,” Maclarimboen told Jubi. (*)
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3) Specialist doctors throughout Papua Province uneven
News Desk - Specialist Doctors
10 April 2023
Jayapura, Jubi – Secretary of the Papua Provincial Health Office Aaron Rumainum said the number of specialists in Papua Province was sufficient but their distribution to nine regencies and cities across Papua was not equal.
Aaron said there were currently 231 specialist doctors working in Papua Province. “In Papua Province, I am sure there is no shortage of specialists. Maybe Central Papua, Mountainous Papua and South Papua provinces are still short of specialists,” Aaron told Jubi on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
He said in Papua Province there were pediatricians (22), pediatric surgeon (1), surgeons (33), obstetricians and gynecologists (28), internists (29), anesthesiologists (18), dermatologists (9), neurologists (10), and urologists (3). In addition, the province also has physiatrists (6), psychiatrists (2), pulmonologists (2), forensic experts (3), clinical nutritionists (2), and cardiologists (3), as well as orthopedists and traumatologists (10), otorhinolaryngologists (8), neurosurgeon (1), thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon (1), clinical pathologists (11), radiologists (11), eye specialists (11), and other specialists (4). While there are 297 general practitioners in Papua Province.
Aaron said that hundreds of specialists and general practitioners were spread across 20 hospitals in Jayapura Regency, Keerom Regency, Sarmi Regency, Mamberamo Raya Regency, Biak Numfor Regency, Supiori Regency, Yapen Islands Regency, Waropen Regency, and Jayapura City.
However, there are two hospitals that do not yet have specialists, namely Hendrik Fintay General Hospital in Sarmi Regency, with only three general practitioners available, and Rodo Fabo General Hospital in Waropen, which only has three general practitioners.
Aaron said each hospital should have at least an internist, pediatrician, surgeon, obstetrician and gynecologist, radiologist, anesthesiologist, and clinical pathologist.
“Regarding specialists in Papua, it is not a matter of lacking the number of specialists but unequal distribution of specialists,” he said.
Aaron said the problem could be solved if the local governments were willing to allocate a budget from Papua’s Special Autonomy Fund to hire specialists, as well as allocating a budget to finance local students to become specialists and general practitioners.
“There must be tools, facilities, and incentives provided by the local governments. Regencies that do not have specialists can use the Special Autonomy Fund. Don’t save it,” he said. (*)
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4) Protecting rights defenders
Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta ● Mon, April 10, 2023
Versi Bahasa Indonesia
It is of great concern that the state of civic space in Indonesia continues to deteriorate under the President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo administration. Indonesia may never aspire to become a liberal democracy, but the growing onslaught on our civil liberties is just inexcusable.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which analyzes the quality of global democracy, has consistently labeled Indonesia a “flawed democracy”. In its 2022 report, the country fell from 52nd to 54th place in the global democracy index, with an overall score of 6.71. Indonesia, scoring 6.14 for its commitment to civil liberties, is now less democratic than the Philippines, which scored 7.35 for the same variable.
Our democracy index may have gone up and down over the last five years, but there is no question that, overall, our democracy is in a terrible state. Political scientists can point to a number of factors to explain why that is the case, but we the people can easily tell our civic space is getting uncomfortably smaller as we experience the chilling effect of a series of legal and even physical intimidations against human rights defenders.
Only recently, two high-profile human rights defenders, Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, were indicted for allegedly defaming senior Cabinet member Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in a YouTube video highlighting the controversial mining activities and the growing military presence in the central highlands of Papua.
They were charged under the 2016 Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) Law, which is currently being amended due to public protests over its draconian provisions. The law has been frequently used by the powers that be to silence online critics, particularly human rights defenders, defined by the United Nations as those “seeking the promotion and protection of civil and political rights as well as the promotion, protection and realization of economic, social and cultural rights”.
It is worth noting that the case against Haris and Fatia may have gained more public attention because they are both renowned activists based in the capital. In the regions, the situation is so much worse for some of the lesser-known human rights defenders.
Amnesty International Indonesia recorded at least 328 cases of physical and digital violence against at least 834 people who can be classified human rights defenders from January 2019 to May 2022. The cases include at least 13 murder attempts and murder threats against 17 human rights defenders, the international rights group said. And in most of these cases, the law enforcers often failed to bring the perpetrators to justice, prolonging the culture of impunity in the country, it added.
In January 2019, the residence of Murdani, the executive director of the West Nusa Tenggara chapter of environmental group Walhi, was set on fire by arsonists. Based on Amnesty’s investigation, a group of people lighted a gasoline-soaked pillow under Murdani’s car that was parked next to his house.
They also allegedly burned two of the house’s doors in their attempt to prevent the family from escaping. Prior to the incident, Murdani had been advocating for the rights of the local farmers protesting the sand mining activities in their village. In 2016, he was texted this threat: “If you want to live, stop meddling in the sand mining business.” In Banyuwangi, East Java, an environmental activist was recently sent to jail after being convicted of the dubious crime of spreading communism.
The activist in question, Budi Pego, was arrested after holding a rally protesting the gold mining activities in Sumberagung village, during which a group of intruders allegedly displayed a banner featuring a hammer and sickle symbol. Such incidents are extremely alarming, especially when we know that the human rights defenders are only trying protect the people’s right to a safe and healthy environment.
A true democracy will never let this slide.
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5) Papuan student rally in Makassar attacked by Islamic thugs, biker gang
CNN Indonesia – April 7, 2023
Makassar – A demonstration by Papuan students commemorating 56 years of PT Freeport Indonesia in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar on April 7 was broken up by the Indonesian Muslim Brigade (BMI) and a biker gang as the protesters were marching towards the Mandala Monument.
Around 30 students from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) initially took turns giving speeches in front of the Papua student dormitory on Jalan Lanto Daeng Pasewang.
They conveyed a number of demands aimed at the central government while they unfurled a banner with the message "Close PT Freeport Indonesia and all foreign companies in the land of Papua. Withdraw the military from the land of Papua. Papua is not an empty land. Stop land theft".
"Give [us] the right to self-determination as a democratic solution for the nation of West Papua", said action coordinator Miku on Friday.
The students also demanded that the revised Special Autonomy Law been revoked immediately and the cancellation of the recently created provinces of Southwest Papua, Central Papua, the Papua Highlands and South Papua.
"Then open up the widest possible access to both foreign as well as national journalists in West Papua. Withdraw all organic and non-organic military in West Papua", they demanded.
They also asked the Indonesian government to immediately and unconditionally release all West Papuan political prisoners.
"Close PT Freeport, BP, LNG Tangguh as well as reject the development of the Wabu Block and exploitation by PT Antam in the Bintang Highlands. Then arrest, try and imprison the human rights violating generals", said Miku.
After giving speeches, the demonstrators then moved off from the dormitory towards the Mandala or West Iran Liberation Monument on Jalan Jendral Sudirman under the close guard of police.
Half way through the march to the monument however, members of the BMI and a gang of bikers suddenly attacked the students using sticks.
Finding themselves under pressure by the BMI and biker gang, the Papuan students chose to disband and return to their dormitory. (mir/arh)
[Translated by James Balowski. The BMI was not identified in the original CNN article but cited in a reprint of the CNN report by Jejakfakta. The original title of the article was "Demo Mahasiswa Papua soal Freeport dan Militer Dibubarkan Paksa Ormas".]
Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20230407134533-20-934840/demo-mahasiswa-papua-soal-freeport-dan-militer-dibubarkan-paksa-ormas
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