1) President Wenda: Indonesia increases repression as West Papua prepares for MSG full membership
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1) President Wenda: Indonesia increases repression as West Papua prepares for MSG full membership
As people across West Papua mobilise in favour of the ULMWP gaining full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), Indonesia is ramping up its repression of peaceful activists.
Ten KNPB activists were arrested yesterday while handing out leaflets advertising a peaceful rally supporting West Papua gaining full membership of the MSG. The following day, ULMWP rallies in Jayapura and Sentani in favour of full membership were forcefully disbanded and 21 people arrested.
These rallies were not for independence: the activists were not chanting ‘Merdeka’, they were simply demanding that our birthright as a Melanesian nation be fulfilled. West Papua is entitled to full membership of the MSG by our ethnic, cultural, and linguistic ties to the rest of Melanesia. With our black skin, our indigenous languages, our tribal values and traditions, we are undeniably Melanesian.
If Melanesian leaders needed further proof of the necessity of ULMWP full membership, then Indonesia has provided it. Only as full members will we be able to expose grave abuses such as these arrests on the international stage, and to defend our identity as a Melanesian people.
Indonesia claims that they are entitled to membership of the MSG because they represent other Melanesian populations. If that is the case, then why are these populations staying quiet? Indonesia cannot claim to represent West Papuans in the MSG, because we already have representation through the ULMWP.
On behalf of the ULMWP and the West Papuan people, I demand that no further arrests are made of Papuans rallying peacefully for full membership. Indonesia has nothing to fear from us returning to our Melanesian family. At the same time, they must understand that West Papuans are speaking with one voice in demanding full membership. All groups, ages, genders and tribes are totally united and focused on achieving our mission. We will not be deterred.
Benny Wenda
President
ULMWP
Indonesian security forces violently cracked down on a peaceful West Papuan National Congress (KNPB) demonstration on July 12, called to show support for West Papua's application to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
A number of demonstrators were arrested and others beaten including a 15 year old who was hit in the head with a rifle butt. The number arrested is not clear, according to the Australia West Papua Association (AWPA).
Items such as KNPB banners and flags were also confiscated.
Those arrested have been taken to the Jayapura police station. The KNPB called on “all parties” via social media “to monitor and advocate in the course of the interrogation process that is being carried out by the Republic of Indonesia Police”.
The AWPA earlier condemned the arrests of KNPB activists as they were handing out leaflets promoting the demonstration.
AWPA spokesperson Joe Collins told Green Left he hoped the demonstration would be allowed to go ahead peacefully and there would not be a repeat of the brutal crackdowns that occurred at other peaceful rallies in the past.
AWPA is calling on the Australian government not to turn a blind eye to the crackdown.
“It's time for Canberra to stop pretending there is not a problem in West Papua and start raising concerns about the human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian security forces with Jakarta,” Collins said.
Jakarta – The Papuan regional police say they never said that the armed criminal group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya had asked for a 5 billion rupiah ransom for the release of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens.
Papua regional police public relations head Senior Commissioner Ignatius Benny Ady explained that they had only said that if the KKB wants to negotiate the government can only offer food, clothing and medicines.
According to Ady, if there was a request for money from the KKB, it would be limited to 5 billion rupiah.
"The police only said that for negotiations it could only offer food, clothing and medicines. If there is a request for an amount of money, it would be limited to Rp5 M", said Ady when contacted on Monday July 10.
"The police never said that EK (Egianus Kogoya) had asked for Rp5 billion" he added.
Earlier, news circulated that Kogoya had asked for 5 billion rupiah as a ransom for the pilot. Later, in a video that circulated, Kogoya denied this.
"So in all of the media on TV as well as media where there has been [reports] on the issue that the Kodap III [Defense Command Area III] asked for 5 billion rupiah, it's nonsense. From where did I ask for 5 billion rupiah", said Kogoya in a video statement received by CNN Indonesia on Saturday July 8.
"I took the pilot not to ask for money. I only ask for independence. Only for that one thing did I take him", he added.
Mehrtens was taken hostage by the KKB group led by Kogoya on February 7 after landing his aircraft at the Paro airstrip in Nduga regency, Papua highlands.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has said that the government is continuing to make efforts to free the New Zealand pilot.
"Don't think that we're doing nothing, yeah. We have made very serious efforts, but we can't reveal what we have done", said Widodo in Jayapura as broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on Friday July 7. (yoa/fra)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Polisi Klaim Tak Pernah Sebut KKB Minta Tebusan Rp5 Miliar".]
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