This week, Indonesians commemorate their independence from Dutch colonialism, on August 17, 1945. West Papuans also commemorate their six-decade-long struggle for independence this week on August 15. This date marks 61 years since the Papuan people were betrayed by the international community on August 15, 1962, under the terms of the New York Agreement, a deal between the Netherlands and Indonesia, brokered by the United States, over West Papua’s sovereignty.
The ensuing decades have been bookmarked by a bloody struggle for independence, with Indonesian police and military deploying mass violence and killings to quell dissent.
In the latest chapter of this struggle, 27 West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) activists, handing out leaflets for an independence rally in West Papua, were arrested by Indonesian occupying forces, on August 12. These arrests are typical of the suppression and intimidation of civil society groups working for recognition of West Papua.
Three days later, West Papuan activists took to the streets on August 15, calling on the United Nations to review the New York Agreement. Indonesian security forces responded to the peaceful rallies with violence, attacking demonstrators and using water cannon. Many protesters received head injuries from the attacks.
Joe Collins from the Australian West Papua Association told Green Left: “West Papuan civil society groups regularly hold events and rallies on days of significance in their history to try and bring attention to the world of the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. And this is what Jakarta fears most, international scrutiny on the ongoing human rights abuses in the territory.”
International scrutiny was given a boost this month with the release of the 45-minute documentary Paradise Bombed, which details Indonesia’s military occupation of West Papua and its 2021 bombing of Kiwirok and surrounding remote mountain villages.
The documentary, released by the internet incubated and oft outspoken "FriendlyJordies" (aka Jordan Shanks), has had more than 900,000 views at time of writing. It was released with a report by Matthew Jamieson of the PNG Trust investigating the Kiwirok bombings.
Langker released an additional short documentary, HostageLand, filmed in West Papua with Sebi Samba, the spokesperson for the Free Papua Movement (OPM). It details the history of hostage taking in the region and the very limited resources the independence movement has access to.
Paradise Bombed’s release makes FriendlyJordies one of only a few in Australia’s non-traditional media landscape working to shed light on Indonesia’s brutal occupation. The Juice Media is another, with its Honest Government Ad — Visit West Papua, released in 2018, receiving nearly 3.5 million views.
United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) president Benny Wenda praised the researchers and documentary makers, saying: “We are murdered, tortured, and raped, and then our land is stolen for resource extraction and corporate profit when we flee … My heart was crying as I watched this documentary, as I was reminded of the Indonesian attack on my village in 1977 … The international community knows this is a grave humanitarian crisis, and yet still refuses to act. Why?”
Wenda called on diplomatic groups, parliamentarians, legal supporters and solidarity activists to “ask your governments to address this, to stop selling arms to Indonesia”.
Paradise Bombed reveals that bombs and rockets were fired from helicopters and drones during the attack on Kiwirok. Langker is clearly terrified at his West Papuan hosts’ handling (and his own) of unexploded rockets recovered after the attacks.
An estimated 2000 people were forced to flee the bombings into the mountainous forests, where they have remained in makeshift bush camps ever since. Villagers are rightly worried about returning home; the documentary reveals that those who try to have been shot and killed. Wenda alleges these villagers were “shot at close range, with sniper rifles, and tortured”, adding that “[t]he names of Kiwirok residents are now added to the 60,000‒100,000 who have been forcibly displaced by Indonesian militarisation since 2018”.
The accompanying Report on the continuing aggravated attack and serious human rights violations of Ngalum Kupel people, prepared by the PNG Trust, details evidence from eye witnesses, who described “a drone dropping bombs together with four or five helicopters firing rockets at houses, food gardens, pigs and chickens”.
The report tells how survivors collected shrapnel and bombs from the initial series of attacks, keeping them as evidence. They indicate that “Thales FZ 68 rockets and modified Krusik mortars were used as the munitions in the military aerial attacks”.
Furthermore, it says “witness accounts detail the Indonesian military forces using a drone/UAV armed with modified Krusik mortars, Thales rocket FZ 68 weapon systems and military attack helicopters against an Indigenous community”.
Thales has been under scrutiny for its supply of weapons to Indonesia's military.
In Paradise Bombed, Langker interviews Stephen Loosley, Deputy Chair of the Board of Thales Australia. Loosely previously served as a federal Labor senator during the Hawke and Keating governments and chaired the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. He is also a Senior Fellow and past Chair of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Langker presents Loosely with identified Thales shrapnel from the bombed villages and pictures of the destruction. Typically, Loosley shirks responsibility.
Nine hundred thousand views represents significant attention to the atrocities perpetrated by Indonesia in its brutal occupation of West Papua. The question becomes how best to translate this into meaningful action.
At least 20 people were wounded when police used batons, water cannon and tear gas to disperse hundreds of people who joined rallies in Indonesia’s West Papua region on the 61st anniversary of an agreement that made the territory part of Indonesia, news agencies report.
The US-brokered 1962 New York Agreement allowed Indonesia to annex the Christian-majority region after the end of Dutch colonial rule, according to a report in the UCA News.
Riot police attacked peaceful demonstrators in three locations near the provincial capital Jayapura yesterday, alleged Emmanuel Gobay, a Catholic and an official of the Papua Legal Aid Institute.
- READ MORE: West Papuan solidarity group condemns arrest of 21 activists protesting 1962 ‘tragedy’
- Other West Papua reports
The demonstrators called on the international community to review the agreement and take action to end ongoing violence and repression in the region, said the report.
“In fact, they only held peaceful demonstrations,” said Gobay, who joined one of the rallies.
He stated that more than 20 people were beaten, with one of them later being treated in hospital.
“One person was seriously injured and was immediately transported to the hospital for treatment,” he said.
Listening to speeches
Videos and photos obtained by UCA News showed police attacked with water canons and fired tear gas while people were listening to speeches from leaders of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), the protest organiser.
Gobay said that although the authorities viewed the KNPB as a “separatist — pro-independence — group “they should have the right to express their opinion” as guaranteed in the nation’s constitution.
“Moreover, they submitted an official letter notifying police about the programme beforehand,” he added.
He condemned the use of water cannon and tear gas on demonstrators.
These should only be for anarchic demonstrations — “not peaceful demonstrations,” he said.
Gobay alleged that police committed criminal offences by torturing and beating protesters, and called on the Papuan police chief to immediately prosecute the perpetrators so that there was a deterrent effect, said the UCA News report.
Father Bernard Baru from the Jayapura Diocese’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission said that this repressive action was a repetition of the discriminatory treatment of Papuans by the state.
Brutal police action ‘normal’
“In Papua, police actions like this are considered normal. This only deepens discrimination against Papuans,” he said.
Police officials were not available for comment.
KNPB spokesman Ones Sahuniap issued a statement to condemn the police brutality and claimed those who were beaten suffered serious head injuries and bled profusely.
Suhuniap said the police used rattan and batons to beat and break up the demonstration.
The KNPB simultaneously held demonstrations in Papua and in other parts of Indonesia, asking the United Nations to review the 1962 New York Agreement.
During the rallies, KNPB leaders called the New York Agreement “a violation of human rights of Papuans” sponsored by Indonesia, the Netherlands and the United States and the United Nations.
Not party to agreement
As per the agreement, later added to the agenda of UN General Assembly, the Netherlands agreed to transfer the control of West Papua New Guinea to Indonesia, pending an UN-administered referendum.
The Papuans were not party to the agreement and it paved the way for the 1969 Act of Free Choice, an independence referendum favoring Indonesian rule in Papua whuch was largely regarded as a sham.
Indonesia’s annexation of Papua and use to force to crush dissent sparked an armed pto-indeoendence movement.
Thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels have been killed and tens of thousands have been displaced due to the conflict in the easternmost region in the past decades.
"The settlement of the KKB issue must be carried out in a comprehensive manner, (and) apart from through firm and measurable actions by the security forces (military and police), (it must) also (be carried out) by prioritizing a cultural and welfare approach," he affirmed.
Soesatyo made the statement while delivering his speech at the MPR Annual Session and Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) at the Parliamentary Complex here on Wednesday.
According to the MPR speaker, Indonesia is currently still confronted by the issue of KKB's resistance in Papua. To this end, the settlement of separatism and the issue of KKB must be carried out comprehensively.
He also urged the government to take firm action against those who misuse the special autonomy funds of Papua.
"What is no less important is that firm action must be taken against the misappropriation of special autonomy funds that are not on target and harm the interests of the Papuan people," he emphasized.
Furthermore, he noted that Indonesia is currently facing non-traditional security threats, such as terrorism, climate change, and cyber war, that have become the main focus in geopolitical dynamics.
While delivering his speech, he also highlighted that the world's geopolitical dynamics have experienced significant changes in the last two decades.
Soesatyo noted that at the level of global competition, there has been a shift in the balance of power in the geopolitical arena and an expansion of the economic and military influence of several countries.
"On the other hand, geopolitical alliances and partnerships have also experienced changes," he stated.
Soesatyo further remarked that at the level of regional competition, in various geopolitical areas, there has been increasing competition between countries to influence and secure their own interests, which reflects complex political and economic competition.
Moreover, the development of communication technology and digital transformation has enabled more intensive interactions between countries, be it in politics, economic, and social fields. Technology also provides a new background for conflicts and competitions.
Furthermore, he noted that in the last 20 years, there had been significant improvement in the sophistication of security and military technology as well as advancements in the development of cyber warfare that provide tactical superiority in war.
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