AWPA Update No 6/ 23 August 2023
No improvement in the human rights situation in West Papua.
Two new human rights reports released in the past month. Arrests of peaceful
activists simply because they were handing out flyers calling on West Papuans to remember and protest that tragic day in their history, the 15 August in 1962 when the Papuan people were betrayed by the international community. The security forces crackdown on the peaceful rallies. West Papuans arrested and charged with treason because they raised the Morning Star flag. MSG meeting in Port Vila.
New Reports
Video and reports on attacks on villages around Kiwirok and aftermath
The report and video which were prepared Prepared by Matthew Jamieson
in conjunction with PNG Trust, on attacks on villages around Kiwirok from 10 October 2021 and the aftermath.
link for video https://youtu.be/nSf3268tAbg
and link for report https://www.friendlyjordies.com/post/report-on-the-continuing-aggravated-attack-serious-human-rights-violations-of-ngalum-kupel-people
-----
FriendlyJordies’ brings new attention to West Papuan occupation ahead of independence day arrests
Green Left . Leo Earle West Papua August 16, 2023 Issue 1388 World
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…………………………
HRM Report “Destroy them first… discuss human rights later” exposes Indonesian military attacks on indigenous villages in West Papua
17 August 2023
The 49-page research report “Destroy them first… discuss human rights later: An investigation of Indonesian Security Forces’ operations in Papua’s Kiwirok under international law” provides a meticulous and scientific analysis of the Indonesian forces’ attacks on indigenous villages in Kiwirok District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, Indonesia between 13 September and late October 2021. It provides evidence of the attacks and highlights the urgent need for international attention and action in West Papua. …………………
https://humanrightsmonitor.org/reports/kiwirok-report-2023/
Catholics seek probe into atrocities in Indonesia’s Papua
UCA News reporter By UCA News reporter Published: August 18, 2023
Rights group's report reveals military violence displaced and forced thousands of tribal villagers into dire situationsCatholic activists have called on Indonesian government to probe and ensure justice after a rights group released a report detailing military atrocities that displaced thousands of villagers and led to deaths due to hunger and diseases in Christian-majority Papua region. The 50-page report entitled "Destroy Them First, Discuss Human Rights Later" by Germany-based Human Rights Monitor (HRM), was released on Aug. 17, the 78th anniversary of Indonesian independence.
"The report provides a meticulous and scientific analysis of the Indonesian forces' attacks on indigenous villages, highlighting the urgent need for international attention and action,” the group said in a press release…………………….
Indonesia’s anti-rebel raids in Papua could be crimes against humanity: rights group. Pizaro Gozali Idrus 2023.08.17 Jakarta
Indonesian security forces may have committed crimes against humanity during counter-insurgency operations in the restive Papua region in 2021, a Germany-based human rights group said in a report released Thursday.
Security forces used helicopters, spy drones, mortar grenades and heavy machine guns to attack eight indigenous villages, forcing more than 2,000 people to flee their homes in Kiwirok district during a series of raids between September and October 2021, Human Rights Monitor (HRM) said in the report.
The findings have been challenged by an Indonesian military spokesman, who accused separatist rebels of burning buildings and torturing civilians. A presidential advisor also cast doubts on the accuracy of the report. The report argued that the security operations in Kiwirok amounted to crimes against humanity under international law, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It cited evidence of extermination and deportation or forcible transfer of population, two of the eleven acts that constitute crimes against humanity. The HRM report said that although no direct civilian deaths were caused by the attacks, at least 72 people displaced by the violence had died because of hypothermia, malnutrition, and disease as a result of living in “subhuman” conditions…………………….
Also Pacific Journalism Review
Vol. 29 No. 1 & 2 (2023): Governance, disinformation and training
Published: 31-07-2023
https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/pacific-journalism-review/issue/view/48
From Journal
Government loudspeakers
How Indonesian media amplifies the state’s narrative towards the Free West Papua movement
https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/pacific-journalism-review/article/view/1279/1645
Papua Monitor Quarterly Report Q2: The implications of security raids, activist trials, and enforced disappearances
Reports / / 14 August 2023
HRM’s Papua Monitor Report for the second quarter of 2023 covers the events that happened from 1 April to 30 June 2023 regarding the conflict situation and human rights in West Papua. Below is a summary of the events……….
Activists arrested
West Papuan National Committee ( KNPB) activists were arrested simply because they were handing out flyers calling on West Papuans to remember and protest that tragic day in their history, the 15 August in 1962 when the Papuan people were betrayed by the international community. The New York agreement , brokered by the US, basically called for the transfer of the Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea to Indonesia after a short period of UN administration. No West Papuans were involved in this agreement.
West Papuan solidarity group condemns arrest of 21 activists protesting 1962 ‘tragedy’
By APR editor - August 13, 2023
Photo from KNPB News FB page
An Australian West Papuan solidarity group has condemned the reported arrest of 21 activists protesting in Jayapura over a “tragic day in history” and called on Canberra to urge Jakarta to restrain its security forces. The West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) activists were arrested at the weekend because they were handing out flyers calling on West Papuans to mark the date on Tuesday — 15 August 1962 — when the Papuan people were “betrayed by the international community”, reports Jubi News. That was the date of the New York Agreement, brokered by the US, which called for the transfer of the Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea to Indonesia after a short period of UN administration………………
20 people wounded in Indonesian police crackdown on Papua protest
By APR editor - August 16, 2023
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…………….
New Zealand PM calls for the release of pilot kidnapped by separatists in Indonesia's Papua region
ABC News 9 August 2023
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called for the release of a Kiwi pilot kidnapped six months ago by separatists in Indonesia's Papua region.
---
Key points:
Rebels kidnapped Phillip Mehrtens, who was working for an Indonesian airline at the time, at Nduga airport in February
His captors are part of the insurgent group West Papua National Liberation Army
They previously demanded Indonesia recognise Papuan independence in return for his release
---
New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens was working for Indonesian airline Susi Air when he was snatched by rebels at Nduga airport in February. "Phillip is a much-loved father, husband, brother and son," Mr Hipkins told reporters in Auckland. "I want to urge, once again, those who are holding Phillip to release him immediately. "There is absolutely no justification for taking hostages. "The longer Phillip is held, the more risk there is to his well-being and the harder this becomes for him and for his family." Mr Hipkins said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs was leading New Zealand's response by working with the Indonesian authorities.
The prime minister also said he had spoken with Mr Mehrtens's family this week "to assure them that the government is doing all it can to bring Phillip home". "I acknowledge this is an incredibly challenging time for them," he said. "Phillip's safety and well-being remains our top priority." The rebels who kidnapped Mehrtens are from insurgent group the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). They had previously demanded that Indonesia recognise Papuan independence in return for the New Zealander's release. According to the Indonesian army, armed separatists ambushed soldiers searching for Mr Mehrtens in April, killing at least one. Papua is a former Dutch colony that declared itself independent in 1961, but neighbouring Indonesia took control two years later, promising an independence referendum. A subsequent vote in favour of staying part of Indonesia was widely considered a sham. AFP
Could the Papua Hostage Situation Have Been Prevented?
As the hostage-taking of New Zealand pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens enters its fifth consecutive month, his whereabouts in eastern Indonesia remain unknown.
By Aprila Wayar August 21, 2023
As Indonesian forces continue their manhunt for a New Zealand pilot taken hostage by Papuan resistance fighters in February, the chances of his peaceful release are growing slimmer – and the governments involved are slowly waking up to the reality that the warning signs were there, but were ignored. The 37-year-old pilot, Philip Mark Mehrtens, a New Zealand citizen, was flying on behalf of a low-budget Indonesian airline, seeking to gain extra flight hours so that he could eventually graduate to a more prominent airline. But his life was plunged into danger on February 7, when he flew into the remote Paro airfield in Nduga regency of Papua province, and upon arrival was kidnapped by fighters of the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) under the leadership of 24-year-old Egianus Kogoya. The armed group, estimated to be approximately 500-strong, threatened to execute Mehrtens within two months if New Zealand’s government did not facilitate negotiations for an independent Papua with the Indonesian authorities. Indonesian security officials have responded to the hostage-taking with huge military deployments that have so far proved ineffective in the rugged terrain of the Papuan highlands region where Mehrtens is believed to be held.The head of the Papua Regional Police Inspectorate, Gen. Mathius Fakhiri, said the process of freeing Mehrtens required a careful approach to avoid casualties.......................
Three USTJ students charged with treason, receive 18-month prison sentence
Jubi 20 July 2023
Jayapura, Jubi – On Tuesday, July 18, 2023, three students who participated in a protest at the University of Science and Technology Jayapura (USTJ) on November 10, 2022, were charged with treason and sentenced to 18 months in prison by the public prosecutor.
The accused students are Yoseph Ernesto Matuan, Devio Tekege, and Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere. During the protest, they raised the Morning Star flags and voiced opposition to the Papua peace dialogue plan initiated by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). Following the protest, the police dispersed the gathering and arrested several participants, leading to treason charges against the three students. The case was brought before the Jayapura District Court.
During the trial, the public prosecutor presented evidence that Yoseph Ernesto Matuan, Devio Tekege, and Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere were proven to have committed treason. The prosecutor asserted that their actions fulfilled all the elements of Article 106 of the Criminal Code, in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code. The prosecutor emphasized that the defendants had no justifications for their actions, and they should be held accountable for their unlawful conduct. Furthermore, the prosecutor pointed out that the defendants were considered recidivists in the same case, as they sought to secede from the Republic of Indonesia, causing disturbance in the community. The prosecution requested the panel of judges to declare the defendants guilty of the crime of treason. The indictment proposed a sentence of one year and six months in prison, with a reduction for time already spent in detention. (*)
Rally calling for West Papua to be a member of MSG
Posted on FB In jayapura city this afternoon (at 11.01), the masses peacefully moved towards the gathering point but the Indonesian Police continued to blockade and prohibited peaceful demonstrations from being carried out, Tuesday (22/08/2023).
Senior MSG official calls for sub-region to remain neutral in global power battle7:
RNZ Pacific 22 August. Kelvin Anthony, in Port Vila
Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat's director general Leonard Louma says the Pacific region continues to be the centre of geopolitical interests by global superpowers.
The 22nd MSG Leaders' Summit is taking place in Port Vila this week - the first full in-person meeting since the covid pandemic.
The prime ministers of Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and the president of the FLNKS of New Caledonia are confirmed to attend the leaders' session on Wednesday.
Louma said the battle for influence "impels the region to take sides, but it does not protect Melanesia and the region".
"There are some who would like us to believe that taking sides in that geopolitical posturing is in our best interest. May I hasten to add, I tend to defer, it is not in our best interest to take sides," Louma said…………….
Wenda accuses Jakarta of crackdown in response to Papuan MSG rallies
By APR editor - July 31, 2023
Indonesia has stepped up its campaign of repression against West Papuans peacefully rallying for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), says a Papuan advocacy leader. Benny Wenda, interim president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), said a “massive military and police presence” greeted Papuans who had taken to the streets across West Papua calling for full membership.
In Sorong, seven people were arrested — not while raising the banned Morning Star flags of independence and shouting Merdeka (“freedom”), but for holding homemade placards supporting full membership, according to Wenda……………………
Papuan Students escorted off campus area for holding Morning Star poster at Mataram University 3 August 2023
Jayapura, Jubi – Three Papuan students from Mataram University were banned from taking photos and escorted off the campus area after they were spotted holding the Morning Star posters at the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Law in Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara Province. Initially, two Papuan students, Naldo (from the Faculty of Economics) and Tombol (from the Faculty of Forestry), attended the graduation ceremony to congratulate another Papuan student, Yordan Nyamuk Karunggu. During that time, Nyamuk Karunggu and Naldo were photographed by a campus security guard without their consent. When questioned, the security guard threatened them instead. Feeling uncomfortable and frustrated with the unjust treatment of Papuan students, Nyamuk Karunggu protested by tearing off his university jacket.Nyamuk Karunggu, along with Naldo and Tombol, later tried to take pictures with a Morning Star poster. However, they were promptly stopped by another security guard who considered the poster unacceptable. Subsequently, they were escorted off campus. Nyamuk Karunggu explained that he used the Morning Star poster as a symbol of resistance against racism and repression faced by Papuan students at Mataram University. He also revealed that the institution had previously disbanded a discussion among Papuan students on campus, furthering their sense of marginalization and oppression. Jubi has tried to seek a response from the Vice Chancellor III of Mataram University, Sujita, but to no avail. The incident sheds light on the ongoing challenges faced by Papuan students in expressing their identity and concerns on campus. (*)
Plight of Maybrat displaced people persists: Urgent attention needed for health, education, and housing
Jubi 7 August 2023
Jayapura, Jubi – In the two years following the attack by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on the Military Post in Maybrat Regency’s Kisor, that resulted in the reported deaths of four Indonesian Military (TNI) members, a significant number of individuals who had evacuated from five districts within Maybrat ever since the incident continued to opt for staying in multiple refugee camps, situated both in Maybrat and the Sorong area. The Maybrat Displaced People Care Civil Society Coalition, which has been conducting advocacy and assistance, in an online press conference on Thursday, August 3, 2023, revealed that until now the Maybrat displaced people still need serious attention and handling.
Heri Lobya of the Franciscan Papuan Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Secretariat (SKPKC) said that according to the data released by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on July 28, 2023, as many as 5,296 displaced people are still staying in camps, whereas 138 people died after the attack on the Kisor Military Post.
He explained that Maybrat displaced people need help, attention, and assistance from various parties because they live spread out in various areas such as in the forest, neighboring villages such as in the North Aifat area, as well as in Sorong District, South Sorong Regency, and Bintuni. “They live in suffering and they face various difficulties from several aspects of life such as education, health, housing, and economy,” said Lobya. “In terms of getting assistance from the government and schools, due to the problem of basic education data, children from villages who go to school in the city have difficulty getting assistance because the data is not synchronized,” he added.
From the health aspect, until now the displaced people often experience illness such as fever, ulcers, diarrhea, high blood pressure, sprained hands, eye pain, cholesterol, wet lungs, cough, respiratory tract problem, stroke, stomachache, sore knees, and mental health problems in pregnant women. Recently, it has been difficult for them to get access to medical services due to lack of money for treatment. There are even pregnant women who have to struggle alone to give birth to their children in refugee camps without medical assistance. The Maybrat displaced people are experiencing housing difficulties because they still have to live with several families in one house. Even in one family there can be seven to nine people. Human rights advocate Yohanis Mambrasar said that in September it would be two years since the Kisor incident. “The Maybrat Regency, Provincial and Central governments have indeed done various things and provided aid. But there are also some things that have not been addressed thoroughly that then become a problem for the displaced people themselves, so they still need serious attention,” he said. (*)
Surge in HIV/AIDS cases: 60 new infections recorded in Merauke first half of 2023
Jubi 28 July 2023
Merauke, Jubi – From January to June 2023, Merauke Regency in South Papua Province identified 60 new cases of HIV/AIDS. Inge Silvia, the head of the Reproductive Health Center at Merauke Regional General Hospital, during a press conference on July 27, 2023, said cases were discovered through voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) initiatives. The VCT tests were taken by over a thousand individuals, which included 665 sex workers, as well as civil servants and the general public. Among the sex workers, a total of five individuals tested positive for HIV/AIDS.
The 60 positive cases consisted of individuals from various backgrounds, including four civil servants, 11 private sector employees, 17 housewives, three laborers, two fishermen, three farmers, three students, four college students, eight unemployed individuals, and five sex workers. The positive cases spanned different age groups, with three children aged 1-4 years, eight teenagers aged 15-19 years, 17 people aged 20-24 years, 24 people aged 25-39 years, six people aged 40-49 years, and two people aged 50-59 years. Silvia emphasized the importance of VCT and encouraged more people to participate in the testing to enable better prevention efforts. Moreover, the sex workers who tested positive were prohibited from working in high-risk establishments such as localizations, bars, discotheques, and massage parlors, in an effort to reduce transmission risks.
Drought leaves six dead in Indonesia’s Papua
Thousands starving as extreme weather blamed on the impacts of El Nino has destroyed crops triggering a food crisis
Extreme drought that destroyed crops triggered a food crisis in Indonesia’s Christian-majority conflict-ridden Papua region, leaving at least six people dead and thousands starving, an official said. The crisis prompted President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin to order emergency food aid to residents at Puncak Regency in Central Papua Province, one of the worst-hit areas, despite the ongoing conflict between security forces and armed insurgents.Amin said on Aug. 2 that the government had set a two-week emergency response period to help the residents……………………….
https://www.ucanews.com/news/drought-leaves-six-dead-in-indonesias-papua/102160
Opinion pieces/reports/media releases etc.
Indonesian media favours govt voice on West Papua, new research finds
Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific Lead Digital and Social Media Journalist
News media in Indonesia act as "government loudspeakers" by advancing a one-sided narrative regarding the conflict in West Papua, a new study reveals.
Stranded in a West Papuan jail
The Saturday Paper AUGUST 5 – 11, 2023 | No. 461
The imprisonment of a Polish national in a remote jail in West Papua has been met with virtual silence from his country, the media and the Australian government.
By John Martinkus.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/law-crime/2023/08/05/stranded-west-papuan-jail
Yamin Kogoya: ‘Rebuilding our Melanesia for our future’ – culture and West Papua
Why the Future of West Papua is Crucial for Us All
by Samira Homerang Saunders
Since the colonial era, West Papuans have been engaged in a long struggle for their independence and freedom from outside rule, first as a Dutch colony, and then, in a rather complex and underhanded turn of events, as an indigenous land occupied by Indonesia.
International Conflict in West Papua
Freedom Fighters Hold a New Zealand Pilot Captive
By Craig Harris Mon Aug 07, 2023
How do you get world attention for a cause to help save your culture? The freedom fighters of West Papua are asking that very question.
https://www.independent.com/2023/08/07/international-conflict-in-west-papua/
Kiwirok: When the Sky Rained Metallic Death
AUGUST 8, 2023 BY JULIE WARK
https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/08/08/kiwirok-when-the-sky-rained-metallic-death/
AWPA Statement - 27 West Papuan activists arrested.
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2023/08/awpa-statement-up-to-27-west-papuan.html
Support Indigenous Auyu in Papuan Forest Defense
06 AUG 2023 Greenpeace
https://www.miragenews.com/support-indigenous-auyu-in-papuan-forest-defense-1060667/
Why are world leaders racing to the Pacific Islands?
It’s not just the US and China. India, Indonesia, South Korea and others are scrambling for influence in a strategically vital region.
By Published On 10 Aug 2023
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/8/10/why-are-world-leaders-racing-to-the-pacific-islands
Making a fortune from Freeport mine tailings waste (1/3)
https://en.jubi.id/making-a-fortune-from-freeport-mine-tailings-waste-1-3/
Gold Panners flock to Timika Gold Shop, their source of fortune (2/3)
https://en.jubi.id/gold-panners-flock-to-timika-gold-shop-their-source-of-fortune-2-3/
The problematic side of Freeport’s tailings (3/3)
https://en.jubi.id/the-problematic-side-of-freeports-tailings-3-3/
Report PAPUA 2023 July (in Bahasa)
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2023/08/report-papua-2023-july-in-bahasa.html
-------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.