1) Govt continuing to strive to gain Papuan people's trust: Amin

2) Papua Police Name 7 Suspects in Murder of Activist Michele Kurisi Doga

3) KNPB denies police accusation of involvement in killing of Michele Kurisi

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/295776/govt-continuing-to-strive-to-gain-papuan-peoples-trust-amin

1) Govt continuing to strive to gain Papuan people's trust: Amin 

 4 hours ago

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has affirmed that the government has been continuously making all-out efforts to enhance the trust of the people of Papua in its policies.

"We are trying to sweep away distrust by continuously conducting dialogues with religious figures and human rights activists in Papua," the Vice President said after attending a meeting with Papuan religious figures and human rights activists at the Papua Governor's Office in Jayapura city on Tuesday.

He further said that the central government has been persistently involving parties from various sectors in the hopes of making the government's policies and intentions clear to the Papuan people.

"This is what we are persistently doing, so we can give what is desired by communities in Papua, excluding the wish to secede from the Republic of Indonesia," he added.

The Vice President affirmed that the government will always be willing to talk with different parties in Papua to find solutions to problems, except those related to the request for secession.

One of the religious figures who attended the meeting, Herman Saud, opined that the human rights issues in Papua have been caused by some Papuan people's distrust of the central government.

"The distrust has led to suspicions, which ultimately triggered numerous problems. In fact, we are all citizens of Indonesia," he said.

He then expressed the hope that the meeting initiated by VP Amin would help Papua resolve the problems that have been plaguing the region.

Hopefully, the government will build a court of human rights in Papua, so all problems related to the violation of human rights in Papua can be tried within the region itself, and not other regions, he added.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs John Wempi Wetipo, and acting governor of Papua Ridwan Rumasukun accompanied VP Amin during the meeting.

Amin will continue his agenda in Papua on Wednesday (October 11) by meeting with representatives of the Alliance of Churches (PGG) of Papua, PGG of West Papua, and the Papua Christian Center.

Furthermore, he will visit the Papua Youth Creative Hub (PYCH) of Jayapura to symbolically hand over the Complete Systematic Land Registration (PTSL) Certificate.

As head of the coordination team for the Grand Design of National Sports (DBON), he will also hold a dialogue with Papuan sports figures at the Papua Bangkit Stadium in Jayapura District.

Related news: Entrepreneurs are government’s partners in developing economy: VP
Related news: Vice President Amin discusses peace-building efforts in Papua
Related news: STC 2023 expected to attract investors to Papua: Official

Reporter: Ardiles L, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Sri Haryati

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https://en.tempo.co/read/1782067/papua-police-name-7-suspects-in-murder-of-activist-michele-kurisi-doga

2) Papua Police Name 7 Suspects in Murder of Activist Michele Kurisi Doga

Translator Dewi Elvia Muthiariny 

Editor Petir Garda Bhwana 

10 October 2023 12:22 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - The Papua Regional Police are investigating the murder case of female activist, Michele Kurisi Doga, who was killed in Koloak Atas District, Lanny Jaya Regency, Papua Pegunungan. Michele Kurisi Doga is a fighter for Papuan women's rights and has been active in fighting for Papuan issues through social media platforms, particularly YouTube live events.

The tragedy struck on August 28, 2023. Michele was attacked by an unknown group with knives and wood, which was recorded and went viral on social media. 

Head of Public Relations of the Papua Regional Police Sr. Comr. Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo revealed that based on the initial investigation, the case was suspected to be a premeditated murder committed by seven alleged perpetrators: PM, AW, RK, KW (on the police’s wanted list or DPO), JW (DPO), DW (DPO), and K (DPO).

“They are all suspected of being members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) who are actively spreading negative propaganda about the Papua issue on social media,” Benny said in a press statement on Monday, October 9, 2023. 

Benny strongly condemned the killing of the activist. “It is a sadistic and cruel murder,” he said.

The Law Enforcement Task Force of the Cartenz Peace Operation arrested three suspected perpetrators on October 5, 2023, namely PM in Jayawijaya, AW in Jayapura, and RK alias RM in Tolikara. The three were handed over to the Papua Police.

The Papua Regional Police also detained other suspected perpetrators for further investigation. The authorities pledged to investigate the case to uncover all those involved in this horrific murder.

YUNI ROHMAWATI

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https://www.indoleft.org/news/2023-10-09/knpb-denies-police-accusation-of-involvement-in-killing-of-michele-kurisi.html

3) KNPB denies police accusation of involvement in killing of Michele Kurisi

Suara Papua – October 9, 2023

Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has denied accusations by police that seven West Balim regional KNPB members were involved in the killing of Michele Kurisi on August 28 in Kolawa district.

Reportedly, four of the seven perpetrators have already been arrested. The arrests were carried out on October 5 in Wamena, Jayapura and Tolikara, while three others are still on the wanted persons list (DPO).

KNPB spokesperson Ones Suhuniap said that the police's accusations that the seven alleged perpetrators are West Balim KNPB militants is slander.

"This isn't very different from other cases where police have accused the KNPB. The KNPB is always used as a scapegoat when there is violence. They always say the culprits are KNPB people. The police have been too hasty in saying the seven people are members or militants of the West Balim KNPB regional [branch]", said Suhuniap in a statement received by Suara Papua on Monday October 9.

Suhuniap said the police must first confirm the status of the seven members who are accused of being Kurisi's killers.

"The police [should] first confirm whether they are KNPB members or not. Whether the seven people are registered as KNPB members for the West Balim region or not", he said.

Because, according to Suhuniap, every regional branch of the KNPB has a membership database so the police should not automatically accuse the KNPB of being the perpetrators without checking first.

"How do the police know they are KNPB militants?", asked Suhuniap. "Because the KNPB's struggle is clearly a peaceful struggle in the cities. The KNPB militants' function is to work to secure every KNPB activity in the city, not kill people".

"KNPB militants are always assigned to security, both to secure people and to secure every activity. The police know this. KNPB also does not teach KNPB members to kill people, especially KNPB militants who only function to secure and protect."

Suhuniap said that the KNPB has an organisational platform, rules and operational standards when acting as security in public. The KNPB has the highest regard for the values of democracy, human rights and tolerance, and prioritises an approach of dialogue.

Suhuniap said that the KNPB has proven this during its peaceful struggles in the cities, where the KNPB has carried out demonstrations peacefully even though the police provoke protesters by firing teargas.

"The most recent evidence of this was at a demonstration on August 15, 2023 and at the thanksgiving prayers for [Papua rights activist] Victor Yeimo's release from the Abepura penitentiary. What was even more amazing was during the procession accompanying [Papua independence activist] Filep Karma's body. Where thousands of people took to the streets and KNPB militants were able to contain the people's emotions. That is the security function of KNPB militants".

Suhuniap is therefore insisting that the police not continuously accuse and slander the KNPB. "Please conduct an investigation first before accusing the KNPB", he said.

"We ask for clarification on the KNPB's good name, because they [the ones who were arrested] are definitely not KNPB members. The police must first find out and prove that they are West Balim regional KNPB members or militants with membership data".

If the investigation proves that the seven are registered KNPB members, then they should be held liable as individuals, because the KNPB as an organisation does not order its member to commit murder.

"We will also coordinate with the West Balim regional management as to whether the seven accused are registered as permanent members of the West Balim regional KNPB or not."

Suhuniap said that over the last two years fake KNPB groups have emerged who use the name KNPB and its attributes which are proclaimed loudly at demonstrations.

"These fake KNPB are backed up by a third party to criminalise the KNPB central office down to the 31 KNPB regional structures. Like when these groups criminalised KNPB General Chairperson Agus Kossay and Beni Murib, the KNPB secretary for the Numbay region."

"We ask the police to withdraw the accusations that have been leveled at the KNPB. Stop the continuous accusations and slander against the KNPB, because the KNPB is not a criminal organisation", he concluded.

Notes

Michelle Kurisi was murdered on August 28, 2023 in Kolawa district, Lanny Jaya Regency, in the Papuan highlands. Following her murder, a statement claiming responsibility was made by West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) spokesperson Sebby Sambom. The TPNPB alleged that the Kurisi had collaborated with security forces and had engaged in spying activities during her visit to Nduga, where she was collecting data on refugees, including information related to the release of Philip Mark Mehrtens, a New Zealand pilot who has been held hostage by the TPNPB since February 7.

[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "KNPB Bantah Tudingan Aparat Tentang Keterlibatan Pembunuhan Michele Kurisi".]

Source: https://suarapapua.com/2023/10/09/knpb-bantah-tudingan-aparat-tentang-keterlibatan-pembunuhan-michele-kurisi/

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