AWPA Media statement
AWPA condemns the arrest and the humiliation of two West Papuan teenagers by the Indonesian security forces
AWPA (Sydney) statement. 26 February 2024
The Australia West Papua Association condemns the arrest and the humiliation of two West Papuan teenagers by the Indonesian security forces on 22 February 2024.
In a statement on Friday the 23 February, the Head of Cartenz 2024 Peace Operations, Kombes Faizal Ramadhani, said that the teenagers were arrested after a clash with the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB ) in Kali Brasa on February 22. In the shootout, a TPNPB member named Otniel Giban alias Bolong Giban died.
Faizal stated that the teenagers were arrested because they were suspected of being members of the TPNPB group and that they are currently being detained at the Damai Cartenz post.
However, the TPNPB stated that the two teenagers (referred to by their initials MH and BGE) both aged 15 were not members of the TPNPB and were ordinary civilians. The teenagers were arrested when they were crossing the Brasa River in the Yahukimo Regency .
The clash between the security forces and the TNPB occurred while the Cartenz Peacekeeping Operation-2024 searched for those responsible for shooting at an aircraft in Yahukimo in which a military member was wounded.
https://jubi.id/polhukam/2024/tpnpb-nyatakan-2-remaja-yang-ditangkap-di-yahukimo-bukan-anggotanya/
Photos below on BBC Indonesia
https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/c2qe7e30gpyo
A photo of the arrest of two teenagers in Yahukimo who were accused of being members of a pro-independence militia, but whose status was later declared as witnesses.
Meanwhile
The Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Défense Minister Richard Marles
met with the Indonesian Défense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Friday, February 23.
Marles emphasized that Australia does not support the Free Papua Movement and “We, Australia, fully recognize Indonesia's territorial sovereignty. We do not endorse any independence movement,” he said at a press conference at the Defense Ministry’s office in Central Jakarta.
Joe Collins of AWPA said, “I was at first surprised that West Papua even got a mention at the meeting as usually Australia tries to ignore the issue but even our Defence Minister can hardly ignore a media question on it”.
Extract from Joint Press Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia
SUBIANTO: Thank you very much. I don’t think there is any need for questions. Questions?
JOURNALIST: Thank you very much Mr Deputy Prime Minister. Regarding the huge amount of Australian Defence budget, how should the Indonesian people see it? Is it going to be a trap or an opportunity to our national interest?
And my second question is what is Australia’s standpoint regarding the separatist movement in Papua because there are some voice from Australia concerning about human rights violation?
MARLES: Thank you for the question. Let me do the second issue first. We, Australia utterly recognises the territorial sovereignty of Indonesia, full stop. And there is no support for any independence movements. We support the territorial sovereignty of Indonesia. And that includes those provinces being part of Indonesia. No ifs, no buts. And I want to be very clear about that. https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/transcripts/2024-02-24/joint-press-conference-jakarta-indonesia
Collins said, ‘there was no shortage of comments during the delegations visit to Indonesian around how important the relationship is etc.
Another extract.
This is the third visit within the last ten months to Indonesia and that’s as it should be because our countries are neighbours and close friends. We have a shared destiny which is very clear, and it is really in that spirit that Pak Prabowo and I have built our personal relationship but that’s reflected in a relationship between our Prime Minister and our President, the Indonesian President
Joe Collins said, “West Papua will remain the elephant in the room in the Australia-Indonesian relationship. We can expect many hiccups in the relationship over West Papua in the coming years “.
Ends
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Sources
https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/c2qe7e30gpyo
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