1) Letter to the Rt Hon Winston Peters from West Papua Action Aotearoa

2) TNI Shoot Dead 1 OPM want to attack Task Force Post in Nduga

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1) Letter to the Rt Hon Winston Peters from  West Papua Action Aotearoa

West Papua Action Aotearoa 

 

Rt Hon Winston Peters

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

 

25 July 2024

Kia ora Minister Peters,

We write to draw your attention to the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua.  It is urgent that Indonesia should now fulfil its long-standing commitment to allow the UN Human Rights Commission to conduct a fact-finding mission.

We expect that you are aware of the militarisation and ongoing conflict in the central highlands which has resulted in the mass displacement of over 70,000 civilians.  There has been increased military presence in the conflict areas, including more military posts and intense monitoring of local communities.  

There are regular reports of civilian deaths – the latest being the killing of three civilians in Pepera Village, Mulia district, Puncak Jaya regency on Tuesday July 16.  The local Baptist Pastor, Stevanus Yan Wenda strongly disputes any suggestion that the three villagers killed, one of whom was village head, had any association with the armed resistance movement (TPNPB). Rev. Wenda and other community leaders are calling for the soldiers concerned to be held to account. Amnesty International Indonesia has called for a transparent investigation of the deaths.

It is also very disturbing to learn of the shooting of Yan Christian Warinussy, a highly respected human rights advocate and the Director of the Legal Aid, Research, Investigation and Development Institute (LP3BH) in Manokwari. Warinussy was shot in the street after using an  ATM  bank and is recovering in hospital from gunshot wounds. The shooter remains at large.   This event has provoked international outrage and concern – particularly in the light of the fact that Warinussy gave the opening address at the recent London Permanent People’s Tribunal on  “State and Environmental Violence in West Papua” .   Many Indonesian and Papuan organisations have joined to denounce this attack and to call for an end to the harassment and violence experienced by  human rights defenders in West Papua. There is a growing list of prominent community leaders who have been attacked both physically and with verbal threats including lawyers Latifah Anum Siregar, Yuliana Yabansabra, senor journalist Victor Mambor and Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation Director Theo Hesegem.

Since 2019 the Pacific Islands Forum has been calling on the Indonesian Government to allow the UN Human Rights Commission to visit but so far without success. 

We urge you to use your good offices to call on the Indonesian Government to facilitate the visit of the UN Human Rights Commission without further delay, and to allow international aid agencies, humanitarian workers and journalists to visit West Papua.  We also urge an immediate end to all military ties with Indonesia, since New Zealand should not be complicit in the military persecution of the West Papuan people.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Catherine Delahunty, Rev. Brian Turner and Maire Leadbeater

(For West Papua Action Aotearoa)

 

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A google translate

Original Bahasa link

https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20240730101811-20-1127017/tni-tembak-mati-1-opm-hendak-serang-pos-satgas-di-nduga?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=oa&utm_content=cnnindonesia&utm_campaign=cmssocmed&fbclid=IwY2xjawEWIt9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZen7ukVEGfYFI7kUYzC9aylhVBEHqX-qbreh1GQBg50-hWNt6M8TlLskA_aem_lsIRi6H8g-Gn5UIrG6vCDw

2) TNI Shoot Dead 1 OPM want to attack Task Force Post in Nduga

CNN Indonesia

Tuesday, 30 Jul 2024 10:26 WIB

The TNI was reported to have shot dead a member of one member of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) Egianus Kogoya Group in Yigi District, Nduga Regency, Papua Province Mountains. Papua Regional Police

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia - The TNI was reportedly shooting dead one member of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) of the Egianus Kogoya group in Yigi District, Nduga Regency, Papua Mountain Province.

Based on information from Kogabwilhan III, the incident occurred on Friday (7/26).

At that time, based on the monitoring of the authorities, a group of OPM was seen with one of them carrying weapons moving into Yigi Village and led to the TNI Task Force Post.

The authorities then took action to expel the group. Reportedly there was one member of OPM killed and two others were injured.

"The results of the action, obtained 1 OPM were shot dead by security forces and 2 people were injured," said Pangkogabwilhan III Letjen Richard Tampubolon in a written statement on Tuesday (30/7)

He explained based on the results of the investigation, an OPM member who was killed was named Engabub. While the identity of two people who were injured were still in deepening.

"The strict action of the combined apparatus carried out the security of the area in Yigi Village, an effort to maintain security stability in the context of the smooth acceleration of development in the Papua region," Richard said.

(YOA/GIL)

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