http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/give-papua-more-freedom.html
Give Papua more freedom
Mon, July 18 2016 | 07:09 am
Indonesia could claim a diplomatic victory over those who have for decades been offering international support for Papuan independence after the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) denied full membership to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) last week. But that would not change anything in Papua, where discontent and distrust toward Jakarta is still rife.

Sadly, heavy-handed approaches, which have proven to be ineffective and obsolete, have remained the only option available to deal with the dissatisfaction and grievances of Papuan people, as seen in the arrest of dozens of people in Papua and Yogyakarta for throwing their weight behind ULMWP over the past week.

Worse still, in the case of the Yogyakarta incident, local community groups have been involved in suppressing the right of Papuans to voice their thoughts, not to mention the dissemination of old pictures on social media to mislead the public about what really happened. The anger of Yogyakartans about Papuan “troublemakers” is reminiscent of the role of hard-line groups in the dispersal of academic forums discussing the 1965 tragedy held in the city over the last few years, as well as in the restriction of freedom of expression throughout the country.

There are indeed sporadic armed attacks launched by the Free Papua Organization (OPM), which the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police have cracked down on, because they pose a clear danger to other people and public security.

The Papuan protesters and students are merely expressing their dissatisfaction with the impoverishment they have been enduring in their resource-rich land. So it should come as no surprise if they aspire for an independent state because they have lost trust in the government.

Such demands were once expressed in other mineral and oil-producing regions like Riau, and even in Yogyakarta when its people defended the city’s monarchy. But rather than making arrests or clamping down on their aspirations, the central government opted for dialogue to reach a settlement.

There has been no action taken against groups and their members for having openly expressed their aspirations for an Islamic state in the country either.

The fact that Papuan people have to risk arrest and jail sentences on treason charges to simply exercise their freedom of expression will only exacerbate their feelings of being discriminated against and further fortify their struggle to part with Indonesia.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has realized his promise to visit Papua more frequently than his predecessors and ordered the acceleration of development in the easternmost territory, especially the construction of roads that will bring many regions out of isolation.

But the initiatives will not help Jakarta win the hearts and minds of Papuans unless the security approach stops. Papuans do not need special autonomy status that only triggers large-scale corruption in the first place, but fulfillment of their rights as Indonesian citizens.

Our Constitution guarantees them this.

1) Indonesia –

Files Karma, Indonesia           1 July 2016, 10:52AM

Amnesty supporters worldwide wrote thousands of letters on behalf of Filep Karma who was released from prison in November 2015. Today, he shares why he won’t stop fighting for freedom of expression in Indonesia.

Filep Karma reading letters from Amnesty International supporters. © Amnesty International

I was born in Jayapura, Papua, the easternmost region of Indonesia. Since my childhood, I witnessed numerous human rights violations.

Under former President Suharto (1966-1998), people who spoke out for the rights of Papuans were immediately accused of separatism by the military government. Anyone who wanted to fight against this injustice had to go [into hiding].

When Papuans demand independence it’s because many of them know that the 1969 independence referendum was unfair. During that time Papuan people were intimidated and coerced by the Indonesian military forces. People were killed or they disappeared. Papuans lived in terror and didn’t have the courage to speak out. I could not accept this.

When I was a civil servant in the 1990s I was invited to study for a year in the Philippines. I learned about Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King – how you could struggle against injustice using peaceful methods. I then decided that Papuans should do the same, and speak up for their rights peacefully.

Imprisoned for the first time

When Suharto resigned in May 1998, I thought this was the moment to initiate a peaceful Papuan independence campaign. I organized a gathering in Biak city and I led the raising of the Morning Star Flag [a symbol of Papuan independence which is banned in Indonesia]. For this, I was convicted of “treason” and sentenced to six and a half years in prison [the sentence was overturned on appeal after 10 months]. Continue reading →

http://theislandsun.com/solomon-islands-support-global-vote-west-papua-independence/

1) SOLOMON ISLANDS IN SUPPORT OF GLOBAL VOTE FOR WEST PAPUA INDEPENDENCE

BY ERNEST TA’ASI | June 27, 2016

THE SOLOMON Islands government is in support for an international supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.

THE SOLOMON Islands government is in support for an international supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.

Solomon Islands representative Barret Salato gave the country’s support before the UN Human Rights Council for the vote proposal that was made by the International Parliamentarians for West Papua Forum in London last month.

“We strongly endorsed the final declaration of this International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) Forum which took place in London on 3 May which calls for an internationally supervised vote on the independence of West Papua,” Salato said in his statement over the situation of West Papua.

The London declaration has been endorsed by cross regional parliamentarians from 15 UN member states.

Barret Salato spoke of the brutal oppression faced by West Papuans.

He said the Solomon Islands government is regularly updated on the violation of human rights against West Papuans.

“The Solomon Islands government receives regular reports of cases of arbitrary arrests, summary execution, torture, ill-treatment, restriction of freedom of expression, assembly and association, committed mainly by the Indonesian police,” Salato said.

He said on 2 May alone, 2,109 indigenous Melanesian West Papuans were arrested for participating in peaceful demonstrations in several cities in West Papua and some Indonesian cities.

“The demonstrations were held in support of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) to be recognized as a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), the commemoration of 1 May 1963 as Indonesia’s annexation of West Papua and to support the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) meeting.

“During the arrest, some of them experienced torture and ill treatment from the Indonesian security forces,” he added.

“The Solomon Islands notes the recent outcomes of the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead group that was held last week in Fiji (14-17TH June 2016) where both Representatives of Indonesia and the ULMWP sat as MSG members during the deliberation.

“This outcome envisages to establish a safe space for constructive engagement with all parties with a view to addressing the concerns of the MSG members about the recent developments in West Papua.

“In this regard, the Foreign Ministers further agreed to establish a Committee of High Level Representatives of the MSG members to accompany and facilitate this constructive engagement.

“We also welcome the initiative of the MSG to work closely with the Indonesian government to visit the Melanesian Provinces of Indonesia at a later date. This important visit would allow for a clear, objective and independent view by the members of the MSG leaders and ministers.”

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https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/world/2016/05/14/indonesian-crackdown-west-papuan-independence-protest/14631480003240

The Saturday Paper

MAY 14, 2016

1) Indonesian crackdown on West Papuan independence protest

JOHN MARTINAS

The harassment, beating and jailing of independence protesters by Indonesian authorities in Papua continues, while Australia turns a blind eye.

West Papua independence protesters, on May 2, in Jayapura.   Facebook

On Monday, May 2, amid the fallout from the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruling the Australian detention centre on Manus Island unlawful, another momentous thing happened. Further west along the Papua New Guinea north coast, just over the border with Indonesia in the Papuan capital, Jayapura, 1500 people were arrested. It barely rated a mention here.

It was the largest mass arrest of pro-independence demonstrators in Papua, and included the arrest of demonstrators in the regional centres of Sorong, Merauke, Wamena, Fak-Fak and Manokwari. Arrests were made at similar rallies in Semarang in Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi. In all, 1888 people were arrested for demonstrating for independence. Photos and video circulating both on social media and local media show the masses of people arrested in Jayapura and taken to the Indonesian police compound – forced to sit in rows in the heat and made to remove their clothes.

Continue reading →

Single Goal for Vanuatu Civil Society Summit – Support West Papua – West Papua No.1 News Portal ?

1) CHAIRMAN SAYS WEST PAPUA THEN KANAKY

By Len Garae | Posted: Saturday, April 23, 2016 12:00 am

WP Parade March on April 29 to be bigger than last one above in 2010

While more and more people in Port Vila are rushing to sign the public petition at Manples Market for the peaceful march on April 29, to demand the Melanesian Spearhead Group Summit Leaders to give West Papua full membership, the Chairman of the Vanuatu West Papua Committee, Pastor Allan Nafuki says a two-member delegation from Kanaky (New Caledonia) who are pushing to get the Kanaky Referendum issue on the same band wagon, have been advised to wait until after the march on April 29.

The Chairman says his committee has to work on urgent issues one issue at a time. The Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu has always placed Independence for Kanaky at all its annual general assembly since day one.

Now Kanaky already has a political voice through FLNKS Victor Tutugoro as a full member of MSG.

The Chairman has recommended for them to pursue their case through their leader Tutugoro.

The well-travelled Chairman says the two persons – one a caucasian Frenchman called Leonelli Jeannick and his partner Tjibaou Sabine, who is the daughter of the late Jean-Marie Tjibaou, have made a number of claims concerning FLNKS and themselves.

Pastor Nafuki says his Committee has to look into the duo’s claims to make sure they are genuine in order to decide whether or not to place their case on a similar plate as that of West Papua.

Meanwhile an increasing number of petition forms have also been sent to the rural Provinces to get the support of the masses there before April 29.

The Vanuatu West Papua Committee expects to mobilise 12,000 signatures for the planned peaceful march.

LBH Jakarta: 63 Papuan activists arrested in the last 9 days

Suara Papua – April 15, 2016

Arnold Belau, Jayapura — The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) reports that 63 people have been arrested over the last nine days in West Papua. Most of those arrested are activists from the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and the Regional People Parliament (PRD).

Once again the government’s intentions in Papua are being questioned. The LBH Jakarta is strongly condemning the systematic arrest of activists in the lead up to simultaneous actions that took place in Papua on April 13.

The actions, which were led by the KNPB, were joined by around 5,000 Papuans who were supporting the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULWMP) becoming a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

“We suspect that the security forces will act repressively in Papua in the lead up to the huge actions on April 13. The KNPB is the organisation in Papua that is being most systematically criminalised at the moment. So on the day before [the actions] we along with 47 other organisations from various elements [of society], from students to workers, issued a solidarity statement calling on security forces not to act repressively. And it was proven. We have the names of all 61 [sic] people who have been arrested”, said LBH Jakarta director Alghiffari Aqsa in an email sent to Suara Papua on April 15.

The LBH Jakarta notes that 15 people were arrested in Timika on April 5 and on April 12 six people were arrested in Yahukimo and 15 in Kaimana. On April 13, thirteen people were arrested in Merauke, three people in Sorong and 11 people were arrested in Jayapura.

LBH Jakarta public defender Veronica Koman meanwhile said that in addition to this, some of those who were arrested were stripped naked, beaten with rifle butts, kicked and forced to stand in the sun.

“Certainly, those who’ve been arrested have now been released, except there are still two who are being detained in Timika. One of them has been charged with subversion (maker) even though the person concerned was only leading a prayer meeting on the grounds of a church that supports the ULWMP”, said Veronica.

In addition to this, the LBH Jakarta is currently investigating allegations that people were tortured in Dekai, Yahukimo.

“We received a report that six of the people arrested were hit in the head with hammers, kicked in the face with military boots, ordered to crawl [on the ground] and eat dirt, beaten in a cell until they were bruised and bleeding, as well as being ordered to sing Indonesia Raya [the national anthem] and eat money they had in their pockets”, she explained.

Veronica continued, “These incidents violate Article 28I of the Constitution, the convention against torture and Article 351 of the Criminal Code. Therefore the Mabes Polri [national police headquarters], specifically the Bareskrim [Criminal Investigation Bureau] and the Propam [Professionalism and Security Affairs Division] must investigate the matter. Perpetrators of torture, even though they are law enforcement officials, must be punished”, asserted Veronica.

The arrests, which began a day before the action, were carried out in order to prevent the demonstrations from going ahead. The legal articles used for these arrests are vague and completely fabricated.

In Yahukimo and Merauke, police were unable to explain which articles were used for the arrests. In Kaimana, police said that the arrests were made because the demonstration did not have a police permit.

“We were having an internal meeting to prepare for the action in our own offices weren’t we, what did we need a permit for?”, asked a LBH Jakarta source in Manokwari as quoted in the email received by Suara Papua.

Furthermore, police also prevented protesters from joining the action and carried out arrests during the action. Police also smashed the windows of a command vehicle in Jayapura even though there was no provocation by the protesters who were demonstrating peacefully.

“The string of incidents over these nine days again demonstrates that there has yet to be any change in the government’s attitude towards Papua, it’s still very repressive. [The people’s] constitutional rights to freedom of expression and opinion are violated repeatedly. The state’s presences in Papua is in the form of violence”, asserted Alghiffari.

The LBH Jakarta is therefore demanding that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo take action against the national police and the Papua regional police who have violated the constitutional rights of the Papuan people and order them to immediately release Yus Wenda and Steven Itlay who are still being detained in Timika.

“Our call to the Papuan people is that you are not alone. Continue [expressing] your aspirations!”, said Alghiffari.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was “LBH Jakarta: 63 Orang Ditangkap Selama 9 Hari di Papua”.]

Source: http://suarapapua.com/read/2016/04/15/3256/lbh-jakarta-63-orang-ditangkap-selama-9-hari-di-papua

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http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/301001/motives-behind-indonesia’s-msg-bid-questioned  8/4/16

There are more questions over the motive behind Indonesia’s bid to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Indonesia was last year granted associate member status in the MSG but its Political and Security Affairs minister Luhut Pandjaitan visited Papua New Guinea and Fiji last week to lobby for greater participation by Jakarta.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua was granted MSG observer status last year and its spokesman Benny Wenda said Jakarta’s drive to engage with the Pacific was questionable.

He said until West Papuan membership at the MSG came about, Jakarta was barely interested in Melanesia.

Meanwhile, Mr Wenda pointed out that this week West Papuans were arrested in Timika for showing support for Melanesian solidarity at a prayer event.

“There was 13 people arrested just for flying the Melanesian flags like Papua New Guinea, Solomon flag and Kanaky flag were raised with the banner for full membership campaign [for the Liberation Movement], just a prayer meeting. They were arrested, beating and torture. This is while [Minister] Luhut was campaigning for the joining full membership [for Indonesia] in Melanesia. And then back home, the killing continue.”

Minister Luhut told media that his tour of Melanesia was partly about conveying accurate information about Jakarta’s efforts in Papua region.

“Diplomacy is important,” Luhut was reported by Antara news agency as explaining. “We should be aggressively explaining to states in the South Pacific about the conditions and situation in Indonesia including what we have been doing in the area of human rights.”

However, signs continue that West Papuans are brutally denied their basic rights, including to freedom of expression.

Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission last month stated that in the past year more than 700 West Papuans had been persecuted through being arrested, beaten, and tortured by security forces.

For example, it said that last year on 1 December, eight West Papuans were shot and four more killed by the Indonesian military and police in Yapen for displaying independence aspirations.

Meanwhile, Minister Luhut’s Pacific tour resulted in inter-government agreements for closer co-operation between Indonesia and both PNG and Fiji, including military co-operation.

Fiji also received a $US5 million assistance package from Jakarta for cyclone recovery efforts.

The governments of PNG and Fiji have signalled their support for Indonesian sovereign control of Papua.

Indonesian media reported that Fiji’s Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola indicated his government’s support for Indonesia to be “upgraded” to a full MSG member.

The other full members of the MSG – Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia’s Kanak FLNKS movement – are more vocal about support for Papuan self-determination, and it remains to be seen whether they will support Indonesia becoming a full member.

MSG leaders are due to meet for a special meeting next month in Vanuatu’s capital, where a new director-general is expected to be formally appointed.

Fiji media is reporting that Amena Yauvoli, Fiji’s Ambassador for Climate Change and Oceans, has been confirmed as the new MSG director-general by Ratu Inoke.

Eliminate the “Smoke” of the ULMWP