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West Papua Report |
The remoteness of these regions and Indonesian government restrictions on access by journalists and human rights officials generally in West Papua delays and limits the flow of information on these incidents. |
In recent months various sources have
reported on tension in the area. Much of the tension
arises from a rivalry between TNI personnel and the
police which run or extort local businesses. Kopassus
(Indonesian special forces), Kodim (regional command)
and Brimob (the militarized police) are behind most of
businesses in Tingginambut. Local people must pay high
fees imposed by local security forces for essentials. In addition, there are huge illegal mining activities in
the region which are run by or in collaboration with
government security forces. Earlier this year a Brimob
officer was shot to death in Tingginambut. Many
observers doubted the official version that the armed
Papuan opposition was responsible for the killing,
suspecting instead that the killers were Brimob rivals
from Kopassus.
In a second report, two sources on Yapen Island have
reported that following the murder of Yawan Wayeni, a
tribal leader and nine-year political prisoner during
the Suharto dictatorship, in his house in Mantembu
village. Following the August 2 murder of Wayeni by
Brimob forces, Indonesian forces, on August 3, conducted
what the troops described as a "shooting practice" in
Mantembu, terrorizing villagers, mostly farmers. Reports
claimed that soldiers arrived aboard two trucks several
jeeps and dozens of motorcycles.
Yapen police chief Imam Setiawan said that his men had
to shoot Yawan Wayeni because he was armed. "We had to
shoot first after which we evacuated him to the
hospital. He died during the trip to a local hospital.
He was shot in the thigh and stomach," said Setiawan as
quoted by the Cenderawasih Pos daily. Setiawan claimed
that his men had seized a hand-made gun.
Travel to Yapen entails an eight-hour ferry ride from
Biak Island. Biak itself is about one hour by air from
Jayapura, the capital of Papua.
Inadequate
Medical Response to Illness of Papuan Prisoner of
Conscience
Filep Karma who is serving his sentence in
the Abepura Prison in August was placed in the intensive
care ward at the Dok Dua Hospital in Jayapura. After
suffering intense abdominal pain for over one week he
was finally transferred from the Abepura prison to the
hospital on August 18. The transfer took place only
after local a facebook and SMS campaign regarding his
serious and deteriorating condition.
Karma, a West Papuan, was sentenced in 2008 to 15
years in prison for participation in a rally where the
West Papuan national flag, the Morning Star was raised. That ceremony was a peaceful exercise of the right to
freedom of expression. Amnesty and other
human rights organizations regard Karma among the dozens
of Papuan prisoners of conscience now in Indonesian
custody. His case, and that of fellow prisoner of
conscience Yusuf Pakage, was the subject of a U.S.
Congressional letter to President Yudhoyono that was
signed by 40 members of the U.S. Congress in 2008.
A Human Rights Watch report in June (see West Papua
Report for July) reported on the abuse of prisoners in
the Abepura Prison in West Papua. Its June 5 report,
"Indonesia: Stop Prison Brutality in Papua," called
on the Indonesian Government to "investigate and hold
accountable abusive guards and officials at the Abepura
prison in Papua." According to the report, "sources
report that torture, beatings, and mistreatment by
guards are rampant." HRW also noted that among the
approximately 230 prisoners at the facility, "more than
a dozen are imprisoned for peaceful political acts." In
2007, a United Nations special report also focused on
abuse in Indonesian detention and noted particular
serious abuse in facilities located in West Papua. In
early 2009, Indonesian authorities ordered the
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to close its office in
West Papua. The order followed an ICRC visit to
prisoners in the Abepura prison.
Indonesian authorities resistance to concern
about conditions in detention facilities in West Papua
continues. On August 21 the Indonesian Foreign Affairs
Ministry issued a statement that rejected
calls for a restoration of the West Papua office of the
Committee of the Red Cross. The previous Red Cross
office was forced to shut and leave West Papua earlier
this year after its staff members visited prisoners in
jail in West Papua.
Australian Government Voices
Concern Over Banning of ICRC in West Papua
An August 21 Radio Australia
report noted that Australia's government has sent a
quiet signal to Indonesia about mounting concern over
human rights conditions in West Papua. The Rudd
government -- facing accusations it's too quite on the
issue - has allowed its Senators to support a motion in
Parliament's upper house that calls for pressure from
Canberra on Indonesia to allow the return of the
Red Cross to West Papua.
The motion calls on the Australian government to urge
Indonesia to allow the Red Cross full and
unfettered access in West Papua. The Red Cross was
forced to leave Papua in April after it made visits to
jailed Papuan separatists. Indonesia claims the Red
Cross operation in Papua breached its agreement with
Jakarta. The Red Cross claims discussions with the
Indonesian government are ongoing.
Attacks on Freeport Vehicles Continue in August
Despite July Arrests
Despite the arrest of seven Papuans alleged to be behind
the mid July attacks on Freeport personnel traveling on
the Timika-Tembagapura road, attacks along that road
have continued. (The 79 mile route connects the seaport
town of Timika to Freeport's Grassberg mine complex.) On August 12 an employee bus was attacked. No one was
injured or died as a result of this incident. On August
16 a convoy of Freeport's buses was attacked despite a
police/military escort. Six employees were injured in
this incident. On August 26, unknown persons cut the
Freeport mine pipe at Mile 63 on the route. On August
28, a gun battle took place between Brimob personnel and
an unknown group at Mile 41. Military and police
personnel exchanged fire for about five to ten minutes
at mile 42 -- 42 along the main road connecting Timika
and Tembagapura. The shooting was sparked by gunfire at
a bus carrying workers from security post at mile 50 to Timika.
The
four-decade old Freeport
mining complex has long been the source
of protest among Papuans who have seen
mine-related devastation |
On August 27 a Tempo
Interactive report noted that
Freeport would henceforth provide an armored vehicle
accompaniment for convoys operating within the mine
concession territory and that Freeport drivers would be
provided with bullet proof vests and helmets. The
Freeport action came in response to demands by drivers
for better protection.
The August developments have added mystery to the tense
environment surrounding the U.S.-based Freeport
operation, the largest copper and gold mine in the
world. The four-decade old mining complex has long been
the source of protest among Papuans who have seen
mine-related devastation
of their environment and displacement of Papuans from
their homes. Indonesian security forces paid by Freeport
have regularly violated the human rights of local
Papuans.
The August attacks also raise a fundamental question of
justice regarding those Papuans jailed for the July
attacks. Charges against them in July appear to be
refuted by the continuing attacks in August.
In late August, the TNI announced that 600 military
personnel would take up security duties for the Freeport
facility beginning September 2. Many analysts had
speculated that the July-August shootings in the
vicinity of the Freeport concession may have had the
goal of creating instability with the ultimate intention
of re-establishing TNI's lead role for provision of
security in the area, a role that had been highly
lucrative for the TNI over several decades.
Amnesty
Statement Decries Lack of
Progress in Investigation of Murdered Peaceful Papuan
Protester
An August 11 Public statement by Amnesty
decried the failure of Indonesian officials to make
progress in the investigation of the killing of Papuan
protester Opinus Tabuni, one year after the incident. The statement noted that the absence of progress in the
investigation underscored the continued lack of
accountability in cases involving the lethal use of
firearms by law enforcement officials.
Opinus Tabuni, aged 35, was part of a peaceful rally
celebrating United Nations Indigenous People's Day on 9
August 2008 in Wamena, West Papua. Also present was the
Indonesian police and other security forces. At the end
of the rally some members of the crowd raised the United
Nations flag, the Indonesian flag, an SOS flag saying
Papuan people are in danger and the banned 'Morning
Star' flag, regarded by Indonesian authorities as a
symbol of the Papuan separatist movement.
http://www.amnesty.org.nz/archived_news/Indonesia%3Ano-progress-by-police-investigation-into-killing-of-peaceful-papuan-protester+
Low-Level Dialogue Between Papuans and Indonesian
Government Officials
At an August 20 meeting between Papuan leaders and
Indonesian government officials Papuans sought to
explain Papuans' continuing quest for independence in
the face of years of inadequately implemented "special
autonomy."
Papuans urged the central government officials to cease
simply "stigmatizing" Papuans as "separatists" and
instead begin to seek out "the root of the problem."
Papuans described the growing social gap between state
officials and Papuans at the grassroots level since the
implementation of special autonomy. One Papuan leader
explained that "Special autonomy funds have been
distributed to Papuans, but officials are the only ones
who have benefited from them. We don't know where the
funds have gone to, but we can see that officials are
getting richer, their homes are becoming more lavish
and some own three private cars."
The central government officials were mid-level
officials included Home Ministry's Sociopolitical
Affairs Director General, Ahmad Tanribali Lamo, deputy
at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and
Security Affairs, Maj. Gen. Karseno, and director of
conflict mitigation at the Sociopolitical Affairs
Directorate General, Sr. Comr. Widiyanto. The officials
pledged to convey the Papuans' concerns to the Home
Minister.
The meeting was an unusual, positive example of dialogue
between the central government and Papuans. It
represented at best a small step in the direction of the
growing Papuan demand, backed by the community, for a
senior level, ly mediated
dialogue between the Indonesian Government and Papuans.
Call for End to Impunity in West Papua at
Conference in Dili
At an conference in Dili to mark the
tenth anniversary of Timor-Leste's
independence referendum from Indonesia, organizations
from 18 countries
called for an end to impunity for the perpetrators of
the killings of Papuan political leaders and human
rights activists. The more than 200 people from
solidarity groups, including a majority of Timorese from
civil society organizations, sought to develop proposals
to address issues of concern in West Papua and
elsewhere.
The conference highlighted the need for accountability
for security forces involved in the killings of Papuan
leaders and activists - including Arnold Ap, Opinus
Tabuni and Theys Eluay. The participants urged a
peaceful dialogue between the government of Indonesia
and representatives of the people of Papua. The
conferees also urged Jakarta to conduct a comprehensive
evaluation of the implementation of Special Autonomy in
Papua region and open its results to public. The
conference also demanded the release of all Papuan
political prisoners.
See also
http://www.laohamutuk.org/solidarity/ConfStmt.htm
Addressing the
Moribund
"Special Autonomy" Policy
An August 29-30 conference convened in West Papua to
discuss growing instability and protest in West Papua. At the conference Yusak Yaluwo, a West Papua District
chief who led President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's
campaign team in Papua for the July presidential
election urged the government to pay more attention to
West Papua where he said conditions were becoming "more
and more precarious."
Yaluwo noted that for
Papuans "special autonomy" has not improved economic
livelihood, health and education, because a large
portion of the program's
funding had gone into the pockets of local elites and
the bureaucracy, He added that "special autonomy" had
generated a "growing social disparity between elites and
the common people at grassroots levels.," He concluded
that secessionism remained because poverty and
marginalization were still major issues. Yaluwo urged
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono form a joint board,
composed of representatives of the central government,
the two provincial administrations, churches, civil
society groups and informal leaders from the Papuan
Customary Council (DAP). He proposed that the board
over a five year period would seek to "revitalize"
special autonomy and evaluate the special autonomy
program each year with a focus on "obstacles in its
implementation."
He said government representatives on the board would
provide feedback to the central government and
provincial administrations on what should be done. Yusak also urged provincial authorities to speed up the
issuance of special and provincial bylaws to boost
development in all sectors in the two provinces.
Meanwhile, Reverend Neles
Tebay, a senior official of the Jayapura Archdiocese,
spoke against the proposed board noting that West Papua
did not lack institutions or agencies and that the key
problem was that the government had no political
commitment to special autonomy in Papua. "Funding is
not the only factor. The government has not shown
political commitment to issuing special and provincial
bylaws to bring about special autonomy," he said. No
grand designs have been made on what should be achieved
in the short, middle and long terms under special
autonomy. With the lack of supervision,
local elites have been free to
enrich themselves and their groups, he said.
Prominent NGO's Join Forces to Protect "Bird's Head" Region
Conservation -Indonesia, The Nature
Conservancy and WWF-Indonesia have joined forces to
establish a "joint-secretariat" for the "Bird's Head
Seascape." The collaboration is meant to protect a
region which spans the area from Cenderawasih Bay in the
east, Raja Ampat in the west to Fakfak in the south.
According to a recent study by Conservation Indonesia,
the area has 1,511 species of fish and 600 types of
reefs and newly discovered endemic reefs.
For many years reefs and fish populations in Papuan
waters have been severely damaged by unlicensed
fishing operations which operate despite or in collusion
with Indonesian security forces in the area charged with
protecting those waters.
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