Human Rights Update West Papua - 3rd Quarter

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Published on Wednesday, 11 October 2017 01:54

In the third quarter of 2017, the number of torture and ill-treatment cases reported throughout the third quarter of 2017 have significantly increased from 17 to 135 victims. This is related to mass arrests in Nabire and a violent shooting in Deiyai Regency. Extra-judicial killings continue to occur in West Papua on frequent basis. One can also observe a significant increase of cases in which human rights defenders were obstructed, intimidated or attacked. Severe government negligence with regard to health services are a growing concern, particularly in the central highlands of West Papua. Local media and human rights defenders already reported two cases of epidemic outbreaks, which have cost the lives of 130 people since the beginning of 2017 – most of them children. While no political arrests occurred during the first quarter of 2017, the series of political arrests related to suppression of Papua-related political demonstrations - both in and outside of West Papua - continue. While most numbers indicate an aggravation of the general human rights situation in West Papua in comparison to previous quarters, one could observe a slight decrease with regard to assaults and obstruction of journalists. There are indications for a general trend since 2015 of the number of treason charges to have continuously decreased.

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30 months imprisonment and dismissal from military service for the burning of bibles

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Published on Monday, 02 October 2017 12:12

A panel of judges of the II-19 military court in Jayapura has sentenced soldier Serda Bangun Ahmad Kasmawan to 30 months imprisonment. Furthermore, he will be dismissed from military service. Serda Bangun Ahmad Kasmawan burned a carton of bibles as he was cleaning out a storage room at the Kasrem 172/PWY military base in Padang Bulan, Jayapura on 25 May 2017. The trial was open to public.

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Police brutality in Nabire – high school student beaten because he did not wear a helmet

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Published on Monday, 02 October 2017 12:00

A senior high school student named Bryan Kowi was allegedly beaten with a rattan stick by a police officer on 5 September 2017 in Nabire. According to the local media outlet Tabloid Jubi, Bryan Kowi and his friend were driving a motor cycle without wearing helmets. When they passed the regent's office, a police officer hit Bryan twice with a rattan stick on the head and the back.

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Series of political arrests continues - 100 protesters arrested during peaceful commemorations in Java

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Published on Friday, 29 September 2017 04:43

According to independent media outlet “Tabloid Jubi”, 100 protesters were arrested in the Javanese cities of Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Semarang on 15 August 2017, as they joined peaceful commemorations of the 'New York Agreement'. The protests were organized by the Indonesian Solidarity Group 'FRI West Papua' in cooperation with the 'Papuan Student Alliance' AMP. In all cities, members of multiple religious and nationalist mass organisations launched counter protests to prevent the commemorations, which also took place in other Indonesian cities like Malang, Bandung and Ternate (North Maluku). Tabloid Jubi reported that the arrests in Jakarta and Semarang were accompanied by violent acts against protesters. In Semarang the police arrested two lawyers, who had been at the assembly point to monitor the commemoration. The members of various religious and nationalist groups allegedly assisted the police to block and dissolve the pro-Papuan demonstrations.

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Joint West Papua report details deterioration in the last two years

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Published on Tuesday, 26 September 2017 11:16

More than 40 organisations in West Papua, Jakarta and worldwide have brought their analysis on the human rights and conflict situation in West Papua together. The executive summary of the 218-pages report explains how several human rights standards have deteriorated over the last two years. The report is compiled by the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) and the German Westpapua-Netzwerk (WPN). You can now download the report on this page.

The years 2015 and 2016 were characterized by a significant aggravation of the human rights situation in West Papua compared to previous years. Reports by local human rights defenders describe an alarming shrinking of democratic space. Although Indonesian President Joko Widodo pushed economic development and granted clemency to five long-term political prisoners, the police strictly limited even the most peaceful dissident political activities.

An Indonesian translation of the report is being prepared by Franciscans International and will be available soon.

Update Oneibo Shooting: Perpetrators' sentence disproportionately low

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Published on Friday, 22 September 2017 11:25

The police chief of the Tigi Sub-District Police, Maing Raini, and three mobile brigade officers, namely commander Aslam Djafar, officer Esra Sattun and officer Victor Manggaprouw were sentenced to apologize and will be transferred to another district police. Many victims and human rights defenders regard the sentence as disproportionately low, considering that the officers applied excessive use of force during the dispersal of villagers in Oneibo on 1 August 2017, which lead to the death of Yulianus Pigai, whilst at least ten villagers sustained bullet injuries, among them five minors.

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