Military member opens fire at villager in Mappi Regency

Details

Published on Wednesday, 21 July 2021 05:12

A member of the Koramil 1707/Kepi military command has tortured two indigenous Papuans in the Kanami Ville, Asgon District, during a dispute on 16.7.2021. The perpetrator named Syarifudin reportedly attacked Mr Anes Samogoi causing Mr Samagaoi to fall on the floor. As his brother, Mr Yosep Kamogou Samogoi (26 years), stepped in to help, Mr Syarifudin draw his fire arm and fired two shots at the brothers. One of the projectiles hit Mr Yosep Kamogou Samogoi in the leg causing a bullet injury in the left thigh. He was brought to the Mappi general hospital where he received medical treatment.

Read more...

Officers torture son of Papuan church leader during police patrol in Padang Bulan, Jayapura

Details

Published on Wednesday, 21 July 2021 04:42

Police officers reportedly tortured Charles Yoman during a patrol in Padang Bulan, Heram District of Jayapura City, on 10 July 2021. Mr Charles Yoman is the son of Rev Socrates Sofyan Yoman, president of the Fellowship of Baptist Churches in West Papua and member to the West Papuan Council of Churches. According to information received from the Baptist Church, seven officers of the Heram sub-district police approached Mr Yoman and his friends as they were consuming alcoholic drinks in front of a house. As the officers asked the group to disperse, Mr Charles Yoman responded “Be careful, this is the complex I live in. You don't know who I am?”. Thereupon, one of the officers allegedly shouted “Arrest him and get him up [on the police truck]. Beat him up”. The officers allegedly dragged him into the police truck and subsequently tortured him inside the vehicle and during detention at the Heram sub-district police station.

Read more...

Further peaceful protest against Papuan Special Autonomy dispersed – 36 protesters arrested in Sorong

Details

Published on Sunday, 18 July 2021 15:38

The Papuan Peoples’ Front for the Rejection of Special Autonomy organised a peaceful protest in the city of Sorong, Papua Barat Province, on 19 July 2021. The crowd wanted to walk to the local parliament in Sorong to voice their rejection of the Papuan Special Autonomy but was blocked by police forces. Police officers reportedly dispersed the protest and arrested 36 protesters, among them two minors (see table below). They were temporarily detained at the Sorong police headquarters (see photo on top, source: YKKMP). A protester named Semuel Kogoya (36 years) sustained abrasions on the nose and the forehead as a result of police violence during arrest (see image below, source: YKKMP).

Read more...

Korean palm oil producer Korindo loose FSC certification

Details

Published on Sunday, 18 July 2021 15:26

The Korean palm oil conglomerate Korindo will loose its sustainability certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in October 2021. The FSC had been working with Korindo although various environmental groups have repeatedly raised allegations of illegal deforestation and human rights violations against local communities. The FSC has now decided to withdraw Korindo’s certification after the relationship with the Group has "become untenable". The FSC certificate should inform consumers that the products are sourced from ethical and sustainable companies.

Read more...

Protest against revision of Papuan Otsus Law in Jakarta, Jayapura and Kaimana – 84 protesters reportedly arrested

Details

Published on Wednesday, 14 July 2021 10:37

Papuan students and solidarity groups launched peaceful protests against the revision of the Papuan Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law in the cities Jayapura, Papua Province, Kaimana (Papuan Barat Province) and Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. The protesters argued that the revisions were forced by the Indonesian parliament and the Government without considering the aspirations of the Papuan people. The police forcefully dispersed the protests and carried out mass arrests.

The Jayapura police forcefully dispersed a peaceful demonstration at the Cenderawasih University campus on 14 July 2021 (see photo, source: independent HRDs) and arrested 24 protesters (see table below). At least five protesters were injured by security forces as a result of excessive force during the arrest (see photo below, source: independent human rights defenders). The protest in Jakarta took place in front of the Indonesian Parliament building in the Senayan area in Jakarta while the Indonesian house of representative passed 19 revisions to the Papuan Special Autonomy Law No 21/2001 during a parliament debate on 15 July 2021. The police reportedly arrested 40 protesters. The protest in Kaimana on 15 July 2021 was also dispersed by police forces. According to information received from local human rights defenders, 20 protesters were arrested (see table on bottom). All three demonstrations were forcefully dispersed under the pretext of violating COVID-19 health protocols.

Read more...

Human Rights Update West Papua - 2nd Quarter 2021

Details

Published on Thursday, 15 July 2021 11:51

Similar to previous reporting periods, human rights statistics between April and June 2021 continue to mirror the effects of the armed conflict and political tensions for Papuan civil society. The number of arbitrary arrests, political and non-political, continue to be high as the police firmly restrict the freedom of peaceful assembly and other civil-political rights. Nevertheless, Papuans voiced their discontent over the Papuan special autonomy and aspirations for self-determination in peaceful demonstrations. Papuan activist and human rights advocate, Victor Yeimo, was arrested in early May 2021 and charged with multiple criminal charges, among them treason. The police accused him of masterminding West Papua-wide protests against racism and civil unrest between August and September 2019. Three out of six reported victims of extra-judicial executions died in the context of security force raids in the Puncak Regency. All were indigenous Papuans. Observers estimate at least 31,833 indigenous Papuans internally displaced in the Puncak Regency due to the armed conflict between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) and Indonesian security forces. Only a few of them have access to medical treatment and other humanitarian aid.

Read more...