Update on prosecution of political prisoner Bazoka Logo

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Published on Friday, 28 August 2020 06:07

The political prisoner Yusak ‘Bazoka’ Logo, Head of the Politics Desk of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), was released from the Abepura correctional facility in Jayapura on 26 August 2020 after serving a sentence of twelve months. He was arbitrarily arrested on 15 August 2019 in response to a peaceful demonstration in commemoration of the ‘New York Agreement’. The prosecutor sought a sentence of three years for Logo for the violation of Article 266 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) on document forgery. According to Bazoka Logo, an immigration officer had offered him help to accelerate the application process and issued a forged passport document against illegal fees. Human rights lawyers claimed that the police pressed the charges against him due to his membership in the ULMWP, because the organisation engages in international advocacy for the right to self-determination of the Papuan people.

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Police finally takes action against illegal gold mine in Jayapura

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Published on Friday, 28 August 2020 06:00

Since 2001, several NGOs and other observers have raised concern over illegal gold panning activities in the Buper Waena area of the Jayapura municipality. On 26 June 2020, a team of police investigators arrested 17 persons. The officers seized heavy tools as well as chemicals, among them two gold panning machines, six excavators and mercury (see intro image, source: Jubi). According to the Chief of the Jayapura Municipality Police, Gustav Urbinas, the mining activities violate the Law on Minerals and Coal, the Law on Environmental Management and the Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction. The gold miners had received permission from a local indigenous leader holding the customary land rights in the Buper area. However, they failed to arrange the mandatory government permits for the mining operation.

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UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women publishes List of issue for upcoming review of Indonesia

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Published on Wednesday, 26 August 2020 10:11

On 17 July 2020, the ‘Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women‘ (CEDAW) published the ‘List of Issues’ (LoI), which will set the thematic framework for Indonesia’s upcoming review between 8 and 26 February 2021.  Indonesia will be reviewed for the 8th time by the CEDAW during its 78th session. The review will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, where the United Nations Human Rights Council resides. Non-Governmental organisations are invited to submit information on issues mentioned in the LoI to the CEDAW due 18 January 2021. The CEDAW has called upon NGOs working on Indonesia to deliver statements and organise side events during the review in Geneva.

Download ‘List of Issues’ here

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'Balikpapan 7' finally back in Jayapura

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Published on Sunday, 23 August 2020 06:39

The last four political prisoners of the ‘Balikpapan 7’ have returned to West Papua after serving their sentence in a correctional facility in the Kalimantan Timur province. On 22 August 2020, Buchtar Tabuni, Agus Kossay, Steven Itlay, and Frenky Hilapok arrived at the airport in Jayapura, Papua province. The other three activists: Alexander Gobai, Feri Gombo and Irwanus Uropmabin, were released one month earlier. Many indigenous Papuans perceive the ‘Balikpapan 7’ as heroes who stood up against racism towards ethnic Papuans in Indonesia. Before their arrival, the political movement organisation KNPB called upon the people in Jayapura to welcome the activists. People gathered at the airport since the early morning to welcome the four activists. Joint security forces closely monitored the crowd and made random controls but did not disperse the crowd.

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Joint Security forces torture three indigenous Papuans in Sorong Selatan

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Published on Friday, 21 August 2020 12:21

According to the independent media outlet ‘Suara Papua’, joint security forces tortured three indigenous Papuans who were on their way to the town of Teminabuan, the largest city in the regency of Sorong Selatan. On 16 August 2020, Saulus Melkior Wugaje, Dominggus Aifufu and Chiko Momot removed a fallen tree that was blocking the road. While doing this, one of them collected donations from drivers passing through. Such actions are common in West Papua where government services are passive and unreliable. Instead, local community members often take the initiative to clean or fix public roads against public donations.

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PT Freeport Indonesia conducts Environmental Impact Analysis – Indigenous communities fear expansion of mining area

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Published on Thursday, 20 August 2020 10:41

PT Freeport Indonesia (PT FI), which operates one of the world's largest gold and copper mines, the Grasberg mine, in the highlands of West Papua, has invited indigenous community representatives, environmental and indigenous organisations to a first public consultation meeting on 13 August 2020. The meeting was held in the context of a new Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA). Many indigenous community representatives refused to attend the meeting out of fear that their participation would be nothing more than a symbolic act without taking their claims and aspirations into consideration. Several community leaders criticized Freeport’s EIA process for its lack of transparency and expressed concerns that PT FI conducts the EIA for the expansion of their current mining area (WIUPK) with a total size of 9.946 hectares.

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