Papuan student arrested in Ambon for wearing a net bag with Morning Star symbol
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- Published on Thursday, 19 March 2020 22:40
Seven months ago, multiple racist assaults against Papuans students by nationalist mass organisations and discriminative interventions by the local police in the Javanese cities Malang and Surabaya caused large scale demonstrations against racism in all major cities across West Papua, some of them turning into violent riots. The Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) has reported a further case, in which military members arbitrarily arrested a Papuan student for wearing a bag with a Morning Star symbol in the city of Ambon, Maluku Province.
CSO demands access for Indonesian Red Cross to West Papua
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 March 2020 07:16
The Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) has demanded the Indonesian Government to take urgent measures to provide humanitarian help to victims of internal displacement in multiple regencies of West Papua through the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). The statement followed recent outbreaks of armed violence in the regency of Mimika which reportedly caused the displacement of over 1.500 indigenous peoples from the district of Tembagapura in early March 2020. The internal displacement of civilians in Tembagapura is not an isolated case. In late December 2019 and January 2020, residents of 15 villages in the regency of Intan Jaya fled their homes after the Indonesian Government deployed additional military units to the regency to conduct a wide-ranging military operation. Other cases of internal displacement due to the military operations and armed clashes in West Papua have been reported from the regencies Puncak, Lanny Jaya and Nduga throughout 2019.
Armed conflict in West Papua aggravates throughout past weeks – over 1,500 IDPs flee to Timika
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- Published on Tuesday, 10 March 2020 19:08
The armed conflict in West Papua has significantly aggravated throughout the past weeks. Armed clashes between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) were reported from the Papuan regencies Nduga, Pegunungan Bintang, Kerom and Mimika. Many of the clashes resulted in the deaths of security force members. Multiple armed attacks in the regency of Mimika reportedly caused the displacement of over 1,500 indigenous Amungme people from four villages. For the first time, multiple violent incidents within a short time frame occurred in the regency of Pegunungan Bintang. Indonesian security forces suspect that the local TPN PB forces used stolen weapons for the attacks. TPN PB members had retrieve eleven fire arms of various sizes from a crashed military chopper in June 2019.
Public worship in Nduga overshadowed by armed clash – Security forces kill one indigenous woman, at least three others injured
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- Published on Wednesday, 04 March 2020 09:17
The new members of the local parliament in the regency of Nduga were inaugurated on 24 February 2020. On 26 February 2020, the parliament members organised a public worship with a traditional earth oven in the town of Kenyam, to which many indigenous peoples from nearby districts came. The public event was overshadowed by an armed clash between members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) and Indonesian Security Forces. During the exchange of fire, the security forces shot dead 25-year-old Wislina Tabuni (see intro image) as she was seeking cover. She sustained a lethal bullet wound to the neck and died shortly after the attack. Another indigenous Papuan named Yosman Wasiangge (20 years) was severely injured by a bullet during the shooting. The projectile hit Yosman in the right side of the lower back (see image on the right). He was flown on 27 February 2020 to the general hospital in Timika, where the projectile was surgically removed on the following day.
Police officers fail to protect truck driver during mob attack in Dogiyai Regency
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- Published on Thursday, 27 February 2020 23:53
Police officers have failed to protect a truck driver named Yus Yunus during a mob attack in the regency of Dogiyai on 23 February 2020. The incident was allegedly triggered by a traffic accident on the Trans-Papua road in the village of Ekimani, Kamu Utara District and resulted in the death of a local resident named Demianus Mote. Police officers of the Kamu Sub-district Police were present at the site of crime but failed to protect Yus Yunus from the angry mob. He died as a result of the injuries he sustained during the attack. A video recorded during the incident shows that Yus Yunus sought protection behind fully armed mobile brigade police officers, as multiple attackers repeatedly hit his head with sticks and stones.
Fifth Update on trials and detentions after anti-racism riots in West Papua
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- Published on Thursday, 27 February 2020 02:30
This article provides an overview on trials related to Papua-wide anti-racism protests between late August and late September 2019 as well as the subsequent wave of criminalisation against human rights defenders and political activists. The International Coalition for Papua summarised earlier stages of the legal proceedings and detentions in previous articles (first update, second update, third update, fourth update). The following article covers recent developments in relation to the riots throughout February 2020.
Unrest throughout August and September 2019 results in 59 fatalities
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- Published on Tuesday, 25 February 2020 03:10
The unrest due to Papua-wide anti-racism riots between late August and late September marks one of the most significant events throughout 2019. The ICP has put together a list of victims who died during the series of violent incidents. Outbreaks of ethnic violence between Papuans and non-Papuans as well as violent security force crackdowns on demonstrations resulted in a total number of 59 civilian fatalities within a period of less than one month. While the situation in West Papua has temporarily calmed down, the potential risk of further outbreaks of violence continues to exist as the root causes of the conflict remain unaddressed. The Indonesian Government has not taken meaningful steps to counter the marginalisation of indigenous Papuans, tackle racist notions among Indonesian security forces and civil society or enter into dialogue with the independence movement to settle the political conflict in West Papua.
Joint security forces kill indigenous community leader and minor during raid in Intan Jaya
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- Published on Monday, 24 February 2020 21:41
A military operation has been ongoing in the regency of Intan Jaya since late December 2019. Human rights defenders reported that a recent raid in the Yoparu Village of Sugapa District resulted in the deaths of indigenous leader, Kayus Sani, and an eleven-years-old primary school student named Melki Tipagau (see intro image). Melki Tipagau’s mother, Malopina Sani (31 years), and another minor named Martina Sani (12 years) sustained bullet injuries during the incident. The bodies of Melki Tipagau and Kayus Sani were buried on 19 February 2020 in the village of Bulapa, Sugapa District. The tragic event occurred only three weeks after military members had reportedly killed one civilian and injured an eight-year-old boy during a previous clash in the Sugapa district on 26 January 2019. Kayus Sani had already sustained a bullet injury on the calf during the incident.
More Articles...
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- Komnas HAM categorises Paniai incident as serious human rights violation – Case submitted to Attorney General
- Fourth Update on trials and detentions after Anti-Racism Riots in West Papua
- Trial update on killing of Govt contractors in Nduga Regency – Lawyers request forensic examination of defendant’s teeth
- Laporan Baru ICP tentang Papua Barat: hak asasi manusia, konflik dan situasi pembangunan
- Press release: New Report on the West Papua Human Rights and Conflict Situation published by the ICP
- Freedom of speech in West Papua under threat – police presses charges against student for Facebook post on Sugapa Shooting
- One indigenous civilian killed and two injured in Sugapa – 15 villages in Intan Jaya Regency reportedly affected by internal displacement
- Third Update on trials and detentions after anti-racism riots in West Papua
- Update on killing of Govt contractors in Nduga Regency - Trial against defendant launched in Jakarta