Papuan student arrested for Facebook post – Police press charges

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Published on Sunday, 24 May 2020 11:12

Members of the Papuan Regional Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Reskrim Polda Papua) have arrested a 25-year-old Papuan student with the initials GM in his house in North Jayapura on 1 May 2020 for posting an image of Indonesia's President Joko Widodo wearing a hat with the Morning Star symbol on his Facebook account and YouTube channel. GM is a student enrolled in a university in Yogyakarta. The police charged the student with article 28 (2) in conjunction with article 45A (2) of Law No. 19 /2016 about the amendment of Law No. 11/2008 on Electronic Information and Transaction on hate speech.

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Freeport operating with reduced workforce due to increase of COVID-19 cases

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Published on Monday, 18 May 2020 15:08

COVID-19 infections in the Mimika Regency, where Freeport operates the Grasberg mine, reached 150 cases as of 17 May, including 102 cases in Tembagapura, the living quarters built to house Freeport workers and their families. This has led Freeport to cut his workforce and operate the mine with only an essential team. The ICP reported on 7 May that despite 85 Freeport employees testing positive for COVID-19, the Grasberg Mine kept operating at full capacity as before.

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Korindo palm oil plantation calls police to settle land dispute – One indigenous Papuan dies as a result of torture

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Published on Sunday, 17 May 2020 06:41

The ‘Office for Justice and Peace of the Archdiocese of Merauke’ (SKP Keuskupan Agung Merauke) has documented the killing of an indigenous Papuan from the Asiki district in the regency of Boven Digoel. Witnesses saw how a police officer severely tortured Marius Betera in front of the office building of palm oil company PT. Tunas Sawa Erma POP Block A (PT. TSE POP A) after he complained about the clearing of his garden by one of the company’s excavators. The victim died at the company’s clinic approximately three hours after the incident as a result of the injuries he sustained during the beating. Local human rights organisations demand that the alleged perpetrator should be held responsible in a police-internal code of conduct trial and a criminal trial in a public court. PT. TSE POP A is a subsidiary of the Korindo Group, which operates multiple palm oil and timber companies in West Papua.

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Update, The Jakarta Six: Cancellation of release

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Published on Wednesday, 13 May 2020 04:02

(London, 12 May 2020) TAPOL condemns the political decision to cancel the early release of five political prisoners that were arrested in Jakarta for demonstrating in favour of the self-determination of West Papua.

On 24 April 2020, the Central Court of Jakarta sentenced Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Ambrosius Mulait, Dano Tabuni, Charles Kossay, and Ariana Elopere to nine months’ imprisonment; while Isay Wenda was sentenced to eight months. Isay Wenda was released on 29th April 2020 having served his full sentence.

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Police investigator in Sorong Selatan prevents lawyers from meeting with detainees

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Published on Monday, 11 May 2020 03:29

The Manokwari Institute for Research Study and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH Manokwari) reported another case of obstruction against three lawyers in the regency of Sorong Selatan. According to LP3BH Director, Yan Christian Warinussy, the lawyers of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Kaki Abu wanted to visit the four suspects who were arrested in multiple locations during a police raid in the regency of Maybrat between 15 and 23 April 2020. The police suspect them of being involved in the killing of a police officer in the regency of Bintuni.

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Residents reject construction of a military base in Tambrauw

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Published on Thursday, 07 May 2020 03:57

The Indonesian military (TNI) is building a military base in the regency of Tambrauw, Papua Barat Province. Local residents claim that military members have pressured them to release 5 hectares of customary land for the construction of a Military District Command (KODIM) and a Military Sub-District Command (KORAMIL) in the Kwoor District. They demanded the local Government to build adequate health and education facilities instead of military facilities.  The residents fear that the presence of the military in the regency will lead to cases of military violence against local residents. Especially the elder generation of indigenous Papuans in Tambrauw has still experienced the violent military operations under Indonesia’s former president Suharto, which were accompanied by gross human rights violations against the indigenous population of West Papua.

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