A side event at the human rights council organised by the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC), Franciscans International (FI), International Coalition for Papua (ICP), Pro Papua Foundation, Tapol, Vivat International, West Papua Netzwerk (WPN), on
Thursday, June 12, 2014
14:30 – 16:30 (CEST, UTC+2), Room XXII
Palais des Nations, Geneva
Live streaming video by Ustream
West Papua in Indonesia remains an isolated conflict region to which UN mechanisms, foreign journalist and independent observers have not free access. Indigenous Papuans are regularly imprisoned for the peaceful expression of political opinions, demonstrations violently dispersed and journalists intimidated.
At the end of April 2014, there were at least 72 political prisoners in West Papua. There was a major deterioration in respect for the rights of political detainees during 2013. Reported cases of torture and ill-treatment in detention tripled while the number of cases involving unfair trials or denial of access to lawyers doubled. The lack of access to appropriate healthcare and the intimidation of detainees and their lawyers are also key concerns. Activists and peaceful protesters are routinely subjected to surveillance, threats, harassment and beatings, and sometimes killed or disappeared. The situation has caused considerable numbers of internally displaced people and refugees.
The side event will be live streamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/human-rights-papua
Speakers:
Victor Mambor
Allicance of Independent Journalists, Papua chapter, Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia
Esther Cann
Tapol, UK
Budi Hernawan
Franciscans International, New York
Benjamin Joku
Pro Papua Foundation, Netherlands
Moderator: Norman Voß, International Coalition for Papua
