According to a recent article published on the news website of media outlet KBR, the former political prisoner and Papuan pro-independence activist Filep Karma was intercepted by five Air Force officers (AURI) at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Cengkarang on 3 January 2018. The officers had stopped Filep Karma around 9.00 pm in the airport building because he was wearing a pin showing the image of a morning star flag – a symbol of cultural identity which is also used by the Papuan independence movement. According to Filep Karma, the military officers asked him whether he wears a “OPM flag” to which Filep replied that the pin is ”just a symbol. Based on the 1945 Constitution a flag is made from cloth measuring 1×2 metres. It’s not a flag”. He was interrogated for almost two hours.
As the officers got annoyed by Filep Karma’ s explanation, one army member insulted Filep Karma, calling him a monkey. Subsequently, Filep was brought to the nearby police station of Cengkarang airport, where police officers attempted to issue a police investigation report (BAP). Civil Liberty Defender, Uchok Sigit Prayogi, assisted Filep Karma at the police station. The police did not finalize the BAP due to the lack of legal grounds for a prosecution. Filep Karma was released at 12.30 am.
