More extra-judicial killings reported during security force operation in Puncak Regency

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Published on Wednesday, 25 September 2019 10:46

Further extra-judicial killings have been reported from the remote highland regency of Puncak, where a security force operation is taking place since 24 August 2019. The most recent incident occurred in the Olenki Village on 17 September 2019, in which joint security forces shot dead an indigenous villager and two children. According to the Papuan news outlet ‘Tabloid Jubi’, a sixty-year old man named Ginobinok Tabuni died inside his house. The hut was set on fire during the security force raid in the village of Tegelobak on 24 August 2019. The family was not able to rescue Ginobinok Tabuni as they fled their house in panic. It was reported that twenty houses in the villages of Tegelobak, Mitimaga and Kelanunggin were burned to the ground.

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Outbreaks of violence in Wamena and Jayapura – first counts estimate 31 civilian fatalities, 87 persons injured

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Published on Monday, 23 September 2019 09:30

Papuan human rights activists and Indonesian media sources have reported two further outbreaks of violence in the cities of Wamena and Jayapura on 23 September 2019. They seem to be related to ongoing protests against racial discrimination of indigenous Papuans in Indonesia. According to the Head of the Papuan Regional Police Public Relations Desk, AM Kamal, 28 civilians have died and 77 others were injured during the riots in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency. In Jayapura city, a security force crackdown on Papuan students resulted in the death of three protesters and injuries among ten students. One military member was killed during the operation.

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Update on situation in Wamena and Jayapura after the riots

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Published on Thursday, 26 September 2019 06:13

The recent outbreaks of violence in relation to anti-racism protests in the Papuan cities of Jayapura and Wamena have resulted in the largest number of fatalities in single incidents since the beginning of the ‘Reformasi Period’ in 1998. Statements regarding the death toll in Wamena have varied between Government officials. According to the Head of the Papuan Regional Police Public Relations Desk, Ahmad Mustafa Kamal, the police documented 29 civilian fatalities and 76 injured persons in Wamena. Moreover, 80 cars, 30 motorcycles, 150 shops and houses, a power plant and four government offices were set on fire or severely damaged. The Indonesian Police Chief, Tito Karnavian, mentioned a total number of 26 fatalities and 66 injured persons in a public interview one day later. The fatalities consist of 22 Non-Papuans and four ethnic Papuans, said Karnavian.

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3 indigenous Papuans killed, 4 wounded during security force operation in the Regency of Puncak

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Published on Wednesday, 18 September 2019 06:37

Human rights defenders have reported further extra-judicial killing in relation to an ongoing security force operation against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) in the highland regency of Puncak, Papua Province. According to information received, the incident occurred on 17 September 2019 in the Olenki Village of the Mabugi District and resulted in three fatalities, among them a one-year-old baby and a ten-year-old boy (see intro image). Four indigenous women were injured during the shooting (see table below). The three women and a sixteen-year old girl were flown to Timika were they received medical treatment at the General Hospital.

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Violence escalates in West Papua - ULMWP Chairman calls for urgent UN visit to West Papua

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Published on Tuesday, 24 September 2019 05:49

West Papua is experiencing the worst wave of violence since decades after various protests against racial discrimination, which started in mid-August 2019, have resulted in security force crackdowns and outbreaks of horizontal violence. Two further outbreaks of violence have been reported in the cities of Wamena and Jayapura on 23 September 2019, resulting in at least 31 civilian fatalities, while 87 persons were injured. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has now called for an urgent UN visit to West Papua. ULMWP chairperson, Benny Wenda, said in an pressing statement on 24 September 2019 that "the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights must visit West Papua now, and the Pacific Islands Forum must help to secure this".

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Update Anti-Racism Demonstrations: Government responds with mass arrests and prosecution of activists

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Published on Tuesday, 17 September 2019 10:28

Almost one month has passed since the first anti-racism demonstrations in response to racist assaults against Papuan students in the Javanese cities of Malang and Surabaya took place in all cities across West Papua. The Indonesian Government has responded with mass arrests and a widespread criminalisation campaign against political activists and human rights defenders. Statistic data suggests that Indonesian police officers conducted 205 arrests and pressed criminal charges against 88 suspects between 20 August and 19 September 2019 (see table below).

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NGOs call on CGF members to take immediate action against deforestation

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Published on Tuesday, 24 September 2019 05:39

Ten years ago, the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) made a commitment to end deforestation in member companies’ supply chains by 2020, with an emphasis on high-risk commodities such as soy, beef, palm oil, and pulp and paper. In 2014, additional companies joined this pledge as part of the New York Declaration on Forests. These commitments represented a recognition that deforestation is a serious environmental and social concern, and a major contributor to the climate crisis – the greatest existential threat to humanity and the planet. As 2020 approaches, it is apparent that CGF companies will fail to achieve their goal of Zero Net Deforestation.

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Full response - Veronica Koman published press statement on Facebook

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Published on Monday, 16 September 2019 14:17

Human rights defender and lawyer Veronica Koman, who actively advocates for human rights in West Papua, published a press stament in Indonesian on 14 September and an international press statement on 15 September 2020 on her personal Facebook account. Among others, she denies any wrongdoing, accuses the Indonesian Embassy staff of intimidation and the police of power abuse. The full statement reads as follows:

International Press Statement by Veronica Koman
Over the past eleven days I have chosen not to respond to various accusations aired on an almost daily basis by the Indonesian police through mass media. This is not because the police's accusations are true, but because I refuse to participate in efforts to divert attention from the real crisis currently gripping West Papua.

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