Jakarta. A prominent international human rights group has agreed to advocate for the release of Filep Samuel Karma, a Papuan political prisoner who was jailed in 2005 for raising the banned Morning Star flag.
Washington-based Freedom Now said Filep, 51, would become one of just 13 political prisoners around the world it was currently campaigning for, joining the likes of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xiaobo. The organization was also known for working for the release of Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
“Freedom Now will represent Mr. Filep Karma with the aim to secure the release of Mr. Karma from detention,” Freedom Now’s executive director, Maran Turner, wrote in an e-mail to Filep’s mother, Eklefina Noriwari.
Cynthia Warwe, one of Filep’s closest friends, said the e-mail arrived last week and Eklefina immediately signed a contract to formalize the deal.
The e-mail did not specify why the group wanted to represent Filep, but its Web site says that the group considers Filep to be a prisoner of conscience.
“I’m glad they want to defend my rights at an international level,” Filep told the Jakarta Globe during a telephone interview from inside Abepura Prison in Jayapura.
“It is truly an honor for me to join the lineup of renowned human rights figures on Freedom Now’s short list of clients.
“Freedom Now made it very clear that I cannot engage in or advocate the use of violence, which I never have and never will do.
“There are a lot of political prisoners in Papua — all equally deserving to be released by the Indonesian government. I wish Freedom Now could advocate for their release too.”
On Dec. 1, 2004, Filep organized a peaceful demonstration in Abepura, where the banned Morning Star flag was raised. Filep was subsequently sentenced in May 2005 to 15 years in jail for treason and stoking unrest.
Human Rights Watch has said there has been a long history of suppressing peaceful activism in Papua, with nonviolent protesters regularly being arrested and occasionally suffering abuse.
Chandran Lestyono, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, said Indonesia would not bow to international pressure by releasing prisoners.
“Only the president has the executive power to pardon a prisoner,” he said. “If what the prisoner wants is unconditional release, then he should file a case review to the Supreme Court.”