Human rights group Amnesty International called on Thursday for the immediate release of a pro-independence activist imprisoned in West Papua for raising a banned flag in a peaceful demonstration last year.
Melkianus Bleskadit was sentenced on Aug. 18 to two years in prison by the Manokwari District Court. He had organized a peaceful protest in the West Papua capital on Dec. 14.
“His sentence highlights the continuing use of repressive legislation to criminalize peaceful political activities in the province,” the rights group said in a statement.
The rights group said Melkianus was among a group of activists who participated in a peaceful protest against injustice and human rights violations by Indonesian security forces.
The protest march ended at Penerangan field in Manokwari where other political activists had gathered to commemorate the Dec. 1 anniversary of the 1961 proclamation of the intention to create the Republic of West Papua.
During the ceremony the banned Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence, was raised.
Police in Manokwari arrested seven people, including a priest, Daniel Yenu, and five students, John Wilson Wader, Penehas Serongon, Yance Sekenyap, Alex Duwiri and John Raweyai.
Yenu was sentenced to seven months and 16 days in prison on Tuesday, but was immediately released because he had already spent more than eight months in detention.
The trials of the five students are ongoing.
All seven men were charged with “rebellion” under Article 106 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. They were also charged with “incitement” under Article 160.
Amnesty claimed that the men were not provided access to a defense lawyer.
The Indonesian Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Indonesia is a party, guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, association and peaceful assembly.
Amnesty argued that the ban on gatherings at which the Morning Star flag was raised constituted an illegitimate restriction on freedom of expression and association as set out in the ICCPR.
Amnesty said there were at least 90 political activists in the restive provinces of Maluku, Papua and West Papua who have been imprisoned solely for their peaceful political activities.
The group considers them to be prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
“Amnesty International takes no position whatsoever on the political status of any province of Indonesia, including calls for independence,” the group said.
“However, the organization believes that the right to freedom of expression includes the right to peacefully advocate referendums, independence or any other political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”
Comments
I dont think anyone in Indonesia simpathize with independence seeker. There are 300+ different people in this country, all with different local problems and grievances, including with each other, if we are to follow all those complaints there will be chaos for everyone. Most people in Papua dont want independence, it is these foreign NGOs which creates problem and incite people to agitate for independence. Even claim of police brutality is exaggerated. One or two cases cant be used to tar the whole police/army serving in the vast provinces. Bad Police or army men is everywhere in the world. Bad white police were shooting unarmed black men in New York. Do black men of New York got to get an independent state because of that?
Papua is being governed by local Papuan as we speak, from the governors down to village chiefs. If there are corruptions, illegal logging etc, those are most likely done by corrupt local (Papuan) leaders.. so any attempt to use it as a reason for separatism is completely baseless. What they need is more education and training, specially for the leaders/civil servants, to stamp out corruptions. As for foreign journalist and NGOs, as I said, plenty of them came with an agenda to promote separatism.. so it is just right that we keep them out.
Indonesia cannot call itself free, democratic, and most importantly civilised, whilst it continues its massive human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in Papua. The Indonesian people continue their long history of ignoring the evil that is perpetuated under their noses and in their name. Why does it take International condemnation and concern to reveal these awful crimes and bring them out into the light?
We are all aware of the disgusting cases of cowardly torture of activists, and the token sentences given to sadistic Indonesia soldiers responsible. Then on the other hand the lengthy prison sentences given to flag wavers, in some cases upto 15 years.
Papua is prime example of Indonesia's inability to join civilised society. Indonesia, in particular its evil authoritarian governing regime, continues to abuse and steal from the poor and weak, and without conscience, perform serious and massive acts of abuse against humanity.
God only know what crimes have and are being committed against the people of Papua by the evil Indonesian military thugs. What has changed since the horrors of what Suharto inflicted upon East Timor? Nothing has changed, when Java wants something, it simply steals it, rapes and pillages, and then goes down to the Mosque to celebrate.
When will Indonesia join the free World and stop its cowardly behaviour towards it own people. When one listens to the revoltingly pious, self righteous words of Indonesia's obscenely hypocritic, self inflated, and mostly corrupt, leaders, it is quite sickening.
Got nothing to hide? Let in the press.
Sex with girlfriend = 4.5 years
Flying a flag = 2 years
Murder (if you're a muslim) = 3 months