answer Min. of FA about the deteriorating situation in Papua and West Papua

[ Note: Due to the installation of a new government (Liberals and Labour Party) in the Netherlands, Minister Dr. Uri Rosenthal (Liberal) finished his work.
Drs. F.C.G.M. Timmermans (Labour) was sworn in as our new Minister of Foreign Affairs on November 5, 2012]

From: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Post box 20061
2500 EB  The Hague
The Netherlands

Date 1 November 2012
Our ref. DAO-436/12
Your ref. Your letter about the situation in Papua

Dear Mr. De Jager,

Thank you for your letter to minister Rosenthal, which was transferred to the Asia
Department for further handling.

In your letter you express concern about the human rights situation and the
safety of human rights defenders in Papua and West Papua. In this context you
refer to a number of recent incidents.

I can assure you that developments in both provinces have the ministries’
attention and are raised on a regular basis with the Indonesian authorities. For
example, during the visit of the Netherlands human rights ambassador to Jakarta
in June this year Papua was extensively discussed.

Yours sincerely,

webmaster: nou nou dat geeft veel vertrouwen. Is gewoon een standaard antwoord.

To: The Minister of Foreign Affairs

 Dr. U. Rosenthal

 Postbox 20061

 2500 EB  The Haque

25 oktober 2012

Dear Mr. Rosenthal,

We want to share our great concern about the deteriorating situation in Papua and West Papua, including the arrests and intimidating of KNPB activists, students and human rights defenders.

On the 29^st of September eight members of KNPB were arrested by members of the security forces including members of Detachment 88 without any reason. They were arrested during a raid on the KNPB Regional Secretariat in Wamena. The authorities tried to blame the activists for a bomb accident in Wamena.

On Tuesday the 16^th  of October the security forces consisting of intelligence officers raided student dormitories at the Universitas Cenderawasih (UNCEN) in Waena, Jayapura in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest peaceful activists Fanny Kogoya and Danny Wenda.

On the 23^rd of October the security forces cracked down on peaceful rallies which were called by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB). The peaceful rallies were held in a number of towns throughout Papua and West Papua including in Timika, Sorong, Biak, Merauke and Jayapura. The rallies were organized to draw attention to the UN the human rights abuses suffered by the Papuan people.

Reports indicate that the security forces consisting of Police, TNI, Koppassus, Detachment 88 and BIN responded violently to the peaceful demonstrations. In Manokwari the security forces fired rubber bullets at students injuring at least eight. A local reporter and activist Oktovianus Pogau who was covering the rally said he was beaten badly by five policemen when he tried to present his press card. "They punched me twice in the face and tried to strangle me. They hit other journalists and I saw at least two people get shot," he reported.

A number of people have also been detained and we are very concerned for the safety of those human rights defenders that have been arrested, as many reports have indicated that they routinely use torture to extract confessions.