In this edition you will find:

• West Papua petition delivered to UN
• Human Rights Update West Papua - 3rd Quarter
• Updating Papua Road Map
• ICP members comment on the UPR report adoption
• Military officers kill Robi Murib in Ilaga, Puncak Regency
• Military member opens fire at indigenous fishermen at Poumako Harbour, Timika
• Update Oneibo shooting: Perpetrators' sentence disproportionately low
• Series of political arrests continues - 100 protesters arrested during peaceful commemorations in Java
• Police Brutality in Nabire - High school student beaten because he did not wear helmet
• 30 months imprisonment and dismissal from military service for the burning of bibles

West Papua petition delivered to United Nations

The 'Free West Papua Campaign' has delivered a historic petition to the United Nations, which calls on the UN to act upon human rights abuses in West Papua and to re-list West Papua in the UN's decolonisation agenda. The global petition was launched at the British Parliament in January 2017 under the coordination of Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda. On 28 August 2017, the 'Free West Papua Campaign' had organized a swimming campaign in which the historic document was carried by six swimmers across lake Geneva over a distance of 69 km (see images top and bottom). Three days later, the swimming team together with Benny Wenda and pro-independence supporters jointly marched the petition in a symbolic walk to the United Nations in Geneva.
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Human Rights Update West Papua - 3rd Quarter

In the third quarter of 2017, the number of reported torture and ill-treatment cases significantly increased from 17 to 135 victims. This is related to mass arrests in Nabire and a violent shooting in Deiyai Regency. Extra-judicial killings continue to occur in West Papua on frequent basis. One can also observe a significant increase of cases in which human rights defenders were obstructed, intimidated or attacked. Severe government negligence with regard to health services are a growing concern, particularly in the central highlands of West Papua.
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Updating Papua Road Map

Papua Studies team from Lembaga Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI/Indonesia Institute of Sciences) published a book titled "Papua Road Map: Negotiating the Past, Improving the Present, and Securing the Future". This book was a result of four-year extensive research from 2004-2008. An updated version of the book is now available.
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ICP members comment on the UPR report adoption

We, Geneva for Human Rights, VIVAT International, International Coalition for Papua, Westpapua-Netzwerk and Franciscans International, welcome the adoption of the outcomes of the UPR of Indonesia. We appreciate the Government of Indonesia's acceptance of three recom- mendations on the human rights situation in West Papua.1 We regret the rejection of one important recommendation on access for UN mechanisms to West Papua.
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Military officers kill Robi Murib in Ilaga, Puncak Regency

The local human rights organisation ELSHAM Papua has reported the alleged killing of Robi Murib (27 years old) by a group of military members in the highland town of Ilaga, Puncak Regency. On 7 July 2017, Robi and two friends had come together to consume alcoholic drinks in front of Robi's house. However, a heated argument among the three friends broke out as a group of  military officers passed the location around 2.15 pm East Indonesia Time (EIT). When the military patrol approached the house, one member recognized that Robi was armed with a revolver, which was attached to his belt.
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Military member opens fire at indigenous fishermen at Poumako Port, Timika

The ICP has received a report by the Justice and Peace Secretariat of the Timika Diocese regarding the alleged killing of Theodorus Kamtar by members of the Indonesian armed forces. Two of his tribesmen were injured by bullets during the attempt to dissolve a brawl at the Poumako Port, Timika. The incident was related to a dispute over customary fishing grounds between an indigenous local fisherfolk and migrant fishers from other parts of Indonesia. The indigenous community felt their livelihood threatened by  the better equipped migrant fishermen whose advanced catching methods had resulted in a decrease of fish population in the area.
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Update Oneibo Shooting: Perpetrators' sentence disproportionately low

The police chief of the Tigi Sub-District Police, Maing Raini, and three mobile brigade officers, namely commander Aslam Djafar, officer Esra Sattun and officer Victor Manggaprouw were sentenced to apologize and will be transferred to another district police. Many victims and human rights defenders regard the sentence as disproportionately low, considering that the officers applied excessive use of force during the dispersal of villagers in Oneibo on 1 August 2017, which lead to the death of Yulianus Pigai, whilst at least ten villagers sustained bullet injuries, among them five minors.
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Series of political arrests continues: 100 protestors arrested during peaceful commemorations in Java

According to indepen- dent media outlet “Tabloid Jubi”, 100 protesters were arrested in the Javanese cities of Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Semarang on 15 August 2017, as they joined peaceful commemorations of the 'New York Agreement'. The protests were organized by the Indonesian Solidarity Group 'FRI West Papua' in cooperation with the 'Papuan Student Alliance' AMP. In all cities, members of multiple religious and nationalist mass organisations launched counter protests to prevent the commemorations, which also took place in other Indonesian cities like Malang, Bandung and Ternate (North Maluku).
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Police brutality in Nabire - highschool student beaten because he did not wear helmet

A senior high school student named Bryan Kowi was allegedly beaten with a rattan stick by a police officer on 5 September 2017 in Nabire. According to the local media outlet Tabloid Jubi, Bryan Kowi and his friend were driving a motor cycle without wearing helmets. When they passed the regent's office, a police officer hit Bryan twice with a rattan stick on the head and the back.
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30-months imprisonment and dismissal from military service for the burning of bibles

A panel of judges of the II-19 military court in Jayapura has sentenced soldier Serda Bangun Ahmad Kasmawan to 30 months imprisonment. Furthermore, he will be dismissed from military service. Serda Bangun Ahmad Kasmawan burned a carton of bibles as he was cleaning out a storage room at the Kasrem 172/PWY military base in Padang Bulan, Jayapura on 25 May 2017. The trial was open to public.
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