News on West Papua's human rights and conflict situation
The UN Human Rights Committee is officially asking the Indonesian government to inform about the measures taken to protect refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled due to the conflict in West Papua. The Human Rights Committee (CCPR) has adopted the list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) of Indonesia at its 129th session. The document also ask Indonesia about Papua/West Papua in relation to violence against women, right to life, peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, the establishment of local parties in the context of Special Autonomy, and authorities responses to self-determination/referendum calls. Based on data collected by local organisations, the ICP has published a report showing that more than 41,851 indigenous Papuans from the regencies of Mimika, Intan Jaya, Puncak, Lanny Jaya, and Nduga in Papua province were internally displaced between 4 December 2018 and early March 2020 because of security force operations.
Public discourse about prolongation of Papuan Special Autonomy intensifies
The period for the special autonomy in the provinces Papua and Papua Barat will be over in 2021. While the Government of Indonesia promotes the prolongation of the special autonomy, the discussion about a “second special autonomy” is polarizing the society in West Papua. Many indigenous Papuans argue that the special autonomy has failed to bring upon prosperity for indigenous Papuans and boost development, while a small political elite has benefited from the large special autonomy funds. The inconsistent implementation of the special autonomy law over a time span of 20 years has created disappointment among many indigenous Papuans and re-fueled demands for self-determination as the special autonomy period is coming to an end.
Police officers open fire at 16-year-old Papuan in Dogiyai Regency
Papuan suspect killed during police detention in Sorong – Police Chief blames detainee
A homicide suspect, 21-year-old Georg Karel Rumbino, died during police detention at the Sorong Municipality Police Headquarters (Mapolres Sorong) in the province of Papua Barat. On 27 August 2020, relatives brought to the police in connection with the murder of an elderly woman in their neighbourhood. The family members had found a mobile phone in Georg’s room, and believed it belonged to the victim. According to the police investigator, Misbhacul Munir, Georg Rumbino claimed to be innocent during the interrogation. Eight hours later, while he was still in custody, the family received the information that Georg Rumbino had passed away. The Chief of the Sorong Municipality Police (Kapolres), Ary Nyoto, claimed in a media statement that Georg Rumbino was attacked by another detainee inside the detention cell and died shortly afterwards. The case has drawn attention in the national and social media because Georg Rumbino was related to the Papuan singer, actor and politician, Edo Kondologit.
Police officers arrest Papuan activist for Facebook post
Papuan political activists continue to face a high risk of criminalisation through law enforcement agencies in Indonesia. The recent arrest of Philipus Robaha, the Vice-Chairman of the West Papua National Student and Youth Solidarity (SONAMAPA), was the latest confirmation of this trend. Police officers arbitrarily arrested Philipus Robaha on 24 August 2020 during a general traffic control in the outskirts of Jayapura City. Thereinafter, police officers detained Philipus at the Jayapura municipality police station and questioned him from 11.00 am until 3.00 pm. They asked him about a critical Facebook post on the evaluation of 19 years of Special Autonomy by the regional leaders’ forum in Sentani, Jayapura regency. The police attempted to press charges against him for alleged violation of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE Law). The interrogation came to the result that the Facebook post was not uploaded on Philipus Robaha’s personal Facebook account.
Update on prosecution of political prisoner Bazoka Logo
The political prisoner Yusak ‘Bazoka’ Logo, Head of the Politics Desk of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), was released from the Abepura correctional facility in Jayapura on 26 August 2020 after serving a sentence of twelve months. He was arbitrarily arrested on 15 August 2019 in relation to a peaceful demonstration in commemoration of the ‘New York Agreement’. The prosecutor sought a sentence of three years for Logo for the violation of Article 266 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) on document forgery. According to Logo, an immigration officer offered him to accelerate the application process and issued a forged passport document against illegal fees. Human rights lawyers claimed that the police pressed the charges against him due to his membership in the ULMWP, because the organisation engages in international advocacy for the right to self-determination of the Papuan people.
Since 2001, several NGOs and other observers have raised concern over illegal gold panning activities in the Buper Waena area of the Jayapura municipality. On 26 June 2020, a team of police investigators arrested 17 persons. The officers seized heavy tools as well as chemicals, among them two gold panning machines, six excavators and mercury. According to the Chief of the Jayapura Municipality Police, Gustav Urbinas, the mining activities violate the Law on Minerals and Coal, the Law on Environmental Management and the Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction. The gold miners had received permission from a local indigenous leader holding the customary land rights in the Buper area. However, they failed to arrange the mandatory government permits for the mining operation.
UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women publishes LoI for upcoming review of Indonesia
The last four political prisoners of the ‘Balikpapan 7’ returned to West Papua after serving their sentence in a correctional facility in the Kalimantan Timur province. On 22 August 2020, Buchtar Tabuni, Agus Kossay, Steven Itlay, and Frenky Hilapok arrived at the airport in Jayapura, Papua Province. The other three activists: Alexander Gobai, Feri Gombo and Irwanus Uropmabin, were released one month earlier. Many indigenous Papuans perceive the ‘Balikpapan 7’ as heroes who stood up against racism towards Papuans in Indonesia. Before their arrival, the political movement organisation KNPB called upon the people in Jayapura to welcome the activists. People gathered since the early morning to welcome the four activists. Joint security forces closely monitored the crowd and made random controls but did not disperse the crowd.
Joint security forces torture three indigenous Papuans in Sorong Selatan
Human rights defenders have criticised Indonesian law enforcement institutions for their lack of commitment in arranging the return of Papuan defendants from detention facilities outside of West Papua. In the past year, law enforcement institutions in the province of Papua transferred eight defendants to detention centres in Balikpapan and Jakarta. The public prosecutors and the Papua Regional Police (Polda Papua) argued that the trials would pose a considerable risk to the security situation in West Papua.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI WP) launched demonstrations in multiple Indonesian cities on 15 August 2020. The protests were held in commemoration of the ‘New York Agreement’, an agreement signed by the Netherlands and Indonesia under the mediation of the United States of America. The New York Agreement and its consequences are considered one of the root causes for the West Papua conflict. Four peaceful protests in Jayapura were forcefully dispersed. Police officers arrested 32 protesters. At least one protester sustained injuries as police officers used excessive force to disperse the crowd. In the Javanese city of Semarang, approximately 50 protesters were intimidated by police forces.
The Indonesian Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP) is demanding the Indonesian human rights lawyer, Veronica Koman to reimburse funds that she received as part of a scholarship program for her studies abroad. Veronica Koman understood the claim as a new attempt by the Indonesian government to discourage her from advocacy activities on the human rights situation in West Papua. In the past years, unknown perpetrators launched smear campaigns on the internet against Koman. She decided to go into exile in Australia in 2019 after repeatedly receiving death threats and other forms of intimidation.
Trial against 11 political activists in Sorong – Prosecutor demands 16 months for alleged treason
TAPOL's new report: West Papua 2019 Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Assembly
Surveillance, intimidation and harassment, protest dispersals, torture, arbitrary arrests and extra-judicial killings continued in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and Papua Barat, and in Indonesia more broadly, as the state tried to crack down on the contentious issue of West Papua’s self-determination in 2019. Alarmingly, the government also used new tactics such as internet shutdown and cyber-attacks during the anti-racism protests and riots which culminated in the ‘West Papuan Uprising’ in August and September 2019. TAPOL has documented over 100 cases of incidents of violations of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly on West Papua in 2019.ÂÂÂ In this report aims to highlight those violations and provide recommendations to the Indonesian government as well as to the international community to draw attention to the situation of freedom of expression and association in Indonesia particularly on West Papua.
West Papua has the worst democracy index in Indonesia
According to the Centre for Study, Documentation and Advocacy on Peoples’ Rights (Pusaka), 1,488 hectares of forest area in West Papua have been logged down between January and May 2020. This equals a size of 2,084 soccer fields. The majority of logging activities were related to the expansion of palm oil plantations. Pusaka has compiled the data based on field reports and satellite imagery analysis. The organisation underlined that plantations and illegal gold mines also pose a problem in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The virus may quickly spread into remote areas through recruitment of new labourers, which are often hired from outside of West Papua. Indigenous communities are particularly at risk of getting infected
- Indonesian govt can’t neglect internally displaced Papuans - UN requests detailed information
- Public discourse about prolongation of Papuan Special Autonomy intensifies
- Police officers open fire at 16-year-old Papuan in Dogiyai Regency
- Papuan suspect killed during police detention in Sorong – Police Chief blames detainee
- Police officers arrest Papuan activist for Facebook post
- Update on prosecution of political prisoner Bazoka Logo
- Police finally takes action against illegal gold mine in Jayapura
- UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women publishes LoI for upcoming review of Indonesia
- 'Balikpapan 7' finally back in Jayapura
- Joint security forces torture three indigenous Papuans in Sorong Selatan
- PT Freeport Indonesia conducts Environmental Impact Analysis – Indigenous communities fear expansion
- Papuan prisoners neglected – Govt fails to arrange return to West Papua
- Police disperse NY Agreement commemorations in Jayapura – 32 protesters arrested, one ill-treated during arrest
- Indo govt continues to pressure human rights defender Veronica Koman
- Trial against 11 political activists in Sorong – Prosecutor demands 16 months for alleged treason
- TAPOL's new report: West Papua 2019 Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Assembly
- West Papua has the worst democracy index in Indonesia
- Deforestation in West Papua – 1,488 hectares forest logged down between January and May 2020
The UN Human Rights Committee is officially asking the Indonesian government to inform about the measures taken to protect refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled due to the conflict in West Papua. The Human Rights Committee (CCPR) has adopted the list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) of Indonesia at its 129th session. The document also ask Indonesia about Papua/West Papua in relation to violence against women, right to life, peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, the establishment of local parties in the context of Special Autonomy, and authorities responses to self-determination/referendum calls. Based on data collected by local organisations, the ICP has published a report showing that more than 41,851 indigenous Papuans from the regencies of Mimika, Intan Jaya, Puncak, Lanny Jaya, and Nduga in Papua province were internally displaced between 4 December 2018 and early March 2020 because of security force operations. The period for the special autonomy in the provinces Papua and Papua Barat will be over in 2021. While the Government of Indonesia promotes the prolongation of the special autonomy, the discussion about a “second special autonomy” is polarizing the society in West Papua. Many indigenous Papuans argue that the special autonomy has failed to bring upon prosperity for indigenous Papuans and boost development, while a small political elite has benefited from the large special autonomy funds. The inconsistent implementation of the special autonomy law over a time span of 20 years has created disappointment among many indigenous Papuans and re-fueled demands for self-determination as the special autonomy period is coming to an end.Police officers open fire at 16-year-old Papuan in Dogiyai Regency
The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Desk of the Papuan Tabernacle Church (JPIC Kingmi Papua) has documented another case of police violence against indigenous Papuans. The incident occurred in the Ugapuga village of the Kamu district, Dogiyai regency. According to the information received, seven police officers in plainclothes opened fire at a group of young men who had consumed alcoholic drinks and were stopping cars to bag for money. Sixteen-year-old Yan (Keiya Mabipai) Agapa sustained a bullet wound in the left thigh. The family decided not to bring Yan Agapa to the general hospital because they feared further repressive acts by security force members.
Papuan suspect killed during police detention in Sorong – Police Chief blames detainee
A homicide suspect, 21-year-old Georg Karel Rumbino, died during police detention at the Sorong Municipality Police Headquarters (Mapolres Sorong) in the province of Papua Barat. On 27 August 2020, relatives brought to the police in connection with the murder of an elderly woman in their neighbourhood. The family members had found a mobile phone in Georg’s room, and believed it belonged to the victim. According to the police investigator, Misbhacul Munir, Georg Rumbino claimed to be innocent during the interrogation. Eight hours later, while he was still in custody, the family received the information that Georg Rumbino had passed away. The Chief of the Sorong Municipality Police (Kapolres), Ary Nyoto, claimed in a media statement that Georg Rumbino was attacked by another detainee inside the detention cell and died shortly afterwards. The case has drawn attention in the national and social media because Georg Rumbino was related to the Papuan singer, actor and politician, Edo Kondologit.Police officers arrest Papuan activist for Facebook post
Papuan political activists continue to face a high risk of criminalisation through law enforcement agencies in Indonesia. The recent arrest of Philipus Robaha, the Vice-Chairman of the West Papua National Student and Youth Solidarity (SONAMAPA), was the latest confirmation of this trend. Police officers arbitrarily arrested Philipus Robaha on 24 August 2020 during a general traffic control in the outskirts of Jayapura City. Thereinafter, police officers detained Philipus at the Jayapura municipality police station and questioned him from 11.00 am until 3.00 pm. They asked him about a critical Facebook post on the evaluation of 19 years of Special Autonomy by the regional leaders’ forum in Sentani, Jayapura regency. The police attempted to press charges against him for alleged violation of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE Law). The interrogation came to the result that the Facebook post was not uploaded on Philipus Robaha’s personal Facebook account. The political prisoner Yusak ‘Bazoka’ Logo, Head of the Politics Desk of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), was released from the Abepura correctional facility in Jayapura on 26 August 2020 after serving a sentence of twelve months. He was arbitrarily arrested on 15 August 2019 in relation to a peaceful demonstration in commemoration of the ‘New York Agreement’. The prosecutor sought a sentence of three years for Logo for the violation of Article 266 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) on document forgery. According to Logo, an immigration officer offered him to accelerate the application process and issued a forged passport document against illegal fees. Human rights lawyers claimed that the police pressed the charges against him due to his membership in the ULMWP, because the organisation engages in international advocacy for the right to self-determination of the Papuan people.Police finally takes action against illegal gold mine in Jayapura
Since 2001, several NGOs and other observers have raised concern over illegal gold panning activities in the Buper Waena area of the Jayapura municipality. On 26 June 2020, a team of police investigators arrested 17 persons. The officers seized heavy tools as well as chemicals, among them two gold panning machines, six excavators and mercury. According to the Chief of the Jayapura Municipality Police, Gustav Urbinas, the mining activities violate the Law on Minerals and Coal, the Law on Environmental Management and the Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction. The gold miners had received permission from a local indigenous leader holding the customary land rights in the Buper area. However, they failed to arrange the mandatory government permits for the mining operation.UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women publishes LoI for upcoming review of Indonesia
On 17 July 2020, the ‘Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women‘ (CEDAW) published the ‘List of Issues’ (LoI), which will set the thematic framework for Indonesia’s upcoming review between 8 and 26 February 2021.ÂÂÂ Indonesia will be reviewed for the 8th time by the CEDAW during its 78th session. The review will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, where the United Nations Human Rights Council resides. Non-Governmental organisations are invited to submit information on issues mentioned in the LoI to the CEDAW due 18 January 2021. The CEDAW has called upon NGOs working on Indonesia to deliver statements and organise side events during the review in Geneva.
Read more
Download ‘List of Issues’ here
'Balikpapan 7' finally back in Jayapura
The last four political prisoners of the ‘Balikpapan 7’ returned to West Papua after serving their sentence in a correctional facility in the Kalimantan Timur province. On 22 August 2020, Buchtar Tabuni, Agus Kossay, Steven Itlay, and Frenky Hilapok arrived at the airport in Jayapura, Papua Province. The other three activists: Alexander Gobai, Feri Gombo and Irwanus Uropmabin, were released one month earlier. Many indigenous Papuans perceive the ‘Balikpapan 7’ as heroes who stood up against racism towards Papuans in Indonesia. Before their arrival, the political movement organisation KNPB called upon the people in Jayapura to welcome the activists. People gathered since the early morning to welcome the four activists. Joint security forces closely monitored the crowd and made random controls but did not disperse the crowd.According to the independent media outlet ‘Suara Papua’, joint security forces tortured three indigenous Papuans who were on their way to the town of Teminabuan, the largest city in the regency of Sorong Selatan. On 16 August 2020, Saulus Melkior Wugaje, Dominggus Aifufu and Chiko Momot removed a fallen tree that was blocking the road. While doing this, one of them collected donations from drivers passing through. Such actions are common in West Papua where government services are passive and unreliable. Instead, local community members often take the initiative to clean or fix public roads against public donations. In the afternoon, two police officers an a military member attacked the three men.
PT Freeport Indonesia conducts Environmental Impact Analysis – Indigenous communities fear expansion
PT Freeport Indonesia (PT FI), which operates one of the world's largest gold and copper mines, the Grasberg mine, in the highlands of West Papua, has invited indigenous community representatives, environmental and indigenous organisations to a first public consultation meeting on 13 August 2020. The meeting was held in the context of a new Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA). Many indigenous community representatives refused to attend the meeting out of fear that their participation will be nothing more than a symbolic act without taking their claims and aspirations into consideration. Several community leaders criticized Freeport’s EIA process for its lack of transparency and expressed concerns that PT FI conducts the EIA for the expansion of their current mining area (WIUPK) with a total size of 9.946 hectares.
Papuan prisoners neglected – Govt fails to arrange return to West Papua
Human rights defenders have criticised Indonesian law enforcement institutions for their lack of commitment in arranging the return of Papuan defendants from detention facilities outside of West Papua. In the past year, law enforcement institutions in the province of Papua transferred eight defendants to detention centres in Balikpapan and Jakarta. The public prosecutors and the Papua Regional Police (Polda Papua) argued that the trials would pose a considerable risk to the security situation in West Papua.Police disperse NY Agreement commemorations in Jayapura – 32 protesters arrested, one ill-treated during arrest
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI WP) launched demonstrations in multiple Indonesian cities on 15 August 2020. The protests were held in commemoration of the ‘New York Agreement’, an agreement signed by the Netherlands and Indonesia under the mediation of the United States of America. The New York Agreement and its consequences are considered one of the root causes for the West Papua conflict. Four peaceful protests in Jayapura were forcefully dispersed. Police officers arrested 32 protesters. At least one protester sustained injuries as police officers used excessive force to disperse the crowd. In the Javanese city of Semarang, approximately 50 protesters were intimidated by police forces.Indo govt continues to pressure human rights defender Veronica Koman
The Indonesian Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP) is demanding the Indonesian human rights lawyer, Veronica Koman to reimburse funds that she received as part of a scholarship program for her studies abroad. Veronica Koman understood the claim as a new attempt by the Indonesian government to discourage her from advocacy activities on the human rights situation in West Papua. In the past years, unknown perpetrators launched smear campaigns on the internet against Koman. She decided to go into exile in Australia in 2019 after repeatedly receiving death threats and other forms of intimidation.Trial against 11 political activists in Sorong – Prosecutor demands 16 months for alleged treason
Eleven political activists are standing trial at the Sorong District Court since 16 July 2020. The Papuan activists were charged with Article 106 of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP) on treason and Article 110 KUHP on criminal conspiracy because they organised a peaceful protest for the commemoration of 1st December, which many indigenous Papuans regard as the ‘Papuan Independence Day’. The public prosecutor demanded a sentence of one year and four months for the defendants. According to the prosecutor, the activists had been proven guilty of committing treasonous acts by organising a public event through which they allegedly supported the establishment of the separate state ‘West Papua New Guinea’.
TAPOL's new report: West Papua 2019 Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Assembly
Surveillance, intimidation and harassment, protest dispersals, torture, arbitrary arrests and extra-judicial killings continued in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and Papua Barat, and in Indonesia more broadly, as the state tried to crack down on the contentious issue of West Papua’s self-determination in 2019. Alarmingly, the government also used new tactics such as internet shutdown and cyber-attacks during the anti-racism protests and riots which culminated in the ‘West Papuan Uprising’ in August and September 2019. TAPOL has documented over 100 cases of incidents of violations of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly on West Papua in 2019.ÂÂÂ In this report aims to highlight those violations and provide recommendations to the Indonesian government as well as to the international community to draw attention to the situation of freedom of expression and association in Indonesia particularly on West Papua.
West Papua has the worst democracy index in Indonesia
According to a research by the Indonesian Centre for Statistics (BPS), Papua and Papua Barat are the provinces with the lowest democracy index in Indonesia. The province of Papua Barat only reached an index of 57,62 in 2019. The score even decreased in comparison to the previous year, in which the democracy index was calculated at 58.29. Papua Barat is the only province in Indonesia where the democracy index remains below 60, which the BPS categorized as ‘bad democracy’. The province of Papua reached the penultimate place with a democracy index of 65.25, categorized as ‘moderate democracy’. Both provinces are still far below the national average of 74.93 points. The highest index was reached in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta with a score of 88.29 points.
Deforestation in West Papua – 1,488 hectares forest logged down between January and May 2020
According to the Centre for Study, Documentation and Advocacy on Peoples’ Rights (Pusaka), 1,488 hectares of forest area in West Papua have been logged down between January and May 2020. This equals a size of 2,084 soccer fields. The majority of logging activities were related to the expansion of palm oil plantations. Pusaka has compiled the data based on field reports and satellite imagery analysis. The organisation underlined that plantations and illegal gold mines also pose a problem in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The virus may quickly spread into remote areas through recruitment of new labourers, which are often hired from outside of West Papua. Indigenous communities are particularly at risk of getting infectedAbout the ICP
Human Rights and Peace for Papua is an international coalition of faith-based and civil society organisations (the Coalition) addressing the serious human rights condition in West Papua and supporting a peaceful solution to the conflict there. West Papua (Papua) refers to the western half of the New Guinea island in the Pacific and comprises the eastern most provinces of Indonesia. Indigenous Papuans are suffering from a long and ongoing history of human rights violations and security forces subject them to violence including killings, torture and arbitrary arrests. Impunity prevails. A lack of adequate access to health care and education as well as demographical and economical marginalisation and discrimination mark the living condition for Papuans. A heavy presence of Indonesian security forces, lack of access for international observers such as journalists, corruption and transmigration from other parts of Indonesia aggravate the situation. Political prisoners and the persecution of political activists shows the extent of repression with which freedom of expression and indigenous peoples’ rights are being violated. Papua’s wealth in natural resources attracts businesses and security forces resulting in exploitation through mining, logging, harmful agricultural projects, and environmental degradation. This dynamic challenges traditional indigenous culture while Papuans demand their right to self-determination.
visit our website at www.humanrightspapua.org