An urgent appeal will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures regarding the killing of four Indigenous Papuan civilians on the 8
th December 2014 (and the subsequent death of two more indigenous Papuans injured during the incident) in Paniai District, Papua Province by members of the Indonesian National Army.
Launching of Filep Karma's Book "As if we're half Animals"
President Joko Widodo must end all racism and discrimination in the Land of Papua, from impunity for human rights violators to restrictions on access for independent journalists to visit Papua, said publisher Deiyai.
Dr. Benny Giay, chair of the Deiyai publishing company, said that the racism and discrimination in question is highlighted by Filep Karma, a political prisoner in Abepura prison, in his book ‘As If we’re Half Animals: Indonesian Racism in the Land of Papua,’ launched today in Jayapura. It is 10 years to the day since Karma was jailed for a speech about the marginalisation of ethnic Melanesians in the Land of Papua on 1 December 2004.
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Not a mere case of bad apples: Acts of state terrorism
Thirteen years ago on Nov. 10 — Heroes’ Day — the Papuan leader Theys Eluay was found dead in the vicinity of Jayapura city after attending an event at the local headquarters of the Army’s Special Forces, Kopassus.
His body was left abandoned in a public place. His driver, Aristoteles Masoka, went missing, and remains unaccounted for.
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KNBP remain most targeted Papuan civil society group
Papuans Behind Bars reports that at the end of November 2014, there were at least 65 political prisoners in Papuan jails.
The West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, KNPB) remains the most heavily targeted civil society group in Papua. So far this year, there have been 101 arrests of KNPB activists or those suspected of being affiliated to the KNPB. The pattern of mass arrests of KNPB members continued this month with 28 KNPB members arrested for participating in peaceful commemorative activities celebrating the 6th anniversary of the formation of the KNPB in 2008.
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Formation of united West Papua group seen as significant
As reported by Radio New Zealand, three main political groups advocating independence of West Papua have formed the United Liberation Movement for West Papua. Octo Mote is the General Secretary and Benny Wenda their international spokesperson. The movement is composed of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation and the Federal Republic of West Papua.
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Benny has written this statement on the recent massacre in Paniai, West Papua which has left at least 5 Papuan boys dead and up to 21 injured.