Analysis & Opinion

Papuan People need not be afraid to talk about Merdeka (Independence)
(translation courtesy of Tapol, comments via West Papua Media Alerts

Bintang Papua,6 January 2011
Biak

A human rights lawyer and advocate has reminded the Papuan people that they needn’t be afraid to talk about independence for Papua because independence for Papua is a basic human rights that is legally recognised and can be fought for by legal, democratic and political means. ‘I say this because the 1945 Constitution guarantees these rights,’ said Yan Christian Warinussy, executive-director of LP3BH-Manokwari.

Why Now? A West Papua Backgrounder
By: Jim Elmslie
Source: New Matilda

NM has kept a close eye on West Papua as pressure in the breakaway Indonesian province builds. Long-time Papua watcher Jim Elmslie explains why the situation has escalated - and may get worse in coming months

Two seminal events have shattered the uneasy status quo in West Papua: a labour strike at the Freeport mine, and the declaration of an independent West Papua at a landmark mass meeting of Papuan nationalists, the Third Papuan Congress.

[This Interview with Papuan activist Victor Yeimo was published on the Kontinum website, because of a feeling that little information and perspectives from the Papuan struggle is available in Indonesia, and so people outside Papua are not aware of the what is actually going on there. The original, in Indonesian, can be found at http://kontinum.org/2011/08/wawancara_victor_papua

KOMITE NASIONAL PAPUA BARAT [KNPB]
West Papua National Committee
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Press Release
July 15, 2011

We want to explain to the people of West Papua, Indonesia and the International for any militarism approach and various propaganda news continuously carried out by a militaristic regime of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, through the Regional Commander, Chief of Police and the various ranks of the nation's ongoing struggle to corner of West Papua, that:

Sydney Morning Herald

Australia must make a stand for West Papua
Charlie Hill-Smith
December 10, 2010

As YouTube evidence of Indonesian soldiers burning the genitals of the West Papuan Tunaliwor Kiwo received its 50,000th viewer, the Indonesian military (TNI) was exposed holding a cynical mock trial to try to cover up systemic violence.

The ignored Papuan war on PNG’s border
by: Arthur Williams

Source: asopa.typepad.com

“Every day planes come in, vomiting migrants” - West Papuan eyewitness

I HAVE WATCHED the West Papua story for many years but especially since Epel Tito lost the Defence Ministry when he named Indonesia as PNG’s most likely future enemy. He’d also said he was ashamed at the treatment of the Melanesian people by their own government in Jakarta with its transmigration (now called in-migration) policy of swamping PNG’s brothers and sisters with non-Melanesians.

He said he was also ashamed with the lack of support for West Papuan independence by PNG, the biggest Melanesian nation, which shares a common border with the Indonesia colony. Only tiny Vunuatu had the balls to stand up for these unhappy people.

Journalist's death overshadows launch of Papua food project
Press Release by TAPOL and DTE

11 August 2010 - The death of a local journalist has increased concerns about a giant food estate launched today in Merauke, Southeastern Papua by Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture.

TAPOL and Down to Earth, the International Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia are calling for a moratorium on the food project, known as MIFEE (Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate) until independent assessments of the political, economic, socio-cultural, environmental and gender impacts of the project have been undertaken.

The suspicious death of the journalist, Ardiansyah Matra'is, in late July, following threats against him, has been linked to his coverage of this week's local elections for the district head in Merauke.

TAPOL press release, 9 July 2010

Dialogue a must for Papua

Papua is in a state of heightened tension following a series of events that culminated in a mass rally yesterday by thousands of Papuans at the provincial parliament, the DPRP, in Jayapura.

The demonstration and similar actions in other locations across the territory were intended to increase pressure on the DPRP to support a recommendation by the Papuan People's Assembly, the MRP, to 'return' Papua's 2001 special autonomy law to the central government in Jakarta.

(Klik di sini untuk versi bahasa Indonesia)

Indonesia: Stop Prosecuting Peaceful Political Expression

EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue Should Take up Cases of Imprisoned Activists

June 22, 2010

(Jakarta) - The Indonesian government should immediately release the more than 100 Papuan and Moluccan activists imprisoned for peacefully voicing political views, and change laws and policies to protect freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should act now to ensure that a European Union-Indonesia dialogue on human rights scheduled for June 29, 2010, in Jakarta will get off to a successful start, Human Rights Watch said.

The 43-page report, "Prosecuting Political Aspiration: Indonesia's Political Prisoners," is based on more than 50 jailhouse interviews with political prisoners conducted between December 2008 and May 2010. It describes the arrest and prosecution of activists for peacefully raising banned symbols, such as the Papuan Morning Star and the South Moluccan RMS flags. The report also details torture that many say they have suffered in detention, especially by members of the Detachment 88/Anti-Terror Squad in Ambon, as well as police and prison guards in Papua, and the failure of the government to hold those responsible to account.

U.S. Training of Kopassus: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Not Come

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) warned President Barack Obama against renewing any U.S. training for Indonesia's notorious special forces.

"Training Kopassus will set back efforts to achieve accountability for past and recent human rights violations and will do little or nothing to discourage future crimes," said John M. Miller, National Coordinator of ETAN. "This is a bad idea whose time has not come."

The Obama administration is considering resuming training of Kopassus and may announce a change in policy when President Obama visits Indonesia later this month.

"It's impossible to credit Kopassus with human rights reform when it retains active duty soldiers convicted of human rights violations," said Miller. These include soldiers convicted of killing West Papuan leader Theys Eluay and the kidnapping and disappearances of Indonesian activists in 1997 and 1998.