National Liberation Army (TPN/PB) Spokesperson Arrested in West Papua

Media Alert

Sunday 13 September 2009

National Liberation Army (TPN/PB) Spokesperson Arrested in West Papua

A peaceful resolution to West Papua’s long-standing conflict with Indonesia has suffered a serious set-back with the arrest by Indonesian authorities of leading pro-peace activist Jonah Wenda.

Mr Wenda was detained in Sele District, Sorong Regency, in the western part of West Papua, on 6 September, and was formally arrested on 11 September on the grounds of being investigated for subversion (makar) at Papua Regional Police (POLDA) in Jayapura, Papua.

Mr Wenda is a spokesperson for the military wing of the West Papua liberation movement, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-PB, or Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat, formerly known as TPN/OPM).

However, despite working for peace, Mr Wenda is now being held pending being charged with undermining the Security of the State (subversion).

Australian-based spokesperson for the WPPWG (West Papua Peace Working Group, formerly known as West Papua Peace Task Force), Ms Paula Makabory (footnote 1) , described the arrest of Mr Wenda as a serious set-back to finding a peaceful resolution to the continuing troubles in West Papua. She said: ‘Mr Wenda has been working for the past three years with the West Papua Peace Working group to bring about a cessation of hostilities between the forces of the Republic of Indonesian and the indigenous people of West Papua’.

Paula Makabory said: ‘To this end, the West Papua Peace Working Group and Jonah Wenda have facilitated the formation of unified West Papuan political and civil society umbrella organisation called the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL).

’The WPNCL, which includes representatives of the TPN-PB, has expressly sought to commence peaceful dialogue with the Indonesian President and the Republic of Indonesian over issues of the political control and administration of West Papua as a remedy to the impacts of Indonesian Government policies on the West Papuan people.”

”Jonah Wenda has been acting for past two years as ‘media spokesperson’ for the TPN-PB in West Papua. In this role he has meet with the TPN-PB military commanders throughout West Papua to gain support for peaceful negotiation with the Republic of Indonesia. Jonah Wenda plays an important part of the movement to unite West Papuan resistance groups and support them to pursue a strategy of non-violent political change. “

The TPN-PB (or as the TPN/OPM) has been fighting a war of succession in West Papua since Indonesia took control of the territory in 1963.

West Papuan grievances include, disputing the way the territory was incorporated into the Republic of Indonesia during the 1960s, traditional land rights and resource rights and control; widespread killings, human rights violations and abuse by the security forces; unregulated migration; impacts of large scale resource exploitation particularly mining, logging and plantation establishment; economic disadvantage through a development and civil policy that does not benefit indigenous land owners; environmental destruction; political repression, institutional racism and discrimination.

After East Timor achieved independence in 1999 and the conflict in Aceh was resolved through an international peace accord in 2005, West Papua remains Indonesia’s largest unresolved territorial dispute.

For further information, please contact:

Paula Makabory on +61(0)402547517;

Steve Waramory/Defense Lawyer on (+62) (0)85254831555;

Chris Warinussy/Defense Lawyer on (+62) (0) 81344694500

Photo available at https://ipahr.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/jonah-wenda/

INSTITUTE FOR PAPUAN ADVOCACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS (IPAHR)
PO Box 1805
Byron Bay, NSW 2481
Australia
Tel Matthew Jamieson +61 (0) 418291998

1/ Paula Makabory is a board member of Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights and is spokesperson for West Papua Peace Working Group and the Human Rights organisation Els-ham West Papua.

West Papuan Political Prisoner is physically abused by Public Prosecutors and Police in Jayapura Courthouse

Human Rights Report                             23April 2009

West Papuan Political Prisoner is physically abused by Public Prosecutors and Police in Jayapura Courthouse

Indonesian Public Prosecutors have triggered an attack against a Political Prisoner,  Buchtar Tabuni,  at the Jayapura District Court, 22 April 2009, in Jayapura, West Papua

On Thursday 22 April 2009, Buchtar Tabuni, was taken by members of the public prosecution team and police from prison to attend a hearing of his trial at the Jayapura District Court. The hearing was scheduled to hear the testimony of an expert witness.

Upon entry to the courthouse Buchtar requested to be put in the cell at the back of the court.  He said that wished to see his defense lawyer’s as had been the usual practice before the trial commenced. Team members of public prosecutor and police responded to his request with repressive actions by dragging and beating Buchtar and forcing him into the court cell.

During the incident Buchtar Tabuni said he was held tightly by 3 of the team members of public prosecutor office while he was attacked by members of the Indonesian Police and Indonesia security forces intelligent agents, who were wearing civilian’s clothes and carrying pistols. The Police and intelligence agents beat him and kicked him.  This resulted in him suffering back and backbone pain and a wound to his left arm and blisters on his feet.  A witness also independently verified that he saw the members of public prosecutor drag Buchtar forcefully and police beat him.

Buchtar said that he was trying to protect his head and face from the attackers while being held and dragged.   Buchtar said that members of public prosecutor who were holding his arms had also laid their hands on him. He said that he was hit by a hard object at his back and his arm when he covering his head during the attack. This was confirmed with the medical report (Fig.2 below), that states 1.there is a scratch wound at left elbow; 2.there is a pain in the back bone; 3.there is a pain oat the leg marks of beaten. The diagnose states there is a wound (ulkus luka) and marks of in sharp object (trauma tumpul).

One of Buchtar’s defense lawyers said the hearing was cancelled because the expert witness did not show up.  He said that Buchtar Tabuni’s defense team was angry at the police and members of public prosecutors because these two institutions used violence against their client.

He said that the incident happened while team of defense lawyers were waiting in their room and had not realized that Buchtar had been taking to the courthouse through another gate (not the usual one).   The defense lawyer also reported that 80% of the courtroom was stacked by Indonesian security forces members, including intelligent agents.

The defense lawyer said that in front of judges, the public prosecutor pronounced that he got a direct order from his superior (office of Chief Public Prosecutor) to bring Buchtar through non-formal gate, but did not state a clear reason for this change of procedure. The Judge asked the Public Prosecutor to take Buchtar Tabuni to the hospital and that he be checked by a doctor immediately.

Instead Buchtar was taken to Abepura prison by Public Prosecutor and left there. His defense lawyers came at the prison and asked officials of the prison to provide a medical treatment and check (visum report) in the prison for Buchtar.

Buchtar received a medical check by a nurse, appointed to work as a health worker in the prison.   Some of his defense team then went to the police office to report the incident.

On 18 February 2009, Buchtar Tabuni (30) had been charged under article 106 of the Criminal Code regarding ‘makar’ or ‘subversion’, Article 160 of the Criminal Code regarding acts of incitement (rebellion) and article 212 of the Criminal Code regarding resisting personnel of the state, on his first trial. Buchtar Tabuni was arrest on 2 December 2008 in relation to a mass demonstration, which occurred in Jayapura supporting the establishment of International Parliamentarians for West Papua, which took place in London of 15 October 2008.

Paula Makabory from Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights said today,  “This attack on Buchtar Tabuni shows the fundamental bias in the Indonesian judiciary system in courts prosecuting West Papuan political prisoners.  There is little hope that Indonesian judicial procedure will bring about a fair or safe trial for Buchtar Tabuni and the many other West Papuan political prisoners.”

“A culture of injustice, persecution and Human Rights abuse exists within Indonesian state institutions which are hostile to West Papuan people.  Indonesian state institutions, such as public prosecutors office and the court system, which have obligations under International law and Indonesia’s national laws to ensure justice for West Papuan people are actually at the fore front of the attack on the indigenous people of West Papua and their civil & political rights.”

Reported by Paula Makabory
Institute of Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights (IPAHR)

For  further information contact:

Paula Makabory   (+61) 402 547 517; or

Buchtar Lawyers for Indo interview:
1.    Gustaf Kawer (+62) 813 1915 0718
2.    Peter Ell (+62) 8124 808 500
buchtar-tabuni230409-photo

Four Shot In Indonesian Papua Election Protests: Activist

Four Shot In Indonesian Papua Election Protests: Activist

JAKARTA, April 6 (AFP) — At least four people were wounded when
police opened fire on a protest in Indonesia’s remote Papua
region on Monday, demanding independence and a boycott of
elections, an activist said.

The protesters were shot when police fired into a crowd of
around 200 indigenous Papuans rallying in the streets of Nabire
town in West Papua province, Catholic Church activist Yones Douw
told AFP.

“The people didn’t react or throw anything but Brimob
(paramilitary police) attacked them,” Douw said, adding that the
four injured were in “critical” condition in hospital.

Three other protesters were hit with rubber bullets and one
woman was arrested at the rally, which followed a dawn raid on
an office being used by activists in which 15 people were
arrested, Douw said.

One person was also shot and hurt by police in the raid, but it
was unclear if he was shot with a rubber bullet or a live round,
he said.

Local police chief Rinto Jatmono refused to confirm the
shootings but acknowledged the earlier arrest of
pro-independence activists.

“We arrested the 15 people in connection with subversion,”
Jatmono said.

Meanwhile, around 300 people rallied peacefully in Jayapura, the
capital of neighbouring Papua province, to call for a boycott of
national legislative elections on Thursday.

The crowd chanted “boycott the election” and called for the
release of 17 activists arrested last week in a raid on the
headquarters of the Papuan Customary Council, the top cultural
representative body for Papuan tribes.

Pro-independence sentiment runs high in Papua, which sits on the
western end of New Guinea island and is populated mainly by the
Melanesian ethnic minority.

Indonesia took formal control of the region in a 1969
UN-sponsored vote by select tribal elders widely seen as a sham
and the area has seen a long-running insurgency by poorly armed
pro-independence guerrillas.

Rallies and arrests in West Papua coincide with establishment of ‘International lawyers for West Papua’

Media Alert

Friday 3 April 2009

Rallies and arrests in West Papua coincide with establishment of ‘International lawyers for West Papua’

Reports from West Papua today indicate that 10,000 people are staging a rally in Nabire, while another rally planned for Wamena is occurring in the grounds of the Efata Church after a joint Police and Military security operation to block that rally.

Other reports from the capital Jayapura say that Police have arrested 11 West Papuans off the street in Abepura & a further 2 are detained at Police Headquarters in Jayapura, apparently in relation to the organisation of these rallies.

Reports from West Papua over the last few days had indicated that a rally would be held today in Wamena to coincide with the establishment of ‘International Lawyers for West Papua’ reportedly occurring in the US.

The large rally of 10,000 people in Nabire is said to have been ongoing since 8.00 am local time. Banners reported on display say: “West Papua people support the launch of International Lawyers for West Papua”; ‘Review the Act of Free Choice’; ‘Demand that Human Rights cases in West Papua be fixed’ and also ‘West Papua people demand Independence’. West Papua women speakers were addressing the rally at the time of the report.

A report, provided this morning from Wamena, indicated that there was a very large contingent of police and military presence on the streets of Wamena. These report said that there were checkpoints on the roads and that security forces were present on the road intersections(corners). These extra security forces were said to be stopping any people beginning the planned rally.

It is also noted that media reports have said that the Local Government in Wamena, had banned the rally and that Police commanders also reportedly stated that the Wamena rally and other Pro-Independence rallies could not proceed.

The names of the two West Papuan men detained in Jayapura at Police Headquarters were Musa Tabuni and Dias, who were both arrested at the harbour. Of the 11 detained at the Abepura Police station only Robert Takimai and Made Agapa were named. As no rally was being staged in Jayapura or Abepura it is speculated that these arrests in the capital were related to the other rallies.

For more information contact:

Paula Makabory +61 402547517

Matthew Jamieson +61 418291998

Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights
PO Box 1805
Byron Bay, NSW Australia

Matthew@hr.minihub.org