West Papua: Call for NZ to speak out

Indonesia Human Rights Committee

Box 68-419,

Auckland

8 April, 2009

Media Release:  

West Papua: Call for New Zealand to speak out against violence and for dialogue.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has appealed to the New Zealand Government to help stem growing violence in West Papua Indonesian parliamentary elections are about to take place (April 9) and so there are heightened fears of more abuses.

 IHRC urges the Government to speak out defending the right to free expression and condemning the current security forces crack-down.  IHRC has urged the Government to take note of calls, such as that from Papuan leader Fr Neles Tebay, for New Zealand to offer to help as a mediator.  A National-led Government in the 1990s offered mediation which helped to resolve the long-running conflict in Melanesian Bougainville. Why can we not do the same for Melanesian West Papua?

Letter to Minister McCully is below.

Hon Murray McCully,

Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Parliament Buildings,

Wellington

8 April, 2009

Dear Mr McCully,

We are deeply concerned about growing violence and repression in West Papua on the eve of the Indonesian parliamentary elections.   We believe that recent events underscore the need for a new approach to the problems in West Papua, and that there is an urgent need for New Zealand, a close Pacific neighbour, to support peace and dialogue.

The present situation is extremely worrying, as we detail below, but it is important to note that some powerful voices have recently been raised in support of dialogue.  For example, Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has advocated ‘dialogue with communities’ rather than an ‘iron-fist’ approach.

Over the past weeks we have been following events in the remote Puncak Jaya region, as there has been a new build-up of military and police in this area that the police describe as ‘conflict prone’.   This build-up includes the feared mobile brigade ‘Brimob’.  On March 14 a soldier and two civilians were shot and in response the security forces have announced a plan to launch ‘sweep operations.’ It is not clear who was responsible for the events of March 14, as some Papuans say that armed provocateur elements have been involved. But the build-up has meant that many civilians, including young children, have fled their homes and gardens to seek shelter in the forest.  Many deaths have resulted as these displaced people lack access to adequate food, shelter and medicine.

On April 3 West Papuans took part in two large peaceful demonstrations in Nabire and  Wamena.  The reports of the demonstration in Nabire state that some 10,000 people took part in a colourful demonstration which called for an election boycott and celebrated the formation of a new international NGO: “International Lawyers for West Papua”.

Just after these demonstrations we were very concerned to hear about arrest of some 15 political activists.  While some have been subsequently released, reports state that three remain in custody, namely Mako Tabuni, Serafin Diaz, and Yance Motte. These young men are members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and are now likely to face serious charges of ‘maker’ or subversion.

At the same time   police raided and ransacked the office of the Papuan Customary Council in Waena 15 kilometres from Jayapura. Office equipment and records were confiscated. We understand that guns were found but that there are conflicting reports about the ownership of these weapons.

Then on Monday April 6, around 200- 300 demonstrators staged a further rally in Nabire reaffirming the call for a boycott of the imminent parliamentary elections.   Police opened fire on the demonstrators, injuring eleven demonstrators of whom four are reported to be in critical condition in hospital.  One police officer was also injured.  We understand that among the critically injured is a 10 year-old student who was shot as he was returning from school.

 We urge the New Zealand Government to speak out against this grave abuse of police power. There can be no justification for security forces to open fire on demonstrators armed only with placards. The freedom to dissent is a universal human right  

 New Zealand should also call for the release of all political prisoners in West Papua.  Dozens of West Papuan people are currently serving long jail sentences or awaiting trial for their involvement in peaceful demonstrations or in actions that involve the raising of the banned Morning Star flag. The US State Department in its annual report on human rights in Indonesia stated that during 2008 at least 30 Papuan independence activists, including a 16-year-old boy, were in detention for flag-raising. Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, who were jailed in 2004,  remained in detention serving 15 and 10 years respectively for their role in a flag-raising

We also urge that New Zealand make a genuine offer to Indonesia to facilitate a process of dialogue between the West Papuan people and the Government of Indonesia. Highly respected Papuan leader, academic Father Neles Tebay, who recently toured New Zealand, praised New Zealand for its 1990s role in helping to mediate peace for Bougainville.  He believes New Zealand could also help to bring about change in West Papua.  Fr Tebay said on Radio New Zealand:

“I think the National-led government can facilitate some meetings between the Indonesia government and Papuans to discuss on how to settle the West Papua conflict through dialogue. My belief is based on what the National-led government has done for peaceful settlement on the Bougainville conflict.”

We believe that this is both a time of danger and a time of potential for the Melanesian people of West Papua.  We look forward to hearing from you of the actions that New Zealand will take to help resolve the conflict and end the suffering.

Yours sincerely,

Maire Leadbeater

(for the Indonesia Human Rights Committee)

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