Indonesian Forces Raid Papuan Independence Rally - 6 Dead

Jakarta - Indonesian forces have raided a national congress of the West Papuan independence movement, reportedly killing six of its supporters and arresting hundreds more.

Exclusive Al Jazeera footage on Pacific Media Centre Online shows Indonesian forces opening fire as they clamped down on the three-day peaceful Third Papuan People's Congress in the outskirts of Jayapura last Wednesday.

Human rights groups say at least six people were killed while police claim only two died. Seventeen people are reportedly still missing

Amnesty International is asking the government to release the arrested leaders, who have been charged with treason.

Papuan groups have also requested that the United Nations investigate the violence.

The Indonesian government defended the security forces response, claiming participants of Wednesday's meeting were committing a "coup d'etat".

Journalists are banned from travelling to Papua, but Al Jazeera obtained exclusive footage of the raid.

Meanwhile, a full translation by the Indonesian human rights group TAPOL of the report received from KPKC, Synod of GKI, Indonesian Christian Church on 21 October 2011 says:

The Third Papuan People's Congress

The Third Papuan People's Congress was held from 17 October and attended by Papuans from across the territory of Papua. After facing difficulties regarding the venue of the Congress, the Congress was held in the Zakheus Tunas Harapan Padang field.

On 19 October, Prokorus [normally spelt Forkorus] Yaboisembut was elected the President of West Papua and the evangelist Edison G. Waromi was elected the Prime Minister.

Following the elections, Prokorus Yaboisembut read out the Declaration of a New State, the Federal State of West Papua, the symbol of the state - the Mambruk Bird; the currency - the guilder; the national anthem - Hai Tanahku Papua; and the national languages - Pidgin, Bahasa Indonesian, local Papuan languages and English, and the geographic territory of the Papuan Federal State.

The text of the DECLARATION OF AN INDEPENDENT PAPUA **and the confirmation of the Declaration of West Papua which was read out by Prokorus Yaboisembut stated: 'On this day, 19 October 2011, we proclaim the full independence and sovereignty of our state' and therefore the State of Indonesia must speedily end its occupation of Papua. All components of the leadership who were elected at the Third Papuan People's Congress shall immediately discuss the basic principles of the State of West Papua.

Selpius Bobii, the chairman of the Third Papuan People's Congress, declared: 'We the people of West Papua in this highest forum declare that the proclamation of the Papuan National Committee on 19 October 1961which now marks its fiftieth anniversary, was a time when the Papuan people lived freely, during the era of the Dutch/UNTEA and we want to return to the sovereignty which once existed.'

The declaration of the Papuan Congress is as follows:

1. The restoration of the Independence and Sovereignty of the Papuan people in the state of West Papua.

2. On this day, 19 October 2011, we declare our complete Independence and Sovereignty as the Papuan people and the state of West Papua.

3. The establishment and enactment of the Constitution of the State of West Papua.

4. The formation of the Government of West Papua shall come into being from the moment of the adoption of the Constitution on 19 October 2011.

5. The Indonesian government must quickly end its occupation from the moment of the adoption of the Constitution on 19 October 2011.

6. We propose that the Secretary-General of the United Nations and members of the UN, in particular the US Government and the Indonesian Government, should recognise and regularise governmental powers within the shortest possible time and register the state of West Papua as a member of the UN within the shortest possible time, in order to uphold human rights, democracy and just and basic rights in the world.

7. We grant a full, official mandate to International Parliamentarians for West Papua and International Lawyers for West Papua and supportive countries to advocate all matters with regard to the annexation of sovereignty and independence of the Papuan people and to follow this up through lawful international mechanisms or at the International Court, until such time as the full and complete transfer of power from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Government of West Papua which has already been established and formulated at the Third Papuan Congress in Jayapura-Portnumbay, the Papuan part of Federal State of the Republic of Papua.

8. In the name of the Papuan people in the state of West Papua and the adoption of the Declaration of Decision No. 0012/03/10-2011 by the Third Papuan Congress, to consider and take cognisance of the general views of various components of the West Papuan people, as set forth in the reports of the commissions that were agreed at the Third Papuan Congress.

* Casualties identified:
http://westpapuamedia.info/2011/10/21/1530-21102011-updates-from-west-papua/

* Indonesia military opens fire at peaceful Papuan congress:
http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/west-papua-indonesian-military-opens-fire-peaceful-papuan-congress-7672

ENDS

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