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Letter to Australian foreign minister on dangerously deteriorating situation in West Papua

Australian West Papua Association (Sydney) - March 17, 2008

The Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

17 March 2007

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing to you concerning the dangerously deteriorating situation in West Papua.

There have been a number of demonstrations by the West Papuan people in the past two weeks protesting against the special autonomy law which they say has failed and has brought no benefit to the West Papuan people.

At a demonstration on the 13 March in Manokwari, 13 people were arrested for carrying the West Papuan National flag, The Morning Star. Two were later released, however there is cause for the safety of the other 11 people held in custody. They are, Yakobus Wanggai, Frans Kareth, Markus Solig Umpus, Edy Ayorbaba, Daniel Sakwatorey, Marthinus Luther, Noak AP, George Risyard Ayorbaba, (Amd T), Ariel Werimon, Leonardus Decky Bame and Silas Carlos Teves May who is just 16 years old.

These arrests occurred at the same time as a visit by four Australian military attaches to West Papua. The group leader, Colonel Raymond stated during his visit that "the Indonesian government's policies in Papua such as the granting of special autonomy appeared to be working well". AWPA would suggest that in any future visits by Australian officials to West Papua they also consult with West Papuan civil society organisation to get a true picture of the situation in the territory.

Also on the 13 March at the opening of a regional conference of Baptist Churches in Magi, Jayawijaya regency in the Highlands of West Papua, the Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman and other delegates to the conference were intimidated by armed soldiers.

The Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman who is President of the Fellowship of West Papuan Baptist Churches reported that the Magi regional Head of Police, the Military Commander, the Head of District and the Post 756 Military Commander came to the opening of the Church conference with five armed Indonesian soldiers. They took photographs and walked amongst the delegates intimidating them.

We bring your attention to the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms Hina Jilani, who said in a report on her mission to Indonesia "that there is a climate of fear in West Papua".

The following is an extract from her report in relation to West Papua

"A climate of fear undeniably prevails in West Papua, especially for defenders engaged with the rights of the Papuan communities to participation in governance, control over natural resources and demilitarization of the province. The situation of these defenders does not seem to have eased, and despite the adoption of the Special Autonomy Law in 2001, their legitimate activities for the protection of human rights continue to be targeted. The Special Representative heard credible reports of incidents involving arbitrary detention, torture, and harassment through surveillance. She was also informed of cases where human rights defenders had been threatened with prosecution by members of the police and the military. It was alleged that when defenders had attempted to register their complaints, that had been denied and they had been threatened.

Instances of excessive and disproportionate use of force when policing peaceful demonstrations were also brought to her attention".

Amnesty International (USA) is also concerned about reports of human rights violations in Indonesia and in its country report for 2007 on Indonesia stated, "In Papua, cases of extrajudicial executions, torture and excessive use of force were reported. Across the country, ill-treatment or torture in detention facilities and police lock-ups continued to be widely reported".

AWPA is greatly concerned about the safety of those arrested and ask you to use your good offices with the Indonesian government to urge them to release those arrested as a sigh of good faith to the West Papuan people.

The Indonesian military have also been known to use such incidents as peaceful demonstrations to crack down on those groups they term separatists.

In the short term to avoid further escalation of the situation, we call on you to also urge the Indonesian government to control their security forces in the territory and halt their intimidation of peaceful demonstrators and human rights defenders as a way of easing tensions and avoiding possible bloodshed.

Yours sincerely

Joe Collins, Secretary
AWPA (Sydney)

See also:

West Papua Links

Indonesia News Digest

Statements/press releases on West Papua