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Human rights abuses in Papua and West Papua
Joint Statement - July 17, 2014
In 1963 the UN Temporary Executive Authority transferred the administration of Papua to Indonesia. In 1969 Indonesia incorporated Papua through the UN sponsored plebiscite of the so-called "Act of Free Choice". Since the beginning of its administration of Papua, Indonesia has committed very serious violations of human rights, similar to those that took place in nearby Timor-Lesteiii. The actions of the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, or OPM) that was founded in 1965 to pursue autonomy, although normally non-violent, have occasionally been violent. The presence of small groups of armed resistance who have made occasional attacks have been used by the Indonesian Police, National Army, Intelligence Services and paramilitary forces as a justification for periodic massacres, extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, torture and collective punishment. Additionally, villages have been destroyed and whole communities have been forced to resettle with practical impunity.
The ongoing repression of human rights, in Papua includes the passing of laws that suppress freedom of the press, freedom of speech and association. Peaceful demonstrations are dispersed by force. In many instances non-violent participants have been arrested and tortured, while others have been killed. Many prisoners have died while in detention. According to data from Papuans Behind Bars, the number of political arrests has more than doubled in 2013 as compared with the previous year. Reports of torture and ill treatment of political detainees have also increased. Violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are ongoingiv
Policies have been initiated that have made indigenous Papuans disproportionately suffer. Tribal lands have been confiscated; natural resources have been exploited by non-Papuans. From the 1970s Indonesia has also encouraged the large scale transmigration of settlers from other parts of the Indonesian Archipelago to Papua. Nearly 80% of the indigenous people now live in poverty without access to medical care, safe drinking water or education.
Prior to the annexation of Papua in 1969, Indonesia began to negotiate with multinational corporations allowing them access to large tracts of lands to carry out mining, logging, petroleum and gas operations, and to create industrial palm oil plantations. The expropriation of indigenous land has provoked peaceful protests that are often repressed by means that violate their human rights.
We urge the Government of Indonesia to implement the recommendations that Indonesia accepted at its Periodic Reviewv with regard to respecting human rights in Papua and West Papua, and to also reconsider the recommendations that Indonesia rejected.
We make the following recommendations to the Government of Indonesia:
ii. UPR, 13th Session in 2012, Recommendations and Pledges (http://www.uprinfo.
org/sites/default/files/document/indonesia/session_13_-_may_2012/recommendationstoindonesia2012.pdf) Cf. A/HRC/21/7. (http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session21/A-HRC-217_en.pdf). New Zealand, Germany, Canada, France, Republic of Korea, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Italy and Norway made direct recommendations regarding Papua and West Papua. Those that were accepted by Indonesia are #108.42, 108.91, 108.95, 108.114, 108.115, 109.10. Among the recommendations that were not accepted by Indonesia are some that refer to respecting Human Rights in Papua/West Papua, such as: 109.15, 109.25, 109.30, 109.33. VIVAT International believes that the rejected recommendations remain valid benchmarks for the Implementation of Human Rights, even if Indonesia formally rejected them as recommendations. iii. Cf. UN Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/97 (http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/alldocs.aspx?doc_id=4187)
iv. Cf. Human Rights in West Papua, the third report of Human Rights and Peace for Papua – the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) covering events from October 2011 until March 2013, published by ICP and Franciscans International, in June 2013; Amnesty International, Annual Report 2013 on Indonesia (http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/indonesia/report-2013); Indonesia: Stalled Reforms: Impunity, Discrimination and Security Force Violations in Indonesia – Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review, May-June 2012 (http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA21/003/2012/en/10658fe3-4d18-4101-9039-374f7c93e635/asa210032012en.pdf)
v. UPR, 13th Session in May 2012 (A/HRC/21/7).
Submitted by:
VIVAT InternationalWith the support of:
1. Augustinians InternationalSource: http://etan.org/news/2014/07vivat_etal_on_papua.htm.
2. Congregations of St. Joseph
3. Christian Solidarity Worldwide
4. East Timor and Indonesia Action Network
5. Foundation Pro Papua
6. Human Rights and Peace for Papua – The International Coalition for Papua (ICP)
7. international Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
8. JPIC Kalimantan – Indonesia
9. JPIC OFM – Indonesia
10. PADMA Indonesia
11. Papuan Voices
12. Passionists International
13. Pax Romana Asia Pasifik
14. Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC
15. Pazifik Netzwerk
16. Predikant 17. Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries
18. TAPOL
19. The Grail
20. VIVAT International-Indonesia
21. Watch Indonesia
22. West Papua Netzwerk
23. Yayasan Pusaka
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