- Human Rights Update West Papua - last quarter 2021
- New special autonomy law amendments should booster education and healthcare in West Papua – True chance or false promise?
- Four indigenous Papuans arrested during police raid in Kepulauan Yapen Regency, among them one minor
- The 8th CEDAW Reporting Cycle of Indonesia - CEDAW publishes concluding observations
- Lawsuit against Sorong Regent – Judges rule against palm oil companies
- The West Papuan Council of Churches issues moral call on human rights situation in West Papua
- Police officers arrest and torture eight school students in Serambakon District, Pegunungan Bintang
- Police increase surveillance of West Papua National Committee
- Police raid student dormitory in Manokwari and arrest ten residents
- Update on situation of IDPs in West Papua throughout November 2021
- Relatives demand update on law enforcement process in cases of enforced disappearances
- Attacks against journalists in West Papua on the rise – Media activists establish Press Legal Aid Association in Jayapura
- Government changes conflict approach in West Papua – Real chance for peace or mere rhetoric?
- 1st December commemorations in multiple cities accompanied by arrests – At least 34 arrested
- Attack on a military post in Maybrat - juvenile defendant sentenced to eight years imprisonment
- Supreme Court rules that workers' strike at PT Freeport Indonesia is legal
- ICP's study: The Shaping of Public Discourse on West Papua
- Human Rights in West Papua 2021
This last quarter shows little fluctuations in human rights statistics, indicating neither a positive nor a negative trend in the human rights situation in West Papua. However, 2021 marked the most violent year of armed conflict in the past five years, if not the last decade. As of 15 December 2021, the ICP documented 85 armed clashes, causing the deaths of 18 security force members and 23 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB). At least 28 civilians were killed due to armed clashes, while more than 60,000 indigenous Papuans continue to be internally displaced.
New special autonomy law amendments should booster education and healthcare in West Papua – True chance or false promise?
On 15 July 2021, the Indonesian parliament ratified a revised version of the special autonomy law for the provinces Papua and Papua Barat. The lawmakers revised 20 articles from the pre-existing law No 21/2001 on Special Autonomy for the Papua Province. The controversial law should booster development in Indonesia’s under-developed easternmost provinces, particularly in the fields of healthcare and education. Article 36 of the revised law stipulates that 35% of the special autonomy funds should be allocated for education, 25% for healthcare, 30% for infrastructure and 10% for the empowerment of indigenous communities. The former law regulated that the provincial government must allocate 30% of the special autonomy budget for education and 15% for healthcare.
Four indigenous Papuans arrested during police raid in Kepulauan Yapen Regency, among them one minor
Joint security force members raided the Ambaidiru Village in the Kosiwo District, Kepulauan Yapen Regency, on 8 December 2021. Multiple police trucks and other vehicles entered Ambaidiru around 10:00 pm. According to information received from the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Desk of the Papuan Tabernacle Church (JPIC Kingmi Papua), police officers arrested four indigenous villagers during the raid, among them a fourteen-year-old girl named Tigris Atewa. The police officers reportedly handcuffed Tigris Atewa. During the police interrogation at the police headquarters, her parents had to translate because Tigris Atewa hardly speaks Indonesian.
The 8th CEDAW Reporting Cycle of Indonesia - CEDAW publishes concluding observations
On 15 November 2021, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) published its concluding observations (CEDAW/C/IDN/CO/8). During its 80th session on 28-29 October 2021, the CEDAW held a constructive dialogue with the Indonesian Delegation to discuss the 8th periodic report on the implementation of Indonesia's commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women. The session was also attended by representatives of the local governments in the provinces of Papua and Papua Barat. In its concluding observations, the committee made multiple references to the situation of women in West Papua. One of the concerns raised by the committee was “the heightened risk of gender-based violence and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women and girls in the context of the compounded ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, especially for disadvantaged and marginalized groups of women across the State party, including the Provinces of Papua and West Papua.”
The palm oil companies PT Inti Kebun Lestari (PT IKL), PT Sorong Agro Sawitindo (PT SAS), dan PT Papua Lestari Abadi (PT PLA) filed a lawsuit against the regent of Sorong, Mr Johny Kamuru, in September 2021. The trials are taking place at the administrative court in Jayapura (PTUN Jayapura). On 7 December 2021, the judges rejected the plaintiff’s claim and ruled that the withdrawal of PT SAS and PT PLA’s location, business and plantation permits was legal. The lawsuit by PT IKL is processed in a separate trial which is still ongoing at the PTUN Jayapura. Mr Kamuru and his lawyer announced the verdict during a press conference. On 6 December 2021, fifty-three civil society organisations organised a peaceful protest in front of the local parliament in Sorong. The organisations voiced their opposition towards the palm oil companies. They called upon the judges at the PTUN Jayapura to rule in favour of the regent and the indigenous Moi peoples.
The West Papuan Council of Churches issues moral call on human rights situation in West PapuaThe text of this holy book awakens us all to reflect together on the situation in Papua. The other party feels superior, feels self-righteous, relies on their power to suppress, terrorize, and carry out political racism against Papuans. The Papuans are people who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ since February 5, 1895. They still incriminate God's people in this land by calling them thousand and one different names. They criticize us, accuse us of being infidels, separatists, traitors, and terrorists as if we are not human beings created by God's hand in His image. In the light of our faith, we convey that the conflict between the TNI/POLRI (Indonesian National Army and Police of the Republic of Indonesia) and the TPNPB (West Papua National Liberation Army) is still going on until as we issue this moral call. The TNI/Polri Vs TPNPB conflict has resulted in a humanitarian crisis in 6 regions, Yahukimo Regency, Kiwirok District, Star Mountains Regency, Intan Jaya Regency, Maybrat-Sorong Regency, Nduga Regency and Puncak Papua Regency. We have received reports from the congregations we pastor that at least 60,000 Papuan people from our congregations have currently evacuated to the surrounding districts, including some who have crossed into PNG (Papua New Guinea).
Police officers arrest and torture eight school students in Serambakon District, Pegunungan Bintang
A group of Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) members reportedly tortured a group of eight minors in the Serambakon district of Pegunungan Bintang regency on 12 November 2021. The students were on the way home from their school in the Seramkatop Village as they encountered a group of Brimob officers in the forest around 11:00 am. According to information received, the officers arrested the eight students and repeatedly punched them during the subsequent interrogation. Thereupon, the police members forced the eight students to come with them through the forest. Around 2:30 pm the village chief of Seramkatop Village, Mr Yance Asemki, saw the Brimob officers and the students walking through the forest towards the Seramkatop Village.
The police increase surveillance operations against members and supporters of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), a civil resistance organisation promoting the right to self-determination through peaceful means. According to KNPB spokesperson, Ones Suhuniap, police officers repeatedly visited the KNPB headquarters in Jayapura since 9 November 2021 to meet with KNPB chairman Agus Kossay (see photo, source: KNPB). The police officers questioned the activist about plans to hold a demonstration in Jayapura during a visit by President Joko Widodo to close the National Paralympic Games in Jayapura on 13 November 2021. KNPB members understood the visits as an act of intimidation. Such visits are part of a series of criminalisation against KNPB leaders and members. On 22 November 2021, officers carried out a police raid at the Mimika student dormitory in Manokwari and arrested at least ten residents without showing a warrant. They were questioned about the KNPB in relation to the attack on a military post in the Kisor Village, Maybrat regency on 2 September 2021. Four soldiers were reportedly killed during the attack. The police believe that KNPB members were involved in the attack.
Police raid student dormitory in Manokwari and arrest ten residents
Members of the Papua Barat Regional Police (Polda Papua Barat) conducted a raid at the Mimika student dormitory in Manokwari on 22 November 2021. According to the residents, the police searched the dormitory without showing a search warrant. The officers seized traditional weapons, gardening tools and clothes with morning star symbols. Residents witnessed how the police officers devastated the rooms and broke a door during the raid. Ten dormitory residents were reportedly arrested and temporarily detained at the police headquarters, some of whom were participating in a virtual meeting in relation to their graduation at the Papuan University (Unipa) in Manokwari. The officers questioned the students about the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), a civil resistance movement promoting the right to self-determination through non-violent means.
Update on situation of IDPs in West Papua throughout November 2021Relatives demand update on law enforcement process in cases of enforced disappearances
The victims’ relatives in multiple cases of alleged disappearances in West Papua have to keep waiting for justice. The police and the military have conducted investigations into some of the cases. However, the outcome of the law enforcement process against the perpetrators was never published or are still pending. Human rights organisations in Indonesia have criticised the police- and military-internal law enforcement mechanisms for a long time. They argue that both mechanisms are not effective, lack transparency and independence, pathing the way for impunity in Indonesia. As of November 2021, human rights observers demanded authorities publish the outcome of investigations into multiple cases of enforced disappearances in 2020 and 2021. Most cases occurred in relation to security operations against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) in the regencies Nduga, Pegunungan Bintang and Intan Jaya.
Attacks against journalists in West Papua on the rise – Media activists establish Press Legal Aid Association in Jayapura
Journalists and press organisations in Jayapura (see photo, source: Jubi) have established the Press Legal Aid Association (PBH Pers) in response to the raising number of cases involving intimidation, obstruction and physical attacks as well as cyberattacks against journalists in West Papua. The Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI Indonesia) documented a total number of 114 cases of violence against journalists in West Papua during the past 20 years. 90 of these cases reportedly occurred between May 2020 and May 2021, alone. The violations included acts of verbal intimidation, destruction of work equipment and coverage, as well as physical violence.
According to Mahfud, the current combat operations in West Papua will become territorial operations which shall include public services such as healthcare, agriculture and education programs for the people in West Papua. Observers are concerned that the government’s change in policy will be nothing more than mere rhetoric. Mahfud excluded the possibility of a temporary stop of the security operations in West Papua. He underlined that the ongoing operations in the central Papuan highlands are ‘law enforcement operations’, which must be undertaken in all parts of Indonesia. However, Mahfud indicated that the new approach would be a reaction to ongoing calls from Papuan civil society not to deploy non-organic military troops to West Papua.
The Morning Star flag was officially raised for the first time on 1st December 1961. Many Papuans consider and commemorate that day as their “Independence Day”. Every year security forces disperse peaceful demonstrations and orations in commemoration of the historic event. According to media sources, peaceful protests in commemoration of the 1st December took place in the cities Sorong, Jakarta, Ambon, Surabaya, Semarang, Denpasar, Kupang, Makassar, and Yogyakarta. Members of a nationalist group clashed with Papuan students and solidarity groups in the city of Denpasar, Bali. Similarly, protesters in Ambon reportedly faced repressive acts by police officers. Activists, West Papua diaspora and solidarity movements in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and East Timor organised public commemorations in their country.
Attack on a military post in Maybrat - juvenile defendant sentenced to eight years imprisonmentAccording to the Kaki Abu Legal Aid Institute (LBH Kaki Abu) in Sorong, one of the suspects arrested in relation to the attack on a military post in the Kisor Village, Maybrat Regency, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment after undergoing trial at the Sorong District Court. Four soldiers were killed during the attack. LBH KakiAbu is representing a 14-year-old defendant charged with murder, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment as regulated under Law No. 11/ 2012 on Juvenile Criminal Justice System (UU SPPA). The minor was arrested in the Kokas Village, Aifat District, on 28 September 2021.
Supreme Court rules that workers' strike at PT Freeport Indonesia is legal
The Indonesian Supreme Court decided that the 2017 workers' strike at the Grasberg Mine run by PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) was legal. About 8,300 PTFI workers have been fighting for their rights after being fired for participating in the strike. The judges ruled that PTFI’s action to terminate the employment of the three labour representatives, Tri Puspital, Deminaus Yonasen May and Muhammad Anwar, must be declared invalid and the workers must be re-employed.
The freedom of information and of the press, as an inherent part of the freedom of expression, is a foundation of modern democracies. The independence and diversity of the media landscape play important roles in any democracy. They constitute the foundation of public discourse and participation of civil society in democratic decision-making processes. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have become more important than ever as sources of information. Public opinion and discourse on West Papua is manipulated in multiple ways. Standard methods use the internet, particularly the social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, or other channels such as websites or blogging platforms. Current efforts of online manipulation vary from disseminating pro-government counter-information to the discreditation of human rights defenders and political activists through smear campaigns.
The human rights situation in West Papua significantly det
eriorated throughout 2019 and 2020. This was caused by the aggravation of armed conflict, an increasing number of extra-judicial executions, enforced disappearances, and the internal displacement of thousands of indigenous Papuans in the central highlands. At the same time, ‘the Uprising’ [1] led to a wave of legal prosecutions against protesters and the persecution of political activists and human rights defenders using vague criminal provisions such as treason and criminal conspiracy.