Jayapura – Prisoners who have been convicted for the Abepura Clash and are now serving sentences in Abepura Prison held a press conference on Thursday.

Led by Selvius Boby, they said their aim was to issue a clarification regarding the news currently circulating to the effect that the bloody Abepura incident on 16 March, in front of the Cendrawasih University campus had been coordinated by Front Pepera (Struggle Front for West Papua).

"The 16 March was not coordinated by us at all but by certain elements who deliberately used our name to carry out that anarchistic action," said Boby Along with Boby, the press conference was attended by. Yahnya Echo, Luis Gedy, Elias Tamaka, Othen Dapyal, Thomas Ukago, Ferdinant Pakage, Penesius Waker, Musa Asso,Belson Rumbiak, and Matias Mehel Dimara, Elkana Lakobal, Bensiur Mirin, as well as by Yusak Pakage, a political prisoner. They were all wearing T-shirts bearing the name of Munir.

They said that the aim of those responsible for the clash was to halt the activities of Front Pepera which has been fighting for the rights of the Papuan people, including their demand that Freeport in Tembagapura should be shut down.

Boby said that Front Pepera was not involved; the action was undertaken by a number of students as well as student, youth and community organisations. "Many people were involved, but people are trying to incriminate Front Pepera," he said.

Yahya Echo, who chairs Front Pepera in Port Numbay, said he hoped that the chief of police in Papua as well as the high court and the Indonesian government will agree to rehabilitate the reputations of he and his friends who have been accused of being involved in the Abepura incident.

"We were not involved and we are now victims of a conspiracy plotted by certain circles." He said that even though they were now behind bars, they would continue with their struggle for the rights of the oppressed Papuan people. "We will continue to demand the closure of Freeport, even here behind bars."

He said that they were preparing to lodge an appeal against the verdicts of the Jayapura court and would call on foreign donors to stop funding legal advisers in the Papua Advocacy Team.

He also said that the police should lift the "wanted" status against Papuan students whom the police say were involved in the Abepura incident. "And we will seek political asylum with the help of Amnesty International if there is no clarification regarding our legal status."

[Abridged in translation by Tapol.]