Jakarta – The central government must remove their security forces from Papua and West Papua provinces and communicate better with residents in order to reduce tensions in the region, a legislator says.

Nivell Rayda, Indonesia – New York-based Human Rights Watch has demanded an explanation for the transfer of two Papuan "political prisoners" from Jayapura's notorious Abepura Prison to local police headquarter, saying the men should be able to contest the arrest and see their families.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and the West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) urge the Indonesian Government to respect the rights of and end the persecution of internationally recognized prisoners of conscience Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni who were transferred from Abepura Prison to Jayapura Police Headquarters on December 3.

Charlie Hill-Smith – As YouTube evidence of Indonesian soldiers burning the genitals of the West Papuan Tunaliwor Kiwo received its 50,000th viewer, the Indonesian military (TNI) was exposed holding a cynical mock trial to try to cover up systemic violence.

Prisoners have rights too, and ignoring those rights is no way to celebrate Human Rights Day. The authorities should explain why Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni have been thrown in a police lock-up and denied access to lawyers. – Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch

AHRC-UAC-178-2010

Dear friends,

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Despite increasing tension in Papua following the bombing of a military officer's house, the Army announced on Tuesday that it was not planning to deploy additional troops to secure the area.

Indonesia Human Rights Committee
Box 68-419
Auckland

Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hon Wayne Mapp
Minister of Defence
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

7 December, 2010

Dear Mr McCully and Mr Mapp,

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – The Papuan chapter of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has called on the local police and military to immediately investigate the alleged torture of Puncak Jaya residents by military personnel.

Human Rights Watch says Jakarta is in denial about the widely-publicised case of Indonesian troops allegedly torturing two Papuan men.

The Indonesian military has dismissed claims that five soldiers tortured two Papuan men in May, despite the online release of a graphic video in which the genitals of one of the victims are burnt.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A diner was killed on Saturday in the latest in a series of shooting incidents that have swept Papua in the past week. Authorities blame separatist guerrillas for the attacks.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was shot dead and eight others arrested Friday in an operation by the Jayapura Police and Wira Yakti Military Command to apprehend the perpetrators of a shooting incident in Nafri, Abepura, on Nov. 28.

The manhunt commenced on Thursday and the dead suspect, identified as Miron Wetipo, was killed at around 00:30 a.m. local time.

Peter Alford, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's officials insist that soldiers responsible for a vicious torture incident in West Papua will be brought to justice.

Nine Papuans arrested and charged in Jayawijaya in Indonesia's Papua last month on subversion charges are experiencing difficulties in finding a defence lawyer.

They were arrested for raising the Morning Star flag and are in custody at the Wamena District Police station.

Jakarta – Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty has been ordered to raise his nation's concerns about Indonesia's stalled investigation into the alleged torture of two Papuans by members of the military, a media report said on Friday.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Hundreds of inmates at the Abepura Penitentiary in Papua rioted on Friday to protest over the shooting of a fellow prisoner who escaped and was killed in a raid the same day.

AHRC-UAC-176-2010

Dear friends,

According to reports received from local activists, two villagers were killed in Bolakme, Papua, Indonesia during a sweeping operation by the security forces on December 1, 2010.

Case narrative:

Nivell Rayda & Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – At least one person has been reportedly killed in raids in Papua as the military steps up its search for members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM), which marked its 45th anniversary on Wednesday.

Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Human Rights Watch on Thursday chastised the media for propagating misleading news that five soldiers caught on tape torturing two Papuan men had been summarily court-martialed.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was shot dead and four others, including a child, were injured by unidentified armed men on Sunday in Nafri village, Abepura, outside the Papuan capital.

Reports from Papua in Indonesia say unidentified gunmen have shot at traffic outside Jayapura, killing a motorcyclist and injuring six others, including a nine-year child in a public bus.

Paula Makabori from the Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights says the victims in Sunday morning's attack were mainly Indonesians.

Camelia Pasandaran, Jakarta – Bringing down the high cost of living in Papua, which is paradoxically the country's least-developed province, is a key factor in boosting development there, the government says.

The matter was raised on Tuesday at a meeting between Vice President Boediono and Gamawan Fauzi, the home affairs minister.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – Human Rights Watch on Monday lambasted the government for failing to prosecute five soldiers allegedly caught on tape torturing two Papuan civilians, even after one of the victims came forward to recount his ordeal.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – A prominent international human rights group has agreed to advocate for the release of Filep Samuel Karma, a Papuan political prisoner who was jailed in 2005 for raising the banned Morning Star flag.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Papua on Sunday to meet with the local administration on regional revenue and to open a national university student body conference, steering clear of the thorny issue of human rights violations.

Jakarta – Nine people have been arrested after an outlawed separatist flag was raised in Papua, police said on Sunday.

Indonesia – A series of conflicts sparked by a racist mobile phone ringtone will not affect a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Jayapura, Papua.

"President Yudhoyono will continue to visit Jayapura from Nov. 21-22 despite the recent conflicts," Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto said Saturday.

Jayapura, Papua – Security conditions in Jayapura, Papua, ahead of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)'s visit on Sunday (Nov 21), are quite conducive, the region's military chief of the Cendrawasih Military Command Brig. Gen. Erfy Triassunu said here Saturday.

Once again, the authorities are sitting on their hands rather than fulfilling their obligations and proactively identifying and prosecuting the soldiers responsible. Kiwo has shown tremendous bravery in coming forward – he deserves justice and protection from retaliation, not another half-hearted army investigation and cover-up.

Nivell Rayda & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Rev. Socratez Yoman was supposed to attend the Papua Baptist Church's annual congregation meeting in the provincial capital, Jayapura, in February, but on the eve of the event, two of his most faithful disciples discouraged him, saying there was a possible plot on his life.

Jakarta – The national human rights body says it would look into reports of human rights violations in Papua, adding that a recent military tribunal only paid lip service in the attempt to bring justice to the province.

AWPA is calling on Julia Gillard to raise the threat to human rights defenders in West Papua with President Yudhoyono.

Jakarta – Rights activists have expressed disappointment over the Cenderawasih Regional Military Command (Kodam) military tribunal's verdict in the case of the Papuans that were tortured in Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya regency, a video of which was circulated via YouTube not long ago.

A US-based Papuan journalist and academic, Octo Mote, says the Indonesian Army's Special Forces unit, Kopassus, operates only under its own agenda in Papua.

His comment comes as reports of leaked Kopassus documents reveal that the group targets churches in Papua and defines civilian dissidents as the enemy.

Jakarta – US freelance journalist Allan Nairn claimed he got hold of a leaked document containing an intelligence report on the Indonesian Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) that showed a targeted list of civilians in Papua allegedly involved in a separatist group.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military chief has confirmed claims by a rights activist that the armed forces are actively carrying out intelligence gathering in Papua, and defended the move as crucial for national security.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Three enlisted soldiers were sentenced to five months in prison on Thursday for their involvement in assaulting dozens of Puncak Jaya residents in March.

The officers were Chief Pvt. Sahminan Husain Lubis, Second Pvt. Joko Sulistiono and Second Pvt. Dwi Purwanto.

Banjir Ambarita & Nivell Rayda, Jayapura – A military tribunal on Thursday sentenced four soldiers filmed beating unarmed civilians to between five and seven months in prison, but human rights activists remain unappeased by the "showcase" trial.

Documents leaked from the Indonesian Army's Special Forces unit, Kopassus, have revealed that the group targets churches in Papua and defines civilian dissidents as the enemy.

The documents describe a covert network of surveillance, infiltration and disruption of Papuan institutions.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Three Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers on trial for allegedly torturing Papuan civilians have testified they kicked and beat captives out of anger.

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – Prosecutors at a military tribunal in Jayapura, Papua, on Tuesday sought three- to four-month prison terms for soldiers on trial for alleged abuses against 30 civilians in March.

Freeport McMoRan copper and Gold should be closed down and the United States should be held responsible for crimes against humanity and against the environment in Papua.

AHRC-OLT-014-2010

President Obama,
White House
Washington D.C.
USA

For the attention of President Barack Obama,

Tom Allard, Jakarta – A military trial into abuses by soldiers in Papua, trumpeted by Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as evidence of the country's commitment to human rights ahead of Julia Gillard's visit, has proven to be a grand deception.

Jakarta – United States President Barack Obama must challenge Indonesia over its abuse and torture of Papuan civilians during his talks in Jakarta this week, human rights activists said on Monday.

Jayapura – The trial of five Indonesian soldiers from an infantry battalion stationed in the Nabire Regency, West Papua, for allegedly "committing acts of violence" against civilians will continue this morning.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The military has failed to say why it switched Friday's announced court-martial of five soldiers accused of torturing two detainees in Papua but has said they will face justice.

The visit of United States President, Barack Hussein Obama in Indonesia must promote the problems of West Papua. President Obama might not regard trivial and closed the eyes towards the problem of West Papua.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Activists condemned the military's decision to hold a tribunal in Jayapura on Friday over an alleged torture video, calling it "misleading" and "a farce" to distract the public from the heart of the matter.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Human Rights Watch has lashed out at the Indonesian military, which it said had promised the trial of soldiers allegedly involved in the brutal torture of Papuan civilians would begin on Friday, but instead began the court-martial of personnel in a different case of abuse.