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The
Newsletter of West Papua Action. September 1998. No. 5 |
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Contents |
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Donations
to develop the West Papua campaign are always welcome.
Money can be lodged to:
West Papua Action,
Bank of Ireland,
Portlaoise,
Co. Laoise,
Ireland.
A/C no. 59691993.
Sort Code: 90-18-88.
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New
Forum on Political Status of West Papua |
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In what has been described by TAPOL, the London-based Indonesian
human rights organisation as "a path-breaking document", the
three Christian churches in West Papua, along with traditional
and community leaders, have raised the fundamental question
of the political status of West Papua:
"Could it be that the Indonesian government is drawn to Irian
Jaya not by its people but by it natural resources? The legislative
and executive bodies have proven incapable of responding to
the genuine aspirations of the people within the context of
the Republic of Indonesia. This has prompted the Church, traditional
leaders, women's leaders, and student and youth leaders to
set up a forum called Forum for the Reconciliation of Irian
Jaya Society, to be known as FORERI.
Set up on 24 July in Jayapura, FORERI is an independent organisation
whose purpose is to monitor, respond to and channel the genuine
aspirations of the people of Irian Jaya to the regional government,
the central government and other authorities.
FORERI is acutely aware that it is virtually impossible for
society to express their aspirations to anyone. If these aspirations
are suppressed or manipulated by certain groups, none of the
decisions taken by the government will resolve the social
and political problems confronting Irian Jaya.
Based on its observation of developments in the wake of the
events of 1 July 1998 and backed up by data that has been
gathered, FORERI has come to the conclusion, reached in absolute
honesty and good faith, that what people in Irian Jaya want
in essence is "THE OPPORTUNITY TO HANDLE THEIR OWN AFFAIRS",
that is to say FREEDOM!
FORERI is also conscious of the fact that this basic aspiration,
as expressed here in Irian Jaya and in Jakarta, has taken
several forms:
1. one group wants full independence;
2. one group wants the fullest possible autonomy;
3. one group wants a federal state and constitutional change.
The Forum goes on to propose "strategic measures" which they
say "should be taken in the spirit of national reform". Among
the measures proposed are that the "government should enter
into open, honest and democratic dialogue and based on the
principle of equality between the protagonists. In response
to the genuine aspirations of the people, it is absolutely
essential that there should be a test of the opinion of the
people with regard to the status of the territory of Irian
Jaya."
It also calls for the government to "investigate and prosecute
those responsible for violations of Human Rights, in particular
the following cases: Wamena (1997), Timika (1995), Bella,
Alama, Jila and Mapnduma (1998), Biak (1998), Wamena and Sorong
(1998) as well as other cases that have not yet been brought
to light."
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July
Demonstrations throughout West Papua |
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July 1st, 1998 saw an outpouring of protest in West Papua.
The Indonesian military used live rounds on unarmed protesters.
Hundreds of people, later swelling to over a thousand gathered
in Jayapura on July 1st and 2nd to denounce the process leading
to the take-over of West Papua in 1969, the so-called "Act
of 'free' Choice", where only 1, 025 coerced Papuans were
allowed to vote in a rigged referendum for integration with
Indonesia.
Thousands of people gathered in Sorong on July 2nd to demonstrate
their support for the declaration of independence of July
1st, 1971, for the immediate withdrawal of the Indonesian
armed forces and for the release of all West Papua political
prisoners.
On July 2nd, 2,000 people attended a free-speech forum at
the Cendrawasih University campus outside Jayapura at which
the political status of West Papua was discussed. An person
identified as an army intelligence agent was attacked by people
in the crowd. The Indonesian military fired live rounds into
the crowd. Steven Suripatti was hit in the head, and died
later, on July 27th. The Indonesian army say the intelligence
officer who had been injured died in hospital.
The flag of West Papua, the Morning Star was unfurled on July
2nd in Biak. Soldiers baton-charged the next day, and in the
ensuing fracas, two Indonesian soldiers were reportedly killed.
Locals continued to fly the flag amid great enthusiasm in
the town. On 6 July, the army invaded from land and sea, wakening
the people with gun-fire. According to TAPOL, "eye witnesses
later spoke of a great deal of blood and claim to have seen
a number of dead bodies. Scores of people were wounded. Dozens
were arrested and held in police cells, including people with
gunshot wounds which were not properly treated... Many of
the wounded were taken to Biak general hospital and the navy
base hospital, both of which were placed under heavy guard
with no one being allowed in for days to check the whereabouts
of missing relatives or visit the wounded. According to eye
witnesses, many wounded people left town to return home rather
than go to a hospital for treatment."
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Kompas, the Indonesian newspaper, ( 1 June, 1998 ) reported
that "The National Human Rights Commission plans to set up
an office in Irian Jaya to investigate human rights abuses
in the territory. The office will also act as mediator for
channelling financial assistance from Freeport to the local
population."
Komnas Ham, the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission,
sent one fact find-finding team to West Papua on June 11,
1998, and a second on June 29, and again on July 15th in relation
to the May 1998 report by the three Christian churches in
West Papua ( see West Papua News no. 4 ).
The Commission also conducted investigations consequent to
the military operations against Papuan protesters in July,
out of which they initially reported that one person had died
and 23 had been suffering from gunshots wounds. However, according
to local human rights groups, nine people were still missing
at the end of July. The Guardian reported on July 30th that
"two bodies were netted on July 9. They had holes in their
heads. Then eight days later, four others were found, bound
together with their wrists tied. They were handed over to
the military and have not been seen since... On Monday, six
more bodies washed up on five different beaches near Biak,
and nine bodies were found on Tuesday."
One of the victims was identified as someone who went missing
on 6 July. The Indonesian authorities attempted to link the
dead bodies being washed up to the Papua New Guinea tidal
wave some 400 miles east even though some of the bodies were
found before 17 July, when the tidal wave hit.
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The Sydney Morning Herald ( 21 July, 1998 ) reported that
350 students rallied for six hours in front of the United
Nations building in central Jakarta where they "sang and cheered
in support of a free West Papua. Some wore grass skirts and
feathered head-dresses.
'We are not Indonesians, we are West Papuans,' one red banner
proclaimed.
The protesters urged the Government to stop sending Javanese
and Sumatran settlers to Irian Jaya and to reduce its military
presence in the mountainous territory.
"We gave the UN a petition urging they help give our
freedom back," said Danianus Wanimbo, the leader of the
Alliance of Papuan Students, after six students met UN officials.
The head of the UN Development Program, Ravi Rajan, said he
would immediately forward the petition to UN headquarters
in New York and the International Court of Justice.'
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TV
team expelled from West Papua |
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Indonesian police ordered a German public television team
out of the country, the head of the three-man group told the
Jakarta Post ( 13 July 1998 ): "The Singapore correspondent
of ARD - Germany's network of publicly owned channels - said
he had been interrogated by local police for six hours and
had been accused of entering the province without a special
permit from the information ministry."
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West Papua Action
gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Trócaire.
The contents of this publication
are solely the responsibility of West Papua Action,
c/o AfrI,
Grand Canal House,
Lower Rathmines Road,
Dublin 6.
Ireland.
Tel. 353 1 496 8595.
Fax. 353 1 4968592.
E-mail. wpaction@iol.ie
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