Journalist Faces Defamation Probe for Comparing Indonesia’s Treatment of West Papua with Myanmar’s Rohingya

Indonesian police in East Java are investigating a veteran journalist for comparing former President Megawati Sukarnoputri to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi in a Facebook post.

On September 3, 2017, journalist and documentary filmmaker Dandhy Dwi Laksono wrote on Facebook that Megawati and Suu Kyi are alike in many ways, noting that both are former opposition leaders who now head the ruling parties in their respective countries. Dandhy added that if Myanmar’s government is being criticized for its treatment of ethnic Rohingya, the Indonesian government should similarly be held liable for suppressing the independence movement on the Indonesian island of West Papua.

He further compared Suu Kyi’s silence on the persecution of the Rohingya to Megawati’s role as party leader of the government, which has recently intensified the crackdown on West Papuan independence activists.

Rohingya people born and living in Myanmar are not recognized as citizens by the Myanmar government. In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya civilians have been displaced from their homes due to clearing operations of the Myanmar military in response to attacks by a pro-Rohingya insurgent group in northwest Myanmar. Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees, who are mostly Muslim, are crossing into Bangladesh to escape the fighting.

West Papua is a province of Indonesia with a vocal independence movement that has called for the creation of a separate state since the 1960s. Human rights groups have documented many cases of abuse committed by Indonesian state forces against activists, journalists, and other individuals suspected of supporting the independence movement.

Dandhy posted his comments on Facebook following a big rally was organized by Muslim groups in Indonesia, condemning the Myanmar government for its treatment of Rohingya refugees.

The youth arm of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) filed a defamation complaint against Dandhy on September 6:

On the whole, (Dandhy’s) opinion was clearly intended to take advantage of the Rohingya incidents in Myanmar in order to insult and spread hatred of Megawati Soekarnoputri as the chairwoman of PDI-P and Joko Widodo as the president who is backed by PDI-P.

He is now under investigation by the police cyber crime unit. If he is prosecuted for and convicted of defamation, Dandhy could face up to four years in prison.

Reacting to the complaint, Dandhy wrote that it is a minor issue compared to the injustices suffered by Papuan activists and Rohingya refugees.

The complaint is the latest case of how the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law is being used to silence dissent in the country.

According to Indonesian digital rights group SAFEnet, at least 35 activists have been charged with online defamation since its enactment in 2008. Aside from Dandhy’s case, the group has documented six defamation charges involving activists and journalists in 2017.

Activists were quick to launch a campaign expressing support to Dandhy. They asserted that Dandhy was simply expressing an opinion which should be considered legitimate criticism and not a criminal act.

SAFEnet is encouraging Indonesian netizens to submit reports and testimonies about how the ITE Law is being abused to silence activists like Dandhy and suppress online free speech in general.

Instead of preventing the public from commenting on Megawati, a local investigative portal suggested that Dandhy’s case could in fact trigger greater interest in the former president’s legacy as a leader, including some of the issues that led to her defeat in the polls.

Souce: www.globalvoices.org

September 15, 2017 0

West Papua media access still fettered – PFF

RNZI's Johnny Blades and Koroi Hawkins finally get to interview the extremely elusive Governor of Papua Province Lukas Enembe. — RNZI’s Johnny Blades and Koroi Hawkins interview Papua Governor Lukas Enembe Photo: RNZI/Koroi Hawkins

RadioNZ – The Pacific Freedom Forum says Indonesia is yet to deliver on its promise of full and free access for journalists to West Papua just months out from Jakarta hosting World Press Freedom day.

Indonesia opened access to West Papua for foreign journalists in 2015, more than 50 years after annexing the territory from the Netherlands.

The Forum’s co-chair, the Papua New Guinean journalist, Alex Rheeney, said a visit by journalists to West Papua in January encountered violence, sexual harassment and interference from Indonesian minders.

“The findings that have come out recently from Papua by the group of journalists who went in, does not show that the Indonesian government is taking the undertaking that it’s given to the international community, to give journalists access to West Papua freely and without any strings attached.”

Alex Rheeney said the journalists were most likely obstructed when trying to report on the independence movement of West Papua’s indigenous population.

March 10, 2017 1

Papuan students in Yogyakarta attacked by Indonesian police and militia

Reported by AMP Yogyakarta 18^th July 2016

20-year-old student Obi Kogoya attacked by Indonesian police and militia on 15th July outside the boarding house Yogyakarta

Indonesian police and civilian reactionary groups stormed a boarding house for Papuan students in Yogyakarta on Friday. The State-Owned Papuan Dormotory at Kusumanegara Road, Kamasan I was besieged in the early morning of 15^th July when mobile brigades (Brimob) of special forces officers forced their way through the back gate of the dormitory and caused extensive damage to student property. After entering the premises, they destroyed and sabotaged a number of motorcycles while other police surrounded the dormitory and blocked all access to the building. Students were forbidden from entering or moving about the premises, while Red Cross workers and local residents were restricted from providing relief for the students.

This action comes at a time when Papuan students in Yogyakarta had planned to stage a peaceful rally in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) bid to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The students also demanded West Papuan self-determination to be implemented by the Indonesian government as the best solution for resolving ongoing conflicts in the troubled province, and to demonstrate to the rest of the world a genuine regard for democratic principles.

The rally was organised by Persatuan Rakyat Untuk Pembebasan Papua Barat (People United for Free West Papua PRPPB)

Hundreds of Indonesian police ready to attack Papuan students boarding house on Friday 15th July 2016

An international spokesperson of the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP), Yely Wenda, witnessed the incident from inside the besieged building. Mr Wenda insisted that hundreds of police and armed civilians had arrived at the boarding house by 7 am and “that we were targeted and treated as though we were terrorists. There was absolutely no logic whatsoever for the Indonesian security forces to act the way they did. It was very embarrassing to see them act stupidly like this”

According to Wenda, police officers were sweeping several access points to the road leading toward Papua dormitory, and blocking and detaining any person entering or leaving the property. As many as fifteen students were arrested simply on account of their desire to enter their own property. One 20-year-old student was detained by the police on the street outside of the dormitory before being brutally tortured. The student, Obi Kogoya, had his jaw forcefully opened by police and militia, and is now in a critical condition at a local hospital.

In addition to the violence being perpetrated by police and militia, civilian groups conducted a demonstration attacking the Papuans’ message of independence. These groups were well-armed and protected by a throng of Indonesian security forces, and displayed a banner that stated their willingness to die in defending their “unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia”.

The President of the Papuan Students’ Association, Aris Yeimo, told BBC Indonesia that 60 to 70 students remain locked inside the building all day and unable to leave the premises. When asked why the dormitory was besieged by the police, Mr Yeimo insisted he had no idea why security forces acted in such an intimidating manner and that these kinds of confrontations are not uncommon. Incidents towards Papuans – such as this one – may occur as often as several times a month, everywhere Papuans live.

Police representatives have a clearer understanding about the justification for these kinds of actions. The Yogyakarta City Police Chief, Kombes Tommy Wibisono, asserts that pacification action such as this need to be carried out when demands for Papuan independence undermines national stability and promotes “social unrest”. However, Aris Yeimo insists that the current action against students has little to do with calls for Papuan independence, but rather because of the perceived threat they pose to the national integrity of the archipelago.

Veronica Koman from the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) in Jakarta has condemned the brutality of the police and demanded that security forces and their civilian paramilitary counterparts must not take the law into their own hands. This assertion applies not only to the current situation in Yogyakarta, but to other parts of the country as well.

Yely Wenda has appealed to Pacific Islands nations for moral support and to put pressure on Indonesia as an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to refrain from utilising these kinds of pressures on local Papuan students.

Further information, please contact:

Yamin Kogoya

0477785680

kogoyay@gmail.com

Papuan student at the Australian National University Canberra-Australia

Yely Wenda

+6281344666626

aringgiklod@gmail.com

An International spokesperson of Papuan Student Alliance in Yogyakarta-Indonesia

20-year-old student Obi Kogoya attacked by Indonesian police and militia on 15^th July outside the boarding house Yogyakarta.

Hundreds of Indonesian police ready to attack Papuan students boarding house on Friday 15^th July 2016

July 18, 2016 1

West Papuans arrested for supporting ULMWP

8:42 pm GMT+12, 14/07/2016, Solomon Islands

Reports of arrests of West Papuans by Indonesian security forces have increased in numbers since Thursday, as many gathered in anticipation of the Melanesian Spearhead Group decision on the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) membership.

Reports from inside West Papua confirmed that 348 arrests since were made.

ULMWP Secretary General, Octovianus Mote, confirmed the 348 arrests, saying West Papuans simply wanted to celebrate the outcome of the MSG Special Leaders Summit’s decision on ULMWP membership application.

“Most of these West Papuans are youth and they just want to express their freedom and right to association…but many were arrested.”

Mote said this is Indonesia’s clamp down on West Papuans who support ULMWP will only impose fear among the people.

He said most arrests were done in Timika, Jayapura, Merauke, Nabire, and Yahukimo. “Just to confirm that these arrests were done while more Melanesians in Fiji, PNG, Kanaky, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands joined in solidarity to support us.”

Pacific solidarity movements for West Papua are calling on Melanesian leaders’ to recognise ULMWP and not to shy away from their responsibility as Melanesian leaders.

The call for West Papua’s political recognition at the MSG through ULMWP has been supported by solidarity movements in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Kanaky (New Caledonia).

With representatives from respective West Papua movements in Melanesia, over 3000 people marched the streets of Honiara in a peaceful demonstration yesterday morning, while the MSG leaders convened the special leaders summit.

Chairman of the PNG Union for Free West Papua, Kenn Mondiai, reminded the PNG delegation present at the summit that it was the advice of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in 2012 that the ULMWP was asked organise itself before seeking membership to MSG.

“In 2014 MSG granted Observer status to ULMWP. So Papua New Guinea must be true to its word and recognize its brothers and sisters from West Papua for they are Melanesian and they are family,” urged Mondiai.

“I call on Prime Minister Pete O’Neill and Minister Rimbink Pato to reserve their economic relations with Indonesia and consider humanity, our Melanesian cultural and connection to our West Papuan family,” said Mondiai

SOURCE: PACNEWS

July 14, 2016 0

West Papua Situation Similar to East TImor Prior to Independence, Activist Says

By Alyssa Betts, ABC News, Posted 6 Jul 2015, 10:28am

The situation in the Indonesian province of West Papua is similar to East Timor just before independence, a West Papuan activist has announced at a protest in Darwin.

A group of about 60 people have erected a temporary hut embassy outside Parliament House, calling for West Papuan independence from Indonesia.

Jacob Rumbiak, who said he was now in self-imposed exile after spending 10 years as a political prisoner, said the situation in West Papua had worsened recently.

“In April, Indonesia caught 447 of the student movement,” he said.

“Last month, after Indonesian president [Joko Widodo] released five political prisoners, they caught another 500 of the student movement.

“Also, they killed three people, including one secondary student.”

A Darwin Aboriginal elder taking part in the protest said Indigenous people there are being subjected to rights abuses.

Larrakia woman June Mills said the hut embassy was about giving a voice to the voiceless and she called on governments around the world to intervene in the West Papua situation.

“We have laws in this country that protect indigenous rights and children’s rights … if the Government isn’t going to stand up and do the right thing, well the people of Australia are going to,” Ms Mills said.

July 6, 2016 0

Indonesia must allow peaceful protests in Papua, stresses UN rights chief

un.org – 2 May 2013 – The United Nations human rights chief today expressed concern over the recent crackdown on mass demonstrations in Papua, Indonesia this week and called on the Government to allow peaceful protests and hold accountable those responsible for the violence.

“These latest incidents are unfortunate examples of the ongoing suppression of freedom of expression and excessive use of force in Papua,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. “I urge the Government of Indonesia to allow peaceful protest and hold accountable those involved in abuses.”

On Tuesday, police reportedly shot and killed two protesters in the city of Sorong who were preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of Papua becoming a part of Indonesia. At least 20 protesters were arrested in the cities of Biak and Timika on 1 May. Many were arrested for raising pro-independence flags.

Ms. Pillay underlined the need for coherent policies and actions to address the underlying concerns and grievances of the local population in Papua. She said that since May 2012, her office has received 26 reports concerning alleged human rights violations, including 45 killings and cases of torture, many of which are linked to law enforcement officials.

“International human rights law requires the Government of Indonesia to conduct thorough, prompt and impartial investigations into the incidents of killings and torture and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Ms. Pillay said.

“There has not been sufficient transparency in addressing serious human rights violations in Papua,” she said, urging Indonesia to allow international journalists into Papua and to facilitate visits by the Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council.

As of March, at least 20 political prisoners remain in detention in Papua. During her visit to Indonesia in November, Ms. Pillay raised concerns over Papuan activists being imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, and said she was disappointed by continued arrests.

Ms. Pillay encouraged the Governments to implement the recommendations put forward by the National Human Rights Commission, Komnas Ham, and the National Commission on Violence against Women, Komnas Perempuan, regarding freedom of expression, and emphasized the role of these institutions in protecting human rights in the country.

May 2, 2013 0