Please do this simple task for Justice.

Call your representative in Congress. Urge him or her to sign
the letter by Rep. Patrick Kennedy urging the release of West
Papuan political prisoners Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.

For peacefully raising a flag, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may
spend the next decade or more in prison in Indonesia unless we
act today. On December 1, 2004, some 200 people participated in
a nonviolent ceremony outside Abepura. The Morning Star flag, a
traditional Papuan symbol, was raised in commemoration of the
1962 declaration of Papuan independence. Karma and Pakage were
convicted in May 2005 for taking part in this demonstration and
were sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison. Amnesty
International has adopted them as Prisoners of Conscience.

What YOU can do:

Call your Representative today. Urge her/him to sign on to the
letter being circulated by Representative Patrick Kennedy’s
office demanding the release of political prisoners Filep Karma
and Yusak Pakage.

A copy of the Congressional letter to Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is pasted below – additional background
follows.

When you call ask to speak to the foreign affairs legislative
assistant. The Congressional switchboard number is 202-224-3121
(ask for the office of your Representative), or check
Congress.org Home for contact information. To sign on to the
letter the aide should contact Daniel Murphy in Rep. Patrick
Kennedy's office (5-4911).

Every call makes a difference.

Please keep us posted of the results of your calls by writing to
etan@etan.org.

Thank you!!

Talking points:

1. Karma and Pakage are prisoners of conscience and should be freed
immediately. They were convicted under unjust laws for peaceful
expression of their political views.

2. The government of Indonesia must demonstrate its commitment to
freedom of expression by releasing people convicted under these
Suharto-era laws.

3. The U.S. Congress needs to be a strong advocate for human rights in
Indonesia and elsewhere. Representative Kennedy’s letter is an
opportunity for members to express their commitment to freedom of
expression as a fundamental value and human right that must be defended
everywhere!

Letter to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Dr. H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta 10110
Indonesia

Your Excellency,

We the undersigned members of the U.S. Congress respectfully
call to your attention the cases of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage
who, in May 2005, were convicted and sentenced for their
involvement in the legitimate and peaceful exercise of their
freedom of expression in Abepura, Papua on December 1, 2004.
Amnesty International has declared the two “prisoners of
conscience.” We also call your attention to reports by reputable
sources that Mr. Karma was beaten by the police following his
arrest. There are also reliable reports that police at the scene
of the demonstration beat a human rights defender who sought to
photograph the violent police action against peaceful
demonstrators.

The unjust imprisonment of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage occurs in
the context of a crackdown on Papuan human rights defenders,
which has included general public threats by senior military
officials and intimidation directed at individuals by anonymous
figures. This campaign of threats and intimidation has targeted
Papuans who met with and gave testimony about human rights abuse
to a senior UN human rights representative when she visited
Papua at your government’s invitation in June 2007.

We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and
unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage. Any security
officials who mistreated Mr. Karma or who may have employed
inappropriate force against peaceful demonstrators should be
prosecuted. Such steps would be an important indicator that
Indonesia, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, takes its
international obligations to fully respect universally
recognized human rights.

In accordance with all applicable rules and regulations, we
thank you for your attention to this matter.

More Background

Following the forced resignation of former Indonesian President
Suharto in 1998, over 230 political prisoners were released in a
series of presidential amnesties, and repressive legislation
limiting freedom of expression fell out of use for a brief
period of time. Since early 2001, however, such legislation has
once again been used with increasing frequency against
government critics, including labor and political activists,
journalists, and activists in Aceh and West Papua. A number of
human rights organizations have also been charged with
“defamation,” in what appears to be an attempt by the
authorities to discredit them and disrupt their legitimate work.

Amnesty International has documented more than 60 prisoners of
conscience sentenced to prison terms since 1998. Hundreds more
political prisoners have faced trial in the provinces of Aceh,
Papua and Maluku, and Amnesty International believes that many
may have been convicted solely for the peaceful exercise of
their right to freedom of expression.

In May of 2005 Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were convicted for
taking part in a peaceful demonstration commemorating the 1962
declaration of Papuan independence. Karma and Pakage’s
convictions came under Articles 154 and 155 of the Indonesian
Criminal code. These articles criminalized “public expression of
feelings of hostility, hatred or contempt toward the government”
and prohibited “the expression of such feelings or views through
the public media.” In July 2007, Indonesia’s Constitutional
Court overturned these laws – yet dozens of people remain in
prison for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of
expression. Indeed, earlier this year, several people convicted
of waving pro-independence flags in front of the President in
Ambon in the Malukus in 2007 were convicted of treason and
sentenced up to life in prison.

According to Amnesty International and other reports, Indonesian
police who arrested Mr. Karma at the site of the demonstration
subsequently beat him en route to the police station. At least
four people were reportedly injured when police opened fire on
the peaceful crowd. Police also reportedly beat a human rights
monitor who attempted to photograph the police attack on the
crowd gathered for the flag raising ceremony.

On May 16, the United Nations Committee Against Torture reported
the following regarding Indonesia: “The Committee is deeply
concerned about the numerous ongoing credible and consistent
allegations, corroborated by the Special Rapporteur on Torture
and other sources, concerning routine and widespread use of
torture and ill-treatment of suspects in police custody,
especially to extract confessions or information to be used in
criminal proceedings.”

ETAN welcomes your support. For more info:
Donation Form

John M. Miller National Coordinator
Internet: fbp@igc.org
East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) PO Box 21873,
Brooklyn, NY 11202-1873 USA

Phone: (718)596-7668 Mobile phone: (917)690-4391
Skype: john.m.miller
Web site: ETAN - East Timor & Indonesia Action Network; East Timor Action Network
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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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In memory of JoyoNews founder, leader, and inspiration
Bapak Gordon Bishop
8 October 1946 - 21 July 2007