FREE WEST PAPUA CAMPAIGN

OXFORD, UK

FreeWestPapua.org - For a Free and Independent West Papua - Home

MEDIA RELEASE

OXFORD, ENGLAND, 2nd July 2008: For immediate release

West Papuans to hold traditional ceremony on Westminster Bridge to remember 1998 ‘Bloody Biak’ massacre by Indonesian military

AS BIG BEN strikes 12 Noon on Saturday 5th July, West Papuans will drop flowers into the River Thames from Westminster Bridge in an ancient Papuan ceremony to remember their fellow countrymen massacred by the Indonesian military 10 years ago.



Former political prisoner and West Papuan independence leader, BENNY WENDA, will be joined by the Green Party’s Principal Male Speaker, DEREK WALL, and supporters of the UK based Free West Papua Campaign. Each flower will represent the 150 West Papuans massacred by the Indonesian military on the island of Biak in July 1998 for peacefully raising their independence flag and all the 100,000 plus West Papuans murdered by Indonesian security forces during 45 years of the Indonesian occupation.

And as a symbol of resistance and hope for a future independent West Papua, Benny Wenda and Derek Wall will together raise the banned West Papuan flag on Westminster Bridge, an action which would land them both in jail for 15 years if they repeated it in Indonesian-occupied West Papua.

Derek Wall will also be bringing a message of support from HUGO BLANCO, the Latin American indigenous leader and editor of Lucha Indigna (Indigenous Struggle).

BACKGROUND: 10 years ago, in July 1998, West Papuans on the island of Biak heard a rumour that President Clinton had recognised West Papua’s independence from Indonesia. Amidst scenes of overwhelming joy and celebration, the people of Biak sang hymns of thanksgiving and raised the Morning Star flag, the symbol of Papuan freedom, from top of the town’s huge water tower.

Tragically, the rumour was false. Within days, the Biak people felt the full brutal vengeance of the Indonesian state. 150 West Papuan men, women & children were slaughtered. The Morning Star flags were again hidden away - at least for now.

To the shame of successive Indonesian governments, since Biak 1998 not a single member of the Indonesian Army, Navy or Police has been brought to justice for their part in this crime against humanity. Both the ordinary Indonesian foot-soldiers who pulled the triggers and the Generals in Jakarta & Jayapura who gave them the orders have got away with murder - at least for now.

TEN YEARS LATER, the hope of “Papua Merdeka” (Free West Papua) lives on in the hearts of the people of Biak and all West Papuans.

Here’s what Papuan eye-witnesses told Australian writer Kel Dummett about the events of that terrible day:

“The details of the 1998 massacre are overwhelming… At 5am the [Indonesian] army opened fire on a crowd of sleeping young people at the harbour, who had been guarding their Morning Star flag, raised a few days earlier [killing about 50].

The entire population of Biak town was rounded up at gunpoint and forced to the harbour area, where for the whole day they were subjected to physical and sexual abuses, including the young children.

More than 100 people—mostly women, some with babies and young children—were rounded up and forced on board two [Indonesian] naval vessels, where they were stripped, killed and their bodies mutilated and dumped at sea.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Derek Wall, Principal Male Speaker of the Green Party of England & Wales, says:



“West Papuans are fighting for freedom. They are the true ecologists, the protectors of the rainforests of Papua. Yet the Indonesian occupation of West Papua has led to the death of many people, the destruction of the forests and the repression of civil liberties.

I am proud to be able to speak, once again, in support of Benny Wenda and the rest of the Free West Papua movement in their brave and vital struggle for independence and democracy.”



To mark the anniversary, Benny Wenda says: “In our own homeland, we Papuans are not free even to remember our dead, but here right in the middle of London, we can honour all our people killed by Indonesia and raise our freedom flag.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Following the ceremony on Westminster Bridge (12 noon to 1.00pm) at 2.00pm, Benny Wenda, Derek Wall and supporters of Free West Papua (UK) will lay a WREATH outside the Indonesian Embassy, 38, Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 2HW

For interviews, please contact Richard Samuelson,

Co-Director, Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.

Tel: 07891 235112

E-mail: samoxen@dsl.pipex.com

FreeWestPapua.org - For a Free and Independent West Papua - Home

EDITOR’S NOTES:

WEST PAPUA (previously named Netherlands New Guinea by the Dutch and Irian Jaya by Indonesia) is the western half of the island of New Guinea, bordering the independent nation of Papua New Guinea. West Papua has been illegally occupied by the Indonesian military since it was handed over, against the will of the indigenous population, by the Netherlands to Indonesia in1963.

For the past 45 years, successive Indonesian regimes have used extreme violence against the people of West Papua as the only possible way of terrorising them into submitting to rule by Indonesia.

Since 1963, at least 100,000 West Papuans have died at the hands of the Indonesian occupying forces, representing approximately 10% of the population. Countless others have been tortured, raped, intimidated and imprisoned.

Working alongside exiled West Papuan independence leader and former political prisoner, Benny Wenda, the Free West Papua Campaign is working to raise awareness of the plight of the West Papuans under Indonesian military occupation and to build support for an internationally-mediated West Papua peace process leading to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in accordance with the democratic will of the indigenous West Papuan people.

END

Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
FreeWestPapua.org - For a Free and Independent West Papua - Home

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
------------------------------------------

Terjemahan (atas jasa "Kataku"):
Menterjemahkan artikel bahasa Inggris kedalam bahasa Indonesia

------------------------------------------

Joyo Indonesia News Service
==== ========= ==== =======
In memory of JoyoNews founder, leader, and inspiration
Bapak Gordon Bishop
8 October 1946 - 21 July 2007

Whats interesting about this is that the British, Australians and so on are close to the Indonesians and sell them the weapons that are currently being used against the W.Papuans. Forget which war it was that they funded, the royal family visited and no less than a few hours after they left the Indonesians waged war on the local population and committing genocide against them... will have to find the video for that one.

British university training Indonesia's SAS force
Andrew Buncombe

MEMBERS of the Indonesian army's ruthless special forces, which helped to defend President Suharto's dictatorship for more than three decades, are studying security and defence at a British university.

Seven members of the Kopassus special forces, along with three members of the regular Indonesian army, are coming to the end of a one-year MA course at Hull University.

The course in Security Studies examines "the theory and practice of strategy and security from the perspective of the defence professional". There are just three other students on the course. During the 32 years of Mr Suharto's iron rule, Kopassus and the rest of the military have been linked to a number of atrocities in Indonesia. There is no evidence that the students at Hull have been involved in any atrocities. In particular, the special forces have been responsible for killing and repression in East Timor, the former Portuguese colony invaded by Indonesia in December 1975. In 1991, 271 unarmed protesters were killed by the military at East Timor's Santa Cruz cemetery. During the past few months of civil unrest in Indonesia - which led to Mr Suharto's resignation earlier this week - members of Kopassus were on stand-by in support of the riot control police. "Indonesia has had one of the longest-surviving dictatorships in the world and its special forces like Kopassus have played a crucial role in protecting the status quo," said a spokesman for Tapol, the Indonesian Human Rights Campaign. "A glance at the bloody history and role of Kopassus will show why Hull University should reject these men." There is growing controversy at Hull University about the presence of the Kopassus men. Last week the local branch of the Association of University Teachers' (AUT) union passed a resolution demanding that the university should not "support the activities of the security forces" of Indonesia. A student campaign group also claims the presence of anyone linked to Kopassus could stop other Indonesian students from talking freely about what has been happening in their country. "There is a great deal of strong feeling here. A number of Indonesian students have felt intimidated," said Zoe Young, one of the campaign organisers. But the authorities at Hull University have been keen to play down any controversy. Professor Colin Grant, director of the Centre for Security Studies and a former government adviser in the United States, said that the Kopassus men were all good students. "The politics of their government are not an issue to me. I am not an expert on Indonesia, I know what I read in the papers," he said. "I don't think what is happening in their country is any of my business and I don't think it is any of yours." The university appears to have made strenuous efforts to avoid bad publicity over the presence of the students, who pay up to pounds 6,000 each for the course. Hull University's head of publicity, Jim Dumsday, is facing disciplinary proceedings after he included in the university newsletter a debate on the issue which took place at a staff meeting. He now faces the awkward situation of trying to answer questions about the controversy as well as his own role in it. The university's Registrar, David Lock, who informed him that proceedings were pending, has refused to comment. The human rights group Amnesty International estimates that since 1975 about 200,000 East Timorese - approximately one-third of the population - have died at the hands of the Indonesian regime. Funding for the course is available from the Economic and Social Research Council. A spokeswoman for the council said yesterday that two of the 13 students at present taking the course at Hull were in receipt of grants. She said that grants were available for foreign students, but refused to say whether any of the Indonesians had received money. Student clashes, page 15

British university training Indonesia's SAS force | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET

Copyright 1998 Newspaper Publishing PLC
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.