Negotiations for the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens, who has been held captive by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) for more than a year, has been hindered by customary issues and “interference of other parties”, say the Indonesian police.

Senior Commander Faizal Ramadhani, head of the Cartenz Peace Operation, made this statement following a visit from New Zealand’s Police Attaché for Indonesia, Paul Borrel, at the operation’s command post in Timika, Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province, last Tuesday.

Mehrtens has been held by the pro-independence group since he was seized on February 7 last year.

The armed group led by Egianus Kogoya seized Mehrtens after he landed his aircraft at Paro Airport and the militant group also set fire to the plane.

The senior commander told local journalists he had conveyed this information to Borrel.

“The negotiation process is still ongoing, led by the Acting Regent of Nduga, Edison Gwijangge,” said Senior Commander Faizal.

“However, the negotiation process is hindered by various factors, including the interference of other parties and customary issues.”

The commander was not specific about the “other parties”, but it is believed that he may be referring to some calls from pro-independence groups for an intervention by the United Nations.

Negotiations ongoing
The chief of Nduga Police, Adjutant Senior Commmander VJ Parapaga, said that efforts to free the Air Susi pilot were still ongoing. He said the Nduga District Coordinating Forum (Forkopimda) was committed to resolving this case through a “family approach”.

“We bring food supplies and open dialogue regarding the release of the pilot,” said Parapaga when contacted by phone on Tuesday. He said efforts to release Phillip Mehrtens remained a top priority.

New Zealand’s Police Attaché Borrel commended the efforts made by the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, saying he hoped Mehrtens would be released safely soon.

“We express our condolences for the loss of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police members during the pilot’s liberation operation,” Borrel said.

“We hope that the Cartenz Peace Operation can resolve the case as soon as possible.”

Medication delivered
Meanwhile, Papua police chief Inspector-General Mathius Fakhiri said several items requested by Merhtens had been delivered to him — including asthma medication, aromatherapy candles and disinfectants.

The armed group led by Egianus Kogoya seized Mehrtens after he landed his aircraft at Paro Airport and the militant group also set fire to the plane.

Inspector-General Fakhiri said the police always provided assistance to anyone who could deliver logistical needs or requests made by Mehrtens.

He added that the security forces were ready to help if the New Zealand pilot fell ill or needed medicine, shoes or food.

“We hope that he continues to receive logistical support so that he remains adequately supplied with food. This may also include other necessities for his well-being, including medication,” said the inspector-general.

‘Free Papua’ issue
Inspector-General Fakhiri said it had been hoped to reach an agreement in November and January.

But he said there were other parties “deliberately obstructing and hindering” the negotiations, resulting in stalled operation.

“From our perspective, they are exploiting the issue of the abduction of the Susi Air pilot as a Free Papua issue,” he said.

The inspector-general said he hoped that the New Zealand government would trust Indonesia to work towards the release of Mehrtens.

“There is a third party that always tries to approach the New Zealand government to use the hostage issue to bring in a third party. We hope that [this request] will not be entertained,” he said.

Republished from Jubi News with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Australia West Papua Association has condemned an Indonesian crackdown on a peaceful Papua self-determination rally in Bali at the weekend after a militant nationalist group targeted the Papuan students.

The Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) in Bali City held the rally on Saturday calling on the Indonesian government to hold a referendum for self-determination for the Papuan people.

The theme of the rally was “Democracy and human rights die, Papuan people suffocate” but security forces broke up protest when militants clashed with the students.

“Yet again a simple peaceful rally by West Papuans was forced to be disbanded by police because of the attack on the demonstrators by an Indonesian nationalist group,” said Joe Collins of the AWPA.

“And Jakarta wonders why West Papuans want their freedom.”

A spokesperson for the student group AMP said there was a lack of freedom of expression in West Papua and the human rights situation was getting worse.

As the rally started, it was blocked by members of the Indonesian nationalist group Patriot Garuda Nusantara (PGN).

Intelligence officers
The AMP action coordinator, Herry Meaga, said in a statement that a number of intelligence officers had also been monitoring the clashes.

Meaga said the students had tried to negotiate with a number of the PGN coordinators but the situation deteriorated.

Clashes broke out between the two groups when the PGN crowd started to push the AMP group, and tried to seize their banners.

The PGN threw stones and bottles. There were injuries on both sides as the groups clashed.

According to an article in the Bali Express, about six people from the nationalist PGN were injured and more than a dozen from the student AMP.

Police on standby near the location broke up the demonstration.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has appealed to Indonesian police chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to stop his officers intimidating Aremania (Arema Football Club fans) and witnesses in the Kanjuruhan football stadium tragedy in which 131 people died.

They are also asking Prabowo to order the police professionalism and security affairs division (Propam) to question police officers accused of doing this, because intimidation and obstruction are criminal acts.

“We believe that this situation is very dangerous so the Indonesian police chief (Kapolri) must order his officers to stop acts of intimidation and twisting the facts,” said YLBHI general chairperson Muhammad Isnur in a press release last week.

The YLBHI, the Malang Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) and the Surabaya LBH in East Java, suspect that there have been several attempts at intimidation. This suspicion is based on the complaints that have come in and monitoring by the media.

First, there was a trader who became afraid after meeting with a journalist from a television station because earlier, another trader had been picked up by security personnel after talking to a journalist.

Security personnel also illegally arrested and questioned a witness with the initials K after they uploaded a video of the Kanjuruhan tragedy unfolding. K was then found by a family of a victim at the Malang district police.

Banners with the message “Fully investigate the Kanjuruhan tragedy on October 1, 2022”, which were put up on almost all of Malang’s main streets, were taken down by unknown individuals.

There has been a narrative blaming the victims, in this case the Arema supporters at the league match on Saturday October 1.

The police claim that these supporters could not accept defeat of their team and were drinking alcohol.

“Yet the fact is that the Aremania who took to the field only wanted to meet with the players to encourage them. And before the match, all of them were closely guarded so it would have been impossible for alcohol to be brought into the stadium as is being said in the narrative,” said Isnur.

The YLBHI is also asking the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) to be proactive in picking up and protecting witnesses without waiting for a report first, due to the growing number and danger of threats.

Isnur is also asking the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) to continue to investigate in accordance with their respective levels of authority based on prevailing legislation.

“It’s not enough for the government just to form a TGIPF [Independent Joint Fact Finding Team], but must also ensure that this team does work independently, transparently and accountably. Aside from this, it must guarantee access for the Komnas HAM, Komnas Perempuan and the KPAI to evidence related to the incident,” he said.

Translated by James Balowski for Indoleft News. The original title of the Komnas article was YLBHI Minta Kapolri Hentikan Aparatnya yang Intimidasi Aremania dan Saksi Kanjuruhan.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Activists have condemned alleged terror and intimidation against Papuan human rights activists and called the police to thoroughly investigate an alleged arson attack at Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) on Monday.

The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) and Papua Humanitarian Coalition, condemned the alleged attack of burning a motorcycle in the garage of the LBH Papua office on Monday morning in Abepura district, Jayapura, Papua.

The Papua Humanitarian Coalition, which comprises a number of human rights organisations and activists, including Amnesty International Indonesia, Kontras and Public Virtue Research Institute, called on the police to thoroughly investigate the incidents and prevent similar attacks from recurring, reports The Jakarta Post.

“The Humanitarian Coalition for Papua is urging the Indonesian police to immediately and fully investigate the alleged attack on the LBH Papua office”, said the coalition in a statement.

The coalition is also urging the police to quickly arrest and bring the alleged perpetrators to court to be tried in a fair and open manner.

It is also asking the government to take firm measures to prevent similar attacks against human rights defenders, reports CNN Indonesia.

Early on Monday, a motorbike parked in the garage of the LBH Papua office in Jayapura was set ablaze. LBH Papua staff found a fuse smelling of kerosene and a plastic bottle containing left over petrol.

Not the first attack
The coalition said this was not the first incident of its kind to occur against human rights defenders, both in Papua and other parts of Indonesia.

Looking at the pattern of these incidents, it was reasonable to suspect that the attack was related to LBH Papua’s work handling cases of human rights violations and assisting victims of these violations, the statement said.

The victims include students, workers, traditional communities and activists.

In November 2021, the Jakarta home belonging to the parents of exiled human rights lawyer Veronica Koman, who has been actively speaking out about human rights violations in Papua, was attacked by two unidentified individuals who threw a packet containing explosive materials into their garage.

In September the same year, the LBH office in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta was attacked by a Molotov cocktail bomb.

“To this day, no one has been declared [a suspect] in these two cases”, said the coalition.

“Attacks against Papuan human rights defenders also represent an attack on democracy. So the government cannot be allowed to view this problem lightly, especially since the government has repeatedly pledged to immediately resolve the Papua problem, including the problem of human rights”, the coalition said.

Translated by James Balowski for Indoleft News. The original title of the article was Polisi Didesak Usut Kasus Dugaan Penyerangan Kantor LBH Papua.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has condemned the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under the leadership of Firli Bahuri as an “authoritarian and anti-criticism” institution over the Greenpeace laser protest.

ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said this after the KPK had reported Greenpeace Indonesia to the South Jakarta district police (Polres) for laser painting the KPK’s red and white building on June 28.

“The report against a civil society organisation with the South Jakarta district police by the KPK will become a historical note that the KPK under the command of Firli Bahuri has truly changed into an authoritarian institution which is anti-criticism,” Ramadhana told Kompas.com.

Also, according to ICW the KPK’s move to report Greenpeace to police further demonstrated the KPK’s inability to cover up the scandal surrounding the civics or nationalism test (TWK) for KPK employees.

At the very least, said Ramadhana, there were three things that must be looked at in response to the KPK’s report to the South Jakarta district police.

‘Democratic’ system
First, Indonesia practises a democratic system which is embodied under Article 28 E Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution which reads: “All persons have the right to freedom of expression, association and opinion”.

“So, this report can be seen as an effort to curb democracy,” said Ramadhana.

Second, Article 20 of the KPK Law states that the anti-corruption agency is accountable to the public.

So from this, according to Ramadhana, the laser painting action should be viewed as a response by the public to the problems within the KPK which should be responded to, not instead reported to the police.

Third, the person who made the report — who is strongly suspected to be a KPK employee — has violated the code of ethics, namely Article 7 Paragraph (2) d of KPK Supervisory Board Regulation Number 2/2020.

Meanwhile, it is stated that the Supervisory Boards, “In its implementation of the basic values of professionalism, all Commission members are prohibited from: responding to criticism and suggestions in a negative and excessive manner”.

“Because of this, the Supervisory Board must take immediate action in response to this report,” said Ramadhana.

Police report filed by KPK
Earlier, KPK acting spokesperson Ali Fikri admitted that the police report over the laser painting was submitted by the KPK’s general bureau.

“Correct, the KPK through the general bureau has carried out coordination and made a report with the South Jakarta Polres,” said Fikri in a written release.

“It was in relation to the laser painting incident on the KPK building on June 28, 2021, at around 7.05 pm by an external party,” he said.

The KPK believes that the laser painting had the potential to intentionally disturb the operational order and comfort of the KPK offices. Moreover, the KPK’s red and white building is a vital object.

“We believe that they intentionally disrupted the operational order and comfort of the KPK offices as a vital national object,” said Fikri.

Fikri revealed that KPK security personnel and the South Jakarta district police who were on guard at the time had prohibited and warned the external party not to carry out the action.

The party which carried out the laser painting, however, continued with the action, even changing location.

No police permit
Also, according to Fikri, the action was carried out outside of the times set for protest actions and did not have a permit from police.

Because of this, the KPK is leaving entirely up to the South Jakarta district police to follow up on the report.

“So now, we are leaving it entirely up to the South Jakarta Polres to follow up on it,” said Fikri. “We hope that all parties will always maintain order and comfort at the KPK offices.”

The laser painting action occurred on the evening of Monday, June 28, when protesters used a laser to write messages, one of which was “Brave, Honest, Sacked”. There was also a message which read: “Motion of No Confidence”, and “Save the KPK”.

The messages were part of an action by Greenpeace Indonesia in response to issues related to corruption eradication ranging from the sacking of 51 KPK employees for failing to pass the TWK to efforts to weaken the KPK.

Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Tindakan KPK Laporkan Aksi Tembakan Laser Dinilai Otoriter dan Anti-kritik”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Human rights lawyer and Papua advocate Veronica Koman has formally reported the arrest of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Victor Yeimo to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

The report was made by the UK based human rights organisation TAPOL with Koman as Yeimo’s lawyer.

“An urgent call in the name of West Papua pro-independence leader Victor Yeimo has been sent by the human rights organisation TAPOL and lawyer Veronica Koman through the Special Procedures mechanism of the UN Human Rights Commission,” said a TAPOL media release.

Koman, as Yeimo’s lawyer, said that there were indications that Papua regional police chief Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri would include additional charges against Yeimo.

“Papua regional police chief Mathius Fakhiri has indicated to the police that additional charges may perhaps be laid against Victor Yeimo so that he grows old in jail,” said Koman.

Based on this claim, TAPOL and Koman will be communicating with the UN over developments in Yeimo’s case.

“Because of this, we will be in close communication with UN officials in order to inform them of each and every development including if there is additional questioning or bad treatment,” she said.

Papua riots role ‘suspected’
Earlier, Nemangkawi Task Force head Senior Commissioner Iqbal Alqudusy had confirmed that Yeimo was arrested on May 9.

According to Alqudusy, Yeimo was included on the wanted persons list (DPO) in 2019 on suspicion of committing makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) and broadcasting a report or releasing information which could give rise to public unrest.

Yeimo has been declared a suspect for being the actor behind the 2019 riots in Papua based on witness testimony which cited him as the leader of a demonstration where he spoke about Papuan independence and allegedly incited the public to damage public facilities.

Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Penangkapan Victor Yeimo Dilaporkan ke Dewan HAM PBB”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A Papuan leader who has been sought by Indonesian police over the 2019 Papua “Spring” uprising, Victor Yeimo, has been arrested and charged with makar (treason, subversion, rebellion), reports CNN Indonesia.

Nemangkawi Task Force head Senior Commissioner Iqbal Alqudusy confirmed the arrest, saying it took place at 7.15 pm on Sunday.

“Today, Sunday May 9, 2021 [we] arrested a person on the wanted list in a case of racism and rioting in Papua in 2019,” Alqudusy told journalists.

Alqudusy said that the 38-year-old man currently held the position of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) chairperson and was also the international spokesperson for the KNPB.

According to Alqudusy, Yeimo is also recorded as being the secretary of the Papua People’s Petition (PRP).

Yeimo was put on the wanted persons list (DPO) in 2019, according to Alqudusy.

The police allege that Yeimo has committed makar and or been broadcasting reports or statements which could “give rise to public unrest”. They also allege that he has been “broadcasting unreliable news”.

Suspected over ‘insult’
Yeimo is suspected of insulting the Indonesian national flag, language and state symbols as well as the national anthem and or incitement to commit a crime.

“As referred to in the formulation of Article 106 in conjunction with Article 87 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and or Article 110 of the KUHP and or Article 14 Paragraphs (1) and (2) and Article 15 of Law Number 1/1946 on Criminal Regulations,” the commissioner said.

Yeimo was declared a suspect for being the instigator of riots based on witness testimonies that citied him as the “leader of a Papuan independence demonstration” and “vandalising” public facilities.

The allegations stem from accusations against him during the widespread anti-racism protests in Papua in August and September 2019.

The protests spread to a number of cities and towns in the region following highly publicised racist attacks on Papuan students in Java.

Papua crackdown
RNZ Pacific reports that Yeimo is the latest of a number of Papuans to have been detained over alleged treason following the protests, including the so-called “Balikpapan Seven” who subsequently received jail terms of between 10 and 11 months in East Kalimantan.

During the Balikpapan Seven trials, judges and prosecutors repeatedly focussed on Yeimo when questioning the defendants.

Yeimo has been calling for negotiations between the West Papuan independence movement and Indonesia’s government, saying Papuans would not stop demanding a legitimate self-determination process.

His arrest came as Indonesian military operations in Papua region intensified, in response to more violent attacks by West Papua National Liberation Army (TLNPB) guerilla fighters who killed an Indonesian intelligence chief in an ambush two weeks ago.

In announcing the official’s death at a news conference in Jakarta, Indonesian president Joko Widodo vowed a military crackdown in Papua.

His government has now also formally declared the National Liberation Army a terrorist organisation, following the decision to designate the “terrorist” categorisation to West Papuan independence fighters in a move that has concerned human rights defenders.

These developments have also happened at a time when internet services to Papua have been disrupted.

CNN Indonesia report translated by James Balowski of IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Buron Kasus Kerusuhan Papua Victor Yeimo Diringkus Polisi”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz