The daughter of West Papuan human rights advocate Filep Karma who died on Tuesday aged 63 has confirmed that he died in a diving accident.

Andrefina Karma said she followed the external post-mortem process of Filep Karma’s body.

The results showed that Filep Karma had died from drowning while diving.

Andrefina Karma asked people not to protest over the death of her father.

Human rights watch researcher Andreas Harsono told RNZ Pacific Waves Karma was a master diver and had dived regularly at the same beach.

Harsono said Karma often encountered problems at sea.

He said that on the day of his death he was with two relatives and they were swimming together. The relatives went home as Karma wanted to fish alone, which Harsono said was dangerous for a diver.

Suspicions mount
However, some Papuan activists want a full investigation into the death.

West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activist Ogram Wanimbo, said the complete chronology of Filep Karma’s death must be revealed transparently to the public.

Wanimbo said they were dissatisfied with the post-mortem results.

“We need an explanation of who went to the beach with him and what exactly happened,” he said.

Papuan People’s Petition spokesperson Jefri Wenda also asked for a more detailed explanation.

The chairman of the Papua Customary Council, Dominikus Surabut, said his party also did not fully believe that Filep Karma’s death was purely an accident.

“The family said it was a pure accident but until now, I don’t believe it. Let there be an investigation into it,” Surabut said.

Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman said: “There were too many strange circumstances around his death and questioning police’s influence on the family. We are not accepting this as an accident.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. 

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

West Papuan human rights defender Victor Yeimo has been formally indicted on charges of “treason” by Indonesian authorities at the Jayapura District Court.

The authorities have been trying to get Yeimo, who is the leader of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in court since May last year.

In the indictment he is accused of treason for pushing for West Papua’s independence.

The court hearing was on Monday and he is due to appear again on Friday.

Yeimo had been arrested by police in Jayapura in May last year after they had been seeking to arrest him for two years.

The arrest was because Yeimo called for a referendum on Papuan independence during anti-racism protests which ended in riots in Papua and West Papua provinces in 2019.

He had initially gone to court in August last year but he was very ill and his lawyers sought a postponement.

Yeimo’s international lawyer, Veronica Koman, said at that time that he was so ill he could die at anytime.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The United Nations says Indonesia must immediately drop charges and look into threats, intimidation and reprisals against human rights defender Veronica Koman and her family.

Veronica Koman, a human and minority rights lawyer, is in self-imposed exile in Australia.

However, she still faces several charges in Indonesia for alleged incitement, spreading fake news, displaying race-based hatred and disseminating information aimed at inflicting ethnic hatred.

The charges were believed to have been brought against her in retaliation to her work advocating for human rights in West Papua.

Veronica Koman was among five other human rights defenders mentioned in the UN Secretary-General’s 2021 annual report on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, said.

She has faced threats, harassment and intimidation for her reporting on West Papua and Papua provinces, for providing reports to UN human rights mechanisms, and for attending UN meetings, for which she was questioned by security forces.

“This case highlights how human rights defenders are often targeted for their cooperation with the United Nations, which is fundamental to their peaceful and legitimate work in the protection and promotion of human rights,” Lawlor said.

Explosive boxes thrown
Acts of intimidation and threats against Koman’s family have also been reported this year, most recently on November 7, when unidentified individuals threw two small explosive boxes inside the garage of her parents’ home in West Jakarta.

The boxes reportedly contained threatening messages, including one stating “we will scorch the earth of wherever you hide and of your protectors.”

Another box addressed to Koman, delivered to the home of a family member, contained a dead chicken and a message saying that anyone hiding her “will end up like this”.

“I am extremely concerned at the use of threats, intimidation and acts of reprisal against Veronica Koman and her family, which seek to undermine the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the legitimate work of human rights lawyers,” Lawlor said.

“I urge the Indonesian government to drop the charges against her and investigate the threats and acts of intimidation in a prompt an impartial manner and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Lawlor said.

“Impunity for violations against human rights defenders has a chilling effect on civil society as a whole.”

The Special Rapporteur will continue to monitor the case and is in contact with the Indonesian authorities on the matter.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has appealed to news media that reported on intimidation against the parents and relatives of human rights lawyer Veronica Koman to immediately make corrections.

Some media have revealed the identity and addresses exposing them to further violence, reports Tabloid Jubi in Jayapura.

The plea comes amid many protests among civil society groups about the harassment and the London-based Indonesian human rights organisation TAPOL condemned the increasing threats and attacks against Koman’s family in Jakarta.

Koman, a prominent advocate for West Papuan human rights, lives in Australia in self-imposed exile.

AJI chairman Sasminto Madrim said that mentioning the identity, names, and addresses of Koman’s family members in the news would lead to further “terrorism” acts.

“Regarding the news that reveals the identity of Veronica Koman’s family, we want to convey that there is no news worth a life,” Madrim said during an online media conference.

“The safety of the informants is paramount.”

Journalism code of ethics
Article 2 of Indonesia’s Journalism Code of Ethics (KEJ) reads: “Indonesian journalists use professional methods in carrying out journalistic duties.”

Madrim said that “being professional’ meant respecting the privacy of the source in certain cases, such as victims of terrorism, violence, or sexual violence.

Madrim further mentioned Article 10, which says: “Indonesian journalists immediately retract, rectify, and correct false and inaccurate news accompanied by apologies to readers, listeners, or viewers.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Advocacy groups in Indonesia have condemned an attack on the parents of human rights lawyer Veronica Yoman, who speaks out for West Papuan justice issues.

A number of packages were delivered to the couple’s house in Jakarta on Sunday morning.

According to Amnesty International Indonesia, two of the packages exploded, scattering bits of paper and red paint in the garage.

Another package contained a message threatening to attack Koman and her supporters.

Amnesty International Indonesia’s executive director Usman Hamid described it as “an unconscionable attack that has frightened and traumatised two older people”.

“The authorities must immediately carry out a thorough, transparent, impartial and independent investigation of the incident and ensure the safety of Veronica Koman’s parents,” he said.

Koman, who has became a prominent voice in advocating for Papuan human rights since 2015, has been based in Australia since 2019.

UN plea for protection
That year, UN human rights experts issued a statement calling on the Indonesian government to protect the rights of Koman and other activists after she was subjected to online harassment, threats and abuse following her reporting on alleged human rights violations in Papua province.

The latest incident comes only weeks after two unidentified men on a motorcycle left an explosive package on the fence of Koman’s parents’ house.

Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch said the incident marked “a serious escalation in the threats and intimidation that Koman and her family have faced for years due to her peaceful activism on Papua”.

“Indonesian human rights defenders should be able to express themselves even on sensitive subjects without having a target painted on their backs.”

As well as a police investigation, Harsono said Indonesia’s Witness and Victim Protection Agency should also assist Koman’s parents with protection and psychosocial support.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman has called for an independent inquiry into the attack on health workers in the Kiwirok district, Star Highlands, Papua, saying there are two versions of how the tragedy happened.

A healthcare worker, 22-year-old Gabriella Maelani, was killed during the attack by the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) resistance movement.

“There is one version which is clearly being shared a lot in the media. And there is a second version circulating among the Papuan people,” Koman told CNN Indonesia.

Koman said that the chronology of events which was being broadcast by most news media depicted the alleged brutality of the TPNPB-OPM during the attack.

In the second version alleged the attack was triggered when a person wearing a doctor’s uniform shot at the TPNPB, causing a shootout inside the healthcare building, Koman said.

She said that in Papua many TNI (Indonesian military) personnel held dual posts as teachers and doctors. She believed this caused a great deal of suspicion in Papua.

Nevertheless, she was saddened by the news that a healthcare worker died, although she said that the truth about the chronology of events must still be investigated.

Death of healthcare worker
Based on information she had received, the death of the healthcare worker was not because they were tortured by the TPNPB as alleged.

“The Papuan people’s version is that it’s not true that there was torture. Gabriella jumped [into a ravine] while escaping, she wasn’t thrown into the ravine by the OPM,” she said.

Koman called for an independent investigation. According to Koman, finding out which chronology was correct would influence several factors, particularly racism against the Papuan people.

“If for example the alleged barbaric actions are not true, it will influence the stigma and racism against the Papuan people. And that is very barbaric,” she said.

“Looking for examples of human rights issues, we can separate it. The ones adversely affected should be the OPM, not the ordinary Papuan people.

“In general with minority groups, including the Chinese, when one person does wrong, everyone is adversely affected. LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] for example, if a gay person does something, the whole community is adversely affected. So it’s important to straighten it out.”

Koman also said care was needed to be taken with the witness testimonies.

Information under duress
She questioned whether or not the witnesses provided information under duress.

“There would have been many soldiers around them … So they could have been pressured,” she said.

Earlier, the TPNPB-OPM admitted responsibility for attacking public facilities such as a community healthcare centre and school building in the Kiwirok district on September 13 and 14.

They claimed that the attack was a form of resistance demanding Papuan independence from Indonesia.

The Presidential Staff Office said that “armed criminal groups” (KKB) — as officials generally describe Papuan armed independence fighters — violated human rights law after the healthcare worker died during the attack on September 13.

Presidential Staff Deputy V Jaleswari Pramodhawardani said that the armed group had violated several laws such as the healthcare law, the nurses law, the hospital law and the healthcare quarantine law.

Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Veronica Koman Klaim Ada 2 Versi Penembakan Nakes di Papua”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman has spoken out about the worsening health of Papuan activist Victor Yeimo who has been detained at the Mobile Brigade command headquarters detention centre (Rutan Mako Brimob) for the last three months, reports Suara Papua.

“Victor Yeimo will not be safe if he remains behind [the bars] of a colonial prison. Colonialism will continue to demand political sacrifices,” wrote Koman on her Facebook on Monday.

Koman said that Yeimo’s imprisonment is part of the colonisation of the Papuan people’s dignity which had been going on for decades.

“The imprisonment of Victor is a problem of trampling on the West Papuan people’s dignity: The West Papuan people aren’t allowed to fight racism, the West Papuan people aren’t allowed to speak about self-determination — even in a peaceful manner,” she wrote.

Koman believes that moving Yeimo, who is in a weak condition, to Abepura prison is the same as moving him from one “tiger’s den” to another.

“The Abepura prison is over-capacity, so it’s a nest of covid-19. Because of this, [we must] unite in the demand: Release Victor Yeimo right now!” said Koman.

Yeimo, who is the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson and spokesperson for the Papua People’s Petition (PRP), was arrested by police in the Tanah Hitam area of Abepura in Jayapura city on May 9.

He was detained at the Papua regional police headquarters before being transferred to the Brimob detention centre.

Since his arrest there have been ongoing calls for his release from the charges against him. The charges and lack of access to lawyers and family are considered not to be in accordance with the law.

Because of this, the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is being urged to immediately release Yeimo along with all Papuan students and people from prisons in Indonesia.

“Victor Yeimo is not the perpetrator of racism. He is in fact a victim of racism. He was not involved in the [August-September 2019] riots in Jayapura city.

“Why after three months is he still being held at the Papua Brimob? His health is deteriorating. We are asking that he be released immediately from prison,” said Sam Gobay, who is on the management board of the Mee ethnic group traditional council in Mimika regency.

From information received by Gobay, Yeimo’s health had deteriorated drastically.

“There is no access to healthcare for Victor Yeimo. He’s ill, he’s not being allowed treatment. He also isn’t being given food. All access is restricted.

“What is the plan for Victor Yeimo? We’re asking for Victor’s immediate release”, he said.

The arrest of detention of Yeimo is seen as part of curbing democratic space and even an effort to criminalise Papuan activists.

“What kind of legal basis is there for the state to discriminate against Victor Yeimo. He is not a perpetrator of racism, let alone labeling him as committing makar [treason, rebellion, sedition].

“Everyone knows that Victor Yeimo was not involved in the demonstrations which ended in riots in Jayapura city,” said Gobay.

“The Papuan people are urging Bapak [Mr] Jokowi to immediately urge the Indonesian police chief and the Papuan regional police chief to release Victor Yeimo from the Brimob detention centre,” said Gobay.

A similar statement was made by KNPB general chairperson Agus Kossay in a press release on Monday.

The KNPB is urging the Papuan regional police and the Papua chief public prosecutor to immediately release Yeimo. According to Kossay, Yeimo had been detained without legal basis and his health continued to deteriorate.

“For the sake of humanity and the authority of the Indonesian state, immediately release Victor Yeimo and all Papuan independence activists who have been arrested without [legal] grounds, evidence or witnesses. The Papuan people are not the perpetrators of racism,” said Kossay.

KNPB spokesperson Ones Suhuniap, meanwhile, said that if Yeimo was not released then the KNPB would call on all Papuan people and all KNPB activists to get themselves arrested by police.

He also believes that the Papua regional police and the prosecutor’s office have violated Indonesian law.

“Victor Yeimo must be released for the sake of the law because based on the KUHP [Criminal Code] the 60 day period of detention has already passed, but the addition of 30 more days detention for Victor Yeimo violates the law itself,” said Suhuniap.

Earlier, Yeimo’s lawyer Emanuel Gobay, who is from the Papua Law Enforcement and Human Rights Coalition (KPHHP), urged the Papuan and Jayapura chief prosecutors to respond to their call to transfer Yeimo from the Brimob detention centre to Abepura prison.

This call, according to Gobay, is based on the fact that Yeimo had been incarcerated at the Brimob detention centre since May 10 and his rights as a suspect had not been met.

“When the prosecutor questioned Victor Yeimo in relation to matters that he wished to convey, Victor asked to be transferred from the Rutan Mako Brimob to the Abepura prison in consideration of meeting his rights as a suspect.

“Victor argued that since the start of his detention at the Papua regional police Mako Brimob he has been neglected because of the Mako Brimob’s standard operating procedures. Also because of his psychological condition as a result of being left alone in a stuffy cell which could endanger his health,” explained Gobay.

Unfortunately, said the director of the Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), the prosecutor failed to respond professionally to Yeimo’s request.

“The Papua chief public prosecutor [must] immediately instruct the Papua chief public prosecutor supervising prosecutor acting as the Jayapura chief public prosecutor supervising prosecutor to examine the prosecutor who received the dossier of the suspect in the name of Victor F Yeimo which was not conducted in accordance with the instructions of Article 8 Paragraph (3) b of Law Number 8/1981,” he said.

Also, the head of the Papua representative office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia has been asked to supervise the Jayapura district attorney’s office in its implementation of Yeimo’s rights as a suspect which is guaranteed under Law Number 8/1981.

This call was made after the Papua regional police investigators handed Yeimo’s dossier over to the Jayapura district attorney’s office on August 6.

Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft News. Abridged slightly due to repetition and for clarity. The original title of the article was “Ini Pendapat Veronica Koman Terhadap Kondisi Victor Yeimo”.

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

It was September 2019, and exiled Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman was enjoying her final days in Australia. Her studies at the Australian National University in Canberra were almost over and all that was left was to wait for graduation day.

One afternoon, Koman’s mobile phone rang. There was an SMS message from a friend in Indonesia.

Her colleague informed her that the police had declared Koman a suspect.

Since August 17, 2019, the Papua issue had been heating up. Racist actions by rogue security personnel against Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya had triggered a wave of public anger.

Protest actions were held in several parts of the country, including in Papua. The government even cut internet access in Papua after several of the demonstrations ended in chaos.

In the mist of this critical situation, Koman was actively posting on Twitter, sharing information about the mass movement in Papua.

On September 4, Koman was officially declared a suspect. Police charged her under multiple articles, including the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law.

ITE law ‘is so rubbery’
Aside from the ITE Law, Koman was also indicted under Law Number 1/1946 on Criminal Regulations, Article 160 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and Law Number 40/2008 on the Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination.

“I had thought about what articles would perhaps be used to criminalise me. I strongly suspected it would be the ITE. It turned out to be true, because the ITE is so rubbery,” explained Koman when contacted by CNN Indonesia.

Koman said that it was easy to use the ITE Law to criminalise people. Aside from the “rubber” (catchall) articles, the law does not require much evidence. A screen capture from the internet is enough, and the case can go ahead.

She believes there has been a tendency to use the ITE Law to silence activists over the last few years and she gave several examples of cases in Papua.

Koman said that several Papuan activists were indicted under the ITE Law in 2020. They were accused of committing hate speech, yet the activists only criticised police policy.

“Hate speak must contain SARA [hatred based on ethnic, religion, race or inter-group]. Not for hating the police, that has now become hate speech. The tendency in Papua is like that, the ITE Law’s interpretation of hate speech is like that.

“Yeah, I was confused, upset,” she said laughing.

After being declared a suspect, Koman was also put on the wanted persons list (DPO). Because she had been declared fugitive, she was unable to return to Indonesia after her graduation.

“The problem was, if I got imprisoned, who would report alternative information (about Papua)? If they want to arrest me, then arrest me, but I’m not going to turn myself in,” she said.

Agreement with Widodo
Koman supports President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent proposal to revise the catchall articles in the ITE law, saying that the law violates freedom of expression.

She related how she was often teased by her followers on Twitter. They say she wasn’t afraid to criticise the government because she had unwillingly ended up on the DPO. Meanwhile, they are afraid to criticise because of the ITE Law.

For Vero – as Koman is known – there is a serious issue behind the jokes by her followers. She says freedom to express an opinion in Indonesia is violated by the ITE law.

“[Indonesian] citizens don’t have to be imprisoned by the ITE law for their rights to be violated, no. When citizens feel afraid to express themselves, express an opinion, then their rights have already been violated,” said Koman.

Nevertheless, Koman warned that the struggle to uphold democracy will not end with the planned revisions to the ITE Law. She hopes that the public will take part in monitoring steps to improve the quality of democracy in Indonesia.

“Don’t be satisfied because President Jokowi hopes that the move to revise the ITE law will restore democracy. That’s just one step, there’s still a lot of homework to be done to restore democracy”, she said.

Nasib Jerat UU ITE: Jadi DPO dan Tak Bisa Pulang Kampung https://t.co/uMLOLx4zwB

— CNN Indonesia (@CNNIndonesia) February 19, 2021

Waiting for Widodo’s ‘seriousness’
Many are now waiting for Widodo to demonstrate his seriousness in abolishing the catchall articles in the ITE law. So far he has asked Indonesian police chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to draft guidelines on interpreting the law.

“All that it needs is political will. Does he want to do it or not, or is it just lip service?” asked Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) chairperson Asfinawati when contacted by CNN Indonesia.

According to data released by the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), the catcall articles in the law which need to be abolished include Article 26 Paragraph (3), Article 27 Paragraph (1), Article 27 Paragraph (3), Article 28 Paragraph (2), Article 29, Article 36, Article 40 Paragraph (2) a, Article 40 Paragraph (2) b, and Article 45 Paragraph (3).

Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Nasib Jerat UU ITE: Jadi DPO dan Tak Bisa Pulang Kampung”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

West Papuan activists and an Indonesian human rights lawyer criticised the recent military crackdown on the two Melanesian provinces of Papua and West Papua in a New Zealand-hosted webinar at the weekend.

“The Indonesian government is trying to prevent an uprising like last year, when the uprising was against racism and self-determination – that’s what is happening on the ground,” exiled lawyer Veronica Koman said.

She also highlighted some of the findings from the recent report from the London-based Indonesian human rights group TAPOL, West Papua Uprising 2019, and said people wanted the truth.

The report says that more than 40,000 indigenous people of West Papuan have been displaced due to military crackdown. And more than 300 people have died.

West Papua Uprising also reveals that some of the people were allegedly killed by the Indonesian military, some died from malnutrition, and others from illness in the refugee villages.

Koman said that the number of victims recorded in the report was less than the actual number.

The crisis, particularly in the Nduga and Intan Jaya regions, is now a major concern since a third pastor has been killed, said Victor Yeimo, the international spokesperson for Komite Nasional Papua Barat (KNPB), a civil resistance organisation that mobilises and advocates for West Papua’s right to self-determination on independence.

The other webinar speaker was Ronny Kareni, a West Papuan musician and activist, and a community engagement youth worker based in Australia. The #PapuanLivesMatter webinar was moderated by former Green MP Catherine Delahunty and the discussion unfolded on her birthday yesterday.

International campaigns
The West Papuan Action Auckland group hosted the webinar on the topic of the current political situation, the opposition to “special autonomy” plans by Indonesia, and campaigns to free West Papua on the ground and internationally.

In the opening session, Delahunty explained that information discussed during the webinar would be used for the political education of Aotearoa New Zealand and local politicians who were “very slow” in taking up the West Papuan human rights and independence issue.

“Now, as most of you know, the situation in West Papua has been extremely serious for many, many years and continues to be a huge problem. And the importance of this solidarity movement across the world cannot be underestimated,” Delahunty said.

Victor Yeimo said the recent killing of a Catholic catechist in Intan Jaya hadadded more unrest for the indigenous people of West Papua.

“In the last three months we have seen that the Indonesian military has shot our pastor and also a Catholic catechist,” he said.

Opposition to ‘special autonomy’
Kareni, Koman and Yeimo said that the Indonesian-imposed new “special autonomy” status was not the solution to the aspirations of the indigenous people of West Papua.

Most Papuans rejected the Special Autonomy law and wanted a referendum on independence.

“As of today, there are 90 organisations that have joined or signed the petition for the referendum. Webinars, seminars and press statements are continuing day by day to reject the extension of the special autonomy in West Papua,” Yeimo said.

Koman said that the special autonomy was part of Indonesia’s colonialist practice towards the indigenous people of West Papua.

“Special autonomy has been used by Indonesia to whitewash colonialism, and colonialism remains a weapon … this is exactly what Indonesia is creating, class war among West Papuan elites against grassroots,” Koman said.

Kareni said that the special autonomy status was used as a campaign by the Indonesian government.

“The government always uses it as their propaganda in international forums by saying that the people of West Papua are given full rights to rule themselves through the special autonomy law, so what Papuans need is more on development,” he said.

“In its 10 years of ‘special autonomy’, the people of West Papua rejected it and also made a big announcement that it has failed, and now we are into two decades of it. And now [Indonesian government] wants to extend it further.

Massive impact on the people
“It is just to continue [with] their bigger interest [over] the economic foreign investment in the region and it will have a massive impact on the dignity, the land, and as well environment and every issue that we are talking about today.”

Although Koman and Yeimo are “most wanted” people by the Indonesian government, they are still consistently active and remarkably risk their lives in campaigning for self-determination for the people of West Papua.

Koman highlighted the result of her advocacy work disseminating information – her life is at risk in Indonesia.

Despite facing this risk, she keeps advocating the issue at international level.

“I have a personal mission. Why I focus on disseminating information on West Papua is because I came from there,” he said.

“I used to be very nationalistic person and it was because I didn’t know anything about West Papua. And I believe that my fellow Indonesians just don’t know what is happening, that is why I think West Papua doesn’t need any propaganda.

“People just need the truth about what happening in West Papua,” she said.

Victor Yeimo and Veronica Koman both said that the solidarity movement to West Papua in Indonesia was growing stronger.

“It is also happening across the world,” Kareni said.

The webinar panel called on the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, people in the Pacific, and others across the world to join the West Papuan solidarity struggle.

This article has been contributed by a postgraduate student journalist from Auckland University of Technology.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The symbolic handover of money to Indonesia’s Finance Ministry Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) to repay scholarship funds received by human rights lawyer and activist Veronica Koman by the Papuan People’s Solidarity Team was not able to go ahead because the LPDP office was closed yesterday.

Initially, several Papua People’s Solidarity Team representatives – former political prisoners Ambrosius Mulait and Dano Tabuni, who were accompanied by Papua human rights lawyer Michael Himan – arrived at the LPDP office.

The Solidarity Team brought 3 million rupiah (US$200) in cash which was to be handed over along with a national red-and-white flag and a copy of a transfer receipt for the rest of the scholarship money.

Mulait and Tabuni could be seen wearing traditional Papuan costumes complete with penis gourds (koteka).

“I feel disappointed with the LPDP office, we had already sent a letter dated September 15. (The LPDP) did not respond to us when we arrived on the grounds that the office was closed,” Himan told journalists.

The team was not even able to enter the LPDP office because the front gates were also closed.

Security personnel guarding the building said that the office was not operating because of the Large Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) to curb the spread of the coronavirus which have been in force in Jakarta since Monday.

Money already paid back
Although the symbolic handover was unable to take place, Himan emphasised that the scholarship money amounting to 773,876,918 rupiah (US$52,760) which the LPDP demanded Koman pay back had already been returned through a bank transfer.

“This is a symbolic handover of 3 million rupiah from the Papuan mama-mama [traditional Papuan women traders] which they sent to us,” he said.

Himan said, however, that the group would continue waiting until the LPDP opened so they could hand over the money.

“We won’t use it because it’s from the little people. We will definitely return, when the office is open we will come back,” he said.

In August, Koman announced on her Twitter account that the LPDP had asked her to return her scholarship amounting to 773 million rupiah which she received in 2016 to study for her Master’s degree in Australia.

The demand for the return of the money was seen as a form of pressure by the Indonesian government so that she would stop talking about and advocating human rights issues in Papua.

Koman herself is currently a suspect on charges of incitement related to an attack on a Papuan student dormitory in the East Java city of Surabaya on August 16, 2019.

Denial by LPDP office
The LPDP management, however, denied that the request for the return of the money was related to her activities.

According to the LPDP’s system, Koman had failed to live up to her contract and obligation to return to Indonesia after completing her studies.

Koman did indeed return to Indonesia in 2018 but then flew back to Australia before graduating from her studies.

Koman graduated in July 2019 but only reported her graduation through the LPDP’s evaluation and monitoring system on September 23, 2019.

Based on this, the LPDP issued a letter from the executive director on the sanctions in the form of the return of the LPDP scholarship funds amounting to 773.87 million rupiah to Koman on October 24, 2019.

The first letter of claim was issued on November 22, 2019.

Papuan ‘people’s campaign’
In the letter detailing the sanctions and claim, the LPDP stated that on February 15, 2020, Koman agreed to an offer to return the scholarship funds by paying it off in 12 installments.

The first installment of 64.5 million rupiah was paid and the money deposited in a state account in April 2020.

In response to the demand for the money, Papuan Solidarity and international groups launched a fundraising campaign.

The fundraising campaign was referred to as an act of solidarity from the Papuan people to Koman who has been active in advocating human rights issues in the “land of the Bird of Paradise” – as West Papua is known.

There has yet to be any statement from the LPDP on the closure of their office.

Translated by James Balowski of IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Beasiswa Veronica Koman Dikembalikan, Kantor LPDP Tutup”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman says the Indonesian government has asked her to return scholarship money amounting to 773 million rupiah (about US$70,000) which she received to undergo her master’s degree in Australia in 2016, reports CNN Indonesia.

According to Vero – as she is known – this financial punishment is a form of pressure by the government so that she stops speaking out about and advocating the issue of human rights (HAM) in Papua.

“The Indonesian government is applying this financial punishment as the latest attempt to pressure me into stopping my advocacy for HAM in Papua,” she said in a written release received by CNN Indonesia.

READ MORE: Veronica Koman featured in a Frontline documentary report

Koman said that this is the fourth time the government had tried to punish her financially after earlier receiving other sanctions and punishments.

Koman said she was a victim of government “criminalisation” because of the Papuan human rights advocacy work she had done.

Prior to this the government also tried to pressure Interpol into issuing a Red Notice for her arrest and then threatening to cancel her passport.

“Now the government is forcing me to return my scholarship [money] which was given to me in September 2016. The total amount they’re asking for is 773,876,918 rupiah,” said Koman.

Financial punishment
Koman explained that the government was applying this financial punishment through the Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) which is under the Ministry of Finance.

It is claimed that she failed to fulfill the requirement that she return to Indonesia after completing her period of study.

Yet, Koman claims that she returned to Indonesia in 2018 after graduating from her Master of Laws programme at the Australian National University. At the time she went to the West Papua provincial capital of Jayapura to continue her advocacy work related to human rights issues in the Land of the Bird of Paradise, as Papua is known.

A year later, in March 2019, she also spoke at a United Nations forum held in Switzerland, after which she again returned to Indonesia. Two months later Koman said that she provided pro-bono legal aid to Papuan activists at three different trials in Timika, Papua.

Koman said that she was only included on the list of wanted people (DPO) in August 2019. At the time, she was making use of a three-month visa and had been in Australia to attend a graduation ceremony since July 2019.

“When I was in Australia in August 2019, I was summoned by the Indonesian police after which I was placed on the wanted persons list in September 2019”, she said.

“Between August and September 2019 I continued to speak out against the narrative being created by the authorities when the internet was blocked in Papua, namely by continuing to post photographs and videos of thousands of Papuan who were still taking to the streets to protest racism and demand a referendum on self-determination,” she said.

At that time, the decision to remain in Australia, she said, was not because she did not want to return to Indonesia.

Death and rape threats
To this day, not only has she has frequently received death and rape threats, but has also become the target of an online misinformation, a government sponsored campaign exposed in a Reuters news service investigation.

In relation to the financial punishment, Koman said that the Finance Ministry (Kemenkeu) is ignoring the fact that she returned to Indonesia after graduating from her studies. According to Koman, the government is also ignoring the fact that she has shown a willingness to return to Indonesia if and when the threats stop.

“In a letter, I asked the Kemenkeu, specifically [Finance] Minister Sri Mulyani to act fairly and be neutral in looking at this problem so they don’t become one of the state institutions that wants to punish me because of my capacity as a public lawyer who defends HAM in Papua,” she said.

As of this article being posted, the Finance Ministry has failed to respond to questions related to Koman. Finance Ministry communication bureau chief Puspa Rahayu has not responded to SMS messages or phone calls from CNN Indonesia asking for an explanation from the department.

Translated by James Balowski for Indoleft News. The original title of the article was “Veronica Koman Diminta Kembalikan Uang Beasiswa Rp773 Juta“.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Devina Halim in Jakarta

Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman says Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD “garbage” comment will only deepen the Papuan
people’s wounds.

Earlier, Mahfud had referred to data on Papuan political prisoners and civilians killed in Nduga, which was handed over to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during his visit to Canberra this week as “garbage”.

The document contained data on 57 political prisoners as well as 243 civilian victims who have been killed in Nduga regency, Papua, since December 2018.

READ MORE: Activists give Indonesian leader details of deaths, political prisoners

“However I’m still very disappointed, bearing in mind this will deepen the wounds of the Papuan people,” Koman said.

She claimed, however, not to be surprised by Mahfud’s statement.

Koman recalled a statement by Mahfud last year when he said there had been no cases of human rights (HAM) crimes during Widodo’s first five years in office.

According to Koman, Mahfud’s statement also hurt the ordinary’s people’s feelings.

“Remember that before he once issued a statement which hurt the ordinary people’s feelings, namely that there has not been one HAM violation during Jokowi’s era, so actually it’s not too surprising when statements such as this come out of his mouth,” she said.

Gaining justice difficult
Koman believes it is difficult for victims to obtain justice because human rights violations are not acknowledged by the government.

This, she said, showed that the human rights situation was becoming worse.

“Never mind obtaining justice, they won’t even admit there has been a single violation. This statement indicates the increasingly bleak human rights situation under [Widodo],” she said.

Moreover, following Mahfud’s statement, Koman admitted to being pessimistic about whether the government would withdraw security forces from Papua.

She believes this even though data on alleged victims of the military operations in Papua have already been given to Widodo.

“I’m not indeed too optimistic, but at last now we know, that the military operations in Nduga will continue but not because President Jokowi doesn’t know there are a growing number of victims,” said Koman.

“The supreme military command of this country already knows, but the operations will continue. Will the Papuan people still be asked to put their hopes in Pak [Mr] Jokowi?,” she asked.

Documents handed over
As has been reported, Mahfud made a statement earlier in response to the documents handed over to Widodo in Canberra on Monday by Koman and other activists, which he referred to as “garbage”.

“It’s, what do you say, if indeed they exist, there’s just garbage,” said Mahfud at the Presidential Palace in Bogor on Tuesday.

Mahfud, who accompanied Widodo to Australia, also said he did not know if the documents had really been handed over directly to the head of state.

Mahfud said this was because there were many people competing with each other to greet him and hand over letters and documents to Widodo.

Earlier, Koman said that the documents were handed over directly to Widodo.

“Our team in Canberra succeeded in handing the documents over directly to President Jokowi. The documents contained the names and locations of 57 Papuan political prisoners who have been charged with makar (treason, subversion, rebellion), who are currently incarcerated in seven cities across Indonesia,” said Koman in a media release.

“We also handed over the names and ages of 243 civilians who have died during the military operations in Nduga [district, West Papua] since December 2018, both those killed by security forces as well as that died of illness and starvation in refugee camps,” she said.

Prisoners released
Koman also noted a previous decision by Widodo to release five Papuan political prisoners during his first term in office in 2015.

But in the start of his second term in office, there were 57 people who had been charged with makar who are currently awaiting trial.

This would only worsen the conflict in Papua, said Koman.

Koman also questioned what Widodo would do in response to requests for troops to be withdrawn from Nduga.

Translated by James Balowski for Indoleft News. The original title of the article published by Kompas.com was “Dokumennya Disebut Sampah oleh Mahfud MD, Veronica Koman: Ini Memperdalam Luka”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

An Indonesian lawyer being pursued by the state has won a human rights award for shining “a light on violations of the rights” of West Papuans.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk

Internet access in West Papua has been at least partially restored just days after Indonesian police accused human rights lawyer Veronica Koman and West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda of spreading unrest through social media, reports Indonesia Expat.

However, The Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Issues Wiranto said it would be shut down again should protests continue.

A ex-army General found by the UN to have committed human rights abuses against the people of Timor-Leste, Wiranto has been charged with managing the unrest in Papua.

READ MORE: Indonesian police arrest Papuan activists for ‘treason’

Earlier this week he blamed Benny Wenda for inciting the protests and said he would “personally arrest him” if he were to return to Indonesia or Papua, reports Tempo.

Indonesian police had also alleged Veronica Koman was responsible for spreading the unrest through social media posts, naming the August 17 Surabaya attack in which Indonesian nationalists were caught on video calling West Papuan students “monkeys”.

Although Koman was overseas at the time, the police deemed her posts of the attack as having a “provocative tone” and sparking anti-racism demonstrations.

According to The Guardian, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said the move was misguided and did not reflect the real cause of the unrest.

“The root of the real problem is the act of racism by some members of the TNI [Indonesian army] and the excessive use of force by the police in the student dormitory in Surabaya,” Hamid said.

While the 2-week long internet blackout had severely restricted accurate reports of the situation in Papua, Veronica Koman’s social media activity has been a critical source information.

Her posts have shown subsequent attacks against Papuans and the burials of those who have been killed in the unrest.

She has been charged under articles from four different laws, namely the electronic transaction and information law.

If found guilty she could be jailed for up to six years and fined $US70,000.

The Pacific Media Centre has issued a statement in support of Koman.

“As a human rights lawyer, Veronica Koman is respected throughout the world as a trusted source of accurate and truthful information at the shocking state of repression of Papuan people seeking freedom of expression and the right to express self-determination,” said PMC director Professor David Robie.

“This is further intimidation of those people who are prepared to speak out for Papuan rights. The allegations are spurious and the charge of ‘provocation’ should be dropped without delay.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz