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| Selpius Bobii |
Jayapura, Papuan – 10 December, 2013 The 10th
December may be the International Day of Human Rights as celebrated
around the world, however in West Papua in the city of Jayapura at a
number of points where crowds gathered at 6am to remember this special
date, the streets were immediately blockaded by the Indonesian Police
and the crowds dispersed.
In Waena, Jayapura for example the police
immediately blockaded a peaceful gathering coordinated by university
students with use of an armoured vehicle (barracuda) and 5 armed forces
trucks loaded with numbers of forces in the 50’s. With the police
blocking the streets all the students could do was to have a few
speakers address the crowd inside the campus area and they were
prevented from carrying out demonstrations as planned at the Legislative
Assembly Offices or the offices of the Commission for Human Rights.
The Head of the Papuan Provincial Police
stated to the Papuan Star Newspaper (Bintang Papua) (edition 11 December
2013) that “The Police already organised so the students could rally on
International Human Rights Day but the students didn’t want to.” The
Head of Police’s statement is an outright public lie as at all points
where the students had planned for peaceful gatherings the roads were
blockaded by police in full weaponry.A Catholic Brother who is a
candidate to soon become a priest (who needs to remain unnamed for
safety reasons) stated “ Tito Karnavian (the Provincial Head of Police)
is very cunning and skillful. Ever since he has been in command in Papua
there have been many ‘incidents’ happening continuously which are
outside legal processes. The voice of the law and the action of those
state instruments supposed to ensure the law is upheld are by no means
the same. Furthermore, what has been happening in reality and what’s
been stated to the media by the Provincial Head of Police is also vastly
different. He is constantly coming out with lies! I can’t understand
why he is still being allowed to hold the position of Head of
Provincial Police!” The brother continued stating that NGO’s in Papua
should take firm steps to have Karnavian removed from that position of
command.
The Papuan Provincial Head of Police is
totally gagging even the most minimal freedom of speech in public by
citizens in the Papuan province. Even on the International day of Human
Rights, the Head of Provincial Police and those under him gave not the
slightest democratic space to allow people to peacefully remember that
special day. The real truth of what’s happening here and especially in
the city of Jayapura needs to be made known. The Indonesian armed
forces have intentionally created like ‘a dead city’, with the police
intentionally making the people terrified to speak out due to the
constant displays of police full weaponry every way one looks. We cannot
keep silent about the oppressive conditions in Papua that have been and
continue to be intentionally created. It’s like they aim to make the
Papuan culture like that of a population that is mute.
ll sectors of the Papuan community
including the different religions, NGO’s, customary organisations,
youth, students, women and academics, need to urge the DPRP (Dewan
Perwakilan Rakyat Papua – Papuan Provincial Legislative Assembly) to
facilitate a bringing together of all parties involved to reduce the
present rigidity in the lack of democratic space in Papua. We also
appeal to the international community, whether individuals, NGO’s or
government organizations, to as a matter of urgency urge Indonesia and
especially the Head of Papuan Provincial Police and the Territorial
Military Commander for the Cenderawasih region, to give some democratic
space in Papua.
Selpius Bobi, General Chairperson – Front PEPERA
Written from Abepura Prison, Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia
Contact details : frontpeperapapuabarat@gmail.com
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