The latest draft of the Indonesian Criminal Code consists of several articles that discriminate against non-Muslims, including religious minorities; women and girls, and LGBT people; that potentially criminalise individuals who organise peaceful protests; among many other human rights issues.
On 14 July 2022, police forces blocked protesters in various cities across West Papua. Officers beat protesters in Jayapura and Kaimana
A crowd of several hundred protesters gathered in various locations in Kaimana on 14 July 2022. Police officers blocked the roads to the local parliament. The local police chief, I Ketut Widiarta, called upon the crowd to enter police trucks which would bring them to the local parliament. However, the crowd rejected this proposal. Thereupon, Mr Nyai was able to convince the protesters to enter trucks which he organised by himself, while the other protesters followed on motorcycles. According to information received, police officers beat two protesters with wooden batons. The police dragged them off the bike and forced them to enter one of the trucks. One of the victims, Mr Aser Bary, was beaten with a wooden baton and sustained bruises on his chest and back as a result of the excessive force applied against him.
The PRP submitted a formal registration letter for a peaceful protest march from provincial parliament on 11 July 20 Police Chief Mackbon publicly declared that he will not allow the protest march but would facilitate a group of PRP representatives to meet with parliament members. The PRP rejected this proposal, insisting the police respect and protect the freedom of peaceful assembly and their rights as Indonesian citizens.
According to media sources, the Jayapura police chief mobilized 2,000 police officers to prevent the protest. Police officers and crowd control vehicles too were positioned in strategic locations across Jayapura City (see photos below) since 6.00 am. Dozens of police officers dispersed a group of about 30 students at the entrance gate to the Cenderawasih University campus in Waena, Jayapura. A video of the crowd control operation shows police officers wearing helmets and heavy gear beating the protesters with wooden batons. They pushed back the protesters into the university campus after they insisted on walking towards the parliament building in Jayapura. Four protesters were injured as a result of police violence.
Insight in a case if torture and violation of the right to a fair trial of seven indigenous Papuans in the Maybrat Regency, Papua Barat Province. The indigenous Papuans were arrested and prosecuted for their alleged involvement in the attack on a military post in Kisor Village on 2 September 2021. The majority of the defendants were internally displaced shortly after the attack. All of them have been subjected to torture during police detention. Four of the defendants are believed to be below the age of 18 years, but only one of them was tried under the juvenile justice system. While 14-year-old Lukas Ky was found guilty of murder and sentenced to eight years imprisonment by the juvenile court, Robianus Yaam, Maklon Same and Yakobus Worait continue to be processed under the adult criminal justice system. All defendants deny any wrong-doing or involvement in the attack.
Labour-representatives of Indonesian palm oil company PT Tandan Sawita Papua (PT TSP) have filed a complaint regarding unfair labour conditions to the Papuan Representative Office of the National Human Rights Commission.
Human rights defenders and media outlets reported the killing of two Papuan young men by members of the Indonesian military on 13 April 2020. According to relatives, Eden Armando Bebari and Ronny Wandik went at 8am to a river at Mile 34 inside the Freeport concession area to catch fish. In the evening, relatives looked for Eden and Ronny because they had not returned to their homes. Their relatives only found the motorcycles at Mile 34. Around 11.30 pm, rumors spread in the town of Timika that soldiers of the military mobile border security unit Gab YR 712 and YR 900 had shot dead two members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB). The following day, the relatives were informed that the bodies of Eden and Ronny had been brought to the public hospital in Mimika.
More than two years later judges at the III-17 Military Court in Manado have found Lieutenant Gabriel Bowie Wijaya and Private Sugi Harnoto guilty of killing two Papuans in Timika.
Police officers dispersed civil unrest in the town of Enarotali, Panaiai Regency, using tear gas and live ammunition on 5 July 2022. The police justified the forceful intervention by claiming that protesters were damaging buildings at the Paniai Regent’s Office. A Papuan man named Donatus Nawipa (see photo, source: Suara Papua) was killed during the …
On 30 June 2022, the Indonesian parliament passed a controversial law for the formation of three new provinces in West Papua. The law makers agreed to the legislation regardless of ongoing protests against the Governments plan to establish three new provinces
On 14 June 2022, police officers again dispersed a peaceful assembly in the Perumnas III residential area in Waena, Jayapura City, with teargas, wooden batons and rubber bullets. Eleven protesters were injured and 5 others arrested.
The relatives of the victims in the Paniai Massacre of 2014 have signed a joint statement letter in which they declared their rejection towards the law enforcement process at the human rights court in Makassar.
On 4 June 2022, a military member shot dead 16-year-old civilian, Rafael Ivan Balaweling in the Prafi District of Manokwari Regency, Papua Barat Province.
On 14 June 2022, police officers again dispersed a peaceful assembly in the Perumnas III residential area in Waena, Jayapura City, with teargas, wooden batons and rubber bullets. Eleven protesters were injured and 5 others arrested.
About sixty PRP supporters gathered at the Oyehe Gizi Park in Nabire on 3 June 2022 at 6.00 am and made peaceful orations. Forty minutes later, dozens of police officers arrived at the park and told the protesters to leave, claiming that other groups would need the park for an assembly. At 7.15 am, fully equipped police personnel began pushing the protesters towards the Oyehe bus terminal. The officers reportedly intercepted people recording the crowd control operation and forced them to delete the recordings from their phones. The police arrested 23 protesters and forced them to enter a police truck around 8.00 am. They were detained and interrogated at the Nabire District Police Station (POLSEK). Arrested protesters testified that the POLSEK Chief threatened to take them far away from Nabire for detention. The 23 protesters were released at 5.00 pm.
On 3 June 2022, around 250 people went to the streets in Sorong city to voice their opposition to Jakarta’s planned administrative partitions. At 2.30 pm, the protesters gathered at the local parliament, demanding to meet the local parliament chairman. He did not come to meet the crowd, and at 3.15 pm, the situation became tense. Some protesters reacted by burning tires in the surrounding area. In return, police officers shot teargas grenades and rubber bullets from close range into the crowd. At least ten protesters sustained injuries due to excessive force during the crowd control operation.
On 3 June, around 9:30 am dozens of PRP sympathisers, Papuan students and activists associated with the KNPB gathered at the Kudamati Road near the Mangga Market in the town of Merauke. They orated and read their arguments against the formation of new provinces loudly. The demonstration lasted for around half an hour, after which the protesters dispersed. Approximately 15 minutes later, joint security forces under the command of the Merauke police chief arrived in the area and began taking the mobile phones of bystanders to revise and delete recordings, and identify protesters. They also searched houses in the area, especially those of KNPB activists, tey seized gardening tools and traditional weapons and arrested 13 people, most affiliated with the KNPB.
On 3 June 2022, people in Timika went to the streets to voice their opposition to Jakarta’s planned administrative partitions. Police officers reportedly blocked the crowd at SP3 and arrested two protesters named Mr Jakson Wenda and Mr Anas Oktovianus H Rumaropen. Both were reportedly ill-treated during the arrest. The exact circumstances of the arrest remain unclear. A small group of protesters was allowed to share their aspirations with parliament representatives.
The Papuan People’s Petition (PRP) again called upon people in all major cities across West Papua to participate in peaceful protests against the formation of new autonomy regions in West Papua.
The Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) was subjected to an attack in the early morning of 9 May 2022. A motorcycle was set on fire inside the garage of the LBH Office in Jayapura City
Farmers around lake Poso in Sulawesi Tengah province, Indonesia, have gone on hunger strike to protest against the loss of their farming land due to the construction of an hydro-power plant.
