TAPOL responds to Djoko Suyanto's claim that there are 'no political prisoners in Indonesia' in an opinion piece published by the Jakarta Globe. 'See no prisoners' highlights the growing debate around the use of treason laws to silence dissent in West Papua, and calls on the government to release political prisoners and repeal anti-democratic laws that criminalize the freedom of expression.
TAPOL in the press
A review of Shirley Shackleton's book 'The Circle of Silence: A Personal Testimony before, during, and after Balibo,' written by Carmel Budiardjo and published in the Jakarta Post. The review describes the courage of Shirley Shackleton, wife of one of the five journalists killed in Balibo, East Timor in October 1975.
An article by Carmel Budiardjo, published in Arena magazine, considering the fate of Papuan leaders of recent decades, including the assasination of cultural activist Arnold Ap, the mysterious death of Dr Tom Wanggai, the assasination of Theys Hijo Eluay, and the murder of Kelly Kwalik.
Ahead of the scheduled visit of US President Barack Obama to Indonesia to Indonesia in March, this article, published in the Jakarta Post, considers Obama's childhood connections with Indonesia and its meaning for West Papua, home to the gigantic US company Freeport which has played such a devastating role in the history of the territory.
TAPOL's Carmel Budiardjo is interviewed by Matt Crook in Dili at the 2009 International Solidarity Conference, where victims and activists gathered to discuss how to move forward to address the continuing impunity which persists 10 years of independence.
An article published in Liberation which outlines the oppressive conditions faced by Papuan women in Indonesia's poorest but most resource-rich territory.