Trial of Victor Yeimo, West Papuan Political Prisoner
(London, 24 August 2021) Today is the first day of the trial of West Papuan political leader Victor Yeimo, the international spokes-person of the West Papuan National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, KNPB) and the Papuan People's Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua, PRP). Victor Yeimo was arrested on 9th May 2021 for his alleged role in the 2019 West Papua Uprising protests. The State Prosecutors indicted Victor Yeimo on three counts of treason and one count of incitement which could put him in prison for life. According to Victor Yeimo’s lawyers, the authorities have violated...
Committing Crimes Against Humanity is Not for Celebration
President Widodo Should Revoke Award for Human Rights Violator Committing Crimes Against Humanity is Not for CelebrationLondon, New York, Berlin Saturday 14 August, 2021TAPOL, ETAN and Watch Indonesia! strongly condemn President Joko Widodo’s decision to grant ‘Bintang Jasa Utama’, one the highest national awards, to Eurico Guterres on Thursday, 12 August 2021. Guterres, an anti-independence militia leader in Timor-Leste, was one of the key figures who led and participated in a series of massacres and destruction in his homeland prior to and in the aftermath of the 1999 referendum, in which...
Perpetrators of military violence against civilians in West Papua must be held accountable and institutional racism properly addressed
TAPOL strongly condemns the conduct of two airforce personnel who severely beat a disabled man, Steven Yadohamang, in Merauke, West Papua province, on 27 July 2021. The incident, which has been widely shared on social media, shows the two personnel beating up a man and crushing his body into the ground and stamping on his head. It is clear from the footage that Yadohamang does not possess the capacity to defend himself against two individuals who appear to be unconcerned with possible consequences. A similar incident in Nabire took place the following day. A West Papuan man Nicolas Mote was...
Unilateral renewal of Special Autonomy and arbitrary arrest of protesters in West Papua
JOINT STATEMENTIndonesia: Unilateral renewal of Special Autonomy and arbitrary arrest of protesters in West Papua(Johannesburg, London, 16 July 2021) CIVICUS and TAPOL regret the revision and renewal of the Special Autonomy Law in West Papua (Papua and West Papua Provinces), which further strips critical aspects of decentralisation and autonomy for the region. We are also extremely concerned about the arbitrary arrest of people protesting the renewal and forcible disruptions of protests. Despite such protests and the lack of consultation with the people of West Papua, the law was passed by...
TAPOL mourns the passing of our inspirational founder Carmel Budiardjo
Carmel Budiardjo, TAPOL’s founder and driving force for many decades, passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday 10th July. She will be greatly missed by all of us in TAPOL and in the wider TAPOL family, the extensive network of people whose lives were touched - and sometimes transformed - by her passionate and determined campaigning for human rights, justice and democracy in Indonesia, East Timor, Aceh and West Papua. For many of us she was a great mentor as well as a beloved friend.TAPOL stands for 'tahanan politik' or 'political prisoners' in Indonesian. Carmel, a British citizen...
TAPOL Joins the Papuan People’s Petition
TAPOL Joins the Papuan People’s Petition(London, 25 May 2021) TAPOL has today launched a briefing aimed at informing the international community about why West Papuan people are rejecting the extension and revision of the special autonomy law. In support of a call by West Papuan grassroots organisations, we have become part of the movement of civil society organisations associated with the Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua, PRP) as its 111th member.The piece, titled “Briefing: Special Autonomy – Big on funds, Short on human rights and democracy”, outlines the history of special...
Indonesia: Release Victor Yeimo Immediately and Unconditionally!
(London, Sydney, 14 May 2021) Pelagio Doutel of TAPOL says "UN Rapporteurs should call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Victor Yeimo of West Papua" An urgent appeal on behalf of West Papuan pro-independence leader Victor Yeimo has been submitted by human rights organization TAPOL and lawyer Veronica Koman to the United Nations Special Procedures mechanisms of the Human Rights Council.Victor Yeimo (37) was arrested on 9 May 2021 in Jayapura. He faces eleven charges including treason over his peaceful role in the 2019 West Papua Uprising. He had been living in exile in PNG...
A tribute to Alex Flor
London, 7 May 2021Yesterday we lost a dear colleague in Berlin, Alex Flor, the co-founder of Watch Indonesia! and its leader until 2019, after a short but serious illness. In the early 90s, from our tower in London we looked out with excitement at the birth of a new watchdog in Berlin. A group of Indonesian exiles in Germany, hand-in-hand with a group of German students, mostly returning from volunteering and visits in Indonesia, were forming aptly named Watch Indonesia! Among them was Alex Flor, known by his nickname ‘anak nakal’ at snafu in the early days of the cybernet. Anak...
The Free Papua Organisation is Not a Terrorist Group
(London, 31 March 2021) TAPOL strongly denounces the proposal put forward by the Indonesian National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT/Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme) to categorise the Free Papua Organisation (OPM/Organisasi Papua Merdeka) as a terrorist organisation. Such a move will lead to more serious human rights abuses in West Papua.Detachment 88, the anti-terrorism unit in Indonesia, which receives training and equipment from the United States and Australia, has been widely criticized by human rights groups for its notorious and disproportionate actions and being allowed to act...
TAPOL Stands With the People of Myanmar
(London, 22 March 2021) TAPOL condemns the coup d’etat and violence against protestors by the Myanmar military, also known as the Tatmadaw. While we appreciate the work of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar on this crisis, we regret the inaction of many United Nations (UN) member states which for the most part have done little despite the deteriorating situation. TAPOL is a London-based human rights organization campaigning for democracy in Indonesia. Our recent work has focused on the rights of political prisoners, rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and continued...
THE 2019 WEST PAPUA UPRISING IN SUMMARY
PRESS RELEASETHE 2019 WEST PAPUA UPRISING IN SUMMARY(London, 19 August 2020) Today marks the first anniversary of the West Papua Uprising. The Uprising swept across 22 towns in West Papua, 17 cities in Indonesia, and 3 cities overseas during the period of 19 August to 30 September 2019. The trigger of the Uprising was the racist persecution of West Papuan students in the Indonesian cities of Malang on 15 August, in Surabaya on 16 and 17 August, and in Semarang on 18 August 2019. The most significant of these incidents was, however, the incidents in Surabaya where Indonesian soldiers shouted ‘...
Tribute for Ganius Wenda by TAPOL and PBB
(Monday, August 3, 2020) TAPOL and Papuans Behind Bars were deeply saddened to hear that our dear friend and colleague, Ganius Wenda, passed away today, August 3rd 2020 in Jayapura, West Papua. Ganius Wenda was a young lawyer and a highly valued member of the West Papuan legal community. At the time of his death, he had been working as a legal advocate for West Papuan Political Prisoners for two years. In his final case, Ganius Wenda was part of the legal team that defended the West Papuan Political Prisoners, known as the ‘Balikpapan Seven’ earlier this year. Genius Wenda was a tireless and...
Carmel Budiardjo 95 years young
“It is my fervent wish that future generations uphold the principles of political freedoms, peace and anti-militarism”(London, 18 June 2020)Ninety-five years ago today Carmel Brickman was born in London, later taking her Indonesian husband's last name to become Carmel Budiardjo. Having been an activist since a young age as a student, she carried on to set up TAPOL in 1973 on her release as a political prisoner in Indonesia. TAPOL carries on her legacy. Happy birthday, Carmel!The Right Livelihood Award's tribute on Carmel’s birthday: https://www.rightlivelihoodaward.org/media/...
TAPOL regrets Court sentencing of ‘Balikpapan Seven’ political prisoners
(London, 17 June 2020) TAPOL regrets the sentencing of seven West Papuan political prisoners today in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province. The Seven were arrested in early September 2019 and accused of being the masterminds behind the ‘West Papua Uprising’, mass anti-racism protests in August and September last year. Prosecutors demanded that harsh prison sentences should be handed to the Seven, which has caused a rise in tensions in recent weeks in West Papua. However, judges took a different view and displayed more leniency:Buchtar Tabuni was sentenced to 11 months in prison after...
Indonesia: Free the West Papuan Political Prisoners
Join TAPOL and ETAN in a LIVE WEBINAR exploring the consequences of a racist justice system for political activists in West Papua. Please see the invitation attached for details about how to join!About the WebinarThe anti-racism movement is sweeping across the globe, inspired by Black Lives Matter in the United States. The activism has resonated in Indonesia with the emergence of the Papuan Lives Matter movement. Both the current uprising in Minneapolis and in West Papua last year were triggered by recorded incidents of racist police violence.Last week Indonesian prosecutors demanded...
TAPOL Denounces sentencing for Buchtar Tabuni and Irwanus Uropmabin
TAPOL condemns the demand by Prosecutors seeking seventeen and five years imprisonment respectively, for West Papuan activists Buchtar Tabuni and Irwanus Uropmabin.On June 2, the Jayapura District Prosecutor's Office issued a 33 pages charges against the defendant Irwanus Uropmabin. In the document, the Public Prosecutor concluded that Irwanus Uropmabin was proven to have violated Article 106 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code, and stipulated a five-year prison sentence.Irwanus is a student activist, arrested on 11 September 2019 for participating in an anti-...
Seven More People in Indonesia Detained for Treason
Since the complaint submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and UN Special Rapporteurs by Jennifer Robinson and Veronica Koman with the support of TAPOL on 15th April 2020, seven more people have been detained on treason charges in Indonesia. On 25th April 2020, more than a hundred people participated in a peaceful rally commemorating the declaration of the South Moluccan Republic seventy years ago. As a result, at least 23 people were arrested on that day. Most of them were released except seven people detailed below.Three people marched into the Maluku regional police...
UPDATE The Jakarta Six: Cancellation of Release
(London, 12 May 2020) TAPOL condemns the political decision to cancel the early release of five political prisoners that were arrested in Jakarta for demonstrating in favour of self-determination of West Papua.On 24 April 2020, the Central Court of Jakarta sentenced Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Ambrosius Mulait, Dano Tabuni, Charles Kossay, and Ariana Elopere to nine months’ imprisonment; while Isay Wenda was sentenced to eight months. Isay Wenda was released on 29th April 2020 having served his full sentence.The Ministry of Law and Human Rights implemented a new policy on prisoners as a...
TAPOL Denounces Sentences handed to Jakarta Six
(London, 24 April 2020) TAPOL denounces the sentencing by the district court of Central Jakarta which found six political prisoners guilty of treason today and demands their immediate release. Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Ambrosius Mulait, Ariana Elopere, Dano Tabuni, and Charles Kossay were sentenced to nine months imprisonment, whereas Isay Wenda was sentenced to eight months imprisonment.The six were arrested over their participation in a peaceful protest outside the State Palace in Jakarta on 28th August 2019, during which they flew Morning Star flags and chanted ‘Free West Papua1. The first...
243 deaths in West Papua: the international community must call for an impartial investigation and an end to the security forces’ operations.
TAPOL is extremely concerned by reports that the Indonesian military’s operations in Nduga Regency, West Papua, cost the lives of 243 people, 45 percent of whom were children, between 4th December 2018 and 8thFebruary 2019. Several hundred civilians fled their homes on 4thDecember 2018 when a joint police and military operation launched an attack on villages in Mbuwa district, Nduga Regency, in apparent ‘retaliation’ for the killing of 18 road construction workers two days earlier by West Papuan freedom fighters, the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) led by Egianus Kogeya. The...