Justice for “Bloody Paniai”, 8 December 2014

TAPOL Statement

Today, 8 December 2018, we commemorate the four year anniversary of the “Bloody Paniai” incident where the members of the Indonesian military from Special Battalion 753 Team shot live rounds into a crowd, killing four teenagers and wounding 17 others. 

On 8 December 2014, people from the village of Eneratoli, Paniai Regency, Papua Province, were gathered together on a football field to protest against an incident from the previous night, where members of Special Battalion 753 had beaten and tortured Yulianus...

Joint Statement

11 November 2018

We are indigenous leaders and owners of the traditional lands and forests from the Mandobo tribe in Kali Kao, Boven Digoel regency; Malind tribe in Muting, Merauke regency; Mpur tribe in Kebar, Tambrauw regency; Moi tribe in Klasouw and Klayili, Sorong regency; Maybrat tribe in Ikana, South Sorong regency; along with civil society and religious organisations.

Currently, we, the indigenous peoples, traditional villagers and forest people, and the places where we are living are under pressure and face sustained injustice and social tension...

Earlier this year, New Matilda sent British journalist Michael Gillard into West Papua, one of the most dangerous regions on earth for reporters. Michael’s goal was to hold to account a well known multinational operating beyond proper scrutiny in one of the world’s poorest regions. This is what he found.

BP is profiting from a giant gas field in West Papua while the indigenous population face ‘slow motion genocide’ under Indonesian military occupation, an undercover investigation by New Matilda can reveal.

https://newmatilda.com/2018/11/05/special-investigation-bp-west...

London, New York, 2 October 2018

TAPOL and the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) condemn yet another wave of mass arrests1 during the opening week of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The mass arrests clearly contradict the statement of the Republic of Indonesia in their first “right of reply” during the General Assembly that there are not “frequent and systematic human rights violations” in West Papua.2 We also disagree with Indonesia’s claim that UN Resolution 2504 of 19693 has settled the issue of West Papua’s political...

London, New York, 7 September 2018

TAPOL and the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) call for immediate release of Simon Carlos Magal and Jakub Fabian Skrzypski. In the event that Mr. Skrzypski is prosecuted, we call on all representative parties to ensure that he is afforded a fair trial.

Indonesian police arrested West Papuan student Simon Carlos Magal, 29, on 1 September 2018 in Timika, in connection with the arrest of Jakub Fabian Skrzypski several days earlier.[1]  According to news reports, Mr. Skrzypski, a Polish citizen, was visiting...

A total of 79 protesters from the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) were arrested for engaging in a non-violent protest in Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia, on Tuesday, 4 September 2018. The protestors were expressing their support for the Republic of Vanuatu to raise the issue of West Papua’s self-determination during the 49th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Nauru. Reports indicated that Vanuatu planned to present a draft resolution to the Pacific Islands Forum, calling for Indonesian-ruled West Papua to be inscribed on the United Nations’ de-colonisation list at next year's UN...

Facts Regarding the Joint Apparatus Operations

In the last two days (11-12 July 2018) the Papuan public has been concerned with the joint military and police operation operation against the alleged armed group TPN / OPM in the civilian village of Alguru, Kenyam District, Nduga Regency, Papua Province. According to various information reported by SuaraPapua.com and TabloidJubi.com, there has been an air attack by a joint apparatus against TPN / OPM group’s headquarter in Kampung Alguru. In the report, the Nduga District Government: the Regent and Vice Regent stated that since the 11th...

Jaringan Masyarakat Sipil (Civil Society Network) are pressuring President Joko Widodo to allow independent instutions into Nduga Regency, in the province of Papua, Indonesia. The pressure comes due to reports of a crossfire that could threaten residents’ safety. Until now, there have been no confirmations of the situation due to the lack of access. Meanwhile rumours are spreading that residents of Nduga have been terrified and fled to the surrounding forest, paralysing economic activity and education.

The results of investigations by Papuan media and local organisations...

Jaringan Masyarakat Sipil (Civil Society Network) are pressuring President Joko Widodo to allow independent instutions into Nduga Regency, in the province of Papua, Indonesia. The pressure comes due to reports of a crossfire that could threaten residents’ safety. Until now, there have been no confirmations of the situation due to the lack of access. Meanwhile rumours are spreading that residents of Nduga have been terrified and...

Today - July 6 2018 - we stand in solidarity with the people of West Papua in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the torture, rape, killing and disappearances of many children, women and men who gathered near a water tower by Biak Port in West Papua for a peaceful protest against the Indonesian Government.

On July 6 1998, the Indonesian security forces open fired directly on the peaceful protestors, killing five people, injuring four, with  persons missing. Bodies -dead, alive and injured - were gathered up and taken away in military vehicles. Survivors were taken onto ships where...

Press Release: Gross human rights violation: Wasior, 17 years on and still looking for justice

13 June, 2018

"Bloody Wasior" is an unresolved case of gross human rights violations caused by the Indonesian State between April and October 2001 primarily in the area of Wasior district, West Papua province. It started with protest of local communities who demanded compensation from PT Dharma Mukti Persada (PT DMP), a logging company operating in Wasior district, who had illegally occupied community customary land and harvested timber resources.

The company, with the support...

Dear Sirs/Madams,

We, West Papua civil society, consisting of people from Non-Government Organisations, youth, students, women, and indigenous peoples, welcome the government and civil society delegates from the Solomon Islands to our country, West Papua. We sincerely apologise that because we are not free to express ourselves in the land of our ancestors we cannot welcome you well and honorably as Melanesian relatives. To be honest we just heard about this visit. We did not expect this visit would be arranged secretly and unilaterally by the government of Indonesia through...

More than 40 organisations in West Papua, Jakarta and worldwide have brought their analysis on the human rights and conflict situation in West Papua together. The executive summary of the 218-pages report explains how several human rights standards have deteriorated over the last two years. The report is compiled by the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) and the German Westpapua-Netzwerk (WPN). 

The years 2015 and 2016 were characterized by a significant aggravation of the human rights situation in West Papua compared to previous years. Reports by local human rights defenders...

JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT

6 September 2017

Indonesia: Government must make public the 2005 fact-finding report on Munir’s case

In commemorating the thirteen years after the killing of human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, 7th of September 2017, the undersigned regional and international human rights organizations call on the Indonesian President Joko Widodo to take decisive and concrete action to ensure those responsible – including those at the highest levels – are brought to justice. As a first key step towards establishing the truth, President Widodo must release the...

Tools of State Repression: Abolish treason articles in the Indonesian Criminal Code

Advocacy Team for Citizen Freedom

Jakarta, 22 March 2016 — Political expression by those critical of the Government of Indonesia for not ensuring it’s citizens’ rights if often faced with repressive acts, especially in Papua where those who challenge the state are commonly labelled as rebels, separatists, and guilty of treason [makar].

To challenge the State’s usage of the criminal code as an instrument of repression, we, the Advocacy Team for Citizen...

The joint submission by TAPOL and BUK provided information on human rights in Indonesia to the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review in April 2017. The submission focuses on human rights issues in Papua, with a particular focus on ensuring freedom of expression in West Papua. To read the full submission please download the PDF.

PUBLIC STATEMENT

1 October 2016

Indonesia: Close gap between rhetoric and reality on 1965 mass human rights violations

Despite President Joko Widodo’s repeated commitments to address human rights violations committed in 1965 – such as extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture – more than five decades later millions of victims and their families are still waiting for truth, justice and reparation. On the 51st anniversary of these violations, Amnesty International, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), East-Timor and Indonesia Action...