From 1 December 2007 – 9 January 2008
Police arrest 36 people for flying the Morning Star Flag in Timika
On 1 December the police arrested at least 36 Papuans for flying the Morning Star flag in Kwamki Lama, district of Mimika Baru. Seven are due to be charged for the crime of makar (rebellion) at the district court.
Soldier tortures ELSHAM activist in Fakfak.
On 1 December a soldier named Ahmad Heremba, who is from the Babinsa command in Kramomonggo, 40 kms from Fakfak, is reported to have severely beaten Elias Kredenggo, 27 years old
Elias explained that on that day he had been asked by his older brother, Freddy Warpopor, the ELSHAM Fakfak coordinator, to monitor the situation in Fakfak. As he was returning home in the early evening, he sat down to rest by the roadside and started to chat with Rita Lefanurip, a primary school teacher. However, she suddenly stood up and rushed off in the direction of her grandmother’s house when she saw Ahmad Heremba approaching. The soldier chased her to her grandmother’s house. When Elias tried to approach the house, he was set upon and severely beaten by the soldier.
While he was trying to protect himself, he fell to the ground in a dizzy fit from the blows to his head. The soldier yelled: ‘I will kill you for what you say about 1 December’ as he went on beating Elias.
Fortunately, the soldier used the blunt end of the weapon he was using to beat Elias so the attack was not fatal. He suffered a 3cm cut on his left hand, three bruises to the head and swellings on the back. The soldier was later taken into custody by the army.
Police arrest Yuli Rumbiak
The police in Biak Numfor are still holding Yuli Rumbiak, 54, from Sumberker, Samofa district, who was arrested for carrying a Morning Star flag when he was on his way to attend the wedding of his son carrying maskawin (probably dowry) to the bride’s family on 16 December. Morning Star flags were flown on the way.
The police forced an ELSHAM activist in Biak to pull down a photograph of Yuli Rumbiak. Yuli is facing charges under articles 106, 154, 155 for rebellion.
Local military commander orders people to work on Sunday
It has been a tradition for Christians in Biak for many generations not to do any work on Sunday. However, on 16 December as church bells were ringing, calling people to church, the local Babinsa (village level military command) ordered the residents to sweep the streets and the area near their homes. Some residents were very afraid because the order had come from the military and did what they were told but others simply went to church. The local priest said this order contravenes the regulations of the church in Papua and is in conflict with the law on special autonomy.
Prosecutor’s Office confiscates TRM books
The chief of the prosecutor’s office in Papua issued an order for a sweep against copies of the book ‘Tenggelamnya Rumpun Melanesia’ (The Overwhelming of the Melanesians’) written by Sendius Wonda for allegedly discrediting the Indonesian government and threatening NKRI. Sixty copies of the book (altogether 37,000 have been printed) have been confiscated so far. The book outlines the strategy being pursued for the annihilation of the Melanesian people, and advises the Papuan people to be on the alert (Pacific Post 18 December 2007)
Racial discrimination in sports
During a soccer match between Persipura Jayapura and Persijap, Central Java on 20 December, supporters of Persijap shouted racist slogans at the Persipura team, calling them ‘monkeys’ while the match was underway. (Cenderawasih Pos, 21 December)
Police fire on residents in Supyori
On 24 December as Christians were preparing for Christmas, a member of the police named Rahel from Makassar shot Paulus Kmur, 24, of Sawakar village, East Supior. The victim is now being treated at Biak hospital.
Chronology in brief
On 23 December Paulus was out drinking with his friends. They got drunk and started to misbehave. Some families nearby got angry with them and there was a heated argument. Paulus damaged some lamps that had been strung up for Christmas, but on the following day, he went back and replaced the lamps that he had damaged.
However, his older brother reported the incident to the police, expecting the police to arrest him. Soon after, members of the police came to the home of the victim, whereupon he fled and managed to escape capture.
On the following day, as the victim was eating, the police turned up, so the victim jumped out of the window. When the police saw him running away, they opened fire, hitting him in the waist; a bullet became lodged in his stomach. He was rushed to the local clinic in a very critical condition. However, he was handcuffed and placed under police escort.
Later that day, he was given a blood transfusion and his stomach wound was treated. However, the delay in medical treatment led to local anger because the victim had already lost a great deal of blood.
At 9pm, he was given an oxygen mask because he was unable to breath and he had become very weak. He was still in great pain because of the bullet lodged in his stomach. An hour later he was given another massive blood transfusion. At present he is still in a critical condition in hospital.
People selling Morning Star take protest to the DPRP
A number of people who have been selling embroidered bands displaying the Morning Star, most of them women, went to the local assembly, the DPRP, to protest against a ban on selling souvenirs bearing the Morning Star.
They took this action after two Papuan women, Selly Pigome and Yohana, who had been selling the souvenirs in front of the Telkom office were taken away by the police and told that they were not allowed to sell these things. The two women refused to sign a statement stating that their activity was illegal.
The provincial police chief, Roberth Djonso said that they had not yet taken action on the basis of the ban on displaying the Morning Star, as stipulated in Government Regulation 77, 2007. ‘We’ve taken no action yet but are at the moment spreading information that these souvenirs should not be sold in public places.’
Article 6 of that regulation states that no logos or flags that make use of flags or logos used by separatist movements may be displayed and orders people to stop selling or using these things forthwith.
‘We will go on spreading this message for a month, and in February, legal action will be taken against those who breach the regulation. Flags displaying the crescent and sickle of Aceh and the Maluku flag in Maluku are also banned,’ he said.
KPKC, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation of the Protestant Church of Papuan GKI-Papua
END
Translation
Slightly abridged
From JPIC/KPKC Synod, GKI
by way of
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tapol@gn.apc.org http://tapol.gn.apc.org