 |
| Protestors in Jayapura on 1st May. Elsewhere in West Papua, five protestors were shot and dozens repotedly arrested by Indonesian security forces. Photo: KNPB News |
PFF | Rarotonga | COOK ISLANDS:
Shooting peaceful
protesters in West
Papua and
arresting a radio host for comments made on a talkback show are clear attacks
on human rights by Indonesia
“Indonesia West Papua ,” says PFF Chair Titi Gabi.
“In this case, the right to peaceful protest
as a freedom of expression was again denied through us of lethal force and
arbitrary arrest.”
Two
protesters were reportedly killed and three seriously wounded in the district of Sorong West Papua , marking 50 years of Indonesian rule.
An
unconfirmed number were arrested.
In a
separate incident since then, police also arrested a radio journalist hosting a
talkback show where callers criticised the performance of a local official.
PFF
supports comments from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who
expressed serious concerns over the crackdown on mass demonstrations across
Papua.
In a UN statement,
Pillay said: "These latest incidents are unfortunate examples of the
ongoing suppression of freedom of expression and excessive use of force in
Papua. I urge the government of Indonesia
Her office
reported receiving 26 alerts since May 2012 on human rights abuses, including
46 killings and cases of torture, “many” involving state officials.
 |
Indonesia police cleared fellow officers of any wrong doing,
in shooting five protestors, in less than a week. Pictured is
Brigadier General Police Paulus Waterpauw. Photo: Anakara News |
PFF also supports
comments reported from Independent Journalist Alliance, AJI, that any
complaints against journalist should be handled under press laws.
PFF
co-Chair Monica Miller praised work by AJI and civil society networks in
exposing continual human rights abuses in West Papua .
“Without
their calm work in often hostile environments, the outside world may never get
to hear of historic and ongoing killings, torture and arrest.”
“These
latest incidents illustrate the dismal failure by authorities in Jakarta
PFF calls
for the withdrawal of charges against the journalist, and his immediate
release.
PFF also calls
for independent review of the process by which security forces deal with
freedoms of expression, including peaceful protests.
LINKS
Claims of deadly
police crackdown in Papua
Deaths mark 50 years
of West Papua occupation
Police, Separatists Clash on 50th Anniversary
of Integration of Papua
Indonesia must allow peaceful protests in
Papua, stresses UN rights chief
Summary of Events In West Papua For April – Beginning of May
‘No political prisoners? The suppression of
political protest in West Papua ,‘
KNPB demonstration
and prayer on 50 years of annexation by Indonesia
(In bahasa
Indonesian, photos)
CONTACTS :
PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea | +67573143929 | titi.gabipng@gmail.com
PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa | + 6842584197 | monica@khjradio.com
PFF coordinator Jason Brown | Pasifika media | Aotearoa, New Zealand | +642102484560 | avaiki.nius@gmail.com
ABOUT PFF :
The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
...
PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea | +67573143929 | titi.gabipng@gmail.com
PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa | + 6842584197 | monica@khjradio.com
PFF coordinator Jason Brown | Pasifika media | Aotearoa, New Zealand | +642102484560 | avaiki.nius@gmail.com
ABOUT PFF :
The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
...
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