Misti P., Mojokerto – Scores of activists from the United Indonesian Labour Movement (PPBI) went to the 0815 Mojokerto District Military Command Headquarters in the East Java city of Mojokerto on June 21 to demand an immediate resolution to all the forms of violence and human rights violations that are taking place in West Papua.

Carrying symbols of the trade union, the activists held the action at the Mojokerto city square where they conveyed their demands including an end to all forms of violence by security forces against activists and the Papuan people and the withdrawal of non-organic troops from Papua.

Arrest and try the military and police perpetrators of violence, murder and shootings in Papua, free the Papuan people and activists that are currently in jail (Filep Karma, Buchtar Tabuni) and form an independent fact finding team to conduct a fast and effective investigation that can uncover the truth and bring perpetrators to justice.

They also called for a broad dialogue that is open, democrat and free from pressure or repression for and by the Papuan people under the supervision of national and international observers. After giving speeches union representatives handed over a list of demands to the district military command headquarters.

Action coordinator Thoha Maksum said that their aim in coming to the headquarters was to convey a letter of protest over violence by rouge TNI (Indonesian military) and police officers in Papua. “We hope that the 0815 District Military Command will assist in conveying this letter to the TNI headquarters”, he said earlier this morning.

After handing over the letter of protest the demonstrators continued the action at the Mojokerto branch of Bank National Indonesia (BNI) on Jl. Mojopahit where they demanded that severance pay be given to some 30 sacked workers from the company Karya Kompos Bagas (KKB) in the Jatirejo sub-district after the Industrial Relations Court (PHI) found in their favour.

KKB’s assets are under the control of the Mojokerto branch of the BNI as collateral for the company’s debts. Although the sacked workers won in the PHI hearing they are yet to receive outstanding severance pay. [tin/but]

[Tolak Kekerasan di Papua, Buruh Datangi Makodim 0815/Mojokerto – Beritajatim.com. Kamis, 21 Juni 2012. Translated by James Balowski.]