Jakarta – The Papuan Coalition for Upholding the Law and Human Rights is urging the police to stop criminalising the Papuan people through the makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) articles if they do not want the term political prisoner (tapol) to be used anymore in Indonesia.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders says that thousands of human rights (HAM) activists advocating Papuan issues have been victims of violence under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. There have been at least 72 cases of legal violations and violence against them.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Yosea Arga Pramudita – The Civil Society Coalition is urging the police to arrest the perpetrators of terror threatening freedom of expression and opinion who have been attacking journalists and activists of late.

Ali Umar – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo must change the government’s approach in resolving the Papua problem. At the start of his first term in office, Widodo managed to offer a new hope in efforts to find a dignified solution in Papua. He granted amnesty to Papuan political prisoners and guaranteed the upholding of human rights there.

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – The Indonesian police (Polri) were the institution which the public reported most to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in 2019. As many as 744 public complaints received by Komnas HAM questioned the police’s performance.

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Deputy Commissioner Hairansyah says that 2019 was a gloomy year for human rights (HAM) in Indonesia.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has picked up indications that the Bloody Paniai human rights case in Papua will stall like other human rights cases. The indications of this emerged after the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) again returned the investigation dossier and documents on the case to Komnas HAM.

Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia is calling for the release of 13 South Maluku Republic (RMS) activists who were arrested for commemorating the anniversary of the separatist group. Aside from being inappropriate amid the corona virus pandemic, the arrests are a violation of freedom of expression.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is calling on the government to establish an independent team to investigate the fatal shooting of two people in Mimika, Papua, on April 13.

Jakarta – Human Rights lawyers Veronica Koman and Jennifer Robinson have sent a letter to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the United Nations Special Rapporteur asking them to urge the Indonesia government to release 63 political prisoners (tapol) indicted on charges of treason related to the free Papua movement.

Jakarta – The group Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) has highlighted deliberations on the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) which have again been held by the House of Representatives (DPR) in the midst of the corona virus pandemic.

Chandra Iswinarno, Ria Rizki Nirmala Sari – The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has return the investigation dossier on alleged gross human rights (HAM) violations during the bloody Paniai incident to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – Indonesian Human Rights Watch Imparsial is warning the government that military training for civilians in the Reserve Component (Komcad) will create new problems, one of which is horizontal conflicts between communities.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD has scolded non-government organisations (NGOs) who frequently cite the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) for creating problems and committing human rights (HAM) violations in conflict prone areas.

Lugas Subarkah, Jogja – Continued cultural and systemic gender based oppression does not just befall women but other vulnerable groups as well. In response to this, a number of organisations in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta took to the streets on International Women’s Day (IWD) to call for equality and gender justice.

CR-SP16, Jayapura – Students from the Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Jayapura demanded the immediate release of seven Papuan political prisoners (tapol) currently being held in the East Kalimantan city of Balikpapan during a protest action on Monday March 2 in front of the Uncen front gate in Jayapura city.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has refused an invitation from the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) for a meeting to discuss the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Devina Halim, Jakarta – Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman says that today’s statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD will only deepen the Papuan people’s wounds.

Dany Garjito and Rifan Aditya – Human Rights lawyer and activist Veronica Koman says that data on Papuan political prisoners (tapol) and the names of those who died as a result of military operations in Nduga was handed over to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during his visit to Canberra, Australia.

Surabaya – One of the Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya who was the target of racist abuse last year believes that the five month jail sentence handed down against the defendant Syamsul Arifin was too light.