Freedom of Speech & Expression

June 2020

News/West Papua
Kompas.com – June 26, 2020

Devina Halim, Jakarta – Wahid Foundation Director Yenny Wahid believes that flying the Morning Star flag is not an act of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) and that the Papuan people have a special right to use regional symbols as enshrined under law.

News/Indonesia
Kompas.com – June 26, 2020

Fitria Chusna Farisa, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that cyber torture has become a new form of torture which is predicted to become widespread in the future. This type of torture is not carried out from up close like physical torture.

News/West Papua
Kompas.com – June 20, 2020

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has cancelled an appeal against a Jakarta Administrative Court (PTUN) ruling which found the government at fault for blocking internet access in Papua in 2019.

News/West Papua
CNN Indonesia – June 17, 2020

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.

News/West Papua
CNN Indonesia – June 17, 2020

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is calling for the release of seven Papuan defendants who are being tried on treason charges at the Balikpapan District Court in East Kalimantan.

News/Indonesia
Kompas.com – June 14, 2020

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Director Asfinawati says that there are three indications of authoritarianism which are still being displayed by the government during the era of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998.

News/West Papua
CNN Indonesia – June 13, 2020

Jakarta – Former Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo promised to release all Papuan political prisoners during his administration. Widodo made this pledge, said Karma, to five of his fellow political prisoners in Jayapura, Papua, who were release in 2015.

News/West Papua
Suara.com – June 11, 2020

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.

News/West Papua
CNN Indonesia – June 11, 2020

Jakarta – Activists from the Teknokra Student Press Activities Unit (UKPM) at the University of Lampung (Unila) in South Sumatra say they received threats from unidentified individuals prior to holding an online discussion on the theme “Racial discrimination against Papuans” on Thursday evening, June 11.

News/West Papua
KBR – June 9, 2020

Arjuna Pademme, Jakarta – The family of Papuan treason defendant Buchtar Tabuni says the 17 year prison sentence being demanding by the public prosecutor is unjust.