Eva Safitri, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Wiranto has spoken out about the alleged involvement of Papuan separatist figure Benny Wenda accusing him of being part of a conspiracy which triggered the recent rights in Papua.
West Papua 2019
September 2019
Zae Baneza, Ulfia Dwi and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – On Sunday September 1 the police arrested a number of Papuan students in Jakarta on charges of treason (makar).
Not long after this, the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) issued a press release stating that the police were conducting sweeps.
Jakarta – The parties taking advantage of the riots in Papua and West Papua are starting to be revealed. The Indonesian police (Polri) suspect that these groups have links with international networks.
Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) head of organisational development, Febriyonesta, has criticised police for declaring eight people as suspects for flying the Morning Star flag during a protest action in front of the State Palace on August 28.
Jakarta – The legal team representing Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) spokesperson Surya Anta has confirmed that their client was arrested by police at a shopping centre in Jakarta on the evening of Saturday August 31. Anta was arrested on charges of treason (makar).
Jakarta – Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) spokesperson Surya Anta was arrested by police in Jakarta overnight.
August 2019
Jakarta – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Victor Yeimo says that they are calling for a national strike throughout the territory claimed to be West Papua to demand a referendum or an act of self-determination through a popular vote.
Jakarta – Scores of students from Papua and West Papua plan to surrender themselves to the Metro Jaya regional police following the arrest of two activists who took part in a rally at the State Palace in Central Jakarta which ended in the raising of the Morning Star flag.
Jakarta – On Friday August 30 the Metro Jaya regional police arrested two people on charges of treason (makar) for allegedly flying the Morning Star flag in front of the State Place during a rally on Wednesday August 28.
Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Wiranto says that the government is open to dialogue with all parties to improve the situation in Papua, but it will not discuss a referendum or Papuan independence.
Jakarta – Scores of Papuan students have again flown the Morning Star flag during a protest action demanding a referendum for Papua in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday August 28. They also asked President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to meet with them.
Jakarta – The Morning Star flag was flown by more than 100 Papuan protesters from the Student Alliance Against Racism, Capitalism, Colonialism and Militarism during a rally in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday August 22.
Noval Dhwinuari Antony, Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko believes that there is an armed group and political axis that is exploiting the issue of racism to ferment riots in Papua. The Free Papua Movement (OPM) is one of them.
Iqbal Tawakal Lazuardi, Jakarta – Papuan students in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung feel hurt and angry after being given two boxes of alcohol by a police officer.
Guruh Permadi, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Yati Andriyani, believes that the statement by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on the riots in Papua was totally inadequate.
Muhammad Irfan, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Yati Andriani is calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to learn from Indonesia’s fourth president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in how to deal with the problems in Papua, including the flying of the symbolic Morning Star flag.
Medan/Bandung/Jakarta – Scores of student from Papua studying in the North Sumatra city of Medan have protested the persecution, intimidation and racism against fellow Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya.
Makassar – Students living at the Papuan dormitory in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar clashed with a group of people from an ormas (social or mass organisations) this evening, Monday August 19.
Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) says that since the beginning of Indonesian independence up until now, the country has never been free of racist practices.
Ghinan Salman, Surabaya – As many as 43 Papuan students were taken to the district police headquarters after police fired teargas and forced their way into a Papua student dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Saturday August 17.