Men and women from the Papua Tribal Council have been arrested yesterday in
Jayapura at the end of the Peoples Congress held by the Papuan Presidium
Council to elect its new set of officers. Six men and two women including
the newly elected head of the council and the executive director of Yayasan
Dusun Anak Papua (YADUPA), an APSOC affiliate in West Papua were arrested
and brought to police station for interrogation because the West Papuan
national flag have been used during the opening ceremony of the congress in
one of its cultural presentations.

It can be recalled that the waving of the Papuan Morning Star flag has been
banned in West Papua to quell dissent and separatist sentiments among the
local population following the forced occupation of Indonesia’s central
government of the former Dutch territory.

In his acceptance speech during the congress, newly elected head of the
tribal council, Forkorus Yoboisembut said that his main job as the head of
the Papuan Presidium Council is to fight for independence from Indonesia.
"This is the voice of the kampong people and we should fight for it
together,“he said to the cheers of the some 500 congress participants.”We do need better living standards, but (the ongoing) development or forced
special autonomy that is underway should not stop West Papua’s independence,
since it is our right to determine our future and those who oppose this are
violating our human rights," the newly-elected head of the tribal council
was quoted by the reports reaching APSOC.

The congress was attended by participants from seven tribal regions and West
Papua provinces. Apart from the 8 people arrested, 9 more people are being
accosted for questioning and are asked to appear at the police station
yesterday, July 9.

Intensified campaign by Indonesian police and military (TNI) have been
carried out in recent months to intimidate any group or organisation
discussing self-determination, the human rights situation in West Papua, and
how to improve the lives of the people.

Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian, the commander of the Jayapura sub-regional
military command, Korem 172, is reported in the Cendrawasih Post on its 7
July 2007 issue saying that "it is the duty of the TNI to crush any
struggle or activity undertaken by any group in the community which tends
towards separatism. What is absolutely certain is that anyone who tends
towards separatism will be crushed by TNI".

A report released last week by the New York-based Human Rights Watch
details the abuses by the Indonesian military in West Papua including the
beating, rape and murder of people accused of belonging to the OPM, the Free
Papua Movement.

(An open letter to Indonesian President Yudhoyono from a number of human
rights organisations calling for the removal of Colonel Siagian from West
Papua can be found at http://tapol.gn.apc.org/news/files/let070628.htm and on ESSF website: Open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono concerning Col. Cav. Burhanuddin Siagian)

Those arrested in Jayapura are the following— Forkoryus Yaboisembut,
Leonard Imbiri, Thoha M Alhamit, Astriks Rumbonde, Yakop Kasimat, Willem
Rumasep, Alfrida Faidiban, and Asmirah. Called to report to police on
Monday, 9 July for questioning are—Thom Beanal, Willi Mandowen, W. Bonay
and Fadal Alhamid and 5 others.

APSOC was trying to reach Leonard Imbiri, YADUPA executive director and
member of the Papuan Presidum Council but cannot be reached through his
mobile phone.

APSOC strongly calls for the immediate release of the arrested members of
the tribal council and demand the TNI and police to stop arresting and
questioning other members of the council to sow terror and fear among the
people.

Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)

10 July 2007

The Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition is a regional formation started in May
2004 to forge solidarity for peace, justice and human rights in the
Southeast Asian and Pacific region. APSOC has 14 founding organizations from
8 Asia-Pacific countries:

Indonesian Human Rights Committee (IHRC) - New Zealand

National Coalition for the Union of Burma (NCUB) - Burma

Alternative ASEAN Network for Bumra (ALTSEAN-Burma)

Timor Leste Coalition for the Asia-Pacific (TILCAP) - East Timor

Friends of the Third World/Center for Peoples Dialogue (FTW/CPD) - Sri Lanka

Asian Students Association (ASA) - Hongkong

Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) - Philippines

Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) - Mindanao

Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua (YADUPA) - West Papua

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) - Malaysia

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA) - Thailand

Solidarity Committee for Human Rights in Aceh (SCHRA) - Aceh

Philippine Solidarity for East Timor and Indonesia (PhilSETI) - Philippines

Pax Christi Aotearoa-New Zealand