Saturday, April 9, 2016

1) INDONESIA: End excessive force and criminalisation against indigenous Papuans

2) Jokowi Scheduled to Visit EU Headquarters
3) Yaung: Military and Police Back up Liquor Distribution in Papua
4) Students Challenge Papua Governor to Prove Commitment to Liquor Ban
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1) INDONESIA: End excessive force and criminalisation against indigenous Papuans
April 8, 2016
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the forced dispersal of peaceful protesters and their illegal arrest in Kampung Bhintuka-SP13 field in Mimika, Timika district, Papua on Tuesday, 5 April 2016. We have been informed that 12 protesters were taken into police custody in Kuala Kencana for further investigation and questioning.
Prior to the protest, the indigenous Papuans had informed the police of their intention to call for an end to rampant human rights violations in Papua. Despite this, the police suddenly forcibly dispersed the demonstration, with the claim that one of the protesters called for a referendum in his speech for indigenous Papuans who suffer from rampant violations conducted by the Indonesian security forces.
The AHRC has also learnt that the police have warned and intimidated local religious leaders to avoid political activities and speaking about human rights violations and referendums in churches. Over the last year, countless cases of forced dissolution of protesters in Papua and West Papua province have been observed. In all of these cases, the police have not taken the responsibility to examine whether or not the use of excessive force was lawful. At the same time, civilians do not have effective complaint mechanisms to challenge the police’s use of excessive force and abuse of power.
As state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with the promulgation of National Law No. 11 of 2005, the Indonesian government is obliged to ensure that the right to freedom of opinion and assembly is protected, as noted in Article 21 of the Covenant:

The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

The government should take the forced dissolution of protests and police excessive use of force seriously, particularly as a National Commission on Human Rights report states that the highest number of human rights violations in Indonesia, including Papua, are conducted by the police. Besides the failure of police reform, the government is also failing to evaluate its policy upon Papua and West Papua, despite the protection of indigenous Papuans being a priority of President Joko Widodo’s administration.
The AHRC notes in concern that the law enforcement agencies and criminal justice system in Papua and West Papua provinces have themselves become part of the problem. As a result of the judicial mechanism failing to fulfill the right to justice for indigenous Papuans, Papuan people do not see that their rights are fulfilled and respected in the manner of Indonesian citizens by the government. Rather, the presence of state security forces in the region has led to routine violence and the restriction of their freedom of opinion, assembly and thought.
The Government of Indonesia should therefore take immediate action to release all detained protesters who took part in peaceful demonstrations, and guarantee that any future peaceful protest is protected by the law and similar violations will not recur. The Government should further evaluate the presence of the Indonesian security forces in Papua and West Papua province, particularly as the proportion of the forces is not equal to that of the local indigenous Papuans, and far from protection, their presence has only resulted in rampant human rights violations against the Papuans. Lastly, the Government should be more consistent in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and show its seriousness by enforcing the law based upon fair trial principles.
Document Type :
Statement
Document ID :
AHRC-STM-042-2016
Countries :

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SATURDAY, 09 APRIL, 2016 | 11:10 WIB
2) Jokowi Scheduled to Visit EU Headquarters

TEMPO.COJakarta - Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo is slated to visit the headquarters of the European Union (EU) di Brussels, Belgium around 19 April 2016, according to EU representative office in Jakarta.
The office also announced that President Jokowi would undertake a working visit to three EU countries: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany.
"I have met with President Jokowi and invited him to visit the European Union headquarter," said High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Jakarta on Friday.
Federica, who is also Vice-President of the European Commission in the Juncker Commission since 1 November 2014, is in Jakarta have a bilateral talk with Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.
During the talk, both leaders agree to promote cooperation between Indonesia and the EU through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which covers market access, capacity building and trade-investment.
The EU is currently Indonesia’s fourth biggest trading partner with trade volume reaching US$ 26.14 billion in 2015.
Indonesia mostly exports to the EU agricultural products and processed resources, mainly palm oil, fuels and mining products, textiles and furniture.
EU exports to Indonesia consist mainly of high-tech machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and various manufactured goods.
 
AZIZAH FITRIYANTI | ANTARA
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3) Yaung: Military and Police Back up Liquor Distribution in Papua
8 April 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – The biggest challenge to the Regional Regulation on Liquor Restriction is its implementation,  an observer at the Cenderawasih University, Marinus Yaung, said.
“It’s good on paper. The points are clear, but how to implement it is the challenge,” he told Jubi in Jayapura on Thursday (07/04).
Yaung said the biggest protectors of liquors distribution in Papua are from the Military and Police. As long as the Military and Police are not involved in the signing of the Pact of Integrity, he believed the implementation would never succeed.

“So, I ask the Papua Governor to call the Military and Police to participate in the signing of the Pact of Integrity to ensure the implementation of restriction could be running well and optimal, “ he said.
Further, he explained, if not it would become a business in Papua. Therefore it needs a commitment from the Police/Military officials in Papua to dismiss their personnel who involved as back up or distributors.
“Such threat would make the Military personnel or police officers in field to stop their act to back up the crime related to the distribution of liquors in Papua,” he said.
He gave an example: Waena traffic life, this place is very crowded from the morning till night, while it is located next to the Military housing which is supposed to be calm. “But why in the Military complex, people are always crowded from the morning till night? This place is a location of people selling the liquors. This is a real example that both military and police personnel are backing up the distribution of liquors,” said Yaung.
Five hundreds of people joined in the Coalition of Youths and Students and the Coalition of Papua Community held rally in front of the Papua Governor Office to challenge the Governor Lukas Enembe to prove his commitment eradicating liquors in Papua.
“We do not need promises or regulations but the real act. We need the real act” said protest coordinator Nelius Wenda in his oration in front of the Papua Governor Office.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Papua Legislative Council Yunus Wonda in his speech said the restriction against the production, circulation and distribution of liquors in Papua was officially started. “The previous regulation about the restriction was established in 2004. Then in 2009, we invited the Papua Police to made presentation based on the actual cases that almost every years many Papuans died because of the liquors which triggered the traffic accidents, abuses and domestic violence,” said Wonda. (Abeth You/rom)
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4) Students Challenge Papua Governor to Prove Commitment to Liquor Ban
8 April 2016

Jayapura, Jubi – Around five hundred people rallied at Governor Office at Dok II, Jayapura City to challenge Papua Governor Lukas Enembe to prove his commitment to eradicate alcohol abuse in Papua. 
“We don’t need promises or regulations but real acts. We need real acts,” the President of Jayapura University Science and Technology (USTJ) Students Nelius Wenda said in his speech when conducted oration in front of the Governor Office on Thursday (7/4/2016).
He said the government never made good on its promises and the signing of the Pact of Integrity on the Regional Regulation on Liquor Restrictions is only a publicity stunt to win support.

‘We can say it is just for popularity, and the Regional Regulation on Liquor Restriction is just for a ceremony,” he said by giving example that a number of stores keep selling the liquors after the signing of the Pact of Integrity.
He said it means the government’s commitment has not been materialized. The realization might be tough, very difficult to do since, he said, the government officials, security personnel are also be involved in taking profit from the business of liquors.
Benyamin Gurik, the representative of Indonesia National Youth Committee of Jayapura City, said the realization of the Regional Regulation on Liquor Restriction was not implemented. None of the liquor stores in Jayapura City are closed. “A day after the signing of the Pact of Integrity, we conducted survey in this town, none of those stores were closed,” said the former President of Cenderawasih University Students.
Papua Regional Secretary Hery Dosenain admitted the government commitment has not yet relied to the act of controlling the liquor stores. The government is trying to find a method, a legal regulation to control people taking the advantages.
“I have the same feeling with the students. We want to act immediately but we are finding a right way, we must unite, reliable to eliminate the liquors and drugs in Papua,” he said.
According to him, within one or two days, the government would establish a team consisting of the representatives of government, military/police, churches, youths and students to act together. (Mawel Benny/rom)

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