Amnesty International is expressing concern about the charges against five members of the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), a Papuan pro-independence group. The five - Don Flassy, Lawrence Mehue, Mas Jhon Ebied Suebu, Onesimus Banundi and Elias Ayakeding - were arrested on their return to Papua after meeting Indonesia's Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu on April 10 and have been charged with "rebellion" (makar) under Article 106 of Indonesia's Criminal Code, Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday. The Indonesian authorities have used this article, along with Article 110 of the Criminal Code, to criminalize dozens of peaceful pro-independence political activists over the last decade. Amnesty International continues to call for their immediate and unconditional release. Amnesty International does not take a position on the political status of Papua, or of any other province of Indonesia. The organization believes that the right to freedom of expression includes the right to peacefully advocate for referendums, independence or any other political solution that do not involve discrimination, hostility or violence. Amnesty said the visit of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to Papua on May 8 presented a real opportunity for him to show that his government will be shifting away from the repressive policies of the past and will seek a credible solution to address the human rights violations faced by Papuans. Amnesty said the President should begin by publicly instructing the security forces to respect and protect the right of all Papuans to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience. UPDATE: 12/05/2015 The leader of Indonesia on Saturday pardoned five political prisoners in Papua Province as part of an effort to address human rights abuses in the country's restive eastern region.Since taking office in October, President Joko Widodo, who has vowed to improve economic conditions and address decades of abuses by the Indonesian military, held a formal ceremony inside the Abepura prison near Jayapura, the provincial capital, where the five men were serving prison sentences ranging from 19 years to life for a raid on a military weapons arsenal in 2003 that killed two army soldiers. "This is part of the government's wholehearted efforts to stop the stigma of conflict existing in Papua," Mr. Joko said at a news conference after the ceremony.The Papua region, which consists of Papua and West Papua Provinces, lies on the western half of New Guinea Island. Indonesia annexed the region from the Netherlands in 1963 and incorporated it six years later after a referendum supported by the United Nations. Since then, a small group of armed separatists, who denounced the vote as rigged, have fought a low-level guerrilla insurgency against the Indonesian government, while civilian activist groups have called for a referendum on independence. The Indonesian security forces, both military and police, have continually cracked down on separatism and dissent over the decades. In December, they shot to death five people who were protesting the beating of a young boy by soldiers. According to Papuans Behind Bars, an online advocacy group, there are dozens of other Papuan political prisoners for acts such as waving the outlawed Morning Star separatist flag or demonstrating against Indonesian rule, moves that are considered treason.Human Rights Watch called on Mr. Joko on Saturday to release all remaining political prisoners and those awaiting trial for treason and other related offenses in Papua.