Uwazi

Human rights activist and the legal council coordinator for the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Golfrid Siregar died on Sunday, October 6th, at the Haji Adam Malik Medan (RSUP HAM) general hospital.

The environmental watchdog’s North Sumatra council member Sumiati Surbakti urged police to investigate Golfrid’s death as she believes he was murdered. She maintains to deny Golfrid’s head injury as a result of a traffic accident.

“There were no bloodstains whatsoever found in the location that police refer to. There was wet soil found in his pants, and there are not wet soil at a flyover. It is clear that he was executed outside of the flyover. Police must investigate this, he is an environmentalist activist and human rights defender,” said Sumiati on Sunday.

According to reports, Golfrid Siregar was initially found with severe injuries to his head as it states he was found unconscious by a rickshaw driver with a destroyed cranium on Thursday, October 3, 2019, at around 01:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) at the Simpang Post flyover in Medan.

Golfrid was pronounced missing on the previous day of Wednesday, October 2. He initially departed from his home to meet an individual in the area of Marindal, which he was since unable to be contacted.

The rickshaw driver who found Golfrid then took him to the Mitra Sejati hospital and was unable to be submitted to the hospital without a name as he did not carry any form of identity. Not long after, the police came and took Golfrid to the RSUP HAM at 03:00 WIB.

Golfrid Siregar had undergone immediate surgery but was pronounced dead not long after due to the severity of his injury. His backpack containing his laptop, wallet, and ring was missing.

The North Sumatra Walhi suspects foul play was involved as they did not find any injury commonly found in victims of traffic accidents apart from Golfrid’s head injury that they suspect was caused by a massive blow to the head by a blunt object.

The Metro Jaya Police has arrested human rights activist Ananda Badudu for raising funds to support the nationwide students protest via KitaBisa crowdfunding platform on September 23-24.

Ananda’s Twitter account on Friday, September 27, stated that he was picked up by the police for transferring funds for students.

The KitaBisa crowd fund he made has managed to garner around Rp175 million up to this day.

The musician and former journalist wrote at the crowdfunding page that he was moved to contribute the college students who are expressing their aspirations and that his intention in making the KitaBisa page was to fund the protesters’ consumption and mobile sound systems used in the protest against the House of Representatives.

Activist and documentary filmmaker Dandhy Dwi Laksono has been accused by the Jakarta Police for spreading hate speech after he posted about clashes in Jayapura and Wamena, Papua, on his Twitter account.

Dandhy was arrested by the police in Bekasi, West Java, at 11 p.m. on Thursday, after which he was taken to the Jakarta Police headquarters for an interrogation that lasted until 4 a.m. on Friday.

He was named a suspect of violating Article 28 and Article 45 of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law and accused of spreading information aimed at fueling hatred based on ethnicity, religion or race.

“In usual [practice], there should have been a summons [to testify] as a witness, but at about 11 p.m. [the police] suddenly handed me an arrest warrant,” Dandhy said after the questioning.

Dandhy’s lawyer Alghiffari Aqsa questioned the police’s decision to name his client a suspect, saying that the articles — which had been slammed by critics and activists for their potential to criminalize criticism — were irrelevant.

“The [information] that Dandhy wrote [on Twitter] is part of his freedom of expression in conveying his opinion on what happens in Papua,” Alghiffari said on Wednesday.

On Sept. 23, Dandhy wrote a thread on his Twitter account @Dandhy_Laksono about the clashes in Jayapura and Wamena, in which he posted the photo of students who were allegedly shot by bullets during the incident.

Papuan university students in exodus from campuses across Indonesia opened a crisis center in [Cendrawasih University]. Authorities pick them up from the campus to Expo Waena. Riots. Some died,” Dandhy wrote in his post.

High school students protest against racism by a teacher. [Security] apparatus handle them. The city is in chaos. Many are wounded by gunshots,” he went on.

Violent unrest erupted in the two cities of Papua on Monday, with some senior high school students reportedly being attacked by security staff as they dispersed a protest.

Papua Police, however, said that the protest occurred because of “baseless” provocation among students about an incident in which a teacher allegedly called a student a “monkey” last week.

After being named a suspect, Dandhy was released by the police on Friday morning. The police’s decision to name him a suspect has been met by criticisms from human rights and press freedom activists, who argue that Dandhy was facing prosecution for expressing his opinion, which in fact is guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution.

Journalists covering student protests in cities across Indonesia were attacked by police in a series of brutal incidents on September 24. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) condemn the systematic harassment and brutality by Indonesian police and call for immediate action by authorities to hold all perpetrators to account.

Thousands of university students held rallies across Indonesia this week to protest the revision of several Indonesian laws in Jakarta, Bandung, Garut, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang, Palembang, Medan, Denpasar, Makassar and Palu. AJI said some journalists covering the rallies were injured by police, while others were intimidated to stop filming or were asked to delete the videos.

At least four journalists were attacked during the Jakarta protests. According to AJI Jakarta branch, a journalist for Kompas Nibras Nada Nailufar was intimidated by police to delete footage of alleged police brutality against a protester near the Jakarta Convention Centre during the evening of September 24. Vanny El Rahman, a reporter of IDN Times, was assaulted and also pressured to erase a video of police violence in Slipi, in West Jakarta. Tri Kurnia Yunianto, of Katadata, and Febrian Ahmad, of Metro TV, were attacked in Jakarta. Despite showing a press card, police confiscated Kurnia’s mobile phone and deleted a video of police firing tear gas at protesters. In a separate incident, Metro TV’s Febrian Ahmad was set upon by a mob of protesters who attacked his work car with sticks and stones.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, AJI Makassar reported that three journalists were assaulted by police at a rally in front of the regional legislative council. Journalists Muhammad Darwi Fathir, of Antara news agency; Saiful, of inikata.com; and Ishak Pasabuan, of Makassar Today; were physically attacked by police during police clashes with student protesters. In Palu, on Central Sulawesi, police snatched the camera of Rian Saputra, a journalist with public broadcaster TVRI Central Sulawesi and demanded he delete videos.

AJI calls on authorities to investigate the attacks and urged Indonesia’s Press Council to establish an independent task force to deal with violence inflicted against journalists during the mass protests in the country.

AJI Chairman, Abdul Manan, said: “We must remind all sides to respect journalists’ safety while they are on the jobs. We also ask newsrooms to provide tools to keep journalists safe.”

The IFJ said: “We condemn the attacks against journalists in Indonesia while they are endeavouring to do their jobs and report in the public interest. Indonesia’s authorities need to respect the media’s role and ensure every effort to ensure the safety of journalists while they are covering protests.”

Journalists covering the demonstration in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta, on Friday, September 13, were harassed, blocked and had their equipment damaged. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia condemn the attack and call the authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the assault.

A group of 100 people calling itself ‘The Alliance of Students and Youth Volunteers who Love the NKRI’ and the Indonesia Students Association staged a protestoutside the KPK offices in Jakarta in support of the revisions of the KPK Law No. 32/2002. The demonstration turned violent when protesters started to smash floral bouquets sent by the activists of Indonesia’s anti-corruption movement and threw sticks and stones into the building. They also took down the black cloth covering the logo of KPK and names inside the building. The black cloth was placed there as part of the previous protest against the revision of the KPK Law, which will weaken the institution. The black cloth was a symbol of the gloom and mourning.

The journalists covering the protests were also targeted, stones and rocks were thrown at the press room beside the KPK lobby. Some of the journalists were attacked including on from Berita Satu who was hit. Protesters tried to obstruct the media from recording the violence and one reporter’s camera and tripod were destroyed.

AJI, in its statement, said it regretted the police officers who were on the scene did not take serious action during the riot. The officers allowed the attackers to go and asked the journalists to stop filming of taking photos.

“We urge the police to investigate the riot and prosecute the demonstrators who attacked journalists. We also demand the authorities to ensure the safety of the journalists in Indonesia while they are on duty. In conducting the activities of his profession, the journalist is protected by the Press law,” AJI added.

The IFJ said: “We stand with AJI in condemning the assault against journalists. We also call the Indonesian authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the attack. The incident was not the first time that the journalists were targeted during the riot. Indonesian authorities must ensure the protection of journalists so it will not occur again in the future.”

Yesterday, a riot police officer beat and kicked Muh Darwin Fatir, a reporter at Indonesian national news agency Antara News, while he was covering a protest at the parliament building in Makassar, the capital of Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, according to a report by his employer.

Fatir suffered bruises to his head and boot marks were visible on his body where he was kicked in the stomach; he was treated for his injuries at the local Awal Bros Hospital, according to Antara News.

At least two other journalists, Ishak Pasa'buan, of local outlet Makassar Today, and Muh Saiful Rania, of news website Inikata.com, were also beaten by police, according to a report by Makassar Today.

Several students were also injured during the protest against changes to Indonesia’s corruption and criminal laws, which turned violent when student protesters threw stones and police responded with tear gas and physical violence, according to Antara News and a report by local news outlet Tempo.

"We strongly urge Indonesian authorities to thoroughly and independently investigate the police beatings of journalists in Makassar, and to bring those responsible to justice," said CPJ's Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin. "Journalists must be free to report on civil unrest without fear of being targeted by authorities."

Akhmad Munir, news director at Antara News, called on police to open a serious and transparent investigation into the attack on Fatir in a statement.

The protests in Makassar occurred simultaneously with protests in other Indonesian cities, including Jakarta, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta, according to Tempo.

CPJ emailed Indonesia’s National Police for comment but did not receive a reply.

Indonesian police have named human rights lawyer and well-known West Papua advocate Veronica Koman as a suspect in the spreading of “fake news”, accusing her of provoking widespread unrest in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces.

In a move slammed by Amnesty International Indonesia, the human rights lawyer faces charges under the country’s controversial electronic information and transactions law, and faces up to six years in jail if found guilty.

Police specifically mentioned Koman’s posts about an incident in Surabaya in mid-August where military and nationalist militia were captured on video calling Papuan students “monkeys” and “dogs”.

East Java police said the lawyer had provoked and inflamed anti-racist riots that have swept across West Papua in recent weeks, and accused of her spreading fake news and provocative material.

Indonesian police say they have also contacted Interpol to seek assistance in locating the Indonesian lawyer, who they believe is abroad.

Indonesia’s National Commission of Human Rights slammed the move, saying Koman had attempted only to provide “necessary information from a different point of view”.

Usman Hamid, the executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said the move was deeply misguided. “The root of the real problem is the act of racism by some members of the TNI [Indonesian army] and the excessive use of force by the police in the student dormitory in Surabaya,” Usman told tirto.id.

Since unrest has flared across West Papua – divided into the two Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua – in some cases erupting in violent and fatal clashes, Koman has proved a critical source of information, regularly updating her Twitter account with photos and videos that have provided a rare insight into the realities on the ground.

It comes at a time when internet access has been cut for more than two weeks in the remote area, which is restricted to foreign journalists.

Meanwhile in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, who until now has been blocked from the visiting West Papua, said on Wednesday that she was concerned about escalating violence.

“There should be no place for such violence in a democratic and diverse Indonesia, and I encourage the authorities to engage in dialogue with the people of Papua and West Papua on their aspirations and concerns, as well as to restore internet services and refrain from any excessive use of force,” she said, “Blanket internet shutdowns are likely to contravene freedom of expression and limiting communications may exacerbate tensions”.

A politician from Perindo Party of Sorong Sayang Mandabayan is undergoing police question in Manokwari Resort Police Headquarters, Papua, over the possession of 1,500 flags of Bintang Kejora or morning star, the symbol of the Free Papua Movement.

“The questioning is still afoot in Manokwari police headquarters,” said National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo in his office, South Jakarta, Tuesday, September 3.

Sayang was arrested in Rendani Airport, Manokwari, right before claiming his baggage. The airport’s Aviation Security (Avsec) suspected Sayang’s wary behaviors.

The team then searched through his belongings and discovered 1,500 pieces of the small flag of Bintang Kejora in his pink suitcase. He was brought to Rendani Sector Police to be picked by Manokwari police officers for further examination.

Dedi said that according to Manokwari Police, Sayang Mandabayan boarded Wings Air from DEO Airport Sorong to join a peaceful rally which would take place today, September 3, in Manokwari. “We are still examining the suspicion,” he concluded.

Jayapura. Two French journalists were on Friday handed short jail terms for illegally reporting in Indonesia's Papua province, but will walk free next week after already having served the time in custody, their lawyer said. Thomas Dandois, 40, and Valentine Bourrat, 29, were detained at the start of August while making a documentary for Franco-German television channel Arte about Papua's separatist movement. Indonesia is deeply sensitive about journalists covering Papua, where a low-level insurgency against the central government has simmered for decades, and rarely grants visas for foreigners to report independently in the region. At the trial in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, the pair were charged with breaking immigration laws since they were reporting with tourist, not journalist, visas - a crime punishable by up to five years in jail. Prosecutors had sought a four-month sentence during the trial, which started this week, saying the journalists had admitted their mistake and apologized. However a panel of judges handed them a sentence of only two months and 15 days, their lawyer Aristo Pangaribuan told Agence France-Presse. They will be released next week, he said. "This decision is good because they will go home on Monday," said the lawyer. "But from a legal perspective, this is not very good because it opens the door for the criminalization of journalistic activities." They did not plan to appeal, he added. Foreign journalists detained in the past for illegally reporting in Papua were swiftly deported.

A radical group has threatened to use force to close down a seminar on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues organized by Sanata Dharma University's School of Psychology. "We have requested the seminar be cancelled. If not, we will cancel it by force," Muhammad Fuad, leader of the Ka'abah Defender Movement, one of the elements grouped under the Islamic Society Forum (FUI), said on Wednesday. He said he was worried that so-called academic freedom had been hijacked by some groups of people who wanted to inject the society with discourses on LGBT issues. He said the LGBT orientations should be viewed like a spreading disease that could harm Islamic values and the morals of society. Sanata Dharma rector Johanes Eka Priyatma said he had been made aware of the threat, saying that the university would reconsider and cancel the seminar if it turned out that the seminar's theme would hurt the feelings of some groups in town. "We always have the option to cancel the seminar if we find out that it could hurt the feelings of some groups," Johanes said on Wednesday. However, he argued that the sole reason behind organizing this seminar was to provide a stage upon which to discuss LGBT issues from an academic perspective. LBGT activist Renate Arisugiwa acknowledged his disappointment at the threat, saying that it wasn't necessary as they would gather and discuss about topics like the rights of LGBT people who are often neglected in daily life. "We want to discuss problems that are often being experienced by LGBT people," he said. He also criticized the view that the LGBT orientations should be viewed as diseases, citing that the World Health Organization had not categorized them as diseases since the 1990s and Indonesia had ratified the same policy in 1993. The director of the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Yogyakarta branch, Samsuddin Nurseha, said the police should react to the threats by providing protection for both the seminar and its participants. Sleman Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ihsan Amin had refused to comment on this matter, giving as a reason that he was in the middle of a meeting. (dic) Source: Jakarta Post (The Jakarta Post

Human rights activists called on police on Wednesday to investigate the death of the Sorong Raya West Papua National Committee (KNPB) chairman Marthinus Yohame. "It's very shocking that the body was found inside a gunny sack floating on the sea," West Papua human rights lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy told The Jakarta Post. The body of Marthinus Yohame, 27, was found on the sea inside a tied gunny sack in Nana waters by a fisherman who was fishing behind the Dom Port in Sorong, West Papua. Yan Christian said that the death of Marthinus might have something to do with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's visit to the region to officially open Sail Raja Ampat on Aug. 23. He said that before Marthinus left his house on Aug. 20, a KNPB supporter, Abner Wanma--who was one of the dancers for Sail Raja Ampat's main event-- was taken by police from his lodge in Waisai Raja Ampat after a dance rehearsal. "Abner was returned home the following day and at the same time there was information saying that the KNPB Sorong Raya chairman had not yet come home," Yan said. There were rumours that the KNPB was to raise the Papua separatist group's Bintang Kejora flag during SBY's visit, Yan Christian said. "It's very extreme if someone was killed just to prevent the flag from being raised," he said. He also called on the KNPB and Marthinus' family to provide police with as much information as possible to aid them with the investigation. Yan Christian also asked the police to give wide access to the family to help reveal the truth of the case. He urged the police to thoroughly investigate Marthinus' death, the motive and the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the police are still waiting for an autopsy to be performed on Marthinus' body as part of the investigation. "Without an autopsy it will be difficult for the police to uncover the facts around his death," Papua Police's spokesperson Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo told the Post in Jayapura on Wednesday. Pudjo said Marthinus' body was still in the state-run RSUD Sorong hospital awaiting the autopsy, pending his family's approval. He said the autopsy was sought because his death was considered unusual. He said a wound that was one centimetre by one centimetre big was found on the left side of his chest and another wound that was two-by-three centimetre big was found on his right abdomen. "If no autopsy is conducted we will never know the cause of the wounds in the chest and abdomen," Pudjo said. Before Marthinus' body was found, his family had reported to police that he had left his house on Aug. 20 and never returned.

Civil society and human rights groups have strongly criticized National Police chief Gen. Sutarman for stating that the force will continue to investigate a member of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), a state-sanctioned watchdog, for speaking out in a TV interview about rampant corruption in the police. Sutarman's target was Adrianus Meliala, also a professor of criminology at the University of Indonesia (UI). Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) chairman Neta S. Pane said on Wednesday that the legal battle against Adrianus reflected the police's reluctance to accept criticism and begin the long-stalled process of bureaucratic reform within the institution. "There are scores of corruption cases implicating rank-and-file officers up to police generals, yet the force appears to keep those from public scrutiny and does not bring corrupt officers to justice," Neta said during a meeting at Kompolnas in Jakarta. Adrianus, a former journalist, is under investigation for allegedly defaming the force in a recent interview on Metro TV, in which he said that criminal investigation divisions at the regional police level were often exploited like "automatic teller machines" by the police's top brass to enrich themselves. The statement was made in response to the arrest of four West Java Police officers, who were caught red-handed tampering with an online gambling investigation and accepting over Rp 5 billion (US$425,894) in bribes. Adrianus declined to withdraw his statement and insisted it was based on numerous public complaints and reports from police officers received by Kompolnas. Sutarman said the intention of investigating a promiment professor of criminology due to the latter's comments remained intact. Sutarman said Adrianus should be held responsible for his words, despite Adrianus speaking out in his capacity as the member of Kompolnas. "I will always accept criticism based on facts, but we cannot accept them if they are some sort of analytical view. Even my seniors - former National Police chiefs - feel these analyses are unacceptable," he said. IPW's Neta said there were several unresolved cases, including an alleged bribery case implicating Jakarta Police Traffic Corps director Sr. Comr. Nurhadi Yuwono and East Java Police Traffic Director Sr. Comr. Rahmat Hidayat. However, despite possessing strong evidence, the National Police have not launched an investigation into the allegations. In May, Nurhadi, Rahmat and several of their subordinates were removed from their posts for allegedly accepting hundreds of millions of rupiah in kickbacks from agencies arranging driver's licenses and vehicle registration documents. The National Police have also been accused of dragging their feet in investigating a civil servant in Batam municipality, Riau Islands. The individual had a questionable bank balance of Rp 1.3 trillion and was allegedly linked to the fuel-smuggling business. Ray Rangkuti of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle said the investigation into Adrianus gave the impression that the National Police were belittling Kompolnas, which was tasked with supervising the police's performance. "Adrianus' summons may be the police's way of showing that they can treat Kompolnas as their little brother or subordinate," he said.

JAKARTA: Indonesian police arrested an Amnesty activist for insulting the military, the group said on Thursday, after he compared a plan to allow senior officers to hold civilian positions to the days of autocratic leader Suharto. Robertus Robet, a board member of Amnesty International Indonesia, was arrested late on Wednesday, the group said in a statement. Asked about details of the arrest, police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo cited a law under which those who intentionally insult a public institution face jail of up to 18 months. Prasetyo did not give further details. Police arrested Robet based on a speech made during a rally last week in which he spoke against a plan by the government to allow senior military officers to hold civilian positions in government institutions, Amnesty said. The plan "brought to mind the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) dual function in New Order era", Amnesty said, referring to the military under Suharto rule. A video circulating online also showed Robet singing during his speech. "The song was intended as my criticism of the ABRI of the past not the Indonesian National Military (TNI) of the present, let alone intended to insult the profession and institutional organisation of the TNI," Robet said in a televised statement on Thursday. Amnesty said in a statement Robet's arrest was "not only a clear threat to the freedom of speech and expression in Indonesia, but also poses a threat for human rights activists in general". Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for 32 years, was forced from office in 1998 as the world's fourth most populous nation descended into economic and social chaos. Much of the blame for that crisis focused on the nepotism and corruption that became the hallmark of Suharto's later years in power and which saw family members and close associates amass fortunes and come to dominate Indonesia's economy.

The police have proceeded to a fully fledged criminal investigation of the reported assault on two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators who were assigned to tail several Papuan officials at a Jakarta hotel, the antigraft body says. "According to the information we have received from the Jakarta Police, they will use the result of medical examinations of our injured employees as evidence," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said in Jakarta on Thursday. "This should confirm the allegations of assault on the on-duty officers[...] and dismiss claims made by other parties regarding the incident at the hotel. The remaining task is to look for potential suspects." The incident occurred on Saturday night at the Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta, where officials from the Papua provincial administration, including Governor Lukas Enembe, were holding a meeting with Papua Legislative Council (DPRD) members to discuss the province's 2019 draft budget. At that time, an administration staff member noticed that one of the two KPK investigators positioned in the hotel was taking photographs of the officials. The Papua officials subsequently detained the KPK employees. According to the antigraft body, its investigators were then assaulted, resulting in injuries, including a broken nose that required surgery. The KPK reported the assault to the Jakarta Police on Sunday afternoon. The Papua administration, however, has rejected the KPK's narrative. Its spokesperson, Gilbert Yakwar, denied the assault or indeed that any sort of altercation occurred between the two sides. "Regarding the issue of assault on the two officials resulting in surgery to the nose and/or face, we need to reiterate that this is not true," he said in a statement on Monday. "There was only pushing involved because[the administration officials] became emotional about being suspected of bribery and part of a KPK raid." Febri added that the antigraft body appreciated the Jakarta Police's swift response in investigating the case. One of the injured investigators, identified as Muhammad Gilang, remained under medical treatment at the hospital after undergoing successful surgery on Monday. Jakarta Police investigators on Wednesday questioned at least five witnesses in the case. "The witnesses include three security guards, a security camera operator and a hotel receptionist," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com. He added that investigators had sent security camera footage depicting the alleged assault to the National Police's forensics laboratory. Antigraft activists, including Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and Transparency International Indonesia, have called on the police to thoroughly investigate the case in order to prevent similar attacks from recurring in the future. The Anti-Corruption Study Center (PUKAT) at Gadjah Mada University added its voice on Wednesday, demanding that the police solve the case once and for all so similar attacks would not disrupt the commission's fight against corruption. "Law enforcers should provide protection to KPK leaders and employees in conducting their work," PUKAT researcher Oce Madril said. Meanwhile on Thursday, the KPK named House of Representatives lawmaker Sukiman and the acting head of the public works agency in Pegunungan Arfak, West Papua, Natan Pasombo, suspects in a graft case related to the deliberations of fiscal transfers allocated for the regency in the 2017 revised State Budget and 2018 State Budget. Febri stressed the case was not related to Saturday's alleged assault.

Eight activists with the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, have been questioned by Indonesian police in Timika in relation to alleged subversion or treason. This comes after members of the pro-independence organisation were forced out of their secretariat by dozens of police last Thursday in the southern Papuan city. Police allegations relate to the 31st of December, when KNPB members said they prepared to host a prayer event before a joint police and military operation dispersed them. However, a lawyer working for the KNPB, Veronica Koman, has disputed the legality of police procedure when questioning KNPB activists on Saturday. She said police failed to issue the required notice of three days for the summons. CNN Indonesia reported that the KNPB secretariat is still under the control of Indonesian military and police who intend to use it as a post. The local police chief, Senior Commissioner Agung Marlianto, said police have been acting in the interests of safeguarding the unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. UPDATE: On 5 January 2019 three men of the 8 questioned were detained and later charged with treason, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in Indonesia.

MENEMENG, Indonesia - An environmental activist and his family survived an attack on their lives early Sunday morning after assailants barricaded them inside their home and set it on fire. Murdani heads a chapter of Indonesia's largest environmental NGO, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi). At around 3 a.m., he and his wife woke to the smell of burning on the second floor of their home in Menemeng village on Lombok, an island next to Bali. Over the past few months, Murdani had noticed people watching his house. He had recently taken to sleeping on the front porch in order to keep guard, though on this night he slept upstairs. Upon waking, Murdani and his wife immediately woke their two children. Murdani grabbed the younger one and rushed downstairs to find the front door on fire. The fire had surrounded part of the house and was spreading inside. His wife brought the older child down by way of the roof of a kiosk next door. Seeing her shouting, the neighbors rushed over to help. It took them 45 minutes to douse the flames. After dawn broke and the police arrived, they found a pillow under the front wheel of Murdani's car, apparently used to set it alight. They also found a plastic bag that smelled of gasoline by the house. Whoever started the fire had covered the security camera above the front door with a hat. They used a wooden chair to jam the door shut and a bamboo table to block another door. "The goal was to trap us inside," Murdani told Mongabay two days after the attack. Precisely why Murdani was targeted is not yet clear. The list of contentious development projects he has spoken out against in West Nusa Tenggara province, where he heads Walhi's operations, is long - from the reclamation of Bima Bay on the neighboring island of Sumbawa to gold mining on Lombok. However, Murdani suspects it was his work on sand mining that prompted the attack. Sand mines abound in the part of Lombok where Murdani lives. Under his leadership, Walhi's chapter in the province has fought illegal sand mines and urged the government not to issue permits for new sand mines. A year ago, residents asked Murdani to help advocate for the rejection of a proposed sand mine on the border of Menemeng and Bilebante, a village known as an ecotourism destination. Residents have complained the sand mining has resulted in damaged roads, landslides and cloudy water. At one point the developers behind a controversial plan to reclaim Bali's Benoa Bay floated plans to dredge sand from Lombok to be used as infill for the massive tourism project, although the provincial government rejected the proposal. "We've received a lot of threats by text message," Murdani said. There are many players in the local sand mining industry. Murdani doesn't want to speculate as to the culprit. He wants the police to handle it, although Walhi has formed its own team to investigate the attack. Murdani's case is not an outlier, said Puri Kencana Putri, campaign manager with Amnesty International. She pointed to the 2015 murder of Salim Kancil, a farmer who organized protests against a sand mine in Lumajang, East Java; and an attack last November on the office of the Mining Advocacy Network, or Jatam, in East Kalimantan province. "In Murdani's case, we know he advocates for and defends people's rights in the natural resource and extractive sectors, including mining," Puri said. "There are groups who don't like what he does." She called on the government to ensure protection for Murdani and his family. From 2010 to 2018, there were 171 recorded cases of violence against activists in Indonesia, according to Ainul Yaqin from the Indonesian Human Protection Foundation (YPII). Most of the victims were environmental activists. Muhammad Isnur of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation called on the police to focus on catching not just the people who attacked Murdani's house, but whoever put them up to it. "They've got to go after the mastermind," he said. However, he was pessimistic about the police getting to the bottom of the case, citing the lack of progress in the Jatam investigation.

Hundreds of Papuan students faced off with counterprotesters in Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya today in a rally calling for the Melanesian region's independence while pro-independence sources reported more than 300 people arrested in West Papua. The Surabaya rally was organised by the Papua Students Alliance. The demonstrators chanted "Freedom Papua" in Surabaya city to mark December 1, which many West Papuans consider as the 57th anniversary of what should have been their independence, report news agencies. The crowd, many of whom wearing headbands of the Morning Star flag - banned by Indonesian authorities, was blocked from marching to the city center by scores of counterprotesters from several youth organisations waving the Indonesian flag. They confronted the pro-independence protesters with sharpened bamboos. Several hundred members of anti-riot police prevented the two rival groups from clashing. The protest ended after about two hours. However, human rights sources reported tonight that Indonesian police and military had surrounded Papuan student dormitories in Surabaya and arrested 223 people. They were being detained at the Surabaya City sector police station. The Free West Papuan Campaign reports that more than 300 people have been arrested across West Papua. Peaceful demonstrations In several regions of West Papua, peaceful demonstrations took place. Protests were reported in Jakarta, Surabaya, Palu, Kupang, Ternate, Makassar, Manado, Ambon, Poso, Sula, Timika, Meruake, Waropen, and Tobelo. In addition to police intervention during public gatherings, the London-based campaign's website said it had received reports that Indonesian security forces had also raided several student dormitories, and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) headquarters was vandalised. From the monitoring team, below is the interim report of arrests throughout West Papua and other parts of Indonesia: 1. Kupang - 18 people arrested. 2. Ambon - 43 arrested. 3. Ternate - 99 arrested. One of the activists was rushed to hospital due to suffocation 4. Jayapura around 85 people from 4 different locations: Dok IX, Abe, Jayapura and Sentani. 5. Jakarta - 140 arrested 6. Surabaya - hundreds involved in a long march towards Kamasan III student dormitary were confronted by tni-polri and some students were bruised from confrontation. 7. Manado - 29 arrested 8 Waropen - 7 arrested. Names: Jhon Wenggi, Yulianus Kowela, Monika Imbiri and Fiktor Daimboa 9. Sorong and Merauke, including KNPB HQ in Waena, Perumnas III: in lock down and an urgent need for advocacy at these places. RNZ Pacific also reports mass arrests over West Papuan demonstrations in several Indonesian cities. Today marks the 57th anniversary of the first time West Papua's flag of independence, the Morning Star, was raised. In commemoration of the historic event numerous non-violent peaceful demonstrations and prayer vigils were organised around the country. Worldwide flag raisings of international solidarity increase each year as the support for West Papuan independence gains momentum. In New Zealand, flagraising events were held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. This protests comes at a time of increased violence in West Papua, including suspected extrajudicial killings in the region. Urgent issues of concern also include increased military presence, the killing of civilians caught in crossfire in the mountain regions, and armed civilian movements of Papuans protecting their villages. The International Coalition for Papua (ICP) compiles data on political arrests and violence in West Papua. This information has been made public through quarterly reports. The latest ICP reports are at www.humanrightspapua.org

Indonesia's Supreme Court upheld the conviction and increased the prison term for an environmentalist found guilty of spreading communism during an anti-mining protest last year, his defense attorney said Tuesday. The Banyuwangi District Court in East Java province in January convicted Hari Budiawan (alias Budi Pego) of spreading the outlawed teachings of Marxism and Leninism by waving a hammer-and-sickle flag during an anti-mining protest in April 2017. Budi, 38, has maintained there were no pro-Communist banners at the protest. The East Java high court upheld Budi's 10-month sentence in March, but the Supreme Court increased the prison term to four years in an Oct. 16 decision that was not made public at the time. Budi was notified of the Supreme Court's verdict by mail on Nov. 16, defense lawyer Hari Kurniawan said. "We regret the decision," Hari told BenarNews, adding that he likely would seek a case review for Budi, who is not in jail. Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi told BenarNews the judges reached the decision independently. "The public has the right to judge its fairness. But the judges' decision must be respected," Suhadi said. Communism has been outlawed in the nation since the mid-1960s, after a failed coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) led to nationwide killings that targeted suspected PKI members in 1965 and 1966. Protest Budi and other residents protested against a gold mine operated by PT Bumi Suksesindo, saying it caused mudflows that polluted the coastal area. He has described the charges against him as fabricated. "The police and members of the TNI (Indonesian National Army) were aware of all our banners, because they were there when we made and installed them," he said at the time of his arrest. "They even photographed every banner we wrote." Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation activist Asfinawati, who uses one name, expressed concerns about the decision. "This is a real threat to the protection of human rights in Indonesia, especially for people who want to participate in the protection of the environment," she told BenarNews. It was not the first time the Supreme Court has increased a prison term or overturned a not-guilty verdict following an appeal. In a recent case that has sparked public outrage, the court sentenced to six months a teacher who made public a recording of her school's principal engaging in a lewd conversation with her. The top court overturned a lower court ruling that cleared the teacher, Baiq Nuril, of defamation charges and ordered her to pay a fine of 500 million rupiah (U.S. $34,000), or spend an additional three months in jail. Nuril was found guilty of distributing or transmitting content that violates morality as stipulated in the Information and Electronic Transaction Law.

About a dozen activists have staged a brief, peaceful protest at the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Bali, Indonesia. Representatives of various rights groups held up placards and chanted "Defend peoples' rights!" and "Stop the attacks!" outside meeting rooms Thursday at a convention center where media and civil society groups are gathered during the annual meeting. Those involved had badges allowing them to enter the tightly guarded venue. Members of advocacy groups for women, farmers and workers said their gathering of about 500 at a hotel in the city of Denpasar, miles from the conference, was twice shut down by police. An IMF staff member said she would discuss the issue and bring it to the "highest levels." ___

In the afternoon of 6 July 2018, a group of Papuan students gathered inside the Papuan student dormitory in Kalasan Road 10, Sub-district Tambaksari. Members of the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) organized a discussion for the commemoration of the 20. Anniversary of the Biak massacre. The students wanted to watch a documentary about the massacre and discuss the incident with friends and activists. At 07.00 pm, more than 100 security force personnel consisting of officers from the police unit for the enforcement of public order (SATPOL PP), district police and military members gathered in front of the dormitory. The security forces had allegedly been called by the head of Tambaksari sub-district, Mr Ridwan Mubarun, who intended to disperse the peaceful student assembly. Being concerned about the large number of security forces in front of the dormitory, one of the students called Mohamad Soleh, a lawyer of Surabaya Legal Aid Institute (LBH Surabaya), and asked him to support the students at the dormitory. Suara PapuaAround 20.30 pm, a group of Papuan students accompanied by the LBH lawyer, and Anindya Joediono, a law student of Narotama University and activist of the National Student Front (FMN), went outside to meet with Mr. Mubarun. The head of Tambaksari sub-district stated that he and the police officers had come to the dormitory to disperse the assembly because he suspected the students to discuss about the political independence of West Papua. The government official allegedly intended to check the students' identities, arguing that the dispersal was a law enforcement operation. When the LBH lawyer and Anindya Joediono asked Mr. Mubarun to show the warrant, the police officers did not show any document authorising the dispersal. A heated discussion between the head of sub-district and the students began (see image above). The situation escalated when a police officer rudely shouted at Anindya Joediono. Thereupon, police officers tried to forcefully drag Anindya's friend Isabella and LBH lawyer Mohamad Soleh away from the students. One police officer indecently touched Anindya's breasts and pulled her shirt until one of the buttons was ripped off. Meanwhile, several police officers attempted to drag Anindya to a police vehicle. Several police officers began to check on the Papuan students' motorcycles alleging them of having stolen the bikes. At 11.00 pm the security forces left the Papuan student dormitory without entering the building. The students fear that racist sentiments and negative media publicity could trigger horizontal conflicts between Papuans and non-Papuans, since similar incidents have frequently occurred in multiple cities of Indonesia. Anindya Joediono stated in an interview with the Papuan media outlet "Suara Papua' that the AMP had allegedly received racist comments through social media calling the Papuan students "monyets', "negros', "niggers' after the incident. After the incident, LBH Surabaya published a press release in which the human rights organisation emphasized that freedom of expression, freedom of opinion and freedom of association are guaranteed under international law and national law through article 28 E (3) of the Indonesian Constitution of 1945, and article 24 (1) of Law 39/ 1999 on human rights. LBH Surabaya called on the President of Indonesia, the head of the East Jawa Regional Police (POLDA Jawa Timur) and the municipal government of Surabaya to ensure that no discriminative measures against Papuan students will occur again and that the previously mentioned rights will be respected and protected. Moreover, police officers who were involved in offenses against students shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

A South Kalimantan journalist who had been detained by the authorities for more than a month after being charged with defamation for his articles died on Sunday. The journalist, identified as Muhammad Yusuf from online news portal KemajuanRakyat.co.id, died at Kotabaru Regional Public Hospital in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, around two weeks after being transferred from the Kotabaru Police's detention center to Kotabaru penitentiary on May 27. Yusuf had been charged with defamation and hate speech as stipulated under the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions Law. He had reportedly complained of breathing difficulties, chest pain and had vomited inside the detention on Saturday before being rushed to the hospital. "Yusuf passed away at exactly 2:30 pm at Kotabaru hospital," said Kotabaru Police chief Adj. Sr. Comm. Suhasto on Monday. The police accused Yusuf of defaming and inciting hate speech against oil palm plantation company PT Multi Sarana Agro Mandiri (MSAM) on KemajuanRakyat.co.id, his social media accounts and during rallies. MSAM is owned by coal-tycoon Syamsudin Andi Arsyad, also known as Haji Isam. Suhasto said the police arrested Yusuf after having consulted the Press Council. The Press Council confirmed that they had investigated 23 of Yusuf's published articles and found that most of them were "unverified, unbalanced and opinionated" and were therefore considered as defying the council's standards of journalism and the 1999 Press Law. The Press Council concluded that those who felt disadvantaged by Yusuf's writings could press charges against him using legislation other than the 1999 Press Law. (nor/ahw)

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), strongly denounce the decision made by the District Court of Banyuwangi, East Java, to convict Heri Budiawan, also known as Budi Pego, for spreading communism. He was charged with violating article 107(a) of Law No. 27 Year 1999 on Crimes against National Security. Budi Pego is an environmental rights defender, who opposed the development of Gold Mine in Tumpang Pitu, East Java. The District Court sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment, deviating from the seven years sentence that was originally sought by the Prosecutor. The Government has falsely accused Budi Pego of promoting communism and having failed to submit a written notification to hold a protest.[1] An appeal in his case has been submitted by YLBHI on 29 January 2018. Tumpang Pitu had been designated as a conservation forest. However, former Forestry Ministry, Zulkifli Hasan, issued a decree to change its status to become a production forest in 2013. The local community has been opposing mining activities in the area since 1997. Budi Pego was arrested on 4 September 2017 for allegedly displaying a banner with a hammer-and-sickle logo during a protest against gold mining activities in the Gold Mine in Tumpang Pitu on 4 April 2017. The accusation was fabricated as none of the witnesses recount the existence of such images when the banners were made and displayed.[2] What happened to Budi Pego represents a massive oppression of human rights defenders. It sets a bad precedent for the protection of human rights defenders who are doing their legitimate work. Similar judicial harassment of other environmental rights defenders happened in different areas in Indonesia, such as what was experienced by Joko Priatno in his struggle to oppose mining activities in Kendeng Mountains, Central Java. YLBHI recorded 61 incidents of criminalisation cases against human rights defenders, who were fighting for the right to the protection of the environment or for land rights in their territories throughout 2017 in Indonesia alone. The oppression of Budi Pego and other human rights defenders is clearly an attempt to silence people's participation in development projects and their criticism on issues of public interest. It also violates people's right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Indonesia. Such restrictions are often used as a tool to silence opposition to the Government, mainly against communities that include human rights defenders, notably environmental rights defenders. In regard to the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, the joint report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on the proper management of assemblies states that: "States should not require organisers to obtain prior authorisation to hold an assembly, in law or practice. Where a notification system is in place, it must facilitate peaceful assembly, and must not operate as a de facto requirement for prior authorisation'.[3] As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Government of Indonesia failed to live up to its international obligations to protect the right of its people to peacefully assemble and express their opinion. FORUM-ASIA and YLBHI remind the Government of Indonesia of its endorsement of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (A/RES/53/144), specifically of the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms. FORUM-ASIA and YLBHI strongly denounce the conviction of Budi Pego, which is perpetuating the criminalisation of human rights defenders, and urge the Government to release him immediately. We stand in solidarity with fellow human rights defender, Budi Pego and all others who are facing harassment and persecution for defending their and the community's rights.

West Papuan independence campaigners have called for the release of an activist who has been put on trial for treason after he helped gather signatures for a petition. Yanto Awerkion was arrested for his involvement in a pro-independence petition which gathered more than 1.8m West Papuan signatures. The petition, calling for a free vote on independence, had been outlawed by Indonesian authorities but was smuggled out of the region and delivered to the United Nations in September. The 27-year-old man is deputy chair of the Timika branch of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB). According to his supporters he was arrested after getting on stage to speak about the petition at an event in May. Melanesian leaders condemn UN for turning 'a deaf ear' to West Papua atrocities Read more The Free West Papua campaign said Awerkion's health had seriously deteriorated in jail, and he had not been able to see his wife and daughter. If convicted on the charges relating to sedition and separatism, conspiracy and incitement to commit an offence, Awerkion could face a prison term of between six years and life. His trial was scheduled to begin in Timika on Tuesday. In a video filmed from prison for the Free West Papua movement, Awerkion described himself as a political prisoner. "Because of struggling for Free West Papua, I was arrested by the Indonesian military and police, and I remain in prison," he said. He called for international diplomats to "unite and urge the world and the United Nations to intervene in West Papua and to immediately organise a referendum in West Papua". A spokesman for the Indonesian embassy in Australia, Sade Bimantara, said the rights of people to "peacefully voice their opinions" were protected under Indonesian law, but "when laws are broken, the authorities will act to enforce the law". This included activities supporting or inciting acts that aim to "take over or separate a part of the Indonesian territory and the formation of a new state in its place", he told Guardian Australia. West Papuan women left isolated and beset by violence under Indonesian rule Rochelle Jones Read more Bimantara did not detail Awerkion's alleged actions, but said "separatist groups in Papua and West Papua have been found to commit a number of offences", and noted the death of a policeman last year. Awerkion is not believed to be facing charges involving violence. Bimantara said that was a matter for the prosecutor. The petition asked the UN to "put West Papua back on the decolonisation committee agenda and ensure their right to self?determination ... is respected by holding an internationally supervised vote". West Papua was annexed by Indonesia in 1963, an act formalised six years later with a widely discredited UN-supervised vote known as the Act of Free Choice. The only voters were 1,063 people selected by the military and compelled to vote in favour of Indonesian annexation. "In the West Papuan people's petition we hand over the bones of the people of West Papua to the United Nations and the world," exiled independence leader Benny Wenda told the UN when the petition was handed over. "After decades of suffering, decades of genocide, decades of occupation, we open up the voice of the West Papuan people which lives inside this petition. My people want to be free." Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said at the time the petition was "purely a publicity stunt with no credibility". The petition also called for the appointment of a special representative to investigate human rights abuses but was ultimately rebuffed by the UN's decolonisation committee because West Papua was outside its mandate. There are frequent reports of mass arrests and violence by Indonesian police and military forces against separatists and their supporters, but information is difficult to verify because of restrictions on foreign media entering the territory. The leader of the Greens, Richard Di Natale, called for the Australian government to make entreaties on behalf of Awerkion and other prisoners, and to support West Papua's calls for a UN-backed referendum.

Indonesian political activist, journalist, and filmmaker Dandhy Dwi Laksono has been reported to the police for online defamation after he compared former president and current PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri with Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi amid rising concerns in Indonesia about the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. At 2pm yesterday, a volunteer wing of PDI-P called DPD Repdem reported Dandhy to the East Java Police for his Facebook post, which they allege to be defamatory to both Megawati and her party cadre President Joko Widodo under the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE), a highly controversial and ambiguously worded law that has been used to criminalize legitimate criticism. In the police report, DPD Repdem said they had a problem with a paragraph in Dandhy's post, uploaded last Sunday, which suggested that there is a similarity between Suu Kyi and Megawati's leaderships of their respective governing political parties. Dandhy argued that both administrations, through "political officers" taking the helm as heads of state, caused humanitarian crises in their respective countries: the attacks on the Rohingya people in Myanmar and the increase in the imprisonment of Papuan independence activists in Indonesia. "Dandhy's writing suggested that Megawati, PDI-P, and President Jokowi, who won the election (in 2014), have committed crimes against Papuans," said DPD Repdem East Java Chairman Abdi Edison, as quoted by Tirto yesterday. "On the whole, (Dandhy's) opinion was clearly intended to take advantage of the Rohingya incidents in Myanmar in order to insult and spread hatred of Megawati Soekarnoputri as the chairwoman of PDI-P and Joko Widodo as the president who is backed by PDI-P." The police have yet to investigate Dandhy based on the report. Responding to the police report, Dandhy today wrote a Facebook post condemning the ambiguity of UU ITE and its apparent use in silencing legitimate criticism like his. However, he stressed that the report against him pales in comparison to the injustices suffered by many oppressed people such as by the aforementioned Papuans, the farmers in Kendeng protesting the construction of a cement factory, as well as the attacks on the Rohingya in Myanmar. Dandhy also wrote that he had received numerous messages of support, including from lawyers willing to give legal aid in his defense should the need arise. Many netizens have condemned the police report against Dandhy, as they don't believe those who present legitimate criticism, backed up with factual data, should be charged with defamation. Defamation under UU ITE is punishable by up to four years in prison.

On 15 August 2017, two anti-mining activists, Sebastian Hutabarat (47) and Johannes Marbun (37) were attacked by group of people affiliated with stone mining activity in Silimalombu Village, Onanrunggu sub-District, Samosir Regency. Because of the attack, the two men who often raising their voice for saving the environment in Toba Lake area, suffered wound in the face, head, and hands. Two of them had submitted report to the police station in Samosir on the same day, after previously having medical check-up in a hospital nearby.

Indonesian police detained and then deported the two reporters, who were filming a documentary for Indonesia's Garuda Airlines, for lacking "necessary documents from related institutions," without elaborating. The authorities have barred the two journalists from returning to Indonesia for at least six months to ensure they get the message. The message is that there's a glaring gap between the rhetoric of Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's announced opening of Papua to foreign media, and the grim reality that journalists are still blocked from reporting there. In May 2015, President Jokowi said he would be lifting of the 25-year de facto ban on foreign media access to Papua. That policy change was supposed to end the farce of placing foreign journalists in legal limbo by denying or failing to approve their reporting applications for Papua. But abuses of media freedom for foreign journalists in Papua, along with visa denial and blacklisting of reporters who challenge the official chokehold on Papua access, has continued unabated. That's mainly because Jokowi has singularly failed to issue a formal written directive instructing Indonesia's bureaucracy and security forces to lift these restrictions. But it's also due to the deeply rooted perception among many government and security agency officials that foreign media access to Papua is a recipe for instability in a region already troubled by widespread public dissatisfaction with Jakarta, and a small but persistent armed independence movement. That reflexive official paranoia extends beyond journalists and also impedes access to Papua for international development agencies, United Nations officials and foreign academics that Indonesian authorities perceive as hostile. The government needs to understand that blocking media access on overbroad security grounds doesn't just deter foreign news reporting about Papua, it raises troubling questions about what the government might be hiding there. It's time for Jokowi to issue his long-delayed written directive lifting restrictions on foreign media access to Papua, and appropriately punish government officials who refuse to comply.

Sri Bintang Pamungkas was arrested in his home in Cibubur, in the outskirts of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, on early Friday morning, December 2. The civil society leader of People Power Indonesia 2016 - a group that aims to repeal the constitution before it is amended - was supposed to join the rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama later that day. Ahok, an ethnic Chinese-Christian politician, a double minority in the world's most populous Muslim nation, is accused by conservative Muslim groups of committing blasphemy. Pamungkas and 9 others were accused of attempting to impeach the current government led by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. Among them are high profile individuals including rock musician Ahmad Dhani; human rights activist Ratna Sarumpaet; retired two-star Army general Kivlan Zein; and Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, sister of former president Megawati. They were arrested on treason charges under Article 107 of the penal code (KUHP). In a short video circulating on social media, Pamungkas was enjoying his cup of morning coffee on his porch when police officers handed him the warrant. "Honey, I'm being arrested," Pamungkas said to his wife who recorded the video on her mobile phone. "Why?" his wife, Ernalia, was heard saying from behind the camera. "They have the power to. Of course they can," Pamungkas replied. Pamungkas and People Power originally planned to occupy the parliament building, asking the council to revoke Jokowi's presidency for, according to him, the former Jakarta governor's inadequacy to follow the "people's mandate". 7 people were released later that day because the police did not have sufficient evidence. Pamungkas in still in detention, along with two others who are still behind bars for allegedly insulting the President on social media, and violating the Internet Transaction Law. Racial undertones The December 2 rally was the third in a series of protests demanding Ahok to step down from his post as governor, for his remarks that allegedly insulted Islam. The controversy started in September 2016 when he accused his opponents of fooling the electorate by misusing a Quranic verse, to sway voters to not vote for him in the upcoming gubernatorial election. He has apologized for the remarks but is still being prosecuted for blasphemy. Ahok is now a suspect and is due to face trial soon. If proven guilty he could be jailed for up to 5 years. But the issue has since spiraled to include other aspects. Critics have since accused the President -who was inaugurated two years ago- of being inadequate to manage the country. Ahok became governor after Jokowi won the presidential election in 2014. As Jokowi's deputy governor at the time, Ahok assumed the position. Ahok himself is an outlier in the Indonesian political landscape. He was the former regent of Belitung Timur, a small region in Sumatera island, and was also a member of parliament before running as Jokowi's deputy - but has always been considered as the "outsider" who came to the capital. During the 200,000-people-strong rally on 2 December, some posters read, "Jail Ahok" and "Crush the Chinese". The race card used against Ahok is not new within Indonesia's politics. It is deeply rooted in the New Order regime under former general Soeharto's authoritarian regime. President Soeharto -who ruled Indonesia for more than 3 decades- banned expressions of Chinese culture and politically segregated the Chinese, because of suspected ties to communism. Rally organizers and protestors used the Islam card which is an appealing pull for Indonesian Muslim voters. One of Ahok's opponents in next year's elections, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, is the son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who led the country from 2004-2014. Conservative Islamist groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) -one of the main rally organizers- have on social media openly supported Yudhoyono's gubernatorial candidacy. Shrinking civic spaces Social media users in Indonesia are divided on the arrests. Some applaud the police force for attempting to prevent an impeachment attempt, while others see it as a violation of human rights. "There seems to be no clear grounds for the arrest of these people," said Benny Agus Prima, Human Rights Defender Programme Associate at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). Prima stressed that the government must protect its people's rights to express their freedom of expression. "The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are constitutional rights and guaranteed by international human rights law," he said. "Exercising those rights is a foundation of democratic society." The freedom to associate and to assemble, to express written and and oral opinions in Indonesia, are regulated under Article 28 of the 1945 constitution. If proven guilty, those arrested could be jailed for 15 years up to a life sentence. Prima regretted the detention of the individuals, which he said was a sign of the shrinking civic space, not only in the country but also in the region as well. Civic space is where people can freely exercise their basic civil rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association. This kind of problem is not unique to Indonesia. During the 3-day conference entitled "Youth at the heart of the 2030 Agenda: The Case4Space" held in Bangkok, Thailand, panelists shared how there are 3.2 billion people living in countries where civic space is under threat. "We're seeing a trend of shrinking civic space in Asia Pacific with recent examples of the criminalization of activists," Prima said, citing an example of Maria Chin Abdullah of Malaysia. Abdullah is the leader of the Malaysian pro-democracy alliance Bersih, who was detained in November 2016 for organizing a mass rally calling on Prime Minister Najib Razak to resign over a corruption scandal. But in the end, according to Prima, what Pamungkas and his peers did was still in accordance to the law. "They demanded the parliament to review Widodo's presidency, not bearing arms asking[him] to step down," Prima said. The arrests, he said, should not have taken place in the first place as it would take Indonesia -a country who adopted democracy 16 years ago- back to autocratic state. Rozinul Aqli, an Indonesian student at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, also voiced his disapproval in Twitter, saying, "[Widodo] is increasingly becoming more comfortable in borrowing a page from Soeharto's playbook". "Ideally, there should be clear violent acts for something to deserve the label of treason," Rozinul said in an email to Rappler. "In practice, however, this article[Article 107 of the penal code] has been used to criminalize many activists that were not, strictly speaking, threatening national security," he said. Freedom of expression at risk Prima further said this case would set a bad precedent for human rights defenders. "What I fear the most is, this criminalization will restrict human rights defenders' freedom of expression," he said. Although he also noted that the people who were arrested should respect Ahok's freedom expression as well. "When we're talking about freedom of expression, we should respect others' freedom to express their thoughts as well," Prima said. "We can't force those who, let's say, commit human rights violations by also violating others' human rights." Rozinul added that rubber articles, such as Article 107 of the penal code, are problematic as they deprive citizens the right to legal certainty. "If some of us are alarmed by this development, it is because we know that using rubber articles to silence dissents was one of the cornerstones of the New Order regime," he said

12 April 2016, Dekai junction, Papua Province On 12 April 2016, around 8 am, West Papuan activists in support of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) distributed leaflets in Dekai. The leaflet was an invitation to attend a demonstration organized by KNPB to support the effort of United Liberation Movement for West Papua to be a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. At around noon that day, three police security vehicles and the Mobile Brigade of the police arrived at the location. They pointed guns at members of the KNPB and shouted to them not to run. Some of the activists succeeded to escape. The police arrested Mr. Yupi Sobolim, Mr. Unyil Kobak, Mr. Erson Suhun, Mr. Lendeng Omu, Mr. Leni Busup and Mr. Natu Dapla. They were taken to the Police Station in Yakuhimo where they were allegedly tortured and subjected to a series of inhuman and degrading treatments. Their heads and faces were beaten with a hammer, they were ordered to strip, eat money and dirt, do push-ups and to sing the Indonesian anthem. Their feet were tied and they were dragged across the floor while the police trampled them with boots. The police allegedly proceeded with threats to torture, to hang and to kill them. They were all released later the same day. The police also confiscated one KNPB flag, 7 motorcycles and 3 million Indonesian Rupiah (equivalent to 228 USD) that had been donated by passer-by supporting the initiative. 13 April 2016, Merauke, Papua Province At approximately 8:00 am on 13 April 2016, around 100 police officers came to the joint offices of the Parliament of People of Merauke Regency (PRD) and Secretariat of West Papua National Committee (KNPB). The police were fully armed and were accompanied by two police vehicles meant to control demonstration. The police entered the building and arrested 14 persons, namely: Ms. Panggrasia Yeem; Mr. Petrus Katem; Mr. Idelfonsius Katop; Mr. Yohakim Gebze; Mr. Gento Emerikus Dop; Mr. Charles Sraun; Mr. Emilianus Nemop; Mr. Rikardo Pisakai; Mr. Oktovianus Warip; Mr. Petrus P. Koweng; Mr. Lukas Arawok; Mr. Simon Taulemi; Mr. Paustinus K. Metemko; and Mr. Moses Pasim. They are all members of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, KNPB) and People's Regional Parliament (Parlemen Rakyat Daerah, PRD) of Merauke Regency. The above named persons were brought to Merauke police station for further interrogation. They were all released later the same day. The police also confiscated equipment, including six motorcycles, one hard disc, two loud speakers, one phone, one donation box, one whiteboard, one box Referendum's stimulation and several posters.

Haris Azhar is a human rights defender and coordinator of KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared Victims of Violence, a non governmental organisation that promotes political awareness of State accountability and seeks justice and truth for human rights abuses. KontraS also protects minorities and human rights defenders, carries out judicial accountability of civil liberties and advocacy in post conflict areas in Indonesia. On 28 July 2016, Haris Azhar published an article on Facebook which detailed corrupt activities of Indonesian police officials, including the acceptance of bribes from an international drug trafficking network. On 10 August 2016, the defamation complaint filed against human rights defender Mr Haris Azhar by the National Police, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Armed Forces (TNI) was put on hold while an independent police team investigate the alleged involvement of security officials in drug trafficking. On 28 July 2016, Haris Azhar published an article on Facebook which alleged corrupt activities of police officials, including the acceptance of bribes from an international drug trafficking network. Haris Azhar initially sent the information to the President's Office in an attempt to obtain a swift response from the Government, however, he claims the authorities did not follow up on his request. On 2 August 2016, three government agencies, the BNN, the TNI, and the National Police, filed a joint defamation complaint against Haris Azhar under the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions Law. This law prohibits any person from distributing, transmitting, or making any electronic information accessible which includes "contents of affronts and/or defamation". If convicted, the human rights defender could face up to six years in prison and a one billion Rupiah fine (__�68,700). On 5 August, KontraS established the Independent Emergency Post for Dismantling Apparatus Involvement on Drug Smuggling, in order to collect statements which would provide evidence for the accusations made in the article written by Haris Azhar. It is reported that at least 27 statements from the general public confirming police corruption have been collected. Following public pressure, on 10 August 2016, the National Police announced that they have set up an independent team to investigate the alleged involvement of security officials in drug trafficking. In spite of the announcement, it is reported that the BNN, the TNI and the National Police are continuing their own investigation, and Haris Azhar may still face charges of defamation. Front Line Defenders is concerned at the investigation against Haris Azhar and the potential charges against him.

Defying public pressure, the North Maluku Police have reiterated that they will continue their investigation into alleged defamation by a local activist who uploaded to YouTube a video showing a Ternate Police officer accepting money from a traffic violator. North Maluku Police Chief Brig. Gen. Zulkarnain said that although the police had released the suspect, identified as Adlun Fiqri, a student at Ternate-based Khairun University (Unkhair), the legal process regarding the case was ongoing. "After I watched[the video] I saw that it[Adlun's act] was improper conduct. There was no bribery. The police officer just ticketed[the motorist]," Zulkarnain said as quoted by Antara news agency. Last week, the Ternate Police arrested Adlun for allegedly violating Article 27, point 3, of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law on online defamation which carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison, after he uploaded a video showing a Ternate Police officer accepting Rp 115,000 (US$7.80) from a motorcyclist who was not wearing a helmet.