INDONESIA: Another protester dies amidst the tense situation at Freeport

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the death of yet another union protester on 15 October 2011, following a shooting injury on October 10. The situation at the Freeport mine in Timika, West Papua remains tense, due to the repressive approach of the Papua regional police (POLDA Papua).

UPDATED INFORMATION:

In its urgent appeal of 13 October 2011 (AHRC-UAC-204-2011), the AHRC raised concerns about the extrajudicial killing of trade union member Peter W. Ayamiseba and the injury of several persons in police shootings during a union protest against the illegal termination of workers on 10 October 2011 at PT Freeport Indonesia in West Papua. [Video of police shootings during a union protest] The AHRC has learnt that another protester who was shot in the back on October 10, Leo Wangadau, died on October 15, at 2pm at his home. (photo: Leo Wandagau while injured, awaiting his treatment in the hospital on October 10, source: Freeport Union)

According to Virgo Salossa (senior staff of the Union), the forensic doctor at Mimika hospital was not sure what caused Leo’s death, and said that the lack of facilities in the hospital prevented them from any further investigation. Previously, on October 10, the hospital stated that Mr. Wandegau was healthy and permitted him to go home, as seen on video. (video: Leo Wandagau before his surgery on October 10, at 11:09 am in the Mimika general hospital (RSUD), source: Freeport Union)

Meanwhile, according to the Chemical Energy Mining Union of the All Indonesia Workers Union (Serikat Pekerja Kimia Energi Pertambangan-Serikat Pekerja Seluruh Indonesia) in Timika, on October 14, Paulus Waterpau, one of the Indonesian police deputies ordered to resolve the conflict at Freeport, and Bigman Lumban Tobing, the chief of Papua regional police, instructed for the union protesters to be dispersed from where the location of the protest, the entrance gate of the Gorong-gorong company bus transportation terminal. The Papua regional police and their subordinates thus forced open the blockade in mile 27, checkpoint zone located at Freeport area, West Papua. On the same day, seven PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) union protesters, Gebi Taneloh, Pardianto, Degei, David Mirino, Derek Waitai, Jonotan Iyei, and Hermanus Kogoya, were interrogated as witnesses by the provost (special military police force in a military unit with tasks of security, military discipline and criminal investigation) of Timika resort police regarding the shooting incident on October 10. Furthermore, Hengky Binur, the coordinator of the protesters has been under interrogation since September 16 regarding the strike.

On October 18, Godlif Mansnembra, the chief of the mobile brigade (BRIMOB) of the North Sulawesi police, one of the officers initially ordered to resolve the conflict in Freeport was ordered by the chief of Papua regional police to leave Timika. According to Mr. Mansnembra, the alleged reason for this order was the assumption that Mansnembra was siding with the protesters as he preferred to use a non-violent and open approach to resolve the conflict rather than a repressive or aggressive approach.

The general oversight inspectorate of sector 4 of Indonesian Police (Irwasum wilayah 4) also subsequently examined this case; until now however, there is no further information from the police regarding the investigation.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Since 15 September 2011, PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) employees were on strike demanding wage adjustments. As a result, PTFI fired them and hired new workers. To protest this illegal termination and demand their jobs back, on October 10, the employees returned to their work location. Around 1000 employees from other areas walked to the entrance gate of the Gorong-gorong company bus transportation terminal (from where the PTFI runs a bus to take the workers back to their dormitories).

The police from Timika District Police (POLRES) had placed guards in front of the terminal and fired warning shots at the protesters causing those in the front rows to leave. Peter M. Ayamiseba (PTFI employee) was shot in the shoulder and died on the scene. Nine other protestors were injured, including Leo Wandagau who was wounded in the back by rubber bullets. Please see Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-204-2011 for further information. 

Furthermore, on October 28, the chief of Indonesian police, Timor Pradopo admitted that members of the police in Papua receive money from PTFI. He described the fees paid to the police personnel as “meal money” that could be audited and accounted for. In 2010, the Papua regional police wrote a letter to NGO KontraS, in which it stated that the management of PTFI give Rp. 1.250.000, (almost USD 137) per person to 635 police officers every month. An investigation conducted by Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) found that PTFI provided USD 79,1 millions to the to Indonesian police and TNI over 10 years.

On 14 December 2011, the employees and the PTFI management have finally come to an agreement. The PTFI management said it would increase the basic salaries of its workers in Papua by 37 percent, starting with a 24 percent increase in the first year and 13 percent in the second year.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities listed below asking them to intervene in the case immediately to ensure that all allegations of institutional misconduct leading to wrongful deprivation of the victims’ liberty is investigated, that the victims are compensated. All legal process must to be conducted in accordance with international and national norms.

Please be informed that the AHRC is sending letters on this case to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, calling for strong intervention.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER