INDONESIA: Human rights activists from West Papua targeted following meetings with UN Human Rights Defenders Special Representative

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received credible information of ongoing attacks, intimidation, surveillance and threats, including death threats, against human rights defenders from West Papua that occurred in mid-June 2007, following their meeting with Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders. It is alleged that members of the Indonesian military (TNI) are targeting people who met with Ms. Hina Jilani during her visit to Indonesia and who informed her about human rights abuses in West Papua. Although a formal letter has been issued to the chief of the national police and the regional military commander of Papua province, no action has been taken by the authorities and the defenders continue to feel threatened while conducting their work. It must be recalled that Indonesia is a member of the UN Human Rights Council, which has mandated Ms. Hina Jilani to carry out her work. Attacks on human rights defenders who have communicated with Ms. Jilani should be considered very grave, as should the Indonesian authorities’ failure to investigate such incidents, and call into question Indonesia’s credibility as a member of the Human Rights Council.

CASE DETAILS:

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of three separate cases of alleged attacks, intimidation and threats by the military against human rights activists from West Papua. It is suspected that the following individuals were targeted by the armed forces shortly after their meeting with Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders (for more information please see the UN Press Release concerning her visit).

The first case reported involves two persons: Frederika Korain, Priest Perinus Kogoya. They all work for the Peace and Justice Commission for the Diocese of Jayapura (SKP Jayapura). They attended a public hearing with Ms. Hina Jilani in Jakarta on June 7, 2007. They returned to Jayapura on June 8, 2007. Sentani airport, where their plane landed, was being heavily guarded by the police, military and intelligence services, as Ms. Hina Jilani was scheduled to visit Papua. The afore-mentioned persons’ vehicle was passing Post 7 Sentani in Ifar (about 5-10 minutes from the airport), when they were rammed by a blue Kijang car with police license plate number DS 1693 AF. As a result of the crash, the SKP car was damaged and the passengers were in shock. The SKP driver attempted to stop the car that had hit them, at which point two men got out of the car and stated that they were intelligence commanders for the military regional command of Trikora (Komandan Intel Kodam XVII Trikora). One of the men also stated in a threatening tone that his name is FX. Subangun and that he works as an intelligence commander in KODAM Trikora. He provided his cell phone number: 0811484860, following which the two men ran from the scene. The police, who saw the entire incident, allowed them to leave the scene of accident without being questioned. Local groups believe that this incident was no accident, but was for the direct purpose of intimidating the two defenders, notably as they had been being followed by the same car since they had left the airport.

The second case involves Yan Christian Warinussy, the Executive Director of the Institute of Research, Analysis and Development for Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari, who has reported that he is under surveillance both at his home and office. On June 8, 2007, Mr. Warinussy met with Ms. Hina Jilani in Jayapura, and he came back to Manokwari on June 9, 2007. At around 8pm that night, Mr. Warinussy noticed a black Kijang Innova car parked in front of his house for about 20 minutes. The car’s windows were tinted. The car returned at around 11pm that same night. On June 11, 2007, at around 7pm, two Kijang cars parked in front of the LP3BH office on Gunung Salju street for about 30 minutes. Mr. Warinussy requested protection from Peace Brigade International (PBI) and asked them to accompany him from Friday June 15, 2007 onwards. On  June 16, 2007, at around 8pm, two PBI activists and Mr. Warinussy, saw a metalic-coloured Kijang diesel car and police license plate number DD 546 PD parked in front of Mr. Warinussy’s house for some 20 minutes. The car left and then passed by twice that night without stopping. On Monday, June 18, 2007, at 11pm, that same car was parked in front of the LP3BH office. The car is reportedly owned by the Manokwari Telkomsel telephone company. However, the car is reportedly often borrowed by a member of the Indonesian Navy named Hery, who is believed to be working as an intelligence officer for the Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) in Manokwari.

The third case concerns Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, the head of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas Ham) in Papua Province. On June 11, 2007, Albert received a text message from cell phone number 081344034383 that said “You who are reporting about the human rights situation in Papua are trying to destroy the people. You want evidence of people being killed, I will kill your tribe, your family and your children will become only bones to show that there is only a zone of peace in Papua.”

On June 14, 2007, Mr. Albert Rumbekwan received five more text messages from the same number, again containing death threats. AT around 8am on the same day, unidentified persons parked three cars some 20 meters from Mr. Albert Rumbekwan’s office. The cars were a black Avanza, a Kijang LZ and a white Kijang Kapsul. The perpetrators were shouting, allegedly to get Mr. Albert Rumbekwan to come outside and see them, but he ignored them, as a result of which they remained in the area and monitored his offices until around 4pm. According to Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, the persons involved had long hair and came from two particular tribal groups, who it is thought may be being used by the authorities to conduct surveillance on their behalf. When Mr. Albert Rumbekwan left the office in a Komnas HAM Papua car, he was followed to his home by these persons. During the afternoon, Mr. Albert Rumbekwan received a telephone call from the same cell phone number, asking him to meet with the caller at Swissbell Hotel at 7pm that night. However, Mr. Albert Rumbekwan decided not to go to this meeting. On the night of June 17, 2007, a car was reportedly engaged in the surveillance of Mr. Albert Rumbekwan’s house for about two and a half hours.

The Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) has already issued complaint letters concerning the three afore-mentioned cases to the Chief of Police for the Province of Papua (Kapolda Papua), Regional Military Commander of Trikora, chief of National Police (Kapolri), Foreign Affairs Minister of Indonesia, and the Head of Komnas HAM in Jakarta. However, no effective action has yet been taken to investigate these incidents. The Indonesian government must immediately investigate these incidents, punish those found to be responsible and ensure that all such attacks and intimidation tactics against human rights defenders are halted.

SUGGESTED ACTION: 
Please write to the authorities listed below expressing your grave concern regarding the attacks, death threats, intimidation and surveillance being experienced by human rights defenders in West Papua, notably those who have been in contact with Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, during her recent visit to Indonesia. Indonesia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which mandates the Special Representative to carry out her work in favour of human rights defenders, and as such, attacks on defenders who have communicated with Ms. Jilani should be treated as being extremely serious, as they exhibit a wanton disregard for Indonesia’s international human rights obligations and pledges.

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