TAPOL Joins the Papuan People’s Petition

TAPOL Joins the Papuan People’s Petition

(London, 25 May 2021) TAPOL has today launched a briefing aimed at informing the international community about why West Papuan people are rejecting the extension and revision of the special autonomy law. In support of a call by West Papuan grassroots organisations, we have become part of the movement of civil society organisations associated with the Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua, PRP) as its 111th member.

The piece, titled “Briefing: Special Autonomy – Big on funds, Short on human rights and democracy”, outlines the history of special autonomy in West Papua, its shortcomings, and reasons why many West Papuans no longer wish for it to be continued. One of our recommendations is to ask the Government of Indonesia to respect the wishes of the grassroots movement organised under the PRP.

Many of the PRP’s protests in rejecting the revision and extension of the special autonomy law have been responded to harshly by Indonesian security forces. We support their fight to demand genuine self-determination for West Papuan people. As its first international organization member, we are calling for other international organizations to support the PRP by supporting the democratic right of its associated organisations to reject the extension of special autonomy.

Today, TAPOL and the PRP are hosting a range of West Papuan grassroots organisations and NGOs to make statements at an online event titled “West Papua: Reject Extension of Special Autonomy and Free Victor Yeimo”. Victor Yeimo is the international spokesperson for PRP who was arrested on 9 May 2021. We believe that he has been targeted by the government due to his role, among other reasons. TAPOL and Victor Yeimo’s counsel Veronica Koman sent a complaint to the UN Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council two weeks ago in protest at his arbitrary arrest and detention. We are also launching a video campaign about his case today and are monitoring his case closely.

ENDS

Contact: Pelagio Doutel (pelagio@tapol.org)