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(London, 22 March 2022) Freedom of expression in Indonesia is not improving, and the situation is of increasing concern where the opinion being expressed is critical of the human rights situation of West Papuans.
On Thursday 17th March 2022, hundreds of militia members of Laskar Merah Putih, (Red and White Warriors) demonstrated outside the office of Amnesty International Indonesia (AII). They accused both Usman Hamid, Director of Amnesty International Indonesia and his organisation, of being provocateurs and of acting for foreign interests, and undermining Indonesia’s sovereignty. This followed Amnesty International Indonesia’s denunciation of the labelling of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) as a terrorist group, and AII’s frequent criticism of human rights violations in West Papua.
(1 March 2022) The Advocacy Team for Human Rights in Papua (Tim Advokasi HAM untuk Papua) strongly condemns acts of persecution and torture of seven minors, causing one of them to die. Based on a timeline of events that we have verified, it is suspected that the deceased child was heavily persecuted and tortured by the military (TNI), because they were accused of stealing weapons from Pos PT Modern Tapulunik Sinak, Puncak Regency, Papua. This event certainly adds to the long list of violence committed by the security forces in Papua.
Located right in the heart of the Bird’s Head Peninsula at the Northwest corner of West Papua, Maybrat has often been hidden from the world’s view, due to its remoteness, lack of coverage and seeming peacefulness.
The criminalisation of lawyers and activists in West Papua is happening again. This time the target is Leonardo Idjie, lawyer and human rights defender from LBH Kaki Abu (Kaki Abu Legal Aid Institute), Sorong, West Papua.
Criminalisation efforts against Leo began whilst he was accompanying the Kisor case and the case of LK, a child accused of breaking the law (anak berhadapan hukum, ABH), at Sorong State Court.
TAPOL and Kaki Abu Legal Aid released a video entitled "LK dan Pusaran Kerasan di Papua (LK and Systemic State Violence in Papua)". This campaign video calls for the release of LK, a child accused of having broken the law (ABH) in Maybrat, #WestPapua, who was subjected to torture and forced to undergo an unfair trial.
On 25 November Indonesia’s Constitutional Court issued an order to the Government and parliament to change parts of the ‘Omnibus Law’ (UU Cipta Kerja). The Court also forbade the passing of any further implementing regulations and policies associated with the law in a two-year grace period.