In brief

At the end of December 2015, there were at least 35 political prisoners in Papua.

Indonesian security forces reacted to commemorative events of 1 December with killings, torture, mass arrest, ill-treatment and excessive use of force against indigenous Papuans. 1 December marks the date which West Papuans consider to be their national day, although this is not recognised by the Indonesian Government. On Yapen Island, four people were killed and at least eight others injured as a result of shootings by Yapen Regional Police during a raid on a commemorative flag-raising ceremony in an area where National Liberation Army/Free Papua Movement (Tentara Pembebasan Nasional, TPN / Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM) members were allegedly active. In Jakarta, at least 306 people were arrested and at least 133 suffered serious injuries due to police brutality. Two female Papuan protestors faced sexual abuse by Jakarta Metro police officers (Polda Metro Jaya) and two foreign journalists who attempted to report on the event faced police intimidation. In Nabire, 49 people were arrested in two separate incidents in relation to peaceful commemorative activities. Many of those involved were severely beaten by Nabire police and Mobile Brigade (Brigade Mobile, Brimob) officers, including a Papuan journalist attempting to report on the arrests.

While this recent spate of arrests is unsurprising given the pattern of systematic repression of freedom of assembly and expression during significant commemorative dates, the scale of arrests recorded this year is far greater than that of recent years. In the last three years, from 2012-2014, at least 11 people have been arrested for commemorating 1 December, while 42 people have been arrested for commemorating 1 May, which marks the administrative transfer of Papua to Indonesia. By comparison, in 2015 alone, 264 people were arrested in relation to 1 May while 355 people were arrested, four killed and at least 145 suffered injuries due to police and military action on 1 December. The huge jump in the number of arrests of peaceful demonstrators commemorating significant dates this year is at odds with President Jokowi’s message of securing human rights and bringing peace to Papua. Additionally, police action in Jakarta confirms that Papuans who express their opinions remain at risk of arbitrary arrest and ill-treatment throughout Indonesia, and not only in their home region.

The extrajudicial execution and torture of four people in Yapen island, two of whom are reported to have belonged to a faction of the armed pro-independence group, TPN-OPM, is of particular concern. Such reckless and cruel methods used by security forces demonstrate their complete lack of respect for the basic human rights of Papuans living in areas reported to be high in pro-independence activity.

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