West Papua independence leader could be charged
The leader of the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, Victor Yeimo, has been detained by police and is likely to be charged, say human rights groups.
Transcript
The leader of the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, Victor Yeimo, has been detained by police and is likely to be charged, say human rights groups.
The pro-independence activist was one of four arrested for demonstrating in Jayapura after police refused to grant permission to assemble.
The demonstration was in response to police shooting dead five activists on the eve of the May 1 anniversary of the Indonesian take-over of West Papua.
Alex Perrottet reports:
When police opened fire on protesters gathering to mark the 50th anniversary of West Papua being placed under Indonesian control, two died instantly and two more died later in hospital. A fifth was shot dead on Biak Island, say human rights groups. On Monday another demonstration took place and police made four arrests. West Papua Media Alerts reports all were released but Mr Yeimo. The Secretary of the Jayapura branch of Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights Paul Mambrasar says Victor Yeimo has been on a wanted list and it is likely charges will be laid.
YEIMO: This is the right moment for them to arrest him, to detain him. And the legal process will be carried out on him and we will see probably further detention and maybe he will go to trial.
Paul Mambrasar says Mr Yeimo is being assisted with legal counselling from the coalition of human rights lawyers. He also says a young man was attacked by police at the demonstration on Monday and sustained a broken arm. A group of more than 30 academics across Australia's eastern states wrote to the Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr to ask him to request Indonesia hold the authorities accountable. One of the academics, Budi Hernawan, is an Indonesian and lived in Jayapura for 10 years. He says peace is possible and has been achieved in other provinces, but Indonesia needs more pressure.
HERNAWAN: They know everything that's going on, but they are very reluctant to act. So one of our points here is to ask the Foreign Minister of Australia to support the existing Yudhyono's initiative to have peace dialogue and to translate it into peace negotiation, as what we saw in Aceh.
Yoab Syatfle, a political activist from Sorong, says a fellow activist there was interrogated by police this morning on Tuesday. He says intimidation is not restricted to Jayapura.
SYATFLE: Intimidation, terror, including me, including [colleague] in Sorong this morning. So not only Jayapura, but in all parts of West Papua we are under pressure by Indonesian authorities.
The group of academics also called on Mr Carr to support the appeal of the United Nations Commissioner Human Rights Navi Pillay to have unrestricted access for the UN human rights mechanisms to visit Papua. Ms Pillay has condemned the shootings and urged Indonesia to allow peaceful protest and to hold to account those involved in abuses.
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