new on ETAN's website: Watching The Look of Silence in Dili

On August 22, 2015, the first public screening of Joshua Oppenheimer's filmThe Look of Silence drew around 60 people to the Asosiasaun HAK human rights office in Dili. The documentary probes the impact of the 1965/66 mass killings that brought the dictator Suharto to power in Indonesia and the impunity which continues to prevail for these and others crimes by Indonesian security forces.

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Sign and share ETAN's petition

Read the September 2015 West Papua Report

September 2015 West Papua Report is available here.

CONTENTS

This edition's Perspective provides background on the widely-respected West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma.

In the "Update" section, the prospects for President Joko Widodo to fulfill his promise to release political prisoner releases. General Hartomo who was convicted for his part in the killing of Papuan leader Theys Eluay has been promoted. Indonesian military personnel killed two and wounded more in Timika. Religious leaders and the Indonesian Human Rights Commission are among those demanding justice. Papuans Behind Bars reports on growing threats to human rights defenders in Wamena. A proposal by senior Widodo administration officials to tighten restrictions on journalists was aborted, but policy regarding journalist freedoms remains unclear notwithstanding a May pledge by President Widodo to loosen restrictions. Vanuatu reiterates support for West Papua as the Pacific Islands Forum prepares to meet. Jakarta has admitted inadequate support for air traffic in West Papua, in the wake of a costly air crash there.

In Chronicle the report highlights to a commentary by Pastor Neles Tebay who underscores the importance of communications among Papuans in addressing issues confronting Papuans. The leader of the Muslim community in Tolikara has emphasized the role of customary law in addressing the violence in that community in July. An excerpt from a forthcoming book describes the West Papuan campaign for MSG membership.

Mourners accompany the bodies of Yulianus Okoare and Herman Mairimau, victims of a recent
 shooting by members of the military to the cemetery Photo: Antara/Husyen Abdillah

West Papua Report coverage of West Papuan application for membership in the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) ETAN and West Papua Advocacy Team (and some friends) on the mining giant Freeport McMoRan Subscribe to ETAN's e-mail Listservs for news and views on Timor, West Papua and Indonesia Join ETAN, Sign up today!

The New York Agreement

The October 2012 issue of the West Papua Report had a perspective article on the 50th anniversary of the August 15 signing of the "New York Agreement," a watershed agreement, undertaken without Papuan participation, which sealed the Papuan people's fate as subject to annexation by Indonesia. Read the article here.

Papuans protest at U.S. embassy in Jakarta, August 15,2012 on 50th anniversary of signing New York Agreement. Photo from UCANews.

An excerpt: "The New York Agreement made provision for the Papuans to vote for an independent future or to stay under Indonesian rule. The provision for the Papuans to vote was a crucial aspect of negotiations in the agreement which stipulated the vote should be "the freely expressed will of the population", but it was not. Leading up to the "Act of Free Choice" in 1969, many prominent Papuans were arrested and killed in the process of "culling", and this policy remains unchanged even today."

Now out - April 2015 West Papua Report

Now out - April 2015 West Papua Report
Read report here

CONTENTS

This edition's PERSPECTIVE provides a detailed overview of the Tolikara incident in which security force fired on a demonstration by Christian Papuans killed one and injured 11 others. The demonstrators then attacked a Muslim community, burning kiosks and a mosque. Years of government "transmigration" policies and neglect of Papuans have left West Papua a powder keg. Despite this, the local Tolikara community has come together to resolve tensions.In UPDATE: Pressure is growing on the Indonesian government to credibly investigate the December 14, 2014 murder of four West Papuans by security forces. The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas Ham) "Ad Hoc Investigation" has made little headway and competing security force investigations appear aimed at pressuring victim families to abandon efforts to force accountability. Negotiations between the Indonesian government and mining giant Freeport McMoRan have led to a six month extension of its license. Talks to renew its contract have not yet gotten underway and are essential if Freeport operations are to continue past 2021. There are growing calls to reduce security forces in West Papua.
In CHRONICLE: Demographic trends in West Papua which have seen the reduction of Papuans to the status of a minority in their own land. Renowned human rights campaigner Carmel Budiardjo calls into question the United Kingdom's cooperation with the Indonesian government. AWest Papua "embassy" was temporarily set up in Darwin. The Pacific Islands Forum was urged to put West Papua on its agenda.
 

Grasburg Mine in West Papua

Reveal the Truth, Acknowledge the Crime

For more see http://etan.org/shattersilence/default.htm 

ETAN ALERT

Reveal the Truth, Acknowledge the Crime

Take Action on U.S. Support for Mass Violence and Genocide in Indonesia

The massacre of up to 1,000,000 communists, leftists, ethnic Chinese, and others in Indonesia in 1965-1967 is a foundational event in modern Indonesian political history, but it remains mostly a footnote for most in the United States and elsewhere.

The documentary THE ACT OF KILLING shocked audiences as perpetrators of the mass murder reenacted their violence. The film has fueled a debate within Indonesia and drawn attention internationally to events unknown to many. Events that the U.S. facilitated and cheered at the time.
THE LOOK OF SILENCE, a companion film to THE ACT OF KILLING will soon be showing in U.S. theaters It follows the investigation by Adi Rukun into the murder of his older brother who was killed during the violence.

These powerful films tell us much about Indonesia today as they do about the past. However, any evaluation of the events of 1965-1967 must include a discussion of the role of Western powers in the violence, especially the United States. The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) continues to call for accountability for those in the West who encouraged and assisted in the mass violence in Indonesia. The full truth must come out and the U.S. should declassify all files related to Suharto's U.S.-backed seizure of power and the murderous events which followed.

ETAN has prepared a background piece on the events and aftermath of Suharto's brutal seizure of power, where we focus on the U.S. role and responsibility. Read Breaking the Silence: The U.S. and Indonesia's Mass Violence. 
What You Can Do

1) Sign the petition urging the U.S. government to take two immediate steps:

a) declassify and release all documents related to the U.S. role in the 1965/66 mass violence, and b) formally acknowledge the U.S. role in facilitating the 1965-66 violence and its subsequent support for the brutalities of the Suharto regime.

Thanks to all who have signed so far.

2) See the THE LOOK OF SILENCE Going to a showing of The Look of Silence? Print out our leaflet and hand it out to the audience. PDFs: half-page: 8.5" x 5.5" or full page - 8.5" x 11"

3) Spread the word about the petition and the film. Write a letter to the editor and post to facebook or other social media calling for the U.S. to take responsibility for its role in the mass killings in Indonesia. Go here for sample letters, tweets and facebook posts. It is best to use your own words. Also use ETAN's Backgrounder: Breaking the Silence: The U.S. and Indonesia's Mass Violence. for additional information. 

4) Organize a discussion of the films. (We will soon have a short discussion guide to assist, write etan@etan.org for a copy.) If you are high school teacher or college professor teaching an appropriate subject, consider assigning THE ACT OF KILLING or THE LOOK OF SILENCEto your students. Use it as a springboard for discussions on the impact of U.S. foreign policy, the need to address human rights violations, and how the past affects the present. (Contact: Chris Lundry for further info or assistance.)

5) Support ETAN. We need your support to continue our work for justice and accountability. Please donate today.

 

For more information see http://etan.org/shattersilence/default.htm