Groups Urge U.S. Not to Sell Attack Helicopters to Indonesia

Ninety organizations today urged the U.S. government and Congress not to provide deadly attack helicopters to Indonesia. Indonesia has announced that it plans to buy eight AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the United States.

Apache helicopter

The groups warned that the helicopters will escalate conflicts in Indonesia, especially in the rebellious region of West Papua: "Providing these helicopters would pose a direct threat to Papuan civilians."

The Indonesian military (TNI) regularly conducts "sweep operations," involving attacks on villages where innocent villagers are forced from their homes. The groups write that "Papuan civilians either flee the attacks to neighboring villages or into the surrounding forests where many die or face starvation, cut off from access to their gardens, shelter, and medical care." Sweep operations are now underway in the Central Highlands region of West Papua.

The letter was organized by the U.S.-based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and the West Papua Advocacy Team and signed by human rights, religious, indigenous rights, disarmament and other organizations based in 14 countries.

see full media release and letter with complete list of signers here: http://www.etan.org/news/2012/03helicop.htm

ETAN and WPAT on death of Rep. Donald Payne

[ETAN is deeply appreciative of Rep. Payne's efforts on behalf of East Timorese, West Papuan and Indonesian people during his service in Congress. We mourn his passing. In addition to his actions on behalf of West Papua, Rep. Payne was supportive of ETAN's efforts to support self-determination for the now independent Timor-Leste and to restrict U.S. security assistance to Indonesia in order to support human rights and justice. - John M. Miller, National Coordinator.]

West Papua Advocacy Team on Rep. Donald Payne 1934-2012

March 10, 2012 - The West Papua Advocacy Team deeply regrets the passing of Representative Donald Payne (D-NJ), one of the greatest champions of West Papuan human rights in the U.S. Congress. Working closely with Congressmember Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), Representative Payne regularly appealed to the Indonesian Government to end repression in West Papua and urged the United States government to use its significant influence with the Indonesian government to encourage an end to the systematic human rights violations by the Indonesian security forces targeting West Papuans.

Representative Payne used his important role in the U.S. House of Representatives' international affairs committee and his leading role in the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus to advocate for Papuan rights. The following recalls only part of that impressive record of human rights advocacy:

In December 2005, as ranking member of the House International Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights & International Operations, Payne joined Congressmember Faleomavaega to call on African nations to request the United Nations to review the "Act of Free Choice," the widely discredited subterfuge through which the Indonesian government, then led by the dictator Suharto, forcibly annexed West Papua. The "Act" was "noted" by the United Nations in 1969. The call for African nations to initiate a review of the fraudulent "Act" was a follow up to a March 2005 Congressional petition organized by Reps. Faleomavaega and Payne and addressed to then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. That petition called for a review of the "Act."

In March 2008, Faleomavaega and Payne called on the Indonesian government to end restrictions on access to West Papua by international observers. That message also noted the failure of the Indonesian Government's "Special Autonomy" policy, then five years old, to address the fundamental needs in West Papua.

In a November 18, 2011 appeal published in the Jakarta Post, Faleomavaega and Payne urged the Indonesian Government to end "systematic abuse in West Papua."

In a formal statement on the loss of his long time friend and ally Congressmember Faleomavaega said of Representative Payne: "He advocated for and on behalf of the people of West Papua and many other unrepresented peoples across the globe and throughout America. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him well."

WPAT joins in mourning the loss of this consistent friend of the Papuans and of all those suffering repression and denial of their democratic rights.

see also 

• The West Papua Report (monthly)
• Congressional Action and Statements

Additional links to Rep. Payne's work on West Papua, Indonesia and East Timor.

West Papua Report for March 2012

March 2012 West Papua Report

Read full issue here

Summary: A proposed U.S. sale of assault helicopters to the Indonesian military (TNI) would augment the military's capacity to conduct "sweeping operations" against Papuans, especially against villagers who have for years suffered indiscriminate military attacks. The West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT), in comment, calls on the U.S. Congress to block this sale. Indonesian authorities continue to block efforts of respected international non-governmental organizations to work in West Papua. The international media freedom advocacy organization, Reporters without Borders, is calling on the Indonesian government to end its repression of journalist activity in West Papua. WPAT notes that impeding NGO activities in West Papua and restricting media are part of a deliberate government policy aimed at obscuring Jakarta's repression in the region. The policy, developed by the Suharto dictatorship, continues. Papuans, demonstrating peacefully, rejected Jakarta's latest plan to salvage its "special autonomy" policy and demanded a referendum. Jakarta's trial of Papuan leader Forkorus Yaboisembut and others for organizing the Papuan Third National Congress (October 16-19, 2011) is off to a rocky start as prosecution witnesses prove ineffective in documenting the government's case. The World Council of Churches has issued a "wake up call" to the international community regarding growing tension and rights abuse in West Papua. International Parliamentarians for West Papua launched its Australian-Pacific branch.

West Papua Report Feb 2012

Read full report here 

Summary: The trial of five Papuans who led a peaceful demonstration in October 2011 demanding Papuans' right to self determination has begun. There has been no prosecution of security forces who brutally attacked that demonstration, killing at least three peaceful demonstrators and beating scores more. The U.S. State Department called on the Indonesian authorities to ensure due process for those indicted and urged that Indonesia respect its international legal obligations related to the trial. Human Rights Watch, for its part, called for the release of the five Papuans who are being tried under an archaic "subversion" provision of the criminal code. WPAT presents an exclusive report on efforts by the Indonesian special forces, Kopassus, to organize a propaganda campaign on West Papua. The campaign targets the U.S. and other governments for purportedly seeking to exert influence there. In its annual report, Human Rights Watch describes a worsening environment for human rights in West Papua. Reporters without Borders, in another global review, notes the growing threat to journalists in West Papua. The Asian Human Rights Commission reports on new Indonesian security force torture of Papuan civilians. The Indonesian government is colluding with Interpol in an effort to arrest prominent Papuan dissident Benny Wenda. Indonesian joins a number of repressive regimes attempting to use Interpol to silence critics. Jakarta has announced plans for a massive road building scheme in West Papua which will facilitate developers access to virgin forest areas. A revealing report by the Jakarta Globe explores the prevalence of illiteracy among Papuan children, even in urban areas, and notes the central government's persistent failure to provide educational services to Papuans. The Government has again announced plans to create a new Papuan province, a step which will further divert funds from essential services for Papuans.

Contents

• Prosecution of Peaceful Dissent Targets Papuans
• WPAT EXCLUSIVE: Kopassus Organizes Propaganda Offensive Targeting U.S. and others regarding West Papua
• Human Right Watch Describes Worsening Environment for Human Rights in West Papua
• International Journalists Condemns Security Force Targeting of Journalists in West Papua
• Military Officers Arbitrarily Arrest and Torture Civilians Based on False Claims of Rebel Activity
• Interpol Joins Indonesian Effort to Silence Dissident
• Trans-Papua Road Planned
• Jakarta Abuses Papuans through Denial of Essential Services
• Plans Advance to Create Central Papua Province

Occupy Freeport Friday Feb 3

Statement for Phoenix Occupy Freeport DemonstrationFriday, February 3, 2012

The East Timor and Indonesian Action Network (ETAN), in conjunction with the Industrial Workers of the World and Occupy Phoenix will be protesting the Freeport-McMoRan Corporation at their headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, February 3, from 4-6 p.m. We are acting in solidarity with the people of West Papua to bring attention to Freeport's egregious human, labor, and environmental rights problems.  

In New York, ETAN will hold an Occupy Freeport event Friday from from 6-7:30 p.m., 60 Wall Street Atrium in Manhattan an important meeting place for OccupyWallStreet.

From the statement issued in support of these events:

We believe that Freeport-McMoRan must be held accountable for its atrocious record. We also believe that Freeport should listen to its West Papuan workers' demands for better working conditions and pay, and should be required to clean up the grave environmental damage it has caused in West Papua. While Freeport is not responsible for all of the political turmoil in West Papua, we are convinced that its actions are making the situation worse. Token payments to West Papuans and increased royalties to the central government are not substitutes for genuine control by Papuans over their resources.

Read the full statement here