Book launching of the Shadow Report of the practice of torture in Aceh and Papua
Jayapura, 28 April 2008. SKP Jayapura, JPIC GKI di Tanah Papua, Imparsial and Human Rights Working Group launched a shadow report of the practice of torture in Aceh and Papua during the period of 1998-2007 in Utan Kayu Theatre, Jakarta (25/2). This report was submitted to the UN Committee against Torture which will hold the session to review the Indonesian government's report during 5-7 May 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland. In this report, 242 individual torture cases were documented from various reports from Church-based organisations, NGOs and Komnas HAM over the period of 9 years. However, only one case (Abepura case of 7 December 2000) was brought to the Permanent Human Rights Court and all indictees were acquited. ( see Special Reports )

SKP's Latest Report

Memoria Passionis 2005: our latest publication!
Jayapura, 10 Oktober 2007. This book is the 16th publication of the Series of Memoria Passionis. It is a part of the SKP publication that focuses on the social, political, and human rights situation since its first publication in 1999. This publication is SKP’s contribution to document minor narratives, stories of the defeated, stories of the villagers that are easily forgotten because these stories might generate some powerful force if they are organised as the collective memory of suffering. These collected stories have become a 2005 narrative that is bind together with the memory of the past, the presence, and the future. Such a collective memory maintains the existence of any nations, including the Papuans, since this memory has become the history. This is why documenting the memory of the poor and the oppressed is dire important.

SKP's latest publication

Three-monthly analysis
Jayapura, 30 September 2007. As part of her mandate to provide acurate and actual information to the public, SKP Jayapura just published Series of Actual Papua No. 10 that summarises the situation of human rights in Papua during April-July 2007. This report encapsulates many important facts in Papua both in the area of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. ( full report in Indonesian )

Series of Actual Papua No. 10

Speed up the Special Autonomy
Jayapura, 15 July 2007. Having been spread out as rumours for quite some time, Presidential Decree No. 5/2007 regarding the Speeding of the Development of the Province of Papua and the Province West Papua was publicly released. This decree was signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 16 May 2007 and stipulates the 11 ministers, 2 governors and all regents in Papua to: [1] maintaining the food security and poverty reduction, [2] improving the quality of education services, [3] improving the quality of health services, [4] improving basic infrastructure to improve the accessibility of the isolated and remote areas as well as the border area, and [5] affirmative action for developing indigenous Papuans. ( full text in Indonesian )

DAP and PDP questioned
Jayapura, 15 July 2007. In the midst of strong criticisms following the presentation of Morning Star flag during the opening ceremony of the 2nd Conference of Papuan Customary Council on 9 July, Papuan Police summoned the organising committee with a letter no. Pol. Pgl/668/VII/2007/Dit Reskrim. 11 people were summoned as witnesses on the case of crimes against the state security. ( more information )

Hina Jilani to Papua: a new era of protecting human rights
Jayapura, 8 June 2007. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, Ms Hina Jilani, arrived in Jayapura today on her official visit to Indonesia during 5-13 June 2007 pending for three-year waiting for the permission from the Government of Indonesia. On her arrival at Sentani airport, she was welcomed by the student groups who presented their posters and banners saying the urgent need to address human rights violations in Papua. The student association of the highlanders organised the same thing at the lobby of Swiss-bell Hotel where she stayed while another group organised a similar thing at Imbi Park downtown. ( more information )

"To Whom You Walk?"
Timika, 3 February 2007. "To Whom You Walk?" this is the leading question given by Msgr. John Saklil Pr, Bishop of Timika in one day retreat to start the evaluation and the 5th annual meeting SKP offices of Papua in Timika. This gathering was supposed to be held in Agats, Asmat, but the flight connection difficulty forced to move the venue to the Timika with SKP Agats as the organiser assisted by SKP Timika. In its reflection Bishop John encouraged the five offices to reflect on to whom SKPs carry out their jobs, especially in facing the cultural contradiction of the nation both at the national and local level in Papua today. This reflection increasingly inspired everybody that was present, with a reflection from the book of Yehezkiel 37 : 1 - 14 and Jesus’ story in Luke 19 : 28 - 40. ( more information )

Humanitarian crisis in Mulia
Jayapura, 29 January 2007. Following the visit of the Pastoral Team of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Papua (PGGP) led by Rev. Lipiyus Biniluk, it was released the report explaining the humanitarian crisis in Mulia. PGGP found that at least 2,187 people fled to Yamo as IDPs and 5,137 people were at a great risk of hunger as they did not have sufficient food supply. Meanwhile four people died of starvation. Based on this finding, PGGP urged all parties involved to:

• To the Provincial Government of Papua to immediately support the Government of the Puncak Jaya Regency with humanitarian assistance in order to solve the humanitarian emergency situation in the Yamo District;
• To the Government of the Puncak Jaya Regency to take immediate steps handling the emergency situation in particular the refugee problem in the Yamo District;
• To TPN/ OPM, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Indonesian Police to guarantee the security of delivered food supplies and medical teams from any side so that the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) will obtain needed help in a humane way and as quickly as possible.
• The decrease of non-organic military troops, units of the intelligence service and the Mobil Forces of the Police (Brimob) and the centering of these troops in the Capital town of the Regency and District in order to decrease fear and trauma experienced by local people and to avoid potential conflicts with the local population so that an atmosphere of safety can be restored as soon as possible.
• To the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in Papua to make an investigation soon in order to reveal the activators of the series of violent acts which caused deaths and loss of personal properties;
• To all sides to quickly stop any politicization which sacrifices the people of Puncak Jaya.

SKP’s Annual Evaluation Meeting 2006
Jayapura, 17 December 2006. Towards the end of 2006, the Office for Justice and Peace of the Diocese of Jayapura held an annual evaluation meeting of 2006. This activity took place for 6 days, during 17 - 21 December at St Clare’s Retret House in Sentani.This evaluation focused on the implementation of the work program of the year 2006 consisting of the Division of Advocacy, Division of Publication and Documentation, the Division of Peacebuilding, the Division of Ecology, and the Division of Administration and Finance. During the evaluation, SKP reviewied the implementation of its programme to see its successes, failures and the factors that played an important role in it. This meeting also discussed the planning for 2007 by referring to the result of the evaluation over the implementation of 2006 annual programme. ( more information )

"Healthy is my right"
Jayapura, 11 December 2006. On 11 - 13 December 2006, the Office for Justice and Peace of the Diocese of Jayapura held a workshop to discuss the result of research of the healthcare system in the District of Jayawijaya Jayawijaya. The workshop with the topic of ‘Healthy is my right’ was held in Bethesda Vocational Training Centre in Wamena. During the workshop, the result of joint work between SKP, INSIST/ YPRI Jogjakartar and INNINAWA Makassar was presented to the public. The Regional Secretary of the District of Jayawijaya, Chris Wopari, representing the Regent opened the workshop whereas dr. Ririn Habsari, one of researchers from YPRI presented the result of this research at the front of the local government officials, the religious leaders, the elite figures, the Heads of Health Clinic from 8 sub-districts. The local researchers also participated in the workshop. ( more information )

"Paying Attention to Mammas, Saving our Generation"
Jayapura, 25 November 2006. The Office of Justice and Peace of the Diocese of Jayapura held a public seminar to present the result of research on the condition of Papua women of vegetable sellers in Jayapura. This seminar marked the commemoration of the day of anti-violence against women in 25 November 2006. With the topic of "Paying Attention to Mammas, Saving our Generation", this seminar was held in the Auditorium of Art Centre of Papua and attended by NGOs people, the church leaders, elite figures and some 200 vegetable seller Papuan womend from all over Jayapura. ( more information )

Prisoners of the Abepura case ill-treated
Jayapura, 19 October 2006. Ketua Komda HAM Papua, Albert Rumbekwan SH, menyatakan 23 orang terpidana dalam kasus Abepura 16 Maret 2006 terbukti sakit. Pernyataan ini disampaikan kepada publik saat pihaknya mengadakan verifikasi pengaduan keluarga terpidana dan PGGP mengenai kondisi dengan mengunjungi mereka di LP Abepura, Kamis 19 Oktober 2006. ( more information )

PGGP and the families of the victim of Abepura filed a complaint to Komnas HAM
Jakarta, 5 October 2006. Tidak puas dengan pengaduan ke Komda HAM Papua, PGGP dan keluarga korban menindaklanjutinya dengan mengadu ke Komnas HAM di Jakarta. Keluarga korban yang diwakili oleh Ny. Emi Berotabui dan Sula Buiney mengajukan tiga tuntutan: pertama, pembentukan KPP HAM untuk Abepura; kedua, pemeriksaan kondisi kesehatan para tahanan di LP Abepura yang kondisinya makin kritis; dan ketiga, jaminan keselamatan untuk keluarga, pendamping, dan pekerja HAM di Jayapura. ( more information )

PGGP demanded an inquiry commission established
Jayapura, 28 September 2006. The Ecumenical Council of Churhes of Papua (PGGP) demanded the establishment of an inquiry commission on human rights abuses for the case of Abepura 16 March 2006. This demand was delivered to the National Commission on Human Rights branch office of Papua (Komda HAM) when PGGP presented the investigative report of the case of Abepura 16 March 2006. PGGP delegation that was chaired by Msgr. Leo L. Ladjar OFM, the chairperson as well as the Bishop of Jayapura, met with the Chairperson of Komda HAM, Albert Rumbekwan SH. ( more information )

Three-monthly analysis on Papua
Jayapura, 19 June 2006. As part of her mandate to provide acurate and actual information to the public, SKP Jayapura just published Series of Actual Papua No. 5 that summarises the situation of human rights in Papua during January-March 2006. This report encapsulates many important facts in Papua both in the area of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. ( full report in Indonesian )

SKP and FI brought the Abepura case to the UN Special Rapporteur
Geneva, 19 March 2006. SKP Jayapura and Franciscans International reported the case of Abepura of 16 March 2006 to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Prof. Manfred Nowak, due to the high risk of torture to 73 detainees that are being interrogated in the Jayapura Police Station without access to lawyers. So far the Police only announced 12 people as suspects, including Elkana Lokobal (male, 21), Patrisius Aronggear(male, 30), Ellyas Tamaka (male, 21), Othen Dapyal (male, 22), Luis Gedi (male, 26), Fenius Waker (male, 21), Feri Pakage (male, 21), Selpius Bobii (male, 26), Alex C. Wayangku (male, 22), Fernando P (male, 22), Moses Lokobal (male, 34), and Markus Kayame (male, 47). ( more information )

Central Government should hold a dialogue with the Papuans
Jayapura, 17 March 2006. The prominent religious leaders of Papua chaired by Most Rev. Leo L. Ladjar OFM, the Catholic Bishop of Jayapura, asked the Government to restrain the uncontrolable behaviour of the Special Mobile Brigade of the Police (BRIMOB) that blocked the road and conducted house-to-house search to the students dormitories. Such an operation intimidated the students and the residents in this area and even resulted in a number casualties. The bishop also asked the Central Government to hold a comprehensive dialogue with the Papuan people emphasising that this clash was not merely about the problem with Freeport McMoran but was an iceberg of the protracted problem that the Central Government had not addressed. ( more information )

Bishop Leo L. Ladjar OFM