Fifteen years in prison for flying a flag
Two Papuan activists, Filep Karma and Yusuk Pakage, have been sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison respectively for raising the Papuan flag on 'Papuan independence day', December 1st, 2004.
Two Papuan activists, Filep Karma and Yusuk Pakage, have been sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison respectively for raising the Papuan flag on 'Papuan independence day', December 1st, 2004.
In 1962, President Kennedy instructed the Netherlands to hand Papua over to Indonesia, rather than granting it independence.
Fifteen thousand more soldiers are to be relocated to Papua, bringing the total in the province to 50,000.
The Indonesian army and police have killed three people, burned down houses, killed pigs and destroyed crops, in the latest in a series of attacks against tribal villages in the Papuan highlands.
'They're still hiding in the forests because the soldiers are in their village, and if they go back they are scared... the military will just shoot them.' Papuan Baptist Minister
Papua has been besieged by conflict for the past four decades, with an estimated 100,000 tribal people killed during that time.
On 4 April 2003 the military command post (Kodim 1702) in the central highland town of Wamena was attacked by unknown men. Weapons and ammunition were stolen. Two soldiers and one of the attackers were killed.
'The Indonesian military will use this as a pretext to exterminate the Papuans.' Human rights activist, Papua.