Sabar Iwanggin, a lawyer who defended Papuan students arrested in 2006 after demonstrations against the Indonesian regime, has been arrested and interrogated by Indonesia’s special anti-terrorism police force, Detachment 88.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on the situation of human rights defenders has concluded her visit to Indonesia.
Indonesian police occupied the headquarters of the Indigenous Kingmi Church in Jayapura, West Papua yesterday. The church has been particularly vocal in speaking out against the terrible human rights violations in the region.
In recent weeks large numbers of Indonesian soldiers, including special forces, have been deployed to the Punkak Jaya region of West Papua, causing an estimated 5,000 tribespeople to flee into the jungle.
Indonesian police have unleashed a new wave of violence against the tribal people of Papua. Survival has received numerous reports of torture, mal-treatment and extra-judicial killings committed by the police this year.
Two Papuans, three police and an army intelligence officer were killed on teh 16th March in Papua in protests demanding the closure of the giant Freeport gold and copper mine.
Over 1,500 Indonesian troops landed in Papua in October to provide security around the establishment of the new Papuan Peoples Council.
Lani tribesman Benny Wenda, who is living as a refugee in the UK, reports today that the people of his home village in Pyramid, Papua, are still in hiding after the army attacked in July.