*Rio Tinto’s Board, at its annual general meeting, faced sharp questioning on the Freeport McMoran mine

*Papuan political prisoners are incarcerated with common criminals in violation of Indonesian law

*Papuan leaders meet and form the West Papuan Coalition for Liberation

*Senior Indonesian military comments and appearance of pro-Military militias point to new threats to Papuans

*International NGO’s Sign Letter of Concern to BP

Military and Police Block Peaceful Papuan Student Protests; Ignore Protests Outside West Papua

On April 22, 300 heavily armed military and police units blocked a student protest in Abepura. Seven demonstrators who were initially arrested were subsequently released. The security forces acted before the demonstration had even begun, seizing three trucks of would-be demonstrators near Jayapura city.

The security force action followed police refusal to issue a permit for the demonstration and, according to the police, targeted students who had “given political speeches in front of a crowd in Abepura.”

The police refusal to issue a permit purportedly was on the basis of law number 9 that specifically ban protests that are deemed to “undermine the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.”

A spokesperson for the demonstrators said that the peaceful demonstration and a call for a national civil strike was intended to protest the governments of Indonesia, the Netherlands, the United States and the United Nations. The protest was to have called on these governments and the UN to restore Papuan sovereignty which was denied to Papuans by the 1969 fraudulent “Act of Free Choice” under which Indonesia annexed West Papua.

Security forces did not interfere with identical, simultaneous peaceful demonstrations in Jakarta, Yogjakarta and Bali. However, the authorities did break up a separate demonstration in Manokwari in West Papua, clearly indicating a more restrictive posture toward demonstrators in West Papua.

In the Bali demonstrations West Papuan students from the United West Papua Popular Struggle Front (Pepera) demonstrated against special autonomy for West Papua. They also called for a referendum to be held in West Papua on Papuans’ political future. Some of these demonstrators also called for closure of Freeport McMoran, the giant copper and gold mine. In his speech, action coordinator Wens Papua noted that the Papuans had become the victims of capitalist exploitation.

Rio Tinto Confronts Serious Question at Annual General Meeting

On April 24 the Rio Tinto board which controls a major portion of the Freeport McMoran Gold and Cooper mine faced difficult questions at its Annual General Meeting in Brisbane. Carmel Budiarjo, a deeply respected human rights crusader of Tapol, underscored the wealth flowing to the company in contrast to the unrelenting poverty and suffering of the people who live in the mine’s shadow. She noted that the Mimika Statistics Agency recently reported that 28,000 of the 45,000 families in the vicinity of the mine are living below the poverty line and lack access to basic health care. The Agency noted that ‘Mimika is one of the biggest mining areas in the world but its people are still categorized as poor.’

Budiarjo also noted that HIV/AIDS is widespread in the area, largely because of the presence of workers at the mine. Papua now has the highest incidence of the disease in Indonesia.

Budiarjo demanded to know: “What has Rio Tinto done to address the serious problem of pollution affecting local rivers and water sources, and what had it done to improve medical services to deal with grave health problems afflicting local communities?

In the same April 24 meeting, Rio Tinto’s Paul Skinner claimed that mine tailings dumped into the Ajqua river system from the Freeport McMoran mine were not toxic. The claim flies in the face of numerous highly regarded government studies and ignores the decision by the Norwegian Government Pension fund to disinvest in the company because of the severe environmental damage caused by the practice of riverine tailings disposal.

One study completed by the Indonesian environmental and human rights organization Walhi in partnership with Friends of The Earth noted that “Freshwater aquatic life has been largely destroyed through pollution and habitat destruction in the watercourses which receive tailings. This report is available at
http://www.eng.walhi.or.id/kampanye/tambang/frpt-report-may-06/

A member of the West Papua Advocacy Team who trekked across the miles wide and miles long tailings delta that had built up for decades in the Ajkwa basin found a desert in the middle of pristine rain forest. Only one type of grass grew on the beach sand-like tailings. There were no birds or insects and various stretches were made treacherous by quicksand.

Security Forces Hold Scores of Peaceful Papuan Protesters as Common Criminals

A prominent Australian Human Rights Activist, Nick Chesterfield, reports that the Indonesian security forces continue to round up and incarcerate peaceful Papuan political protesters as common criminals. Their offenses, as noted in the April West Papua Report, include raising of the Papuan “morning star flag.” Chesterfield observed that treating these peaceful political protesters as common criminals exposes them to severe health and safety risks. A UN report in 2007 noted frequent use of torture and beatings in Indonesian jails, notably those in West Papua. Chesterfield also notes that in some cases families of those detained have also been singled out for intimidation and abuse.

Papuans Hold Unity Summit in Vanuatu

Papuans representing a number of West Papuan political organizations met in Vanuatu in April to participate in a convening of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation. The spokesman for the Vanuatu-based West Papuan People’s Representative Office, John Ondawame, said the meeting was to organize a unified leadership and to begin a new diplomatic struggle for self-determination for the West Papuan people. (See following report for details on the outcome of the meeting.)

The delegates held meeting with most of the senior officials of Vanuatu. The Foreign Minister of Vanuatu assured the delegates that he planned to raise the West Papuan struggle for self-determination at the upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). He added that it was his hope that West Papua would eventually achieve “observer status” at the MSG and at the Pacific Islands Forum.

“West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation” Formed

In an April 29 press statement, Papuan activists have announced the formation of the “West Papua National Coalition for Liberation.” The announcement followed a meeting held in Port Vila, Vanuatu during April 2008, The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation elected Richard Yoweni of the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPN PB) as Chairman, Dr. John Otto Ondawame as Vice Chairman and Mr. Rex Rumakiek as the Secretary General. The Secretariat for the WPNCL will be established at the West Papuan Peoples Representative Office in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Spokesperson for the group Runawery commented that “Indonesian Government control over West Papua for the past 45 years and the implementation of its so-called ‘Special Autonomy’ package in the past 5 years has grossly failed the West Papuan people.” Runawery went on to say, “Under Special Autonomy there has been very poor administration leading to the rapid deterioration of health and education of Papuan people, an ever increasing wave of the HIV/AIDS and huge profiteering from the exploitation of West Papuan natural resources and rainforests.