[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 143 (Sunday, October 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2085-E2086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING CONCERNS REGARDING INDONESIA'S PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IN 
                   WEST PAPUA NEW GUINEA (IRIAN JAYA)

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, October 10, 1998

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have come before our colleagues and 
the Nation several times regarding Indonesia's brutal suppression of 
the Melanesian people of West Papua New Guinea, or Irian Jaya province, 
as the Indonesian Government has renamed West Papua.
  Last month, I welcomed the announcement of a significant development 
in the Indonesian Government's position on West Papua. According to 
press reports from Jakarta, Indonesia's President B.J. Habibie agreed 
to call for a national dialog on West Papua as soon as possible.
  The proposed dialogue, supported by Indonesian Parliamentary leader 
Abdul Gafur and the Indonesian Council of Protestant Churches, was to 
address a three-part agenda covering: (1) human rights, (2) autonomy 
matters, and (3) issues of independence.
  Although President Habibie's pronouncement was very welcome news, I 
am disturbed by recent developments in West Papua that have called into 
question his sincerity in pushing for true reform.
  Within the past week, the Indonesian authorities have shown a 
shocking disregard for political openess in West Papua by arbitrarily 
incarcerating several leaders and local officials in West Papua.
  On October 1, Amnesty International issued an action alert regarding 
the arrest of Don Falsy, a respected civil servant with the Regional 
Development Planning Body in Jayapura.
  According to Amnesty International, it is ``concerned for the safety 
of Don Falsy who has been in detention since 29 September 1998 and who 
has been denied access to his lawyers, raising fears that he is at risk 
of ill-treatment.''
  Amnesty International states that ``Don Falsy was arrested without a 
warrant at his home in Jayapura, the capital of the province of Irian 
Jaya, by local police and taken . . . he continues to be detained.''
  Noting that Don Falsy's arrest is in connection with his alleged role 
in planning a meeting in Jayapura to discuss the independence of West 
Papua, Amnesty International states that ``Don Falsy is a possible 
prisoner of conscience who appears to have been detained for the 
peaceful exercise of his beliefs.''
  Mr. Speaker, the arrest of Don Falsy for his political beliefs is not 
an isolated case. Also taken into custody last week for the association 
with Don Falsy were church leader, Reverend Augustinus Ansanai, and two 
local officials, Baas Yufuwai and Marinus Mehuwe. And just yesterday, 
another prominent Papuan leader, Theys H. Eluay, was arrested by the 
Indonesian police on questionable charges of subversion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to join Amnesty International in 
calling upon the Indonesian Government to allow Don Falsy and other 
jailed Papuan leaders immediate, regular and on-going access to their 
lawyers. Furthermore, we request that the Indonesian authorities ensure 
that these prisoners of conscience are protected from ill-treatment, 
and that they be promptly released from custody if they are being held 
solely for the peaceful expression of their belief in support of West 
Papuan independence.
  Mr. Speaker, while the Government of Indonesia has committed itself 
to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights--including Article 19 
which holds that ``Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and 
expression . . .''--the recent arrests in West Papua are a flagrant 
violation of this solemn commitment for which Jakarta should be 
condemned and held accountable.

                  Combat Troops Pull Out of Irian Jaya

       JAKARTA, Indonesia (October 4, 1998--British Broadcasting 
     Corporation)--The Indonesian armed forces are reported to 
     have ended their special operations in the province of Irian 
     Jaya. The move comes amid mounting evidence of past army 
     atrocities. Irian Jaya is the third region in the Indonesian 
     archipelago where the military has scaled down its activities 
     following President Suharto's resignation.
       Pro-independence rebels have engaged in a low-level 
     conflict with the military in Irian Jaya since the mid 1960s. 
     The decision by the armed forces to end the special status of 
     Irian Jaya follows a cease fire agreement with one of the 
     rebel groups. Antara, the state-run news agency, quoted a 
     regional commander as saying combat troops would withdraw but 
     other soldiers would remain to guarantee security.
       Major-General Amir Sembiring said a cease fire had been 
     agreed to between the military and the separatist Free Papua 
     Movement (OPM) rebels. ``The military operation status has 
     been revoked and our activities will be shifted to safeguard 
     vulnerable areas,'' he added. But he also said he had ordered 
     the immediate arrest of protesters who had raised separatist 
     flags in the northern town of Manokwari on Friday.


                  allegations of torture and killings

       The military's withdrawal follows a new policy of reducing 
     activity in troubled areas

[[Page E2086]]

     in order to avoid the human rights violations which harmed 
     Indonesia's international image under Mr. Suharto. Combat 
     operations against the pro-independence movement in East 
     Timor stopped in June. That coincided with an offer of 
     autonomy from President B.J. Habibie which has given new hope 
     for an end to the conflict there.
       In August, the armed forces also pulled troops out of the 
     province of Aceh after revelations of widespread abuses 
     against the local population. Human rights groups hope the 
     move in Irian Jaya will end similar abuses there. Many 
     allegations of torture and extra-judicial killings have been 
     made against the soldiers who went into a remote area of the 
     province in 1996 after separatist rebels took a number of 
     Indonesians and Europeans hostage.


                  some irians calling for independence

       Irian Jaya, home to one of the world's biggest gold and 
     copper mines, the Freeport, is a former Dutch East Indies 
     territory of 1.5 million people. It forms the western half of 
     the huge island of new Guinea, with independent Papua New 
     Guinea occupying the eastern half.
       Our correspondent Jonathan Head says just as the Indonesian 
     authorities are adopting a softer approach towards dissent, 
     they are facing more open hostility in Irian Jaya. The 
     political changes in Jakarta have prompted many Irians to 
     campaign for an independent state despite warnings from the 
     military that this is unacceptable.
       Those soldiers who remain in the province have the 
     difficult task of trying to contain the growing opposition to 
     Indonesian rule without resorting to the heavy-handed tactics 
     of the past.

     

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