By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
JAKARTA, Indonesia–
Five political prisoners in the Papua province of Indonesia were released on Saturday by Indonesian President Joko Widodo as part of an effort to improve human rights conditions in Papua. The five prisoners were convicted after a raid on an Indonesian military arms base in 2003 and were facing sentences ranging from 19 years to life.
President Widodo has stated that the release is meant to alleviate conflict in Papua. There has been political unrest and violence in Papua since it was annexed by Indonesia in 1963. Since then, a group of separatist insurgents, called the Free Papua Movement, has fought against the Indonesian government. There are also activist groups who have petitioned for a vote on Papuan independence.
Thousands of Papuan citizens have been killed during clashes with Indonesian police and military forces throughout the last several decades. Last December, five people were killed for protesting a young boy’s beating by Indonesian soldiers.
The prisoners’ release comes just weeks after seven foreigners and an Indonesian national convicted of drug-related offenses were executed by a firing squad in Indonesia. President Widodo ignored international calls for their release and has expressed his support of the use of the death penalty in Indonesia.
Humans Rights Watch, an international organization that researches and advocates for human rights, has pushed President Widodo to release other political prisoners. Overall, there are at least 100 political prisoners being held in Indonesia. Prison sentences are often lengthy and many political prisoners have complained of torture and other abuses at the hands of prison guards.
According to the advocacy group “Papuans Behind Bars”, there are dozens of political prisoners being held for political demonstrations and for acts such as waving the separatist flag. Such acts are viewed as treason in Papua. 26 prisoners held for treason in Papua have rejected the option of being freed under a governmental amnesty program because being released in such a way means admitting guilt for crimes that they did not commit.
President Widodo also recently lifted a ban on foreign journalists traveling to Papua in a further effort to improve human rights conditions in the region. He has stated that journalists are now free to travel to Papua. Previously, foreign journalists needed government clearance before traveling to Papua. Last year, two French journalists were imprisoned for 11 weeks for illegally using their tourist visas to work as journalists in Papua.
The restrictions on journalists were established because of the tensions created by the insurgency movement. The Papuan people saw the travel restrictions on foreign journalists as allowing the Indonesian police and military forces to continue to operate unrestrained in their abuses against Papuan citizens.
For the Papuan people, the freeing of the political prisoners and the lifted ban on foreign journalists are positive steps toward addressing human rights violations in their region.
For further information, please see:
ABC News — Indonesia Lifts Travel Ban for Foreign Journalists to Papua — 10 May 2015
Reuters — Indonesian President Lifts Foreign Media Restrictions in Papua — 10 May 2015
BBC — Indonesia Frees Prisoners and Lifts Media Curbs in Papua — 9 May 2015
The New York Times — Indonesia President, Joko Widodo, Pardons Prisoners in Papua Province — 9 May 2015
