By Joseph Juhn
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

Prisoner Filep Karma in prison in 2009, while enduring difficulties urinating. (Photo courtesy of Bintang Papua/Hendrik Yance Udam)

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A Papuan political prisoner in Jayapura’s Abepura prison says ongoing pressure by the international community is crucial to force Indonesia to address human rights abuses.

Filep Karma, age 51, has been in the Abepura prison for over five years after the district court found him guilty of treason when he raised the outlawed Papuan Morning Star flag and organized a pro-independence rally in late 2004.

Karma has been openly advocating for Papua’s independence from Indonesia. He has been on numerous occasions arrested and held in detention by the Indonesian military, most notable one being in 1999, when the Biak district court found him guilty of treason for leading and giving speeches at the Biak protests. Despite being sentenced for six and a half years in jail, he successfully appealed this sentence, won his appeal, and was freed that year.

In 2001, when members of the Indonesian special forces (Kopassus) killed then-Papuan-leader Theys Eluay, which dramatically raised political tensions in Papua, Karma became more involved with the independence movement.

Three years later, Karma helped organize an event on December 1, 2004, to celebrate the anniversary of Papua’s independence from the Dutch. The event was joined by hundreds of Papuan students, who chanted “freedom” and displayed the Morning Star Flag, which led to Karma’s arrest.

Today Filep Karma is probably one of Papua’s most popular pro-independence leaders as he never advocated violence as a means of obtaining liberty and independence.

“We want to engage in a dignified dialogue with the Indonesian government, a dialogue between two peoples with dignity, and dignity means we have no use of violence,” Karma said.

There have been critical moments, too. In August 2009, after experiencing difficulties urinating, Karma requested medical assistance from the staff of Abepura prison, only to be denied of any treatment or transfer to other medical clinic for diagnosis.

After long fight and intervention of various NGOs, Karma finally received prostate surgery in September 2010, a year after he first made requests for urgent treatment which prison authorities repeatedly denied.

He claims that international awareness of his plight has substantially helped improve the prison’s treatment of his health condition and brought positive change at the notorious prison.

“Because every time we report everything to people in the world, it makes shame for the Indonesian government. They changed the head of the prison. That’s why now, they will try to do best for the people,” he said.

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand – Papua prisoner calls for pressure to halt abuses by Indonesia – 20 September 2010

Human Rights Watch – Prosecuting Political Aspiration – 22 June 2010