Guest writr Steven Katsineris with a piece on a West Papuan political prisoner, Filep Karma, which was written in November 2013. Steven Katsineris is an Australian free-lance writer of articles on Palestine, Cyprus and the rest of the Middle East region, political prisoners and human rights, environmental and social issues. He has been actively involved in the Palestine solidarity movement for over forty years. Steven lives with his family in Melbourne, Australia.
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Filep Karma, 54, is a prominent West Papuan independence
activist and long-term political prisoner. He is imprisoned for his non-violent
political activities in the struggle for self-determination of West Papua. In
2004, Filep organized and participated in a Morning Star flag raising ceremony
to celebrate the anniversary of the Papuan declaration of independence from
Dutch rule in 1961. This last defiant exploit led to him being sentenced to 15
years in prison on treason charges. The Morning Star flag is illegal in
Indonesia and those Papuans daring to raise it are subject to arrest, beatings
and jail terms. Many other West Papuans have been killed for this simple act of
civil disobedience.
Filep Karma was born in the town of Biak, the main urban
centre and district capital on the island of Biak, which is a small island off
the north coast of West Papua. Biak is the largest island of the Schouten group
of islands. Like his father he became a civil servant. Filep is married and has
two daughters.
Raising the Morning Star and the Biak Massacre
Obviously, the people of West Papua have suffered under Indonesian military repression for decades and there have been many instances of cruelty and killing of Papuans. But the number of people killed in Biak was significant, but also the manner in which they were killed. - Ed Mc Williams.
In the 1990s Filep Karma started to become politically
involved in the Papuan freedom struggle and by 1998, he was actively advocating
for independence for West Papua. On July 2, 1998, he led a pro-independence
rally in Biak where they raised the Papuan Morning Star flag on a water tower.
The Morning Star flag is a symbol of Papuan identity, but is seen as traitorous
by Indonesia. Initially some 75 protestors gathered beneath it, but the as the
demonstration continued more joined in, reportedly growing to over 500 people.
Some sources reported up to 1,000 people. The demonstrators demanded an end to
military repression, respect for their basic human rights and for Papuan self-determination.
On July 6, after three days of the flag flying and with Filep Karma boldly
standing under it making freedom speeches, the Indonesian military violently
attacked and fired on the crowd of peaceful protestors. It is thought that 24
civilians were killed on the spot at the protest site, while others escaped,
but died later in hospital or elsewhere in the town. Some people who fled the
scene to nearby houses to hide were shot there. About 100 people were
reportedly wounded.
An estimated 'over 200' people were arrested and taken to the
police station. Later, 139 of these detainees were transferred to the two
Indonesian warships in the harbor, where they were tortured, raped and killed
and then later thrown into the sea. During the next few weeks the mutilated
bodies of thirty–five bodies of men, women and children washed up on the
island’s beaches, many with their hands tied behind their backs. More bodies
washed up on Biak’s shores or were caught in fishing nets over time. Human
Rights Watch stated that eventually 70 bodies washed up. They were taken away
by the Indonesian security forces and it is believed were buried on other
islands.
Though an exact death toll is unknown, it is thought that an
estimated 200 West Papuans were killed and many others injured. While several
more detained protestors disappeared and are assumed dead. The Indonesian
militarily claimed only one protestor died. This brutal attack became known as
the Biak Massacre.
An American anthropologist, Eben Kirksey, who was in Biak at
the time witnessed the assault and reported seeing trucks laden with many dead
and dying people. He also saw Filep Karma shot in the legs and detained. Other
locals also said about 139 people or their bodies were put in trucks and taken
to two navy ships and later dumped at sea.
Little detailed information has come out about this awful
event, due to suppression by Indonesian authorities. But then political
counselor at the US Embassy in Jakarta Ed Mc Williams, who visited Biak a few
days after the massacre, firmly believes the death toll to be in the hundreds.
According to survivors and other witnesses, scores of people were killed on
that day.
Filep Karma was shot with rubber bullets in both legs and
arrested. He was later sentenced to 6 and half years in prison for taking part
in the protest rally and the flag raising incident. Filep was released in 2000,
after a successful appeal against his jail sentence after serving two years.
Raising the Morning Star Again
On December 1, 2004, Filep Karma took part in another
flag-raising ceremony with other Papuan activists. The 200 demonstrators had
peacefully assembled and raised the Morning Star flag in Jayapura, on the
anniversary of the Papuan declaration of freedom from the Dutch colonialist
administration. The Indonesian police attacked the protest and tried to pull
down the flag. Clashes broke out and people in the crowd were shot and beaten.
Filep and several others were arrested. For this action Filep was sentenced in
2005 to 15 years in prison on charges of treason.
International Support for the Release of Filep Karma Grows
As the daughter of Filep Karma, I am saddened and disappointed at the government for the severe punishment imposed on my father…To date there are more than 70 political prisoners in Papua. Like my father, they voice their political aspirations peacefully, without violence…I implore President SBY to instruct the government to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners in Papua - Appeal by Audryne Karma.
Amnesty International considers Filep Karma as a prisoner of
conscience because of his non-violent human rights actions and Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch and East Timor and Indonesia Network (ETAN)
have actively campaigned for his release. In August 2008, 40 members of the US
Congress sent a letter to Indonesia calling for the release of Filep Karma.
Freedom Now executive director, Maran Turner stated that:
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found Indonesia’s actions a clear violation of international law. Mr. Karma is a non-violent advocate who was arrested for his views and convicted in a trial marred by judicial bias, denial of appeal without reason and intimidation tactics.
Indonesia’s detention of Filep Karma violates the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a treaty that Indonesia is bound by, as
well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While in prison Filep has
been regularly subjected to abuse and denial of medical treatment. Please do
what you can to urge Indonesia to respect the fundamental human rights of Filep
Karma and other West Papuan political prisoners held in its jails. Join the
campaign for the immediate and unconditional release of Filep Karma and all
other prisoners of conscience in West Papua. Do not let Indonesia silence this
strong and articulate voice for Papuan freedom of expression and civil and
human rights. Filep Karma is a symbol of his long suffering people’s hopes for
a brighter future, in an independent and free West Papua.
What you can do to help Filep Karma
Write to the Indonesian Embassy and appeal for the release
of Filep Karma. The fact that people outside Indonesia know about Filep Karma
and are concerned enough to bring up the matter is in itself a potent act. That
people throughout the world are aware of the situation inside West Papua will
help put subtle pressure on Indonesia to improve the treatment of Filep Karma
and the rest of the West Papuan political prisoners languishing in jail. And
highlighting the plight of Filep Karma is the best way to safeguard his welfare
and perhaps compel his early release.
Sign the ETAN (East Timor and Indonesia Network)
petition.
For more information contact:
http://www.etan.org/action/action6/karma.htm,
http://www.etan.org/
and
http://www.papuansbehindbars.org/
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