Thursday May 17th, 2012 Mr.

Ban Ki-Moon

United Nations Secretary General 2 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 Dear Mr. Ban Ki-Moon: We respectfully address this letter to you in regards to the West Papua slow, systematic genocide in the hands of the Indonesian Military, a genocide sparkled by the 1969 UN Resolution that continues to be perpetrated against West Papuans, as reported by numerous Human Rights Violations Reports and by videos that show the cruelty of this persecution and killings. The extent of these crimes has led the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Genocide Prevention, Juan Mendez to emphatically state that West Papua is listed among the 10 Nations around the World "where indigenous populations are at risk of extinction " , if no special attention is given1. In fact, James Elslie from University of Sydney, has described the decline in the West Papuan Population as a demographic catastrophe. According to his study, a decline in West Papuan population has taken place and has dropped from 96.09% in 1971 down to 48.73% in 2010 and will continue to decrease and by 2020, he predicts it will only be of 28.99%. Thus, West Papuans will become a small and rapidly dwindling minority2. Currently, the Human Rights situation in West Papua has not improved, but only continues to

UN Expert Says Action Needed to Prevent Genocide in Some African Country, http://www.responsibilitytoprotect.org/index.php/francis-deng/568-un-expert-says-action-needed-to-preventgenocide-in-several-african-countries?
2

Elmslie Jim, West Papuan Demographic Transition and the 2010 Indonesian Census: Slow Motion Genocide or not, Sydney University 2011. See also Indonesian Human Rights Abuses in West Papua: Application of the Law of Genocide to the History of Indonesian Control, Prepared by the Allard K Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic Yale Law School, 2004.

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deteriorate, specially in the past year3. One incident in particular, shown on a shocking video of West Papuans being tortured by Indonesian soldiers, highlighted the deteriorating Human Rights crisis of this country. The footage showed several Indonesian soldiers torturing two Papuans, threatening them with sharp weapons and pressing a burning bamboo stick against one of the mens genitals4. The torture of these men has prompted a wave of international criticism. Numerous Human Rights Organizations have condemned the actions of the Indonesian Military. The incident, however, is not an isolated event. In fact a video, banned by youtube, showed Mr. Yowan Wayeni, a West Papuan farmer, victim of this brutality, whose intestines were sliced from his belly by an Indonesian soldier's bayonet in his own garden5. Mr Wayeni was a leader who met the Indonesian President in 1999 as part of a group of Representatives for the West Papuan cause. To add insult to injury, the criminal of this act was promoted by the Indonesian Government, which proofs their practice of impunity and even reward for these crimes. In 2005, Indonesia increased their Military presence in West Papua by sending a greater number of its troops after their conflict with People in Aceh was resolved by granting them autonomy through peaceful dialogue. However, Indonesia has refused to have such dialogue with West Papua. Instead of seeking dialogue, Indonesia has increased the number of Regencies from 9 in 1999 to 41 Regencies, an strategy to reinforce their governmental and military occupation of the Island by increasing government infrastructure and battalions in the Regencies. Australian scholar, Matthew N Davies, based on his research, reported that since the Aceh Peace Agreement of mid-2005, Indonesian military planning and operations in and around West Papua revealed that their priority and emphasis in the are was defense and internal security6. Late Agus Alua, Chairman of Papua People Assembly , reported in 2007 that since 2002 Indonesia military extended their force by 2 Military Resorts, 3 battalions and 1 Military District. They also created two new Intelligent Units in each regencies.
3

See Human Rights in Papua 2010/2011 by Asian Human Rights Commisstion-Indonesian Human Rights Committee for Justice and Social Justive (IHCS)-Mensen met een Missie-Peace Brigades International-TAPOL, The Evangelical Christian Church in Papua (GKI-TP)- Wathc Indonesia, West Papua Netzwerk, November 2011.
4

VCD of Brutal Kostrad torture in West Papua, June 2011. VCD of Indonesian Mobile Brigade Torture and and also Photo of victim, wayeni. Davies, Matthew N, TNI and Police in West Papua, Melbourne 2008.

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In regards to the Indonesian Intelligence work, last year (2011) a report leaked to the public containing detailed information about West Papuans advocating for Freedom, as well as from people around the World supporting the cause of West Papua's Independence, revealed the illegal espionage the Indonesian Government perpetrates against opposition members inside and outside Papua7. Several military operations continue throughout West Papua, as they have occurred in the Puncak Jaya Region for the past several years, leaving local people traumatized and terrified for their life. In many other cases, people flee the persecution and thus, get displaced by the violence and many are unable to survive and have died of famine. Security forces regularly conduct sweeps in the area to persecute, arrest and/ or kill members of the Liberation Forces, as part of their military operation. Reports accused the police of burning down the village of Gurage in the Puncak Jaya district. The report said that 16 Mobile Brigade officers burned the village to the ground on October 11, destroying 29 homes and leaving an estimated of 150 people homeless. These indiscriminate killings are being practiced by Indonesia in the name of national unity. or national sovereignty, which is the reason they used as an excuse to kill innocent West Papuans. Many reports have pointed their nondiscriminatory policies that lead them not to distinguish between separatists and the general population. Indonesians persecute villagers indiscriminately accusing them of supporting the separatists. Anyone calling for Freedom and Independence is considered a criminal by the Indonesian Government and becomes a target of persecution. Yet, in this case, a Call for Freedom is really a Call for Survival and thus, should not be a crime to be punished for8. Yones Douw, Nabire based Human Rights Defender from Kingmi Church, an Evangelical Church in Papua reported that since August 2011 to the date, four displacements of Papuans have taken place. As a result of them, 37 civilians have have died either of hypothermia, hunger, diarrhea, high fever, or lung disease. In his report, Yones attached a detailed data of the victims by cause and by the place and date of death.
7

This report Publish by Human Rights Watch and University of Sydney and quoted by International media. See VCD, Messege to United Nations by Family of Opinus Tabuni. And VCD West Papua the Sacred War in Asia.

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In explaining these mortality rates, Yones also added that many patients were not treated well at the hospital. There are victims who were afraid to go to the Uwibutu Regional Hospital because it was being heavily guarded by the Mobile Brigade Police. The fear stems from the rumors that the people of Papua who go to the hospital rarely recover. For Papuans, hospitals seem to be a place of death, instead of recovery and access to a variety of traditional medicine is limited by the presence of Brimob forces and soldiers. In September 2010, the House of Representatives (DPR) Law Commission Deputy Chairman, Tjatur Sapto Edy lamented the military operations in the Puncak Jaya Regency, following a report by the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM). Tjatur declared there should be no more military operations and that such approaches were no longer suitable in a democracy. A report by Komnas HAMs Papua Chapter revealed 29 cases of Human Right abuses occurring in Puncak Jaya Regency from 2004-2010, including the torture and rape of villagers by law enforcers in March 2010. There have also been reports of Christian persecution, such as the death of an innocent West Papuan priest by Indonesian troops. Pictures of entire groups of people burned to death by these extremists have been displayed. Each year, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International Reports include cases of West Papua in its annual report. Likewise, the United States Department report always refers to West Papua as a Region of conflict and Human Rights Violations. The Secretary of State, Hillary Rotham Clinton, has publicly asked Indonesia to resolve its problem with the West Papuan people through peaceful dialogue. The European Union has passed a similar resolution several times. Human rights issues have also been considered in hearings at the United States Congress, as well as at the Australian and the United Kingdom Parliaments. Moreover, even the United Nations, through its Human Rights mechanisms, has also mentioned West Papua. Special UN Rapporteurs have visited West Papua and drafted reports where West Papua is always referred to as an area of conflict and Indonesia is asked to provide humanitarian protection, a request that Indonesia has failed to comply. On the contrary, this country has led and continues to lead a systematic persecution and killing of West Papuan innocent civilians. Even though the Government of Indonesia ratified the Convention against Torture in 1998, torture continues in Papua. The National Human Rights Commission (KomnasHAM), Church base organizations and NGO's documented 242 cases of torture in Papua from 1998-2007. Yet,
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only one case was brought before a Human Rights Court in Makassar, but all the perpetrators of that case were acquited. In 1998, Indonesia implemented a reform and democratization process which improves human rights legislation. However, Indigenous Papuan remain subject to severe human rights violations committed by Indonesian security forces and state authority. In addition, the environmental threat against West Papua has also been posed by the Indonesian Government. In August 2010, the Government launched Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) in Merauke Regency, a project which involves more than 32 companies from around the World. Some reports estimate that Government will bring in more than 4 million people from outside West Papua to Merauke to develop the 1,2 million hectare project. This development poses is a threat to the economic, social and cultural survival of the Indigenous people in southern Papua. Violations of land rights and violations of free prior informed consent (FPIC) have been reported from numerous indigenous villages affected by MIFEE. In the mean time, in Timika Regencies, American based Gold and Copper Mining company has been operating in West Papua since it became part of Indonesia. Many reports have denounced Human Rights Violations in this mining area, apart from environmental destruction and marginalization of land owners. In essence, Human Rights Violations and other type of violations against West Papuans have been extensively documented and denounced and they are our main concern. Yet, in order to halt the genocide a review of West Papua's political status is also a priority, as it is the root of the problem and thus, solving it is the only solution to put an end to the conflict. In regards to West Papua political status, Yan Christian Warinussy, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Organization, LP3BH, after studying important documents at the Secretariat of the United Nations, has concluded that in relation to the Act of Free Choice, the political status of West Papua is not yet final and it can be challenged with the use of legal mechanisms. In your condition as United Nations Secretary General, and in the light of the facts stated above, we respectfully ask for the following requests: 1. The West Papua urgent affair needs to be sent to United Nations Human Rights Council,
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based in Switzerland, and to the United Nations Decolonization Commission under the UN General Assembly in New York for its thorough discussion and resolution. 2. Action needs to be taken by the United Nations and by you, as Secretary General, to stop the hideous crimes committed against West Papuans by the Indonesian Military and a UN Investigation Team must be sent to West Papua to oversee Human Violations Rights that are currently occurring and have been occurring ever since the area became part of Indonesia. 3. We also ask to please send a request to the Indonesian Government based asking them to allow International Humanitarian Organizations to visit and work among West Papuans, given the abuse in Human Rights taking place in the Island. Currently the entrance of these kind of organizations has been forbidden by Indonesia. 4. Finally, we see the need for a United Nations team to follow up on these three important issues we just cited, until they are properly resolved. In the following section, we enclose a compilation of reports, information and videos that attest to the serious Crimes against Humanity committed by the Indonesia Military against West Papuans. We thank you for your consideration of this letter and the file attached. Respectful Regards to you and success in all your important endeavors. Sincerely, Octavanius Mote

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