UCA News
Contribute

Arrest of Papuan students comes under fire

Indonesian police accused of racial abuse, heavy-handed tactics in detaining singing students
Arrest of Papuan students comes under fire

Jefry Wenda, coordinator of a Papuan students group covering Java and Bali, says the Papuan students in Yogyakarta were left traumatized by police behavior. (Photo by Ryan Dagur)

Published: July 20, 2016 10:05 AM GMT
Updated: July 20, 2016 10:09 AM GMT

Indonesian Church officials and activists have accused police in Yogyakarta of racism and using excessive force after six Papuan students were arrested for singing Papuan songs in their college dormitory.

"Police officers must be fair. They must protect Papuan people too," Father Paulus Christian Siswantoko, executive secretary of the Indonesian bishops' Commission for Justice, Peace and Pastoral for Migrant-Itinerant People, told ucanews.com on July 19.

"The government has the task to protect all citizens and disregard their ethnic background," he said.

Police say they surrounded the dormitory belonging to Yogyakarta's College of Community Development on July 15 to prevent a number of Papuan students from attending a banned rally organized by the People's Union for West Papua Freedom.  

The rally was aimed at supporting a bid by the Papuan nationalist group, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The group is an intergovernmental organization comprising Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu, as well as the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front, a political party from New Caledonia. The ULMWP currently has observer status.

The Papuan students said they initially planned to hold the rally in the city center, but decided instead to sing some Papauan songs at the dormitory after organizers failed to obtain a rally permit from local police.

Police allegedly used tear gas on the students before arresting them.

During the arrest its alleged officers manhandled and racially abused the students, who were also subjected to racial taunts by local pro-Jakarta activists who had gathered to support the police as the drama unfolded.

All the students were later released on July 17 following questioning.

"Police officers must not let racial abuse happen," said Father Siswantoko.

He said the students had the right to express their views.

"They didn't even stage a rally, but their voices were silenced anyway," he said, adding that there is deep-seated prejudice by locals against Papuans.

Risky Hadur, a Catholic student activist also denounced the police action.

"We express our deep condolences to the death of humanity and brotherhood in this nation."

The students were left traumatized by the incident, according to Jefry Wenda, coordinator of a Papuan students' group covering Java and Bali.

"Police officers and other people shouted at them and called them 'pigs' and 'monkeys,'" he said, calling on the government to put a stop to abuses against the Papuan people.

National Commission on Human Rights official, Natalius Pigai, said the incident would be investigated.

"We must not let such racial discrimination happen," he said. "We will send a team next week to Yogyakarta to investigate."

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia