Indonesia Human Rights Committee

Box 68-419

Auckland

Media Release: Call on Prime Minister to speak out against intimidation of aWest Papuan Church Leader and a violent attack on a Church Synod Office

31 July, 2007

The Indonesian Human Rights Committee has sent Prime Minister Helen Clark an urgent fax calling on her to take action on the serious intimidation and violence directed at Church leaders in West Papua. Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman was threatened with a gun after the Sunday service (29 July, 2007) at the Baptist Church in Jayapura. Rev Yoman has reported that police officer Abiddin Zainal, a member of the local police in Abepura backed by members of the crack Brimob force, threatened him with a pistol at point blank range. Members of the Indonesian military (TNI) intelligence are also understood to have been present.

Two days later Brimob police conducted a violent raid on the Kingmi Church Synod offices and attacked the staff – 3 of whom had to be hospitalised because of their wounds. The offices were ransacked and equipment and windows were smashed.

“According to Indonesian media reports, Helen Clark announced during recent meetings in Yogyakarta that New Zealand would provide police training to help Indonesian police “handle security matters” in Papua’ said Maire Leadbeater speaking for the Indonesia Human Rights Committee. “These events must surely represent the very antithesis of any New Zealand police code of practice!”

“New Zealand must now speak out or if not we will be perceived as acquiescent in police violence and grave abuses of the civil and human rights of Church members and leaders.”

Rev Sofyan Yoman visited New Zealand in August last year as the guest of IHRC and other human rights groups in New Zealand. He was briefly introduced to Prime Minister Helen Clark during his visit to Parliament.

Rev Yoman Socratez, who is the President of the Communion of Baptist Churches, Jayapura, West Papua, is an outspoken advocate for human rights, and a critic of the actions of the security services and the policies of the Indonesian Government in West Papua. He is warning that military backed civilian militia groups pose a new danger to West Papuan people. The Kingmi Church appears to have roused ire because it wants to have a Synod which is locally based and independent of Jakarta churches.

ENDS

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