Veronica Koman meets with Australian MPs about Papua

News Desk - The Jakarta Post

Human rights lawyer Veronica Koman (tribunnews/-)

Human rights lawyer Veronica Koman met with the Australian parliament's human rights subcommittee on Wednesday to speak with its members about the current situation in West Papua.

In a Facebook post about the visit, Veronica said that, together with Amnesty International Australia, she asked the Australian federal government to "do more to help stop the bloodshed in West Papua".

"[The MPs] were enthusiastic and asked many questions because they have heard of the unrest but do not know the details," she said.

Previously, Veronica had also met with United Nations high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet in Sydney.

"I updated her about the current crisis gripping West Papua, particularly about the security approach by the Indonesian government, the displacement of civilians and the massive clampdown on freedom of expression, including arrests of peaceful activists," Veronica said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

Veronica, a lawyer for the Papuan Student Alliance, is currently wanted by the East Java Police who accuse her of provoking the protests and riots in Papua and West Papua that started in August.

She has been named a suspect for allegedly violating four laws: the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, Law No. 1/1946 on misinformation, Article 160 of the Criminal Code and Law 40/2008 on the eradication of racial and ethnic discrimination.

Veronica has denied the charges, saying that the police have "overstepped their authority and gone over the top with exaggerations in an attempt to criminalize [her actions]". (kmt)

UN urges Indonesia to protect Koman

United Nations experts have urged Indonesia to protect the rights of lawyer Veronica Koman who advocates for West Papuan rights.

They also urged Indonesia to protect people's rights to peaceful protest and those reporting on protests in West Papua, and to ensure access to the internet

Human rights lawyer Veronica Koman Photo: Whens Tebay

Earlier this month a police warrant was issued for Ms Koman, who is believed to be in Australia, after police claimed she spread fake news online.

Indonesian authorities have blamed disinformation and Papuan independence activists for a recent wave of protests in the region

The UN rights experts said Indonesian authorities should address acts of harassment, intimidation and threats against people reporting on the protests.

Ms Koman was named as a "suspect" by authorities who accused her of provoking unrest after she published reports on the protests and on a racist attack against Papuan students in Java that triggered the demonstrations.

"We welcome actions taken by the Government against the racist incident, but we urge it to take immediate steps to protect Veronica Koman from any forms of retaliation and intimidation and drop all charges against her so that she can continue to report independently on the human rights situation in the country," the experts said.*

They also expressed concerns over reports indicating that the authorities were considering revoking Ms Koman's passport, blocking her bank accounts and requesting Interpol to issue a Red Notice to locate her.

The experts stressed that restrictions on freedom of expression not only undermined discussion of government policies, but also jeopardised the safety of human rights defenders reporting on alleged violations.

Protests have been increasingly taking place in the provinces of Papua and West Papua since mid-August over alleged racism and discrimination and amid calls for independence.

"These protests will not be stopped by an excessive use of force or by cracking down on freedom of expression and access to information," the experts said.

The government's move to cut access to the internet in Papua last month was described by the Ministry of Communication as a move to stop the flow of disinformation.

"We urge the Government of Indonesia to recognise the rights of all protesters and to ensure continuation of the internet service. We welcome the restoration on 4 September of the internet in almost all of Papua and West Papua provinces.

"Restrictions of the internet and on access to information in general have a detrimental impact on the ability of individuals to express themselves, and to share and receive information. On the other hand, access to the internet contributes to preventing disinformation and ensuring transparency and accountability," the experts said.

The UN experts have previously expressed their concerns to Indonesia's government and are continuing to urge it to engage in genuine dialogue with the protesters.

The experts welcomed the engagement of the authorities on these matters and said they looked forward to continued dialogue.

*The UN experts: Mr. Clement Nyaletsossi Voule (Togo), Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association; Mr. David Kaye (USA), Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Ms Dubravka Šimonović (Croatia), Special Rapporteur on violence against wom en, its causes and consequences; Ms Meskerem Geset Techane (Ethiopia), Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls; Mr. Michel Forst (France), Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

Source: RNZ