Release Papuan Political Prisoners

The government of Indonesia is clamping down on nationalism and the cry for freedom of the West Papuan people by charging political prisoners of treason and ‘conspiracy against the security of the state’, according to Articles 106 and 110 of the Indonesian Criminal Code. Political prisoners are kept in terrible conditions, repeatedly tortured and continuously intimidated. Many have died without being allowed access to basic health care.

The 1969 Act of Free Choice was far from the exercise of self-determination it was intended to be, with 1,025 Papuan representatives forced to vote to remain part of Indonesia under threats of violence and death. There is a huge and highly visible presence of Indonesian military in Papua, and the abuses they commit go largely unreported as Papua remains closed to foreign journalists and international NGOs. Powerful multinational corporations engage in highly non-transparent logging, mining and fishing activity, uprooting one of the world’s most diverse and valuable ecosystems.

In the short-term, this petition aims to press for the immediate and unconditional release of Papuan political prisoners. It also seeks to raise awareness about the situation and press for the immediate revision of the Criminal Code to repeal Indonesia’s repressive treason laws, according to Amnesty International’s recommendations.