Filep Karma – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma said the recent arrests of Papuan activists showed that the government’s treatment of Papuans has not changed.
“I assume this treatment is a scenario or system that is being played to eliminate ethnic Papuans from Papua. The Republic of Indonesia only cares about the land, not the people,” Filep Karma said on Wednesday (10/6/2015).
He said the arrest of demonstrators recently reminded him of his experience as an activist. He said at that time he had already sent a letter to Papua Police notifying them about a demonstration but the police never gave an approval.
“I never asked for permission. I just informed them about my activity, so they could provide security. I would not disturb people’s activities and so were they. But the police and military came taking away the flagpole and fighting against other protesters,” he said.
On one occasion, the Commission I member of Papua Legislative Council for Politic, Legal and Human Right Affairs, Laurenzus Kadepa said the police should not restrict the access on freedom of express in public whether it was done by individuals, groups or organizations.
“Conveying aspiration in public is guaranteed by Law as long as it was peaceful not anarchic. The international community is continuously monitoring the current situation of Papua, because now the humanitarian crisis was happening,” said Kadepa at that time. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
