A peaceful protest organized by the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (Fri-West Papua) at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Jakarta on Thursday, December 1, 2016, ended with the arrest of the protesters by police. A nonviolent demonstration by Papuans in Yogyakarta met a similar fate.

These two incidents suggest that democracy in Indonesia may be in decline. A democratic society should respect differing opinions and prioritize dialogue in resolving issues. The arrest of demonstrators who were peacefully expressing their views constitutes a violation of the freedom of expression protected by law.

Read the full statement of solidarity* from the civil society alliance below.

SOLIDARITY CALL December 1, 2016

Free the Arrested Activists!

The space for democracy has been closed once again. The rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression have been silenced once more. Today on Malioboro Street in Yogyakarta, 14 activists from the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) who were staging a protest demanding the right to self-determination for the West Papuan people were forcibly arrested by police officers.

At 1:00 p.m. today, police officers, along with dozens of members of a mass organization, formed a line to block the FRI-WP protesters and then seized their protest materials. Shortly thereafter, police issued an order to arrest the protesters. Fourteen protesters were forcibly dragged into a truck and taken away from the protest site. According to information from police coordination, they were to be transported to the Legal Aid Institute (LBH); however, based on the latest information received at 2:00 PM, these fourteen individuals were taken to the Yogyakarta City Police Headquarters.

Therefore, we invite our friends from pro-democracy groups to come to the Yogyakarta City Police Headquarters this afternoon to show solidarity with the activists who have been arrested and to demand their immediate release.

The public sphere belongs to the people!

Let’s stand in solidarity and demand our right to freedom of assembly and expression!

Phone: 085888437047

14 Activists Arrested:
1. Reza (LSS)
2. Kukuh (KPO PRP)
3. Gevan (Pembebasan)
4. Opan (PMD)
5. Randi (Pembebasan)
6. Edo (LBH Jogja)
7. Adli (Pembebasan)
8. Danial (PPRI)
9. Opik (PMD)
10. Asrul (Pembebasan)
11. Andi
12. Aruk
13. Katek
14. Edi (Pembebasan)

*) The statement above is a publication by a partner and/or affiliate of the TIFA Foundation. The TIFA Foundation is not responsible for the content of the statement.