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Papuan students on Java face increased pressures from Islamist, nationalist groups
Papuan students on Java Island have repeatedly become the target of intimidation by Islamist and nationalist groups as armed conflict between security forces and separatist groups in Papua escalates
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A motorcyclist passes by a banner which says “Residents of Candi district in Semarang refuse Papua’s separation from Indonesia. The NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia] is undisputed” in front of a dormitory for Papuan students in Semarang, Central Java. (JP/Suherdjoko)
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apuan students on Java Island have repeatedly become the target of intimidation by Islamist and nationalist groups as armed conflict between security forces and separatist groups in Papua escalates.
In the latest incident on Friday afternoon, scores of security forces along with civil militias from hard-line group Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and youth organization Pemuda Pancasila (PP) reportedly went to a Papuan student dormitory on Jl. Kalasan in Surabaya, East Java, and launched physical and verbal attacks against the students, following the finding of an Indonesian flag discarded near the dorm.
According to the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute, which cited the account of a student staying in the dormitory, Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers allegedly banged on the door of the dorm while uttering curse words such as "monkey", “dogs” and “pigs” aimed at the students inside the dormitory. Dozens of FPI and PP members reportedly came not long after.
Human rights lawyer Veronica Koman, who is also a representative of the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB), said Sunday that the angry mob purportedly damaged the dorm’s gate and threw stones at the building while chanting “Kick out Papuans!” and “Slaughter Papuans!” for hours, restricting the students’ movement.
Two good Samaritan Indonesian students, who at midnight delivered food to the students trapped inside the dorm, claimed to have been assaulted and later arrested by police who were guarding the area.
“This is beyond my comprehension, what could possibly be the crime of delivering food and water? Even prisoners have a right to eat,” Veronica said, adding that the pressure continued on the following day with the police shooting teargas into the dorm and arresting all 43 students inside the building.
“[All the teargas and violence] is totally unnecessary. They are only unarmed, hungry, thirsty and tired students who have been rounded up by hundreds of racist civil militias and security forces for more than 24 hours,” she said.
