Online Newsletter
25 March 2020
WOMEN RISING
FOR A FREE
WEST PAPUA
Statement on International Women’s Day
The working women of West Papua are its
Indigenous women, migrant laborers,
housewives, young women professionals, and
others who carry the brunt of Indonesia’s
occupation and the domination of foreign
powers in the country’s economy and politics.
On the International Working Women’s Day,
the Merdeka West Papua Support Network
celebrates the women from these sectors
yearning and struggling for a West Papua
free from colonization and human rights
abuses while also confronting the
vulnerabilities of being a woman.
In the past months, there has been a surge of
Papuan activists arrested on charges of
treason for expressing dissent against the
Indonesian Government, particularly its illegal
occupation of West Papua. One of the female
political prisoners, Sayang Mandabayan, is
also a mother. Her baby had to be brought to
her while behind bars so that she could
breastfeed.
In West Papua’s more militarized areas, rape of
women by members of the Indonesian army
are commonplace and often always go
unpunished causing lasting impacts on the
physical, mental, and emotional health [cont.]
of the women as well as of their families and
their communities. The forced displacement
of communities as a result of military
operations also heavily impacts the women
and children.
From the military operations in Nduga from
December 2018 up to present, 148 out of the
253 recorded deaths caused by direct killings
and displacement are women and young
children, including newborn babies.
The withdrawal of Indonesian troops from the
communities is an urgent demand for the
women, as it is for the entire Papuan people.
Furthermore, as long as the root cause of the
armed conflict remains unaddressed, the
violence against Indigenous Papuans,
especially the women and children in the
highlands, will continue unabated.
The women of Indonesia also play an
important part in this struggle. Their voices
have to emerge in harmony with that of
Papuan women during this crucial period of
intensifying attacks on the rights and human
dignity of West Papuans. For they too are
denied their full rights by their government.
This is the same government that incites
conflict and racism among the people while
ironically using national unity as justification
for refusing to grant West Papua its right to
self-determination through a proper
referendum.
Women from other oppressed nations, be it in
the Pacific, in Asia, in Africa, in Latin or North
America, all share the Papuan women’s
struggle one way or the other.
The issues of domestic violence, sexual
violence, landlessness, drastically low wages,
civic repression, and even the development of
the macho-fascist culture that discriminate
women are all rooted in the same oppressive
system that enables occupation and
colonization of nations.
The struggle for West Papua’s self-
determination is inevitably a struggle for the
liberation of its women.
Women stand up and fight, Free West
Papua!
WATCH & LISTEN
Click underlined links to be re-directed
Women’s Day
in Jayapura
Men and women came
together in a dance to send
a message of equality on
Women’s Day in Papua.
Report by Rut Ohoiwutun.
I’ll Ride With You
Women activists
Veronica Koman,
Zely Ariane, and
Dorkas Kossay speak
about their
experiences on their
activism for West Papua.
Report by Belinda Lopez.
 FEATURED ARTICLE
Tears from Nduga
Reveal the Tragedy
of Rape in Papua
By Reza Gunadha & Erick Tanjung
A DAY IN MAPENDUMA felt like decades for
Veronica, a volunteer teacher at an elementary
school in Nduga. Because she cannot move as
freely like in the other districts.
Many prohibitions were laid down by
Rumianus, or Pace Rumi as he was usually
called, a leader of the Free Papua
Organization (OPM).
Marta, a volunteer junior high school teacher
who lives in the same house as Veronica, can
still occasionally go out of the lodging
towards the airport, where many of the
residents gather.
Veronica had often reminded Marta not to
leave whenever she pleases, as Pace Rumi had
ordered. However, this time, he made an
exception.
Marta has returned with news of interest to
Veronica: the armed wing of the OPM was
strategizing an attack against the Indonesian
police and army.
Guerillas of the West Papua National
Liberation Army (TPNPB) from various districts
have arrived in Mapenduma. Every time a
guerrilla group comes, yells resembling the
sound of a bird could be heard.
“That's the sign of the war code," Marta
whispered to Veronica.
The distance between the housing where
Veronica and Marta resided and the airfield used
by TPNPB-OPM to gather and conduct exercises
was not too far away.
The house where Veronica, Marta, and another
woman named Hanna lived cannot be called
decent as it was very easy for people to break in.
The padlock and latch were broken. The wall on
the left side of the house was also torn with only
a sheet of plywood covering it.
Every night, the principal of the school where
Veronica and the others taught would sit around
near the housing to ensure that nothing bad
happens to his staff.
The principal actually lives somewhat far from
the housing, on a hillside which is quite high.
Late at night, when it is certain that there is
nothing [unusual happening] around the
housing area, the principal would return up the
hill to go home and rest.
The principal cannot stay around the housing
area as the teachers are mostly women. In a
tradition upheld by the Central Mountain tribes,
men may not enter women's homes.
Our Enemy is Not a Teacher
Veronica still remembers her first day meeting
the students. The principal gathered all of the
students in the field.
Unlike her experience teaching in the Mugi
District, Veronica was really shocked in Nduga
when only under 50 students showed up on the
first day out of the 100 students in grades 1-6.
The principal had asked the students who came
to tell their friends to go to school the next day,
because the teacher was already there.
The number of teachers in the school is far from
enough, so the volunteers split the teaching
assignments. The principal teaches grade 1 and
grade 2. Veronica teaches grade 3 and grade 4.
While Hanna teaches grade 5 and grade 6.
"Invite your friends to attend class tomorrow..."
Veronica instructed the children. The children
just raised their eyebrows, a sign of agreement.
The next day, from 7 students who came on the
first day, it has increased to 15 students. Not bad.
Nduga refugees who have been displaced in the
mountains and forests for 9 months without
government assistance. [from documentation]
Veronica and the other volunteers were again
moved with what they encountered during their
first Sunday in Mapenduma on 7th October
2018.
They came to worship at the church in the
morning because Pace Rumi would introduce
them to the congregation.
In Pace Rumi’s message, he expressed that
Veronica and the others could win the hearts of
the people of Nduga and become brothers if
they came together in church.
Teachers don’t need to be afraid. We will not A Night of Agony
harm the teachers. We need teachers to educate
the younger generation of Papuans. Our
The school principal left the housing area where
opponents are not the teachers, but the state
Veronica and her friends lived and returned
authorities," said Pace Rumi in the middle
home earlier than usual on a Thursday night,
congregation while introducing Veronica.
11th of October 2018.

The OPM restricts the movement of teacher

He bid them goodbye. The school principal
volunteers, that is, they can only go to school
admitted that he has been tense for a week and
and back home. They also can't hold cellphones
needed some rest.
nor take photos.

"I also want to go to sleep," Veronica told Marta

Still, the OPM treats volunteer teachers well.
and Hannah to enter the lodging.

"[You] go first, teacher..." said Egianus Kogoya,

The room had two beds, one for Veronica and
one of the respected leaders in the TPNPB-OPM
the other for Marta. Hanna stayed in another
while passing the residence of Veronica and her
room with her two children.
two colleagues.

While everyone was asleep, there was a shout

“Alright," answered Hanna who had taught
from outside accompanied by a banging on the
Egianus Kogoya in Mugi District Elementary
door.
School a few years ago.

"Teacher, teacher, open the door…"

Marta was the first to wake up, so she woke up

Veronica. The person outside did not stop
shouting.

"Open the door, hurry... it's about to be

morning…”

Veronica, Marta, Hanna and her two children

gathered in one room, planning their strategy.
They come to an agreement and Marta went out
quietly through a side door to seek help.

They peeked from behind the door and saw that

the house was surrounded. Some of the people
outside carried weapons. The skies in Nduga
was dark and the rain was falling so the women’s
vision were obscured.
Nduga refugees [suara.com]
After Marta had left, the plywood covering the
torn wall was broken down. Hanna, while
carrying one of her children, was still able to talk
to the besiegers.
"Do you want some coffee? If you want, make it
yourself, "said Hanna, but the intruders only
laughed. Soon, the generator that was the
source of the house's lighting went out.
Nduga refugees [suara.com]
Hanna's second child cried as she ran to her
mother. In the increasingly dense lighting, Hanna
saw at least seven people enter their house.
Hanna could only then close her eyes, hug her
two children, and cry out, "Lord Jesus, save us ...
Lord Jesus, give us strength…"
The intruders apparently barged in Veronica's
room. In it, Veronica was holding her door tight,
but finally could not.
The dark night was getting thicker, the rain that
had fallen since the afternoon never stopped.
"I was raped," Veronica said softly to Hanna, after
the men left.
Veronica and Hanna cried as they hugged.
Hannah's two children hugged them, and joined
in their hysterical cries.
Their cries were lost in the sound of rain hitting
the tin roof of the house.
***
It turned out Marta could not move, knowing at
least 20 people were surrounding the house.
She chose to hide behind a board when she was
tasked by Veronica and Hanna to seek help.
It was only long after the men left that Marta
dared to go back home to find Veronica and
Hanna crying while hugging.
Marta then finally looks for help. She went to the
principal's house on the hill. She then reported
the events that had befallen them in the housing.
Unexpectedly, the principal who was a big man,
cried, shouted, cursed out his aggravations.
Meanwhile Marta continued to encourage the
principal for them to go together to see Veronica
and Hanna's condition.
"Evacuate us. We no longer want us to stay
here," Veronica said while crying to the school
principal.
"It's still dark. I do not want to let you to stay
here, later there won’t be anyone else left [here].
But wait until the sky is clear," he answered.
The principal went straight to the house of the
head of the puskesmas (community health
center) who was originally from Mapenduma.
After hearing about the incident, the head of the
puskesmas was both angry and sad.
The two then met with a number of church
leaders, and agreed on having all the teachers
evacuated to the house of the head of the
puskesmas.
By late afternoon, two OPM leaders, Rumianus
Wandikbo and Oskar Wandikbo, arrived at the
principal's house.
tragedies that have occurred in Papua.
However, the woman's smile disappeared when
she got on the stage. The tone of her voice
trembled as she narrated the stories and
experiences of civilians in Nduga, Papua,
especially of the women.

They apologized for not being able to maintain

the safety of the volunteers and declared that
they are determined to find the perpetrators of
the immoral act.

"How could we want independence, or want to

care for our nation if we couldn’t care for the
women," said Pace Rumianus regretfully.
Rumianus Wandikbo is an educated person. He
attended college in Biak and had the concept of
the struggle for independence.
Kristin also cried as she recounted the story of a
female volunteer elementary school teacher who
was raped by seven people in the dark night of
Nduga late last year.

"Hide anywhere, we will find [the perpetrators]! She had never planned on writing stories about
Our struggle has been tainted by their the land of Nduga. It all started with her friend's
demeanor," he vowed. offer to write a book on the story of a task force
team from the National Police who was on duty
in Papua.
Grief of Nduga
Kristin was interested and left for Papua.
The woman in black was busy greeting her
However, to her surprise, she got a lot of
guests in a room on the third floor of the
heartbreaking stories of civilians in Nduga.
Indonesian Church Association building in
Central Jakarta last week.
Therefore, she wrote these stories even though
they had nothing to do with the police, the
The woman’s name is Kristin Samah. She did not
institution that facilitated [her] in Papua.
get tired from giving off smiles to dozens of
people who came in the room to reflect.
"I am interested in asking for a fact-based story
about the rape of women in Nduga," I told
Not a few people came to ask for selfies. Others
Kristin before the discussion.
asked for autographs on their books.

"Alright, I might not be talk about that during the

Kristin is the author of the book "Grief of
event. We will talk afterwards, "Kristin answered.
Nduga", a novel based on various humanitarian
After the event, Kristin fulfilled her promise. She
told the story of the rape of women in Nduga,
which until now remains in a gray area, away
from the eyes of the law.
"I tried very hard to be able to meet with the
victims. Finally she was found. I offered her help
with trauma recovery in Jakarta," Kristin told me.
She said, coincidentally, Veronica’s child, who
was studying in Jakarta, could persuade the
woman to participate in a recovery programme
in the Indonesian capital.
”I met all the teachers who were victims of the
Mapenduma incident, I spoke to them. From
them, I made this book," Kristin said.
Aside from the rape case, Kristin said there was
also a murder of a family in Kenyam, Nduga.
However, she acknowledged that book is
incomplete as she has not been able to meet the
refugees of Nduga after the armed encounter
between the TNI / Polri and TPNPB on the Trans-
Papua route at the end of 2018.
According to her, the incidents that occurred in
Papua were humanitarian issues. She
deliberately did not want to include a very
strong political element in the incident.
Holding the Government to
Account
Amnesty International Indonesia's Executive
Director, Usman Hamid, questioned why the
humanitarian tragedy in Nduga did not receive
much attention from the government.
Not only the incidents of the rape of teachers in
Mapenduma and other murder cases, such as
the killings in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak on
December 2018.
"Activists and I have demanded that state
authorities find the perpetrators. Because the
state is responsible for enforcing the law in a just
manner. Yet until now it is still a mystery," said
Usman Hamid.
The problem of thousands of Nduga refugees,
who are mostly in the mountainous regions, also
seem to be ignored by the government
.In fact, based on investigative reports from
human rights networks in Papua, at least 182
refugees have died due to various diseases.
Many of the Nduga refugees are women,
children, and babies.
As many as 45,000 Nduga residents fled from
their hometowns fearing the impacts of
Indonesia’s security operations.
"The central government and especially the
security forces must listen to the aspirations of
the local community regarding this humanitarian
crisis," said Usman Hamid.
Residents demand that
the security forces be
withdrawn from Nduga
because they are
frightened by the
presence of a large
number of armed forces.
"If [the security forces are not withdrawn], they
are worried that more refugees will die because
the living conditions are very inadequate,
especially for those who have fled to the forest.”
 MARCH ROUND-UP

Photo from suarapapua.com

Screenshot from video documentation Photo by FRI-WP

(Top left) Thousands of villagers sought refuge following

a week-long of active shoot-outs between the West

SAVE THE DATE Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Indonesian
National Army (TNI) in the Tembagapura District. The
area of conflict is in the vicinity of the world’s largest
gold mine. TPNPB is calling for its closure.
MARCH 31 | BREAKING
THE SILENCE (Top right) TPNPB General Lekagak Telenggen
announces that 4 of their fighters were shot dead during
IPMSDL will be one of the shootouts with the TNI in Tempagapura
holding a webinar this District. One of the fatalities is a young woman freedom
fighter.
March 31, 10:00
MNL/HKG GMT+8,
(Bottom right) Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua
featuring Indigenous & Papuan Student Alliance hold simultaneous protests

Contact Us! women at the front across Java, Sulawesi, ang Maluku during Dutch state
line of the struggle visit to Jakarta, calling attention to the issue of Papuan
merdeka.sec@gmail.com political prisoners.
against state
merdeka.wp repression and for
(Bottom left) Papuans hold a protest in Jayapura calling
merdeka_wp
self-determination. for a lockdown to prevent the spread of nCov-19 in the
Click here for more island. All access in and out of Papua shall be closed
papuabarat.wixsite.com/ from March 26 to April 9, 2020.
details.
merdeka