ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME Forwarded Urgent Appeal: AHRC-FUA-008-2009
8 July 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------- INDONESIA: Peaceful activists imprisoned and beaten ISSUES: Freedom of expression and association; political detainees; torture --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal received by the Amnesty International group in Reading, England, regarding the sentence of two men involved in a peaceful political ceremony in 2004, who were convicted with treason in 2005. After receiving prison terms, it is reported that the men were beaten by prison guards without receiving any medical attention on February 1, 2009. Please send letters to the relevant authorities and urge them for an immediate release. For further queries please feel free to contact Sean O'Leary by his email [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected]> Thank you. Urgent Appeals Desk Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) --------------------------------------------------------------------- AI Index: ASA 21/012/2009 8 July 2009 INDONESIA: Filep Karma, Yusak Pakage Former civil servant Filep Karma and student Yusak Pakage were arrested and charged with treason in 2004, after taking part in a peaceful political ceremony at which a Papuan independence flag was raised. In 2005 Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were convicted of treason and sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison respectively. They have since had their sentences reduced by three months to mark Indonesia's Independence Day in 2008. Both men are being held in Abepura prison, where conditions are reported to be poor. In April 2008 Filep Karma was beaten up by prison guards after returning late from his prison leave. Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage are prisoners of conscience and we are calling for their immediate and unconditional release. UPDATED INFORMATION 26th May 2009 marks the 4th anniversary of Filep and Yusak's conviction. Please take this opportunity to call for their immediate release. On 1 February Yusak Pakage was severely beaten by prison guards. His glasses were broken and one of his eyelids was torn. He has since been moved to a prison intended for drug offenders. The incident occurred after Filep and five other prisoners had attacked prison guards to protest an assault carried out by the same guards on a newly detained student leader a few days earlier. URGENT ACTION NEEDED Please continue write to the government officials to express your strongest protest to the assault and detainment of the victims. SAMPLE LETTER: Dear Mr. President, I write with increasing concern for prisoners of conscience Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage who were arrested in December 2004, convicted of treason on 26 May 2005 and sentenced to 15 and 10 years imprisonment respectively. According to Amnesty International their crime was that they had taken part in a peaceful political ceremony at which a Papuan independence flag was raised. I was shocked to read recently that, again according to Amnesty International, Yusak Pakage was severely beaten by prison guards on 1 February, tearing one of his eyelids, an injury for which he is not known to have received any medical attention. He also had his glasses broken. Along with some other prisoners he was then moved to a tiny, windowless cell which, according to Filep Karma, was smeared with faeces. On 14 February Yusak, along with the other prisoners, was moved to the Sentani prison for drug offenders, in Jayapura. Amnesty International considers that Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage are being detained in violation of their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, opinion and association. I urge you to ensure their unconditional release without delay. Yours respectively, (Name) YOUR PROTEST LETTERS SHOULD BE SENT TO: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President RI, Istana Merdeka, Jakarta Pusat 10110, I INDONESIA Fax: + 62 21 345 2685 / + 62 21 526 8726 Minister of Justice & Human Rights Mr. Andi Mattalata Minister of Justice & Human Rights Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav No. 4-5 Kuningan Jakarta Selatan 12950 INDONESIA Attoney General Mr Hendarman Supandji Attorney General Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No.1 Kebayoran Baru Jakarta Selatan 12130 INDONESIA -------------------------- Thank you. Urgent Appeals Programme Asian Human Rights Commission ([email protected]) ----------------------------- Asian Human Rights Commission 19/F, Go-Up Commercial Building, 998 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hongkong S.A.R. Tel: +(852) - 2698-6339 Fax: +(852) - 2698-6367 -- W A Laskar Freelance Reporter and Human Rights Activist with Barak Human Rights Protection Committee, http://bhrpc.net.googlepages.com 15, Panjabari Road, Darandha, Six Mile, Guwahati-781037, Assam, India Cell: +919401134314 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
