Sending Email to Prisoners.

Now it is possible to send emails to three people imprisoned in Indonesia for their resistance. Friends and families will print those emails and bring them to the prison when they go to visit. As prison is a very isolating experience, receiving messages of support, even from people you don't know, can make a big difference. All three prisoners will be able to read your letters if you write in English, but it may be difficult for them to reply directly - obviously they have no computers in their cells!

Eat and Billy are two anarchists arrested for burning an ATM machine belonging to BRI bank in Jogjakarta, Java on 7th October 2011. Their trial is currently in progress. Email for either or both of them can be sent to blackhammer(at)riseup.net

Hidayat (Yaya) was arrested on 26th December 2011 on a demonstration in Makassar, Sulawesi. The demonstration was in response to the brutal police repression of a port blockade in Bima, Sumbawa island, where the police had killed at least three people a few days before. Yaya is accused of damaging a police outpost, and is currently awaiting trial. You can write to him at swatantra(at)riseup.net

West Papuan Community Ecological Struggles.

On the sidelines of the Papuan People's struggle for self-determination, at a local level Papuan communities continue to resist the logging and mining industries that are destroying their forests. Here are two stories of recent community resistance from areas close to the Papuan capital Jayapura, translated from the Alliance for Democracy in Papua website www.aldepe.com.

Seeing their forest destroyed, Arso Villagers Burn Five Logging Camps.

Annoyed by hearing the sound of chainsaws almost every day, and in addition the reports of villagers who regularly enter the forest telling of finding loggers' camps there, around 20 people from Arso, both young and old, agreed to check the forest for themselves.

Tablasupa Nickel Mining's Drilling Rig Burned, Three Imprisoned

On the morning of 8th February 2012, local people from kampung Tablasupa, near to the Papuan capital Jayapura, burned a drilling rig belonging to the mining company PT Tablasupa Nikel Mining. The action was connected to an ongoing conflict between local people and the company, which plans to mine nickel on 9629 hectares of land, and is currently carrying out exploration activities. Although the company has been given a permit by the local Jayapura Bupati's office, the people of Tablasupa feel that their rights as the holders of customary rights over the land have not been respected.

Two weeks after the machine was burnt, on February 20th, police arrested three villagers. Saul Sorontouw, Lambertus Seibo and Kanisius Kromisian. They have been charged under article 170 of the Indonesian penal code, and are being held in Jayapura police headquarters. While in prison Saul Sorontouw has been ill with gout, which has caused swellings in his knees. On February 28th police demanded statements from another six villagers, but they were allowed to go home that evening.

Letter from Hidayat (Yaya), In Prison in Makassar

Dear comrades,

From the bottom of my heart and an ardent yearning to be with you, I wanted to write this short letter in order to let all my friends know that “a fire still burns in our hearts that cannot be extinguished”

Being in this place is not something I wished for, but also it should not be a cause for regret. We are aware and we understand that rebellion against the State is vital, but it also entails risks. If anarchists attack something that others hold sacred, then those people will not be able to tolerate anarchism. That is what underlies all our fears. Whenever someone opposes and seeks to destroy something we hold sacred, of course we will resist with all our strength.

For Indonesia Without the FPI

Last February 11th, thousands of Dayak people converged on the town of Palangkaraya, demonstrating against the Islamic Defender's Front (Front Pembela Islam, FPI) which was coming to set up a branch in the Central Kalimantan province. Hundreds then stormed the runway, so that the FPI's leaders who had come from Jakarta for the ceremony could not get off the plane. Inspired by this action, a few days later people gathered for a rally in central Jakarta inviting people to imagine 'Indonesia without the FPI'.

It takes bravery to challenge this powerful and violent organisation that for 13 years has been manipulating religious sentiment into a fearsome street-fighting movement of the extreme right. Few public figures will declare against them, and local and national government almost always seems to capitulate when faced with the threat that the FPI will mobilise against them. Laws and governmental decisions increasingly seem designed to appease the religious right, and their strength grows steadily.

To give some background of where this organisation came from, we have translated a special edition of Catatan Kaki, a newsletter from students at Hasanuddin University in Makassar about the FPI, published in May 2011. It explains FPI's emergence in post-Suharto Indonesia, focussing especially on the role that organisation played in the military's efforts to maintain power. There is also a chronology which is not a complete list of the FPI's violent actions, but gives some indication of the sort of things they get up to. As it was originally written for an Indonesian audience, Catatan Kaki refers to several incidents and groups involved in Indonesia's recent history which might be unfamiliar people reading this in English, but we've tried to make the translation as clear as possible.

Hidayat, Locked Inside the Prison 'Red Zone'

This news that follows is just one story of how horrible life in prison is. Even worse than that, of being already locked up inside one prison and then finding another prison inside that one. This is what our comrade Hidayat is suffering right now, isolated under lock and key in a place that is known as the Red Cell, a miniature prison 2m by 1m, darkened and subject to the prison guards' stifling intimidation and terror.

From what we have heard, Hidayat has been confined in this claustrophobic space for five days. Apart from reports that he is frequently intimidated and beaten, Hidayat has never received the whole packages of food and drink that visitors bring him. And what pains us the most, his visitor access has been limited. No-one has been allowed to meet with him.

Bima Bupati's Office and Election Commission Burned Down, 53 Prisoners Freed.

The people of Bima are still in revolt after the brutal repression of the occupation of Sape port in December 2011 where several people were shot dead by police while taking part in an action against Arc Exploration, an Australian mining company. Although local government had said they would revoke the mining companies permit after the killings, local people continued to struggle for the permit to be cancelled permanently, and for all held in prison from last December to be freed.

Javan Farmers' Declaration

Farmers' groups from throughout the island of Java came together last December to hear about each others struggles and share their experiences. Several of the groups are resisting different company's plans to mine iron sands along the whole southern coast of Java. Others have fought cement companies in Central Java and the mud volcano which has been erupting in East Java for five years since the Bakrie company started drilling for gas in the area. This was an important event, because the farmers involved are building their own networks, without the need for mediation by any NGO.

Update on the Two Imprisoned Combatants in Yogyakarta

We have received another piece of bad news about the case of the two social combatants which have been imprisoned in Yogyakarta since 7th October 2011. They are being held in connection to an arson attack in which the ATM machine of a capitalist network, the Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), was burnt.

The two combatants, Reyhart Rumbayan (Eat) and Billy Augustan (Billy) are participants in an insurrectionist group called 'Long Live Tortuga Cell - FAI Indonesia.

According to information that we've received, the police have extended their period of imprisonment up until the 5th January 2012, but the reality is the two are still inside and have not been released. This means that the two insurrectionists have now been locked behind prison bars for 93 days and counting.

Secondly, the likelihood is that they will be charged with criminal accusations which have a maximum sentence of nine years in prison. They are both charged under article 187 (clause 1 part E and clause 2 part E) and article 170 of the Indonesian criminal code.

It is likely that their trial will take place this month, January 2012. However we still don't know the date of their trial for sure. Because of this, we request help and solidarity in various forms from all who read this news.

Hidayat in Prison in Makassar after Demonstration

Makassar Police Headquarters have finally charged our comrade Hidayat, who is accused of damaging Police outposts during a demonstration supporting the people of Bima. According to the police, Hidayat's status has been changed to 'accused' because they have sufficiently strong evidence to justify this higher level. They also claim to have video and photo evidence.

Hidayat participated in a solidarity action that took place in Makassar on 26th December 2011 against the brutal police clearance of the anti-mining protest in Bima, where thousands of people had occupied Sape port. From what we have managed to find out, he was arrested secretively in the crowds between Jalan Gunung Bawakaraeng and Karebosi Link.

A Wave of Protest Against Police Brutality Echoes in Many Cities.

A wave of protest against the police brutality that resulted in several deaths in Sape, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara has been emerging in several cities over the past few days. These actions are in solidarity with those involved in events which have taken place across Indonesia, and in Bima in particular.

Repression at Sape Port, Bima: Eight People Dead

The occupation of Sape port by thousands of residents of Lambu district, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara has been repressed and forcibly dispersed by the police. The action, which had continued for five days, was being carried out by local people in opposition to the operations of PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara.

The forced dispersal started in the night and continued into the early morning of Friday 24th December 2011. Information suggests that hundreds of people were wounded as a result of the clash, eight people are dead and ten people have been arrested by the police. Most of the people who were attacked ran away towards the mountain and many are still in hiding.

Worldwide Solidarity with Aceh Punks

64 young people were arrested at a punk concert in Banda Aceh on Saturday December 11th. A few days later they were taken to a police training school, where their hair was ritually shaved, their clothes and possessions were taken from them, they were forced to pray, and the Acehnese authorities stated that they would be held for 10 days for 're-education'. Actions in support of the punks have taken place across Indonesia but also around the world as punk communities have responded to the news, after mainstream media outlets broadcast pictures of the mass detention.

Bringing Papua's Problems to the Streets of Makassar

On December 10th, an action was organised in Makassar to commemorate International Human Rights Day, an appropriate moment to highlight the violence, state and corporate aggression and the discrimination faced by Papuans. A giant banner 7 metres x 4 metres was unfurled across a banner. Very many people took notice of this action, both because of the size of the banner, and also because the Papuan issue has lately become extremely sensitive in Indonesia.

The conflict in West Papua has intensified greatly in the last half-year. In the few days following the solidarity action in Makassar, news has emerged of a major military offensive in Paniai region where 26 villages have been razed and the inhabitants of 130 more have been forcibly evicted or have fled (see West Papua Media Alerts report). Papuan resistance movements also continue to grow and consolidate, but full information about the situation often does not penetrate the rest of Indonesia, and acts of solidarity are not so common. Below is the contents of the leaflet which the group JEJAK prepared for the action.

Action at Indo Mines AGM, Perth, Australia

November 30th 2011 was the annual general meeting of Indo Mines, the Australian company which plans to mine a huge section of the Javanese coast at Kulon Progo. A local group from Perth, in solidarity with the ongoing farmers' struggle, visited the meeting to remind shareholders that any investment in Indo Mines is inherently risky, for the simple reason that the entire coastal community will resist any attempt the company makes to commence its operations.

West Papua at Boiling Point: Strike at Freeport Mine

Workers at Freeport McMoran's Grasberg mine in West Papua, one of the world's biggest copper and gold mines, have been on strike since September 15th. Their immediate demand is a large wage increases to bring their salary into line with what the company pays its workers in other countries. The conflict has raged over the past six weeks with unremitting action and brutal repression, bringing the company to its knees at a time when Papua is in turmoil generally.

ATM Attacked in Yogyakarta. Two Still Held in Prison

On the night of the 6th-7th October, an ATM machine from BRI bank in Sleman, Yogyakarta was attacked with Molotov cocktails. An explosion was heard in the area, which police attributed to the effects of the heat on the screen. Three people were arrested in connection to the incident, and two are still in prison on suspicion of having carried out the attack.

The mainstream media widely reported what happened, and debated whether the action was an act of terrorism or a novel method of trying to steal the money inside the machine. Maybe it wasn't exactly either. National newspaper Kompas published the contents of a leaflet left on the scene which clearly explains some of the author's perspectives on capitalism, the state, and their solidarity with struggles taking place around Indonesia right now, as well as what terrorism really means:

News from Kulon Progo: Hunger Strike and Action + Free Tukijo

The resistance of Kulon Progo Farmers on Java's South Coast continues, fighting the mining plans of PT Jogja Magasa Iron and their Australian financers, Indo Mines. One of their community, Tukijo, is currently in prison, condemned to three years to satisfy the vengeful whims of the corporation. Their latest action was to occupy the provincial council building, after a 12-day hunger strike carried out by several community members and student activists in solidarity with their struggle.

How the Papuan people Continue to Unite in Resistance: Victor Yeimo Interview

[This Interview with Papuan activist Victor Yeimo was published on the Kontinum website, because of a feeling that little information and perspectives from the Papuan struggle is available in Indonesia, and so people outside Papua are not aware of the what is actually going on there. The original, in Indonesian, can be found at http://kontinum.org/2011/08/wawancara_victor_papua/]

We see Papua's problems as coming from a combination of problems with the state and corporations, military violence, ecological damage, genocide and extinction of indigenous cultures. The Papuan issue is also a national issue for Indonesia, and one which is not yet resolved. Many indigenous people are killed and tortured in order to legitimise the destruction of Papua's natural riches by the world's giant companies together with their closest partners: government.

Constitutional reasons, together with the logic of national unity and a narrow nationalist view of 'Indonesianness' are used to legitimise repression and oppression of the Papuan people and their land.

But amidst a climate of repression that doesn't seem to subside, the Papuan people struggle on, ever-bravely. To get to know the situation and viewpoint of the resistance movement in Papua, Kontinum interviewed Victor Yeimo, spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), one of the people's organisations that continues the active struggle in the land of Papua:

Papuan Prisoner News: Buchtar Tabuni Freed, Filep Karma Refuses Remission

Each Indonesian Independence day, 17th August, a number of prisoners are granted remission as part of the celebrations. This year, the list included high-profile Papuan political prisoners Buchtar Tabuni and Filep Karma. This is a highly provocative act to Papuan activists, who equate the Indonesian presence in their land with continued repression.