NGO launches campaign to pressure Indonesia to release Papua prisoners

The NGO network, Indonesian Solidarity, is launching a campaign to pressure the government in Jakarta to release political prisoners in Papua region.

Human Rights Watch reports that there are currently around 100 Papuans imprisoned for political reasons.
Indonesian Solidarity’s, Eko Waluyo, says the situation is incompatible with Indonesia’s reputation abroad as a burgeoning democracy.

He says that their campaign aims to lobby for a change in mindset on the prisoners within Jakarta.

“There is strong evidence that those political prisoners have been imprisoned related with the President Yudhyono policy to criminalise local symbols, for instance in Papua you cannot raise the Morning Star Flag”

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