Filep Karma
Encyclopedia
Filep Jacob Semuel Karma (born 1959), commonly known as Filep Karma, is a Papuan independence activist currently imprisoned for raising the Flag of West Papua
in Jayapura
, the capital of Indonesia
's Papua Province. Amnesty International
considers him to be a prisoner of conscience
and named him a 2011 "priority case".
, Papua. His father, Andreas Karma, was a civil servant educated by the Dutch who had continued to work in the Indonesian government after independence
; he acted as regent of Wamena
in the 1970s and Serui in the 1980s. Filep’s cousin, Constant Karma, acted as a Papua deputy governor and currently heads Papua’s AIDS Eradication Commission.
Filep Karma studied for a time in Solo, Java, before becoming a civil servant like his father. In 1997, he traveled to Manila
to study for a year at the Asian Institute of Management
. He was unable to finish his studies.
engulfed in protests against President Suharto. He began to advocate openly in Papua for secession, becoming a leading figure in the Free Papua Movement
, which calls for the independence of Papua from Indonesia
. In 1998, he participated in a ceremony to raise the West Papuan flag in Biak
. In a 6 July clash between activists and police in which police reportedly fired into the crowd, Karma was wounded in both legs by rubber bullets. He was soon arrested and imprisoned for ten months.
On 1 December 2004, he participated in a second flag-raising ceremony, marking the anniversary of Papuan independence from the Dutch
. Again, Indonesian security forces are alleged to have fired into the crowd, killing pro-independence activists. Karma was then arrested on charges of treason
against the Indonesian state. He was subsequently given a fifteen-year prison sentence, which he is currently serving in Abepura Prison in Jayapura
.
stated that guards had beaten Karma for returning late from a prison leave on 1 February, breaking his glasses and tearing one of his eyelids. In 2010, Karma was allowed to give an interview to a local radio station, in which he stated that he had been regularly abused by prison authorities: "I have been punched, kicked, pulled. But what hurts more is the mental torture we are subjected to." A spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry responded to the BBC News
that "allegations of prisoner abuse were always investigated and dealt with properly."
In May 2010, prison officials denied the request of Karma's doctors to take him to Jakarta
for proper medical treatment, and Amnesty International again issued an alert for his safety. In December 2010, Karma was transferred to a Jayapura police station following a riot at the prison, causing Human Rights Watch
to reiterate their call for him and his fellow political prisoners to be freed, and to protest his lack of access to legal counsel. He was soon transferred back to Abepura Prison.
Flag of West Papua
The Morning Star flag was a flag used in a supplemental fashion on Netherlands New Guinea to the Flag of the Netherlands...
in Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, the capital of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
's Papua Province. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
considers him to be a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
and named him a 2011 "priority case".
Background
Karma was born in 1959 into an upper-class family in BiakBiak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
, Papua. His father, Andreas Karma, was a civil servant educated by the Dutch who had continued to work in the Indonesian government after independence
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
; he acted as regent of Wamena
Wamena
Wamena is the capital town of the Jayawijaya Regency of Indonesia. It is the largest town in Indonesian Papua's highlands, in the Baliem Valley and has a population of around 10,000 . Wamena is the urban centre of a rural area housing West Papua's highest concentration of population, with over 300...
in the 1970s and Serui in the 1980s. Filep’s cousin, Constant Karma, acted as a Papua deputy governor and currently heads Papua’s AIDS Eradication Commission.
Filep Karma studied for a time in Solo, Java, before becoming a civil servant like his father. In 1997, he traveled to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to study for a year at the Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...
. He was unable to finish his studies.
Flag-raisings and prison terms
When Karma returned from The Philippines, he found JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
engulfed in protests against President Suharto. He began to advocate openly in Papua for secession, becoming a leading figure in the Free Papua Movement
Free Papua Movement
The Free Papua Movement is a militant organisation established in 1965 to encourage and effect the violent overthrow of the current governments in the Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia, formerly known as Irian Jaya to secede from Indonesia, and to reject economic development and...
, which calls for the independence of Papua from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. In 1998, he participated in a ceremony to raise the West Papuan flag in Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
. In a 6 July clash between activists and police in which police reportedly fired into the crowd, Karma was wounded in both legs by rubber bullets. He was soon arrested and imprisoned for ten months.
On 1 December 2004, he participated in a second flag-raising ceremony, marking the anniversary of Papuan independence from the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Again, Indonesian security forces are alleged to have fired into the crowd, killing pro-independence activists. Karma was then arrested on charges of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
against the Indonesian state. He was subsequently given a fifteen-year prison sentence, which he is currently serving in Abepura Prison in Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
.
Reports of abuse and international attention
In 2009, the Asian Human Rights CommissionAsian Human Rights Commission
The Asian Human Rights Commission is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations...
stated that guards had beaten Karma for returning late from a prison leave on 1 February, breaking his glasses and tearing one of his eyelids. In 2010, Karma was allowed to give an interview to a local radio station, in which he stated that he had been regularly abused by prison authorities: "I have been punched, kicked, pulled. But what hurts more is the mental torture we are subjected to." A spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry responded to the BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
that "allegations of prisoner abuse were always investigated and dealt with properly."
In May 2010, prison officials denied the request of Karma's doctors to take him to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
for proper medical treatment, and Amnesty International again issued an alert for his safety. In December 2010, Karma was transferred to a Jayapura police station following a riot at the prison, causing Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
to reiterate their call for him and his fellow political prisoners to be freed, and to protest his lack of access to legal counsel. He was soon transferred back to Abepura Prison.