A/HRC/51/47
87.
According to information received by OHCHR, during the consideration of IDSN’s
application by the Committee at its 2021 regular session on 26 May and 7 September 2021,
the Government of India citing the 2019 annual report of the NGO, asked about meetings
that IDSN staff held with officials and diplomats on the fringes of the 40th session of the
Human Rights Council in February-March 2019, and requested information about the
agenda, outcome, and participants (Questions 98 and 101 respectively). 113 The NGO
reportedly answered the questions. As of 30 April 2022, IDSN’s application for ECOSOC
status remains deferred. The protracted deferral of IDSN’s application, now for 15 years,
reportedly limits its access to UN bodies and entities, excluding it from attending meetings,
delivering.
13.
Indonesia
88.
The case of Ms. Veronica Koman, a human rights lawyer to Papuans, was included
in the 2021 report of the Secretary-General 114 on allegations of acts of harassment,
intimidation and threats for reporting on the situation in West Papua and Papua provinces
(Papua region), that included engaging with OHCHR (IDN 7/2019115). On 9 December 2021,
special procedures mandate holders addressed threats and intimidation of Ms. Koman and
her family in relation to her work advocating for human rights in the Papua region and
expressed concern that the increased targeting of Ms. Koman’s relatives could be linked to
her cooperation with the United Nations. Ms. Koman is currently in exile due to the alleged
risks to her security. She reportedly faces several charges, including “incitement”, “spreading
fake news”, “and “disseminating information aimed at inflicting ethnic hatred”, and was put
in the national wanted list by the authorities (IDN 10/2021116).
89.
Acts of intimidation and threats against Ms. Koman’s family reportedly begun on 31
May 2021, a fortnight after Ms. Koman had announced, together with a human rights
organisation, the submission of a complaint to United Nations special procedures, regarding
the case of Mr. Victor Yeimo of West Papua (see below). Reportedly, the house of Ms.
Koman’s parents came under surveillance and Ms. Koman received photos of their house
from unknown Twitter accounts. On 5 October 2021, a few days after national news outlets
broadcasted that Ms. Koman was one of the Indonesian human rights defenders mentioned
in the Secretary-General’s report on cooperation with the United Nations, unknown
individuals, including one claiming to be a police officer, visited the house of Ms. Koman’s
parents, inquiring about her. In October and November 2021, unidentified individuals left
several packages in the house of Ms. Koman parents. One of the packages was on fire and
the other two had explosive devices and contained threatening messages, including a death
threat (IDN 10/2021). On 15 December 2021, special procedures mandate holders publicly
called upon the Government to stop reprisals against Ms. Koman and her parents.117
90.
On 9 February 2022, the Government responded118 to mandate holders noting that the
charges brought against Ms. Koman were not a form of intimidation but a legal enforcement
measure as the police had made her a suspect in an investigation and rejected allegations of
reprisals against Ms. Koman. It provided information on the response by the Regional Police
to incidents reported, and the outcomes of the investigation carried out by various police
units.
91.
The case of Mr. Victor Yeimo, a human rights activist in West Papua who is the
international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua
Barat/KNPB), was included in the 2021 reports of the Secretary-General,119 on allegations of
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1z/k1zibahjye?kalturaStartTime=2990;
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k13/k135x69p2n?kalturaStartTime=1650.
A/HRC/48/28, para. 72, Annex I, paras. 48–49.
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34873.
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=36800.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/12/indonesia-stop-reprisals-against-woman-humanrights-defender-un-expert.
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=36800.
A/HRC/48/28, para. 73, Annex I, para. 49.
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