Yusak Pakage
| Yusak Pakage | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1979 (age 37–38) |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Organization | Parlemen Jalanan |
| Known for |
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Yusak Pakage (born c. 1979) is an Indonesian activist for Papuan independence, best known for his 2005–2010 imprisonment for raising the pro-independence Morning Star flag.
Indonesia's control over the province of Papua has been disputed since 1963, when the country took control of the province from the Dutch. A separatist movement formed, battling the Indonesian government for more than four decades. During this time, one sixth of the province's population died in military operations. Papuans also cite economic issues, stating that the area's natural resources are exploited exclusively for the benefit of the national capital, Jakarta.
In December 2004, at the age of 26, Pakage and activist Filep Karma raised the Morning Star flag at a rally of 200 people outside of Abepura, Papua Province. According to Amnesty International, police then fired on the crowd and advanced with batons, arresting Karma. Pakage later protested Karma's arrest at the police station and was arrested himself.
In January 2005, Pakage and Karma were on trial for treason before the Jayapura District Court. The prosecutor accused Pakage of having "damaged the sovereignty of Indonesia". In May, Papuan independence supporters clashed with police outside the courthouse, throwing bottles and rocks while police fought the crowd with batons. The police commander in charge of the operation was found guilty of human rights violations and replaced several days after the incident.
At the conclusion of the trial, Pakage was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, while Karma was sentenced to fifteen years. On 24 August 2005, Pakage briefly escaped from custody while under escort to fetch a book from his home. He was recaptured several hours later at the office of the NGO Elsham Papua. Several international human rights organizations protested on behalf of Pakage and Karma, including Amnesty International, which designated them as prisoners of conscience, and Human Rights Watch, which called them political prisoners and urged their immediate release.
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