{{Short description|Indonesian activist}} {{Infobox person | name = Yusak Pakage | birth_date = {{circa}} {{birth year and age|1979}} | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|Month DD, YYYY|Month DD, YYYY}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | known_for = {{Plainlist| * Papuan independence activism * 2005–2010 imprisonment }} | organization = ''Parlemen Jalanan'' }}
'''Yusak Pakage''' (born {{circa}} 1979<ref name=AI>{{cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-230974669.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924152440/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-230974669.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 September 2015 |title=Amnesty International Welcomes Release of Indonesian prisoner of conscience jailed for raising flag |date=8 July 2010 |publisher=States News Service |access-date=2 September 2012}}{{subscription required}}</ref>) is an Indonesian activist for Papuan independence, best known for his 2005–2010 imprisonment for raising the pro-independence Morning Star flag.
== Flag-raising incident == [[File:Morning Star flag.svg|thumb|The Morning Star flag, used by supporters of Papuan independence]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1005209531.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125135410/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1005209531.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 January 2013 |title=Free Papuan Protestors |date=1 January 2005 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=2 September 2012}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
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".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2005/01/13/papuan-separatists-trial-treason.html |title=Papuan separatists on trial for treason |date=13 January 2005 |work=The Jakarta Post |author=Nethy Dharma Somba |archive-date=3 October 2013 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003040933/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2005/01/13/papuan-separatists-trial-treason.html |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> In May, Papuan independence supporters clashed with police outside the courthouse, throwing bottles and rocks while police fought the crowd with batons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-132393720.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924125949/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-132393720.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 September 2015 |title=Dozens Injured at Trial of Separatists|date=12 May 2005 |publisher=Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association |access-date=2 September 2012}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The police commander in charge of the operation was found guilty of human rights violations and replaced several days after the incident.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=16697 |title=Senior Papua police officer replaced, and four officers under questioning, following riot |date=12 May 2005 |publisher=Radio New Zealand International|url-status=live |archive-date=2 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002095056/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=16697 |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
At the conclusion of the trial, Pakage was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment,<ref name=AP/> while Karma was sentenced to fifteen years.<ref name=AI /> 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''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2005/08/25/papuan-leader-back-behind-bars.html |title=Papuan leader back behind bars |date=25 August 2005 |work=The Jakarta Post |url-status=live|archive-date=3 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003040921/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2005/08/25/papuan-leader-back-behind-bars.html |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> Several international human rights organizations protested on behalf of Pakage and Karma, including Amnesty International, which designated them as prisoners of conscience,<ref name=AI2>{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa21/032/2012/en/ |title=Urgent Action: Papuan Political Activist at Risk |date=24 August 2012 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> and Human Rights Watch, which called them political prisoners and urged their immediate release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/02/22/human-rights-watch-demands-release-prisoners-papua.html |title=Human Rights Watch demands release of prisoners in Papua |date=22 February 2007 |work=The Jakarta Post |url-status=live|archive-date=3 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003040927/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/02/22/human-rights-watch-demands-release-prisoners-papua.html |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
In August 2008, 40 members of the US Congress sent a letter to Indonesia calling for Pakage and Karma's release, in response to which a 100-person rally protested in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta.<ref name=AP2>{{cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D92EPKF00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041456/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D92EPKF00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 September 2015 |title=Protester killed at independence rally in Papua |date=9 August 2008 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=2 September 2012}} {{subscription required}}</ref> The Indonesian government rejected the request;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/08/12/ri-rejects-us-congressmen039s-request-two-opm-activists.html |title=RI rejects US congressmen's request on two OPM activists |date=12 August 2008 |work=The Jakarta Post|url-status=live |archive-date=3 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003040916/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/08/12/ri-rejects-us-congressmen039s-request-two-opm-activists.html |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> Demianus Rumbiak of the Papuan division of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights stated that the US Congress had no right to interfere with Indonesia's domestic issues, stating that Pakage's arrest was not a human rights issue as he had been incarcerated for violating Indonesia's positive law. However, later Pakage was one of 457 Papuan prisoners granted a reduction in his term, receiving three months clemency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nasional.kompas.com/read/2008/08/16/0857113/pengibar.bintang.kejora.dapat.remisi |title=Pengibar Bintang Kejora Dapat Remisi |language=id |first=Martian |last=Damanik|trans-title=Morning Star Flag Bearers Receive Clemency |date=16 August 2008 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=2 October 2013|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002202605/http://nasional.kompas.com/read/2008/08/16/0857113/pengibar.bintang.kejora.dapat.remisi |work=Kompas}}</ref>
Pakage and Karma's arrest were the subject of further protests in front of the Indonesian embassy in Washington, D.C., in 2009.<ref name="JG1">{{cite web|title=Rights Groups Protest in Washington to Demand Release of Papuan Activists |date=2 December 2009 |url=http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/rights-groups-protest-in-washington-to-demand-release-of-papuan-activists/345006 |archive-date=4 February 2013 |access-date=3 September 2009|url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204010517/http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/rights-groups-protest-in-washington-to-demand-release-of-papuan-activists/345006 |work=The Jakarta Globe}}</ref> President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pardoned Pakage in mid-2010, and he was released from prison on 8 July. Human Rights Watch released a statement praising the release but also calling for remaining Indonesian political prisoners to be freed.<ref name=AP>{{cite news |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/08/indonesia-releases-2-papuan-political-prisoners.html |title=Indonesia releases 2 Papuan political prisoners |date=8 July 2010 |agency=Associated Press|work=The Jakarta Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003040930/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/08/indonesia-releases-2-papuan-political-prisoners.html|url-status=live |archive-date=3 October 2013 |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
== Later activity == Pakage continued his activism after his release, becoming the coordinator of ''Parlemen Jalanan'' ("Street Parliament"), which advocated on behalf of Papuan prisoners.<ref name=AI2 /> In May 2012, Pakage and the Free Papua Movement announced that they would hold another ceremony to raise the Morning Star flag.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=67947 |title=Papuans plan flying banned flag for July commemoration |date=4 May 2012 |publisher=Radio New Zealand International|url-status=live |archive-date=15 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515193100/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=67947 |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
On 23 July 2012, Pakage was arrested again for having a penknife in his bag while observing the trial of fellow activist Buchtar Tabuni,<ref name=RNZI /> who was charged with organizing violent protests.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/15/riots-jayapura-police-shoot-dead-papuan-activist.html |title=Riots in Jayapura as police shoot dead Papuan activist |author=Nethy Dharma Somba and Bagus BT Saragih |date=15 June 2012 |work=The Jakarta Post|url-status=live |archive-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911194722/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/15/riots-jayapura-police-shoot-dead-papuan-activist.html |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> Pakage was charged with "possession of a weapon", which carries a maximum sentence of ten years' imprisonment.<ref name=RNZI>{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=70484 |title=Concerns Papuan prisoner is denied access to medical treatment |date= 26 August 2012 |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |archive-date=2 October 2013|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002094518/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=70484 |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> According to Amnesty International, he was still being denied access to a lawyer as of 24 August, and had been reportedly threatened with physical abuse by police.<ref name=AI2 />
== References == {{reflist|33em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakage, Yusuf}} Category:Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Indonesia Category:Indonesian activists Category:Indonesian prisoners and detainees Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:1970s births Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Living people