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In a new report issued today, Human Rights Watch called on those concerned about developments in Indonesia to look beyond Jakarta to rising political tensions in Irian Jaya.

Those tensions are being fueled by the Habibie government's reluctance to allow a discussion of independence in a "national dialogue" on Irian Jaya originally planned for January and now likely to be postponed. Human Rights Watch takes no position on the political status of Irian Jaya but believes that the government should not attempt to restrict the content of any discussion on political options.

The tension has also been fueled by a series of pro-independence actions since July 1998 that has led to the imprisonment of dozens of activists. A demonstration in Biak on July 6 resulted in the army's opening fire on demonstrators; the exact death toll remains unclear today.

"If demands for a thorough investigation into the Biak shooting and other recent abuses are not met, many people in Irian Jaya are going to get angrier," said Sidney Jones, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "That will only increase the potential for unrest in the region."

The report released today, "Human Rights and Pro-Independence Actions in Irian Jaya," describes the background to the pro-independence demonstrations in July and October 1998 in Jayapura, Sorong, Wamena, Biak, and Manokwari. It looks in particular at the Biak demonstration and at the army's use of lethal force there. It then examines the arrest of six pro-independence leaders in late September, and how the debate over a national dialogue has exacerbated the already tense atmosphere.

"The situation is similar to East Timor," said Jones. "The government, by restricting freedom of expression to advocate independence, has made the concept of autonomy seem like little more than continuation of the status quo. In both East Timor and Irian Jaya, the effect of banning discussion on one popular option is simply to increase support for it."

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