PBHI - Laurent Mayasari

Laurent Mayasari, more often known as Maya, originally studied at the Institut Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan (Institute of Teaching and Science Education) in Jakarta in 1996, where she specialised in Physics.  Following this Maya spent a couple of years with a social institute in Jakarta where she worked with female labourers before moving on to join the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.  It was as a member of the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Jakarta (RSCJ) that she first became interested and involved in Papua.  The RSCJ had a small program working on Papua but Maya became gradually more interested in legal issues, which were not part of the RSCJ’s activities.  In 2002 she decided to join Perhimpunan Bantuan Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia Indonesia (PBHI), which is the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association.

Maya began working as the Coordinator of the Papua Desk.  She focused on PBHI’s Education, Training, Coordination & Consolidation Programmes for Papuan students living in Java and Bali.  In 2004 Maya began to expand PBHI’s advocacy work on the ‘7 December 2000 Abepura gross Human Rights violation’ case.  (See Human Rights Watch’s report on the case for details)  PBHI’s programme relating to this case included training sessions for victims, campaign activities and development of their international networks.  The case is currently in the process of appeal at the Mahkamah Agung (Supreme Court) after the Indonesian Human Rights Court acquitted the two police officers accused of serious human rights violations.  In 2005 Maya became the Head of the Regional Conflict Division responsible for providing PBHI’s programmes in Papua, Aceh and Poso (Central Sulawesi). 

PBI has been providing protective accompaniment to members of PBHI.  This in turn protects the victims and witnesses of the cases that PBHI works on.  Victims of the Abepura Case were accompanied to the trial and when carrying out activities in Jayapura.  Victims of the Wasior and Wamena cases were accompanied while visiting various organisations and embassies in Jakarta as well as carrying out activities in Wamena.  The protection usually consists of coordination meetings and check-in calls.

Members of PBHI say that PBI’s presence makes them feel safer when carrying out their activities and accompanying victims in conflict areas in Papua.  The international support has also helped to raise the profile of the organisation.

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