West Papua: AWPA update, June 2011
West Papua: AWPA update, June 2011
A snapshot of events for June to beginning of July
A number of urgent appeals from various NGO organizations were released this month including from the Asian Human Rights Commission on the stabbing of Derek Adii by soldiers on the 14 May 2011 while he was boarding a ship. It is reported that the soldiers attacked and stabbed Mr. Adii to death after he had complained about the rough conduct by some TNI soldiers against women and children passengers. After the stabbing, Mr. Adii's body was thrown into the sea. http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-115-2011
Amnesty International also raised concern for Yones
Douw , a human rights activist who was beaten by military
officers on 15 June and has been denied medical treatment .
He fears for his health and safety, as he has previously
been detained and assaulted as a result of his human rights
activities. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA21/014/2011/en/83b04516-cb19-4e38-b302-2ec940afa539/asa210142011en.html
Amnesty
also called for the immediate and unconditional release of
seven prisoners of conscience, arrested and charged merely
for their involvement in a peaceful political protest and
flag-raising. Their case highlights the continued failure of
the Indonesian government to distinguish between armed
groups and peaceful political activists. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA21/012/2011/en/2979b263-5924-46f8-b3eb-397f77583170/asa210122011en.html
AWPA
wrote to all the Pacific Islands Forum leaders asking that
the human rights situation be raised at the Forum meeting in
September in Auckland
http://overseasreview.blogspot.com/2011/06/pacific-islands-forum-asked-to-take-up.html
Human Rights Watch has called on the Indonesian
Government to use its election to the United Nations Human
Rights Council to implement reforms on the rights to freedom
of expression, assembly, and religion, http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/06/08/indonesia-act-human-rights-commitments
In an article in the Jakarta Post “Military
omnipresence brings gloom to Papua” (11/6), the rights
group Imparsial concluded that the provinces of Papua and
West Papua had seen very little improvement in terms of
security after the region became integrated as a part of
Indonesia under the Act of Free Choice (Pepera) in 1969.
“One important question remains over why the country’s
political move toward a more democratic system has not
correlated with security conditions in Papua,” Impartial
executive director Poengky Indarti said. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/06/11/military-omnipresence-brings-gloom-papua.html
An
article in the weekend edition of the SMH 2-3 July by
investigative journalist Tom Allard exposes the threat to a
Coral sea paradise. A researcher on West Papuan issues has
sent the below actions for people to respond
Threat to Raja Ampat, the Amazon of the oceans
Do you know about Raja Ampat, the amazon of the oceans? It is a place of unparalleled beauty in West Papua. Perhaps you have seen this? The Beauty of Raja Ampat” SMH slide slow
But it is
also threatened. These two articles show how Clive Palmer
one of Australia’s richest men is tearing the place apart:
Coral Sea Paradise Faces Ruin From Mining”
Chipping
away at paradise”
Please, if you love beauty
do these four simple things now. Do it for the folks who
live in Raja Ampat and the fragile and the amazing ecosystem
that is there:
1. Contact your local member (for those
in Australia) and send them an email. Say something like
Clive Palmer would not be allowed to mine the Great Barrier
Reef. Why should he get away with it next door in West
Papua? Tell your member about the issue and ask what they
are going to do about it. Ask them to get back to you as
well. To find your local member visit http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/.
2. Send an email to Queensland Nickel click here and
tell them what you think of their business practices
3.
Contact Hubert Gijzen from UNESCO in Jakarta to
ask why Raja Ampat is not a World Heritage Area and what
UNESCO is doing about it?
4. Forward this email
and the links to the articles and pix to ten people who you
know love places of beauty.
A number of rallies also
took place this month including on 1st of July to
commemorate a declaration of West Papuan independence by the
OPM in 1971. There was a heavy police and military presence
and it was reported that up to 8 people were taken to a
local police station to be interviewed including the
coordinator of the rallies Marthebn Goo.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1107/S00019/west-papua-statement-on-independence-day-july-1.htm
and in Manokwari On June 10, over 5000 people gathered
peacefully , watched by about 200 security forces to call
for the release of political prisoners and detainees in
Papua http://westpapuamedia.info/2011/06/10/
Dogiyai villagers still in shock after Moanemani
incident
JUBI, 28 June 2011
Following the
shooting of four civilians by members of the security forces
in Dogiyai, Paniai, the people there are still in a state of
shock. A local man, Eli Petege said that all the inhabitants
of four kampungs have fled their homes after being
traumatised by the incident which led to the death of two
inhabitants of Dogiyai. 'Three kampungs evacuated but have
now returned home, but they are still in a state of shock.'
He said that the four kampungs that had been affected by the
incident were Ikebo, Kimupugi, Muniyopa and Ekemani. During
the tragedy in Moanemani which happened because a group of
people were gambling, there were four casualties. The two
men who died were Dominikus Auwa, 24 years, and Aloysius
Waine, 24, while three others were seriously injured,
Otniel Yobee, 26, Agus Pigai, 24, and Wilibrodus Iyai. The
material losses included three pigs, the destruction of six
homes along with the furniture and two motorbikes. (From
tapol)
Pramono to be appointed as new army
chief
The Jakarta Post | Wed, 06/29/2011
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed Lt.
Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo as the new Army Chief of Staff,
replacing Gen. George Toisutta, State Secretary Sudi
Silalahi says. The President is planning to install Pramono
on Thursday, Sudi said on Wednesday in Jakarta. Pramono
Edhi, who is currently the commander of the army strategic
reserves command (Kostrad), has long been viewed as a
potential candidate for the post, since he was regarded as
successful in carrying out his duties in several different
posts. Pramono, for example, had been in charge of the
army’s Special Forces (Kopassus). After completing his
task at Kopassus, Pramono was later appointed as the new
West Java military commander. Aside from the fact that
Pramono is Yudhoyono’s brother in law, those who have
criticized Pramono say he may not be able to carry his
duties as the new army chief because of a severe liver
condition.
Strong earthquake rocks Indonesia's
Papua province
The Associated Press 06/26/2011
A
strong earthquake has rocked parts of Indonesia's Papua
province, causing panic among residents but no immediate
reports of damage or casualties.
Indonesia's Meteorology
and Geophysics Agency said Sunday the magnitude 6.5
earthquake was centered about 53 kilometers northeast of
Waren, a town on the northern coast of Papua island. The
quake, with a depth of 132 kilometers , caused residents in
Serui to pour into the streets in panic, said Daud Yusuf of
the agency's local office.
He said the tremor was also
felt in nearby Biak island, and Enarotali town on the main
island. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude
at 6.4 at a depth of 36.1 kilometers.
Green
Senator given special responsibility for West Papua and
PNG
Responsibility for West Papua and Papua New
Guinea is the responsibility of incoming Victorian Richard
Di Natale Meanwhile, as the Australian Greens prepare to
take control of the Senate, Senator Brown has announced
detailed portfolio responsibilities for the four incoming
senators. In an added twist, Senator Brown has split the
foreign affairs portfolio, creating mini, country-focused
responsibilities. The portfolio of Burma, to be handled by
Scott Ludlam, is among them. Responsibility for West Papua
and Papua New Guinea is the responsibility of incoming
Victorian Richard Di Natale, while Sarah Hanson-Young has
been handed Tibet. Senator Brown declared the Greens the
"most stable" party in the parliament."We are a happy and
cohesive party," Senator Brown said in a statement. (-
ABC/AAP)
On-duty officer shot at Papua
airport
The Jakarta Post 06/25/2011
JAYAPURA:
First Brigadier M. Yazin was shot by a group of unidentified
people while on duty at Mulia Airport in Puncak Jaya, Papua,
on Friday morning. “Someone suddenly grabbed his gun and
shot him in the head,” Papua Police public relations
division head Sr. Comr. Wachyono said Friday. The victim is
reportedly in critical condition.
Wachyono said the
perpetrators, estimated at five in number, then mingled with
people boarding a plane to Jayapura. “It was very quick.
The victim did not even have the chance to turn around to
see the person who grabbed his gun,” Wachyono said.
Friday’s shooting of a policeman was not the first in the
region. First Sergeant Kaman Nurjaman of the military’s
Special Troop Command (Kopassus) was shot by an unidentified
person in a crowd at Pasar Ilu, Puncak Jaya, last month. —
JP
Statement of deep concern by Coalition of Human
Rights Defenders in Papua
Bintang Papua, 17 June
2011
Human rights defenders in Papua very
worried
Acts of violence and terror that have
been perpetrated against human rights defenders as well as
against journalists have led to a sense of deep concern
among human rights NGOs and religious organisations which
are members of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in
the Land of Papua The following NGOs held a press
conference in Jayapura on Friday 17 June, to convey their
problems: KomnasHAM- Papua, the Synod of the Kingmi
Church in Papua, the Synod of the Baptist Church in Papua,
Foker NGO (NGO Working Group) Papua, Kontras Papua, LBH -
Legal Aid Institute in Papua, and BUK, United for Truth.
Foremost among the agencies criticised was the
TNI, the Indonesian army whose members were involved in a
number of acts of violence. They drew attention in
particulate to five incidents that had occurred during the
past five months in which members of the TNI were
involved: 'Up to June this year, there have been at
least five incidents which reflect the arrogance and random
actions perpetrated by members of the TNI,' said Olga
Hamadi, the co-ordinator of Kontras Papua. Others present at
the press conference included the Rev. Benny Giay, chairman
of the Synod of the Kingmi Church in the Land of Papua,
Mathius Murib, representative of Komnas HAM-Papua, Eliezer
M, LBH-Papua, Julian Howay of the ALDP, and a number of
human rights activists.
They said that the
much-vaunted reforms within the TNI were rarely reflected in
the activities of members of the TNI on the ground. 'Is this
what the commander of the TNI was praising so profusely
during his recent visit to Papua,' wondered Rev Giay.
Mathius Murib said that the incident that occurred
in Puncak Jaya a few months ago had drawn a great deal of
public attention, nationally as well as internationally.
[This refers to the acts of torture against Papuans that
were circulated by video.]
'All their talk
about Love and Peace is far from been applied by members of
the security forces on the ground. Isn't it time for them to
change their tune?'
They said that the continued
occurrence of acts of violence and intimidation by members
of the TNI is a clear indication that no actions have been
taken against members of the TNI who have violated the
law. 'We are concerned about the impact this is
having on the reputation of the Indonesian state and wonder
what is being done to protect the rights of human rights
defenders,' said Olga Hamadi. She said that in cases
where members of the TNI had been involved in acts of
violence, all that had happened was that they had been moved
sideways. 'Or, in those instances where they had been taken
to court, they had appeared before a military tribunal and
the verdicts were often unclear or had had little if any
effect,' said Peneas Lokbere, co-ordinator of BUK.
The Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in the
Land of Papua therefore issued the following
statement:
1. Protection is needed for human rights
defenders in Papua in carrying out their humanitarian
activities throughout the Land of Papua. Such protection can
be provided by the introduction of a special law, while at
the same time setting up an independent commission at state
level for the purpose of monitoring and advocacy as well as
taking sanctions against those individuals who commit
violence against human rights defenders.
2. As a short-term measure, we regard it as important to set up a special bureau within Komnas HAM to focus on the protection of human rights defenders.
3. In view the many acts of intimidation and violence perpetrated by members of the armed forces, we urge the military commander of Cenderawasih XVII military command to take firm measures in the law courts and administration against all violations perpetrated by members of the TNI on the ground.
4. To provide moral guidance to all officers of the armed forces as well as disseminate an understanding of human rights so as to ensure that acts of violence perpetrated by members of the armed forces are not committed against civil society or against human rights defenders in the Land of Papua. [Translated by TAPOL]
Security men slain in latest mine
violence
In an article by John McBeth, in The
Straits Times (Singapore) June 23, 2011, it reported that
authorities are investigating at least two soldiers in
connection with the brutal slaying of two Freeport Indonesia
security men in a mysterious dusk ambush two months ago.
Sources familiar with the April 7 incident, which was
initially blamed on Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels, say Mr
Hari Siregar and Mr Daniel Mansawan were run off the road by
another vehicle, shot at point-blank range, and then burned
beyond recognition. Detachment 88 anti-terrorism police, who
maintain a semi-permanent presence at Freeport's Grasberg
copper and gold mine, are understood to have traced a
soldier through one of the victim's mobile phones, which had
dropped off the network at the time of the murder but was
detected after being reactivated earlier this month. The
soldier's calls were then monitored, and at least one other
soldier is under suspicion for a crime that appears to stem
from an internal dispute but may well have wider
implications. While the police took over security for the
mine in 2004, military units still play a role in guarding
its outer perimeter. Both benefit from a US$100 million
(S$124 million) a year illegal gold-mining operation that
has grown up around the mine waste.
HIV/AID
spreading to the kampungs
JUBI, 10 June 2011
A
member of the Commission to Combat AIDS (KPA) for the
district of Merauke has warned that HIV/AIDS has now spread
to the kampungs, which is evident from the number of
sufferers now being recorded. He said that the disease had
now become dominant among housewives and people living in
the countryside. Stef Labwoer, deputy chair of the
commission, said that it was essential to provide guidance
to people in the kampungs to exercise restraint, that is to
say, to avoid entering into intimate relationships with
anyone. This can only lead to the spread of the disease to
the person's next partner.
He also said that the commission is distributing condoms monthly to anyone who needs them. Over the past three months, he said that some thirty thousand condoms had been distributed in the district of Merauke. Sometimes as many as twelve thousand condoms were distributed within a single month. 'We don’t hand them round to individuals. We have certain places where we deposit the condoms and it is for those at these places to further handle the matter. While we don’t get involved at that level, it is clear that anyone who wants a condom will be able to get one.' (From tapol)
Merauke
estate ‘may threaten’ local stocks, livelihoods
Elly Burhaini Faizal, The Jakarta Post, 06/13/2011
The food estate policy that has encouraged foreign investment in agriculture may not prevent potential food crises, activists say. Mohamad Teguh Surya, head of the international affairs and climate justice department at the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said the government’s idea to establish the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) under the policy would not end food crises because it disregarded rights of indigenous people on their land and resources needed to cope with their livelihoods. “We can achieve food security by allocating more resources for small local food producers instead of giving generous approvals on food production to private entities,” Teguh told journalists during a Walhi discussion on food security. Food estate policy has been the government’s key program in securing local food stocks amid the growing uncertainty over global supply.
The idea of the MIFEE program was started when Merauke
Regent John Gluba Gebze initiated the establishment of the
Merauke Integrated Rice Estate (MIRE) in 2007 after
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited and made an
appeal to make Merauke a national rice barn. The program
allows up to 49 percent foreign investment in local
plantations but has no requirement of securing a certain
amount of crops for local needs.
Teguh said that instead
of empowering small local food producers, the MIFEE project
initiated by the government has ignored the rights of local
people and their own local food patterns. “Thousands of
hectares of forests rich in sago and other staple foods have
been chopped down for the project and replaced by industrial
plants, such as oil palm, or foods such as rice and corn for
commercial purposes,” said Teguh. As of February, the
Merauke regency Regional Investment Coordinating Board
(BKPMD) recorded that 46 companies already have licenses
needed to develop agricultural businesses in the MIFEE
project, such as oil palm, sugarcane, corn and other staple
foods, as well as fisheries. Yohannes Petrus Kamarka, a
member of Malind tribe in Merauke, said that few approaches
had been made by the government to introduce its plans
concerning the Merauke food estate to local people. “We
have had only several short meetings with officials from the
district office telling us that the project is important for
the sake of our prosperity,” Kamarka told The Jakarta
Post.
Kamarka said for local communities in Merauke, it seems that little prosperity will soon emerge with the existence of a food estate in their areas because it will occupy thousands of hectares of forestland.
“We really depend upon on resources in forests and wetlands for our livelihoods, but they will soon diminish as the project begins operations,” he said, adding that vast exploitation of forests areas might also destroy a wide range of biodiversity in Merauke.
The MIFEE program is projected to be located on about 2.5 million hectares of area, comprising 1.9 million hectares of wetlands and 0.6 million hectares of dry land.
For the sake of unity
Papuans want only one Assembly
Nethy Dharma Somba, The
Jakarta Post, Jayapura |06/18/2011
Papuan people want
only one People’s Assembly (MRP) for the entirety of
native Papuan land because they fear that separate MRPs will
lead to disparity in policy and decision making with regard
to the protection of the basic rights of indigenous Papuans,
a local community figure said. Speaking in response to the
installation of West Papua MRP chairman, MRP member Yoram
Wambrauw, who represents the MRP’s customary faction, said
Friday that the Assembly had the task of making sure that
the indigenous Papuans remained in existence and would not
become extinct in the region. West Papua Governor Abraham O.
Atururi swore in new board members of the province’s MRP
on Wednesday amid criticism that it violated a consensus
that there should be only one MRP in Papua. The swearing-in
ceremony, which was held a week after the election of board
members in Manokwari, was attended by 11 of the 33 MRP
members elected from West Papua province. The 33 West Papua
MRP members were inaugurated by Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi
in April together with 40 members elected from the province
of Papua.
“That has been our philosophy regarding why Papuans want only one MRP, even though new provinces will be established in the region in the future,” said Yoram, who is still also acting speaker of the MRP as elected Assembly board members have yet to be been sworn in. He said that if each of the provinces in Papua had its own MRP and each MRP had different policies regarding the protection of indigenous Papuans’ rights, it would lead to neglect of development focused on Papuans. “If this is the case (the establishment of another MRP) violates the spirit of Papuan special autonomy, as it does not generate social benefits, which means that the autonomy cannot solve issues and will instead create new social problems,” Yoram said. Yoram went on to say that the issue is also related to the “One for Two and Two but One” philosophy mentioned by Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu on Feb. 20, 2007 during a meeting with the West Papua governor on Mansinam Island, Manokwari, West Papua. “This means that culturally, naturally and customarily the greater Papuan tribe is one, but administratively is two: Papua and West Papua provinces,” he said quoting Barnabas’s statement regarding the motto. Papua councilor Julius Miagoni expressed concern that the establishment a West Papua MRP could lead to horizontal conflict between Papuans, especially because of the reported consensus that there should be only one MRP in Papua. “The Home Affairs Minister has to stop the MRP activities in West Papua because he acknowledges that the consensus is there,” Julius told reporters in Jayapura, on Friday.
Institute for Civil Strengthening (ICS) Papua director Budi Setyanto saw interests in Jakarta intending to split the unity of Papuans by establishing a MRP in West Papua.