Updated August 20, 2008 10:54:04
Indonesia says it will not re-open investigations into the 2002 killing of two American school teachers and an Indonesian in remote Papua province.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda says the case is now closed despite a new report alleging the military's involvement.
The report, in the South East Asia Research Journal, claims military agents helped organise an ambush near Freeport's massive Grasberg gold and copper mine.
American and Indonesian investigators found that Papuan separatist rebels were behind the attack.
Local rights groups have long claimed the military had a hand in the killings.
Tags:indonesiacrime
Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2341021.htm?tab=latest
Thursday 21 August 2008
Indonesian Armed Forces Accused of Timika Attack
Tuesday, 19 August, 2008 | 18:15 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:
The Indonesian Armed forces has been accused of involvement in the assault against a PT Freeport employee bus convoy in Timika, Papua, back in 2002. The accusation was exposed in last month’s edition of the South East Asia Research journal.
“We found not just one mastermind behind this action, but many,” American anthropologist, S. Eben Kirksey and journalist Andreas Harsono wrote in the journal.
Antonius Wamang, one the leaders of the Papua Armed Forces, a member of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), was charged with masterminding the attack that killed two American teachers. Wamang was sentenced for life
following a trial.
The journal revealed the involvement of someone who was connected within the army and helped Wamang to prepare the attack. “This person told Wamang to purchase the weapons for the attack, in Jakarta”, said Andreas,
as quoted by the AFP.
The chief of the Indonesia Armed Forces Headquarters’ Information Center, Air Marshall Sagom Tamboen urged the matter to be followed up if there is evidence. “But if the findings are linked to the recent American Congress
declaration, we can regard this as a series of interventions on Indonesian’s internal affairs,” he said.
TITIS SETIANINGTYAS
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:
The Indonesian Armed forces has been accused of involvement in the assault against a PT Freeport employee bus convoy in Timika, Papua, back in 2002. The accusation was exposed in last month’s edition of the South East Asia Research journal.
“We found not just one mastermind behind this action, but many,” American anthropologist, S. Eben Kirksey and journalist Andreas Harsono wrote in the journal.
Antonius Wamang, one the leaders of the Papua Armed Forces, a member of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), was charged with masterminding the attack that killed two American teachers. Wamang was sentenced for life
following a trial.
The journal revealed the involvement of someone who was connected within the army and helped Wamang to prepare the attack. “This person told Wamang to purchase the weapons for the attack, in Jakarta”, said Andreas,
as quoted by the AFP.
The chief of the Indonesia Armed Forces Headquarters’ Information Center, Air Marshall Sagom Tamboen urged the matter to be followed up if there is evidence. “But if the findings are linked to the recent American Congress
declaration, we can regard this as a series of interventions on Indonesian’s internal affairs,” he said.
TITIS SETIANINGTYAS
NGO welcomes Indonesian military commander’s removal from Papua
Radio New Zealand International
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
Accessibility Information
Posted at 08:00 on 21 August, 2008 UTC
The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, or ETAN, has welcomed the removal of Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian from his command in Papua.
A leading Indonesian military officer, Siagian faces two indictments in East Timor for crimes against humanity committed in 1999.
The Colonel has been the target of an international campaign urging his removal from Papua and calling for his trial.
Last year, as regional military commander in Papua, he issued death threats against anyone daring to demonstrate their support for Papuan independence.
It is yet be confirmed whether Siagian will be transferred to another Indonesian province.
However ETAN’s John Miller says that while his removal from Papua is a welcome move, Jakarta should take the next steps and suspend him from any command and then hand him over for trial for the crimes he committed in East Timor
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
Accessibility Information
Posted at 08:00 on 21 August, 2008 UTC
The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, or ETAN, has welcomed the removal of Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian from his command in Papua.
A leading Indonesian military officer, Siagian faces two indictments in East Timor for crimes against humanity committed in 1999.
The Colonel has been the target of an international campaign urging his removal from Papua and calling for his trial.
Last year, as regional military commander in Papua, he issued death threats against anyone daring to demonstrate their support for Papuan independence.
It is yet be confirmed whether Siagian will be transferred to another Indonesian province.
However ETAN’s John Miller says that while his removal from Papua is a welcome move, Jakarta should take the next steps and suspend him from any command and then hand him over for trial for the crimes he committed in East Timor
Forum urged to consider West Papuan rights
22-Aug-2008 08:06 AM
THE Pacific Island Forum (PIF) has been urged to raise the human rights situation in West Papua with Indonesia.
Joe Collins of the Sydney-based Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) told the Fiji Daily Post yesterday that the human rights situation in the Indonesian-ruled territory should be raised with Indonesia at the Post- Forum Dialogue.
“Indonesia is a Post- Forum Dialogue partner and here is a chance for the pacific island countries to express their concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua with Indonesia,” Collins said.
Reports of human rights abuses committed by Indonesian security forces in West Papua have been on the increase since the Forum 2007 meeting.
Acts like the raising of the national flag, the Morning Star by West Papua independence lobbyists is illegal and Indonesian authorities normally clamped down hard on those involved.
“The West Papuan people are a Pacific people and it should be the leaders of the pacific countries who are leading the way in showing concern at the deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua,” said Collins.
“The intimidation by the security forces of the West Papuan people is all pervasive and creates a climate of fear in the people of West Papua. The overwhelming military presence ensures that the security forces can act with total impunity,” he added.
Collins said it was time for the independent countries of the Pacific to show their concern for all Pacific peoples who are still struggling for their right to self - determination.
WPA has also written to all the PIF leaders with their please which includes a call for West Papuan political prisoners to be released.
AWPA also called on the PIF to send a fact-finding mission to West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory.
Source: http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=1&fijidailynews=18385
THE Pacific Island Forum (PIF) has been urged to raise the human rights situation in West Papua with Indonesia.
Joe Collins of the Sydney-based Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) told the Fiji Daily Post yesterday that the human rights situation in the Indonesian-ruled territory should be raised with Indonesia at the Post- Forum Dialogue.
“Indonesia is a Post- Forum Dialogue partner and here is a chance for the pacific island countries to express their concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua with Indonesia,” Collins said.
Reports of human rights abuses committed by Indonesian security forces in West Papua have been on the increase since the Forum 2007 meeting.
Acts like the raising of the national flag, the Morning Star by West Papua independence lobbyists is illegal and Indonesian authorities normally clamped down hard on those involved.
“The West Papuan people are a Pacific people and it should be the leaders of the pacific countries who are leading the way in showing concern at the deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua,” said Collins.
“The intimidation by the security forces of the West Papuan people is all pervasive and creates a climate of fear in the people of West Papua. The overwhelming military presence ensures that the security forces can act with total impunity,” he added.
Collins said it was time for the independent countries of the Pacific to show their concern for all Pacific peoples who are still struggling for their right to self - determination.
WPA has also written to all the PIF leaders with their please which includes a call for West Papuan political prisoners to be released.
AWPA also called on the PIF to send a fact-finding mission to West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory.
Source: http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=1&fijidailynews=18385
Sunday 10 August 2008
Man shot at UN Indigenous Day
11-Aug-2008 08:54 AM
THE Australian-based Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights (IPAHR) has reported the fatal shooting of a man in Wamena in the Indonesian-ruled West Papua on Saturday.
IPAHR spokesman Matthew Jamieson said the man identified as Opinus Tabuni, 35 was short during a gathering to celebrate United Nations Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“Mr Tabuni is said to have been shot in chest and killed after Indonesian
security forces fired into the crowd at about 3.45 pm today (Saturday),” Jamieson said.
Tabuni was an organiser for the tribal council in the Wamena region (Lapago)one of the groups lobbying for West Papuan independence.
IPAHR reported that four flags -the UN flag, the Indonesian flag, the West Papuan Morning Star flag and the SOS emergency flag – were raised during the event.
Thousands of people had gathered in Wamena city to mark UN. Indigenous Peoples’ Day when the incident happened.
The Morning Star is a banned separatist flag.
Leader of the Papua Tribal Council, Fadhal Alhamid, said when the police saw the flag, they immediately fired warning shots and somebody screamed someone that had been shot.
The demonstrators reportedly refused to move from the site of the demonstration until there is international intervention in West Papua.
There have been no official confirmation of the fatal shooting.
Human rights violation against pro-independence activists in West Papua often go unreported in mainstream media due mainly to a tight control over local media by Indonesian authorities.
Source: http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=1&fijidailynews=18126
THE Australian-based Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights (IPAHR) has reported the fatal shooting of a man in Wamena in the Indonesian-ruled West Papua on Saturday.
IPAHR spokesman Matthew Jamieson said the man identified as Opinus Tabuni, 35 was short during a gathering to celebrate United Nations Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“Mr Tabuni is said to have been shot in chest and killed after Indonesian
security forces fired into the crowd at about 3.45 pm today (Saturday),” Jamieson said.
Tabuni was an organiser for the tribal council in the Wamena region (Lapago)one of the groups lobbying for West Papuan independence.
IPAHR reported that four flags -the UN flag, the Indonesian flag, the West Papuan Morning Star flag and the SOS emergency flag – were raised during the event.
Thousands of people had gathered in Wamena city to mark UN. Indigenous Peoples’ Day when the incident happened.
The Morning Star is a banned separatist flag.
Leader of the Papua Tribal Council, Fadhal Alhamid, said when the police saw the flag, they immediately fired warning shots and somebody screamed someone that had been shot.
The demonstrators reportedly refused to move from the site of the demonstration until there is international intervention in West Papua.
There have been no official confirmation of the fatal shooting.
Human rights violation against pro-independence activists in West Papua often go unreported in mainstream media due mainly to a tight control over local media by Indonesian authorities.
Source: http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=1&fijidailynews=18126
Thursday 7 August 2008
Indonesia ignoring cholera outbreak
By Norman Voss
Column: Indonesian Justice
Hong Kong, China — Shocking health conditions and deaths from cholera are being reported in Indonesia's most resource-rich region. As of last weekend, 173 deaths had been reported among the indigenous people in the eastern province of Papua. The victims suffered severe diarrhea, which have been confirmed to be caused by cholera.
The epidemic is spread through contaminated water or food and can lead to death within a few days. Papua, whose indigenous population experienced serious hardships during the Suharto regime and continues to suffer severe human rights violations, has now been struck by a major health disaster. Yet the Indonesian government is not providing sufficient support.
Local church groups have been recording cholera cases in the Kamuu valley in the district of Dogiyai. They have tried to alert authorities, including the Health Department in the nearby city of Nabire, ever since the first cases were discovered in April this year.
Indigenous Papuans are forced to rely on the support of local non-governmental groups while the health authorities continue to ignore the situation. The Ministry of Health has so far acknowledged only 87 deaths among 575 cases of infection. Organizations in Papua are calling for urgent help.
The epidemic is likely to spread and there is imminent danger of further deaths. Urgent prevention measures are required, which include the provision of means for proper disposal of fecal waste, treatment of sewage, the decontamination of water supplies and public health education.
Indonesia was the starting point for a major cholera pandemic called “El Tor” that began in 1961 and spread over the following decade to other countries including Bangladesh, India, the Soviet Union and Italy.
The ongoing deaths have brought despair and desperation among the affected communities, and frustration over official negligence has already resulted in riots. An outbreak of violence in the town of Moanemani is an indicator of the thin level of trust between the indigenous population and the administration in the provinces.
Distrust and suspicion are largely a result of government policies put in place to exploit the rich natural environment. During the Suharto regime, a transmigration policy brought innumerable migrants from other parts of Indonesia to Papua, whose population is largely Christian. Many of the migrants to arrive were Muslim traders.
Over the years the migrant population has risen to 40 percent. The resulting inflow of business and the different culture are felt as an attack on the indigenous culture and habitat of the local people. Tensions have in the past sparked riots and even independence movements, which faced serious repercussions from the armed forces, including the arrest and torture of many suspects.
Papua has enormous natural resources, but the indigenous people have not benefitted much from them. Timber and minerals are the main export resources, and the activities of logging and mining companies are destroying both the environment and the local way of life. The exploitation of natural resources plays mainly into the hands of the migrant traders, with indigenous people largely ignored.
Indonesian Social Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie told a delegation from the World Council of Churches that under democracy, internal migrants cannot be stopped from moving to Papua, where their skills and talents make it easy for them to dominate the more "backward" societies.
It seems however that under Indonesian democracy the violation of rights by the army, the police and the Ministry of Health also cannot be stopped.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Andri Hadi has admitted that the transmigration policies of the past were a wrong approach and are the cause of many problems the Papuans are facing today.
But what is needed most now is a serious reaction from the health authorities to control the cholera epidemic and prevent its spread into the neighboring district of Paniai. Medicine, doctors and proper waste disposal teams need to be equipped and sent to the region.
So far, in the most resourceful region that creates major income for the state, not even basic standards of healthcare have been provided to prevent what could become a major epidemic.
--
(Norman Voss is a staff member of the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He studied physics and pursued a master’s degree in international and public affairs. His work presently includes human rights issues in Indonesia and the advocacy of human rights reforms.)
Column: Indonesian Justice
Hong Kong, China — Shocking health conditions and deaths from cholera are being reported in Indonesia's most resource-rich region. As of last weekend, 173 deaths had been reported among the indigenous people in the eastern province of Papua. The victims suffered severe diarrhea, which have been confirmed to be caused by cholera.
The epidemic is spread through contaminated water or food and can lead to death within a few days. Papua, whose indigenous population experienced serious hardships during the Suharto regime and continues to suffer severe human rights violations, has now been struck by a major health disaster. Yet the Indonesian government is not providing sufficient support.
Local church groups have been recording cholera cases in the Kamuu valley in the district of Dogiyai. They have tried to alert authorities, including the Health Department in the nearby city of Nabire, ever since the first cases were discovered in April this year.
Indigenous Papuans are forced to rely on the support of local non-governmental groups while the health authorities continue to ignore the situation. The Ministry of Health has so far acknowledged only 87 deaths among 575 cases of infection. Organizations in Papua are calling for urgent help.
The epidemic is likely to spread and there is imminent danger of further deaths. Urgent prevention measures are required, which include the provision of means for proper disposal of fecal waste, treatment of sewage, the decontamination of water supplies and public health education.
Indonesia was the starting point for a major cholera pandemic called “El Tor” that began in 1961 and spread over the following decade to other countries including Bangladesh, India, the Soviet Union and Italy.
The ongoing deaths have brought despair and desperation among the affected communities, and frustration over official negligence has already resulted in riots. An outbreak of violence in the town of Moanemani is an indicator of the thin level of trust between the indigenous population and the administration in the provinces.
Distrust and suspicion are largely a result of government policies put in place to exploit the rich natural environment. During the Suharto regime, a transmigration policy brought innumerable migrants from other parts of Indonesia to Papua, whose population is largely Christian. Many of the migrants to arrive were Muslim traders.
Over the years the migrant population has risen to 40 percent. The resulting inflow of business and the different culture are felt as an attack on the indigenous culture and habitat of the local people. Tensions have in the past sparked riots and even independence movements, which faced serious repercussions from the armed forces, including the arrest and torture of many suspects.
Papua has enormous natural resources, but the indigenous people have not benefitted much from them. Timber and minerals are the main export resources, and the activities of logging and mining companies are destroying both the environment and the local way of life. The exploitation of natural resources plays mainly into the hands of the migrant traders, with indigenous people largely ignored.
Indonesian Social Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie told a delegation from the World Council of Churches that under democracy, internal migrants cannot be stopped from moving to Papua, where their skills and talents make it easy for them to dominate the more "backward" societies.
It seems however that under Indonesian democracy the violation of rights by the army, the police and the Ministry of Health also cannot be stopped.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Andri Hadi has admitted that the transmigration policies of the past were a wrong approach and are the cause of many problems the Papuans are facing today.
But what is needed most now is a serious reaction from the health authorities to control the cholera epidemic and prevent its spread into the neighboring district of Paniai. Medicine, doctors and proper waste disposal teams need to be equipped and sent to the region.
So far, in the most resourceful region that creates major income for the state, not even basic standards of healthcare have been provided to prevent what could become a major epidemic.
--
(Norman Voss is a staff member of the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He studied physics and pursued a master’s degree in international and public affairs. His work presently includes human rights issues in Indonesia and the advocacy of human rights reforms.)
New strategy behind separatism in Papua
Jakarta Post
Benny YP Siahaan, Geneva
Separatism in Papua is now perhaps the only remaining serious and long-standing separatist problem in Indonesia after the issue of Acehnese separatism was finally and successfully resolved. Following the Aceh peace deal in 2005, it is expected that the Papuan rebellion will follow in the footsteps of Aceh.
However until now there has been no indication that separatist sentiment in Papua is dwindling, in spite of the Indonesian government's offer of a special autonomy package and various other efforts to win "hearts and minds" of Papuans.
There is a growing nonviolent separatist movement in Papua. In the last few years, we have noticed an incremental change in the strategy of the Papuan separatist movement. This strategy is two-pronged.
First of all, its members often resort to acts of open defiance deliberately designed to provoke the security forces to retaliate. When this tactic proves successful, violent clashes occur, with obvious negative consequences.
A clear example is the violent demonstrations in Abepura in 2006, in the course of which several members of the Indonesian police lost their lives.
Demonstrations are now a fact of life to the Papuan people. The question is how long can the state security apparatus refrain from using a heavy hand when facing clear provocation or violent demonstrations.
Secondly, separatism is driven by allegations that genocide and ethnic cleansing are taking place in Papua. On this particular issue, so far there are at least two studies alleging the existence of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The first is by the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School, and the second is a study by the West Papua Project of the University of Sydney.
This new strategy is tantamount to a "time bomb". At any moment, it can yield results, particularly if violence occurs as a result of provocation.
In the latter case, one should be thankful for the fact that, in the Abepura tragedy, the police were not provoked to resort to brutal retaliation as in Santa Cruz, East Timor in 1991.
Indeed, after realizing that their legal argument claiming that Papua is not a legitimate Indonesian territory has little future, the separatist movement has looked to the human rights approach and the concept of the responsibility to protect (R2P) as one of the more effective means of attaining their goal.
Based on previous experience, the human rights approach proved successful in East Timor, particularly after the Santa Cruz incident in which Indonesian soldiers shot demonstrators, leading to widespread international condemnation.
After that, attention in East Timor became focused on human rights rather than on decolonization, which the separatists thought would take too long.
Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is one of the most controversial concepts in the field of international relations and human rights in the more than a decade. In recent years R2P has become a source of inspiration to many separatist groups.
According to this concept, a country or group of countries can intervene to resolve a dire situation in a country in the event that it fails to fulfill its responsibilities, particularly if the state in question is unwilling or unable to prevent or stop genocide, mass killings or other major human rights violations.
Although the proponents of R2P claim that support for the R2P concept is increasing, up to the present there is no consensus as to when such an intervention can legitimately occur, under whose authority, or how it can be carried out. The opponents of R2P argue that it is a breach of sovereignty.
Furthermore, the existence of the R2P concept entails the risk of "moral hazard". Moral hazard, according to Kuperman and Crawford (2006), can be defined as being similar to a situation when people are protected by insurance.
Some of them may behave recklessly or act irresponsibly because the negative consequences of their act are borne by the insurance company.
This is the logic behind the recent shift in the strategy of Papuan separatists. For example, if we look at the aim of the above-mentioned West Papua Project of the University of Sydney, whose study claimed that genocide is taking place in Papua, the aim is to..."raise public awareness of the conflict between West Papua and Indonesia, with particular reference to human rights implications and the threat to the stability of the South Pacific region."
Hence, all they need is an incident such as happened in Santa Cruz in East Timor to turn everything upside-down and where possible on a bigger scale than Santa Cruz.
Defining the separatist problem in Papua is not an easy task, particularly after it has lingered over a span of more than 35 years, during which time it has evolved into a very complex issue. Over-simplification can be hazardous.
Furthermore, from what we have learned in East Timor and Aceh, repressive security policies have themselves contributed significantly to the increasing of secessionist sentiment and have thereby generated insecurity. In other words, violence generates violence.
On the basis of these considerations, we should seek, even at some cost, to find alternative approaches and in particular, examine the nonviolent solutions to the complex contemporary problems in Papua. The strategy of restraint and to continue to educate the military and police on human rights are vital in this respect.
The writer is an Indonesian diplomat based in Geneva, Switzerland. The views expressed are solely his own.
Benny YP Siahaan, Geneva
Separatism in Papua is now perhaps the only remaining serious and long-standing separatist problem in Indonesia after the issue of Acehnese separatism was finally and successfully resolved. Following the Aceh peace deal in 2005, it is expected that the Papuan rebellion will follow in the footsteps of Aceh.
However until now there has been no indication that separatist sentiment in Papua is dwindling, in spite of the Indonesian government's offer of a special autonomy package and various other efforts to win "hearts and minds" of Papuans.
There is a growing nonviolent separatist movement in Papua. In the last few years, we have noticed an incremental change in the strategy of the Papuan separatist movement. This strategy is two-pronged.
First of all, its members often resort to acts of open defiance deliberately designed to provoke the security forces to retaliate. When this tactic proves successful, violent clashes occur, with obvious negative consequences.
A clear example is the violent demonstrations in Abepura in 2006, in the course of which several members of the Indonesian police lost their lives.
Demonstrations are now a fact of life to the Papuan people. The question is how long can the state security apparatus refrain from using a heavy hand when facing clear provocation or violent demonstrations.
Secondly, separatism is driven by allegations that genocide and ethnic cleansing are taking place in Papua. On this particular issue, so far there are at least two studies alleging the existence of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The first is by the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School, and the second is a study by the West Papua Project of the University of Sydney.
This new strategy is tantamount to a "time bomb". At any moment, it can yield results, particularly if violence occurs as a result of provocation.
In the latter case, one should be thankful for the fact that, in the Abepura tragedy, the police were not provoked to resort to brutal retaliation as in Santa Cruz, East Timor in 1991.
Indeed, after realizing that their legal argument claiming that Papua is not a legitimate Indonesian territory has little future, the separatist movement has looked to the human rights approach and the concept of the responsibility to protect (R2P) as one of the more effective means of attaining their goal.
Based on previous experience, the human rights approach proved successful in East Timor, particularly after the Santa Cruz incident in which Indonesian soldiers shot demonstrators, leading to widespread international condemnation.
After that, attention in East Timor became focused on human rights rather than on decolonization, which the separatists thought would take too long.
Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is one of the most controversial concepts in the field of international relations and human rights in the more than a decade. In recent years R2P has become a source of inspiration to many separatist groups.
According to this concept, a country or group of countries can intervene to resolve a dire situation in a country in the event that it fails to fulfill its responsibilities, particularly if the state in question is unwilling or unable to prevent or stop genocide, mass killings or other major human rights violations.
Although the proponents of R2P claim that support for the R2P concept is increasing, up to the present there is no consensus as to when such an intervention can legitimately occur, under whose authority, or how it can be carried out. The opponents of R2P argue that it is a breach of sovereignty.
Furthermore, the existence of the R2P concept entails the risk of "moral hazard". Moral hazard, according to Kuperman and Crawford (2006), can be defined as being similar to a situation when people are protected by insurance.
Some of them may behave recklessly or act irresponsibly because the negative consequences of their act are borne by the insurance company.
This is the logic behind the recent shift in the strategy of Papuan separatists. For example, if we look at the aim of the above-mentioned West Papua Project of the University of Sydney, whose study claimed that genocide is taking place in Papua, the aim is to..."raise public awareness of the conflict between West Papua and Indonesia, with particular reference to human rights implications and the threat to the stability of the South Pacific region."
Hence, all they need is an incident such as happened in Santa Cruz in East Timor to turn everything upside-down and where possible on a bigger scale than Santa Cruz.
Defining the separatist problem in Papua is not an easy task, particularly after it has lingered over a span of more than 35 years, during which time it has evolved into a very complex issue. Over-simplification can be hazardous.
Furthermore, from what we have learned in East Timor and Aceh, repressive security policies have themselves contributed significantly to the increasing of secessionist sentiment and have thereby generated insecurity. In other words, violence generates violence.
On the basis of these considerations, we should seek, even at some cost, to find alternative approaches and in particular, examine the nonviolent solutions to the complex contemporary problems in Papua. The strategy of restraint and to continue to educate the military and police on human rights are vital in this respect.
The writer is an Indonesian diplomat based in Geneva, Switzerland. The views expressed are solely his own.
US congressmen send letter on Papua to Yudhoyono
New York (ANTARA News) - Some 40 United States Congressmen have sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two sympathizers of the outlawed separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization), Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.
"We, the undersigned, members of the U.S. Congress, respectfully call to your attention the cases of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage who, in May 2005, were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the legitimate and peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004," they said in their joint letter.
"We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage," the letter said.
Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Sudjadnan Parnohadingrat confirmed the US congressmen had sent a letter to President Yudhoyono.
"It`s true. The letter was dated July 29, 2008, and sent through us. We passed it on to Jakarta," Ambassador Sudjadnan told ANTARA on Wednesday.
He said the sending of the congressional letter to the president was not a trivial matter because it was signed by 40 US Congressmen.
The ambassador said he had often explained to people in the US who asked about Karma and Pakage that they had been detained for criminal acts and it had been proven in court, and even in the Supreme Court.
He said the government could not interfere in the case of Karma and Pakage because it was a matter in the hands of the judicial authority.
The initiative to send the congressional letter was coordinated by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years imprisonment respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag of OPM in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.
(*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
"We, the undersigned, members of the U.S. Congress, respectfully call to your attention the cases of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage who, in May 2005, were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the legitimate and peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004," they said in their joint letter.
"We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage," the letter said.
Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Sudjadnan Parnohadingrat confirmed the US congressmen had sent a letter to President Yudhoyono.
"It`s true. The letter was dated July 29, 2008, and sent through us. We passed it on to Jakarta," Ambassador Sudjadnan told ANTARA on Wednesday.
He said the sending of the congressional letter to the president was not a trivial matter because it was signed by 40 US Congressmen.
The ambassador said he had often explained to people in the US who asked about Karma and Pakage that they had been detained for criminal acts and it had been proven in court, and even in the Supreme Court.
He said the government could not interfere in the case of Karma and Pakage because it was a matter in the hands of the judicial authority.
The initiative to send the congressional letter was coordinated by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years imprisonment respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag of OPM in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.
(*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
President yet to receive US Congressmen`s letter on Papua
08/07/08 21:32
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has yet to receive a letter said to have been sent by US Congressmen demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two sympathizers of the outlawed separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization), a presidential spokesman said.
"Until now, we have not received it. We have checked with the Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy here but neither of them knows about it," Dino Patti Djalal said on Thursday.
Dino was commenting on a report that some 40 US Congressmen had sent a letter to President Yudhoyono demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two OPM sympathizers identified as Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.
"We, the undersigned, members of the U.S. Congress, respectfully call to your attention the cases of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage who, in May 2005, were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the legitimate and peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004," the US Congressmen said in their joint letter.
"We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage," the letter said.
Indonesian Ambassador to the US Sudjadnan Parnohadingrat confirmed the US congressmen had sent a letter to President Yudhoyono.
"It`s true. The letter was dated July 29, 2008, and sent through us. We passed it on to Jakarta," Sudjadnan told ANTARA on Wednesday.
Dino admitted that the letter had already been published in the East Timor and Indonesian Action Network (ETAN)`s website.
He questioned the ETAN`s interest in meddling in the issue of Papua, the more so because East Timor had seceded from the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
The current security conditions in Papua were relatively stable and special autonomy for the country`s easternmost province was running well, he said.
"The US Congress must look at this. Please respect the stability there and the government`s independency with regard to the Papua issue," he said.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years imprisonment respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag of OPM in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.(*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has yet to receive a letter said to have been sent by US Congressmen demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two sympathizers of the outlawed separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization), a presidential spokesman said.
"Until now, we have not received it. We have checked with the Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy here but neither of them knows about it," Dino Patti Djalal said on Thursday.
Dino was commenting on a report that some 40 US Congressmen had sent a letter to President Yudhoyono demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two OPM sympathizers identified as Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.
"We, the undersigned, members of the U.S. Congress, respectfully call to your attention the cases of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage who, in May 2005, were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the legitimate and peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004," the US Congressmen said in their joint letter.
"We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage," the letter said.
Indonesian Ambassador to the US Sudjadnan Parnohadingrat confirmed the US congressmen had sent a letter to President Yudhoyono.
"It`s true. The letter was dated July 29, 2008, and sent through us. We passed it on to Jakarta," Sudjadnan told ANTARA on Wednesday.
Dino admitted that the letter had already been published in the East Timor and Indonesian Action Network (ETAN)`s website.
He questioned the ETAN`s interest in meddling in the issue of Papua, the more so because East Timor had seceded from the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
The current security conditions in Papua were relatively stable and special autonomy for the country`s easternmost province was running well, he said.
"The US Congress must look at this. Please respect the stability there and the government`s independency with regard to the Papua issue," he said.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years imprisonment respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag of OPM in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.(*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
Wednesday 6 August 2008
Papuans Stage Major Rally against Special Autonomy Law
Nethy Dharma Somba , The Jakarta Post , Jayapura | Tue, 08/05/2008 10:15 AM | The Archipelago
LONG MARCH: Some 3,000 Papuans from the Indonesian Christian Communication Forum hold a
peaceful demonstration in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday. They protested the lack of progress
in implementing the special autonomy law on Papua. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)
At least 3,000 people mobilized by the Papuan Christian Communication Forum staged a
rally in Jayapura on Monday, questioning the functioning of the special autonomy law.
They claimed the law had been in force for seven years, but that most indigenous Papuan
people had not seen any improvement in their welfare.
The protesters from 45 churches in Jayapura flocked to the Papuan gubernatorial office at
9 a.m. local time, unfurling banners with slogans including: "Special Autonomy Law --
Blessing or Disaster", "Special Autonomy for whom" and Papua Pancasila Yes, Papua Sharia
No."
Besides questioning the special autonomy law, protesters opposed campaigns by
Jakarta-based groups calling for sharia law in Indonesia.
The protesters, who wore red and white, with a cross on their heads, were received by
Papuan provincial administration secretary, Tedjo Suprapto, representing Papuan Governor
Barnabas Suebu, who was away.
Salmon Yumane, a rally coordinator, said the provincial administration and the Papuan
Representatives Council were ignoring local interests by failing to promulgate and
enforce regulations needed to put special autonomy into practice.
"How can we assess the achievements of the special autonomy law, if the regulations are
not in force," Yumane said.
"It seems as if the local administration and council have forgotten to make the
regulations, thereby leaving local Papuan people living in poverty," he said.
Rev. Richard Paay, a local speaker at the rally, said the law had been in effect for
seven years, but no changes had taken place.
"For seven years, local people who mostly live in poverty, have heard about trillions of
rupiah (to be distributed to them), but many Papuans still die due to poor sanitation.
Where does the money go?," Paay asked.
Paay said students who wanted to do higher level studies were asked to pay hundreds of
thousand of rupiah in entrance fees.
The administration has built modern markets, but Papuan people still had to sell their
goods in small alleyways. For whom were the markets built?
Instead of getting benefits from the autonomy law, Papuans only got unfavorable results.
"People have been forced to face hardships like joining long lines for kerosene, due to
shortages, while prices of basic commodities continue rising, although most Papuans do
not have their own incomes," Paay said.
Paay asked the administration to encourage participation from the churches to make the
autonomy law effective.
"If the administration faces difficulties in implementation, just inform the church....we
are ready to give support," he said.
LONG MARCH: Some 3,000 Papuans from the Indonesian Christian Communication Forum hold a
peaceful demonstration in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday. They protested the lack of progress
in implementing the special autonomy law on Papua. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)
At least 3,000 people mobilized by the Papuan Christian Communication Forum staged a
rally in Jayapura on Monday, questioning the functioning of the special autonomy law.
They claimed the law had been in force for seven years, but that most indigenous Papuan
people had not seen any improvement in their welfare.
The protesters from 45 churches in Jayapura flocked to the Papuan gubernatorial office at
9 a.m. local time, unfurling banners with slogans including: "Special Autonomy Law --
Blessing or Disaster", "Special Autonomy for whom" and Papua Pancasila Yes, Papua Sharia
No."
Besides questioning the special autonomy law, protesters opposed campaigns by
Jakarta-based groups calling for sharia law in Indonesia.
The protesters, who wore red and white, with a cross on their heads, were received by
Papuan provincial administration secretary, Tedjo Suprapto, representing Papuan Governor
Barnabas Suebu, who was away.
Salmon Yumane, a rally coordinator, said the provincial administration and the Papuan
Representatives Council were ignoring local interests by failing to promulgate and
enforce regulations needed to put special autonomy into practice.
"How can we assess the achievements of the special autonomy law, if the regulations are
not in force," Yumane said.
"It seems as if the local administration and council have forgotten to make the
regulations, thereby leaving local Papuan people living in poverty," he said.
Rev. Richard Paay, a local speaker at the rally, said the law had been in effect for
seven years, but no changes had taken place.
"For seven years, local people who mostly live in poverty, have heard about trillions of
rupiah (to be distributed to them), but many Papuans still die due to poor sanitation.
Where does the money go?," Paay asked.
Paay said students who wanted to do higher level studies were asked to pay hundreds of
thousand of rupiah in entrance fees.
The administration has built modern markets, but Papuan people still had to sell their
goods in small alleyways. For whom were the markets built?
Instead of getting benefits from the autonomy law, Papuans only got unfavorable results.
"People have been forced to face hardships like joining long lines for kerosene, due to
shortages, while prices of basic commodities continue rising, although most Papuans do
not have their own incomes," Paay said.
Paay asked the administration to encourage participation from the churches to make the
autonomy law effective.
"If the administration faces difficulties in implementation, just inform the church....we
are ready to give support," he said.
Tuesday 5 August 2008
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