Police embedded to help secure Freeport employees

Markus Makur and Angela Flassy ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Timika/Jayapura   |  Fri, 01/29/2010 11:02 AM  |  The Archipelago

The authorities have increased security measures at mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia by slipping a police officer into each of the buses transporting company employees between work and home.
The measures, which are supported by 1,700 army and police personnel, have been adopted in
the wake of repeated shooting incidents along the road from Timika to Tembagapura.
Sporadic shootings by unidentified groups are reportedly distressing passengers on the passing buses, with the recent incident on Sunday leaving nine injured.
Among the victims were an American employee and four Mobile Brigade police officers.
Timika police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Muhammad Sagi said Thursday that the police were still investigating the incident.
“The police will continue to investigate and we will not speculate about the perpetrators of the
shootings.”
He said the shooting incident had not affected the employees’ commute between Timika and the mining site at Grasberg, Tembagapura.
Meanwhile, a researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences reiterated calls for the police to thoroughly investigate the matter.
“The police must be serious in their investigations in all shooting incidents at the premises of PT Freeport Indonesia,” Muridan told The Jakarta Post.
He said the repeated incidents showed the government had failed to provide security.
“The police are not resolute enough to uncover what is happening and who are the perpetrators,” he said.
“Is there any possibility that it is related to competition over the right to obtain security protections on PT Freeport ... or anything to do with gold panning at the tailing area?”
The police have blamed the security disturbance in the area on the separatist Papua Freedom Movement (OPM).
OPM leader Kelly Kwalik was killed over a month ago, but the disturbance remains.
The shootings are reported to have happened three times since Kwalik’s death.
Ruben Magay, a legislator from Commission A, also urged immediate disclosure for the shooting incidents.
“If they can’t, just recall them from there,” he said.
“President SBY, through the police chief, must address the issue. If possible, he should establish an independent investigative team.”
He lamented that civilians had been caught in the crossfire.
Thaha Alhamid, from the Papua Presidium Council, said the police deployed to secure Freeport had not been professional, credible nor consistent in the field.
“I believe they face psychological blocks in their duty so that they can’t bring this matter to an end yet.
“If so, an independent team should be set up.”

Norway's TGS-NOPEC launches 2D data program offshore West Papua

Norwegian seismic surveyor TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co ASA has launched a 2D seismic acquisition program offshore West Papua province in Indonesia.

TGS said the program will add 2,240 km of new 2D data designed to help evaluate the petroleum potential south of the Salawati Basin, considered to be one of the largest oil basins in eastern Indonesia with total cumulative oil production exceeding 300 million bbl.

TGS said data acquisition is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2010.

TGS general manager for Asia Pacific, Rod Starr, said TGS expects the program to be the first of a series of 2D projects this year, conditional on further industry support.

Upon the completion of the program, the TGS Indonesia library will exceed 100,000 km of 2D seismic; 400,000 km of multi-beam bathymetric data and 1,200 core samples covering over 1 million sq km of Indonesia’s deep-water basins.

TGS said the program has industry pre-funding and that it supports the Indonesian government's objective to attract exploration and reverse declining production levels.

What’s your view of this development? Is there something happening in the Salawati Basin or is the Indonesian government just gathering information in the mere hope of finding something?

Labels:
posted by: noreply@blogger.com
100129 :Norway's TGS-NOPEC launches 2D data program offshore West Papua
Post Comment

Papuan Council Recalls Former President Gus Dur

Thursday, 31 December, 2009 22:48 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Head of the council Thaha al Hamid said on Thursday (31/12) papuans will never forget the swift measure by Gus Dur in December 1999, in approving the use of the original term for their region, Papua, as the official name of province.

The measure replaced the name of Irian, Jaya given during Soeharto presidency, within only two months after the cleric assumed office which remained until now.

During his unfinished term he made two visits to the island in 1999 and 2000 and met with a senior papua leader Theys Hiyo Eluay jailed by the Indonesian authority during the second visit. “Even several times, when we had not visited him so often anymore, Gus Dur would asked and then we would come to visit him. So our contact was maintained even when was no longer holding the presidential post”

The last visit was in 2006 when Gud Dur was out of the office and in which Thaha said, Gus Dur made a plea to the governemnt to name Theys as a national hero.

His figure, Thaha went on, was too extraordinary for Papua and papuans. “We are not just losing a cleric, a former president, and a teacher, but actually we are losing a living scripture. A scripture that continuously giving advise.”

CUNDING LEVI

Jakarta-Papua talk still possible

Neles Tebay , Abepura, Papua
Sat, 01/02/2010 12:57 PM
Opinion

Despite the killing of Kelly Kwalik by Indonesian Mobile Brigade Police on Dec.16, 2009, at Timika, the capital of Mimika regeny, Papua, the Indonesian government under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Pa-puans have not yet shut down the window for dialogue.

A dialogue between Jakarta and Papua is important for both parties to jointly reach a peaceful and negotiated solution to the Papua conflict.

From the Papuans side, they have already demonstrated their commitment and willingness for a peaceful dialogue between Jakarta and Papua.

The world has witnessed that during and after the Kwalik's burial in Timika town, Papuans were able to calm themselves. They did not retaliate against the police. There was no atrocity initiated by the Papuans. The Papuans have rejected violent approaches, such as killing, for it will never settle the conflict. They have already chosen dialogue as a civilized way to reach a dignified solution to the Papua conflict.

The Papuans publicly announced they wanted to settle the Papua conflict through a civilized way, through a neutral third party, which will mediate the dialogue between Jakarta and Papua. Kwalik's assassination has even renewed and strengthened their commitment to dialogue, as clearly communicated in the speech of the chairperson of the Papuan Customary Council (DAP).

It is the belief of the Papuans that the Indonesian authority will not keep repeating its violent approach and therefore choose a civilized way, such as dialogue, to settle the Papua conflict. This belief is based on the fact that the government under the leadership of Yudhoyono has successfully settled the government's armed conflict with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), through a third party-mediated dialogue with the signing of Helsinki Agreement in August 2005.

Yudhoyono has been reelected for the second term of his presidency. Yudhoyono's reelection gives hope that the government under his leadership will handle the Papua conflict through dialogue with the Papuans, as was done in Aceh.

During his first term, Yudhoyono made several public statements announcing the government's commitment to settle the Papua conflict through dialogue.

However, the promised dialogue has not taken place. The Papuans understood well that the President was not able to initiate a dialogue with them because his political party, the Democratic Party, was new and small. Yudhoyono might have been reluctant to settle the Papuan conflict through dialogue because his political support in the House of Representatives was weak and his attention was focused on the implementation of the Helsinki Agreement in Aceh.

For the second term of his presidency, Yudhoyono has very strong political backing in the House. His political party won the April legislative elections and his party has formed coalition with some other big and influential parties. Therefore, there is less possibility for him to face resistance in the House.

Yudhoyono, at the same time as being the head of state and government, is also the Commander-In-Chief of the Indonesian army.

It is in the second term of his presidency, then, that it seems proper for him to settle the Papua conflict through dialogue as all of the country's power now at his disposal.

Yudhoyono's initiative for the dialogue between Jakarta and Papua will certainly be supported by the House, the government, and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

That's why the Papuans see that dialogue between Jakarta and Papua is still possible, particularly during Yudhoyono's presidency.

Once the Jakarta-based government engages in dialogue with the Papuans, and the Papua conflict is settled without bloodshed, then this peaceful settlement to the conflict would be the Yudhoyono's legacy.

The history of Indonesia will record and tell that he was the only Indonesian president who was able to settle peacefully and permanently, the Papua conflict through dialogue between Jakarta and Papua.

Not like in Aceh, where former vice president Jusuf Kalla was also involved, the peaceful settlement to the Papua conflict is and will be the Yudhoyono's work. It will be recognized his own idea.

A dialogue between Jakarta and Papua will really be considered as a manifestation of the Yudhoyono's genuineness and personal initiative.

As a result, he will be recognized internationally as a man of peace. It may even win him a Nobel Peace Price in the years to come.

It is needless to say that dialogue between Jakarta and Papua will certainly bring about a good reputation for the country of Indonesia before the eyes of international community. Therefore there is still hope and possibility for the present government to take the initiative for dialogue to settle the Papua conflict.

The writer is a lecturer at the Fajar Timur school of Philosophy and Theology in Abepura, Papua.




Joe Collins (not verified), Sydney — Sun, 01/03/2010 - 2:33am



Hopefully, President Yudhoyono will answer the call from the West Papuan people for dialogue and sit down with their representatives to peacefully discuss their concerns. But what a grand gesture it would be from him at the beginning of a new year to release all West Papuan political prisoners as a sign of good faith to the West Papuan people.

Markus Hagenauer — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 3:20pm



Yes, Papuans were able to calm themselves. But this was never the problem. In the past the security forces could not calm themselves and often used to shoot in a demonstrating crowd. Dialog was pomised by Yudhoyono once more. But nothing happened in the last month that makes this promise seem true. There was no dialog, papuan leaders were just imprisoned or even killed. Will Jakarta continue on this path, until no papuan leader is left for negotiations? And than they pick out some Papuans and force them by to agree to everything Jakarta wants, as they did in the "Act of free choice".

‘Govt ignores upholding human rights in Papua’

Irawaty Wardany , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Wed, 01/20/2010 9:44 AM
National

The Human Rights Commission considers the government ignored upholding human rights in Papua in 2009.

Matius Murib from the commission’s Papuan branch said criminalization of Papuan civilians had escalated significantly, with security forces discrediting anyone suspected of being a member of a separatist group.

“The criminalization of people who hoisted [separatist] flags, the stoppage of peaceful demonstrations and the shooting of Free Papua Organization [OPM] leader Kelly Kwalik are a projection of how the government is reluctant to have a dialogue with the Papuans,” he said. Kelly, accused of masterminding a series of attacks on employees of US-based mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, was shot dead by police December last year during a raid on his house in Timika.

“We think Kelly’s death showed the government’s failure in settling conflict within a democratic framework in Papua,” he said.

Matius said human rights activists were closely watched and at times intimidated when investigating human rights abuses or meeting representatives of international organizations. He said the government preferred to use military and security approaches in dealing with Papuans, thereby violating the civilian rights of the people. The government never thought it had failed to provide Papuans with their basic rights, which might be the reason for their separatist demands.

“Data from the International Fransiscans in 2004 showed 80 percent of indigenous Papuans live under the poverty line, 36.1 percent do not have access to health facilities,” Matius said. Increasing exploitation of Papua’s natural resources worsened the situation, therefore, they had asked the government and regional administrations to give priority to Papuans. “Promises to improve welfare, uphold democracy and justice — Yudhoyono’s three main programs — should be enjoyed by the Papuans,” he said.