[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 11/29/05
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- Govt must be 'consistent on Papua'
- The Government of Indonesia must be honest in dealing with the Papuan
people
- MEP calls on Oxford students to take action to support independence for
West Papua.
- Thank You from Benny Wenda to West Papua activists around the world
- ETAN Alert: Stop Assistance to Indonesian Military
- Military Ties to Indonesia Resume Too Soon for Some
- Jayapura-Vanimo (PNG) Border Crossing Road to be Opened Soon
*****************************
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
November 29, 2005
Govt must be 'consistent on Papua'
The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Jakarta
The central government must consistently implement the Special Autonomy
Law in Papua in order to help quell the demands for independence for the
resource-rich province, provincial governor Jacobus Perviddya Solossa
said.
He said that special autonomy was aimed at effectively restoring the
dignity of the Papuan people.
"The special autonomy granted by the central government in 2001 to counter
the secessionist movement and make amends for past mistakes is actually a
form of internal self-determination. It is aimed at lifting up the dignity
of the Papuan people," he said at the launching of his book here on
Monday.
The book entitled: Otonomi Khusus Papua Mengangkat Martabat Rakyat Papua
di Dalam NKRI (Papuan special autonomy improves the dignity of the Papuan
people within the Unitary Republic of Indonesia) was based on his
dissertation for his doctorate from Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West
Java, in May.
The book launch comes as top central government officials are struggling
to overcome renewed demands both in the province and overseas for the
separation of Papua from Indonesia. The Papuan people long suffered as the
central government had been accused of pillaging the province's natural
resources, while economic development remains scant and human rights
abuses rampant.
But despite the introduction of special autonomy more than four years ago,
resentment lingers as the central government has been accused of
inconsistency, particularly as regards the 2004 decision to partition
Papua into two provinces: Papua and West Irian Jaya. The recent launching
of a report in the Netherlands questioning the validity of the
UN-sponsored 1969 "referendum" on the integration of Papua into Indonesia
provides new ammunition for the secessionist movement.
The central government last week was forced to cancel the first regional
election in West Irian Jaya amid protests from Papuan leaders, including
those sitting in the newly-established Papuan People's Council (MRP), a
powerful political body representing the interests of Papuan people, who
said that the creation of the new province violated the Special Autonomy
Law as Papuan leaders had never been consulted.
Solossa said that old problems had resurfaced over the last few months as
the central government was inconsistent in implementing the Special
Autonomy Law, which provides greater power for the Papua administration to
manage its social and economic affairs, and a greater share of the revenue
raised in the province from natural resources.
"For example, the government has not disbursed payments from the General
Allocation Fund (DAU) on time; the government has not provided special
funds for infrastructural development; and has not been transparent about
how much its gets from natural resources," said the governor.
"These kind of problems would not emerge if the government set up a truth
and reconciliation commission and held fair trials of those guilty of
violating human rights, gives more special autonomy funds and provided
better education and health services," he said.
He said Papuan people had no objection to the province's partition
provided this was done in consultation with the Papuan people.
"Papua, which is 3.5 times bigger than Java, should be developed into five
provinces and the government should appoint a coordinating minister or a
senior governor to ensure coordination among the provinces," he said.
Meanwhile, in Jayapura, capital of Papua, Hermanus Indow, chairman of the
Front for the Establishment of West Irian Jaya, called on the MRP to give
a positive response to Jakarta's recent move to prepare an umbrella law
for the province to allow it to hold a gubernatorial election.
He also said the MRP should treat the new province as the equal of Papua
and facilitate dialog to ease differences and gaps between the two
provinces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRESS RELEASE: Rev'd Socratez Sofyan Yoman
President of the Union of Baptist Churches of West Papua
The Government of Indonesia must be honest in dealing with the Papuan people
(Reported by Andi Riri/Papua Post). Papua Post,
Wednesday 23rd November 2005.
If Special Autonomy really is the best and final solution for the Papuan
problems, we expect the Government of Indonesia to implement the Special
Autonomy Law No. 21 Year 2001 seriously, consistently, truthfully, justly
and honestly.
The evidence of the ignorance and the unserious attention of the
government of Indonesia towards the implementation of the Special Autonomy
were indicated by the formation of MRP which was full of manipulation and
governmental pressure through Indonesian intelligence [BIN] which has
resulted in:
- the election of the MRP members based on Indonesian government's
favouritism;
- the formation of West Irian Jaya Province which is part of Indonesian
intelligence's [BIN] agenda for keeping control of West Papua;
- the formation of new Indonesian military headquarters and new battalions
in West Papua;
- the deployment of 2 Indonesian warships to Manokwari, 3 warships to
Sorong, and 2 warships to Jayapura;
- the massive deployment of Indonesian troops to re-create Papua as a
Military Operation Region.
All this has given the Papuan people ample evidence that the Indonesian
government has not fully implemented Special Autonomy.
The Government of Indonesia is simply dancing on the tears and blood of
the Papuan people who suffer from oppression, being searched, being
kidnapped, imprisonment, torture, killing, and being raped because they
are accused of being separatists, subversives and members of the OPM;
these accusations have disregarded the human dignity, human rights and
degree of the native West Papuans for over 42 years since West Papua was
forced to be integrated into Indonesian administration on the 1st of May
1963 and through the 1969 Act of Free Choice manipulation.
It is important to remember that, although the Special Autonomy is seen by
Indonesia as the final solution of the fundamental problems in West Papua,
the Papuan people and the international community however still question
the status of West Papua within Indonesian territory.
The issue of Bill HR 2601in the US Congress, which was supported by 351
members of the Congress, the support of the Green Party-UK, Bishop Richard
Harries from Oxford, UK, Andrew Smith MP and many other members of the UK
Parliament, all show that the issue of West Papua is gaining ever
increasing international sympathy. Furthermore, on 15th November 2005,
Professor Drooglever launched his report into the 1969 Act of Free Choice
stating that it was full of manipulation and lying and destroyed the
survival and the future of Papuans.
To minimize the problems in West Papua and to get the strong sympathy of
the international community, the most effective and sympathetic method and
solution that respects human dignity and humanity is the implementation
of the Special Autonomy in an honest, truthful and just way. The
Indonesian Government can do this by:
1) The abolition of West Irian Jaya Province;
2) The cancelling of all the new Indonesian military headquarters and new
battalions in West Papua;
3) The withdrawal of all non-organic Indonesian troops from West Papua and;
4) Allowing free access to West Papua for international journalists and
foreign nationals on humanitarian missions.
What I have just said are the effective steps that could be used by the
Government of Indonesia to assure the international community that it is
serious about implementing Special Autonomy for the Papuans.
However, if the Government of Indonesia is not willing to implement
Special Autonomy and does not have a good and honest heart in dealing with
the Papuans, then the result can only be more international support for
the Papuans and more pressure on Indonesia by the international community
to solve the problems of the West Papuan people will be unavoidable.
-- (reported by Andi Riri/ Papua Pos reporter).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free West Papua Campaign
"West Papua needs you!"
-- MEP calls on Oxford students to take action to support independence for
West Papua.
29 November 2005
The Oxford University Free West Papua Campaign was delighted to welcome Dr
Caroline Lucas MEP (Member of the European Parliament for South East
England, Green Party) to Oxford last Thursday November 24th 2005.
Below is a transcript of Dr Lucas' speech in which she gives a powerful
commitment to work in solidarity with the West Papuan people in their
struggle for independence from Indonesian rule and urges Oxford students
and the wider UK population to do the same.
"Like East Timor and South Africa before it, West Papua typifies a
struggle between a discriminated indigenous MAJORITY and a minority
OCCUPYING government. Like East Timor and South Africa before it, West
Papau has become an intellectual battleground between those who think
geo-political considerations should overrule human rights and social
history - and those, like us gathered here today, who think the opposite.
And like East Timor and South Africa before, West Papua will be free!
As a Green, I am committed to the struggle for freedom in West Papau for a
number of reasons - Not just because it's a situation which exemplifies
the struggle of indigenous peoples to protect themselves, their identities
and their environment from the might of rapacious multi-national
corporations and an occupying colonial force - though clearly the terrible
situation in West Papua does - but because, as Benny has so eloquently
reminded us, because hundreds of thousands of everyday people are
suffering daily human rights abuses, because communities and even families
- like Benny's - are being destroyed and driven apart daily.
When I hear of these abuses - of villages being burned to the ground by
soldiers, of Papuan men tortured for daring to raise the West Papuan
'Morning Star' flag, of women being raped as part of a war of terror being
waged by the Indonesian military - I can't just ignore them. I feel it is
my duty as a human being to do what I can to help bring a just peace to
Papua.
It isn't just personal though: as the effects of climate change are
already beginning to bite - and oil and gas prices inexorably rise in the
face of warnings of the coldest winter for 40 years - it is clear that our
politicians are failing us, and that we would do well to learn from Papuan
culture. Rather than treating the earth as 'an enemy which must be
conquered', Papuans consider the earth to be 'our mother' and have never
sought to conquer or exploit it - as the Indonesians and multi-nationals
are doing on the island right now.
And ironically, given the failure of the UN and Indonesian government to
deliver any kind of functioning democracy to the island, the Papuan system
of tribal government is a model of community-based democracy. The world
would be poorer, both socially and environmentally, without the West
Papuan wisdom which is under direct threat as we speak here today.
For the reality is that this struggle is about the very survival of the
west Papuan people and their culture. If we do nothing, the once-thriving
Papuan culture will have been banished to live in reservations - like
indigenous people in parts of the US and Australia.
This is why it's so important to work together for a free West Papua. And,
though we are struggling against 'the big boys' - the government of the
world's fourth largest nation and multinational big businesses interests -
we have the truth on our side: West Papuans are suffering persecution and
abuse daily while the rest of the world turns a blind eye. And, as in East
Timor and South Africa before, a handful of activists - perhaps even some
of you in this room today - can awaken the ''blind eye' of public opinion
wide enough to deliver freedom to West Papua.
That's why it's so important - not just to Benny and his family and
community, but all of us - that we leave today with a renewed vigour to
tell the world - our friends, families, fellow students about what's going
on in West Papua. I'm yet to meet anyone who hears about West Papua and
isn't appalled - and even galvanized into action.
As well as telling anyone who'll listen about West Papua, we must get the
media to report the story and bring the West Papuans' struggle to the mass
audience needed to change global public opinion. And that's not as hard as
it sounds: anyone can organize a meeting like today's, or a protest for
the TV cameras - or put pressure on MPs, councilors or MEPs like me to use
their public profile to raise the issue of West Papua at every
opportunity.
But for the media to be abled to report from inside West Papua itself, to
show pictures of the brutality of the Indonesian military against unarmed
Papuans and to allow Papuans to speak directly to a world audience we need
to campaign to get the Indonesian Government to lift it's ban on foreign
journalists and human rights observers from working in West Papua. Access
to West Papua will be one of our most important keys. With this key we can
unlock the door and show everyone what Indonesia has been doing to the
Papuans in secret for the past 42 years …and is still doing now as I speak
to you today.
It's just this technique which, eventually, brought freedom to South
Africa - and it's already gathering strength in relation to West Papua.
Benny and Richard are now regular speakers at student groups and political
meetings around the country, and people - both in West Papua and Indonesia
- are beginning to notice.
And it's not just the media and politicians we need to reach: perhaps it's
the multinational firms doing business with the Indonesian government,
often to extract resources from West Papua without the agreement (or even
consultation with) local people that matter most.
BP, for example, are extracting Liquid Petroleum Gas from West Papua.
Mining giant Rio Tinto has been working with the Indonesian government to
plunder West Papua's mineral wealth for decades. But these companies need
a smiley, public face to keep their customers happy - and they are deeply
embarrassed when put on the spot over their collusion with the Indonesian
occupation of West Papua.
In the past we have seen - like Shell in Nigeria - companies back away
from murderous regimes rather than lose customers or face and public
backlash in the West. Persuading BP, for example, to call for West Papuan
independence - or demand, at least to be totally up front and honest about
the appalling human rights context in which they are operating in West
Papua (at the moment BP's website says virtually nothing about this) - is
a lesser challenge than persuading the Indonesian government to withdraw
all by itself.
BP is making it easy too: by setting up a $7 million BP Chair in "Resource
rich economies", with the new Professor to be installed sometime next
Spring, they have created a focal point for Oxford students to protest
against BP's collaboration with Indonesia in West Papua.
But, until then, we need to maintain public pressure. So I encourage any
of you who can make it to join Richard and Benny at a day of
demonstrations in London to mark West Papuan Independence Day next
Thursday on December 1st. A busy day will see protests outside the
Indonesian Embassy and the offices of both BP and Rio Tinto. We can't
pretend that this alone will bring about change in West Papua overnight -
but it'll be an important stepping stone on the road to building public
outrage and demands for West Papuan freedom.
We know from East Timor and South Africa that apparently impossible dreams
of freedom and justice can turn to reality. The Papuan people have never
given up even during four decades of suffering. Like the Timorese and
Black South Africans before, the Papuans need us here in the UK to use the
freedom we enjoy here to walk alongside them every step of the way to
independence.
The demonstration in London on 1st December should also be a lot of fun -
and a great chance to practice the welcome we'll give the Indonesian
president when he visits Europe, and perhaps the UK, next year!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Samoxen@…
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 8:00 AM
Subject: Thank You from Benny Wenda to West Papua activists around the world
Wa wa,
Dear sisters and brothers supporting the West Papua struggle around the
world,
I just spoke on the phone with [names removed] and they told me that at
the moment the military are walking around the town everywhere in Jayapura
because of 1 December.
But they say we are not afraid of the military because this our National
Independence day. The world must know that this day is very special for
the Papuan People.
We are not Indonesian, we are Papuan! We are going to hold peaceful
celebrations of the West Papua anniversary in Jayapura.
Thank you very much to all solidarity activists around the world. Because
of your hard work, the world is now opening its eyes to what is happening
in West Papua.
wa
Benny Wenda
Chair of DeMMaK (The Koteka Tribal Assembly)
International Lobbyist in the UK for a Free West Papua
PO Box 1409 Oxford OX4 1UN England UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: "John M Miller" <fbp@igc.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 2:18 PM
Subject: ETAN Alert: Stop Assistance to Indonesian Military
Urgent Alert
Bush Administration Grants Unlimited Military "Aid" to Indonesia
-- Betrays Military's Victims and End-Runs Congress
In a surprising and appalling move, the State Department waived all
legislated restrictions on U.S. military assistance for Indonesia on
November 22. For the first time in over a decade, the Indonesian military
is now eligible to receive Pentagon weapons and training without any
specific human rights or other conditions.
Just two weeks earlier, ETAN and its allies won a clear victory in
Congress. Senators and Representatives voted to maintain a ban on foreign
military financing and the export of lethal weapons to Indonesia despite
unprecedented pressure from the State Department and Pentagon. Congress
sent a strong message to Indonesia's government and security forces that
it expected real improvements in military reform, human rights
protections, and accountability for crimes against humanity and other
serious crimes. Secretary of State Rice, exploiting a national security
waiver, undermined that message.
U.S. support for an above-the-law, unreformed military is not in the
national interest of the United States, Indonesia, or Timor-Leste (East
Timor). With the 30th anniversary of the December 7 Indonesian military
invasion of Timor just around the corner, the Bush administration chose a
particularly unfortunate time to condone human rights violations.
We must vigorously protest the Bush administration's deceptive action.
Here are actions YOU can take:
1. Call Secretary Rice today. Tell her:
**You are appalled that the State Department issued a national security
waiver allowing unrestricted assistance for the Indonesian military for
the first time in over a decade.
**U.S. support for an unaccountable, unreformed military is not in the
interest of the United Stated or any other country. Rather, it undermines
democracy and human rights protections and is an affront to Congress.
**Secretary Rice should retract the national security waiver.
Call the State Department at 202-647-6575 to leave a message for Secretary
Rice or send a message via http://tinyurl.com/ds5cr.
2. If you can make a second call, phone Assistant Secretary for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill with the same message. He can be
reached at 202-647-9596.
3. Write a letter to the editor to your local newspaper, often the most
widely-read section. See below for a few sample letters to adapt as your
own. Email <mailto :etan@etan.org> etan@etan.org or call 718-596-7668 if
you'd like some help with your letter.
We cannot let the Bush administration get away with this! Please call
Secretary Rice and Assistant Secretary Hill today, and write that letter
to the editor. And please let us know the results of your efforts at
<mailto: etan@etan.org> etan@etan.org. Your actions make a world of
difference. Thank you!
For more background, see http://www.etan.org/news/2005/11waiver.htm. Stay
tuned for more actions you can take.
Sample Letters to the Editor
Be sure to include your full name, address, and telephone number. Keep
your letter under 200 words. If possible, include a local angle.
Timeliness is the bottom line for newspapers, so the sooner you submit
your letter, the better. Thank you and good luck!
Sample Letter #1
The State Department's decision to allow unrestricted military assistance
for Indonesia is a betrayal of the hundreds of thousands of victims of
that military's brutality in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. U.S. support for
Indonesia's unreformed military only encourages it to remain above the
law. This is not in the interest of either the United States or Indonesia.
Indonesia's democratic reforms have occurred in spite of the military. By
issuing a waiver to congressional restrictions on weapons sales, Secretary
of State Rice and President Bush have undermined U.S. pressure for further
reform. With the stroke of a pen, the administration gave away its
leverage to press for accountability for crimes against humanity in
Timor-Leste and elsewhere and demonstrated the hollowness of its stated
commitment to human rights protections in Indonesia.
Congress must vigorously protest Secretary Rice's abuse of discretion and
demand a public explanation. We should all watch closely the impact of
such engagement with this terribly abusive military.
Sample Letter #2
In a bitter irony, the Bush administration recently waived all
restrictions on military assistance to Indonesia just weeks before the
30th anniversary of that military's invasion of East Timor. Just prior to
the December 7, 1975 invasion, President Ford and his Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger gave then-dictator Suharto the green light to attack East
Timor with U.S.-supplied weapons. Tens of thousands of civilians died as a
direct result.
No senior military or political official in multiple Indonesian or U.S.
administrations has been held accountable for the crimes against humanity
committed during the invasion or the subsequent quarter-century of
occupation. Secretary of State Rice's decision to override Congress and
allow unrestricted U.S. assistance to the brutal Indonesian military for
the first time in over a decade only sanctions this cycle of impunity.
Secretary Rice should retract the wavier and instead put the
administration's full weight behind an international tribunal on East
Timor. After 30 years, Washington should have learned by now that genuine
justice and human rights protections are in the national interest.
Propping up an unreformed and unaccountable military is not.
This alert can be found at http://www.etan.org/action/action05/11endrun.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington Post
Military Ties to Indonesia Resume Too Soon for Some
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Page A07
Acting swiftly with new congressional authority, the Bush administration
said yesterday that it has restored military ties with Indonesia, formally
ending the last of the restrictions imposed after violence in East Timor
in 1999.
The Bush administration has taken a number of steps this year to reward
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, for its cooperation in
the battle against Islamic extremists. The United States resumed military
training in February and sales of "nonlethal" equipment in May. President
Bush also issued a statement with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono in May that "normal military relations would be in the interest
of both countries."
But lawmakers and congressional aides said yesterday they were surprised
the State Department eliminated the remaining restrictions barely a week
after Congress approved an appropriations bill that gave Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice the authority to waive them. One Senate staff
member said lawmakers had anticipated a six-to-nine-month deliberative
process, during which the administration would use the possibility of a
waiver as leverage to extract concessions from Indonesia.
The State Department cited the "national security interests" of the United
States as the reason for waiver, noting that Indonesia plays a strategic
role in Southeast Asia and is a "voice of moderation in the Islamic
world."
"This is an abuse of discretion and an affront to the Congress," said Sen.
Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the author of legislation tying military aid to
human rights conditions. "To waive on national security grounds a law that
seeks justice for crimes against humanity -- without even obtaining the
Indonesian government's assurance that it will address these concerns --
makes a mockery of the process and sends a terrible message. The
Indonesians will see it as a clean bill of health."
The restrictions, which affect foreign military financing and sales of
lethal items, are largely symbolic; Indonesia currently receives $1
million in military financing for its navy and appears to have no plans to
obtain lethal items. State Department officials stressed that the decision
does not trigger new assistance and the quality and quantity of any sales
will be guided by Indonesia's willingness to address rights concerns.
Human rights experts and congressional aides said the Indian Ocean
tsunami, which devastated Indonesia's Aceh region, had helped lessen
objections to restoring military ties. Other factors included the
government's peace pact with Aceh rebels, counterterrorism cooperation and
the fact that the FBI has received renewed cooperation in investigating an
ambush in Timika, in Papua, where two Americans were killed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Antara
Nov 29 08:56
Jayapura-Vanimo (PNG) Border Crossing Road to be Opened Soon
Jayapura (Antara News) - A border crossing road connecting Jayapura
(Indonesia) with Vanimo (Papua New Guinea) that was completed in mid
November 2005 at a total cost of billions of rupiahs will be opened
shortly.
The road between Indonesia s Papua province and the neighboring province
in Papua New Guinea will function to foster economic development in the
two neighbors, Head of the Papua Border Cooperation Body Drs.Suryanto
Sriwardoyo BSc said here Monday.
The opening of the 75 km long road between capital of Papua province and
Vanimo is connected with the scheduled signing of a MOU between the
Jayapura city administration and the Vanimo administration, which is
intended to increase people s income in the two areas.
The MOU will be focused on cooperation in the development of five sectors,
comprising trade, communications, cultural, tourism and educational
sectors.
Jayapura Mayor Drs MR Kambu MSi and the Mayor of Vanimo have discussed
mutually beneficial cooperation between the two neighbors which have
historical relations. The first meeting between the two mayors took place
in Vanimo on November 17, 2005 and the second meeting, which discussed the
MOU, has just taken place in Jayapura.
The opening of the border crossing road will be beneficial to both
Jayapura and Vanimo administrations because the number of people from
Papua New Guinea visiting Jayapura to buy food and garments has kept
growing. In Jayapura, they can buy necessities and products of the
electronics industry at lower prices, according to Suryanto.
Before the completion and asphalt laying of the border crossing road, many
border crossers from Vanimo, especially those living in border areas,
entered Jayapura using border crossing cards for shopping.
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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