[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 12/5/05
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- Regent Hubi detained for graft
- Police scuttle attempts to fly Papuan flag
- Papua rebel leader flies flag in jail
- "We only want Papua must be free"
- Protests increase against heavy military presence in Papua
- The West Papua Report – November 2005
- Meeting between BP and Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman
- Birth certificates help cement rights for young refugees in Papua New
Guinea
- Chinese nationals arrested in Papua
*****************************
The Jakarta Post.com
Islands in Focus
December 05, 2005
Regent Hubi detained for graft
Jayapura, Papua: Jayawijaya Regent David Agustin Hubi was put in police
detention on Wednesday as a result of his alleged role in an ongoing
corruption case.
The graft case centers on four large expenditures valued at more than Rp
15 billion ($1.5 million), which were funded by the Jayawijaya budget
between 2002 and 2004. One of the expenditures was said to be for two
Fokker-27 airplanes. Hubi was declared a suspect after the aircraft
purchase turned out to be entirely fictitious.
The investigation into Hubi has been going on for a month since President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono approved it, said spokesman of Papua provincial
police Adj. Sr. Comr. Kartono.
Hubi is the first regent in over a decade to be put in jail while being
investigated over a corruption case. Another regent, AP Youw, Nabire
Regent, is under investigation for alleged involvement in a corruption
case that centers on the construction of the Merah Putih Building, but he
has not been detained.
Separately, Hubi's lawyer Bernard Akasian claimed that political forces
were behind the investigation.
-- JP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
December 02, 2005
Police scuttle attempts to fly Papuan flag
Nethy Dharma Somba and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura, Papua
The police have foiled an attempt to raise the outlawed Bintang Kejora
(Morning Star) flag, keeping pro-independence action planned for Dec. 1
low-key.
Hundreds of police officers had been deployed since early Thursday morning
to Trikora field to prevent pro-independence leaders from raising their
flag. The police action on Thursday certainly disappointed
pro-independence Papuans who used logs to blockade a street in front of
Cendrawasih University near the field. The group of independence
supporters also pelted stones at university buildings, shattering windows.
The 700 independence supporters then marched from the university to the
nearby campus of a Protestant bible college, unfurling a banner that read
"the 44th Anniversary of West Papua Independence."
They entered the college's grounds, asking students to participate in the
rally. But, as the students refused to join in, they assembled on a street
in front of the campus.
Under tight security, they held a rally, speaking on Papua's incorporation
into Indonesian territory.
The police detained two protesters for putting the logs on the road, but
Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpauw claimed they were
not being held as suspects but merely for questioning.
Although the flag-hoisting attempt was prevented, peaceful commemorations
of Papua "independence day" were held in Sentani near Jayapura at the
house of Theys Hiyo Eluay, who was abducted and killed by security
personnel in 2002 in Papua.
A prayer was said at the function and an address was delivered condemning
a UN ballot in 1969, which led to Papua's incorporation into Indonesia.
In a separate development, an Indonesian soldier shot dead a Papuan on the
same day in Boven Digul regency, some 250 kilometers north of Merauke
city, Papua. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Totok Surono said the Papuan,
Labarius Oga, 33, an employee with a private company was shot dead for
attacking soldier Chief Pvt. Zulkarnaen Lubis. Labarius was reportedly
drunk at the time of the incident.
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, over 30 Papuan students held a rally in the
city, demanding the Indonesian government grant Papua independence. In
Jakarta, Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said the government would
deploy some 15,000 soldiers to Papua within five years in order to prevent
conflicts that could lead to an independent Papua.
Dec. 1 was declared Papuan independence day by separatists who proclaimed
the state of West Papua on Dec. 1, 1962.
Indonesia took effective control of Papuan territory a year later, after
which the separatist movement continued to wage a low-level guerrilla
revolt in the province.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
December 03, 2005
Papua rebel leader flies flag in jail
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura
Although he spends his days and nights in a cramed prison cell, the spirit
to fight for Papua's independence still burns brightly in the heart of
convicted rebel, Filep Karma.
Disregarding the severe consequences, Filep proudly hoisted the Morning
Star flag on the prison's roof in Jayapura on Thursday as hundreds of
Papua independence supporters held street rallies to commemorate the
independence of Papua on Dec. 1.
The supporters themselves were prevented from displaying the outlawed flag
at Trikora field in town, as their attempts were successfully scuttled by
the Indonesian Police.
"I am being kept in jail, but it does not dampen my spirit to fight for
Papua's independence," Filep told The Jakarta Post. Filep, who was
sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this year for committing state
treason, said he was willing to bear any consequences for his act.
He refused, however, to reveal who secreted the flag to him.
Filep climbed a building in the prison compound on Thursday afternoon and
waved the Morning Star from the roof while shouting "Papua Freedom!"
Chief of security at Abepura prison, Korneles Rumbairusi, said he had no
idea how Filep was able to climb the prison building and wave the flag,
the symbol of Papuan independence. He had no idea either as to how the
flag was smuggled into the prison.
Responding to the incident, chief of Jayapura police Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus
Waterpauw said police were still investigating six security guards and a
woman convict who saw Filep waving the flag. "This stunt could very well
get him a fat sentence extension," Waterpauw asserted.
Filep was arrested last year for leading a ceremony commemorating Papua
independence on Dec. 1. He led a flag-hoisting ceremony in Trikora field
in Jayapura town, which ended with a clash between Papuan independence
supporters and Indonesian Police. Besides being jailed, Filep was also
discharged from his position as a civil servant with the Papua
administration.
Dec. 1 was declared Papuan independence day by separatists who proclaimed
the state of West Papua on Dec. 1, 1962.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Message from West Papua :
2 December 2005
"We only want Papua must be free"
This morning I stand near the road. Suddenly a lot of army from Java [came
by]. They just arrived by airplane.
All of Papua people think maybe in Papua [there will be] a big war again.
Yesterday Philip Karma raise up Papua flag again in Jail.
All Papua make prayers only in church because many army not allow us to
make prayers in field.
Brother.... We don't want anything, we just want be free form Indonesia.
We also want to build up the peace in the world. We want to keep the world
safe all the time.
I respect you cos your members like to support us.
Please not stop to press Indonesia that they must get out from West Papua.
We only want Papua must be free.
Papua Merdeka!
Best Regard
[name removed]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
December 03, 2005
Protests increase against heavy military presence in Papua
Ridwan Max Sijabat and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Papuans have continued protesting the presence of security forces in
villages across their troubled province, which they say has caused them to
live in perpetual fear, despite the four-year implementation of the
autonomy law.
Two members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) from Papua,
Ferdinanda Ibo and Max Demetow, joined the chorus of protests during an
interactive dialog between the government and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) here on Friday.
They said the government needed to address Papua's most urgent problem:
That the majority of Papuans continue to live in fear due to the
mobilization of military and police officers across the province.
"The military has even deployed more personnel to Papua," said Ferdinanda.
The two said Papuan people were unable to voice their political
aspirations freely and that villagers living in remote areas were
restricted in their movements for fear of being branded separatists.
"Many people have been shot dead, arrested, or branded separatists after
speaking about politics or protesting government policies," Ferdinanda
added.
She said the security authorities treated Papua as a military operation
zone and the indigenous population was subjected to intimidation.
Papuans could no longer be treated as "animals" because their fundamental
rights had been guaranteed by the special autonomy law, she said.
"The Papuan people's right to live humanely and freely, free from
intimidation and arbitrary actions must be guaranteed and, therefore,
security authorities must abide by the special autonomy law in maintaining
security and order," she added.
Max said Papuans had accepted the special autonomy status as they believed
the government would give them back their rights.
Late last month, villagers living near the provincial capital of Jayapura
also opposed the mobilization of hundreds of troops to their areas.
Their protest was lodged by the Mamberamo Tami tribal council in a letter
through the Democratic Alliance for Papua (ALDP) in Jayapura.
In a recent press conference, the Coalition of Civil Society for Tribal
Communities, including a number of social organizations, said the growing
opposition against the military's presence was due to local residents'
past experience of intimidation by troops.
Local NGOs, including the pro-independence West Papuan front, have
reported that the deployment of soldiers to Papua began last year, when
the Indonesian Military unveiled a plan to establish battalions in the
regencies of Jayawijaya and Merauke. One battalion comprises between 700
and 1,000 soldiers.
In a recent hearing with lawmakers in Jakarta, defense minister Juwono
Sudarsono said that up to 2010, some 15,000 troops would be sent to Papua.
Earlier, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Djoko Santoso said he planned to
heighten the Army's strength in several areas bordering Indonesia,
Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.
However, TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Friday his office was
yet to approve the plan to establish the third division of the Army's
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), which would likely be based in
Sorong, Papua, as reportedly proposed by the Army.
"Indeed, we are only considering developing the territorial command in
that vast territory," he added. Kostrad currently has two divisions -- one
in Cilodong, West Java, and the other in Malang, East Java.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The West Papua Report
November 2005
The following is the 21st in a series of regular reports prepared by the
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights
(CHR)-West Papua Advocacy Team providing updates on developments in West
Papua. The CHR has monitored and reported on the human rights situation in
West Papua since 1993 when Indonesian lawyer Bambang Widjojanto received
the annual RFK Human Rights Award.
For more information, please contact:
Emily Goldman, RFK Senior Program Officer – (20) 463-7575 ext. 235 or
1-800-558-1880
Edmund McWilliams, West Papua Advocacy Team Member – (703) 899-5285 and
(703) 237-3913
Summary/Contents
- Despite Enormous Natural Wealth, Most Papuans Live in Misery
- Indonesian Security Confronts Papuans Seeking to Celebrate West Papua's
Independence Day
- Dutch Government Commissioned Study Documents Indonesia's Coerced
Annexation of West Papua
- Bush Administration Evades Congressional Will To Aid Indonesian Military
- TNI To Establish New Third Division in West Papua
- Troop Reinforcements in West Papua Opposed by Local Communities
- Indonesian Military Again Tied to Illegal Logging in West Papua
- West Papuan Winner of 2005 John Humphrey Freedom Award To Visit
Washington, DC
- Despite Enormous Natural Wealth, Most Papuans Live in Misery
Within Indonesia there is a growing focus on the injustice of the
government's approach in West Papua. Sparked by growing international
attention to repression in West Papua, as reflected in recent U.S.
Congressional action and the Drooklever research (below), observers are
calling for a shift in Jakarta's course regarding West Papua.
A prominent example of such calls for reform was an opinion piece
published in the 16 November Jakarta Post in which its authors, Wolfgang
Fengler, Jasmin Chakeri, and Bambang Suharnoko Sjahrir, underscored the
bitter irony that despite West Papua's vast natural wealth most Papuans
live in misery. The writers are part of a team that worked on the Papua
Public Expenditure. The opinion piece is drawn from a report produced in
collaboration with the World Bank's Support Office for Eastern Indonesia,
the Papua provincial government, and the Dutch Embassy.
The piece noted that 40 percent of Papuans live below the poverty line –
more than double the national average. Moreover, one third of Papua's
children do not go to school and nine out of 10 villages do not have basic
health services with a health center, doctor, or midwife. The experts
concluded that "now is the time to make long-term investments in key
sectors to ensure that the current windfall of resources contributes to
sustainable development. Papua has an enormous amount of resources but the
revenue windfall will not last forever. "
- Indonesian Security Confronts Papuans Seeking to Celebrate West Papua's
Independence Day
Wire services report that hundreds of Papuan protesters gathered at an
independence day rally on 1 December in Papua province. Students,
laborers, and civil servants yelled, "Free Papua!" as they blocked roads
near the state university in the provincial capital of Jayapura, police
chief Lt. Col. Paulus Waterpauw said.
Telephone reports from Papua to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for
Human Rights provided more detail of what transpired. These reports from
the scene said that demonstrations in the Jayapura-Abepura region
initially were peaceful. Demonstrators' plans to raise the West Papuan
"morning star" flag on the Trikora field in Abepura where major
demonstrations transpired on 1 December 2004 were blocked by a platoon of
Brimob (militarized police unit) that occupied the field. In last year’s
demonstrations, several people were injured in the clash but there were no
deaths and two leaders of the protest, Philip Karma and Yusuf Pakage, were
imprisoned for leading the protest and have been designated as political
prisoners by Amnesty International.
In the peaceful protest of Brimob action on 1 December 2005, hundreds and
possibly thousands of Papuans sat down on the road blocking the road
connecting Abepura with Jayapura. The protest blocked traffic for several
hours until a downpour of rain forced them to seek shelter. At the time of
the telephone report, a peaceful standoff between the protestors and the
Brimob troops was continuing at the site. Subsequent wire reports
suggested violence had erupted.
December 1 marks the anniversary of the raising of the Papuan morning star
flag alongside that of the then-colonial Dutch rulers. Dutch plans for
transfer of sovereignty to Papuans were frustrated by Indonesian seizure
of control under a 1962 agreement with the Dutch, brokered by the United
States. The Indonesians solidified control through a fraudulent referendum
in 1969.
- Dutch Government Commissioned Study Documents Indonesia's Coerced
Annexation of West Papua
Publication of a five-year study commissioned by the Dutch government at
the request of the Dutch Parliament, by eminent Dutch academic Professor
Pieter Drooglever, documents the fraud perpetrated by the Indonesian
government that resulted in West Papua's illegal, forced annexation by
Indonesia. The research details the international politics that led key
governments to support the annexation, notwithstanding Indonesia’s failure
to abide by democratic principles or the terms of the agreement among the
Netherlands and UN regarding an "Act of Free Choice" for Papuans.
International reaction to the Drooglever study has been intense. While the
Indonesian government has sought to dismiss it as inconsequential
"academic research," most observers contend the conspiracy which abrogated
Papuans’ right to self-determination warrants remedial action.
The Sydney Morning Herald editorialized strongly:
“There is always merit in setting the record straight, no matter how much
time has passed. For the Indonesian province of Papua, it has been a long
and bloody 36-year wait. The Papuans have refused to accept the "Act of
Free Choice" by which they supposedly voted to join Indonesia in 1969. A
report commissioned by the Dutch government, the former colonial ruler in
Indonesia, unequivocally vindicates their stance. The resource-rich
territory of Papua was not included when the Dutch handed over their
colonial territories to a new Indonesian nation after World War II.
Instead, the Papuans – who share no religious or cultural ties with
majority Muslim Indonesia – were promised a popular ballot on
independence. But a mere 1,000 or so Papuans participated in a ‘sham’
rigged vote orchestrated by Jakarta, the report says. The result has been
a protracted, debilitating independence struggle, pitting a vicious
Indonesian army against ill-equipped Papuan tribes.”
While the Sydney Morning Herald only appeals for an end to Indonesian
repression and provision of genuine autonomy to West Papua, other
observers have intensified ongoing efforts to persuade the UN to review
its tacit 1969 acceptance of the fraudulent "Act of Free Choice." Among
Papuans, calls for a genuine referendum under strict UN monitoring are
growing stronger.
- Bush Administration Evades Congressional Will To Aid Indonesian Military
The Bush Administration on 22 November exercised a "national security
waiver" to evade Congressional restrictions on the provision of assistance
to the Indonesian military (TNI). Offering no rationale other than that
considered and rejected by Congress in previous months of
Administration-Congressional discussions regarding U.S. aid to the TNI,
the State Department announced that Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and
sale of lethal equipment would go forward. The Administration's action,
taken on the eve of Thanksgiving when Congress was in recess, nonetheless
prompted immediate and strong condemnation.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), author of Congressional legislation
restricting aid to the TNI, protested sharply: "This is an abuse of
discretion and an affront to the Congress. . . .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 28 November Jakarta Post concluded its editorial with the following
caution:
"The resumption of US arms sales is welcome relief for an under-equipped
military tasked with securing these strategic international passageways.
But the key question is whether this ‘gamble’ is good for Indonesia's
democratic evolution? With enough political shrewdness, Susilo can use it
to induce change. Unfortunately, over the past 12 months, very little has
actually been shown by Susilo to show he is still focused on his reform
pledges. It is even more glaring in how the attitude of moderation has
changed within the military and the difficulties faced by the civilian
defense minister in initiating real change. On the other hand, providing
carrots to a TNI that remains lethargic about political reform only
reinforces the belief that their quiet subversion is paying dividends."
For its part, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Human Rights Center has
written to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, saying in part that “The US
government's decision to restore full military relations with Indonesia,
including provision of FMF and sale of lethal weapons, results in the US
relinquishing any leverage for genuine Indonesian military reform,
accountability, or compliance with terms of the Aceh peace agreement. It
undermines efforts to build a democracy in Indonesia by rewarding a rogue
military that continues to constitute the principal threat to human rights
and democracy in Indonesia.”
For the full letter, please see www.rfkmemorial.org (the front “page”
under “current events”).
- TNI To Establish New Third Division in West Papua
According to a 24 November "Tempo Interactive" report, TNI will establish
one Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) division in Papua. At
present, KOSTRAD has a strength of some 35,000 to 40,000 army personnel
with two infantry divisions: the 1st Division, headquartered at Cilodong,
West Java, and the 2d Division, headquartered at Malang, East Java.
KOSTRAD came into being on 6 March 1961 during the invasion of West Papua.
Since then, KOSTRAD units have been implicated in some of the TNI's most
notorious war crimes in East Timor, Aceh, and West Papua.
Despite TNI's own data which claims there are only 620 separatist fighters
in West Papua, 150 of whom are armed, senior TNI spokespersons justified
the deployment of the new division as a counter to the "separatist
threat." Lieutenant General Hadi Waluyo contended that with one division
stationed in Papua, separatism threats in Papua can be detected earlier
and be handled rapidly. According to the Temp Interactive report, Waluyo
added that the tasks of KOSTRAD in the future would be heavier with
increasing intensity of threats against Indonesia’s sovereignty and the
strong influence of globalization in ideological, political, economic, and
social fields, and supervises operational readiness among all commands and
conducts defense and security operations at the strategic level in
accordance with policies of the ABRI commander.
- Troop Reinforcements in West Papua Opposed by Local Communities
The highly respected UK-based human rights organization, TAPOL, reported
on 28 November that the "Traditional Communities Coalition" in West Papua
had issued a statement expressing alarm at the deployment of additional
territorial troops of TNI in a number of districts on the outskirts of
Jayapura. The statement included over a score of specific individual
reports documenting the dramatic buildup of forces.
TAPOL further reported that a meeting of senior officials in West Papua
was held in November and chaired by the Governor to discuss the
possibility that there would be a number of actions taking place on days
which are traditionally marked by the population. TAPOL assessed,
moreover, the publication of the report by Dutch historian Professor
Drooglever on 15 November (see above) exposing that fraudulence of the
“Act of Free Choice” would reinforce the determination to take action in
the period between now and the end of 2005.
The statement by the alliance of West Papua traditional community leaders
reiterated the view of a number of human rights NGOs in Papua that
democracy must be built upon people's sense of sovereignty over their own
lives, free from fear, violence, oppression, and human rights abuse. For
more information, please see: http://tapol.gn.apc.org.
- Indonesian Military Again Tied to Illegal Logging in West Papua
Indonesian media on 16 November reported involvement of TNI in illegal
logging operations in West Papua and elsewhere, and noted its corruption
of local officials to facilitate the operations. Chairman of Financial
Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) Yunus Husein detailed a series
of illegal logging operations that involved state officials, notably
military and police officers. The operations involved transfer of wealth
amounting to billions of rupiah to expatriates and typically led to the
corruption of local officials as well.
- West Papuan Winner of 2005 John Humphrey Freedom Award To Visit
Washington, DC
Yan Christian Warinussy of West Papua, Indonesia, is the winner of
Canada's 2005 John Humphrey Freedom Award given by the organization Rights
& Democracy. He will visit Washington, DC during the second week of
December.
Mr. Warinussy is Executive Director of the Institute for Research,
Analysis, and Development of Legal Aid, an organization committed to
defending the rights of West Papuans affected by TNI’s efforts to assert
control over the region, which occupies the western half of the island
shared by Papua New Guinea.
"Yan Christian's commitment to the people of West Papua is a moving,
powerful example of commitment to human rights in the face of extreme
adversity, intimidation, and threats to his personal safety," said Wayne
MacKay, interim Chair of Rights & Democracy's Board of Directors and a
member of the John Humphrey Freedom Award's international jury. "The
tragedy unfolding in West Papua is one that has gone unnoticed for too
long. We hope Canadians will raise their voices in support of Mr.
Warinussy and his courageous struggle."
Mr. Warinussy has distinguished himself by his frontline role as a defense
lawyer to those in West Papua's remote regions where there would otherwise
be no legal representation. He also has played a leading role in the
defense of West Papuan human rights campaigners working to expose human
rights violations committed by TNI and paramilitary groups. He is also a
respected community leader who has helped build bridges between West
Papua's highland and lowland peoples. In the last year, he also served as
an independent human rights advisor on the resettlement of West Papuans
affected by a British Petroleum natural gas facility in Bintuni Bay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meeting between BP and Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman
in Relat Hotel, Jayapura - West Papua
15 November 2005.
Meeting Participants:
1. Lord Hannay (Tangguh Independent Advisory Panel [TIAP])
2. Revd Herman Saud (TIAP)
3. Gary Dirks (BP President for Asia Pacific)
4. David Clarkson (Project Director, Tangguh)
5. Emma Delaney (Vice President, Tangguh Social Integrated Program)
6. Tino Ardyanto (Manager, Government and External Affairs)
7. Allysius Renwarin (ELSHAM Director - West Papua)
8. Yosef Rumaseb (BP NGOs and Adat Institutions-Liaison Officer)
9. Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman (President, Fellowship of the West Papua
Baptist Churches).
Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman's STATEMENT
(1) At this very important meeting with BP officers and TIAP, I showed
them the pictures that showed the torture and the killing of Papuans. The
pictures were from the report of the process of ethnic cleansing in West
Papua by John Wing and Peter King from Centre for Peace and Conflict
Studies, The University of Sydney.
I said to the BP Executive Managers that the ethnic cleansing in West
Papua has been carried out systematically by the Indonesian Government
through its military, police and all its legal systems since the time West
Papua was forcefully integrated into Indonesia by a fully manipulated Act
of Free Choice in 1969.
BP came to be present in West Papua when the process of the ethnic
cleansing is still continuing. So my questions are:
a. Is the presence of BP in the middle of the West Papuans aimed at
protecting, keeping and defending the human rights, human dignity and
position of the West Papuans in order for them to survive in their own
land and their own country? Can BP guarantee the future survival of the
indigenous West Papuans?
b. Is the presence of BP aimed at supporting the Indonesian Government and
together with the government kill and annihilate the West Papuans from
their ancestral land, seize their natural resources and destroy the future
of the West Papuans and make their survival impossible?
c. Is the presence of BP similar to the case of PT Freeport which exists
in West Papua only to take its natural resources without caring for their
fate and their future as the owners of the Land of Papua?
(2) BP is present in West Papua at the time when all Papuans from Sorong
to Merauke are struggling for their self-determination and for their
independence on their own land. So my question is; Why is BP present in
West Papua?
a. Is BP present in West Papua to support the struggle of the West Papuan
people for their self-determination and independence?
OR
b. Is BP present in West Papua to support Indonesia by stating that BP is
supporting the territorial integrity of the NKRI (NEGARA KESATUAN
REPUBLIK INDONESIA / THE UNITARY STATE OF INDONESIA) with the definite
goal of obtaining the Papuans' natural resources?
OR
c. Is BP just saying that it is not involved in political affairs? Past
experience and history has given evidence, however, that the United States
supported the Indonesian occupation of West Papua because of American
interests in Freeport. So now is the United Kingdom supporting Indonesia
because BP is in the Land of Papua in Bintuni?
(3) Actually, BP and the Government of Indonesia do not have any right to
speak about the natural resources contained inside the Land of Papua. This
is because the West Papuan people did not invite Indonesia and BP to come
to West Papua to seize and steal the natural resources from our Land. BP
should have talked about its presence directly with the Papuans, not with
Indonesia because the Land of Papua belongs to the Papuan people. The
agreement made between BP and the Government of Indonesia was a great
mistake which simply repeated the same mistake that the Freeport company
has committed in Tembagapura.
(4) BP must tell the government of UK that all West Papuan people want to
be independent on their own Land and in their own Nation.
(5) On behalf of my People, I will never compromise with BP and will
continuously oppose BP because the presence of BP has by itself brought
misfortune for the Papuans. i.e. bringing in workers from outside Papua
(migrants) and bringing in Indonesian military and police personnel to
secure and guard the BP company and NOT to guard or secure the indigenous
Papuans as the owners of their own Land.
(6) I will always be with the people whom the Indonesian government with
their armed force have oppressed and killed, branding them as separatists,
subversives and OPM.
(7) I will not and never want to accept millions or billions of rupiahs
from BP because the self-respect and dignity of the Papuans cannot be
measured by the value of money.
(8) As a matter of fact, BP has already cooperated with a lying-nation and
the killers of the Papuans.
(9) As a matter of justice, BP should have a contract with the Papuans who
own the land and not with Indonesians who are not the landowners.
10. Alloysius Renwarin (Director of ELSHAM (Human Rights Advocacy
Institution) - West Papua) stated that
(a) The Papuans have been struggling for self-determination and the
Indonesian police and military have killed most of them. It is part of the
Indonesian Government's systematic process of ethnic cleansing.
(b) If BP wants to operate in this region, it should consider the impact
to the regional environment that will be caused by the environmental
destruction within a long-term period.
11. I [Revd Yoman] concluded my statement by saying "I am sorry for my
tough statements".
12. Lord Hannay responded to my apology by saying "We came here to listen
to you. We cannot respond to you today because we came to hear you speak".
**********
This was the statement I made in the meeting with BP.
Reported by Socratez Sofyan Yoman
2 December 2005
BP & Indonesia are lying to the West Papuan People
and are oppressing them on their own Land and in their own Nation
Statement by Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman,
President of The Fellowship of West Papuan Baptist Churches,
Jayapura, 2 December 2005
Before BP and Indonesia arrived in the Land of Papua, we Papuans made some
presumptions and predictions that they would not care about our right to
life and human dignity and would not respect us Papuans as the owners of
the Land of Papua. We predicted that BP and Indonesia would not even care
about the very survival of the Papuans on their Land and their Nation. We
expected that BP and Indonesia would continuously destroy our forests and
our trees and pollute the rivers and seas. And we feared that BP and
Indonesia would bring misfortune for the Papuans by employing skilled
workers from outside West Papua, claiming that we Papuans are not "skilled
workers".
With a heavy heart, I have to tell you that our worst predictions and
fears have come true.
One specific example is BP's staff recruitment at the Social Integrated
Program department which manages all the social programs in the Tangguh
project. The vacancies for the position were 34, but BP recruited only 4
(four) Papuans. The other 30 newly recruited staff are migrants who are
not indigenous Papuans. BP has given no clear reason why only four Papuans
were recruited for these jobs.
BP's behaviour towards the indigenous Papuans shows that BP has been
directly involved and has supported the genocide of the ethnic Papuans
from our Land and our Nation. BP, Freeport Corp. and Indonesia together
have occupied West Papua and robbed her rich natural resources. This is
done through systematic ethnic cleansing.
I have promised my People that I will oppose BP and Indonesia who are
exploiting the natural resources of West Papua and disregarding our human
rights and human dignity and who have also threatened the future survival
of the Lord's people who live in and whose right it is to inherit the Land
of Papua.
I believe that I am not alone because my friends in other parts of the
world who have loving souls are listening to and support me. I feel that I
am not alone but I am with you and you are with me.
This is the cry of my People:
"Please, please help us. We are being annihilated and wiped out from our
own Land and our own Nation. Our forests, our mountains our seas and
clean rivers are being destroyed by Indonesia, by America with its
Freeport, by Australia with its Rio Tinto and by the UK with its BP."
Let this cry of the Papuans echo across the lands of Europe, Africa,
America, Asia the Pacific and Australia.
-- Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman
(President of the Fellowship of West Papuan Baptist Churches).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Birth certificates help cement rights for young refugees in Papua New Guinea
05 Dec 2005 15:10:34 GMT
By Ariane Rummery, In Port Moresby
Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea, December 2 (UNHCR) – Doris Korodi, a
14-year-old refugee, is now the proud owner of something quite rare in
this South Pacific nation – a birth certificate.
That vital piece of paper – taken for granted by parents and children in
many other parts of the world – is the culmination of a complex
registration exercise made possible through the combined efforts of UNHCR,
UNICEF, the Catholic Diocese of Daru-Kiunga and the government of Papua
New Guinea (PNG). Doris is one of more than 1,700 refugee children who
have now received their birth certificates in a country where only three
percent of the general population have their births registered.
"It is a good thing that the children are receiving birth certificates
from PNG government," says Doris's grandfather and guardian, Matias
Korodi. "This will help them with their future life in this country. They
can continue their studies here."
Matias Korodi fled the Papua Province of Indonesia – on the western side
of the island – with Doris's parents in 1984. Doris was born in exile and
lived in Dome, a refugee settlement on the PNG side of the border until
1997, when she came to the mining town of Kiunga, Western Province, to
continue her education.
Now in Year 8 at the Kiunga School, Doris lives in a dormitory built by
UNHCR for refugee high school students. Her grandfather is also caring for
nine of his other grandchildren from the border settlements of PNG who are
attending school in Kiunga.
Unlike Doris, most of the 1,736 refugee children to receive their new
documents live in very remote areas, in 17 settlements along the border
with Indonesia in the North Fly Region of the Western Province. To find
them, gather their data and finally deliver new certificates to the young
refugees, staff from the Catholic Diocese of Daru-Kiunga (trained by
government officials) sometimes had to walk for a full day, take a long
dinghy ride, or scramble up steep escarpments.
"It really was a logistical challenge to reach the 17 settlements," said
Sister Maureen Sexton of the Kiunga Diocese. "Most are in remote areas. .
. It took about seven months to complete the exercise."
"We worked through the leaders of the community which helped people
understand what the registration was about and reassure those who were
concerned," she added. "We also worked with the local communities in the
border area which has helped to improve relationships between the local
communities and the refugees. Both sides now recognise the important of
having birth certificates."
Johann Siffointe, the UN refugee agency's representative in Papua New
Guinea, said registration of births is the first legal acknowledgement of
a child's existence and a crucial first step in attaining rights – from
enrolling in school to later opening a bank account, finding a job or
obtaining credit. A birth certificate to prove a child's correct age is
also an important tool for preventing child labour, under-age military
service or conscription, and forced marriage for girls.
Sister Maureen also stressed the importance of the birth certificates as a
form of identification. "We all have a right to claim where we were born,"
she said. "As PNG requires more forms of identification, for example, to
open bank accounts, enrol in higher education institutions and to get a
job, these children will now be able to comply."
Siffointe said the whole exercise "demonstrates further the PNG
Government's commitment to meeting its international obligations and in
particular the Refugee Convention and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child."
The right to a name and identity is one of a child's most fundamental
rights, and "children who have been displaced because of conflict . . .
are among the most vulnerable of all children," said Bruce Grant, child
protection officer for UNICEF in Papua New Guinea.
"This exercise also gives rights to refugee children as long as they are
born in PNG," said Papua New Guinea's Deputy Civil Registrar, Augustus
Wagambio.
The exercise is part of a broader campaign by UNICEF and the Civil
Registry Office of the Department of Community Development launched in
March 2004 to have 100% of all births in PNG registered by December 2007.
The campaign also aims to put in place an accessible, decentralized and
sustainable birth registration system and promote greater awareness of the
importance of registration amongst parents and communities.
Another 1,217 refugee children born in PNG and living in the
government-sanctioned refugee settlement of East Awin, Western Province,
received birth certificates in April, 2004, under a registration campaign
launched by the PNG authorities and UNHCR.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
December 5, 2005
Chinese nationals arrested in Papua
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Papua Sea Police have arrested 56 Chinese nationals in the past two weeks
aboard three vessels for trespassing Indonesian waters and illegal fishing
in the province.
One of the ships, a tanker, Sinar Laut Mas I, was caught red-handed on
Nov. 19 refueling fishing boats Ming Ping Yu 9721 and Liou Zhong Yuan Yu
0021, in the Arafuru Sea. The fishing boats were towed away on Nov. 23
after the police discovered their crew fishing in the Arafuru Sea.
Papua Sea Police director Sr. Comr. Dwi Marsanto said local fishermen
tipped off the police about the presence of the ships.
He said local Papuan fishermen had been intimidated by foreign vessels
when sailing in the area or had their small boats trapped in the nets of
the giant ships.
The sea police were aware that the tanker was refueling fishing boats, but
the two boats managed to escape arrest. A few days later, the police
eventually captured them.
Marsanto suspected that the Chinese fishermen worked for the same employer
based overseas.
A number of the ship crewmen arrested confessed to the police they had
left China aboard a ship, but were then moved to the tanker.
"They (the crewmen) did not know who transferred them to the tanker or who
the tanker belongs to. They were only told to operate the ship and refuel
the fishing boats," Marsanto explained.
The police confiscated 900 tons of diesel fuel from the tanker, four tons
of fish from Ming Ping Yu and eight tons of fish from Liou ZHong Yuan Yu.
All the ships bore Indonesian flags.
Police have named nine suspects and detained them at two separate
detention centers.
The tanker's captain Zhou Ming Ming and his subordinates Lin Fuxzing and A
Cuak are being detained at the Papuan Police Headquarters. The other six
are incarcerated at the Poumako detention center in Timika.
The foreign nationals are facing charges under Immigration Law No. 9/1992,
Maritime Affairs and Fishery Law No. 21/2004 and Law No. 18/1995 on
customs and excise.
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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