[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 12/14/05
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- Questions over Indonesian response to famine in Papua province
- Famine in resource-rich Papua
- Hunger Cases in Papua Not Yet at Disaster Level
- Indonesian Navy Ready to Send Relief Food to Papua's Yahukimo
- Widodo AS: Apply Special Autonomy Consistently in Papua
- West Papua Motion To Be Debated In Parliament
- Yudhoyono and Putin Discuss Satellite Base in Biak
- USINDO President: US Can Impose Military Embargo
- Clark rejects link between invite and military ties
- Papua, Aceh students win astronomy Olympiad
- Three Chinese fishing vessels intercepted for alleged poaching in
Indonesia's Papua
- Three Chinese-flagged vessels intercepted for alleged poaching
- Protest BP's Poor Human Rights Commitment and Practices in West Papua
*****************************
Radio New Zealand International
Questions over Indonesian response to famine in Papua province
Posted at 10:53am on 15 Dec 2005
Questions are being raised in Indonesia over the government's response to
food shortages in the province of Papua.
The Jakarta Post newspaper reports in addition to the 55 people known to
have died of malnutrition since August in Yahukimo in the Papuan
Highlands, 112 others have become ill from related sicknesses in the last
month.
In an editorial, the newspaper says signs of an impending famine must have
been apparent in the region since heavy rains destroyed sweet potato
crops.
The government has sent an aircraft with relief supplies, and the
Indonesian navy is reportedly poised to send food aid.
The Jakarta Post says Indonesian regional governments are desperately
lacking in food management.
The newspaper editorial says the mineral riches of Papua province have not
trickled down to regular people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Editorial
December 14, 2005
Famine in resource-rich Papua
The reports coming out of Papua about a famine that has taken the lives of
55 people since November punctuate the suffering of a country still
reeling from the recent fuel price increases.
This despite the newly gained sense of optimism following the shake-up of
the economics team in the Cabinet.
Reports filtering through have been patchy due to the isolation of
Yahukimo regency. What we have learned so far is that food shortages in
the remote regency began as far back as August.
As is so often the case, local initiatives to help the people of Yahukimo
were well under way long before the government was even aware there was a
problem. In Yahukimo it was foreign missionaries, local church leaders and
activists who spotted the emerging signs of a famine in August and
extended a helping hand to residents.
However, the bulk of the responsibility for helping the people of the
regency should have laid with the local government. The four months that
elapsed from the time signs of an approaching famine first appeared and
news of the tragedy became public raise doubts about the local
government's ability to monitor food availability for residents, the
difficult terrain in Papua notwithstanding.
It takes days, perhaps weeks, to reach the regency on foot from Papua's
capital Jayawijaya, but it takes months for a famine to reach the
desperate levels of the one in Yahukimo.
Signs of an impending catastrophe must have been apparent in the region
since earlier this year, when the area was pounded by heavy rains that
destroyed the sweet potato crops.
Had local government leaders been more alert, they could have anticipated
the disaster and prevented the loss of life. Food shortages and
malnutrition have become disturbingly regular occurrences in Papua in
recent years. There have been at least four other recorded cases of food
shortages in this vast region in the last eight years, affecting Puncak
Jaya, Jayawijaya and Jayapura regencies.
Sadly, the events in Yahukimo are not the first of their kind this year.
Malnutrition has affected thousands of people in West Nusa Tenggara, East
Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra, West Sumatra and West Kalimantan. In the
first two provinces, more than 66,000 children were found to be suffering
from malnutrition, while malnutrition affected more than 1,400 children on
Nias island in North Sumatra.
But the number of fatalities in Yahukimo has made this the most disturbing
incident. In addition to the 55 people who have died of malnutrition, 112
others have become ill from related sicknesses since November, all in a
regency of 55,000 people.
Some ministers have contested these figures, while other government
officials have gone so far as to deny any malnutrition at all in the
regency, a common tactic during the New Order regime. In the other
provinces affected by malnutrition this year, public officials also at
first denied there was a problem.
All of these incidents underline that something has gone terribly wrong
with our food security system. They also serve as a warning that good
management is desperately lacking in most regional governments.
The horrible irony of the Yahukimo famine is that is occurs in a province
that is immensely rich in natural resources. Papua has million of hectares
of virgin tropical forest and huge gas and mineral deposits. Some of this
natural wealth has been exploited for decades, but the riches have not
trickled down to regular Papuans.
A serious investigation into this tragedy is called for to prevent similar
incidents in the future. If isolation is a major reason for the famine, a
serious effort must be made to bring the regency, and all other isolated
areas of Papua, into closer contact with the rest of the country. It is
difficult to believe that there are regions that remain cut off from the
rest of the country 60 years after independence.
The government must demonstrate that it is not only willing to open up and
ensure access to isolated areas blessed with valuable natural resources,
but also to remote areas blessed with the lives of villagers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tempo Interactive
Hunger Cases in Papua Not Yet at Disaster Level
Tuesday, 13 December, 2005 | 10:42 WIB
Tempo Interactive, Jakarta: Rizal Mallarangeng, a special member of staff
of the People’s Welfare Coordinating Minister, has said that the condition
of hunger cases in Papua was not as bad as people thought.
“We have yet to reach a disaster level. The hunger cases are not on a
massive scale,” stated Mallarangeng in Papua on Sunday (11/12).
According to him, the reports regarding victims were not all true.
The 55 people died at different times and apparently not all because of
hunger.
“Their deaths might have been caused by diseases. However, the actual
causes are yet to be definitely identified. What is clear is that is a
combination of hunger and disease,” stated Mallarangeng.
Soetedjo Yuwono, Secretary to the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for
People’s Welfare, said that as yet there were no new policies related to
handing hunger cases in Papua.
The local government will set up rice barns to anticipate any possible
harvest failure.
In addition, the allocation of agriculture counselors has been determined
and the provision of radio communication system equipment for isolated
areas has also been prepared.
“The Governor has also been requested to carry out further coordination
for other regions,” stated Yuwono.
-- (Ami Afriatni-Tempo News Room)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Antara
Dec 14 11:45
Indonesian Navy Ready to Send Relief Food to Papua's Yahukimo
Surabaya, E Java (Antara News) - The Indonesia Navy’s Eastern Fleet
Command is ready to ship relief food to the famine-stricken Yahukimo
district in Papua, which has so far killed 55 people.
"We are ready if we are asked to do so. We have warships, airplanes and
personnel," spokesman of the command, Lt Col Toni Syaiful said on
Wednesday.
He said so far the Eastern Fleet Command has yet to receive any order from
both the Indonesian Military Headquarters and Indonesian Navy Headquarters
for such a task.
Reports said relief food has not arrived in the famine stricken area due
to bad weather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tempo Interactive
Widodo AS: Apply Special Autonomy Consistently in Papua
Tuesday, 13 December, 2005 | 10:51 WIB
Tempo Interactive, Jakarta: Widodo AS, the Coordinating Minister for
Politics, Law and Security, has said that the government has taken a rapid
response to the hunger cases in Papua.
“I think that the government has already responded quickly to the
situation in Papua,” stated Widodo.
What was most important, said the coordinating minister, was that measures
must be taken to verify the information so that the real situation can be
seen.
Widodo also said he hoped that leaders in the region were concerned about
development matters in each region.
“What we want to know now is how development matters touch the main issues
of welfare,” he stated.
According to Widodo, welfare issues have become the target of all
government efforts.
In order to settle and manage issues in Papua, he stated that special
autonomy should be applied consistently.
“Special autonomy is the best solution in settling problems in Papua,”
said Widodo.
-- (Fanny Febiana-Tempo News Room)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vanuatu Daily Post/PNS
West Papua Motion To Be Debated In Parliament
Tuesday: December 13, 2005
The momentum to address the endless cries and struggles for a free West
Papua throughout the world has finally come to the attention of Vanuatu's
highest decision-making body, the Parliament after more than 25 years of
advocacy, Vanuatu Daily Post reports.
Members of Parliament from both the opposition and the government will not
only be given an in-depth briefing on the current situation in West Papua
but will now be faced with the task of deciding how Vanuatu will handle
the issue.
Not only has the motion been distributed to MPs but it has taken on an
interesting twist with Leader of Opposition, Serge Vohor posing as the
mover while Agriculture Minister Barak Sope has come in as the seconder -
raising questions over the position of the government on the issue.
“The motion is to request parliament to facilitate the process of
independence for West Papua,” the office of the Leader for Opposition has
stated.
Mr Vohor said “Vanuatu spoke out about West Papua at the Pacific Islands
Forum since 2000 and at the United Nations General Assembly since 1984 and
raised the matter of self-determination and independence of West Papua-
urging these bodies to investigate the conduct of the Act of Free Choice
of 1969.”
Even though government members will sit and listen to the opposition
presentation, Vohor will have to get the support and approval of more than
his 17 members to support the motion.
“The government side will listen eagerly to the presentation of the motion
and will decide on what it believes is best for the West Papuan,” a
government insider told the Vanuatu Daily Post.
The source says Prime Minister Ham Lini was very clear in his 31 December
2004 policy statement on the West Papua issue.
Mr Lini has publicly stated that West Papua be included at the Melanesian
Spearhead Group, the South Pacific Forum and the United Nations.
In the proposed motion, parliamentarians will call on the Government of
Vanuatu to sponsor the West Papuan issue to the UN.
The motion will call for the establishment of the Special Commission of
Inquiry to review the UN's conduct in relation to the 1969 Act. Also the
UN should send a fact-finding mission to examine the situation in West
Papua;
It will also call for a democratic referendum in West Papua under the
direct supervision of the UN in accordance with international principles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tempo Interactive
Yudhoyono and Putin Discuss Satellite Base in Biak
Thursday, 15 December, 2005 | 01:42 WIB
Tempo Interactive, Kuala Lumpur: Indonesia and Russia have agreed to work
together in matters of outer space technology by using Biak, Papua, as a
base to launch satellites.
“Biak was chosen as a satellite launch base because of its close proximity
of orbit paths,” said presidential spokesperson Dino Patti Jalal in Kuala
Lumpur on Wednesday morning (14/12).
According to Jalal, outer space cooperation was one of the topics of
discussion during a bilateral meeting between Indonesian President
Yudhoyono and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kuala Lumpur on
Wednesday afternoon (14/12).
Both leaders are in Kuala Lumpur to attend the first East Asia Summit.
Jalal explained that the satellite to be launched in Biak was a television
and radio communication satellite and the launch will likely to be in
2007.
“As a first step, President Yudhoyono and President Putin will meet face
to face and discuss the technical implementation, including the agreement,
the financing and the countries that will own the satellite,” stated
Jalal.
-- (TH Salengke/Wahyudi MP-Tempo News Room)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tempo Interactive
USINDO President: US Can Impose Military Embargo
Wednesday, 14 December, 2005 | 00:29 WIB
Tempo Interactive, Jakarta: The USA, according to US-Indonesia (USINDO)
society President Alphonse Laporta, might impose a new military embargo on
Indonesia because every year the Congress has a different budget committee
that will discuss the new legislation.
Laporta said that the Congress might propose another military embargo on
Indonesia. “The Senators might impose or try to impose another embargo,”
Laporta said in the seminar discussing the US Congress policy on
Indonesia.
However, Laporta hoped that the military embargo would not be enforced
again. In addition, the US Congress is focusing on the problem of Papua.
What was revealed in the US policy on Papua is that the US Congress is
convinced of how ‘the freedom to choose’ applied in Papua has been
manipulated and even sounds unfair and unjust. The US Congress has tried
to minimize the human rights violations in Papua.
The Indonesian government, Laporta said, must try hard to improve the
welfare of the Papuans and the USA in delivering maximum support. “This is
the time for Indonesians to act in solving the problems in Papua,” stated
Laporta.
The US Congress also plans to support health, education and local
government capability in Papua by giving training to local officials,
Papuan police and civil defense units that defend human rights.
The issue of Papua in the Congress comes from academicians and various
human rights organizations. “The local people of Papua for the most part
join religious and human rights organizations,’ stated Laporta.
According to Sumadi Brotodiningrat, former Indonesian Ambassador for the
US who ended his term two months ago, said that support for Papua by the
US was valid. However, it must first be coordinated with the central
government in Jakarta. “Any support must be according to the
Decentralization Law. If it is not compatible, then it should not be
allowed ,” said Brotodiningrat.
Regarding the imposed embargo, Brotodiningrat said that this all depended
on the US budget next year.
-- (Marulli Ferdinand-Tempo News Room)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stuff.co.au
Clark rejects link between invite and military ties
14 December 2005
By Sue Eden
Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Helen Clark has rejected a media claim that
Indonesia wants full military ties restored in return for supporting New
Zealand's involvement in a new East Asian bloc.
The Christchurch Press reported yesterday that Indonesia is calling on New
Zealand to re-start full military ties - cut after the bloodshed in East
Timor around its independence in 1999 - in return for its seat at the
first East Asia Summit.
The report comes as Miss Clark is due to meet Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono in Kuala Lumpur, ahead of the summit opening today.
New Zealand and Australia are the only non-Asian countries invited to take
part in the new East Asia group, and The Press said Indonesia wanted the
Government to factor in its support for New Zealand 's place at the table.
Indonesia had been a strong proponent of New Zealand's inclusion, Marty
Natalegawa, Indonesia's chief foreign affairs spokesman, told The Press.
"We feel that this should be the best of times as far as Indonesia-New
Zealand relations are concerned, given the transformation that has been
taking place in Indonesia into a more democratic society," he said.
"One of the features of a strong, healthy relationship between any
countries is a multi-dimensional nature, and one key dimension is
military-to-military relations.
"So we would be pleased if the situation we are in now could be rectified,
but in the final analysis it's a decision for New Zealand to make."
Miss Clark told reporters there had "never been a link made" between
re-starting full military ties with Indonesia in a quid pro quo for
backing New Zealand being part of the new bloc.
She said the decision to suspend military ties was made because of East
Timor and she noted "no one has yet been brought to justice and punished
for what happened there."
There were issues of concern to New Zealand over West Papua "but we take
those up with the Indonesian Government". Indonesia was changing very fast
and New Zealand kept abreast of what was happening. It had become a much
bigger aid partner, particularly post-tsunami.
"Our relationship with Indonesia is a good bilateral one. We give
Indonesia full credit for the steps it's taken towards democratising its
society and dealing with human rights issues and the succession issues.
"We'll just take it one step at a time," she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
December 14, 2005
Papua, Aceh students win astronomy Olympiad
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
While fellow Papuans in Yahukimo regency are still in the grip of famine,
two students from the country's easternmost province won the inaugural
Asian Pacific Astronomy Olympiad (APAO) in Siberia, Russia, recently.
Eric Gibson S. Rumainum took the Olympiad's Best Result prize for the
13-year-old age group, while his schoolmate Geraldo E. Tegouch finished
second.
Both are students of the YPJ Kuala Kencana junior high school in Timika,
which was established by U.S.-based mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.
The competition concluded on Sunday.
Indonesia won another top prize through Stefani Herli of State Senior High
School No. 12 in Jakarta, who came home with the Best Result in the
Practical Round for the 16 to 17-year-old age group.
"She (Stefani) took the prize due to her flawless practical test," the
Indonesian team statement said.
A student from the tsunami-hit province of Aceh also brought pride to her
country after winning the bronze medal in her category. Zulfikar of State
Senior High School No. 10 in Banda Aceh made a podium finish in the age
group dubbed the most demanding division.
The victories came as another group of future Indonesian scientists
emerged the overall winners from the second International Junior Science
Olympiad in Yogyakarta. In the competition, which wound up on Monday,
Indonesia bagged six gold medals.
Indonesia sent four senior high and four junior high school students to
the astronomy Olympiad. Half of them came from Papua, with the rest from
Maluku, South Sulawesi, Aceh and Jakarta.
Prior to their departure, they received special tutelage from experts at
the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)'s School of Astronomy. They also
practiced at the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, near Bandung, and at the
Jakarta Observatory for six weeks.
Accompanying the team were Dr. Chatief Kunjaya and Dr. Hakim Malasan from
the ITB.
Their participation was made possible by the financial support of a number
of companies, including PT Freeport Indonesia, ExxonMobil and Medco
Energy.
Indonesia, China, Korea, Kazakhstan and Russia are the founders of the
APAO, which is the regional heat of the International Astronomy Olympiad
(IAO). Both events are organized by the Euro-Asian Astronomical Society.
APAO was introduced this year to provide more opportunities for students
from Asia and the Pacific to compete in international events. Therefore,
the APAO denies entry to students who participate in the IAO in the same
year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Radio New Zealand International
Three Chinese fishing vessels intercepted for alleged poaching in
Indonesia's Papua
Posted at 2:27pm on 15 Dec 2005
Police in Papua have apprehended three Chinese-flagged vessels for
illegally fishing in Papuan waters.
Police chief Senior Commander Dwi Marsanto said they arrested 19 crew on
board the vessels whose passports had expired.
He said dozens of other fishing boats had fled the area during the operation.
The Jakarta Post reports police also intercepted a tanker ship with 640
tonnes of diesel oil, after it had supplied fuel to fishing vessels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Latest News
12/14/2005 5:42:43 PM
Three Chinese-flagged vessels intercepted for alleged poaching
Jayapura, Papua (Antara)
Papua Police have apprehended three Chinese-flagged vessels for illegally
fishing in Papuan waters, Papua Water Police chief Sr. Comr. Dwi Marsanto
said on Wednesday.
Marsanto said that the three vessels Heng Li 168, Liao Zhang Yuan Yu 0021
and Ming Ping Yu 9721 were intercepted on Friday and were now detained at
Pomako Port in Timika, Papua.
He said the police had also arrested 19 crew members of the boats as their
passports had expired.
Besides apprehending the three vessels, the police also intercepted tanker
Sinar Laut Emas with 640 tons of diesel oil after it had supplied gas to
two fishing vessels, which fled upon seeing the approaching security
officers.
The operation was conducted after police received tipoffs from local
fishermen, Marsanto said.
He said dozens of other fishing boats had fled the area after the arrests.
Twelve of the 19 crew members have been declared suspects in the case,
which is being handled by the local prosecutors' office, he added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Samoxen@…
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 2:00 AM
Subject: Protest BP's Poor Human Rights Commitment and Practices in West
Papua
Lord John Browne, Chief Executive Office, BP plc - brownej@bp.com
Dear Lord John Browne,
On humanitarian ground, I am writing to raise my serious concerns about
BP's policy of silent complicity with the Indonesian regime in the
oppression of the West Papuan people in order to protect its commercial
interests with Jakarta and to engage with BP concerning Tangguh's human
rights context in which BP is dealing with the Indonesian State which:
1) Illegally occupied West Papua in 1963 (without the agreement of the
indigenous population), illegally annexed West Papua in 1969 by the
fraudulent Act of NO Choice and continues to deny the West Papuan people
the opportunity to exercise their internationally recognised right to
self-determination.
2) Has since 1963, murdered approximately 300,000 West Papuan men, women
and children (one third of the Papuan population) in a systematic process
of ethnic cleansing and handed over their land to Indonesian settlers.
3) Continues to this day to murder, torture, rape, starve and intimidate
innocent West Papuans.
4) Continues to this day to deny the West Papuans their fundamental rights
to freedom of speech, expression and assembly and assassinates or
imprisons Papuan leaders who campaign peacefully for independence.
5) Continues to this day to deny free access to West Papua to foreign
parliamentarians, academics, human rights observers, humanitarian agencies
and journalists.
I urge BP to implement a human rights policy for West Papua and to take
the ethical decision of using its considerable influence on the global
stage to help bring an end to the suffering of a million and a half
indigenous Papuans.
My sincere hope is that BP will show by its words and actions that it is
genuinely committed to playing a constructive part in the search for a
just peace in West Papua. When human beings in any part of our world are
suffering, we are all called upon to act to bring an end to their
suffering -- simply because we are fellow members of the same human race.
However, that call to action is even stronger when the people who are
suffering are our immediate neighbours or if we are somehow profiting from
their suffering.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Vacy Vlazna, Coordinator
Copies sent to:
Mr KOFI ANNAN Secretary General of the United Nations ecu@un.org
Dr Gary Dirks, BP Group Vice President & Head of Region Asia, the Indian
Sub-Continent & Australia - gary.dirks@se1.bp.com
Anne Drinkwater, President, BP Indonesia - drinkwa@bp.com
David Clarkson, Executive Vice President BP Tangguh LNG project, Jakarta
- David.Clarkson@se1.bp.com
Lukman Mahfoedz, Vice President, BP Tangguh LNG project - mahfoedz@BP.com
John Hughes, BP Tangguh LNG project, London - john.hughes@uk.bp.com
Dr. Graham Baxter, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, BP plc -
baxterg@bp.com
David Rice, Director of BP's Policy Unit for Government and Public Affairs
- ricedp@bp.com
Gary Klein, Counsel for the Tangguh Independent Advisory Panel [TIAP] -
Gary.Klein@dlapiper.com
Asia Development Bank, Indonesia - adbirm@adb.org
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, U.K. - samoxen@…
ACHEH PAPUA MALUKU HUMAN RIGHTS ONLINE
www.ahro.info ahro@iprimus.com.au
AUSTRALIA
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