[Kabar-Irian] News: May 16-17 2006
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May 11-15 2006
KABAR IRIAN NEWS
TOPICS
* Government may seek to renegotiate Freeport operations
* Indonesia govt may renegotiate Freeport contract on Papua mine - report
* Fighting between police, villagers kills 2 in Papua
* Papua gets Rp50 billion from World Bank
* Citigroup on Monday raised its price targets for FCX
* Bird Flu Infects Indonesia's Papua Province as Virus Moves East
* Protesters shot in Indonesia's Papua: report
* Freeport told to improve waste management at Papua or face legal action
* Bird flu found in fowl in Indonesia's Papua-official
* Minister hints at renegotiation of Freeport contract
* Putting on the condom right, finally
* Indonesia declares issue of 42 Papuans solved
* Downer meets Wirajuda to talk Papua
* Secrecy surrounds Downer's talks with Indon foreign min
* Release demanded for 5 Accused of involvement in Tembagapura Shooting
(translated and abridged)
* DPR disappointed with the Invesigation Team investigating Freeport
(translated and abridged)
* Pacific countries on risk of bird flu
* Poachers make themselves at home
* Does Papua dialog need a third party?
* Violence in Jayawijaya (translated and abridged)
---
Dow Jones Newswire – May 15, 2006 Â
FCX
Government may seek to renegotiate Freeport operations
Jakarta ‑‑Indonesia's government may soon seek to renegotiate its
existing contract with Freeport‑McMoRan Copper & Gold
Inc. (FCX) over its massive Grasberg mine in Papua province, the Jakarta
Post reported Monday.
The government may call for a contract renegotiation "in the next two
months" following the completion of an official review
of the company's operations and its contribution to communities around the
mine site, the report said, citing Minister of
Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro.
Freeport‑McMoRan officials have pointed out that the existing contract
between the firm and the Indonesian government bars
unilateral moves to renegotiate the terms of the company's Grasberg
operations.
Muhammad Lufti, chairman of Indonesia's official Investment Coordinating
Board, said in March that the government is
committed to honoring the contracts and protecting the assets of all
foreign investors, including mining companies in remote
regions.
Freeport‑McMoRan's Indonesia operations have been under intense scrutiny
in recent months over its payments to military
forces in Papua and allegations of environmental pollution.
Newspaper Web site: http://www.thejakartap03t.COM
---
FX News Limited
Indonesia govt may renegotiate Freeport contract on Papua mine - report
05.15.2006, 12:39 AM
JAKARTA (AFX) - The government may ask PT Freeport Indonesia to
renegotiate its contract to operate a Papua copper and gold
mine as it studies whether the mine benefits the local community, The
Jakarta Post reported, quoting Minister of Energy and
Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro.
'The government may require Freeport to sit down with us to renegotiate
the contract, probably in the next two months,'
Yusgiantoro was quoted as saying.
He said the contract should be reviewed as it lacks a clause requiring
Freeport to run a community development program for
the area.
The government, meanwhile, is still studying Freeport's operation,
including its community development programs and
environmental management, he said.
In March President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered an investigation into
Freeport's operation following the deaths of four
people during a protest action calling for the shutdown of its mine.
The company has been criticized for not giving enough to the people of
Papua in return for the mine. Protesters also accused
the company of pollution and human rights abuses.
berni.km@xfn.com
bkm/net
---
Fighting between police, villagers kills 2 in Papua
Clash breaks out over arrest of village chief (KI: Editor Note: Bupati is
what they mean)
The Associated Press (apwire)
Published on 2006-05-15 18:43 (KST)
Two people were killed and six injured after police clashed Monday with
villagers defending a district chief charged with
corruption in Indonesia's Papua province, police said Monday.
Police were questioning 139 people after the violence in Wamena, the
capital of the mountainous district of Jayawijaya, said
Col. Kartono Wangsadisastra, a police spokesman.
Wamena is about 3,300 kilometers (2,050 miles) east of the capital, Jakarta.
About 200 indigenous Papuans attacked police and prosecutors after hearing
that authorities planned to detain David Hubi, a
district chief who has evaded a summons for trial six times.
Police opened fire on the crowd after they were attacked with arrows,
daggers and other traditional weapons, Kartono said.
"The clash was inevitable," he said. "All the victims were civilians and
hit by bullets." Police were holding 111 men and 28
women at a local police station.
---
May 15 11:41
Papua gets Rp50 billion from World Bank
*Jayapura (Papua Province) (ANTARA News)* - Indonesia?s eastern most
province of Papua has received Rp50 billion from the World Bank for
development programs in 2006.
The development assistance was directly managed by local districts and
neighborhoods with the objective of improving the welfare of the Papua
people, Head of Public Development Department of the Papua Provincial
Rural Development Agency Max Kambuaya said here on Monday.
The World Bank has committed to providing financial assistance for a
ten-year development program from 1998 to 2008 for Papua, which also
includes West Irian Jaya, he said.
The World Bank?s money will be spent for infrastructure development,
including for bridge construction, sanitation and clean water facility
development, he explained.
The development programs were planned and designed by the local people
based on their basic needs, Kambuaya said.
"By applying such a mechanism, the programs become very effective and
yield impressive results," he said.
He hoped that the World Bank could extend its financial assistance for
the province?s development until 2011, instead of 2008.
"The Papua people still needs the World Bank assistance for several
years more to improve their livelihood," he said.(*)
Copyright © 2006 ANTARA
---
Reuters – May 15, 2006
By Anup Roy
FCX
Citigroup ups Alcoa, Alcan, Phelps Dodge targets
Citigroup on Monday raised its price targets for Alcoa Inc. <AA.N> and
three other metal miners.
The following table lists the price target changes:
Company name Price target
Current
Prior
Alcoa Inc. <AA.N> $43 $40
Alcan Inc. <AL.N> <AL.TO> $70 $64
Phelps Dodge Corp. <PD.N> $100 $84
Freeport-McMoRan Copper
& Gold Inc. <FCX.N> $76 $70
The brokerage rates both Alcoa and Alcan at "buy," and Phelps Dodge and
Freeport-McMoRan at "hold."
---
Bird Flu Infects Indonesia's Papua Province as Virus Moves East
May 16 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu was found in fowl in Indonesia's
easternmost province of Papua, evidence the lethal virus is
moving closer to the South Pacific and Australia.
The H5N1 strain of avian influenza earlier this month reached the province
that borders Papua New Guinea, Laurence Gleeson,
an official with the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, told reporters yesterday in Indonesia's capital,
Jakarta. The H5N1 virus has reappeared in Laos and may spread to
Bangladesh, Gleeson said.
``As long as there is a lot of bird flu in Indonesia, then clearly it does
remain somewhat of a source of disease for other
countries in the area,'' said Gleeson, the Bangkok-based regional manager
of the FAO's Emergency Centre for Transboundary
Animal Diseases. ``If it arrives in Papua New Guinea then there are other
nations in the South Pacific which would also be at
risk.''
Infected poultry increase the risk of human infection and create
opportunities for the virus to mutate into a pandemic form
that may kill millions of people. Fatalities from H5N1 this year have
almost matched 2005 levels as the virus spread to more
than 30 countries on three continents.
The H5N1 virus has killed at least 115 of 208 people known to have been
infected since late 2003, the World Health
Organization said on May 12. It's infected at least 64 people this year,
killing 39 of them.
Representatives from the FAO, the WHO and Asia-Pacific governments are
meeting this week in Jakarta to discuss food security,
poverty and preparing for disasters, such as a possible flu pandemic.
Pandemic Threat
A pandemic occurs when a new A-type influenza virus emerges and starts
spreading as easily as seasonal flu, through coughing
and sneezing, according to the Geneva-based WHO. Humans have no natural
immunity to H5N1, making it likely that people who
contract any pandemic flu based on that strain will become more seriously
ill than when infected by seasonal flu.
H5N1 ``has exposed human vulnerability in this age of great scientific
advances,'' Kennedy Shortridge, an emeritus professor
of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, said in an interview
earlier this month. ``Here we have a little simple flu
virus that can hold us to ransom. It's probing our defenses.''
Almost all human H5N1 cases have been linked to close contact with sick or
dead birds, such as children playing with them or
adults butchering them, according to the WHO. Cooking meat and eggs
properly kills the virus.
``This virus has the potential to cause really explosive epidemics because
it's very infectious for poultry and also it's
relatively environmentally resistant,'' Gleeson said. ``It can stick
around for a number of days in a market environment, for
instance. It has the potential for rapid expansion.''
Case in Laos
The virus infected a duck farm near the Laotian capital, Vientiane,
remerging in late April, Gleeson said. Previous outbreaks
occurred in 2003.
Bangladesh ``is probably under considerable threat because it has a large
population of ducks, lots of water and they're on a
migratory pathway'' for wild birds, Gleeson told the Jakarta conference
yesterday.
The disease is probably endemic in many parts of Asia where domestic
poultry are raised by smallholder farmers often in
backyards, he said. In Indonesia, the world's fourth-most- populous
nation, outbreaks have occurred in poultry in at least 26
of the country's 33 provinces
``The endemic circulation of the virus in backyard chickens is going to be
a real challenge in Indonesia,'' Gleeson told
reporters. Some urban dwellers may need to be deterred from keeping
poultry as a hobby, he said. ``They don't need to have 20
chickens in the backyard.''
Maldives, Sri Lanka
Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which haven't reported any H5N1
outbreaks in poultry, have a lower risk of infection,
Gleeson said. As too does Australia, he said.
Gleeson blamed some of the virus's spread on cock fighting. Some raging
roosters are taken on national and international
tours as part of a sport that's popular in Thailand and other Southeast
Asian countries.
``Fighting cocks could well be a common risk factor for the spread'' of
H5N1, Gleeson said. ``In some countries, fight cock
owners are very reluctant to vaccinate their birds. They feel that this
will have some deleterious effect on their athletic
performance.''
To contact the reporter on this story:
Jason Gale in Singapore at j.gale@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: May 15, 2006 19:01 EDT
---
Protesters shot in Indonesia's Papua: report
A report from the Indonesian province of Papua says two people have been
shot dead in the town of Wamena.
A doctor at the local hospital says at least five other people were
wounded when police fired on a group of protesters.
Doctor Vivian has told Radio Australia's Indonesian Department that the
protesters were objecting to the detention of a
former regent, David Hubi.
She says police went to his house, but were met with a group of his tribe
members who tried to stop the police taking him
away.
Shots were fired and the police managed to take Mr Hubi to the police
station for questioning about allegations he has been
involved in corruption.
ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio Australia
---
Freeport told to improve waste management at Papua or face legal action
Posted at 7:28pm on 16 May 2006
Indonesia's Environment Ministry says it's working with Freeport McMoran
to minimise environmental damage caused by the US
mining company's massive Papua mine.
This follows confirmation in the Indonesian House of Representatives that
the tailing system used by Freeport in its Grasberg
mining operations at Timika, has caused severe damage to the environment.
The Ministry says they've notified Freeport that it must improve its
management of the waste ore or face legal proceedings.
Assistant Deputy Minister of Management of Hazardous Waste, Rasio Sani,
says among other things, they want Freeport to
utilise the tailings as a resource for contruction materials and other
purposes.
"Now we work on how we can minimise the impact from the mining
activities... there are many we look on what is the most
effective and efficient way to protect the environment."
Rasio Sani says impact management will help protect the environment and
increase benefits from the tailing.
Copyright © 2006 Radio New Zealand International
---
Bird flu found in fowl in Indonesia's Papua-official
Tue 16 May 2006 4:31 AM ET
JAKARTA, May 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia has found the avian flu virus in
chickens in Papua province, the first bird flu case in
the archipelago's easternmost province, a senior government official said
on Tuesday.
A number of fighting cocks in Manokwari regency of western Papua tested
positive for the H5N1 virus in late April, prompting
authorities to cull about 200 chickens, Syamsul Bahri, animal health
director at the agriculture ministry, told Reuters.
"The fighting cocks might have been brought to Papua from neighbouring
Sulawesi island," Bahri said. "It was the first case
we had in Papua."
"We culled around 200 chickens, mostly from backyard farms around the
neighbourhood where the virus was found to prevent it
from spreading," he said.
Bird flu has been found in poultry in about two-thirds of the country's 33
provinces.
The latest case in poultry in Papua highlights international concern over
Indonesia's ability to contain the spread of the
virus, which has killed 25 people in the country and at least 115
worldwide since 2003.
Although the human death toll has climbed, the government has resisted
mass culling of birds, citing the expense and
impracticality in a country where keeping a few chickens or ducks in
backyards is common.
Culling at selective farms and their immediate surroundings has been the
preferred method.
Millions of chickens and other fowl have died from the disease in
Indonesia or been killed to prevent its spread since it
first surfaced in the sprawling archipelago in late 2003.
Bahri said the government was considering intensifying culling, but faced
opposition from the public over compensation.
"The government can only offer 10,000 rupiah ($1.07) for each fowl culled.
But people want higher compensation," he said.
Shigeru Omi, the World Health Organisation's director for the Western
Pacific, told Reuters earlier in Jakarta that Indonesia
-- the nation with the most human deaths from bird flu this year -- had
the will to combat the disease but far-flung
provinces had fallen short at putting plans into action.
In the latest case, Indonesia is investigating an outbreak of bird flu in
up to eight members of a North Sumatran family, of
whom six have died.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
---
The Jakarta Post
Monday, May 15, 2006
Minister hints at renegotiation of Freeport contract
Rendi Akhmad Witular, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Following a string of sometimes violent protests by residents of Papua
province against PT Freeport Indonesia, a local unit of U.S. mining giant
Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., the government is considering
renegotiating the
company's working contract.
The renegotiation is likely to begin in the next two months after the
government finalizes an evaluation of the firm's operation and its
contributions to
the local community, Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro
said recently.
"We should see whether there are some points in the (working) contract that
have not been met by Freeport. The government may require Freeport to sit
down
with us to renegotiate the contract, probably in the next two months,"
Purnomo
said.
He reiterated that the government was currently evaluating the company's
overall production level and mining process, community development programs,
environmental management, contributions to the state and security affairs.
The evaluation will take around two months, after which the government will
evaluate in detail the company's working contract, with input from the Papua
administration.
"The contract should be reviewed since there is no clause requiring the firm
to have community development programs. It is just a one-part commitment
where
Freeport pledges to allocate one percent of its gross profit for these
programs," Purnomo said.
Papuans have long requested what they deem to be a fair split of the profits
earned by Freeport from mining gold and copper at its Grasberg mine, located
in the mountains near Timika regency. Grasberg is the world's largest gold
and
second largest copper mine.
Papuans also have urged the government and Freeport to show a greater
commitment to environmental protection, as well as to boosting economic
development
in the country's easternmost province.
"The government will meet with local administrations to learn whether there
are some points in the contract that have not been fulfilled by Freeport, and
other issues that need to be included in the contract," Purnomo said.
Freeport is currently under the spotlight over allegations that is has
polluted the environment and paid millions of dollars in illegal fees to the
Indonesian Military for securing the company's operations in Papua.
Just recently, a House of Representatives-sanctioned team confirmed earlier
findings that the tailing system used by Freeport at its mine has caused
severe
damage to the environment by simply disposing of hazardous waste in nearby
streams.
Environmental group Greenomics Indonesia estimated that repairing the damage
to the rivers would cost the company around US$7.5 billion based on current
international standards.
Freeport has repeatedly said the company has complied with all of the
country's environmental regulations.
---
The Jakarta Post
Monday, May 15, 2006
Putting the condom right, finally
A man approached a journalist during a campaign to raise people's awareness
of the threat of HIV/AIDS in a busy Jayapura street in Papua on Saturday.
He asked Yohanis Koroh of the Media Indonesia daily to show him how to put
on a condom. Obediently, the journalist demonstrated how to put it on, with
the
help of a wooden display shaped like a man's genitals.
When the condom was on, the man looked confused. Then he blurted out the
burning question, "What happens to the sperm? Where does it go?" to the
roaring
laughter of spectators.
The man was among many residents and passers-by who received one of some
20,000 condoms distributed that day. They were given out in the city's
busy Imbi
Park by activists and journalists, as well as people living with HIV/AIDS.
The coordinator of Papua Journalists Care about AIDS, Eva Rukdijadi from
Antara news agency, said HIV/AIDS has spread rapidly. The number of
official cases
stands at 1,299, but that might be only the tip of the iceberg, with
thousands of others possibly going unreported.
"The figure is a scary fact. The province only has something more than two
million people," she said.
She said the campaign to distribute condoms was not to encourage free sex,
but to inform the public about the real threat of HIV and the need to stop
its
speedy spread.
"With condoms, people with HIV/AIDS will not spread the virus to others," she
said. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)
---
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Indonesia declares issue of 42 Papuans solved
By Mark Forbes Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
INDONESIA has praised Australia's new stance against Papuan asylum seekers,
indicating a thaw in the diplomatic freeze imposed by President Susilo
Bambang
Yudhoyono after a boatload of 42 Papuans were granted asylum.
Ahead of a planned meeting with the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, in
Singapore last night, his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, said
Australia had responded positively to the crisis by introducing a new
"Pacific
Solution".
Mr Wirajuda said Indonesia had dropped demands for the return of the 42
Papuans and that Australia had shown "goodwill" in its attempt to resolve the
stand-off, in a marked change of tone. Both nations benefited from a strong
bilateral relationship and the issue of the 42 was "solved", he said.
The meeting is expected to pave the way to restoring relations, which had
sunk to their lowest ebb since East Timor's bloody independence struggle. Dr
Yudhoyono had ordered a review of all co-operation with Australia and had
recalled
his ambassador from Canberra, claiming Australia was undermining Indonesia's
sovereignty
The results of the meeting will be referred back to Dr Yudhoyono and the
Prime Minister, John Howard, who are planning a face-to-face meeting to
mark the
resolution of the issue.
Mr Wirajuda indicated the ambassador could be returned, although it could
take some time and further negotiations.
Privately, both sides are hopeful the crisis will be resolved within the next
few weeks, before a planned Australia-Indonesia forum to be attended by
government leaders in Jakarta around the end of June.
Mr Wirajuda said Australia had committed to processing any future asylum
seekers in the Pacific and "even if they would be classified as refugees they
would not be accepted in Australia. This is positive for us for the future".
The new policy would help persuade would-be refugees from Papua to abandon
plans to seek asylum in Australia, he said.
Although there was a need for further discussion on the policy, Australia's
response to finding three Papuans on a Torres Strait island last week
demonstrated its effectiveness, Mr Wirajuda said. "Australia did not allow
them to land
and to be processed but were returned to the country where they departed
from, namely to Papua New Guinea.
"This is also positive. There is policy that we give positive appreciation to
and there is implementation of the policy that we respect and we think it is
goodwill on Australia's part to respond to our message and position."
Indonesia realised it was unrealistic to demand the removal of the visas
already granted to the 42 Papuans, Mr Wirajuda said.
---
The Australian
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Downer meets Wirajuda to talk Papua
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer held secret talks yesterday with his
Indonesian counterpart in their first face-to-face contact since the
Papuan asylum row splintered relations between the countries.
The talks, held on neutral ground in Singapore, are part of an effort
to rebuild diplomatic ties between Australia and Indonesia.
With both countries determined to keep discussions behind closed
doors, officials divulged few details about the venue or discussions.
Indonesian officials said the talks were to have taken place at a
hotel near the Singapore international airport, where Foreign Minister
Hassan Wirajuda was stopping for several hours on his way to the US.
A black car with an Australian flag on the front stood in the
forecourt of the plush Raffles Hotel in the city centre. But staff at
the grand colonial-era hotel would not confirm Mr Downer's presence,
saying only that the Australian high commission had booked a function
room.
The meeting is the first between Mr Downer and Dr Wirajuda since
Australia infuriated Indonesia in March by granting temporary
protection visas to 42 Papuan separatists. Indonesia withdrew its
ambassador to Canberra in protest, arguing the ruling amounted to
tacit support for Papuan independence claims.
The Howard Government was accused of pandering to Indonesia when it
later introduced new legislation barring onshore refugee applications.
The bill requires asylum-seekers to be detained offshore, in a
repackaged version of the Government's controversial "Pacific
solution".
In Canberra, Mr Downer's office said the minister had decided the
location of the talks would be kept under wraps. The low-key approach
was designed to avoid provoking criticism from nationalist MPs in
Indonesia or from pro-Papua human rights groups in Australia.
The talks took place as two people were killed and six injured when
Indonesian police clashed with villagers defending a district chief
charged with corruption in Papua.
The violence broke out in Wamena, the remote capital of the
mountainous district of Jayawijaya. A police spokesman said about 200
Papuans had attacked police and prosecutors.
---
Secrecy surrounds Downer's talks with Indon foreign min
Rob Taylor, South East Asia Correspondent
SINGAPORE May 15 (AAP) -- Extraordinary secrecy surrounded talks aimed
at solving the row over Papuan asylum seekers today as Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer and his Indonesian counterpart met on
neutral ground in Singapore.
The talks took place as two people were killed and six injured when
Indonesian police clashed with villagers defending a district chief
charged with corruption in Indonesia's Papua province.
The violence broke out in Wamena, the remote capital of the
mountainous district of Jayawijaya. A police spokesman said about 200
Papuans attacked police and prosecutors.
With both countries determined to keep discussions behind closed doors
and avoid any accusations of a diplomatic climbdown, officials refused
to divulge any details about the venue or substance of discussions.
In Jakarta, Indonesian officials would say only that the talks were to
have taken place at a hotel near the Singapore international airport,
where Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda was transiting for several
hours this afternoon on his way to the US.
A black Audi with an Australian flag on the front stood in the
forecourt of the plush Raffles Hotel in the city centre.
But staff at the grand colonial-era hotel would not confirm Mr
Downer's presence, saying only that the Australian High Commission had
booked a function room this evening.
The sensitive meeting is the first face-to-face discussion between Mr
Downer and Dr Wirajuda since the asylum row flared in March following
Canberra's decision to grant temporary protection visas to 42 Papuan
separatists.
Indonesia withdrew its ambassador to Canberra in protest, arguing the
ruling amounted to tacit support for Papuan independence claims.
The meeting follows the Howard government's introduction to parliament
of controversial new legislation barring onshore refugee applications.
The bill requires asylum seekers be detained offshore in a repackaged
version of the government's controversial "Pacific Solution".
In Canberra, Mr Downer's office said the minister had decided the
location of the talks would be kept under wraps.
The low-key approach was designed to avoid provoking criticism from
nationalist MPs in Indonesia or from pro-Papua human rights groups in
Australia.
Similar secrecy surrounded last month's visit to Jakarta of
Australia's special envoy Michael L'Estrange, the secretary of the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, whose talks with a senior
Indonesian presidential adviser were switched at the last moment.
Singapore Foreign Ministry officials would say only that the talks
were an issue for Australia and Indonesia, adding that the island
state "was happy to facilitate" the meeting.
Mr Downer was expected to smooth over Indonesian concerns that the new
asylum laws face significant opposition from moderate government
backbench MPs or in the Senate.
A possible Australian aid package was also on the table to help
Jakarta to find a peaceful solution to the myriad grievances in Papua,
which Indonesia won control of in the 1960s in a UN-backed vote of
"free choice" widely seen as rigged.
In return, Mr Downer was under pressure from rights activists to
question Dr Wirajuda about claims by Papuan students of brutality and
murder by Indonesian security forces.
The Papuan row is not the only difficulty Mr Downer faces.
His three-day visit to Singapore is the first since Canberra's
decision to block Singapore Airlines from flying lucrative US routes
through Australia and since last year's hanging of Melbourne man
Nguyen Tuong Van for drug trafficking.
The airline ruling in February prompted Transport Minister Yeo Cheow
Tong to accuse the Australian government of taking its generosity and
warmth in bilateral relations for granted.
Mr Downer was to meet newly re-elected Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, as well as top security minister S
Jayakumar and Foreign Minister George Yeo.
---
SUARA PEMBARUAN DAILY
(translated and abridged)
The Association for Legal Assistance and Human Rights (PBHI) urged Police
HQ in Jakarta to issue a letter ordering the
stopping of further investigation of 5 suspects accused of being involved
in the shooting at mile 62 near tembagapura, Papua,
31 August 2002.
The 5 people are Agus Kwalik, Dommy Mom, Germanus Onawame, Victus Wamang
and MArkus Kelabetme. "We urge Police HQ to issue a
letter of release for the 5 in question as there is not enough evidence
that proves there involvement in the shooting."
Stated the Head of PBHI, Johnson Panjaitan to the Pembaruan, Sunday the 14th.
To not release them is a clear violation of their rights.
"We believe that the reason the Letter of Release has not been issued is
due to the arrogant attitude of Police HQ who don't
want to admit their mistake as they have already accused the 5 of
involvement in the mile 62 shooting case."
<abridged>
Keluarkan SP3 Kasus Penembakan di Tembagapura
[JAKARTA] Perhimpunan Bantuan Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia (PBHI) mendesak
Mabes Polri mengeluarkan surat perintah penghentian
penyidikan (SP3) terhadap lima orang yang dituduh sebagai pelaku
penembakan di Mil 62 - 63 Tembagapura, Papua, pada 31
Agustus 2002. Kasus itu menewaskan Ricky Lynn Spier (44), asal Littleton
Colo dan Leon Edwin Burgon (71), asal Sun River Ore.
Lima orang tersebut adalah Agus Kwalik, Dommy Mom, Germanus Onawame,
Victus Wamang dan Markus Kelabetme. "Kami mendesak Mabes
Polri segera keluarkan SP3 untuk mereka, karena tidak cukup bukti yang
menunjukkan mereka terlibat dalam kasus tersebut,"
kata Ketua Umum PBHI, Johnson Panjaitan kepada Pembaruan, Minggu (14/5).
Dua orang Amerika yang tewas adalah bagian dari rombongan guru sekolah
internasional Freeport. Seorang warga negara Indonesia
yang ikut tewas dalam insiden adalah SS Bambang Riwanto.
Tidak dikeluarkannya SP3 terhadap lima orang tersebut jelas telah merampas
kemerdekaan mereka.
"Kami mensinyalir tidak dikeluarkannya SP3 atas lima orang ini dikarenakan
sikap arogan Mabes Polri yang tidak mau mengakui
kesalahan karena telah salah menuduh mereka terlibat dalam peristiwa
penembakan di Mile 62-63," katanya.
Pada 11 Januari 2006, 12 warga Papua ditangkap di Kota Timika, Kabupaten
Mimika. [E-8]
---
SUARA PEMBARUAN DAILY
DPR disappointed with the Invesigation Team investigating Freeport
(translated and abridged)
The Work Committee for the VII DPR Commission confessed they were
disappointed with the attitude of the Freeport
Investigation team when it the released their findings without being
discussed/reviewed by the Committee first.
Committee member Soetan Bhatoegana of the FPD (Democratic Faction Party)
said that they were disappointed with the Team's
attitude. According to him the Investigative Team was to collect data
regarding the accusations of Environmental damage in
the Freeport area. After that they were to bring it to the DPR COmmittee
for discussion and review.
"I am not saying they cannot talk but it would be better if they reported
to the Committe first"
According to the Committee's plan they were going to invite a number of
parties involved to provide their input.
At the moment a decision to shut down Freeport operations cannot be
reached by one party only. We desire the input of all
involved parties. "Most importantly, Freeport must allocate a significant
budget for community development for the local
people in the area."
The head of the Investigative team, Tjatur Sapto Edy, stated that there
had already been a violation by Freeport. For example
there is no piping for the tailings - the tailings are dumped into the
river and carried to the sea. He promised to continue
pushing the issue in the Work Committee.
Members of the FPDI-P party will push the DPR to request a special audit
of Freeport's finances.
<abridged>
DPR Kecewa Terhadap Tim Investigasi Freeport
[JAKARTA] Panitia Kerja (Panja) Komisi VII DPR mengaku kecewa terhadap
sikap tim investigasi PT Freeport Indonesia yang
membeberkan hasil temuannya, sementara temuan itu sama sekali belum
dibahas di Panja.
Anggota Panja dari Fraksi Partai Demokrat (FPD), Soetan Bhatoegana, akhir
pekan lalu, menyesalkan sikap tim investigasi PT
Freeport Indonesia tersebut. Dia menilai, tim PT Freeport bekerja sebatas
mengumpulkan data atas dugaan kerusakan lingkungan
yang dilakukan PT Freeport. Setelah itu dibahas secara detail di Panja DPR.
"Saya bukannya melarang tim investigasi itu berbicara, tapi sebaiknya
dilaporkan dulu di Panja," kata Soetan.
Menurut rencana Panja PT Freeport akan mengundang sejumlah pihak untuk
dimintai masukannya, antara lain Ketua DPD Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, Dirjen Pajak Darmin Nasution serta pihak Sucofindo.
Sementara itu, wacana penutupan operasional PT Freeport juga tidak bisa
diputuskan oleh satu pihak saja. Keinginan itu
memerlukan pertimbangan dari pihak terkait. "Terpenting saat ini, PT
Freeport harus mengalokasikan anggaran development
community untuk masyarakat sekitarnya dalam jumlah yang lebih besar,"
tambahnya.
Sementara Ketua Tim Investigasi PT Freeport dari Fraksi Partai Amanat
Nasional (FPAN) Tjatur Sapto Edy mengungkapkan, telah
terjadi pelanggaran oleh Freeport. Dia mencontohkan tidak adanya pipa pada
tailing. Artinya, limbah proses penambangan bijih
emas dialirkan ke jalur mirip sungai terus menuju Laut Arafura. "Akibatnya
Sungai Aghawagon, Otomona dan Ajkwa tercemar
berat," kata Tjatur. Dia berjanji akan terus mempertanyakan persoalan ini
di Panja.
Anggota Komisi VII DPR dari Fraksi Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan
(FPDI-P), Ramson Siagian, Senin (15/5), mengatakan,
FPDI-P akan mengusulkan agar DPR meminta Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan (BPK)
segera melakukan audit khusus terhadap PT Freeport,
agar lebih jelas indikasi ketidakadilan dari sisi penerimaan negara.
Mengenai pembocoran laporan oleh tim investigasi PT Freeport, Ramson
mengatakan, tidak ada masalah, karena publik juga ingin
mengetahui lebih cepat hasil investigasi. Namun, kekecewaan sejumlah
anggota Panja DPR juga beralasan, karena menyangkut
kredibilitas. "Tapi semuanya itu terjadi karena kelemahan mekanisme di DPR
yang sangat birokratis," katanya. [L-8]
Last modified: 15/5/06
---
Pacific countries on risk of bird flu
Some small countries in the Pacific region may get infected with bird flu,
as the disease had contaminated poultry in
Indonesia's Papua Province, which was bordered with Papua New Guinea, an
UN official said here on Monday.
Papua New Guinea was currently on threat of being contracted by the virus,
said Laurence J. Gleesen, Regional Manager of
Emergency Center for Transboundary Disease Control of the UN Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO).
"If they arrived into Papua New Guinea and I think other nations in the
South Pacific would also be at risk. I don't mean
Australia. I mean some of the small nations, because there are rapid
movement of people and other products," Gleesen told
reporters on the sideline of the 28th Regional Conference of FAO for Asia
and the Pacific Region which kicked off here on
Monday morning.
It was last month when the Papua poultry were contracted with H5N1 virus,
according to the official.
"We know that this disease has recently arrived in the province of Papua.
It was certainly moved by the poultry and the
poultry products, so the spread of the disease is clearly a threat to
Papua New Guinea," he said.
Twenty six out of 35 people infected by the disease in Indonesia have
died, according to the World Health Organization (
WHO).
Last week, five Indonesian people from a blood-related family were
infected with avian influenza virus according to test by
the country's laboratory. Three of them have died.
Source: Xinhua
---
Poachers make themselves at home
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19149868-601,00.html
Ian Gerard and Cath Hart
May 16, 2006
AN increase in coastal surveillance has not deterred illegal Indonesian
fishermen from using Cape York as a roadhouse to
stretch their legs as they plunder fish stocks in Australia's northern
waters.
Gulf of Carpentaria fishermen told The Australian yesterday that it was
common to spot Indonesians washing clothes, unrolling
nets, walking on beaches or collecting drinking water along western Cape
York.
The revelation sparked protests from Australian-based West Papuan
campaigners last night that the illegal fishermen appeared
to receive more lenient treatment than asylum-seekers, who face processing
in a third country when announced changes to
Australia's immigration policy come into effect.
Illegal fishermen, who are estimated to have cost Australian fishermen
millions, have their boats confiscated and burned in
"boat crematoriums" before they are sent home.
Asylum-seekers from West Papua who come to Australia by boat will
automatically be put in an offshore detention processing
centre and probably be sent to a third country if their claims are found
to be genuine. Tommy Clarke, spokesperson for Free
West Papua Campaign, said the differences were significant.
"We feel that there has been political interference in the handling of
West Papuan refugees," Mr Clarke said.
"With illegal fishing, there is not the heavy-handed political
interference in due process."
The federal Government is still negotiating with Papua New Guinea's
Government to take three Papuan asylum-seekers who landed
on Boigu Island, the most northerly of the Torres Strait islands, a
fortnight ago.
They remain under Immigration Department guard at a resort on Horn Island.
Queensland Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said last night more needed to
be done to stop illegal foreign fishers plundering
Australian waters.
"The federal Government took the first step in last week's budget but
$398million to protect a multi-billion-dollar industry
shows it is obviously not a government priority," he said.
"It is an increasing threat to our fishing grounds and biosecurity and the
federal Government has to show they are prepared
to take a strong stand, not merely apply Band-Aid measures.
"It is estimated that one in 10 foreign fishing vessels sighted are
apprehended, and that figure has to improve
dramatically."
Veteran gulf fishermen David Ward said the illegal fishermen appeared to
use the coast with impunity.
"They love it down here ... you drive past them and they give you a wave,"
he said.
"They nose the boats up on the beach for a walk and sometimes it's nothing
to see six in day."
It was unclear whether the issue was raised by Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer at a meeting yesterday in Singapore with his
Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda.
It would be the first time the pair have met since Jakarta recalled its
ambassador over the decision to grant 42 Papuans
protection visas.
This year authorities have destroyed 152 foreign vessels and taken into
custody about 400 illegal fishermen caught along the
northern coast.
In the past week alone, Customs crews have destroyed 11 foreign fishing
vessels near the western Cape York mining town of
Weipa and apprehended 99 illegal fishermen.
---
Jakarta Post - Editorial May 17 2006
Does Papua dialog need a third party?
Neles Tebay, Rome
The central government under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono (SBY) is committed to settling the Papua
issue through a non-violent approach. This commitment has been reflected
in various public statements made by President
Yudhoyono.
`
Just last month, Hassan Wirayuda, the Foreign Minister, said that the
successful peace process in Aceh should inspire a
similar non-violent approach in Papua consisting of a dialog without the
involvement of foreign parties (The Jakarta Post,
April 22, 2006).
These public statements demonstrate that there is an opportunity for peace
talks between the central government and
representatives of the Papuan people.
One of the key questions now is: Is it necessary to invite a third party
to act as facilitator for the dialog on the Papua
issue?
It seems that the government is reluctant to invite foreign parties to
become involved. As the Foreign minister has made it
clear, "We are not thinking about involving foreign elements in the
discussions about Papua."
However, it is still not clear what the Minister meant by no-foreign-party
involvement in the discussions about Papua.
For me, it would be understandable if foreign parties are not invited to
participate in the dialog on Papua. For the
participants of the dialog are, and should be, the representatives of the
government and the Papuan people.
Yet, this does not mean that foreign elements should not have any role to
play in helping to ensure the success of the
dialog.
Rather, the involvement of foreign elements could provide a great
contribution toward the settling of the Papua issue through
dialog. Foreign elements could play a significant role before, during, and
after the dialog between the government and the
Papuans. Why not?
A dialog needs clearly defined terms of reference. A foreign institute
could be asked to play a facilitating role during the
discussions on the terms of reference for the dialog. At this level, with
the help of a foreign facilitator, the government
and the Papuans could discuss the guiding principles, the goals and
objectives of the dialog, the place where the dialog will
take place, the stages of the dialog, the roles of third parties and
observers, and the overall rules of the game.
This is a crucial stage as it should produce jointly agreed terms of
reference that determine the foundations and framework
of the whole dialog process.
The discussions on the terms of reference should not be held in Indonesia
but rather in a neutral foreign country so that
each side feels free to express its opinions. It would be better if such
discussions were held in the country where the
facilitating institute is based.
During the substantive dialog itself, a foreign institute could also play
a facilitating role. A foreign institute should be
asked by the government and the Papuans to act as facilitator for three
reasons.
First, the nature of the Papua issue. The Papua issue is a conflict that
is neither between religions nor between the Papuan
tribes in Papua. It is not a horizontal conflict between the indigenous
Papuans and the Indonesian migrants in the land of
Papua.
Rather, the Papua issue is a vertical conflict between the indigenous
Papuans and the Indonesian government.
Therefore, an Indonesian institute cannot be trusted to facilitate a
dialog between the government and the Papuans.
Second, the characteristics of the relationship between the indigenous
Papuans and the government. Due to systematic
oppression for more than four decades, the relationship between the
Papuans and the government is characterized by mutual
suspicion. It is an undeniable fact that there is a lack of mutual trust
and confidence.
Third, the government is a disputing party. It would not be wise to
entrust a disputing party with the facilitating role for
the dialog.
The involvement of a foreign institute as facilitator for the dialog,
then, is crucial. However, the facilitating role played
by a foreign party should not be equated with the internationalization of
the Papua issue, something that the government is
always afraid of.
The involvement of a foreign element will still be needed even after the
dialog between the government and the Papuans has
taken place. At this stage, the foreign institute will play a monitoring
role. This means that the foreign institute is
involved to monitor and support the implementation of the agreement
achieved during the dialog.
>From the Papuan point of view, the monitoring role played by a foreign
institute is essential in order to strengthen their
trust in the government. Following the government's inconsistency in
implementing the Papuan Autonomy Law, the Papuans do not
believe that the government will fully and consistently implement any
agreement reached during the dialog.
In moving towards trust-building, the involvement of a foreign institute
will be crucial. Indeed, the government and the
Papuans should determine the role to be played by the foreign institute
and include it in the terms of reference for the
dialog on the Papua issue.
The writer is a Catholic priest and has just obtained his PhD from Urbania
Pontifical University, Rome.
---
Violence in Jayawijaya (KOMPAS)
2 dead and six wounded
The arrest of ex jayawijaya Bupati (Local regency chief) David Hubi led to
violence between civilians and the police on
Monday the 15th.
David Hubiwas tried in the Wamena State Court accused of absuing his power
and robbing the State of 10 Billion Rupiahs during
the financial year of 2004/2005. His arrest was order by the Chief Justice
of the Court after David avoided the court
hearings 8 times.
When the Police when to arrest him they found about 500 of his supporters
armed with bows-arrows, machetes and axes blocking
the road. "They stated that Hubi could not be processed in a court of law
as the legal status for the case was not clear. It
is clear that the President ordered an investigation and Hubi is a
suspect" stated the Head of the jayawijaya Police.
Because the crowds would not allow Hubi's arrest the Police forced their
entry into his house. Violence ensued and the Police
fired warning shots.
Those killed were Mokariem Kosay and Sodek Hubi.
The struggle was limited to that locale with hundreds of Hubi's supporters
arrested.
David was put in Wamena prison but his case has been delayed because the
court panel of judges is not complete yet.
According to David's lawyer,Bernard Akasian, the arrest was not illegal.
"The case was still under investigation and was not
ready for court" he said.
The Police Chief in Jakarta, Sutanto, stated that the trouble began after
David refused to show for his court hearings 6
times in a row. He said that when the Police were threatened by arrows
they defended themselves.
There was also a small tribal war between the Lem and the Wano people of
the Pogoma district, about 200 kilometers from
Mulia, Puncak Jaya, last sunday with 3 killed.
<abridged>
Bentrokan di Jayawijaya
Dua Orang Tewas dan Enam Lainnya Luka-luka
Jayapura, Kompas - Penjemputan paksa terdakwa korupsi, mantan Bupati
Jayawijaya David Agustinus Hubi, diwarnai bentrokan
antara massa dan polisi, Senin (15/5). Akibatnya, dua pendukung David Hubi
tewas dan enam orang lainnya terluka. Salah
seorang yang terluka adalah anggota Polres Jayawijaya, Bripda Rahman.
David Hubi diadili di Pengadilan Negeri Wamena dengan tuduhan
menyalahgunakan kekuasaan sehingga mengakibatkan kerugian
negara Rp 10 miliar pada tahun anggaran 2004/2005. Penjemputan paksa yang
dipimpin Kepala Kejaksaan Negeri Wamena Sriyatin
itu dilakukan setelah David Hubi enam kali tidak menghadiri sidang.
Saat akan dijemput paksa, Senin pagi, sekitar 500 warga pendukung David
Hubi yang dilengkapi dengan panah, parang, dan kapak
menutup jalan menuju kediaman David Hubi. "Mereka menolak Hubi diproses di
pengadilan dengan alasan belum ada status hukum
yang jelas dari Mahkamah Agung. Yang jelas, Presiden setuju Hubi
diperiksa, dan telah dinyatakan sebagai tersangka," kata
Kepala Polres Jayawijaya Ajun Komisaris Besar Roberd Djoenso.
Massa tidak membiarkan David Hubi keluar rumah sehingga polisi terpaksa
masuk ke rumah mantan bupati itu. Bentrok tidak dapat
dihindarkan. Dalam bentrokan itu Bripda Rahman terluka di kaki. "Akhirnya
polisi memberi tembakan peringatan," kata Kepala
Polda Papua Irjen Tommy T Jacobus.
Dua pendukung David Hubi yang tewas adalah Mokariem Kosay dan Sodek Hubi,
sementara pendukung lainnya, Paulus Hubi, terluka.
Bentrokan dapat dilokalisasi dan ratusan pendukung David Hubi ditangkap.
Polisi juga menyita 200 anak panah, 13 busur, 11
katapel, satu kapak, dan lima parang panjang. Menurut Direktur Reskrim
Polda Papua Ajun Komisaris Besar Paulus Waterpauw, dua
pendukung David HubiYosephino Hubi dan Paulus Hubiditetapkan sebagai
tersangka dalam kasus penyerangan terhadap polisi.
David Hubi sendiri dapat dihadirkan ke PN Wamena, tetapi persidangan
ditunda karena majelis hakim tidak lengkap.
Kuasa hukum David Hubi, Bernard Akasian, menyatakan, penjemputan paksa itu
tidak berdasarkan hukum. Menurut dia, kasus ini
masih diperiksa Mahkamah Agung setelah pihaknya mengajukan praperadilan.
Di Jakarta, Kepala Polri Jenderal (Pol) Sutanto mengatakan, bentrokan di
Wamena berawal dari upaya pemanggilan mantan Bupati
Wamena setelah enam kali tidak menghadiri sidang. "Dia mangkir, malah
mengerahkan massa yang memanah petugas hingga terjadi
benturan di lapangan," ujar Sutanto di sela-sela rapat kerja dengan Komisi
III DPR, Senin.
"Polisi membela diri. Sedang didalami, pembelaan diri anggota kami itu
sejauh apa," ujar Wakil Kepala Divisi Humas Mabes
Polri Brigjen (Pol) Anton Bachrul Alam.
Perang antarsuku
Sementara itu, perang antara suku Lem dan suku Wano di Distrik Pogoma,
sekitar 200 kilometer dari Mulia, Puncak Jaya, Minggu
lalu, mengakibatkan tiga warga tewas.
Anggota Majelis Rakyat Papua (MRP) Daerah Pemilihan Puncak Jaya Alpius
Murib, di Jayapura, Senin, mengatakan, menurut laporan
warga di Distrik Pogoma, pertikaian itu berawal dari salah paham antara
pimpinan Gereja Kimi Distrik Pogoma dan seorang warga
suku Wano. (ROW/KOR/SF)
---
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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