[Kabar-Irian] News: August 20-24 2006
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August 20-24 2006
KABAR IRIAN NEWS
TOPICS
* Australian magazine warns of possible conflict on PNG/Papua border
* Rights violations getting worse in Papua: Observer
* Indonesian military treats PNG as its territory
* Papua, W Irja expected to talk about special autonomy implementation
* Arrest warrant for Papua activist
* Body of missing boat passenger found
* Australian magazine warns of possible conflict on PNG/Papua border
(version2)
* Archdiocese in Papua holds workshop to foster peace, head off communal
conflict
* PNG: Calls for sackings over death of Indonesian fishermen
* NAURU: Asylum seeker penalty for Australia
* Hageta, a portrait of a woman's world in Baliem Valley
* NZ ‘not doing enough’ over West Papua crisis
* Papuan HIV/Aids Rate 10 Times Official Figure
* Freeport Mine ‘Terrible’ Sight From Space
* Missing men made own arrangements
* Army boost ... PM announces plans for two more battalions.
* Three missing after their boat sinks off Timika (see above articles)
* Why I did not support the migration amendment bill
* Feature - Indonesia seeks to repair battered tourism image
* Green MP calls for investigation into claims
---
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=26313
Radio New Zealand International
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
Australian magazine warns of possible conflict on PNG/Papua border
Posted at 06:54 on 23 August, 2006 UTC
An Australian news magazine says Australia could been dragged into a
conflict with Indonesia through Jakarta’s secret
operations on the Papua New Guinea border.
Journalist Paul Daley, writing in the Bulletin, says Indonesia’s attempts
to suppress Papuan rebels could easily trigger a
firefight with PNG forces, and Australia could be dragged into a conflict
through a defence agreement signed in 1987.
He says troops from Indonesia’s special forces, Kopassus, are operating
secretly and with virtual impunity on both sides of
the border, as they track down and kill Papua’s OPM guerillas.
Mr Daley says some Kopassus personnel and agents from Indonesia’s state
intelligence agency, the Badan Intelignen Negara, are
so well established in PNG that they virtually run some towns.
He says there are also claims that the Indonesian fishermen apprehended
inside PNG waters two weeks ago were plainclothes
Kopassus agents.
One of the fisherman was shot dead by PNG soldiers.
Mr Daley says the appointment of Major General Zamroni, the former
commander of anti-terrorist forces in Kopassus, as the new
head of military operations in Papua, shows that the country’s elected
leaders are not in control of the military.
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060823.G07&irec=5
Rights violations getting worse in Papua: Observer
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
The level of human rights violations in Papua has increased in recent
years, according to one observer, who asked the
international community to do more for the province.
"Systematic human rights violations continue taking place in Papua every
year," Rev. Dora Balubun said Monday during a
discussion at the Jayapura Diocese office with Chris Sidoti, director of
the Geneva-based International Human Rights Service.
Dora said the latest example occurred in Abepura in March, when security
officers allegedly assaulted students.
The incident he was referring to followed a clash between security
officers and protesters demanding the closure of the PT
Freeport Indonesia gold and copper mine. In that clash three policemen and
a member of the Air Force were beaten to death.
Dora, who serves parishioners in conflict areas, attributed some of the
alleged rights violations in Papua to the unclear
political status of the province, and the manner in which Papua became
part of Indonesia.
He said while the government insisted Papua was an integral part of the
country, many Papuans felt their land had been
hijacked by Indonesia through a legally flawed referendum.
"That's why many Papuans feel as if they are not part of Indonesia. And as
long as the problem of the political status of
Papua is not comprehensively settled, human rights violations will
continue to take place," he said.
Each time Papuans demand their rights, Dora alleged, they are branded as
separatists who must be eliminated.
"A number of human rights violations have started with (Papuans) demanding
their rights, like the Wasior case where Papuans
demanded their customary right to manage their natural resources," Dora said.
Instead of responding to the demand, paramilitary police officers silenced
the people by accusing them of threatening the
state's sovereignty, Dora said. He added that the incident in Abepura also
began with a demand by Papuans for their rights.
The authorities' effort to silence any demand by the people for their
rights constitutes an effort to kill the country's
blossoming democracy, Dora claimed.
Meanwhile, Chris Sidoti said the issue of human rights violations in Papua
earned little attention internationally because of
the perception the violations were not on the same level as what was seen
in Aceh for decades.
To force the international community to respond to events in Papua, he
said, rights campaigners should incessantly and
aggressively raise the issue.
However, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tommy Yacobus denied Tuesday the
human rights situation in the province was worsening.
He said claims about an increase in the level of rights violations were
the result of misunderstandings about what
constituted a violation.
"Due to different perceptions, what is classified as a human rights
violation here is not classified as one in the
international world," Tommy said.
Citing an example, he said hitting someone was considered to be a human
rights violation in Papua, but in reality it was a
normal crime.
"How come human rights campaigners here classify the Abepura incident, in
which four of my subordinates were killed, as a
human rights violation?" he asked.
The officer brushed off the critics and rights campaigners, saying they
first had to understand what constituted a rights
violation and what did not.
---
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0608/S00306.htm
Indonesian military treats PNG as its territory
Wednesday, 23 August 2006, 9:37 am
Press Release: Free West Papua Campaign
FREE WEST PAPUA CAMPAIGN (Melbourne)
MEDIA RELEASE - MEDIA RELEASE - MEDIA RELEASE - MEDIA RELEASE
Report shows Indonesian military treats PNG as its own territory
An explosive report in today's issue of The Bulletin has vindicated a
field investigation into the activities of the
Indonesian military (TNI) in the Papua New Guinea – West Papuan border
region. This investigation was undertaken by
fieldworkers from May 14 to 14 June 2006 on behalf of the Free West Papua
campaign in Australia. The work was funded
exclusively by grassroots donations from Australia.
“For too long the security and human rights issues present along the
border of the Papua Niugini and West Papua have been
ignored at the strategic peril of countries in the region,” said Nick
Chesterfield, the compiler of the report, and
International Officer with the Free West Papua Campaign.
“In abandoning those who fought so hard for our freedom in World War 2, we
have missed out on a genuine opportunity to stop
displacement of our neighbours, and to genuinely combat terrorism on our
doorstep,”explained Chesterfield.
Currently a massive troop buildup is occurring on the border by the
Indonesian military, who have so far managed to resist
genuine civilian control within Indonesia. After the defensive killings of
five security personnel and agents provocateur in
the demonstrations of March 15/16, the Indonesian military and Police have
conducted widespread reprisals against students
and the family members of all university students in West Papua.
Chesterfield continued: “The TNI's network of terror has now spread deep
within Papua Niugini and has made its presence felt
within isolated communities along the border, who are living in fear of an
imminent invasion. We uncovered evidence that a
massive ground offensive is in the final stages of planning, and there are
questions that need to answered publicly by many
people in the region to prevent this from happening.”
ADVERTISEMENT
In recent weeks, several incidents have occurred on the border which have
exacerbated the tension felt by local communities.
This includes the shootings by PNGDF of fisherman suspected to be
undercover TNI, in circumstances that are still unclear,
amid claims of a PNG Government ordered cover-up. There have also been
widespread allegations of illegal crossings by Kostrad
and Kopassus personnel.
Also just this morning, the Indonesian Consul-General in Vanimo, Hardojo,
refused to stop to go through passport control at
the Wutung border crossing. According to a police officer who spoke with
Mr Chesterfield, “He said he was late for an
important military meeting in Jayapura, and was too busy to wait for
Immigration. He just ignored our orders, walked across
the no man's land, hopped in a taxi and drove away. But what can we do?”
“Before PNG was independent, the Indonesian military government already
had a long standing plan to annexe PNG. The TNI have
gradually come to control the economy of PNG with the help of corrupt
figures in the PNG government,” said Jacob Rumbiak,
Foreign Affairs Co-ordinator with the West Papua National Authority
According to Rumbiak, the TNI “are using the pretext of the demonstrations
on March 16 to hunt to their deaths students
throughout the border region, terrorizing local people. This is being done
to prevent West Papuan people speaking out about
military abuses and the genuine aspirations for their self-determination.”
“Now these latest incidents on the border are showing that PNG people also
are waking up to the TNI's plans to destroy the
territorial integrity and dignity of PNG.”
Central to this is the appointment of Major General Zamroni of Kopassus as
the new military commander of West Papua. When
contacted by the Free West Papua Campaign today, Dr Clinton Fernandes,
author of Reluctant Indonesians: the future of West
Papua and senior lecturer in strategic studies at UNSW, said "Major
General Zamroni's appointment shows the Indonesian
military's thorough disregard for the wishes of the civilian administration.”
“Zamroni was once deputy commander of Kopassus under the murderous
Lieutenant-General Prabowo. Extra-judicial murder and
other forms of state terror were and remain a specialty of this
organisation. Australians should keep this in mind when they
hear their government's preference for closer links with the Indonesian
military," explained Fernandes.
Photographic and witness evidence was also found that shows clearly that
Timbul Silaen, the infamous and indicted former
police commander of West Papua (and the police chief during the carnage of
1999 in East Timor), is present in West Papua and
overseeing militia activity.
“Questions need to be asked about what these people are doing in West
Papua at the time where there of a militia build-up,
and a renewed presence across West Papua of the very “rogue elements” that
have such a brutal history,” said Chesterfield
For a copy of the full report, visit:
http://freewestpapua.com/files/SITREP%20West%20Papua%20Border%20Mission%20MayJune%202006.pdf
For a copy of
For a copy of a summary of briefing points, visit:
http://freewestpapua.com/files/Briefing%20points%20for%20West%20papua%20border%20mission%20report.pdf
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=18741
Papua, W Irja expected to talk about special autonomy implementation
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Regional Representative Council (DPD) has
expected that the provincial administrations of Papua
and West Irian Jaya (Irja) would soon talk about the issue related to the
implementation of Law No.21/2001 on special
autonomy, especially concerning budget allocation for the two provinces.
"The central government is expected to take proactive measures to serve as
a mediator in solving the issue," DPD Chairman
Ginanjar Kartasasmita said in his address at the DPD plenary session which
was attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhopono
here Wednesday.
Ginanjar said the government has taken progressive measures for Papua by
creating more conducive condition there, especially
following the election of provincial governors in the two provinces.
"We appreciate the government that has installed two governors/vice
governors elected in the provinces," Ginanjar said.
With the installation of the two governors, the two provinces have offered
new phases and expectations that they would be
able to manage special autonomy better, he said.
Ginanjar said the geographical condition, isolated communities and
complicated administrative systems in Papua required
special approaches different from those of other provinces in Indonesia.
"Still in this matter, we have to answer certain groups both at home and
abroad that have yelled out minor voices against the
existence of Papua in the Unitary State of Indonesia," he said.
"If our brothers and sisters in Papua have enjoyed development and results
of development, the people of Papua themselves
would be the first ones who would defend the Unitary State of Indonesia
and fight against those who commit proactive
propaganda," Ginanjar added.
For Aceh, Ginanjar said he thanked God as the province has become a
peaceful region while horizontal and vertical conflicts
were no longer there.
Law on the Aceh administration as part of efforts to seek a peaceful
solution following the Helsinki agreement last year has
also been approved, he said, adding that DPD took an active role by giving
insights in the process of making the law.
On the occasion, Ginanjar also talked about political conflicts in Lampung
province. "DPD hopes administrative issues in
other regions like that in Lampung should be settled fairly with dignity
soon," he said. (*)
COPYRIGHT © 2006 ANTARA
August 24, 2006
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060824.H11&irec=11
Arrest warrant for Papua activist
JAYAPURA: Police in Papua have issued an arrest warrant for Jefri Pagawak,
a local activist wanted for allegedly
masterminding violent demonstrations throughout the province.
The order came after Jefri eluded police who tried to arrest him in Timika
on Tuesday night.
Papua police chief Insp. Gen. Tommy Jacobus said Jefri was wanted for
organizing protests in the provincial capital Jayapura
and Timika demanding the closure of mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.
The most violent protest happened in Abepura, on the outskirts of
Jayapura, on March 16, 2006, when four police officers and
a soldier were killed.
Mimika police precinct chief Snr. Cmsr. Jimmy Tuilan said while Jefri
managed to escape, the police arrested two of the
suspect's accomplices. -- JP
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060824.G09&irec=9
Body of missing boat passenger found
JAYAPURA, Papua: A search and rescue team from Timika and Asmat regencies
in Papua on Wednesday recovered the body of one of
three people who went missing when their boat capsized last Saturday near
Puriri island.
Team head Suyanto Samidjan said the body of Laape, who was the crewman on
the capsized boat, was found near Bidadari island,
about three kilometers from Puriri island.
"The body was recovered at 8:30 a.m. near Bidadari island, which is the
local name for the island, though it is not found on
maps," Suyanto said.
He said the body had been transferred to Mitra Masyarakat Hospital in Timika.
"Laape will be buried in Timika because the poor condition of the body
makes it impossible to transfer to his hometown in
Asmat," he said.
Two people remain missing after the accident. They are Dominikus Indrawan,
a student at Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta,
and Iswan Mariadi, a lecturer at Brawijaya University in Malang, East
Java. They were in Papua to consult on a road
construction project.
Three other people were rescued after the boat capsized amid large waves
while traveling from Agats to Timika. -- JP
---
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/bulletins/rnzi/200608231854/86d776
Australian magazine warns of possible conflict on PNG/Papua border
Posted at 6:54pm on 23 Aug 2006
An Australian news magazine says Australia could been dragged into a
conflict with Indonesia through Jakarta's secret
operations on the Papua New Guinea border.
Journalist Paul Daley, writing in the Bulletin, says Indonesia's attempts
to suppress Papuan rebels could easily trigger a
firefight with PNG forces, and Australia could be dragged into a conflict
through a defence agreement signed in 1987.
He says troops from Indonesia's special forces, Kopassus, are operating
secretly and with virtual impunity on both sides of
the border, as they track down and kill Papua's OPM guerillas.
Mr Daley says some Kopassus personnel and agents from Indonesia's state
intelligence agency, the Badan Intelignen Negara, are
so well established in PNG that they virtually run some towns.
He says there are also claims that the Indonesian fishermen apprehended
inside PNG waters two weeks ago were plainclothes
Kopassus agents.
One of the fisherman was shot dead by PNG soldiers.
Mr Daley says the appointment of Major General Zamroni, the former
commander of anti-terrorist forces in Kopassus, as the new
head of military operations in Papua, shows that the country's elected
leaders are not in control of the military.
Copyright © 2006 Radio New Zealand International
---
http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=3036
August 22,2006
Archdiocese in Papua holds workshop to foster peace, head off communal
conflict
MERAUKE, Indonesia (UCAN) -- Merauke archdiocese recently held a workshop
to promote peace and forestall potential conflicts
among the different ethnic and religious communities of an area in Papua
province.
About 30 people of various ethnic groups and religions attended the July
28-29 workshop in Kurik subdistrict on the theme
Building a Culture of Peace. The diocesan Secretariat for Justice and
Peace (SKP-KAM, Indonesian acronym) organized the
event.
Merauke city, in the southernmost corner of Papua province, is about 3,700
kilometers east of Jakarta. Kurik, part of Merauke
district, has a population of 22,630. Among its people 95 percent are
Papuans, most of them Catholics, from the Biak, Marind,
Paniai and Wamena tribes. The others, mainly Muslims, are from other
Indonesian islands. They have been settling in the area
since 1962, when the transfer of Papua from Dutch to Indonesian rule began.
"For people of different ethnic groups and religions to live peacefully
and harmoniously, we all need to work hard and make
sacrifices," Father Dicky Ogi, head of SKP-KAM, told participants at the
opening of the workshop July 28.
"All people of different ethnicities and religions need to build up mutual
understanding and true peace. We all should avoid
interreligious, interethnic, and interracial conflict," he added.
Father Ogi told UCA News the following day that no serious or open
conflicts have erupted among the various ethnic groups
living in Kurik. However, he said prejudices and misunderstandings exist
between the native Papuans and the immigrants they
accuse of usurping their traditional means of livelihood.
According to Father Ogi, some incidents have occurred in which Christians
who were "annoyed" by daily Muslim calls to prayer
being announced from mosque loudspeakers "pelted the mosques" with stones.
He cautioned that even if such incidents are
regarded as minor and isolated, they have the potential to escalate into
more serious interethnic and interreligious
conflicts.
The priest told UCA News that on the first day of the workshop, an SKP-KAM
team guided participants in learning about the
nature of conflict in general and in recognizing potential conflicts in
the area.
On the second day participants studied the importance of communication
between different parties in arriving at mutual
understanding, decisions and solutions. Participants considered the roles
that religions, customs and the government can play
in building a culture of peace.
"They also identified the factors that support the existence of such a
culture," Father Ogi said, referring to people's
participation in interfaith, intercultural and interethnic dialogues.
"People should establish a forum for holding such
dialogues in the future," he suggested.
Requirements he identified for building a culture of peace among various
groups include tolerance and mutual respect,
critical analysis of information and a refusal to be easily influenced by
provocative rumors.
Subdistrict head Arenz Kaize told UCA News during the workshop that he
welcomed the event because "this district has the
potential for conflicts."
Kaize, a Protestant, has been subdistrict head for two years. He observed
that mutual mistrust between the locals and
migrants, mainly from Java, could lead to conflict. "We have to be humble
and honest in developing the culture of peace in
Kurik," he stressed.
Salestinus Gebze, a local Catholic, agreed. People "tend to look down on
other religions, ethnic groups and races," he told
UCA News, adding that "conflicts may occur if there is no mutual respect
in society."
---
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacbeat/stories/s1720802.htm
Last Updated 22/08/2006
PNG: Calls for sackings over death of Indonesian fishermen
In Papua New Guinea, the diplomatic situation between PNG and Indonesia is
still tense following the recent fatal shooting of
an Indonesian fisherman in the country's Sandaun province. Last week
several security personnel managing the PNG side of the
border with Indonesia allegedly shot dead an Indonesian fisherman. Reports
say ten Indonesian fisherman were seen illegally
fishing within 12 kilometres of PNG waters, forcing the security officers
to act. The incident has sparked a war of words
between the PNG defence hierarchy and the soldiers with the PNG Defence
force Chief Tom Urr accusing his soldiers of acting
illegally. The soldiers have retaliated and demanded an apology from
Colonel Tom Urr saying they were just doing their job.
However the former commander of the PNG defence force Brigadier General
Jerry Singirok begs to differ and has called for the
Defence Force Commander Commodore Peter Ilau to be sacked over this issue.
Presenter/Interviewer: Caroline Tiriman
Speakers: Jerry Singirok, Brigadier General, Former Commander of the PNG
Defence Force
SINGIROK: I think there is a breakdown in command and control by the
defence hierarchy. I think the commander has lost
complete control of his unit. There's no leadership, there's no command
and control by the Defence Force headquarters. And
that is why soldiers out in the field are just taking initiatives on their
own. The soldiers have no right, they have acted
illegally, it's a criminal act. They should not have been on patrol; there
was no authority for soldiers to be attached to
the patrol with the Customs and Fisheries officers. That attachment is
illegal and unlawful and it borders on criminal action
if it is true, and it borders seriously on international breaches of
conventions. Both the soldiers at Vanimo are at fault,
and the headquarters, PNG Defence Force is also at fault because it is not
in control of its subordinate units.
TIRIMAN: The soldiers responsible for the Indonesian fisherman's death are
all stationed at Vanimo. Now if it's not their job
to warn of illegal border crossers, whose job is it then?
SINGIROK: There is a memorandum of understanding in place. The national
government is responsible, it's sponsoring, financing
and logistically supporting joint operations with other government
departments with the Defence Force. In this case if the
Fisheries or Customs authority are going out to do routine surveillance
they must seek approval from National Security
Council, of which the Defence Commander and the Minister for Defence and
Secretary for Defence are fully aware and authorise
such joint operations. There's a lack of communication and dialogue
between headquarters and the troops on the ground,
including relevant government agencies up in Vanimo.
TIRIMAN: So what should be done now I wonder?
SINGIROK: Well what I have suggested is the government to suspend the
Commander of PNGDF, and as the government has done is
to conduct an inquiry and investigation to see who authorised the patrol
and who authorised the Defence Force soldiers to be
there, and take immediate remedial action so that we do not sever good
relationship which we have had with the Indonesians
for the past 30 years. It is a very, very serious offence committed by our
troops, and having said that the fishermen were
unarmed. The actions, the use of firearms was totally unnecessary. The
soldiers should have exercised restraint, exercised
self-discipline before they fired at the unarmed boat. Now although the
act is illegal, which is crossing into PNG waters, it
did not warrant the Defence Force soldiers to shoot at the fishermen.
Keeping in mind that Papua New Guinean citizens along
the border also go and fish on the other side of the Indonesian water. So
there's a lot of border crossers on both sides. Now
Indonesians have always been tolerant in relation to our illegal fishermen
in their waters, so right now I cannot say that
our fishermen are no longer safe under the current circumstances. And I
say that the Commander of PNGDF should step down
because I think he is losing control of the Defence Force.
---
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacbeat/stories/s1721869.htm
Last Updated 23/08/2006
NAURU: Asylum seeker penalty for Australia
The Nauru government has passed a plan that will impose financial
penalties on Australia for asylum seekers who are held on
the Island for extended periods. Nauru provides camps for asylum seekers
being processed by Australia, as part of a two year
agreement, under which Australia is giving Nauru 40-million dollars in
aid. But Nauru says new asylum seekers arriving on the
island will be issued with 90-day visas for two-thousand Australian
dollars, which would be renewed at an increasing cost of
500 dollars each renewal. There's now speculation this contradicts the
memorandum of understanding between the two nations.
Presenter/Interviewer: Megan Flamer
Speakers: David Adeang, Nauru's Foreign Affairs Minister
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060824.G07&irec=6
Hageta, a portrait of a woman's world in Baliem Valley
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
She is barely 14, an age when other children are still attending school,
but, Hageta has been married off by her parents to
David Mabel, the son of a Papuan tribal chief in Baliem Valley, Wamena.
Hageta now lives with her husband's extended family in Jali village, a
settlement consisting of four families. The settlement
consists of several honai traditional houses; one honai for the male
members of the family, three honai for the women and a
long structure for cooking and raising pigs.
A honai is a round structure with a thatched roof and walls made of
timber. It has no windows. It consists of two floors, the
lower quarters for cooking and burning wood to warm the building at night
and the upper quarters for sleeping.
Every day the womenfolk who live in the settlement, leave for the fields
to cultivate a tuber called batatas, bananas and
vegetables and bring them home to cook.
Once a week, the produce is sold in the market to buy household needs,
such as sugar, salt and kerosene.
Around 23 other people live in the settlement besides Hageta and her
husband; the wives and children of other household
heads.
Each wife of a tribal chief has her own kitchen, which is used by their
children and their families.
Hageta cooks in one part of the kitchen located in the long house with her
mother-in-law, the first wife of the Abu Logo
tribal chief who has three wives.
Although they are married, Hageta and her husband do not live together in
the same house. According to tradition, a male
honai is only inhabited by men. It is larger in size and located in the
middle of the other honai. The wives of the tribal
chief and their children live in the other honai.
Men and women are not allowed to live together, thus there is the term
male and female honai.
Whenever Hageta and her husband wish to have sex, then the other women
move to the other honai. "They would move to another
honai so that my husband and I can sleep together," she said.
Hageta and the other women from the Dani tribe in Baliem Valley are
conditioned from a young age not to have any life goals
other than marriage and bearing children.
When Hageta turned 13 and started menstruating, her parents arranged her
marriage. She did not protest or reject the plan,
despite the fact that she had not finished school.
"Don't you have any ambitions, Hageta?" asked The Jakarta Post. She smiled
and said, "My parents said that I should marry, so
I got married," she said.
She has been married for a year but still hasn't conceived. "I don't have
a child yet," she said.
If Hageta does not bear a child, her husband has the right to remarry and
she must accept the presence of another woman in
the home without protest, and for as long as her husband does not divorce
her, she cannot remarry.
"I cannot remarry but my husband can. If my husband divorces me, only then
I can remarry," she said.
If David Mabel marries again, then Hageta will have to live together with
her husband's wives in one complex.
Hageta's experience is typical of women of the Dani tribe in Baliem
Valley. They have no other choice but to marry and have
children.
Women are the breadwinners in the family, because the main task of the men
is to go to war.
It is a common sight in Wamena to see women carrying batatas and
vegetables from the farms while walking in front with their
children, and the men following from behind carrying bows and arrows.
---
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00228.htm
Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 10:46 am
Article: Te Waha Nui
NZ ‘not doing enough’ over West Papua crisis
By Dianna Vezich: Story and image courtesy of Te Waha Nui Online
The New Zealand Government and media are not doing enough to expose
“potential genocide” in West Papua, says Indonesian Human
Rights Committee spokesperson Maire Leadbeater.
At a weekend West Papua human rights conference held at AUT University,
she said New Zealand was able to play a key mediation
role in resolving conflict in the troubled province.
Photo: Del Abcede Human rights campaigners from Australia at AUT: Joe
Collins (from left), Dr Anne Noonan and John Wing
New Zealand has not contributed a lot to helping its Pacific neighbours,
the West Papuans, deal with the problems under tight
Indonesian rule.
In 2002, then Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff mentioned the idea of New
Zealand acting as a mediator in West Papua.
“Almost as soon as Goff uttered those words he backed down, saying it
could only happen if both Indonesia and West Papua
agreed. We would be waiting an awful long time if we waited for Jakarta to
initiate it,” said Leadbeater.
Current Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has shown little interest
in the needs of West Papuans. He turned down
meeting with speakers at the conference such as visiting West Papuan
Baptist leader Rev Socratez Sofyan Yoman.
“The New Zealand Government should call on Jakarta to open the way for the
West Papuan request for dialogue,” said
Leadbeater.
Keynote speaker at the conference, Rev Yoman said his people were not
happy and wanted peace and equality.
Rev Yoman also wanted New Zealand to raise the oppressive situation in
West Papua with the United Nations.
“They have to stop them killing us, killing the Papuans, killing our
land,” he said.
Problem for journalists
It is difficult for journalists or foreign diplomats to obtain visas to
visit West Papua.
Leadbeater was surprised that New Zealand’s mainstream media did not use
the opportunity to hear Rev Yoman.
He is a West Papuan Baptist leader who has campaigned extensively for
peace and justice in his country.
The only media to report on the conference were Radio NZ International,
Triangle TV and journalism students from AUT
University reporting for Te Waha Nui Online and Radio Static.
This is not the case in Australia with the issue of West Papua receiving
coverage in mainstream newspapers.
John Wing, a speaker at the conference and coordinator of the West Papua
project at the University of Sydney’s Centre for
Peace and Conflict Studies, said there was a segment on the SBS television
current affairs programme Dateline focused on the
genocide allegations.
Wing is highly concerned about the problems in West Papua, such as threats
from the Indonesian military, large-scale
migration from Indonesia and the HIV/Aids explosion.
His recent report, Genocide in West Papua, outlines examples of social
conflict in Papuan towns and cities from 2003-2005.
---
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00241.htm
Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 11:09 am
Article: Te Waha Nui
Papuan HIV/Aids rate ‘10 times’ the official figure
By Melanie Allan - Story and image courtesy of Te Waha Nui Online
HIV/Aids is a growing threat to the West Papuan people and researchers
claim the Indonesian-ruled province has an infection
rate 10 times higher than official figures.
Rev Socratez Sofyan Yoman, president of the Fellowship of Baptist Churches
in West Papua, is in New Zealand for a conference
at AUT University and a country-wide tour to raise awareness about human
rights abuses happening daily in his Indonesian-
ruled province.
He says the threat of an HIV/Aids epidemic is a major concern for West Papua.
“More than 2000 Papuans are infected with HIV/Aids, including women,
children, youth and government employees,” he says. The
problem is multiplied by the number of brothels staffed by women infected
with the disease.
Dr Noonan: End transmigration - only solution. Photo: Del Abcede
An Australian medical doctor and activist for human rights in West Papua,
Dr Anne Noonan, is particularly concerned about the
high HIV infection rate.
She says while the official Indonesian statistics state the number of
infected people in West Papua is 2199, she estimates
the actual number to be about 10 times that.
“The rate of infection in West Papua is twice that of their neighbours,
Papua New Guinea,” she told the weekend conference.
Pregnant women statistics
Statistics from surveys of pregnant women showed two per cent of women
tested positive to HIV in Papua New Guinea, compared
to 3.8 per cent in West Papua.
“This is probably a good indication of the HIV rate of the whole population.”
“Once it gets as high as four per cent, it starts to escalate much more
rapidly,” Dr Noonan says.
“It may not be long until the rate is in double figures, possibly up there
with South Africa at 40 per cent infected.”
Heterosexual intercourse is the main form of transmission in West Papua.
“Men get infected when they go to Indonesia, and when they come back they
infect more West Papuan women.”
Dr Noonan argues that ending transmigration is the only solution. “Until
the HIV problem can get sorted out, it’s absolutely
essential that transmigration stops.”
Few youth recognise condoms
Added to the problem is the fact that a lot of men in West Papua do not
take responsibility by using protection during
intercourse.
“There was a survey of Papuan youth, and only four per cent recognised a
condom!” One way to prevent the spread of HIV is
female condoms, but this will also reduce fertility rates.
“Every West Papuan really wants freedom and they want to keep their
population up, so they want to have more babies,” she
says.
This is in direct contrast to the message from the Indonesia government
that promotes a two children policy.
Dr Noonan says this low fertility policy involves encouraging
sterilisation and use of the contraceptive pill and is
particularly aimed at the West Papuan people. “There is tremendous
resistance to the fertility programme among West Papuans,”
she says. “They’re suspicious that they’re trying to reduce their
population, wipe them out.
“The more educated Papuans say, ‘if the army won’t get us, HIV will.”
---
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00235.htm
Freeport Mine ‘Terrible’ Sight From Space
Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 10:56 am
Article: Te Waha Nui
Freeport mine destruction ‘terrible’ sight from space
By Ali Bell - Story and image courtesy of Te Waha Nui Online
After decades of unrestricted mining by the Freeport McMoran company in
West Papua, the environmental and physical
devastation is “terrible”.
This was the message at a weekend seminar on West Papua held at AUT
University.
The destruction caused from the Grasberg copper and gold mining site is
“so terrible you can see it from space”, says human
rights spokesperson and law student Cameron Walker.
Image: Freeport mine at Mt Jaya, Papua, as seen from space.
Rivers used for fishing have been destroyed, or are being destroyed, says
Walker.
Maire Leadbeater, spokesperson of the Indonesian Human Rights Committee
(IHRC), has reported that New Zealand Embassy staff
from Jakarta visited the Freeport McMoran mine and commented privately on
the degree of environmental destruction.
Norway has chosen not to invest its oil fund in the Freeport mine, because
of “its serious abuse of environmental standards”
as reported in the latest edition of the IHRC newsletter cited by Leadbeater.
The mine is destroying the 4884m Mt Jaya. Already one billion tonnes of
waste has been generated from the mine. Norway says
Freeport has used a natural river system for waste disposal, and also Lake
Wanagon. The waste flows down river systems into
the lowlands, leaving a trail of destruction and the river system is now
“dead”.
Wetlands, forests destroyed
Large areas of wetlands and rainforest have been destroyed, states the IHRC.
In December 2005, the New York Times carried out a special investigative
report detailing the physical devastation and human
rights abuse, and the benefits to the Indonesian government of the mine –
about two per cent of the GDP in 2005.
Freeport McMoran is a US-based and owned company.
Walker says the company was given “free rein” in 1967 to take West Papuan
land from the people, to resettle villagers and
compensate them only for the buildings on the land.
The company was allowed to write its own contract with Indonesia, which
had been given colonial rights to West Papua in a
United Nations-US diplomatic arrangement in the 1960s.
Freeport pays Indonesian military and police for “security from angry
locals”, says Walker.
In 1977, some West Papuans cut the copper slurry pipe, and Operation
Tumpas, or Operation Annihilation, followed.
Walker says this operation used cluster bombs and other military tactics.
Tactics used to wipe our resistance
West Papuan Baptist leader Rev Socratez Sofyan Yoman, who also spoke at
the seminar, says these tactics were used to try to
wipe out the cause of the resistance – the West Papuan people.
In March, there was a big solidarity protest against Freeport and students
are still in hiding, afraid to return to
university in the face of large scale military brutality.
Joe Collins, of the West Papuan Society in Australia, says one of the
strategy statements to come out of the seminar is that
there should be a focus on human rights for West Papua, and that “the
hidden conflict be more seen throughout the world”.
“Stop them killing Papuans. Stop them killing us, says Rev Yoman”
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060823.F07
Don't underestimate NGOs' power
Opinion and Editorial - August 23, 2006
An interesting statement made by former foreign minister Ali Alatas
appeared in the Aug. 10 edition of The Jakarta Post. He
stated that the "Government of Indonesia must not underestimate the power
of NGOs (non-governmental organizations)."
I agree 100 percent with Pak Alatas. One of the reasons why Indonesia lost
the referendum under UN sponsorship in East Timor
in 1999 was the role played by international NGOs in allowing East Timor
to secede from Indonesia.
Geographically, Indonesia will always be at danger of separation. This is
particularly so if the national leadership in
Jakarta is not strong enough, in the sense that it listens to the
aspirations of the people in the regions, particularly
regarding the distribution of wealth, and development in resource-rich
regions.
To be frank, the problems of Papua and Aceh are just like Mt. Merapi. They
can erupt at any time if they are not addressed
properly.
The only positive result of reformasi is the fact that it has brought a
major change in the government, from dictatorship to
democracy. The bureaucracy, however, has gone from bad to worse.
Let's stick to Pancasila, which is the strongest and only pillar of
Indonesia's unitary state concept. Long live the Republic
of Indonesia.
MANMOHAN SINGH
Jakarta
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060823.G11
Missing men made own arrangements
National News - August 23, 2006
YOGYAKARTA: Gajah Mada University rector Sofian Effendi said Tuesday that
two consultants from the university, who went
missing Saturday when their boat capsized in the waters off Timika, Papua,
had made their own travel arrangements.
Sofian said the two were working for CV Saga Persada, surveying Asmat.
"Their cooperation was reached without the involvement of our
organization. Such deals are common to get lower prices,"
Sofian said.
The consultants have been identified as Dominikus Indrawan and Iswan. Boat
crewman Lape is also missing.
"We were shocked to hear two of our consultants were missing. Even though
the two were there 'illegally', they are still our
children and we will tried hard to search for them," Suharyadi, the head
of the remote sensing department of the university's
School of Geography, said. -- JP
---
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1723199.htm
Last Update: Thursday, August 24, 2006. 3:00pm (AEST)
Army boost ... PM announces plans for two more battalions.
Army boost ... PM announces plans for two more battalions.
PM announces Army numbers boost
The Prime Minister has announced a big increase to the size of the Army.
John Howard says there will be two extra battalions, or more than 2,500
extra soldiers.
He says it will cost around $10 billion over 11 years to fund the two
battalions.
Mr Howard says he expects the Army to be called on regularly in the future
both in regional troublespots and further afield.
"The reason why we need a bigger Australian Army is self evident - this
country faces ongoing, and in my opinion increasing,
instances of destabilised and failing states in our own region."
Mr Howard says Australia needs a bigger army to ensure the nation can meet
its responsibilities.
"Our likely responsibilities include, from time to time, being involved in
operations like Afghanistan and Iraq but very
particularly our responsibilities in our region where we will carry the
major share of the burden."
Mr Howard says the region surrounding Australia is "fairly unsettled".
"You've had the Solomon Islands, you've had East Timor, Papua New Guinea
is a country with a fair degree of instability," Mr
Howard said.
"You have other potential outbreaks of instability and the rest of the
world quite understandably looks to Australia as the
strongest and wealthiest country in the region."
Neil James from the Australia Defence Association says the extra troops
will help solve many of the problems within the Army.
"The Prime Minister's announcement is very encouraging, but it only
addresses the problems of the Army," he said.
"We're still back to the situation where the Navy and the Air Force were
gutted back in 1991-1992 and that still needs to be
fixed in the longer term."
Recruitment concerns
But the Federal Opposition has questioned whether the Government will be
able to recruit enough troops to achieve an increase
in the size of the Army.
Labor leader Kim Beazley says the Government has not been able to run the
Army at its existing size.
"They do need additional troops but this Government has not been
successful so far in maintaining our numbers - the current
authorised numbers - so I wouldn't hold my breath on them achieving any
more," he said.
Mr Beazley says it is the least Mr Howard could do, given that he has
presided over a decrease in Army numbers.
"The conditions, the pay, the work rates that soldiers have been subjected
to have seen a decline in recuitment and a decline
in membership of the defence forces," he said.
"If he's going to do this he needs not only to make the billets available,
he also needs to do the right thing by the working
conditions of Australian soldiers."
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060822.G05
Three missing after their boat sinks off Timika
National News - August 22, 2006
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Three people, including two consultants from Gajah Mada University in
Yogyakarta, went missing when their boat capsized in
the waters off Timika, Papua, on Saturday.
Three others were rescued after the boat was hit by large waves while
traveling from Agats regency to Timika.
The missing were identified as Dominikus Indrawan and Iswan, who were
serving as consultants for a road construction project
in Agats, and boat crewman Lape.
Authorities identified the three people who were rescued as Agung, another
consultant on the construction project; Jeremias,
a civil servant with the Agats regency administration; and Amir, the
boat's helmsman.
A joint search and rescue team from Timika and Agats regencies has
deployed more than 40 people to locate the three people
who remain missing.
"Search and rescue operations will continue until Aug. 27 if necessary.
"Our team was only able to search today (Monday) from 6 a.m. to noon
because of heavy rains and strong winds," team leader
Suyanto Samidjan said.
Suyanto said that according to one of the survivors, Agung, the boat left
Agats on Saturday at 2 p.m. and was approaching
Puriri island at 5 p.m. when it capsized amid high waves.
All six people on the small boat attempted to swim to the island, but only
three were able to reach the beach.
The deputy regent of Agats, Frederik Batti Sorring, said the three
consultants had been in Asmat for a week conducting
surveys for the construction of a road network in Agats and surrounding
areas.
He said the consultants were unable to return to Timika by plane because
of the limited availability of seats. They were
scheduled to fly from Timika to Jakarta on Sunday.
The sea route between Agats and Timika is known for its high waves which
have claimed a number of boats. The latest incident
occurred this July 6, when a boat carrying six people, including four crew
members from television station TV7, capsized. Two
people, including TV7 cameraman Bagus Dwi, were lost and presumed killed
in the accident.
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060822.E02
Why I did not support the migration amendment bill
Opinion and Editorial - August 22, 2006
Maria Vamvakinou MP, Canberra
The decision last week by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard to
scrap the government's proposed Migration Amendment
Bill, is a significant victory for those of us in the Australian
Parliament, and the Australian public, who refuse to support
this government's demonstrated willingness to completely disregard
Australia's basic obligations under the 1951 Refugee
Convention, and to instead play crude political games with the lives and
welfare of refugees seeking asylum in Australia.
Under the proposed Bill, all unauthorized refugee who arrive by boat to
Australia would automatically be processed offshore,
where they would remain in detention until a third country for
resettlement was arranged. Alarmingly, the amendments
contained in the Bill would see Australia excluded as a possible third
country of resettlement for those deemed to be
legitime refugees.
The excision of the Australian mainland from its own migration zone, and
its removal as a potential third country of
resettlement for those who are found to be legitimate refugees are
measures that have no precedent.
One reason why I did not support the Migration Amendment Bill is the
damage it will further do to Australia's already
troubled international reputation. This Bill has no moral or legal
justification, and only demonstrates the Australian
government's continuing disregard for the rights and welfare of those who
come here seeking asylum.
Whilst Australia has enjoyed an international reputation as a
compassionate and welcoming country, one that has embraced
multiculturalism as a policy that officially recognizes and celebrates
Australia's diverse ethnic, religious and cultural
make up, today we are in danger of losing that reputation.
It is of no credit to this country that for the last decade Australia has
led the way internationally in implementing some of
the most extreme and punitive refugee policies ever seen, including the
mandatory detention of children.
The Australian government's attempt to sell these measures to the
Australian public as essential to border protection and
Australia's national security, are consistent with the way this government
has often manipulated and misrepresented the
plight of refugees for its own political gain.
Already, some in the government are publicly mourning the defeat of the
Migration Amendment Bill as a weakening of
Australia's anti-terrorism measures. In insinuating that refugees pose a
potential threat to Australia's national security,
despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of asylum seekers arriving
in Australia are found to be legitimate refugees,
the government is simply trying to convince Australians that they should
accept whatever policy measures it claims necessary
to protect Australia's "national security" no matter the cost.
Unfortunately, it is only base stereotypes associated with the religious
and ethnic background of those who have
predominantly come here seeking asylum, namely Afghani's and Iraqi's that
makes such claims seem plausible.
Rather than try to undermine these stereotypes, the government continually
tries to use them to legitimize some of its more
extreme policies.
The motivations behind this Bill are another reason why I did not support
the Migration Amendment Bill.
It is clear that the government drafted this Bill as a response to
Indonesia's reaction over Australia's decision to grant
asylum to 43 West Papuans. As the Minister for Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs Amanda Vanstone herself stated,
excluding Australia as a possible country of resettlement for refugees
arriving by boat means that in the future, refugees
from neighboring countries would not be able to "use the Australian
mainland as a means of voicing protests about other
countries."
Not only does this contradict the right of free speech in Australia, but
by changing Australia's immigration policy in
response to Indonesia's concerns, this government is effectively saying
that it is prepared to abdicate its own
responsibility for making decisions about Australia's immigration policy.
As Tony Burke, the opposition Shadow Minister for Immigration, has rightly
pointed out, this is not a policy of border
protection, but a policy of "border surrender."
There was no demand from the Australian public for this legislation, and
the perception that Indonesia is able to dictate the
terms of Australia's immigration policy only threatens to foster public
resentment. Surely the Indonesian people would
equally resent the idea that Australia was able to dictate key policy
decisions taken by the Indonesian government.
Just as the proposed Bill was never in Australia's interests, it was never
in Indonesia's interests either.
It is important that the concerns of the Indonesian government be taken
into consideration. It is also important to emphasize
that Australia needs to develop closer relations with the people and the
government of Indonesia.
Indonesia is our closest and most important neighbor, and closer relations
will always benefit both countries. As someone who
has visited Indonesia, and who represents an electorate with a large
Muslim minority, I know and understand the importance
and the value of the relationship between our two countries.
However, Indonesia's concerns have to be addressed in a way that is
consistent with Australia's legal and moral obligations
to refugees as per the 1951 Refugee Convention to which Australia is a
signatory.
The writer is Federal Member for Calwell.
---
Feature - Indonesia seeks to repair battered tourism image (via Joyo)
By Sugita Katyal
JAKARTA, August 20 (Reuters) - It has all the ingredients of
a tourist paradise: stunning beaches, a countryside with lush
paddy fields, grand heritage buildings and a deeply mystical
culture.
But tourism in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of some 17,000
islands, has been shaken to the core by a string of disasters from
bomb attacks on the resort island of Bali to deadly tsunamis and
bird flu outbreaks.
"Indonesia has been hit by so many misfortunes, and there doesn't
seem to be an end to it," said Meity Robot, vice-chair of the Indonesian
Tourism Council. "It's not easy for us to convince people to come
back," she told Reuters.
Indonesia's tourism industry was only just recovering from the Asian
financial crisis of the late 1990s when it suffered a devastating blow
in 2002 with Islamic militants bombing nightclubs on Bali, killing 202
people, most of them foreigners.
Since then, a string of disasters have kept tourists away.
The industry took a big hit from the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami
of Dec. 2004 as well as a tsunami this year that struck a popular
beach resort in Java and a massive earthquake in May in Yogyakarta, a
popular Java tourist destination.
A bird flu outbreak, which has killed more than 40 people in
Indonesia, has also kept visitors away.
"We have to tell visitors these are natural disasters, not man-made,"
said Yanti Sukamdani, head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants
Association.
"We're trying to get the government to educate people on tsunamis and
get an early warning system in place. But if a warning system is not
set up in Bali, business could be hit," she added.
TOURISTS STAY AWAY FROM ISLAND PARADISE
The drop in tourism since the 2004 tsunami continued this year with
foreign tourist arrivals dropping 7.5 percent to 1.89 million in the
first half of 2006, the statistics bureau said. Four million tourists
visited Indonesia last year.
Indonesian tourism officials are trying to turn the tide by promoting
other parts of the country that have been spared by natural disasters.
"Besides Bali and Java that have always been main tourist
destinations, we have areas like Lombok, Sumatra, Kalimantan and
eastern Indonesia for marine tourism," said Sambujo Parikesit, a
senior tourism ministry official.
Nature reserves in Kalimantan and stone-age villages in Papua are
enticing to adventure travellers. High-end tourists can take their
pick of secluded luxury resorts where prices are dropping due to low
occupancy rates.
The slowdown in tourism, which accounts for around 5 percent of
Indonesia's GDP and raked in about $4.4 billion last year, is
compounding a cooling of the economy.
With fewer tourists, shopkeepers in deserted souvenir shops on
once-packed streets in Bali's popular Kuta area are desperate. Some
wear T-shirts emblazoned with abusive messages against militants. "The
bombs have really affected our business," said a sarong-clad woman at
an art shop.
But despite the potential dangers, some tourists say they are not
deterred from enjoying Indonesia's sun-kissed beaches.
"I am not afraid of being in Bali. A quake and tsunami could happen
anywhere. Bali is beautiful, the waves are great," said Mick, a
24-year-old Australian surfer, as he waded out of the water at Kuta.
"Disasters can happen anytime, everywhere," he added. (Additional
reporting by Yoga Rusmana and Nury Sybli)
---
Title -- 4989 PAPUA: Green MP calls for investigation into claims
Date -- 21 August 2006
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Te Waha Nui Online, 20/8/6
Copyright - AUT Journalism
Status -- Unabridged
--------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pmw.c2o.org <http://www.pmw.c2o.org/>
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PAPUAN SUPPORTERS TARGET PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM
Participants at the West Papua seminar at AUT University over the
weekend unanimously resolved to take the issue of the Indonesian-ruled
province to the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tonga
in October.
The resolution called for the PIF to grant observer status to West
Papuan representatives and for the PIF to mount a fact-finding mission
to visit West Papua.
Documented allegations of genocide and human rights violations were
made at the conference. - Te Waha Nui Online
GREEN MP CALLS FOR NZ INVESTIGATION INTO WEST PAPUA CLAIMS
www.tewahanui.info/news/190806_wpGreenMP.shtml
By Laura Bond
AUCKLAND (TWN Online/Pacific Media Watch): Failure by the New Zealand
government to accept West Papua as an independent nation is aiding
genocide, according to Green MP Keith Locke.
At a West Papuan conference at AUT University over the weekend, Locke
addressed a group of about 50 New Zealanders, Indonesian minority
groups and West Papuan nationals.
He wants the New Zealand government to put more resources into
investigating the claims of genocide and oppression against the West
Papuan people by the Indonesian government.
"The New Zealand government needs to stand up to Indonesia and learn
lessons from East Timor," he says.
Locke believes New Zealand's relations with West Papua are better than
that of Australia.
In dealing with West Papuan issues, he says: "New Zealand tends to be a
bit more constructive but still within the realm that West Papua is
part of Indonesia.
"The government needs to be going on fact-finding missions to West
Papua."
He also believes New Zealand could help on a more practical level by
giving asylum seekers residency.
"We should be sharing the responsibility with Australia for the asylum
seekers," he says.
In April 2005, Green MPs Rod Donald and Nandor Tanczos met Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and presented him with a West Papuan
flag - the "Morning Star" - to show their support for West Papua.
Matt Robson, member of the Progressive Party and a former MP, who also
attended the conference, says it is important that the public knows
more about the plight of West Papua.
"I don't think there will be any difference in the groundswell of
support for the West Papuan people than there was for East Timor once
the information is out.
"We do suffer human rights issues in all countries but West Papua more
heavily than anywhere else."
Attending the conference was Rev Socrates Sofyan Yoman, president of
the Fellowship of Baptist Churches of West Papua.
He thanked the politicians for attending but added that more could be
done.
"On paper this is very good, but in action not good. We want open
dialogue."
+++niuswire
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