[Kabar-Irian] News: Dec 2-8 06
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KABAR IRIAN NEWS
Nov Dec 2-8
TOPICS
* Bintang Kejora flags fly in Papua's sky
* Defense minister under former Indonesian dictator Suharto dies at 68
* Papua separatists mark 'independence day'
* West Papua independence protest in Canberra
* West Papuan flag raised in Newcastle
* Be ready for island exodus
* Socio-cultural Analysis of Rice Development in Merauke, Papua
* Papuan Genocide
* Papuan skull returned from Australia to Indonesia
* NYC comptroller wants review of miner Freeport
* NY City comptroller wants Freeport environmental study
* Allard thanked for help in getting justice
* Papuan tribal war tradition becomes tourism attraction
* Lack of effort impedes Indonesia-Australia ties
* Indonesia attacks Australia over West Papua (link only)
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20061202.G08
Bintang Kejora flags fly in Papua's sky
National News - December 02, 2006
The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Timika, Yogyakarta
Separatist fighters in Papua observed the 45th anniversary of the
self-proclaimed West Papuan independence peacefully Friday, amid tight
security.
Despite an earlier promise that there would be no hoisting of the Bintang
Kejora (Morning Star) flag, four of the outlawed flags were flown in
Jayapura and another one in
Tembagapura. No one was arrested in the incidents.
The flag has long been seen by the government as a symbol of rebellion.
The Papuan Tribal Council has urged the government to recognize the flag
as a cultural symbol of Papuans, however, and argued that no one should be
punished for
hoisting it.
"The Bintang Kejora flag is part of the culture that runs in Papuans'
blood and is hard to separate from their lives. It's better to make it a
cultural symbol as regulated by the
2001 law on Papuan special autonomy, so no more people will be arrested
and punished for hoisting or using it," said the council's governing head,
Forkorus Yoboisembut.
If the government feels the flag is a symbol of rebellion against the
country's sovereignty, he added, Papuans find it a symbol of their
identity.
"The solution is clear: turn the flag into an official cultural symbol,"
Forkorus said in a speech at a low-key ritual to commemorate the day. Some
500 people turned out for
the gathering, which was held at the house of the late pro-independence
activist Theys Hiyo Eluay in Sentani, Jayapura.
The ritual concluded with a visit to Theys' grave in Sentani. The activist
was abducted and murdered in 2002 in Papua. Many believe his killers were
members of the
security forces, but none have been arrested or brought to trial.
The secretary-general of the Papuan Presidium Council, Taha Al Hamid, said
if the government agreed to make the flag a cultural symbol, it would
solve longstanding
political problems in the province.
The 2001 law says Papua can have a cultural symbol to signify Papuan
identity, either in the form of local flag or a local song, as long as it
is not understood as a symbol of
sovereignty.
Responding to the displays of the flag Friday, Forkorus said it would be
hard to stop such activities since Papuans want their identity to be
known. He said the incidents
involving the flag were not authorized by the council, however.
A flag-hoisting was also reported in Tembagapura district in Mimika
regency, Papua on Friday morning, on a hard-to-reach cliff in the Utikini
Lama area. Tembagapura
police officers immediately pulled down the flag.
Mimika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jantje Jimmy Tuilan said Friday he had
received a report on the incident.
"I checked the report and ordered my personnel to bring the flag down from
the cliff, which was hard to reach," he said, adding the police would
investigate the matter.
"I would ask you all to help maintain security and not blow up the matter
for the interest of irresponsible people who want to get attention by
hoisting the flag."
Hundreds of Papuan students in Yogyakarta marked the anniversary by
holding performances and protests to highlight their demand for
independence.
---
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/02/asia/AS_GEN_Indonesia_Obit_Sudrajat.php
Defense minister under former Indonesian dictator Suharto dies at 68
The Associated Press
Published: December 2, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia: The man who served as Indonesia's powerful defense and
security chief under former dictator Suharto died of lung failure, a
doctor said Saturday.
The retired four-star general was 68.
Edi Sudrajat was once considered a prime candidate to become Suharto's
vice president, but the staunch nationalist was destined to remain a
military man.
He simultaneously held three posts — defense minister, commander of the
armed forces, and army chief — from 1993 until 1998, the year Suharto was
ousted from power
amid massive pro-democracy street protests.
Earlier in his career, he fought communist activists and separatist
rebellions and insurgencies in easternmost Papua province and the Maluku
islands, known as the Spice
Islands during Dutch colonial rule.
Although Suharto used the military to crush his political opponents during
his brutal 32-year reign, Sudrajat won praise for calling on soldiers to
remain professional in their
duties, to protect citizens and not to use their power to pursue business
interests.
He was admitted to the Gatot Subroto army hospital on Nov. 19 after
respiratory problems caused him to collapse at his house, said Djoko
Riadi, the hospital's director. He
died Friday afternoon.
"He was having difficulty swallowing because he was suffering from
aspiration pneumonia," an inflammation of the lungs and bronchial tubes
caused by inhaling foreign
material, Riadi told The Associated Press.
"He died at 01:15 p.m. (0615 GMT) from organ failure."
Sudrajat was buried Saturday morning at the state hero cemetery following
a military funeral ceremony. He is survived by his wife and three
children.
---
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,20854621-1702,00.html?from=public_rss
Papua separatists mark 'independence day'
>From correspondents in Jakarta
December 01, 2006 06:42pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse
HUNDREDS of Papuans gathered today in eastern Indonesia to mark the
anniversary of their "declaration of independence" amid tight security, a
customary council
member said.
Independence supporters marched from the regional office of the council
which represents local tribes to the Elin Kwari church in Manokwari, the
provincial capital of West
Irian Jaya, council member Anni Sabami said.
"Representatives of the local Arfak tribe, students and women demand a
referendum for the independence of Papua,'' said Sabami.
The protest for independence was peaceful with local shops opening for
business as usual. The newly formed province is on the Bird's Head
Peninsula of Papua in the
Indonesian half of New Guinea.
"The situation is calm now in Papua, they (the Papuans) understand now
that we are a united country,'' national police spokesman Bambang Kuncoko
said in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, around a hundred Papuan students in traditional gear carrying
outlawed "Morning Star'' flags rallied in the central Indonesian city of
Yogyakarta in support of
Papuan independence, ElShinta radio reported.
Every December 1, Papuan activists try to raise the outlawed "Morning
Star'' separatist flag to commemorate the independence of Papua.
Indonesia won sovereignty over Papua, formerly a Dutch colony, in 1969
after a referendum widely seen as a sham.
Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights
in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich
natural resources flow to
Jakarta.
---
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/693/36022
BRIEF
West Papua independence protest in Canberra
Karl Miller, Canberra
2 December 2006
On December 1, the anniversary of the 1961 raising of the West Papuan
flag, 70 people rallied outside the Indonesian embassy in support of West
Papuan independence.
Speakers at the rally included Greens Senator Kerry Nettle from the
Greens; Australia West Papua Association spokesperson Rose Costelloe, West
Papuan refugee Yenin
Kogoya and Paula Makabory from the Elsham Institute for Human Rights Study
and Advocacy. All speakers called for a referendum on independence and
opposed
Australian support for and training of the Indonesian military. Indonesia
annexed West Papua (formerly Dutch New Guinea) in 1963.
From: Australian News, Green Left Weekly issue #693 6 December 2006.
---
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/693/36024
BRIEF
West Papuan flag raised in Newcastle
Frances North, Newcastle
2 December 2006
The West Papuan “Morning Star” flew over Newcastle City Hall on December
1, the anniversary of the first official raising of the flag in West
Papuan in 1961. The flag
raising ceremony was addressed by Greens councillor Michael Osborne and
Australian West Papua Association spokesperson Michael Freund of
Australian West Papua
Association.
“If you raise this flag in West Papua, you could be jailed for 15 years or
be beaten or shot by the Indonesian government”, Osborne said in a
December 1 media release.
“Australia owes a debt to the West Papuans who supported us in World War
II’, he added.
From: Australian News, Green Left Weekly issue #693 6 December 2006.
---
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20869735-7583,00.html
John Pasquarelli: Be ready for island exodus
PNG, West Papua, Timor, Tonga, the Solomons and now Fiji - the Pacific rim
is rushing towards disaster
December 05, 2006
DON'T say we weren't warned. When it happens, images of hundreds of
boatpeople from West Papua and PNG pouring ashore on our northern
coastline will come as no
surprise to a small band of patriotic ex-PNG hands who have been trying
for years to alert Canberra to the serious threat posed by the instability
of Pacific rim countries to
our north. As Fiji's army neutralises and disarms police units, a coup is
well on the way in that country. And this only adds to the prospect of
more asylum-seekers heading
for Australian shores.
>From Timor through West Papua and on to PNG and across the Solomons to
Vanuatu, Fiji and beyond, the Pacific rim has been slowly sinking into a
morass of corruption,
criminality, disease and a reversion to tribalism over the past 30 years.
Since 1914, Australia has spent billions of dollars and man hours on PNG
alone but the return has been bitterly disappointing. Health and education
programs have
collapsed. AIDS is spreading out from PNG and in 10 years one in three PNG
women will be HIV positive. Malaria and TB are rampant. The once excellent
public hospitals
in Lae and Port Moresby are a disgrace. PNG literacy rates are now lower
than they were in 1975.
Criminality in the Pacific rim region is surging as evidenced by the
continuing turmoil in East Timor and the Solomons. Tonga fell last month
and now Fiji teeters on the
brink of its third coup; a sad episode in the history of a country that
was once the star of the South Pacific. Soon we will not have enough
federal police and soldiers to
contain the situation. The Pacific rim will become a Force 10 crisis zone.
The appalling law-and-order problems in PNG and elsewhere grind on.
Canberra has not woken up to the steadily increasing influence of Taiwan
and mainland China in the
region, bringing with it Asian gangs who have been attracted by the easy
road to Australian markets for their drugs. Asian criminals have ready
access to PNG, Fiji and the
Solomons, using false passports and visas obtained from corrupt officials.
The boom in the drug ice has resulted in the widespread establishment of
methamphetamine labs
and in 2004 a massive bust was made in Fiji, where police confiscated ice
with a street value of $800million.
This huge factory was operated by Asian criminals and their Fijian
minions. It is common knowledge that ice is being run from PNG to northern
Queensland in outboard-
powered fibreglass banana boats. As Colombia and cocaine is to the US, the
Pacific rim and ice will be to Australia.
Ten thousand refugees from West Papua have been camped on the south-west
coast of PNG for years and during the fair-weather season it is an easy
trip across the
Torres Strait to Australia. PNG nationals illegally in Australia have been
surprised in Cairns markets by pidgin-speaking Australians.
Disintegrating Pacific rim countries provide ideal havens and a
springboard to Australia for drugs, disease, criminals, terrorists and
illegal immigrants.
Canberra has no idea of the huge disaster that lies ahead. Against this
backdrop there are silly people who want Australia to bring in guest
workers from the Pacific rim.
The Australian School of Pacific Administration existed from 1947 to 1972
and was established as a training institution for Australian patrol
officers and teachers going to
work in PNG. It was based at Middle Head on Sydney Harbour and was
instrumental in laying the foundations for the successful administration
of PNG. In 1973, ASOPA
was rebadged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and conducted
training courses for nationals from PNG and other developing countries
until it ceased
operating in 2001.
The original ASOPA was a great institution staffed by dedicated men and
considering the part it could play in the future of Australia's necessary
role in stopping the rot in
the Pacific rim, a re-established ASOPA in Townsville in conjunction with
James Cook University is now a matter of great national urgency. Such a
rebirth must be based
on real life experience. There are still enough ex-PNG hands with their
marbles intact to provide the basis for a think tank to help the
Government re-establish ASOPA.
The concept would involve intensive training and orientation for all
Australians posted to Pacific rim countries. In recent years, Australia
has been poorly served by most of
its public servants in the region who have no real understanding of their
workplace and this includes upper-echelon officials. It was plain stupid
to impose an Australian
police commissioner on the Fijians, and typical of the flawed advice given
to the federal Government by advisers and bureaucrats who have never been
off the bitumen.
The new ASOPA would have two-way traffic. Scholarships would be offered to
a range of personnel from the islands and dedicated mentoring would be
part of the duty
statement of all lecturers. As Australia is now inexorably committed to
the Pacific rim, it is essential that a reborn ASOPA develops a real
esprit de corps between its staff,
its Australian graduates and overseas students. The benefits are starkly
obvious. The Pacific rim is rushing towards disaster. Centrelink and other
benefits shine to those
offshore like a welcoming beacon and continuing upheaval and social
dislocation will only herd hapless islanders into their small boats and
canoes. We will have to play
catch-up, but if the Government can start to listen to those who know, all
is not lost.
John Pasquarelli, an internationally recognised expert on Oceanic art, was
elected by the Sepik people to PNG's first parliament from 1964 to 1968.
---
Socio-cultural Analysis of Rice Development in Merauke, Papua
Adi Widjono
Central Research Institute for Food Crops, Bogor
Abstract
Merauke holds a great deal of natural resources to be developed into one
national rice production pouch. Yet, since rice is not an indigenous
commodity, the rice
development in the area may face socio-cultural risks.
Papuan (Merauke?s included) indigenous culture is so strongly rooted,
complicated, and generally misunderstood by
policy makers and migrant
inhabitants.
A short observation carried out in June 2006 indicated that different
groups of indigenous people of Merauke are interested in rice cultivation;
probably because rice is
unbound by adat (indigenous laws/norms) and has
better economic values. In a longer term, however, negligence of
traditional staple food crops (e.g., sago, gembili, sweet
potato) may be
perceived as abandonment of indigenous cultural identity which may become
psycho-cultural burden to indigenous people and, in turn, political burden
to the
government. Even more, development of traditional commodities along
with rice will strengthen Merauke?s food diversification and agricultural
economic competitiveness.
It is
feasible to develop rice production in Merauke optimally by taking
serious consideration of indigenous culture. Different potential
indigenous commodities need to be justly
and proportionally developed as
well. To nurture indigenous people?s capability and competitiveness in
rice production, migration of more skilled farmers from other regions
should be, for a period, avoided.
Massive, systematic, and well-planned extension efforts will be required
particularly in the culturation of indigenous farmers to rice. The
extension system will have to function
as a two-way information bridge, a
catalyst of mutual understanding, between farmers and other parties, the
government in particular.
A large number of highly-qualified
extension workers will be needed. Aside
from increasing production capacity of existing rice farmers, they will
have to promote indigenous farmers? consciousness and
empowerment in
agricultural development. On the other hand, kinds of education are needed
to promote better understanding and appreciation of indigenous culture
among
migrant population.
Many other sectors and subsectors, such as transportation, marketing,
post-harvest industry, etc., will also call for simultaneous advancement.
---
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/860/papuan-genocide/
Papuan Genocide
December 5th, 2006, in Cities & Regions, Papua, by Patung
Some on the political left in the west continue to take an interest in the
Papuan “genocide”.
Peter Tatchell, a radical gay rights activist in England, writes a
blood-curdling, possibly hysterical piece in the “Comment is Free” section
of the Guardian news website of
the UK, entitled “A forgotten cause”, to mark West Papuan independence
day, December 1st. [1]
Peter Tatchell.
The summary of it:
The United Nations disgraced itself by allowing Papua to be forcibly
integrated into Indonesia.
Indonesians are racist towards Papuans because Papuans have darker skin.
In comparison white racists like the British National Party are cuddly
kittens.
Indonesia is determined to commit both physical, and cultural, genocide in
Papua. Javanese immigrants are pouring in to dilute the indigenous
majority. Islam is being
forced onto the Papuans - “The pressure to convert to Islam is immense.”
One-tenth of the population have been killed since the Indonesian
annexation.
Papuans are ridiculed as savages and barbarians, they are despised.
Tribal peoples have been forced to live in coastal settlements so that
they can be watched. Then Jakarta’s “secret weapon” in the extermination
of the Papuans can come
into play - malaria. Highland Papuans have no resistance to it.
At the end Tatchell says that most of the western left are uninterested in
the cause of Papua, because Indonesians are dark skinned and Muslim, and
therefore cannot be
criticised. The Left is only interested in white (American, Jewish)
oppressors.
The “balanced view of Papua” may be useful here.
---
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1816282006
Papuan skull returned from Australia to Indonesia (Dec 7 2006)
CANBERRA (Reuters) - A skull of a Papuan tribesman which was confiscated
by Australian quarantine officers last year been returned to Indonesia, a
minister said on
Thursday.
The decorated skull of an Asmat tribesman was seized in January 2005,
Environment Minister Ian Campbell said.
Advert for scotsman.com's football briefing
"This unique object has been painted with what appears to be ochre and
displays a braided headband of feathers, a large ornament similar to
boars' tusks and other
ornamentation including seeds and beads," Campbell said in a statement.
Asmat wooden carvings and artefacts are highly sought by collectors in
Europe and the United States.
The Asmat tribe were once the most notorious cannibals on Papua and in
time of war devoured the brains of enemies mixed with sago worms.
They collected and displayed the heads of their enemies on carved poles as
victory symbols, and lived mostly on small islands in southern Papua.
(c) Reuters 2006.
---
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14241
NDONESIA: UPDATE 1-NYC comptroller wants review of miner Freeport
Reuters
December 5th, 2006
New York City Comptroller William Thompson, who oversees the city's
pension funds, on Tuesday called for a review of Freeport-McMoRan Copper &
Gold Inc.'s
environmental policies and practices in Indonesia.
New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world's largest gold and
copper producers, derives most of its income from its Grasberg mine on
Indonesia's West
Papua province, the world's largest copper and gold mine by reserves.
The comptroller cited reports that allege Freeport-McMoRan dumps nearly
230,000 tons of waste a day, including toxic metals, into Indonesia's
river system. Indonesia's
Minister of the Environment in March accused the miner of violating water
quality regulations and Thompson said new allegations of environmental
violations had been levied
against the company in the last several months.
"Freeport McMoRan's poor environmental record needs to be examined,"
Thompson said in a statement. "The least the company can do is ensure that
it is not causing
environmental damage to the rivers and in any way harming the people of
Indonesia."
Freeport-McMoRan said it was reviewing the New York City Pension Funds'
call and would respond in due course to Thompson and the Securities and
Exchange
Commission (SEC).
"Obviously we disagree as we think we have strong and sound environmental
policies, including annual audits," said spokesman William Collier.
He denied that tailings, or waste, from mining operations at Grasberg were
toxic and said reports of new allegations of violations were "inaccurate."
"In fact, we are in the midst of working with the environment ministry and
undergoing voluntary audits. That continues and the ministry has not
issued a report or any
findings," said Collier.
The New York City Pension Funds for teachers, police, firefighters and
other public employees, which combined hold 544,458 Freeport shares worth
about $33.6 million,
want shareholders at next year's annual meeting to push Freeport to review
its environmental practices in Indonesia. Thompson called for a report to
shareholders from that
study by next September.
Thompson earlier this year asked the U.S. Justice Department to
investigate if Freeport payments to Indonesian military forces violated
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Thompson also asked the SEC to review Freeport's 2004 and 2005 proxies to
determine whether it made misleading statements about those payments.
Last month Freeport agreed to acquire the much larger Phelps Dodge Corp.,
a major copper producer, for $25.9 billion.
---
http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-12-05T183249Z_01_N05293537_RTRIDST_0_FREEPORTMCMORAN-INDONESIA-
NEWYORKCITY.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna
NY City comptroller wants Freeport environmental study
Tue Dec 5, 2006 1:32pm ET27
Market View
FCX (Freeport-Mcmoran Copper & Gold Inc )
Last: $61.92
Change: -0.08 (-0.13%)
Revenue (ttm): M
EPS:
Market Cap: M
Time: 4:00pm ET
At the Helm:
Richard Adkerson
President, Chief Executive Officer, Director
Salary: USD 1,250,000
Bonus: -
Age: 59
Richard C. Adkerson has served as FCX's President since April 1997 and
Chief Executive Officer since December 2003 and appointed Director since
Oct... Full Bio
NEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - New York City Comptroller William Thompson,
who oversees the city's pension funds, on Tuesday called for a review of
Freeport-McMoRan
Copper & Gold Inc.'s (FCX.N: Quote, Profile , Research) environmental
policies and practices in Indonesia.
New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world's largest gold and
copper producers, derives most of its income from its Grasberg mine on
Indonesia's West
Papua island, the world's largest copper and gold mine by reserves.
The comptroller cited reports that Freeport-McMoRan dumps nearly 230,000
tons of waste a day, including toxic metals, into Indonesia's river
system. Meanwhile
Indonesia's Minister of the Environment in March accused the miner of
violating water quality regulations.
In March this year a landslide near the Grasberg mine killed three people
and injured dozens more.
"Freeport McMoRan's poor environmental record needs to be examined,"
Thompson said in a statement. "The least the company can do is ensure that
it is not causing
environmental damage to the rivers and in any way harming the people of
Indonesia."
City pension funds for teachers, police, firefighters and other public
employees, which combined hold 544,458 Freeport shares worth about $33.6
million, want
shareholders at next year's annual meeting to push Freeport to review its
environmental practices in Indonesia. Thompson called for a report to
shareholders from that study
by next September.
A Freeport official declined immediate comment.
Thompson earlier this year asked the U.S. Justice Department to
investigate if Freeport payments to Indonesian military forces violated
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Thompson also asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to review
Freeport's 2004 and 2005 proxies to determine whether it made misleading
statements about
those payments.
Last month Freeport agreed to acquire the much larger Phelps Dodge Corp.
(PD.N: Quote, Profile , Research), a major copper producer, for $25.9
billion.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
---
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_4786637
WASHINGTON
Allard thanked for help in getting justice
A Colorado woman who fought for punishment of the men who killed her
husband in Indonesia commended Sen. Wayne Allard on Tuesday for helping
secure their
imprisonment.
"I just cannot thank you enough for the role you played," Patsy Spier, 49,
of Centennial told Allard at his office.
Spier's visit to Washington marked her 21st trip to Congress since her
husband, Rick, was killed in Jakarta in 2002. This trip was different,
however. This time she came in
"celebration," she said.
Antonius Wamang was convicted and in November sentenced to life in prison
in Spier's killing. Two accomplices received seven-year sentences and four
other
accomplices were sentenced to 18 months.
"The outcome is better than what we anticipated," Allard said. "Frankly,
it was because of her perseverance."
Patsy and Rick Spier were living in Indonesia while working as
elementary-school teachers. On Aug. 31, 2002cq, they were in a caravan
returning home from a picnic
when Wamang and the others fired at them.attacked, firing a fusillade of
bullets.
Ted Burgon cq, 71, of Oregon and Indonesian instructor Bambang Riwanto cq
also were killed. A 6-year-old girl was injured.
Rick Spier, 41, and others in the caravan taught children of employees at
a mine run by U.S.-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc cq.
The killers belonged to a group fighting for an independent state in
Papua. The Associated Press reported during the trial that the killers
mistakenly attacked the caravan,
thinking it carried soldiers.
Patsy Spier began lobbying in 2003 cq for lawmakers to help compel
Indonesian authorities to investigate the killing. Allard in October 2003
cq offered a legislative
amendment that cut off $400,000 cq in funds for military training until
the U.S. secretary of state certified there had been cooperation in
investigating the killings.
Indonesia then allowed U.S. FBI agents into the country to investigate,
which turned up evidence that ultimately helped the case, Spier said.
When Spier first contacted Allard, he feared he wouldn't be able to help,
he said Tuesday. International cases like hers are difficult, he said,
because governments don't
like other governments telling them what to do.
Spier said she hopes the case will be a catalyst for how Indonesia and
other countries will handle such cases. The country's justice system was
perceived as weak and
corrupt before the trial, she said.
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20061206.G03
Papuan tribal war tradition becomes tourism attraction
National News - December 06, 2006
Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Timika
The Dani tribe in Mimika regency, Papua has begun the task of transforming
the tribal warfare that has long been part of indigenous life into a
ritual attraction for tourists.
Tribal warfare would be developed into a performance aimed at improving
the welfare of tribal communities, as well as educating them on the
detrimental impacts of conflict.
The concept was given a trial run on Nov. 29, at celebrations marking the
second anniversary of the 754th Infantry Battalion.
The show highlighted a fictional clash between the Wenda and Kogoya clans.
The story starts when a young man from the Wenda clan flees with a woman
from the Kogoya clan, violating Kogoya customs.
It turns out that the man has married her without going through the
customary rite of paying dowry to the Kogoya clan.
The Kogoya family reports the matter to the main tribal chief, who summons
the Wenda family.
The chief gathers both clans in a honai, the traditional Dani home, and is
able to strike a deal. The Kogoya clan wins dowry from the Wenda clan in
the form of Rp 50
million (about US$5,550) in cash, plus 50 pigs.
During the meeting, the Wenda family agrees to the arrangement. However,
on the day of payment, the Wenda clan declines to comply.
The Wenda family offers only 25 pigs. The Kogoya family refuses to accept
them, and reports the matter to the chief again.
The Kogoya clan is outraged and offended, and through the chief, threatens
to abduct a girl from the Wenda clan. The Wenda clan disregards the
threat.
The Wenda clan approaches the Kogoya tribal chief along with 25 pigs and
insists that the tribal chief persuade the Kogoya family to accept them.
The Kogoya clan refuses the payment and beats the war drum. They make the
first attack, shooting a member of the Wenda family to death with a bow
and arrow.
Enraged by the death, the Wenda clan retaliates, and during the ensuing
battle, two members of the Kogoya clan die. The Kogoya clan then gathers
and carries out a plan
to avenge the deaths.
The tribal war ends when the main tribal chief is able to persuade the war
chiefs to restrain themselves and honor peace efforts.
Both warring tribes agree to break an arrow to signify an end to
hostilities. Each party slaughters pigs for a peace ceremony, while
waiting for the payment of the traditional
fines they have agreed on.
The tribal war performance featured traditional clothes and weapons such
as bows and arrows, machetes, and spears. It received an enthusiastic
round of applause from
members of the 745th Infantry Battalion, who filled the field.
Battalion commander Lt. Col. Mirza Agus told reporters that the main
purpose of the tribal war simulation was to urge tribal communities to
change the pattern of savage
warfare into an artistic performance that could benefit local people and
win over the public.
The number of victims in real tribal wars has raised serious concerns and
prompted calls to find better ways of resolving disputes.
Peace negotiations mediated by traditional and religious leaders,
including the government, have often failed to cut off the cycle of
vengeance between warring parties.
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20061206.E02
Lack of effort impedes Indonesia-Australia ties
Opinion and Editorial - December 06, 2006
Dewi Anggraeni, Melbourne
The new security treaty, signed by Indonesia and Australia in Lombok on
Nov. 13, will be submitted to the Australian parliament this week.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has called it an historic
agreement. "It will provide a bedrock for the bilateral relationship
between Indonesia and Australia for
many years to come," he said.
It is fair to ask what happened to the 1995 security agreement signed by
the two countries? Why was it so easily scuttled in 1999? Was it not
enough of a bedrock?
It fell apart because it was an agreement between two governments, where
in each country insufficient goodwill was shown to make it work. Not only
was there a mismatch
of expectations from both parties, but each viewed the other, at the best
of times, through a prism of suspicion based on self-centerdness and a
fair degree of paranoia.
We must, however, credit both countries with persistence toward building a
lasting relationship, though of course, each has its eye on the immediate
necessity and the
flow-on benefits if the relationship works. Why then has it remained so
fragile that each time something happens that affects the other, the
situation quickly deteriorates into
a circus of accusations and counter accusations?
Many theories have been aired in scholarly seminars and opinion pages, but
all point to the fact that neither Indonesia nor Australia has spent the
necessary time, energy
and resources they would otherwise have done if they were serious about
the friendship.
Yet both feel they deserve the other's effort to know them, hold them in
high esteem, and step carefully in order not to tread on their toes.
Consequently, when something
happens not to one's liking, the offended party will immediately feel let
down, and worse, see malicious intent on the part of the other who will
then accuse the offended
party of being a prima donna who does not deserve to be taken seriously.
There is undoubtedly a great deal of passion there, but for the wrong
reasons.
Australia is a democracy. Even if the government wanted to, it could not
ignore vocal voices in the population if it did not want to be voted out
of office in the next election.
One of the passions ingrained among the population is the love of
defending the underdog.
This, more than knowledge of a particular situation, has driven it to lend
support to groups that claim to have been victimized by Indonesia's power
wielders. The more
Indonesia shows its anger and insists Australia does not interfere in its
affairs, the more it appears to supporters of the groups in Australia that
the claim must have
substance, and understandably, the more they will champion the cause.
When tempers flare in Indonesia about such a case the image of the
underdog then increases in size, intensity and simplicity. The popular
vision becomes that of
Indonesia versus the "underdog" group. And interestingly, many of the
Australian humanitarian bodies who provide assistance in the affected
region, or to refugees from
the region in Australia, believe nobody in Indonesia cares about the
plight of this group, so they feel even more committed to help the
unfortunate people.
To many in Indonesia, this is tantamount to Australia interfering in
Indonesia's affairs, and worse still, it is doing so because it is intent
on breaking up Indonesia. The
reason? Australia does not like having a powerful nation too close by,
they say.
In the meantime, there are groups and organizations in Australia that are
more aware of the situation in Indonesia and believe that helping the
country develop a strong civil
society is a more neighborly thing to do. Many academics and
academia-related organizations are in this category.
And just as important is the role of teachers of Indonesian language who
bring awareness of Indonesian culture to this country's younger
generation. But alas, all this is
taking more time and effort than the spread of negativity through popular
and sensational media, abetted by talk-back radio hosts known as "shock
jocks".
While many in the organizations mentioned above are assisting Indonesia's
struggle to have an independent judiciary, for example, the shock jocks
can pull the rug from
under their feet in a matter of days. The Schapelle Corby case last year
illustrates this. Corby, the shock jocks claimed, was innocent, but the
Indonesian judges who tried
her were corrupt.
It was not clear why, if they were corrupt, they refused the bribe Corby's
legal counsel allegedly offered to them to secure her release. Another
claim that touched a raw
nerve in the community was that Indonesia was still angry with Australia
for its role in East Timor in 1999, so it was using any excuse to
victimize any Australian.
Anti-Indonesia sentiment spread, mercifully not for a long time, but long
enough to cause a lot of damage.
Indonesia is developing into a democracy, but currently suffering from an
expansive teething problem. Ingrained in the population's collective
psyche is a love of conspiracy
theories.
Having been conditioned in looking at any kind of authority through opaque
glass, Indonesians tend to believe that what is going on behind the glass
is much more complex,
and much more machiavellian that it would turn out to be. Even when there
is enough transparency to see through, they will not readily believe what
they see, convinced
there is more happening beyond their peripheral vision.
This obsession, it seems, fuels the suspicion that Australia's involvement
in East Timor was motivated by its evil intention to break up the country,
or to have East Timor as
its own playground. Now look how it is doing the same in Papua, they say.
And those who believe this theory are convinced they are right, so they do
not feel the need to have a closer look at the situation.
Indonesia and Australia are the personification of two very different
persons, who live next door to each other, who know they have to act
neighborly, but will not make the
effort to make friends in a real sense. However, living so close, they
think they know each other enough to see when the other is behaving badly.
Good luck to the Lombok agreement.
The writer is a journalist based in Melbourne, Australia.
---
http://www.strategypage.com/militaryforums/30-78278.aspx
Subject: Indonesia attacks Australia over West Papua
<Article is not newsworthy but we include the link fyi>
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