[Kabar-Irian] News: August 31-sept 2 2007
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KABAR IRIAN NEWS
Aug 31-Sep 2
TOPICS
* Response to Uproot the Separatist Movements
* Prosecutors dismissed from posts in Papua
* Chinese national arrested for visa violation
* 5-year search for missing hubby
* Aids epidemic threat a cause for concern
* Wa Wa with family, at school, not eaten yet
* Eco-systems die while Government Fiddles
*
---
Response to Uproot the Separatist Movements
Thanks for this. The arguments (which are not arguments but propagandist
poppycock) are futile and
irrational.
Most societies are unified around a common worldview held tacitly and
followed (often) in the
face of paradoxes and lack of reasonable support.
Islam in its countries of origin, and throughout its
traditional, global
ummah is such a worldview.
It is more than a religion; it is a political
system. It differs in this regard from say Buddhism or
Christianity.
Buddhism philosophically affects how its adherents think about the world;
but in itself is not a
political system. Christianity, in its institutional
forms has often aligned itself with a political system; but is
not per se a
political movement which exerts its law and control over the wider
population.
Separatist (and other people movements) are driven by ideals and beliefs
which are commonly held by a
group of people who wish freedom to uphold
these beliefs and values and believe it is both right and
possible to do so,
and will separate to constitute as an independent and autonomous entity in
order to do
so.
This is true of René Lévesque and the Quebecois in Canada;
of Theys Eluay and other leaders and the
Papuans; of Martin Luther and his
followers in the Reformation; and Jesus and his followers in the first
century. You cannot dismiss the Papuan separatist movement by a simplistic
and derogatory caricature
of the people as "primordial".
Papuans' like all
other human beings, have their own beliefs and reasonable values and ideals
by which
they live.
The forceful imposition of any religious or political system on any people
will face rejection.
People may choose to accept Christianity or Islam as
their belief system; but they may also wilfully and
rationally/mindfully
reject either. They may opt for a democratic system of politics; they may
choose to
submit (and I use the verb advisedly) to a system like Islam with
its Shariah law; or they may prefer a
tribal system based on mutual
relations and obligations and decision-making by consensus--a system
which
is probably more democratic than "democracy". Who can blame the Papuans for
reaching a
consensus about Independence for themselves and their land?
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20070831.H06&irec=5
Prosecutors dismissed from posts in Papua
JAKARTA: The head of the Papua Provincial Prosecutors' Office, Lorens
Serworwora, and six other
prosecutors have been dismissed from their positions for failing to follow
guidelines set by the Attorney
General's Office during an investigation into an illegal fishing case.
"They disobeyed the guidelines set by the Attorney General's Office in
relation to the prosecution of two
suspects in an illegal fishing case. Therefore, they have been dismissed
from their positions," Junior
Attorney General for Internal Supervision, M.S. Rahardjo, told detik.com
on Thursday.
"They had been ordered to charge two suspects, identified as SM and JM,
under article 93 or 27 of Law
No. 31/2004 on Fisheries or article 55 of the Criminal Code, which seeks a
maximum jail term of four
years and a fine of Rp 1 billion.
"But instead they charged them with articles 97 or 38 of the fisheries
law, which seeks the lighter jail term
of six months and a fine of Rp 500 million," he said.
Aside from Serworwora, sanctions were also imposed on his deputy Domu P.
Sihite, acting Assistant for
Special Crimes at the Provincial Prosecutors' Office Jefrry Angker, Head
of the Jayapura Prosecutors'
Office Poltak Radjagukguk, Head of Investigations at the Provincial
Prosecutors' Office Putu Suarjana,
Head of Sociopolitical Affairs at the Provincial Prosecutors' Office I
Nyoman Sumartawan and Head of
State Administrative Criminal Investigations at the Provincial
Prosecutors' Office Mananda J. Manulang.
-- JP
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070831141535&irec=2
Chinese national arrested for visa violation
JAYAPURA (Antara): The Jayapura immigration authorities on Friday arrested
a Chinese woman for
allegedly abusing her tourist visa.
Head of the Jayapura Immigration Office Giri Haryanto said the 31-year-old
woman, identified as Jinzhu
Zheng, was reportedly working as an accessories vendor.
She was detained after teachers at a state junior high school in Papua
reported her to the immigration
office.
"The teachers became suspicious as she could not speakIndonesian, so they
reported her to the
immigration office," he said.
He said a colleague of Zheng was still wanted by the office for
questioning. (***)
---
http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm/Thursday/Hotline/20070830130637/Article/index_html
5-year search for missing hubby
By DAWN CHAN
TOMORROW marks the fifth year since 51-year-old Yii Hie Lang last heard
from her husband, Ting Sing
Huang.
On that night in 2003, 55-year-old Ting, a tugboat captain, had called his
wife at their home in Bintulu,
Sarawak, and informed her that he was going to leave Tawau for Irian Jaya,
Indonesia.
As that was not the first time Ting would be towing logs to Indonesia, Yii
was confident that her husband
would be back within two months.
But 10 days later, Yii received news that pirates had apparently kidnapped
her husband in Indonesian
waters.
Yii‘s search was fruitless despite assistance from Bintulu MP Datuk Seri
Tiong King Sing.
Yii made a last effort to locate her husband by coming from Bintulu to the
MCA Public Services and
Complaint Department yesterday.
Yii said Ting’s employers had initially assured her that negotiations with
the pirates were ongoing and that
he would be fine and return to Bintulu soon.
“I waited but there was no news. My husband’s employers later claimed they
were in the dark over the
matter.
“I lodged a report a month after my husband’s disappearance but there was
no news,” said Yii, who has
four children.
Yii revealed that before he left, her husband had voiced his intention to
quit the job and venture out on his
own.
“He wanted to do a favour for his boss so he accepted the assignment,” she
said
Department head Datuk Michael Chong said he would write to Foreign Affairs
Minister Datuk Seri Syed
Hamid Albar on the matter. —
---
http://www.bruneitimes.com.bn/details.php?shape_ID=42093
NEWS
Aids epidemic threat a cause for concern
Sobrina Rosli
JAKARTA
02-Sep-07
IN BRUNEI cases relating to sex-workers and the spread of diseases such as
HIV and Aids are still
relatively low. Thanking ourselves for this scenario, we at the same time
should not forget the importance
of educating and making people aware of this deadly malady
My stay in Jakarta has been an eye-opener of sorts. It has given me an
insight into the conditions of the
HIV/Aids and sex workers as well as the efforts being put in to help them
and the challenges faced whilst
fighting the disease.
It is known that as far as HIV/Aids sufferers in Asean goes, Thailand has
the largest in terms of actual
numbers and potential victims but, however, the Indonesian HIV/Aids
victims here are growing at an
alarming rate.
According to the National Aids Commission, there are between 169,000 and
216,000 Indonesians
currently estimated to be living with HIV and Aids.
Data from the National Aids Commission, revealed that the number of
HIV/Aids victims are the highest
being 26,805 in Jakarta, 21,487 in Papua and West Irian Jaya (48 per cent
of which are women) and
15,999 East Java, 14,341 in West Java, 11,044 in North Sumatra and even
973 in Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam.
According to Indonesia's health ministry estimates, there are an estimated
160,000 injecting drug users
concentrated in a number of major centres with at least a quarter living
with HIV. The average prevalence
from various studies of HIV among injecting drug users is approximately 48
per cent.
In many parts of Indonesia, the epidemic is being driven by heterosexual
transmission between sex
workers and their clients. The official estimate of female sex workers in
Indonesia is 233,039. The rate of
HIV infection among female sex workers is 3.08 per cent but significantly
varies from region to region.
In Jakarta, it reached 6.37 per cent in 2003. The number of men having sex
with sex workers seems to
be rising.
The epidemic in Papua is now regarded as 'generalised'. As of December31,
2005, Papua had reported
832 cases of Aids, with a reported case rate of 40 per 100,000
individuals, or 20 times the national
average of 2 per 100,000. The official estimated number of HIV infections
in Papua is between 8,000 and
14,000, or about 0.6 to one per cent of the total adult population.
Surveys of pregnant women in some
areas of Papua (Mimika and Merauke) indicated a prevalence rate of over
one per cent. From 1998 to
2004, prevalence of HIV in commercial sex workers increased from about one
or two per cent to 16 per
cent in Sorong, 15 per cent in Merauke, 14 per cent in Nabire, 9 per cent
in Timika and five per cent in
Jayapura.
The alarming numbers have made me more aware of the disease. In a small
country like Brunei it is a
horrifying thought for such diseases to rear its ugly head.
Issues such as sex in Brunei are still considered a taboo subject to be
discussed openly. But, however,
the increasing dangers which come with free sex, is a topic of concern
among Bruneian youths today.
These issues should be brought up in a manner not only to spread awareness
but also to save our next
generation, who are the hope of the country's future. Youth is the
valuable asset of the country, leaders
of our future.
One of the current efforts in Indonesia in the endeavor to fight the
disease is by Voluntary HIV
counselling and testing (VCT) among the sex-workers and their clients.
Non-governmental organisations
such as the Kapeta Foundation for HIV prevention and its members visit
areas known for its sex workers
to befriend them and talk to them about safe sex as well as encourage VCTs
to help assess patterns of
sex work and HIV prevalence among effected communities.
In such efforts, however, problems such as bureaucracy, lack of human
resources and mobility hinders
their efforts.
Brunei should consider the efforts and problems through examples shown by
the other countries around
them. The awareness of such diseases is increasing through
non-governmental organisations such as
the Brunei Darussalam Aids Council but so far it is the only
non-governmental organisation working for
the prevention of the disease.
Let us all consider the issue surrounding us and not overlook the
importance of prevention.The Brunei
Times
---
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22344933-2,00.html
Wa Wa with family, at school, not eaten yet
September 02, 2007 01:00am
Article from: The Sunday Telegraph
LITTLE Wa Wa, the West Papuan boy feared a target for cannibals, is alive
and well one year after
former Today Tonight host Naomi Robson failed to rescue him.
The orphan boy, 7, is out of his village, living with a family in the
nation's capital Jayapura and attending
school, according to Indonesiansources.
Wa Wa, from the Korowai tribe, was at the centre of a media stoush a year
ago when Robson and her
crew attempted to smuggle the boy out of the depths of the West Papuan
jungle.
After his parents both died suddenly, Wa Wa was said to have been branded
evil by his tribe and
apparently destined for the dinner plate.
Robson and her crew tried to 'save' the boy but were deported for posing
as tourists.
---
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00006.htm
Eco-systems die while Government Fiddles.
Sunday, 2 September 2007, 2:24 pm
Press Release: Green Party
Ancient eco-systems of Pacific and SE Asia die while Govt. fiddles
Green Media Release 2 Sept 2007
New government rules aimed at helping to slow widespread devastation of
ancient "paradise forests" in
South East Asia and the Pacific only go part way, says Greens Co-Leader
Russel Norman.
He says the Green Party welcomes the Government’s new "sustainable
procurement guidelines" just
released but is disappointed they will still allow government departments
to purchase tropical timber
products from a source that the procurement policy itself defines as
unsustainable.
“The new sustainable procurement policy is welcome and makes progress in
many areas,” Dr Norman
says.
“However, it is absurd that the government guide to sustainable
procurement endorses the Malaysian
Timber Certification Council (MTCC) scheme as meeting all the `legal
sourcing and sustainably
managed requirements' (p.12) when the table on the very next page reveals
that the MTCC scheme
certifies timber that is not sustainable and only legal under certain
conditions. (See the pdf of the
document here.)
“The Government’s own report says MTCC certified timber is not sustainable
and not always legal, so
why does MTCC certified timber get the tick of approval for sustainable
procurement?"
Dr Norman says it is important to get these government guidelines right
because they may be used as a
guideline for all New Zealanders trying to avoid purchases of tropical
timbers such as kwila. New
Zealand's trade in kwila often entails human rights abuses and destruction
of rare eco-systems and
unique wildlife in West Papua and Papua New Guinea, where Malaysian
loggers are prominent.
“The Norwegian Government banned the use of all tropical timber in their
sustainable procurement policy
released just two months ago because of the difficulties in ascertaining
whether any tropical timber is
legal and sustainable. Yet here is the New Zealand Government not only
allowing the use of questionable
tropical timber but actually endorsing one of the guaranteed unsustainable
sources of tropical timber,
MTCC certified timber.
“Malaysian logging companies have a long record of illegal and
unsustainable clearing of rainforests
throughout Asia and the Pacific. Many reports, including from the World
Bank, have linked the Malaysian
logging company Rimbunan Hijau to illegal and unsustainable logging and
the human rights abuses of
those indigenous people who dared to stand up against Rimbunan, including
in PNG and West Papua
where most of our kwila is thought to come from.
“For the New Zealand Government to endorse the sustainability of the
Malaysian logging is an affront to
all those people who have fought Malaysia’s rapacious loggers. The
sustainable procurement policy
should ban the use of all tropical timber in government projects until we
have some idea that the timber is
genuinely sustainable and legal, just as the Norwegian Government has done.”
Note: The Green Party will continue its protests against the ANZ Banking
Group - for financially
supporting the Malaysian logging corporation Rimbunan Hijau - at the ANZ
offices on the corner of
Featherston St and Lambton Quay, Wellington, at 8am tomorrow.
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