[Kabar-indonesia] The West Papua Report: September 2006

[Joyo at aol.com]

THE WEST PAPUA REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2006

This is the 31st in a series of monthly reports that focuses on 
developments affecting Papuans. This reporting series is produced by the 
West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media accounts, other NGO 
assessments and analysis and reporting from sources within West Papua. 
The West Papua Advocacy Team is a non-profit organization.  Questions 
regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at edmcw at msn.com

   SUMMARY/CONTENTS
   Growing International Concern over Failed Development in West Papua
   Journalist Details Difficulties of Reporting From West Papua
   Papuans and Their Supporters Campaign Against 
Indonesian-Australian           Security Treaty
   Papuan Detainees Receive Tough Sentences
   Growing Tension on the West Papuan - Papua New Guinea Border


Growing International Concern over Failed Development in West Papua

In an unprecedented show of concern, over 40 representatives of 
international donors traveled to West Papua in September in an effort 
intended to address Jakarta's decades of failed development policy in 
West Papua.  The group, which included representatives of the World 
Bank, told media that such visits in the past had been virtually 
impossible because of constraints imposed by Jakarta on such visits. 
The Australian Financial Review, in a September 29 report on the 
delegation's visit, noted that West Papua had long been a "no go area" 
for such international visits.  For many years Jakarta has required 
international visitors to obtain a "surat jalan" or travel permit which 
was extremely difficult to obtain and which, if obtained, imposed severe 
restrictions on movement within West Papua.  It remains to be seen 
whether international assistance for the Papuans might still be blocked 
by Jakarta's resistance to follow-up teams of international donors 
seeking to develop assistance programs.


Journalist Details Difficulties of Reporting From West Papua

Contradicting recent claims by the International Crisis Group contending 
that conditions in West Papua were not as onerous as claimed by the 
great majority of human rights advocates, the Australian Broadcasting 
Company's Geoff Thompson who recently managed to enter West Papua 
described the environment there as that of a "police state."  In 
addition to intrusive intelligence monitoring of his legitimate 
journalistic work Thompson observed that he was not allowed to speak to 
human rights groups.

Jakarta's efforts to prevent international monitoring of human rights 
abuse which has also included denial of visa requests by special UN 
human rights rapporteurs among many others appears to have succeeded in 
persuading some that human rights abuses which do not receive 
international coverage, simply do not exist.


Papuans and Their Supporters Campaign Against Indonesian-Australian 
Security Treaty

Australians and Papuans are appealing to the Australian Government not 
to sign a security treaty with Indonesia that at Indonesian insistence 
demands that Canberra pledge not support calls for Papuan 
self-determination and especially any course that might lead to 
independence.

For many years Canberra maintained a highly isolated position with 
regards to East Timor.  It officially accepted the Jakarta version of 
the Indonesian aggression against East Timor and the subsequent 24 years 
of brutal Indonesian repression of the people of East Timor.  Canberra 
was able to extract in exchange for its diplomatic help a highly 
beneficial off-shore resource development arrangement from Indonesia in 
a corrupt bargain that sullied Australia's reputation.  Speculation 
ranges widely over the likely Indonesian quid pro quo to be offered 
Australia on this occasion.


Papuan Detainees Receive Tough Sentences

Papuan students accused of failing to obey police orders during the 
March 16 demonstrations in Abepura continued to receive harsh sentences 
in court decisions handed down during September. All but two of the 23 
detainees have been sentenced, with the great majority receiving 
sentences of between four and five years in jail.  The penalties are 
seen by observers to be harsh given the relatively minor nature of the 
charged offense, i.e., 'failing to obey police orders."  Several of the 
detainees "confessions" to having also thrown stones at security 
officials are questionable given the defendants claims that they were 
beaten and otherwise coerced into making the "confessions."  Defendants 
complaints of abuse are supported by eyewitness accounts of police 
attacks on defendants leading in at least one instance to the 
hospitalization of a defendant.

Observers also recall that special forces (Kopassus) personnel convicted 
of what the judge in the case described as the 2001 "torture-murder" of 
Papuan rights defender Theys Eluay received sentences entailing a 
maximum of three and one half years in jail.  The Indonesian army Chief 
of Staff at the time publicly described the convicted murderers as 
"Indonesian heroes."


Growing Tension on the West Papuan - Papua New Guinea Border

Australia has quietly deployed approximately 200 troops to the border 
between West Papua and Papua New Guinea.  A Papuan source with contacts 
in Australia reports to WPAT that four Australian Military Colonels have 
joined approximately 200 troops in Papua New Guinea, including 
approximately 120 at Vanimo, in the wake of developments along the 
border that have given rise to security concerns.  The troops include 
Australian intelligence units.  The Australian deployment reportedly 
reflects Canberra's concern about potential chaos in the border area 
resulting in instability in West Papua, but also growing concern about 
Indonesian military/intelligence activities in the border area. 
Australian media accounts, in reports denied by Jakarta, claim that PNG 
forces have intercepted two naval intrusions in the Vanimo area 
recently.  Other reports claim extensive involvement of the Indonesian 
military in logging and other illegal activities in PNG.

Adding to the confusion in the border area are claims of ongoing human 
rights abuse.  Nick Chesterfield, an Australian who recently returned 
from the border area  has told the Australian Broadcasting Company that 
in the border region there is "strong evidence" that Indonesian security 
elements are forming "death squads" which, he claimed are "randomly 
targeting Papuans, not on the basis of any political affiliation, but on 
the basis of race."  He explained that "in the Asa and Wembi areas we 
interviewed many survivors from some of these operations."

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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