[Kabar-Irian] News: July 27 2006

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July 27 2006
KABAR IRIAN NEWS

TOPICS

* ELSHAM Media Release: Papua Police must invesitigate PTFI's involvement
in the Bloody Conflict in Papua
* Reefs benefit from Indigenous people's dependence: research
* Autonomy brings little progress to Papua: Study
* Papuans sentenced to jail over bloody protests against Freeport
* Indonesia court jails 11 over deadly protests at Freeport-McMoran mine
in Papua


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MEDIA RELEASE
No:02/VII/ELSHAM PB/2006
Tanggal 25 Juli 2006

(Translated by KI - original will be posted at a later date with other
Indonesian language articles. Any items appearing in

brackets are clarifications by KI unless otherwise stated)

Papua Police must invesitigate PTFI's involvement in the Bloody Conflict
in Papua

Conflict between the Dani and Damal confederation in the form of another
war using arrows, machete's and axes continues in

Timika Papua. The war taking place between residents of Haraapan-Kwamki
Lama, Timika, has been confirmed by the Mimika Police

as having resulted in 9 killed from both parties. The dead are Yonis Mom,
Albinus Kogoya, Korinus Kogoya, Elemutme Murib,

Benny Mom and Minus Mom. The other fatalities have yet to be identified.
About 39 have been injured and are being treated in

Rumah Sakit Mitra Masyarakat Timika (KARITAS Hospital). It began with the
death of Johni Murib. At that time a visit by the

mother's family to express condolences was made. During the visit the
mother's family demanded compensation from the father's

side of the family but the request was ignored. THe mother's famly then
fired arrows at Yonis Mom who (it is alledged) caused

the original victim's death.

AT about 2 AM (July 25) 9 buses owned by PTFI  were made avalable to pick
up a number of locals from both the Damal and Dani

groups and drive them to Timika. Members of both groups came from the
Kimberly settlement (elsham-mile 68) and from gold

pannier's locations along the Aghawogong river (Elsham-From about mile 50
contnuing downstream). Members of these two groups

from morning tll afternoon gathered with in their various entrenchments
and joned in the fighting.

ELSHAM Papua regrets and protests PTFI's managment for allowing their
buses to be used.
"Which member of PTFI's managment granted permission for PTFI buses'to be
used?"Asked Aloy Renwarin, the head of BPH ELSHAM

Papua. This situation can worsen the the Timika conflict, extending it
with both warring parties losing out as a result.

"We ask that POLDA Papua (POlice for all of Papua) and POLRES Mimika
(Mimika police) investigate PTFI's involevment in

providing buses to pick up locals and brng them to the war zone."continued
Aloy. Hans Magal, an Ammungme Youth leader stated,

"Who allowed these buses to be used? This can allow conflict to thrive in
Timika. PTFI should not be nvolved, but it is hoped

will contribute to faclitating the end of the Tmika problems."

The involvement of certain individuals in PTFI's management who gave
permission to use the buses would be a serious volation

of the law and a violation of human rights. They contributed the means to
make use of facilties and/or to bring one group to

kill another. The involvement of PTFI as a Non-National actor has yet to
be proven at this moment. The Indonesian Government

is the most responsible agent for investigating PTFI and for promoting and
protecting Human Rights.

PTFI Management in this case did not help create or push for both warring
parties to sit down together and dialog to bring

about peace in a democratic manner. Instead, they stirred up people to
kill each other. What did PTFI management do after

creating this spreading conflict between tribal groups who have blood
links? Every security post in the PTFI area is

supported by police who did not prevent the 2 groups using the buses or
stop them from using PTFI roads on their way to

Timika.

Related to this conflict in Timika ELSHAM puts forward the following points:
1. That POLRES Timika and POLDA Papua investigate PTFI's involvement in
allowing PTFI buses to be used by the Dani and Damal

to travel to the war zone.

2. That the Human Rights Commisionfor Papua investigate the accusations of
PTFI's involvement in the conflict in Timika.

Instead they did not assist in the democratic process or help stop the
violence and work to ending the problems in the lives

of the locals.

3. Queston the presence of Police guarding and protecting PTF and the
locals in the area. How is it that the people were

transported from mile 68 to the war zone through all the PTFI check points
without hinderance which then contributed to

growingconflict?

4. That the Mimka Police examine the groups involved who caused the war
that is consuming human lives and to process to

positive completion under law. The process of Law must continue to be used
to deal with problems using stiff sanctions in the

hope that that problems resulting in war can be reduced.

We appeal to both warring parties to end this war. This war that has
resulted between us doesn't benefit anyone. It only

costs us. We who war must realize that we are losing people we love and
care about and who are the hope and future of our

families, tribes and Papua.

End

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1698065.htm

 Last Update: Thursday, July 27, 2006. 8:02am (AEST)
Reefs benefit from Indigenous people's dependence: research

A study has found traditional owners are taking better care of coral reefs
than national parks and reserves.

The study found the techniques employed by Indigenous communities in Papua
New Guinea and Indonesia are far more effective at

maintaining fish numbers.

The research team, led by the Australian Research Council Centre for Coral
Reef Studies, looked at the ecological and

sociological dynamics of protected marine areas.

The centre's Dr Josh Cinner says the direct connection that Indigenous
communities have with their areas provide a better

framework for conservation.

"So this is something that if they take care of ... their grand kids could
inherit as well," he said.

Dr Cinner says local communities care more about the reef because they
live on it, and rely on it for survival.


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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060726.H06&irec=5

Autonomy brings little progress to Papua: Study

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Papua's "special autonomy" status has not brought significant progress to
the people because it has failed to address their

fundamental needs, a survey suggests.

The survey was conducted by National Solidarity for Papua (SNUP) in
cooperation with Partnership for Governance Reform in

Indonesia. It examined the impact of special autonomy, which began in 2002
in an effort to ease separatist tensions and grant

Papuans greater control over their government and the province's resources.

The 323 respondents were from different backgrounds and locations across
six regencies. They said their welfare has not

improved because the local political elite, the bureaucracy and
non-governmental organizations are out of touch with the

common people.

Seventy-six percent of respondents said autonomy has yet to strengthen
basic services in the areas of health care, education

and the economy. This, they said, is closely related to rampant corruption
and nepotism among those in power.

SNUP executive director Bonar Tigor Naipospos said a sizable portion of
the funds granted to Papua to implement autonomy have

been spent on things other than essential needs.

"Besides the conflicting interests between local people and their elite
group, the two resource-rich provinces have spent a

lot of money to establish new institutions required by the special
autonomy law, on the controversy over the formation of

West Irian Jaya province and on local elections," Naipospos said while
presenting the survey's results Monday.

West Irian Jaya was split off as a separate province in 2002, despite
complaints that the move violated Papua's special

autonomy law.

Naipospos said a majority of Papua's 2.5 million people still lived in
poverty.

Forty-six percent of respondents said that the newly-established Papuan
People's Assembly (MRP) and political parties had not

paid serious attention to their fundamental problems, and that the
increasing number of security personnel did not improve

their sense of security. Instead, respondents felt their freedom of
expression had been hampered.

Seventy-six percent said the administration at all levels in the two
provinces needed reform, and that NGOs should be

encouraged to closely monitor the implementation of autonomy in outlying
areas.

Naipospos said the proposed reform of the bureaucracy and the adoption of
transparency and accountability have to be carried

out by the provinces' newly elected governors.

"West Irian Jaya Governor Octavianus Atururi and Papua Governor Barnabas
Suebu should start their jobs by reforming the

bureaucracy while pressing the MRP to issue the necessary bylaws to
implement autonomy," he said.

Only two such bylaws have been issued, on health and education, and
critics have called them unworkable.

Bram Atururi was sworn in by Home Minister Moh. Ma'ruf on Monday for the
2006-2011 period. Barnabas Suebu took the oath as

Papua governor Tuesday.

Laode Ida, the deputy chairman of the Regional Representatives Council
(DPD), blames Jakarta for the slow development of

autonomy. He said the central government still interferes in Papua's
internal affairs.

"Jakarta remains suspicious that the local political elite and bureaucracy
are sympathetic to the separatist movement," he

explained.

He said that the territory has received more than Rp 6 trillion in
autonomy funds annually but no significant progress has

been made on health, education, transportation and the economy, four
sectors given high priority by the law.

He called on the two provinces to review all contracts with national and
multinational companies to seek greater economic

benefits for local development programs.

Observer Mohamad Sobary said there was nothing surprising in the survey
results. He added it was important for Jakarta and

the Papua political elite to cooperate to make autonomy effective.

"The politicians in the two provinces should learn from the church
institutions how they have won the hearts and minds of the

Papuan people in their religious mission," he said.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillgen.asp?fileid=20060726162426&irec=1

Papuans sentenced to jail over bloody protests against Freeport

JAKARTA (AP): An Indonesian court on Wednesday sentenced two Papuans to
five and six years in jail over their roles in a

bloody protest against U.S. miner Freeport last March, a lawyer said.

Selvius Bobi and Elias Tamaka were found guilty of using violence against
authorities or inciting others to violence during

the protest in May that left six security officers dead, lawyer Iwan Niode
said.

The protest and Wednesday's trial took place in Jayapura, the capital of
Papua province.

On Monday the same court convicted 11 protesters to jail terms of between
five and six years over their roles in the same

protest.

The protest was against New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold
Mine Inc, which operates a massive mine in Papua

province that critics say pollutes the environment and gives little
benefit to local people.

It ended in a violent melee during which a frenzied mob bludgeoned to
death five policemen and an airforce officer. (**)

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http://www.forbes.com/finance/feeds/afx/2006/07/25/afx2901365.html

Indonesia court jails 11 over deadly protests at Freeport-McMoran mine in
Papua

07.25.2006, 06:11 AM


JAKARTA (XFN-ASIA) - An Indonesian court has jailed 11 people for taking
part in violent protests against a US-run mine in

Papua province which left six people dead in March.

Hundreds of protesters clashed with security officers near Papua's capital
Jayapura over the mine run by US giant Freeport-

McMoran in March.

'One was sentenced to six years in jail while 10 others were given five
years in prison each,' said judge Morris Ginting, who

sat on a panel of judges at Jayapura district court in Indonesia's
easternmost province.

Ginting said the defendants were accused of jointly using violence to
resist the orders of officials on duty. Ginting added

that the defendants' lawyers would appeal the ruling.

Critics have accused Freeport-McMoran of not giving enough to the people
of Papua in return for the mine. They allege the

mine causes pollution and that the military's protection of the site leads
to human rights abuses.

bs/sb/skj/th



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