[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 3/21/06 (Part 2 of 3)

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Taipei Times
Protest over US mine in Papua ends
--Tension Eases: Despite charges of police abuse and the arrest of 13
people in connection with the deadly protest, police said things are back
to normal
AP, Jayapura, Indonesia
Monday, Mar 20, 2006,Page 4

Calm returned to Papua Province yesterday after three days of tension
following a deadly protest against a massive US-owned gold mine in the
eastern Indonesian province.

Police have arrested 13 of more than 70 people questioned in connection
with the violence -- in which four security officers were bludgeoned to
death -- on charges ranging from destruction of property to assault and
murder, chief detective Colonel Paulus Waterpauw said.

The killings highlighted the hatred many residents of Indonesia's
easternmost province feel toward the country's soldiers and police. Human
rights activists accuse authorities of planning a purge of
pro-independence activists in the wake of the latest bloodshed.

Protesters say the mine, which is owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
Inc, has earned the New Orleans-based company billions of dollars, but the
local firm has received little benefit. Freeport, which has acknowledged
paying millions of dollars to government troops for security, also is
identified with Indonesian oppression by many Papuans.

The province was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 by former dictator
Suharto after his security forces orchestrated a referendum in which only
1,025 hand-picked supporters of Indonesian rule took part. The vote is now
widely regarded as a sham, and Papuans are demanding a true ballot on
self-determination, akin to the one that ended Jakarta's rule in East
Timor in 1999.

On Thursday, mine protesters killed three policemen and an air force
officer in a rampage when gun-toting security forces fired tear gas and
charged protesters with batons in Jayapura, the provincial capital.
Papuans said the police shot first, injuring several people, before
protesters attacked the security forces.

But by yesterday, no police were left guarding or patrolling the streets
around the campus of Cendrawasih University, the location of Thursday's
clash.

"People are now going to churches without fear, while shops, stalls and
street vendors have returned to their normal activities," Waterpauw said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AFX News Limited
Indonesia vows to strengthen police presence in Papua after Freeport clashes
03.21.2006, 04:03 AM

Jakarta (AFX) - Police said they would beef up their presence in Papua
after deadly protests against a US mine there last week and as police
moved to take over security provided by the armed forces.

Four security officers were killed by a crowd of hundreds of Papuans
demanding the closure of a gold and copper mine operated by a local unit
of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan.

'A reinforcement of our forces is certainly being done in anticipation of
any increase in security disturbances,' national police chief General
Sutanto told reporters.

He said 200 men are being readied for deployment to the province.

The police chief said his forces would gradually take over the provision
of security at the mine itself, which is now provided by the military, or
TNI.

'The TNI will be gradually pulled out... The security will be in the hands
of police and the TNI will only assist at particular times,' Sutanto said
without elaborating.

Indonesian law gives the armed forces jurisdiction to protect projects
considered vital to the national interest, such as the Freeport mine.

Deputy spokesman for the TNI, Colonel Ahmad Yani Basuki, confirmed the move.

'In principle we are now only assisting the police in assuring security
everywhere, including in Freeport,' he told Agence France-Presse.

He said responsibility for security has already been handed back to the
company itself and local police, but troops were still present at
Freeport's request.

'We are only awaiting a more permanent arrangement before pulling out from
the area,' he said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Antara
Mar 20 18:56
Certain parties want human rights violated in Abepura incident

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said
investigations into last Thursday’s bloody incident in Abepura, Papua, had
produced proof that certan parties had wanted the security troops involved
to act in violation of human rights so that the Papua problem could be
internationalized.

"There were certain parties that wanted the security forces to commit
human right abuses in the Abepura incident, so that Papua problem could
become an international issue," Juwono told reporters before attending a
limited cabinet session at the presidential office here Monday.

Juwono also said there were indications that the Abepura riot in which
four security officers died and tens of others were injured had not
happened without some people making certain preperations for it.

Three policemen and one Indonesian Air Force member were killed after they
failed to flee the area after the security troops were outnumbered by the
rioting demonstrators.

The mob used big stones to fight and main security officers confronting them.

"It (the incident) would not have occured, if there had been no
preparations from the stones to weapons," the minister said.

He added the security agencies were now investigating why problems always
arose in connection with the operations of American companies such as
giant mining company of PT Freeport Indonesia and the oil company PT
ExxonMobil.

"Who knows that later a problem will also emerge in relation with US
investment in Natuna," he added.

Police in Papua have named 12 suspects in the riot that took place in
front of the Cendrawasih University last Thursday.

Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Syamsir Siregar, meanwhile,
said investigations carried out by his men had shown that local
non-govermental organizations (NGOs) were involved in the incident.

"There were several NGOs with oversea ties took part in sponsoring the
incident," he added.

Asked about the possible involvement of local public figures or former
officials in the incident, Syamsir said, "Whoever, or of whatever rank or
position he or she is, if they are proven to be guilty, they will be
processed before the law."

Thursday’s anti-Freeport demonstration turned into a bloody clash after
security offices asked the demonstrators to remove the blockade they put
up on the road between Jayapura, the provincial capital, and Sentani
airport.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio Australia
Indonesian to audit US-run mine in Papua
21/03/2006 12:17:30 AEST

The Indonesian government says it will order an audit into the operations
of an American-owned gold and copper mine in Papua province.

The decision follows violent clashes between protesters and security
forces last week, in which five people were killed.

The demonstrators were demanding the closure of the mine, which is owned
by US firm, Freeport-McMoRan.

Supporters of Papua's independence movement have accused the company of
failing to benefit the local community.

Jakarta says it will audit the company's production activities as well as
its state revenue and security.

However, it says it will not close down the mine, honouring its contract
with the company.

Indonesian parliamentarian, Sabam Sirait, has criticised the decision,
saying Jakarta should re-investigate its dealings with Freeport.

"It must be re-looked at again and discussed again, what is the best for
Freeport, what is the best for Indonesia, especially for the people of
Papua," he said.

"This is what I ask from the government, take it into consideration,
discuss it with Freeport."

"Don't be big-headed."

Unrest hits second mining facility
An lndonesian subsidiary of another American mining firm, Newmont, says
hundreds of people have attacked one of its facilities on the island of
Sumbawa.

Newmont spokesman, Kasan Mulyono, says the incident took place on Sunday,
but the company had been warned in advance and evacuated its workers.

Mr Mulyono says about 80 per cent of the camp has been destroyed.

The Koran Tempo newspaper quotes police as saying three people were
arrested following the attack, which involved up to 500 people.

Last week, local residents blockaded a road leading to the mine and
demanded compensation, as well as involvement in exploration activities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press Release: Indonesian Human Rights Committee
West Papua in deep crisis: NZ should take action
Monday, 20 March 2006, 9:52 am
18 March, 2006

A military crackdown is under way in Indonesian controlled West Papua in
the wake of the violent end of a Jayapura demonstration against the
Freeport McMoran mine two days ago. Reports indicate that riot police
opened fire on the demonstrators using rubber bullets and possibly live
ammunition as well as tear gas. In the ensuing melee 3 policemen and an
air force officer were killed and an unknown number of student
demonstrators injured.

Large numbers of young people have been arrested. Reports state that the
police are firing at random in the area near the Cendrawasih University
Campus and the I.S. Kinje Theological Seminary. Reports suggest that
military troop reinforcements are moving in and that many students are
hiding or have fled into the jungle in fear of their lives.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee call on Foreign Minister Winston
Peters to:

- To mount an urgent lobby for an independent human rights investigation
preferably to be conducted by the U N Human Rights Commission.

- To advocate for the opening up of West Papua to independent journalists,
human rights workers and peace monitors.

- To use its good relations with Indonesia to gain urgent access for a
fact finding mission of parliamentarians and NGO leaders to go to West
Papua.

This tragic episode is symptomatic of the profound impact on the West
Papuan people of years of marginalisation, poverty and repression, and the
devastating environmental and social impacts of the giant Freeport McMoran
mine.

Given the Indonesian authorities known dire record for unaccountability
and impunity independent international involvement is essential to help
resolve the current crisis and end the bloodshed. Winston Peters must show
that he is serious about his own words that New Zealand should be engaged
in its own neighbourhood.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hon Mr Winston Peters,
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington.

18 March, 2006

Dear Mr Peters,

As you are no doubt aware there is a major crisis in Indonesian controlled
West Papua in the wake of a demonstration two days ago which was forcibly
ended by the security forces. In the ensuing violence 3 policemen and an
air force officer were killed and there are also reports of many severe
injuries to the student demonstrators .The situation is now one of
escalating tension and fear.

We understand that police opened fire on the demonstrators using rubber
bullets and also possibly live ammunition. Tear gas and water cannon were
employed. The protestors responded by throwing missiles at the police.

There is now a security crackdown in process and large numbers of young
people have been arrested. Reports state that the police are firing at
random in the area near the Cendrawasih University Campus and the I.S.
Kinje Theological Seminary. Reports suggest that military troop
reinforcements are moving in and that the students are hiding or have fled
into the jungle in fear of their lives.

We believe that this tragic episode is symptomatic of the profound impact
on the West Papuan people of years of marginalisation and repression.

The current crisis situation has arisen following a series of rolling
demonstrations against the Freeport McMoran gold and copper mine in West
Papua. While Freeport is a huge earner for the Indonesian regime -
bringing in more than $33bn between 1992 and 2004- the people of West
Papua live in dire poverty and are dying from preventable diseases, an
epidemic of HIV/AIDS and even from starvation. Freeport’s funding of the
Indonesian military has contributed to the gross human rights abuses.
Thousands of the indigenous Amungme and Kamoro people were displaced so
that the mine could operate and in the process devastate their tribal
lands and destroy their sacred mountain.

Since the Indonesian authorities are known to have a dire record for
holding themselves accountable and the security forces have an entrenched
history of impunity it is essential that there be an independent
investigation into this latest crisis.

We therefore call on the New Zealand Government to mount an urgent lobby
for an independent human rights investigation preferably to be conducted
by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

We also urge the New Zealand Government to advocate for the opening up of
West Papua to independent journalists, human rights workers and peace
monitors.

New Zealand as a regional neighbour should also undertake to use its good
relations with Indonesia to gain urgent access for a fact finding mission
of parliamentarians and NGO leaders to go to West Papua.

We believe this would be in line with the comments you made yesterday (New
Zealand Herald 17 March, 2006) that New Zealand “should always be engaged
in our own neighbourhood.”

Urgent action is desperately needed now to prevent further bloodshed.

Yours sincerely,

Maire Leadbeater
(for the Indonesia Human Rights Committee)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
West Papua: Incident in Abepura West Papua
By Joe Collins
Posted Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Press Release

The Australia West Papua Association calls on the Australian Government
and the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, now visiting Australia, to
raise the dangerously deteriorating situation in West Papua with the
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to avoid further escalation
of the situation.

The Australia West Papua Association is concerned that the Indonesian
security forces are conducting reprisals not only against those involved
in protests in the University town of Abepura, but also in the general
community as well.

The demonstrators who had been protesting last Thursday against the giant
Freeport gold and copper mine in West Papua, had blocked the road to the
airport in the town of Abepura , on the outskirts of Jayapura.

The resulting clash between the Indonesian security forces and protesters
has left four security personal dead and an unknown number of
demonstrators have been shot and wounded.

Reports from a human rights worker from the Papua-based human rights
group, ELSHAM, who was in the crowd when police opened fire has told the
ABC what he saw. "We evacuated several victims, there were men who got
shot in the chest, another in the right leg and another in the right side
of the forehead. But they were not then only ones, there were many more.
We evacuated one victim who had been left in a swamp. There were more men
coming to help those who got shot and to take them to the nearest
hospital."

Media and eyewitness reports indicate that the security forces are now
conducting reprisals against the community at large .

A report by another human rights worker from the Indonesian National
Commission on Human Rights, said the police had blocked roads and were
searching every vehicle and that "The Papuans, the young ones, have been
taken and beaten, kicked, hit with guns and threatened," he said.

Up to 57 people have been arrested in connection with Thursday's
demonstration while other protesters have fled to the bush. A police
spokesman Kartono Wangsa Disastra has said that that those who fled “would
be hunted down” and "We will never stop hunting these people who have
created havoc and murdered our officers."

The local population in the region are already in great fear of reprisals
and the Indonesian security forces are known to use incidents such as
protests to terorise and crack down on any organisation they term to be
separatists.

To avoid further escalation of the situation , we call on the Australian
Government and the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to raise the
matter with the Indonesian President urging him to control the security
forces in the territory and that any operations planned should be halted
and personal returned to their barracks as a way of easing tensions and
avoiding further bloodshed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Age (Melbourne)
Papuan protests 'planned to push cause'
March 20, 2006 - 5:01PM

Deadly clashes in Papua, in which four security officers were killed by
demonstrators, were planned as a stepping stone to full independence for
the restive province, Indonesian authorities said.

The protests last week against a massive US-owned gold and copper mine may
also have been engineered to become as notorious as the 1991 Santa Cruz
massacre in East Timor, in which Indonesian troops shot dead 271
demonstrators, Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said.

"It's true. At first it was going to be made into something like Santa
Cruz," Sudarsono told the Koran Tempo newspaper.

Separatists among the demonstrators thought Indonesian security forces
would open fire on the crowd and transform the protest into an
international human rights incident, he said.

But instead three police and an air force officer were killed, defusing
thoughts the clash would morph into another Dili massacre, Sudarsono said.

The Santa Cruz shootings helped galvanise international opposition to
Indonesia's brutal occupation of East Timor, which ended in 1999 after an
independence vote marred by an orgy of bloodshed unleashed by pro-Jakarta
militia.

Former foreign minister Ali Alatas called the massacre a "turning point",
which set in motion the events leading to East Timor's nationhood.

The protesters, mostly students, had gathered at the cemetery in Dili for
the funeral of a fellow student shot and killed by Indonesian troops the
month before.

After they unfurled flags and banners calling for independence, soldiers
opened fire, killing 271 and wounding another 382. Another 250
demonstrators disappeared.

Following last week's clash in Papua's provincial capital Jayapura, police
have arrested 14 people and questioned more than 70 students on charges
ranging from destruction of property to assault and murder.

The rock-throwing demonstrators were demanding closure of the giant
Freeport-McMoRan gold and copper mine amid claims billions of dollars in
profits have been sucked from the province while leaving behind an
environmental catastrophe.

The mine is one of the biggest contributors to Indonesian government
coffers and last year announced record profits as international gold
prices soared to 25-year highs.

But an unnamed military officer told Koran Tempo there was a lot more at
stake than a protest about Freeport, which has acknowledged paying
millions of dollars to government forces for security.

"There is a much bigger agenda," he said.

"The thing this could be used for is human rights and this case becomes a
stepping stone."

The clashes could have implications for 43 Papuans who landed in Australia
earlier this year demanding asylum from Indonesian oppression and death
threats.

Their claims threaten to damage Canberra's fast warming relations with
Jakarta, where authorities have demanded the return of the group.

But rights activists expect many of their refugee claims to be successful.
-- © 2006 AAP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paras Indonesia (formerly Laksamana)
March, 20 2006 @ 10:51 pm
Minster Says Papua Killings Engineered For Independence Bid
By: Roy Tupai

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono claims the recent killing in Papua of
three policemen and an Air Force officer by protesters demanding the
closure of US gold and copper mining giant Freeport McMoRan’s Grasberg
mine was part of a calculated effort to win independence for the province.

Juwono on Monday (20/3/06) said the clash that took place on March 16
during an anti-Freeport demonstration outside Cendrawasih University in
the Abepura area of the provincial capital Jayapura was designed to spark
a massacre that would put the province’s problems under the international
spotlight.

"There were certain parties that wanted the security forces to commit
human right abuses in the Abepura incident so that Papua problem could
become an international issue," he was quoted as saying by state news
agency Antara.

Speaking reporters before attending a limited cabinet meeting at the
presidential office, he said the protesters had also sought to damage
Indonesia’s image and economy.

About 150 demonstrators, including students and pro-independence
activists, had for two days blockaded the road outside the university to
demand the closure of the Grasberg mine and the withdrawal of Indonesian
soldiers and police from Papua. Security forces attempted to forcibly end
the rally but they were heavily outnumbered. Several of the protesters
then grabbed the three policemen and Air Force officer, who were led away
and bashed, stabbed and stoned to death.

Pro-independence activists have claimed the violence was started by
undercover intelligence officers who had infiltrated the protest. But
Juwono was adamant that the protesters had made advance preparations for
bloodshed, as they had brought machetes, knives and stones with them. He
said an ongoing investigation into the incident had found proof that
“certain parties” wanted the protest to end in a bloodbath. "It would not
have occurred if there had been no careful preparations beforehand from
the stones to weapons. Their aim was very clear," he said.

Dili Massacre II?
The minister likened the violence to the November 1991 massacre of 271
youths at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, East Timor. The slaughter
resulted in widespread international condemnation of the Indonesian
military’s brutal occupation of East Timor. The territory eventually
gained independence after a 1999 referendum that was surrounded by more
killing sprees orchestrated by Indonesian troops.

"It's true. At first it was going to be made into something like Santa
Cruz," Juwono was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press.

He also claimed that foreign parties might have played a hand in the
violence but stopped short of naming any countries or organizations.
"There was an internal or a foreign side that was involved in the
engineering what happened there," he was quoted as saying by detikcom
online news portal.

The minister expressed hope that the investigation into the killings would
be concluded as quickly as possible to reveal all of the facts behind the
incident.

He declined to speculate on whether members of the political and military
elite opposed to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono might have pulled the
strings behind the killings. But he said security agencies were now
investigating why problems often arose over the operations of American
firms such as Freeport Indonesia, Newmont and ExxonMobil.

"We are trying to find out whether the various actions against the US
companies were solidly organized. We want carefully examine why they are
now happening together. Whoever is the mastermind, he will be dealt with
by the law, regardless of his past rank or position,” he said.

"Who knows whether later a problem will also emerge in relation to the US
investment in the Natunas," he added, referring to an offshore oil and gas
reserve.

Juwono could not promise that results of the investigation would be made
public. "That remains to be seen. For the moment it’s in the hands of the
National Police chief because everything must be processed in accordance
with the president's desire,” he said.

Suspects
Following last Thursday’s killings, police rounded up more than 70
Papuans, mostly students and activists, for questioning. Locals complained
that police raids on student dormitories and houses were arbitrary and
involved excessive force. Police have since named 14 suspects.

State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar on Monday said
investigations by his men had shown that local non-government
organizations (NGOs) backed by foreign groups were involved in the
incident. "There were several NGOs with overseas’ ties that took part in
sponsoring the incident," he was quoted as saying by Antara.

Asked whether local public figures or former officials might have had a
hand in the incident, he said: "Whoever, or of whatever rank or position
he or she is, if they are proven to be guilty, they will be processed
before the law."

Police have been strongly criticized for attacking journalists covering
last week's clash,  but it  appears  the errant officers will not face any
disciplinary action.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Australian
Indon spy chief accuses Aussie group
By Rob Taylor, AAP
22mar06

Indonesia's intelligence chief has accused an Australian-backed aid group
of being behind clashes in the province of Papua in which four security
officers were killed.

Major-General Syamsir Siregar - who heads the Indonesian State
Intelligence Agency, or BIN - refused to name the organisation which he
believed fomented last week's protests against the massive U.S.-owned
Freeport gold and copper mine. Three policemen and an air force officer
were killed in the riots.

Maj-Gen Siregar said the aid organisation operated in Papua and had close
ties with an outside country, which Indonesian newspapers said was
Australia.

"There was an NGO (non-government organisation) sponsoring it all," he
said according to Koran Tempo newspaper. "As far as I know, the mover was
a local NGO, but had connections with the outside.

"I guess you all know (who)."

Indonesia has previously accused several Australian aid groups of secretly
backing the independence aims of Papuan separatists, who have for decades
waged a low-level insurgency against Jakarta rule.

The aid arm of the Australian union movement, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, has
come in for particular criticism for circulating communiques from the
separatist Papuan Council Presidium to activists in Australia. Many
influential Indonesians believe Canberra secretly backs independence for
Papua and hopes for an East Timor-style separation.

In a 2003 meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, former Indonesian
president Megawati Sukarnoputri said she was concerned Australian
government aid funds were being used indirectly to support separatist
movements in Indonesia.

The executive director of APHEDA Peter Jennings said the agency had no
projects in Papua.

The Australian Government's aid wing Ausaid warns NGOs it will not approve
funding for projects which "subsidise evangelism or missionary outreach,
or similar activities by partisan political organisations". It also warns
it will not support independence movements.

In February, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia believed
Papua should remain a part of Indonesia. That assurance was given after 43
Papuans landed in Australia's north seeking asylum.

Following last week's clash in Papua's provincial capital Jayapura, police
have arrested 14 people and questioned more than 70 students on charges
ranging from destruction of property to assault and murder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
March 21, 2006
Govt says no halt in Freeport operations
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Jayapura

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reiterated Monday that PT Freeport
Indonesia's mining operations would continue in Papua while a financial
audit of the distribution of funds to the local community was conducted.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS
also said Sunday the government would honor the contract it signed with
the giant U.S. company despite demands in Papua that the firm be shut
down.

The President led a limited Cabinet meeting Monday in response to the
heightened tension in Papua after a deadly clash between students and law
enforcers outside Cendrawasih State University in Abepura, Papua, last
Thursday.

Three officers from the police's elite Mobile Brigade and a member of the
Air Force were killed and dozens of other security personnel and civilians
injured from rocks thrown by about 1,000 protesters, who said the
company's presence was not beneficial to the local community.

"PT Freeport Indonesia would have to continue its operations for the
interest of all parties," Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono
was quoted as saying by Antara newswire.

Boediono, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and
Security Affairs Widodo AS and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister
Purnomo Yusgiantoro, said the Freeport issue was discussed at length
during the three-hour meeting.

Widodo said Freeport had provided community development funds of about Rp
400 billion (US$43.7 million) yearly, besides providing funds of about Rp
5 billion each for the Amungme and Komoro, the largest tribes in the area.

"We will conduct an audit to determine whether the funds were really
distributed to the community or not," he said.

Meanwhile, in Jayapura, a group of eight lawyers is providing legal
assistance to 14 suspects in the clash, now being questioned by the Papua
Police.

The lawyers are from the Jayapura Legal Aid Institution, Papua Commission
for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, Democracy Alliance for Papua
and West Papua Elsham.

"We are giving legal assistance to the suspects while they undergo the
legal process," Democracy Alliance director Laifah Aum Siregar told
reporters in Jayapura.

Their priority is to meet the suspects at Papua Police Headquarters.

Meanwhile, Papua Police Criminal Reserve Director Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus
Waterpauw said the police also were seeking 12 others reportedly involved
in the incident, including alleged ringleaders of the protest Cosmos Yual,
Henny Lani and Yan Mendenas.

Currently in police custody are Luis Gedi, Selpius Bobbi, Fery Pakage,
Feniur Waker, Alex C Wayangkau, Othen Dapyal, Thomas Ukago, Elkana
Lokobal, Elyas Tamaka, Patrisius Aronggear, Markus Kayame, Moses Lokobal,
Musa Asso and Jefri Obadja Pawika.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Opinion
March 21, 2006
Freeport and the suffering of the Papuans
Israr Iskandar, Padang

Like an irresistible piece of chocolate cake, Freeport has become an issue
politicians are eager to talk about.

Former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Amien Rais has
recently urged the government to revise its contract with PT Freeport
Indonesia. He has even agreed with the activists, who demand Freeport's
closure.

In the same tone, Vice President Jusuf Kalla set up an inter-departmental
team to re-audit the giant US-based gold mining firm. The government is
expecting an extra royalty allocation from the company.

The politicization of Freeport intensified after a violent demonstration
in Abepura, Papua against the firm, leaving three police officers and an
airman dead on March 16. Earlier, volatile protests took place in Jakarta,
Jayapura, Manado, Solo and Timika. Some of the protests turned violent,
such as that the one at the building, which houses PT Freeport Indonesia's
offices in Jakarta. In the Papuan town of Timika, the highway to
Freeport's Grasberg mine was again blockaded by local people. This,
despite the fact, that local people had earlier "made peace" with Freeport
via a traditional declaration.

Local politicians have added to the complexity of the issue. Members of
the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and the Papuan Regional Council have
become actively involved. Non-governmental organizations and Papuan
students aggressively supported the local community's basic rights. Now
the local elite have become further involved in the Freeport case,
particularly as it gets more politicized.

The Papuans' objection to the presence of Freeport is nothing new as it
involves basic rights issues. But the nationalistic cliques in Jakarta are
motivated to pressure Freeport purely out of a sense of "economic
nationalism" (as indicated by Amien and a number of conservative
politicians in the House of Representatives), the Papuan elite and NGOs
find their reason for complaints in the poor conditions of indigenous
people amid the abundance of Papua's natural wealth, which is greedily
exploited by "outsiders".

For a long time, the U.S.-based corporation has been considered less
responsive to the interests of its surrounding people, especially in
matters related to pollution of the environment, which includes a diverse
ecosystem that has served as a source of native people's livelihood. On
top of this, Freeport is the most obvious irony in Papua. A multinational
corporation has the freedom to exploit Papua's natural resources, while
some people in the province still virtually live in the "stone age".

Economists and entrepreneurs view the "pressure" on Freeport as bad news
for the country's investment climate. They say that in order to recuperate
from economic crisis that has lingered since 1997, there needs to be new
investment, and not the removal of an ongoing investments. Actually, even
without any such direct pressure, many foreign firms have left Indonesia
due to the country's unfavorable business climate and the overly
politicized nature of big investments.

However, the government cannot blame local protesters and politicians for
what it describes as undermining the investment climate.

Freeport's operation has been considered less than conducive to the
betterment local people's welfare. The Freeport case today is the "tip of
an iceberg" of the ire of locals against the greed of the powerholders in
Jakarta, who collaborate with foreign investors in draining Papua's
natural wealth. The exploitation of Papua's resources has been taking
place intensively and extensively amid Papuans' growing poverty and
backwardness after decades of integration with Indonesia.

In the early period of reform (since 1998), Papuans had great
expectations. Various aspirations were expressed to demand justice from
the central government, not only in terms of political rights, but also in
economic, social and cultural spheres. The fruit of these demands was
special autonomy. Politically, the 2001 Law on Special Autonomy for Papua
is a "compromise" to absorb the call for freedom. Economically, Papua
shares a "fair" amount of income from the exploitation of its resources.

But in reality, the law has not yet brought about fundamental changes in
Papua. Research by the Working Group on Papua in early 2006 revealed that
for over five years, special autonomy has had no impact yet on the welfare
of local people, particularly native Papuans. Data from the Central
Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2004 showed that 80 percent of the Papuan
population remained poor, the highest such rate in the country. The recent
famine disaster in Yahukimo seems to have only confirmed the statistics.

For Papuans who have studied their history, Freeport's presence looks
strange. The company's operation in Timika was planned long before Papua's
integration with Indonesia. This historical speculation has affected the
dynamics of the Jakarta-Jayapura relations. Suspicion has arisen that its
integration in the 1960s was just a process of coercion of "political
economy" because it was realized against the backdrop of foreign (i.e.
U.S.) investors' interests. Speculation has also emerged that
collaboration between foreign capital and the New Order regime purposely
sacrificed the political and economic rights of Papuans.

Upon a closer look at the issue, one will notice that local protests
against Freeport today are not only aimed at the American company, but
also meant as a manifestation of Papua's continued resistance to central
government policy. Consequently, for Jakarta, resolving the Freeport
crisis and satisfying Papuan political aspirations are crucial.

The government's attitude toward foreign investment has hitherto been
ambivalent. Its attention to foreign investment has not been balanced with
proper care about the interests of nearby communities. In the Freeport
case, the impression is that the government sides with the multinational
companies, while treating locals in an unfair way.

The Freeport case is not a specific one. Indonesia is an example where
many investors only consider profit accumulation, while neglecting the
environment around them, including the rights of local communities. This
is widely practiced not only by foreign corporations but also domestic
companies, including state-owned enterprises. The irony is not lost on
those of us in this independent republic.
-- The writer is a lecturer and political analyst, Andalas University,
Padang.
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