[Kabar-Irian] News: May 13-15 2006

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May 11-15 2006
KABAR IRIAN NEWS

TOPICS

* Development in Papua Can Bridge Misunderstandings
* Human rights groups send letter to PM protesting new laws
* Downer cautious over Papua abuse claims
* Problem of Papuan refugees
* Papua students in slaughter claim
* Papuan woman 'forced' to demand daughter's return
* Avoiding the real West Papua
* Downer to meet Indonesian minister
* Papua woman should be allowed into Australia, activists say
* Australia should support human rights
* Wanggai seeks asylum in Australia
* Govt faces internal opposition to new immigration bill
* TNI officer dies crossing bridge
* Diarrhea in Papua under control
* Papuan office welcomes Vanuatu govt declaration
* DPRD asks Navy to step up patrols (translated article - abridged)
* France asks for Arabica Coffee from Papua (translated article - abridged)


---

The Jakarta Post
Friday, May 12, 2006

Op-Ed

Development in Papua Can Bridge Misunderstandings

John Wing, Sydney

A great deal of heat has been generated by the recent granting of Temporary
Protection Visas to forty two Papuans by the Australian Immigration
Department.
The hostility in Indonesia has been unwelcome and unnecessary, but perhaps
understandable.

For years the Australian government has been an unquestioning neighbor of
Indonesia's, aware of a tragic history of human rights abuses in Papua as
well as
East Timor, yet choosing to remain largely silent over the Indonesian
military's brutality and bad practices.

The Howard government had evidently been following this pattern whereby
reports of abuse in Papua and military impunity were routinely ignored and
almost
accepted in the interests of maintaining a close relationship with Jakarta.

Yet the same government gave asylum to a group claiming persecution by
Indonesia. This seemed contradictory and confusing.

Australia saw a need for temporary protection for those who spoke out against
a flawed government and system. Under international law we were compelled to
provide sanctuary. It was an expression of goodwill towards our Papuan
neighbors, not an expression of ill will towards our Indonesian neighbors.
That is a
differentiation yet to be accepted in some quarters, but, for their own
reasons, some only see what they want to see.

Our immediate concern is with the wellbeing of all our neighbors and friends,
not taking the side of one against the other. Part of the problem is that,
despite being part of Indonesia since the 1960s, many Papuans feel they
have no
voice, no way to dialogue with Jakarta, unable to express their objections or
articulate their fears, dreams and hopes for their own future. Their distinct
identity and history are not acknowledged. In Papua the denial of development
is seen as one of the greatest of injustices, and it is a cause of current
conflict and smoldering dissatisfaction.

Australia has been a major contributor in development assistance to Indonesia
for decades -- in health, education and agriculture projects across many
parts of the archipelago, even in Papua; but we would like to help much more.

On this issue, along with many others, Indonesia and Australia share much in
common. Under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono much-needed advances in
health, living standards and new ideas for governance in Papua can start
to be
addressed, but there must be a sense of urgency.

Australia stands ready to help with our resources and capabilities. Now is
the time for the invigoration of international funding to be directed
where it
is most needed. International expertise is necessary if Papua is to
counter the
scourges of disease and underdevelopment. Malaria, tuberculosis,
malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and a range of other life-threatening yet
preventable illnesses
still account for many lives which would otherwise be available for Papua's
development. That Papua now has Indonesia's highest HIV prevalence is
unforgivable
-- clearly, ignoring the impact of HIV-infected sex workers in the AIDS
pandemic poses an unacceptable risk. Avian flu and animal viruses are now
also
threatening.

We have developed effective, internationally recognized HIV prevention
programs and strategies and are world leaders in the training of health
workers. The
corporate and government sectors are eager to invest in environmentally
sustainable projects which are sensitive to local needs and to encourage the
development of small business and human capital. For this there must be a
climate
free of intimidation caused by the involvement of unnecessary players, mainly
military.

Education and technical skills remain lacking. Australia would be happy to
fund scholarships for indigenous students. We have the technology to provide
environmentally appropriate electrification for basic lighting in every
dwelling
in even the most remote village so that every child can read at night;
refrigeration for every clinic to preserve valuable vaccines; equipment
for schools
which are poorly resourced, and more.

I recently had the pleasure to meet Laode Ida, the Deputy Speaker of
Indonesia's Regional Representative Council. Despite the current tension
in Jakarta
directed towards Australia, his demeanor was friendly and warm, our
discussion
was without animosity or demands among equal and respectful neighbors.

For two hours we discussed some of the problems facing Papua and found we
shared many concerns, including the international community's concern over
the
role of Indonesian security forces in areas which are hungry for
development but
hampered by their presence.

His compassion for Indonesia's Papuan brothers and sisters was real and not
tainted by nationalism or jingoism. He is intelligent and articulate. He
is the
modern face of the youthful, forward-looking Indonesia, wishing to break with
past ways of handling dissent and disillusionment.

Development cooperation on many levels at this moment is a win-win for all
sides and provides a window of opportunity. Between Australia and Indonesia
there is still much goodwill on both sides. While remaining a concerned
friend of
our Melanesian brothers, Australia can be Indonesia's good friend, if you
will
let us.

The writer is a development anthropologist and consultant and currently a
senior research fellow at the University of Sydney's Centre for Peace and
Conflict Studies.

---

Human rights groups send letter to PM protesting new laws

By Kylie Williams

CANBERRA, May 12 (AAP) -- International human rights groups have
lodged a formal protest over Australia's tough new immigration laws in
a letter urging the government to adopt humane refugee policies toward
Papuans.

A group of 47 rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and
the International Immigrants' Foundation, wrote to Prime Minister John
Howard protesting that the new laws contravene an important refugee
convention to which Australia is a signatory.

"We, the undersigned organisations, protest in the strongest terms
possible your government's announced plan to seek national legislation
extending the 'Pacific Solution' to anyone intercepted attempting to
enter Australia by boat without a visa," the letter said.

"As described by officials of your government, many of the plan's
components we believe are in violation of the 1951 Convention Relating
to the Status of Refugees, to which Australia is a party."

The groups also call upon the Australian government to uphold refugee
conventions and recognise the plight of Papuan asylum seekers.

"We call upon your government to uphold its obligations under the
Refugee Convention, to recognise the plight of Papuans suffering
brutalisation on your doorstep, and to adopt humane refugee policies
in keeping with the widely recognised principles of the Australian
people," the letter said.

The controversial new laws, which a number of moderate Liberal MPs
have sought to soften, began their passage through parliament
yesterday.

Under the changes, all asylum seekers landing illegally on the
mainland will be sent to offshore detention centres in Nauru or Papua
New Guinea's Manus Island to be processed.

The rights groups said it was obvious that the new laws were aimed at
Papuan asylum seekers.

"This discriminatory proposal is especially aimed at denying refuge to
those fleeing persecution in West Papua and seeking asylum in
Australia," the letter said.

In March, Australia granted temporary protection visas to 42 asylum
seekers from the separatist Indonesian province of Papua, a move which
has badly soured relations with Indonesia.

The Papuans arrived on Cape York in January and despite landing on the
mainland were taken to Christmas Island while their asylum claims were
assessed.

---

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT

LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1635647.htm

Broadcast: 10/05/2006
Downer cautious over Papua abuse claims

Reporter: Stephen McDonell

TONY JONES: The Iranian leader is in Indonesia tonight, trying to gather
support for his country's nuclear program. The

firebrand president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was warmly welcomed by his
Indonesian counterpart, and there's little doubt the

Australian Government is closely monitoring their exchanges. And the
Indonesian Foreign Minister, Hasan Wirajuda, has already

said Iran should have nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

That could make for an interesting conversation topic if the reported
meeting between the Australian Foreign Minister and his

Indonesian counterpart goes ahead next week has been reported. And with
fresh allegations of the Indonesian security forces

killing a Papuan asylum seeker airing on the ABC tonight, it's unlikely
that issue will go away.

But as Stephen McDonell reports, Foreign Minister Downer is urging the
allegations be viewed with caution.

STEPHEN McDONELL: Two months ago when protesting Papuan students clashed
with Indonesian police in the capital, Jayapura,

five Indonesian security officers were killed.

On tonight's '7:30 Report' Papuan students claimed savage reprisals by the
Indonesian military followed, including firing on

student dormitories.

YUSAK LOGO, CENDRAWASIH UNIVERSITY (TRANSLATION): They smashed windows,
and they shot two of my friends.

MELIANUS PIGAI, EYEWITNESS: Students were captured. They were shot, cut
up, sliced up.

STEPHEN McDONELL: When Papuan students tried to flee to Australia by boat,
they say the Indonesian navy chased them and

murdered one asylum seeker.

MELIANUS PIGAI: They chased us from behind, then the boat sank. People
drowned. One was killed. He was stabbed by the

military.

STEPHEN McDONELL: Speaking after the launch of a report on development in
the Pacific, the Australian Foreign Minister said

tonight that the Indonesian Government is very committed to upholding
human rights and it would have to investigate any fresh

evidence of breaches.

ALEXANDER DOWNER, FOREIGN MINISTER: To be honest with you, you hear a lot
of claims from time to time and it's important to

endeavour to try to verify them and not just accept every claim that's
made on face value. I'm not denying or accepting these

claims. I simply don't know about the veracity of them.

STEPHEN McDONELL: He was also asked about reports that he will meet the
Indonesian Foreign Minister in Singapore next week to

try and repair relations with his government.

ALEXANDER DOWNER: I think myself it would be a good idea if we get
together before too long and I think he probably shares

that view and talk through some difficulties that we've obviously had in a
bilateral relationship, which is a very great

mutual benefit to Australia and Indonesia.

REPORTER: Is it a deliberate strategic decision for you to both meet in a
third country?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: I think if we're going to meet we'll work out where
we're going to meet and announce that when the time

comes.

STEPHEN McDONELL: If emotions are cooling between Indonesia and Australia
the same can't be said for Iran. President Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad arrived in Indonesia today to discuss Islamic republic's
nuclear ambitions and US-led attempts to block them.

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (TRANSLATION): They themselves are
engaged in non-peaceful nuclear activities. They

have it and they are expanding day by day. Another indication of that is
in the Middle East region they've equipped some

powers and some groups with nuclear weapons.

STEPHEN McDONELL: The Indonesian Foreign Minister seemed very receptive.

HASAN WIRAJUDA, INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (TRANSLATION): There's no
doubt that logically we support Iran to develop nuclear

energy for peaceful purposes.

SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, INDONESIAN PRESIDENT: The ongoing talk that has
been stalled in a certain way can be resumed. We do

hope that communication between Iran and IAEA can be continued and also
diplomatic and peaceful negotiation can also be

continued.

STEPHEN McDONELL: According to Foreign Minister Alexander Downer,
Indonesia may support Iran's right to nuclear power, but he

says that doesn't mean it's about to support Iran's breaches of UN
resolutions.

REPORTER: Are you concerned, though, that Iran could be developing a
nuclear ally, if you like, in Indonesia?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: No, no. I think the Indonesians, frankly, will always be
very careful how they put this case and I don't

think the Indonesians are saying they reject the resolutions of the
International Atomic Energy Agency or United Nations

Security Council, they are just making a rather general point, which can
be interpreted any way you like, so I don't have any

particular objection to that.

STEPHEN McDONELL: The next stop for the Iranian president is Bali. He'll
join members of the so-called D8, a group of mostly

Muslim developing countries to discuss global energy concerns, including
the use or otherwise of nuclear power.

Stephen McDonell, Lateline.

---

The Jakarta Post
Friday, May 12, 2006

Op-Ed

Problem of Papuan refugees

Hilman Adil, Jakarta

In disputes between Indonesia and Australia, like the conflict over West
Irian, the confrontation with Malaysia in the 1960s and the crisis over
East Timor
in the 1970s, great powers like Japan, China and the U.S. have sided with
Indonesia or stayed on the sidelines. These issues were all driven by
politics in
Jakarta and in none of these did Australia play a decisive role.

In the West Irian issue, where Indonesia claimed the territory from the Dutch
as a successor state, U.S. intervention was decisive in the outcome. In the
East Timor crisis, after the East Timor people voted for independence, the
U.S.
virtually forced Indonesia to agree to accept peacekeepers to maintain the
peace.

Relations between Indonesia and Australia have now reached a new low,
following the granting of temporary visas to 42 Papuans seeking political
asylum in
Australia. Some political parties in Indonesia and their representatives
in the
legislature have threatened to end cooperation with Canberra over a whole
range of matters.

There is some concern in Jakarta about Canberra's intentions, despite Prime
Minister John Howard's assurance that Australia will continue to recognize
Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua. Any Indonesian government will
have to
face further Australian pressure on human rights in West Papua, seeing this
pressure as covert support for secession movements there.

There is an opinion which is widely shared by many Indonesians, except the
Army, that they can swallow the loss of East Timor, as it was not part of the
original independence settlement with the Dutch.

But they will not tolerate the dismantling of the Indonesia Republic. And
they strongly suspect a possible Australian role in this dismantling. Various
groups in Australia are still protesting human rights abuses in West
Papua, and
are not receptive to arguments about the international legal difference
between
East Timor and West Papua.

On the Papuan refugee problem, the Australian prime minister tried to
downplay the issue by saying that "Australia will continue to recognize
Jakarta's
sovereignty over West Papua". He maintained that Canberra is not conniving or
encouraging any independence movement in the territory.

He reminded people in Indonesia critical of his handling of the problem that
Australia was "a great asset for Indonesia", and then mentioned how much
Australia has done to support Indonesia.

In other words, the Indonesian people should be grateful for Australia's
support in times of natural disaster.

The length and depth of damage to bilateral relationships depends on the
ability of both governments to reassess their national interests in the
context of
future power configurations in the region, and this will be a real test of
reconstructing the bilateral relationship.

>From the Indonesian side, it will need to address the Papua issue internally
to avoid it becoming an Australian and international issue by giving more
attention to the grievances of the Papuan people. And it is not sufficient to
assure Canberra and the world that the refugees will not be prosecuted if
they
return to Papua.

Jakarta seems to underestimate the influence of Australia's internal
political dynamics on the government in Canberra, where the unrest in West
Papua is
creating an active political constituency. No government can operate its
foreign
policy without consideration for the constituency that put it in power.

On the Papuan refugees, Howard may have realized that even if the government
believes it is following a course of action in Australia's best interests,
this should never be advanced to the point where public opinion is ignored.

There are three major future problems in Australia's bilateral relationship
with Indonesia.

The first is that West Papua will be a continuing problem for both sides, and
it will require a deep level of cooperation between Indonesia and Australia
to manage this. That deep level of cooperation does not now exist, but it
is in
both states' interests to prevent West Papua from becoming a source of
trouble in their bilateral relationship.

The second is a related one: The trust that is required on both sides is
mostly gone. That trust, especially after President Yudhoyono came to
power, was
that Australia wanted Indonesia to succeed in its national vision of
becoming a
secure, well regarded and economically successful country.

That vision has suffered a terrible blow after the Papuan refugee issue.
Steps by both governments should be taken to end the blame game, besides a
proper
balancing of Australian interests toward Indonesia and West Papua. Australia
needs to recognize that simply ignoring Indonesia or, worse, undermining
it in
the region are simply not options.

Australia should realize that by acting as a U.S. deputy sheriff and imposing
its will on its neighbors in a region where Australia must still live,
Australia may find itself genuinely not acting in its own national
interests. The
alliance with the U.S. is being transformed in such a way that Australia does
more, the U.S. does less, and yet Australia is expected to back up American
policy preferences, as we have seen in Australia's support for the war in
Iraq.

The writer earned a PhD in International Relations from Leyden University,
the Netherlands.

---


Papua students in slaughter claim
http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Papua-students-in-slaughter-claim/2006/05/11/1146940637757.html

May 11, 2006 - 5:44AM (the Age)

A group of Papuan students claim that the Indonesian military butchered
their friends in retaliation for riots in which four

police and a soldier were killed.

The March riots in the Papuan capital Jayapura were sparked by protests
calling for the closure of the giant US Freeport

mine.

They resulted in the deaths of the policemen, an air force soldier and a
civilian, and caused hundreds of students to flee

their homes and dormitories in fear of reprisals by security forces.

A group of university students claim they are still in fear of their lives.

University student Yusak Logo told ABC TV how his friends had been shot.

"They smashed windows and they shot two of my friends," Mr Logo said,
according to the ABC translation.

"The Indonesian government thinks all of us students are terrorists.

"If they capture us, we may as well be dead."

Another student, Melianus Pigai, described the violent murder of some
colleagues.

"Students were captured. They were shot, cut up, sliced up," he said.

"Others were arrested while selling papers. They were killed and thrown in
the forest."

The men spoke of an aborted attempt to flee Papua to Australia by boat,
which resulted in the death of one person.

As they set off they were chased by the navy, Mr Pigai said.

"Then the boat sank. People drowned. One was killed. He was stabbed by the
military," he said.

The ABC reported Indonesian authorities denying chasing the boat and
saying the death was accidental drowning.

The federal government is now taking a hardline stance against illegal
arrivals, processing them offshore rather than on the

Australian mainland.

The government introduced the change as it tried to appease Indonesia over
Australia's decision to grant temporary protection

visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers.

© 2006 AAP

---

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Lateline
May 11, 2006
-transcript-

Papuan woman 'forced' to demand daughter's return

Reporter: Steve Marshall

 TONY JONES: Lateline can reveal disturbing claims tonight by a Papuan woman
who says she was forced by Indonesian intelligence officers to make a public
statement - or be killed. When a boatload of Papuan asylum seekers arrived in
Australian territory in January, among them was a little girl called Anike
Wainggai. Not long after, the girl's mother Siti Wainggai appeared on
Indonesian
TV, claiming her daughter had been taken to Australia against her will and
demanded she be returned to the Indonesian province of Papua. Soon after
making
this statement, Siti Wainggai disappeared and hasn't been heard of - until
now.
The ABC's Papua New Guinea correspondent Steve Marshall has Siti Wainggai's
exclusive story.

STEVE MARSHALL, REPORTER: Siti Wainggai believes her life is in danger. The
Indonesian military, she claims, wants her to shut her up - permanently.

SITI WAINGGAI, PAPUAN ASYLUM SEEKER (TRANSLATION): I have been followed by
certain people who have been paid to carry out the plan to kill me, and I was
forced to do certain things they wanted me to do.

STEVE MARSHALL: When Siti Wainggai's estranged husband Yunus Wainggai and her
daughter Anike fled by boat to Australia last January seeking refugee status,
Ms Wainggai says she was summoned to the Papuan capital of Jayapura.
Indonesian intelligence officers wanted a quiet word. She says the
intelligence
officers forced her to sign a prepared statement demanding the return of her
daughter and then coerced her into acting out a tearful plea in front of the
Provincial Governor.

Mrs Wainggai, what do you think would have happened to you had you refused to
make these statements?

SITI WAINGGAI: They said if I refuse, certainly I will be killed.

STEVE MARSHALL: Siti Wainggai says she was then forced to repeat the
performance on Indonesian television. The Indonesian Government seized on
Ms Wanggai's
initial statement and threatened court action in Australia to have the little
girl returned to her mother. But bizarrely, there was never any question of
custody. Ms Wainggai was living with her family at the time, as she had
recently separated from her husband, and she had not seen her daughter for
several
months. The intelligence officers also offered her a large cash bribe and
told
her that she would soon be heading to Jakarta to meet Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Miss Wainggai claims the intelligence officers
told her
she would have to weep before the President so that her child would be sent
back to her quickly.

Feigning interest in the bribe, Ms Wainggai told the officers she would take
the money the next day, when they intended escorting her to Jakarta. But Ms
Wainggai never kept her appointment with the Indonesian intelligence service,
and promptly went into hiding. At great risk, she then escaped by boat to
neighbouring Papua New Guinea, where she now lives in fear of Indonesia's
retribution.

SITI WAINGGAI: I am afraid, because the police might see me and they will
send me back to Indonesia. So I am always staying in the house all the time,
because I am afraid.

STEVE MARSHALL: And it's just not just the PNG authorities she's scared of.
Ms Wainggai is sure that the Indonesians are also on her trail.

SITI WAINGGAI: They are sending their own people to look for me.

STEVE MARSHALL: Despite her fears, she is convinced she has done the right
thing by fleeing Indonesia.

SITI WAINGGAI: I am happy that I have come out of Papua and my husband and my
daughter are in Australia. I don't want to return to Jayapura and Indonesia.

STEVE MARSHALL: Instead of demanding the return of her daughter, Siti
Wainggai now dreams of joining Anike in Australia. Siti Wainggai's plea
appears to
have come too late. A bill introduced in Parliament today would see all
future
boat arrivals processed in offshore detention centres and even if they are
found to be refugees, they will still be resettled in a third country.

Steve Marshall, Lateline.

---

THE AGE
May 15, 2006

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/avoiding-the-real-west-papua/2006/05/14/1147545204362.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

There is little understanding in Australia of the state terrorism being
visited on West Papua, writes Scott Burchill.

The arrival of 43 West Papuan asylum seekers in northern Australia earlier
this year pressed the pause button on the cosy

relationship struck recently between political elites in Canberra and
Jakarta.

Despite their common opposition to separatism in West Papua, both
governments bungled their responses to this latest

challenge to bilateral goodwill.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono believed a quiet phone call to Prime
Minister John Howard would circumvent Australia's

formal processes for assessing refugee claims. How could the Indonesian
embassy in Canberra have offered such misleading

advice to its Government?

The Australian Government thought it could grant temporary protection
visas to 42 West Papuans because they faced "a

well-founded fear of persecution", without discussing serious crimes that
were still being committed in their province after

Indonesia's alleged transition to democracy.

Predictably, civilian "reformers" in Indonesia feigned outrage and fanned
the flames of nationalism to reassure "hardliners"

in the parliament and military that their commercial privileges in West
Papua weren't under threat.

Canberra offered to reprise offshore processing, both to dissuade West
Papuans from leaving the province - politically and

physically - and to placate Jakarta.

Despite the crisis-like atmosphere generated in some media circles, these
actions should be seen as perfunctory responses by

two governments with the same political objective. To the extent that
there is a minor diplomatic disruption over the issue,

both sides will soon get over it.

More interesting are the strategies devised by those faithful servants of
state power in Australia who habitually defend

Indonesia against charges that it mistreats its citizens. Their task is
two-fold. To divert attention from the source of the

problem - continuing human rights violations and political repression in
West Papua perpetrated by the Indonesian military

(TNI). And to avoid asking the only question that needs to be posed - what
do the West Papuans want?

The most popular approach is to blame the messenger. According to Paul
Sheehan in The Sydney Morning Herald, the problem is a

result of "yet another intervention by Australian ideological activists",
including "the Greens and the ideological left" who

"continue to wage ideological war on Indonesia". If not for this
"insurgency-mongering", the "patient, low-profile effort by

the Australian Government to obtain . . . better governance for the people
of Papua" might have succeeded.

If Canberra has been trying to help the West Papuans, its efforts have
certainly been low profile. Some might say

subterranean. Few, if any West Papuans have noticed them, though they
understand that Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and

Prime Minister John Howard are more committed to West Papua's retention
within Indonesia than they are. If Sheehan believes

people are risking their lives to leave the territory at the urging of
their Australian supporters, rather than fleeing TNI

violence and repression, his brain has been captured by the Jakarta lobby.

In similar need of de-programming is Gerard Henderson (also in The Sydney
Morning Herald), who manages to comment on the

issue without even mentioning Indonesian state terrorism in West Papua - a
bit like discussing the Israeli-Palestinian

dispute without referring to the occupation of the West Bank. He implies
that TNI crimes are fantasies of the Greens and "the

extreme left". For conservatives such as Henderson, concerns about human
rights abuses constitute "megaphone diplomacy" and

"symbolic politics".

Unlike Sheehan and Henderson, Greg Sheridan in The Australian has noticed
something unsavoury in the territory, although his

admonition that "Indonesia hasn't ruled West Papua very well" won't deny
him another friendly chat with Yudhoyono. He also

blames the messengers with his claim that "outsiders who encourage an
independence movement will only be encouraging people

to get themselves killed". How this could happen in a democracy is not
explained, nor does he consider present death rates

and oppression in West Papua a subject worthy of examination or comment.

In a turgid commentary, Sheridan's stablemate, Paul Kelly, also thinks the
issue is "the moralism and resentment of Indonesia

entrenched in our appeasement mind-set", rather than the violence of the
Indonesian state. At the comic end of the Murdoch

empire, Andrew Bolt accuses "fat-bottomed 'Free Papua' critics" of a
"Noble Savage fantasy" and "Indonesia bashing", for

raising concerns about the treatment of West Papuans. In Bolt's view,
Indonesia is about to fragment, so no sympathy should

be shown to asylum seekers who "slid ashore on Cape York" and were
subsequently granted protection visas by "some anonymous

Immigration Department official". If it wasn't for the "meddling" Greens,
there would be no issue.

The problem, apparently, isn't the crimes. It's their exposure.

Or perhaps its our ethical shortcomings. According to Indonesia expert Ed
Aspinall, "advocates of the Papua cause need to

examine their motives to ensure they are not also partly acting on the
basis of unexamined fears and prejudices". Support for

freedom and opposition to killing and torture in West Papua is apparently
incomprehensible and merely evidence of an

indifference to the plight of those outside the province.

Even more bizarre is Amanda Vanstone's claim that "separatism is a toxic
cause" and evidence of "racist sentiment".

Stigmatising people who are fleeing what her own department agreed was
persecution is a very confused and shameful act, to

put it mildly. To display an ignorance of how the modern political world
has been shaped is just embarrassing.

State terrorism in West Papua is immoral, illegal and should be
immediately terminated. It is the primary source of

separatism in the province. Diverting attention from the crimes to those
who want them stopped may please both governments

but it only ensures that the abuses will continue.

Scott Burchill is senior lecturer in international relations at Deakin
University.

---

This story is from our news.com.au network Source: AAP
Downer to meet Indonesian minister
By Rob Taylor
May 14, 2006
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer meets his Indonesian counterpart on
neutral territory in Singapore tomorrow amid signs a

two-month diplomatic freeze over Papuan asylum seekers may be starting to
thaw.

Hassan Wirajuda has agreed to meet Mr Downer behind closed doors at a
secret location – believed to be Singapore's

international airport – while transiting on his way to Canada from a
summit of eight Islamic nations in Bali.

The talks will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two since the
asylum row flared in March after Canberra granted

temporary protection visas to 42 Papuan separatists.

Indonesia withdrew its ambassador to Canberra in protest, arguing the
decision amounted to tacit support for Papuan

independence claims.

The talks also follow Australia's introduction into Parliament of laws
barring onshore refugee applications, requiring asylum

hopefuls to be detained offshore in a revamped version of the government's
controversial "Pacific Solution".

Both sides were saying little in advance, having agreed to try to keep the
discussions low-key to avoid perceptions of a

climb-down by either country.

Any indication of a back-down would infuriate Indonesian nationalists in
particular and possibly prolong the worst row

between the neighbours since Australia's 1999 military intervention to end
pro-Jakarta militia bloodletting in East Timor.

Dr Wirajuda, in comments which should pave the way for the return of the
Indonesian ambassador to Canberra within weeks, said

Australia's recent decision to reject three other Papuan asylum seekers
and send them to Papua New Guinea was "positive".

"I appreciate it because it is the first test of the recent Australian
policy to refuse these claimants who seek asylum to

Australia," he said in a sign anger in Jakarta may be easing.

Mr Downer denied the new rules were a bid to appease Indonesia.

"We're not trying to appease anybody," he said.

"We have our laws and we will stand by our laws and the way we do things."

Mr Downer will try to smooth any Indonesian concerns that the new laws
face significant opposition from moderate government

backbench MPs or in the Senate.

He may also use the opportunity to question Dr Wirajuda about claims by
Papuan students of brutality and stabbing murders by

Indonesian security forces in Papua, urging Jakarta to swiftly find a
peaceful solution to the myriad grievances in the

restive province.

The talks will pave the way for a meeting between Prime Minister John
Howard and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was

angered by Australia's refusal to accept his guarantee that the 42 Papuans
would not be harmed if sent home.

The tough new Australian policy has been criticised by human rights groups.

A group of 47 rights watchdogs, including Human Rights Watch and the
International Immigrants' Foundation, wrote to Mr Howard

protesting that the new laws contravened the international Refugee
Convention to which Australia is a signatory.

Mr Downer will also meet with newly re-elected Singapore Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong and senior government ministers.

Relations between Australia and Singapore have also been under strain
since Canberra's decision to block Singapore Airlines

from flying lucrative extra routes through Australia and since the hanging
last year of Melbourne man Nguyen Tuong Van for

drug trafficking.

---

Papua woman should be allowed into Australia, activists say

By Lloyd Jones, Papua New Guinea Correspondent

PORT MORESBY May 12 (AAP) -- A Papuan woman who says she fled to PNG
after Indonesian intelligence officers forced her to plead for her
daughter's return from asylum in Australia should be granted a
protection visa by Canberra, Papuan independence activists say.

Australian Nick Chesterfield of the pro-independence West Papua
National Authority said today Canberra should grant her a protection
visa immediately and resettle her in Australia.

"We would like the Australian government to do the right thing and let
her be with her family, she needs protection immediately," he said.

Asked what the government was doing about the woman's case, Prime
Minister John Howard told reporters in Sydney that "it's important
that we allow the normal processes to operate and it's not for us to
do (anything) other than follow Australian law" as had been done with
other Papua asylum seekers.

Siti Wainggai said she was summonsed to the city of Jayapura in the
Indonesian province of Papua where intelligence officers forced her to
sign a prepared statement demanding the return of her daughter, ABC TV
reported.

Her young daughter Anike and the child's father, Herman Wainggai, were
among a boatload of 43 Papuans who arrived at Cape York in January
from Papua seeking refugee status.

Canberra's granting of protection visas to 42 of the asylum seekers
angered Jakarta which withdrew its ambassador from Australia in March.

Siti Wainggai, who is separated from her husband, appeared on
Indonesian television stating her daughter was taken to Australia
against her will and that she should be returned to Papua.

But she has now told ABC TV she was forced to sign a prepared
statement demanding her daughter's return and to make her statement
public.

"They said if I refuse then certainly I will be killed," she said.

Wainggai later fled by boat to PNG where she is in hiding and fearful
of retribution by Indonesian authorities.

"I'm being followed by certain people who have been paid to carry out
the plan to kill me," she said.

Wainggai said she was happy her daughter and husband were in Australia
and hoped to join them there.

A Melbourne refugee lawyer is currently advocating on Wainggai's part
to have her granted protection in Australia.

---

The Jakarta Post
Friday, May 12, 2006

Op-Ed

Australia should support human rights

Luke Lazarus Arnold, Sydney

While the issue of West Papua is putting Australia's bilateral relationship
with Indonesia under strain, the issue is also resulting in strange
bedfellows.
In Australia, the socialist left and the evangelical right both appear
increasingly supportive of the separatist movement in the troubled region.
While it
would be heartless to ignore the human rights abuses committed against the
people concerned, it is mindless of these groups to translate this concern
into a
push for their independence.

Integration into Indonesia is a double-edged sword for most West Papuans. On
one hand, large portions of their natural resources are sucked to Jakarta and
human rights abuses continue to occur at the hands of unruly police and
military officials. Through the Transmigration Policy, indigenous Papuan
culture
faces threats from outsiders -- many of whom arrive with prejudices toward
their
poorer countrymen in West Papua.

On the other hand, however, integration into Indonesia also offers West
Papuans the opportunity to access affordable primary and secondary
education, and
for a growing number to attend universities in learning centers like
Yogyakarta
and Salatiga. Upon graduation, these people can then participate in an
Indonesia-wide labor market, which offers far more opportunities to earn
income and
build an experience base than would be available in an independent West
Papua.

Would-be supporters of West Papuan independence need to think about what an
independent West Papua would be able to offer its people. In doing so, they
should bear in mind that there is little binding the separatists other than a
shared dislike for the Javanese and other non-Melanesian Indonesians.

The West Papuans are not a separate ethnic group but dozens of disparate
tribes -- the independence activists, for example, speak to each other in
Indonesian. In a post-modern society like Australia, this lack of binding
ties need
not necessarily become a problem. In a deeply traditional society like West
Papua, however, this lack of a shared history, culture, and language would
lead to
an independent West Papua becoming riddled with tribalism and inter-ethnic
conflict.

The trouble in West Papua is rooted in the fact that the area enjoys an
abundance of natural resources while suffering from an acute shortage of
human
resources. Supporting independence therefore takes the focus away from
what the
people of West Papua most urgently need: skills.

As experience from all over the world shows us -- although one need not look
past neighboring Papua New Guinea -- converting natural resources to jobs
in a
country short of human resources is usually an exercise in futility. When
compounded with increasing tribalism, the unemployment rate would
contribute to a
complete disintegration of law and order.

A further disintegration of social order in a place like West Papua could
lead to even more illegal logging, unauthorized mining and perhaps even a
civil
war-like situation. For Australia, this spiral toward a failed state could
spell a hive for drug traffickers and money launderers on our doorstep.

It would also mean an aid-dependent neighbor, with our aid money being spent
on building a nation from scratch rather than equipping its would-be citizens
with the means to participate in a modern economy. It does not look like a
pretty picture, and even less so when weighed against the inevitable
bloodshed
that would be required to achieve it.

Does this all mean that, as Australians, we should simply ignore the plight
of the West Papuans? Of course not. Falling prey to the false dichotomy of
supporting independence or not caring at all does not help anyone. There
are many
things we can do for the people of West Papua. As individuals we can
donate to
the various organizations working to improve the health and education of West
Papuans. We can even volunteer in the area, support the nascent eco-tourism
industry or get involved in fair-mining campaigns.

Similarly, there is much the Australian Government can do to support human
rights in West Papua without supporting the independence movement. More
aid can
be channeled to the province, particularly for the development of the "soft"
infrastructure the province is so seriously lacking, such as improvements to
the legal system, education and vocational training.

Australia can also assist with the implementation of the Special Autonomy
package that has been offered to West Papua. As a country with a relatively
successful record of distributing power between national and sub-national
governments, Australia has the experience to back up such assistance.

If we put our minds to it, there are sure to be countless ways we can support
human rights in West Papua. The ideas will only start to flow, however, when
we put look beyond the simplistically romantic notion of independence and
begin to consider what is really in the best interests of the West Papuans.

The writer worked as a Consultant to the United Nations in Indonesia and East
Timor, 2003-2006. The views expressed here are his own.

---

Wanggai seeks asylum in Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1636743.htm
AM - Friday, 12 May , 2006  08:07:00
Reporter: Geoff Thompson
PETER CAVE: In an exclusive interview aired on the ABC last night, the
mother of a young Papuan girl alleged that Indonesian

intelligence officers threatened her with death if she didn't ask for the
return of the girl who'd been given asylum in

Australia with her father.

Siti Wanggai fled from the Indonesian Province of Papua across the border
into Papua New Guinea after making the plea for the

return of her daughter Anike.

Last night, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda answered those
allegations by offering to help seek the return of

her daughter to Indonesia, even though Siti Wanggai is asking for quite
the opposite: she wants to join her daughter in

Australia.

Indonesia Correspondent Geoff Thompson reports.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Even this week, Indonesia's Foreign Ministry has
maintained that Siti Wanggai is still in Indonesia.

Spokesman Yuri Thamrin speaking on Wednesday.

YURI THAMRIN: I stick with, you know, the latest information I received
from my friend who is being stationed in Papua.

GEOFF THOMPSON: The Indonesian Government's representatives in Papua say
that she is there.

YURI THAMRIN: That's what I understand from our last communication, yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Indonesia has also been pursuing what it says is Siti
Wanggai's family's wish – that her daughter Anike be

returned to her custody from Australia, where she has been granted asylum
along with her father Yunus Wanggai.

But in an interview in Papua New Guinea with the ABC's Steve Marshall,
Siti Wanggai told a very different story.

STEVE MARSHALL: Siti Wanggai explains how the Indonesian military
allegedly threatened to kill her if she did not follow

orders, and how intelligence officers forced her to make a false appeal
for her daughter to be returned to her in Papua.

"I was forced to obey what they wanted," she said. "I just followed what
they wanted me to do."

GEOFF THOMPSON: Siti Wanggai said that Indonesian intelligence officers
offered her bribes and threatened to kill her if she

did not appear on Indonesian television making an emotional appeal for her
daughter's return.

Last night in Denpasar, the ABC put those allegations to Indonesia's
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda. He answered by saying

that he had no specific information about the allegations, and repeated
his offer to help Siti Wanggai retrieve her daughter

from Australia if that's what she wishes.

HASSAN WIRAJUDA: We would be very pleased and understanding, with an
understanding that we received specific requests from

the mother. We haven't seen the requests yet, so in that context we are
not in a position to confer to the Australian

Government of the interests of the family that the daughters would be
returned and be put under the custody of the mother.

GEOFF THOMPSON: But the mother is saying she wants 
 she's happy that her
husband and daughter are in Australia, and says

that she wants to join her daughter in Australia.

HASSAN WIRAJUDA: I cannot say anything about it, since we are not in
contact yet with the mother.

GEOFF THOMPSON: But she's in Papua New Guinea, sir.

HASSAN WIRAJUDA: I don't have any specific information, as I said. We have
long, direct borders with Papua New Guinea. We

have in fact a simple cross-border arrangement for anyone to easily enter
regularly or irregularly through Papua New Guinea.

PETER CAVE: Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

---

(older, but missed previously)
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1636154.htm
Govt faces internal opposition to new immigration bill

The World Today - Thursday, 11 May , 2006  12:14:00
Reporter: Alexandra Kirk
ELEANOR HALL: To the national capital now and as allegations of human
rights abuses in Papua further aggravate the tension

between Jakarta and Canberra, the Federal Government is facing a backbench
revolt over its latest immigration changes aimed

at deterring Papua asylum seekers.

The Government has now introduced the bill to underpin its new border
protection policy into the Parliament. But the

legislation is facing defeat because of opposition from within Government
ranks.

In Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Nearly a month after the Government announced a toughening
of Australia's immigration policy, it's introduced

a bill into Parliament to ensure that all asylum seekers who arrive in
Australia by boat will be sent to off-shore processing

centres while their refugee claims are assessed. That now includes those
who arrive on the mainland.

ANDREW ROBB: Mr Speaker I present the Migration Amendment Designated
Unauthorised Arrivals Bill 2006 and the explanatory

memorandum.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Andrew Robb, the Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration,
introduced the bill into the House of

Representatives this morning.

ANDREW ROBB: Border protection requires continued vigilance. It seems
incongruous that an unauthorised boat arrival at an

excised, offshore place is subject to offshore processing arrangements,
while an unauthorised boat arrival travelling in some

cases only a few kilometres further to the Australian mainland is able to
access the onshore protection arrangements with the

consequential opportunities for protracted merits review and litigation
processes.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The new policy is backdated to the 13th of April, the
announcement date, just after Indonesia reacted angrily

to Australia granting temporary protection visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers.

ANDREW ROBB: If a person arrives unauthorised by boat on or after the 13th
of April 2006 and has a visa application still on

hand when the bill commences, that visa application will become invalid.
In such cases, the individual will be liable for

transfer offshore, for processing of any asylum claims.

The introduction of the offshore processing arrangements in 2001 was
greeted in some quarters with a degree of concern and

criticism. Some claimed the offshore processing arrangements were a sign
of Australia resiling from its international

obligations. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Since 2001 there have been 1,547 people processed offshore under these
arrangements. All had access to reliable refugee

assessment processes undertaken either by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees or by trained Australian

officers. Not one person found to be a refugee in the offshore processes
has been forced to return to their homeland.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: But those assurances don't satisfy a handful of Coalition
MPs and Senators.

Last year they negotiated a deal with the Prime Minister to ensure that
all women, children and families were released from

detention centres and that asylum claims would be dealt with fairly and
promptly. Sending asylum seekers to the offshore

processing centre on Nauru, they say, breaks that agreement.

Three have said they won't support the bill. One is a Senator. The World
Today has been told it's Victorian Liberal Senator

Judith Troeth. If she ended up crossing the floor or abstaining, the
Government's legislation could be scuttled.

The Government has plenty of time to negotiate a settlement with its
disgruntled MPs. The legislation won't be debated in the

Lower House until the end of the month and the Senate isn't sitting until
mid June.

That's well after next week's scheduled meeting between Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer and his Indonesian counterpart to

deal with the fallout from granting the Papuans asylum.

If that meeting is successful, the way will be clear for Indonesia to
return its ambassador back to Canberra.

TONY BURKE: The Government have now introduced their migration amendment.
This is what the appeasement of Indonesia looks

like in black and white.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Labor's Immigration Spokesman Tony Burke says the
Opposition will vote against the bill because, he says, no

amount of amending it can improve it.

TONY BURKE: This is bad legislation, where the principle of it is wrong
and the motivation for it is unforgivable. This bill

makes clear that the Liberal moderates have not been given the concessions
they asked for.

The reforms that were introduced last year die with the passage of this bill.

There is one way and one way only to prevent the impact of this bill and
that is to oppose it.

ELEANOR HALL: Labor's Immigration Spokesman, Tony Burke, ending that
report from Alexandra Kirk.

---

TNI officer dies crossing bridge (Jakarta Post May 15 2006)

JAYAPURA, Papua: An Indonesian Military officer died and five others were
injured Saturday in Sentani, Jayapura, Papua, when

the bridge they were crossing collapsed.

Col. Kaharudin Wahab, who works in intelligence at Trikora Command, said
Saturday the accident occurred in the morning, when

the officers were returning to Jayapura after 10 days' training in Ubrub
hamlet, on the border with Papua New Guinea.

"The group of soldiers, led by Second Lt. Amin, were walking over a
suspension bridge to get to a waiting helicopter. One of

the bridge's towers broke, it gave way and the soldiers fell. The tower
hit one of the soldiers in the back of the head and

five others were injured," he said.

The body of the victim was flown to his hometown in Bojonegoro, East Java.
The injured soldiers were flown from Ubrub to

Marthen Indey Army Hospital in Jayapura. -- JP

---


Diarrhea in Papua under control (Submitted by Anonymous)


The government claimed to have coped with diarrhea outbreak that hit
villages in the Papuan regencies of Jayawijaya and

Yahukimo. Jayawijaya administration has set up health service centers in
six areas, with support from provincial government.

Some of the health centers are also serving diarrhea patients in Yahukimo
due to its proximity with the neighboring regency.

A special staff of the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, Lalu
Mara Satria Wangsa, said on Sunday at least 34 more

health centers would be needed to eradicate the outbreak, which has killed
181 people in the two regencies for the past two

months.



Media Indonesia (p.28)

---

Papuan office welcomes Vanuatu govt declaration
Friday, 12 May 2006, 8:38 pm
Press Release: Radio New Zealand International
Papuan representative office welcomes Vanuatu government declaration

The West Papuan People’s Representative Office has welcomed the Vanuatu
government’s official declaration of full support for

the Indonesia province of Papua’s cause for self-determination.

The Lini-led government has declared Vanuatu would continue to maintain
its non-aligned foreign policy.

A government spokesman says while relations had been established with
Indonesia, it does not mean that its foreign policy on

Papua would not be maintained.

The government had recently been criticised for not having a clear policy
on its support for Papua.

John Ondawame, the spokesman for the Vanuatu-based WPPRO, says the
declaration is a good step but he wants to see an ongoing

commitment to the cause.

“It makes clear to us now that the Vanuatu government will make a clear
declaration to support the West Papuan cause. I’m

satisfied for that but I need a detailed clarification of a foreign policy
- how they can pursue the process of the

independence of West Papua.”

John Ondawame

---

http://www.suaramerdeka.com/cybernews/harian/0605/15/nas5.htm
The below article is in Bahasa but we have provided a translated abridged
synopis:

The Provincial Parliment asks that the Indonesian Navy to tighten up
observation of would be asylum seekers
-
The Papuan Parliment requested that the Navy increase observation in
sensitive areas via sea patrols to avoid more and more

Papuans seeking asylum overseas.

"We hope that the Navy will increase its watch over the sea, especially in
areas where papuans have already set sail from"

said Yance Kayame, head of the COmmission A DPRD Papua, whose
responsibility are Government, Security and Political Concerns.

Yance Kayame refered to the departure of the 43 papuans and the 3 others
who used traditional outrigger canoes to flee to

Australia. He said it should be seen as a bitter learning expereince that
should not be repeated in the future.

"We must note that it is not 10s that are fleeing but 100s of papuans that
have fled the country to PNG seeking political

asylum."

If the Navy is short of equipment then they need support from Government,
politicians the youth and all levels of society.

<Abridged Translation>


DPRD Papua Minta TNI AL Perketat Pemantauan Pencari Suaka
Jayapura, CyberNews. Kalangan DPRD Papua meminta jajaran TNI AL agar
meningkatkan pengawasan melalui patroli laut terhadap

daerah-daerah rawan guna menghindari semakin banyaknya orang Papua yang
ingin pergi ke luar negeri guna mencari suaka

politik.

"Kami berharap TNI AL semakin memperketat pengawasan di laut, terutama
pada titik-titik rawan yang pernah dilewati warga

Papua pergi ke luar negeri," kata Ketua Komisi A DPRD Papua yang
membidangi masalah pemerintahan, politik dan keamanan, Yance

Kayame, kepada Antara di Jayapura, Senin (15/5).

Yance Kayame menyebutkan kepergian 43 warga Papua ke Australia serta tiga
orang lainnya yang menggunakan perahu tradisional

ke Australia itu seharusnya dijadikan pelajaran pahit agar tidak terulang
lagi di masa mendatang.

"Kami mencatat bukan saja puluhan tapi sudah ratusan orang Papua pergi ke
luar negeri mencari suaka politik ke negara

tetangga Papua Nugini ," katanya sambil kembali mengingatkan TNI-AL untuk
meningkatkan pengawasan di perairan nasional.

Jika TNI-AL kekurangan peralatan untuk melakukan patroli laut, maka
diperlukan dukungan politis dari kalangan pemerintah,

politisi, pemuda maupun seluruh lapisan rakyat terhadap operasi keamanan
laut yang dilaksanakan TNI-AL di perairan Provinsi

Papua yang berbatasan laut dengan Australia dan Papua Nugini dan negara
lainnya.

"Fenomena politik bangsa Indonesia khususnya di Provinsi Papua akhir-akhir
ini mengindikasikan upaya menggoyahkan kedaulatan

Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia di laut akhir-akhir ini sehingga
dibutuhkan operasi laut oleh TNI AL yang optimal. Untuk

itu semua komponen bangsa harus mendukung operasi itu," katanya.

"Mungkin selama ini kita kurang memberikan dukungan penuh bagi TNI AL
dalam melaksanakan operasi keamanan di laut. Dukungan

tersebut antara lain berupa penambahan peralatan operasi dan armada serta
personil TNI AL mengingat wilayah laut provinsi

paling timur dari kepulauan Nusantara ini sangat luas," katanya.

Jika semua komponen bangsa bahu-membahu dan bergandengan tangan mendukung
operasi TNI-AL di laut utara dan selatan Papua maka

kecil kemungkinan bagi kelompok atau oknum tertentu mempengaruhi rakyat
Papua untuk menyeberang mencari suaka politik di

negara tetangga.

"Pemerintah Pusat harus bersungguh-sungguh memperhatikan TNI-AL terutama
mengalokasikan dana yang cukup untuk operasi

keamanan di laut. Bersamaan dengan itu, para politisi pun hendaknya tidak
latah memberikan komentar politik tentang berbagai

kasus di Papua yang dapat menggoyahkan sendi-sendi persatuan dan kesatuan
bangsa," katanya.

Yance mengingatkan berbagai komentar atau pernyataan politisi di Jakarta
tentang situasi keamanan di perairan Papua dapat

mengganggu kinerja para prajurit TBNI AL di perairan Papua. Menurut dia,
operasi TNI AL di perairan Papua selama ini sudah

berjalan cukup baik namun perlu ditingkatkan kualitas dan kuantitas
operasi lautnya dengan dukungan peralatan, armada dan

personel yang memadai.
( ant/cn05 )

---

The below article is in Bahasa but we have provided a translated abridged
synopis:


France asks for Arabica Coffee from Papua

The French have expressed great interest in the quality organic coffee
from papua because it possesses a special aroma making

it valuable.

According to Paulus from Jayapura (Member of the Commodity Exhibition in
France) Arabika Coffee from papua received great

interest and attention from visitors to the exhibition. Its quality was
not exceeded by coffee from other areas of

Indonesia or indeed the rest of the world.

The primary regions of production receiving attention from the French
investors were the Jayawijaya, Paniai and other

regencies in the mountain areas of Papua.


According to Paulus investors were interested because the coffee possessed
its own superior quality and accordingly attention

needs to be paid to its development by the Papuan Government.

<abridged>
--


http://www.suaramerdeka.com/cybernews/harian/0605/13/nas7.htm
Kopi Arabika Papua Diminati Perancis
Jakarta, CyberNews. Masyarakat Perancis berminat pada kopi Arabika
berkualitas organik dari Papua karena memiliki aroma khas

bernilai ekonomi tinggi.

Salah seorang anggota tim pameran komoditi unggulan Papua di Perancis,
Paulus Sumino, di Jayapura, Jumat (12/5), mengatakan

hasil pameran komoditi unggulan di Perancis, 28 April hingga 8 Mei 2006
mengisyaratkan kopi Arabika Papua diminati banyak

masyarakat Perancis.

Pameran yang diikuti delapan provinsi di Indonesia itu termasuk Provinsi
Papua, mendapat perhatian dan sambutan positif dari

masyarakat Perancis.

"Papua hanya menampilkan produk komoditi unggulan seperti kopi arabika dan
minyak buah merah yang merupakan potensi di

wilayah hutan tropis Papua," ujarnya.

Menurut Paulus, kopi Arabika Papua ternyata mendapat perhatian dan minat
besar dari para pengunjung pameran tersebut.

Kualitas kopi arabika Papua tak terkalahkan oleh produk kopi dari daerah
lain di Indonesia maupun negara lain.

Kawasan sentra produksi kopi arabika di Kabupaten Jayawijaya, Paniai dan
sejumlah kabupaten lain di daerah pegunungan Papua

mendapat perhatian para pengusaha Perancis.

Menurut Paulus Sumino, para pengusaha itu tertarik karena kopi Papua
memiliki keunggulan tersendiri dan justeru inilah yang

harus diperhatikan dan dikembangkan pemerintah Papua.
( ant/Cn08 )

---