[Kabar-Irian] News: Jul 12-Aug 7 07 2007
Admin-Editors Kabar-Irian
editors at kabar-irian.info
Mon Aug 6 19:42:18 MDT 2007
KABAR IRIAN NEWS
July 13-Aug 7
TOPICS
* Magnitude 6.2 quake shakes Jayapura
* INDONESIAN PAPUA: A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE CONFLICT
* West Papuan Student Activists Targeted
* West Papuan political prisoner on hunger strike
* NZ prime minister urged to raise human rights
* Still Isolated
* Raising the flag is just an expression of anger
* Academic calls for more media scrutiny of West Papua
* Papuans divided on flag controversy
* West Papuan students in Yogyajarta forced into hiding
* Sampari Dancing and Jakarta's Inability to cope with Papuan views
* Papuan activists must be released
* Indonesia to increase AIDS funding by 75 percent
* Indonesia: Bold Court Decision Good for Free Expression
* New MP in Papua New Guinea vows to speak out about West Papua
* Initiating people-driven development for Papua
* Papua signals move to microchip HIV carriers
* Police recruitment drive for Papua
* ...militias in West Papua
* Newly elected PNG MP to back Indonesian Papuan self-determination
* Papua separatism weakening: Army
* Report received from ELSHAM Contact Post in Biak
* Death rate of mothers in childbirth has risen again
* Anaemia is a big problem among pregnant mothers in Biak
* Military commender tells his men to 'Anticipate Separatists'
* Papua law revision 'insignificant'
* Papuan Forest Threat
* Australia commits Rp 800 billion to combat HIV in Indonesia
* Govt to open resettlement areas near neighboring states
* Papua regency being buried in garbage
* Microchips mulled for HIV carriers in Papua
* Political groups reminded ...
* Indonesia needs to exercise firm diplomacy
* Indonesia`s forests threatened by logging, palm oil
* Missing air force helicopter in Papua in 2005 discovered
* 400 hospitalized for food poisoning in Papua
* Don't forget Papua: Melbourne bishop
* People in Indonesian Papua area on PNG border yet to receive ministry aid
* Papua Kingmi church raided again by Indonesian police
* Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari - the first intl. – chain hotel in West Papua
* Increasing numbers dying in childbirth in Indonesia’s Papua
* Caritas Australia objects to Papua HIV/AIDS microchip proposal
* Papua health officials outraged over HIV/AIDS microchip proposal
* Australian Government criticised over West Papua
* Lonely classes for solo student in Indonesia
* Kingmi Church Office Raided Again By Indo Cops
* West Papua: Leaders Accuse Jakarta of Intrusion
* West Papua: Increasing Pro-Indonesian Activities
* The West Papua Report - August 2007
* Red and white sticker with "Wipe out Papua" plastered across Yogyakarta
* Police Use Gun To Threaten Papuan Rights Advocate
* AI: Fear for safety
* BIN: Dont use Morning Star symbol
* ...adopting the Morning Star
* Indonesia: Military role in Papua challenged
* Man dying after being beaten and tortured by Kostrad personnel
* Activists attack moves to crush Papua separatism
---
07/22/07 23:29
Magnitude 6.2 quake shakes Jayapura
Jayapura (ANTARA News) - A magnitude 6.2 quake rattled eastern Indonesian
city of Jayapura in Papua
on Sunday causing people to run out of their homes for safety.
The quake, according to the local Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, had
its epicenter on land in the
Papua New Guinea.
"It is true an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale has occurred
with its epicenter in Papua
New Guinea about 151 kilometers southeast of Jayapura," the head of the
office`s sub directorate of data
and information, Simon Rumi, said.
He said the epicenter of the quake was located 3.11 degrees south latitude
and 141.93 degrees east
longitude in a depth of 20 kilometers.
People in Jayapura were still alert and left the doors of their homes open
in anticipation of aftershocks.(*)
---
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW BRIEFING
INDONESIAN PAPUA: A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE CONFLICT
JAKARTA/BRUSSELS, 19 JULY 2007: Local priorities in Papua are often
quite different from those
generally associated with the province.
Indonesian Papua: A Local Perspective on the Conflict[1]*, the
latest Crisis Group briefing to examine micro-politics in
Indonesia’s
troubled regions, puts the remote
Boven Digoel district under a
microscope. It highlights two issues of broader relevance to Papua
as
a
whole: first, the dangers of ethnic politics often triggered by
pemekaran (the division of provinces and
districts into ever more
administrative units) and, secondly, the social tensions that
large-scale natural
resource investment can generate.
“
Most outside observers see only one dimension of conflict in
Papua”, says Francesca Lawe-Davies, an
analyst with Crisis Group’s
South East Asia Project, “but it is far more complex than simply the
Indonesian
government vs. the independence movement. Equally
important
are tensions between different tribal
groups, and between indigenous
Papuans and non-Papuan settlers, as well as competition over
political
power and access to spoils”.
The clamour for pemekaran is not unique to Papua but it is
especially problematic there, since it often
leads to an increase in
troop numbers and an influx of non-Papuan migrants – two core
grievances of the
indigenous community. It has also tended to
intensify competition among tribal elites over access to
political
power and natural resource revenues. Pemekaran may, in some cases,
help speed up
development and access to basic services but it is
critical that the government undertake rigorous
assessments to
ensure
local ethnic and tribal tensions are not exacerbated.
Boven Digoel’s experience also illustrates the potential pitfalls
of large-scale natural resource development.
Outside investment in
logging and plantations offers revenue and jobs to the region, but
it
can lead to social
conflict. Indigenous Papuans resent the influx of
non-Papuan workers, who often land the better-paid jobs.
Logging and
plantations damage or destroy local livelihoods, and there are often
disputes over
compensation. More fundamentally, the lack of clear
legal standing for customary land rights under
Indonesian law means
that local communities have little ability to resist the
expropriation
of their land for
logging or plantations.
“
It is not the headline issues of independence and human rights
which resonate most strongly in Boven
Digoel but bread-and-butter
concerns about land, livelihoods and ethnic identity”, says John
Virgoe, Crisis
Group’s new South East Asia Project Director. “There
is a real risk that the rapid growth in logging and in
oil palm
plantations in many parts of Papua will contribute to social
conflict.
Establishing a clear legal
framework for customary land rights and
an
arrangement for managing the flow of non-Papuan settlers
would do a
lot to mitigate this risk”
.
- -------------------------
Contacts: Nadim Hasbani (Brussels) 32 (0) 2 541 1635
Kimberly Abbott (Washington) 1 202 785 1601
To
contact Crisis Group media please click here[2]
*READ THE FULL CRISIS GROUP BRIEFING ON OUR
WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.CRISISGROUP.ORG[3]
---
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 05:17:12 -0700 (PDT)
West Papuan Student Activists Targeted by Indonesian
Security Forces and Islamic Militias
Only days after the Indonesian Government banned U.S Congressman Eni
Faleomavega from visiting
West Papua, the Indonesian police, military and local government in
Yogyakarta have teamed up with
Islamic militias and hardline nationalist groups to crack down on West
Papuan activists from United Front
of West Papua People Fights [Front PEPERA PB] and also Alliance of Papuan
Student [AMP].
According to Front PEPERA PB and AMP activists, forty-five student leaders
in Yogyakarta have fled
their dormitories, left their studies and gone into hiding following
statements issued by hardline Islamic
and nationalist organisations, Front Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders
Front) and Front Anti-Komunis
Indonesia (Indonesian Anti-Communist Front). Since late last week
extremist elements have been
threatening West Papuan student activists involved in recent
demonstrations protesting the Indonesian
government’s decision to ban Congressman Faleomavega from visiting
West Papua.
The statements appeared in Yogyakarta newspapers Suara Karya and
Kedaulatan Rakyat on the 7th of
July and were repeated again on Indonesian TV news stations, Metro TV,
SCT, RCTI and Trans TV.
On the same day (7th July 2007) Indonesian military officer Col.
Burhanuddin Siagian currently serving
in West Papua, was quoted in the West Papua daily, the Cendrawashi Pos as
saying “For the sake of the
NKRI [The Unitary Republic of Indonesia] we are not afraid of human
rights. It is the TNI’s duty to destroy
any group wanting to separate from Indonesia, irrespective of what methods
they are using to struggle.”
Col. Siagian was indicted by the East Timor’s serious crimes units
for the murder of seven East Timorese
men in April 1999. Col Siagian has never been brought to justice.
Hans Gebze, the International Spokesperson for United Front of West Papuan
People’s Fights [UFWPPF
/ Front PEPERA PB] who has been in communication with the member’s of
UFWPPF said that
“intelligent, local government and national security forces –
TNI and police – want to arrest and kill those
who support the movement of West Papua.”
Our local leaders from Alliance of Papuan Student [AMP]
and United Front of West Papuan People Fight [UFWPPF] in Yogyakarta, said
that “the Indonesian
constitution guarantees our right to freedom of expression. Why is the
DPRD [local government], military
and police who should be protecting our rights, saying they will hunt us
down and crush us? What we
want is simply for the central government to allow Congressman Eni
Faleomavega to visit West Papua so
he can see the situation with his own eyes. What is the central government
hiding?”
United Front of
West Papuan People’s Fight [UFWPPF] urges the Indonesian government
to guarantee the Papuan
student and people safety and uphold their right to freedom of expression.
“These students were conducting peaceful protests. In a democratic
country they should not be harassed
and intimidated by the government, security forces and their militia
proxies simply for peacefully
expressing a political opinion” Said Victor Yeimo from the Indonesian
Consulate of the United Front of
West Papuan People’s Fight [UFWPPF Indonesia].
For more information or interviews contact:
Victor Yeimo [Chairperson of Indonesian Consulate for
UFWPPF] at +6285232774400
Arkilaus Baho [National Spokesperson for UFWPPF] at
+6285244979620
Tinus Uaga [Chairperson for Alliance of Papuan Student / AMP Yogya Region] at
+6285228919101
---
Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
Press Release -24 July 2007
West Papuan political prisoner on hunger strike
Filep Karma a West Papuan political prisoner has been on hunger strike in
prison in Jayapura. He went
on hunger strike after receiving a letter from the authorities saying that
he and fellow prisoner Yusak
Pakage, would be moved from prison in Jayapura to a prison in Jakarta. His
hunger strike imitates
other political prisoners such as Gandhi who used it to protest British
rule in India, Nelson Mandela who
with other prisoners used it to improve prisoners’ treatment. In so doing
they alerted the world to the
injustices being perpetrated in their countries.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage received jail terms of 15 and 10 years for
simply raising the West
Papuan National Flag, The Morning Star at a peaceful celebration in
Jayapura on the 1st December
2004. Filep Karma is a 45-year-old civil servant and Yusak Pakage, a
26-year-old student.
The Red Cross has been called and Filep Karma is at present in hospital in
Jayapura.
This is not the first time that Filep Karma has gone on hunger strike.
Human Rights watch in its report
‘Protest and Punishment :political prisoners in Papua stated that
“While in pre-trial detention, Karma went on hunger-strike and took a vow
of silence. He symbolized this
by tying a white cloth around his mouth. When questioned by reporters as
to why he was undertaking the
hunger strike and vow of silence, Karma replied (in writing) that it was
form of protest against the fact that
he was being held as a political prisoner”
AWPA is concerned for the safety of both men if they are moved to Jakarta
away from their family and
friends.
AWPA believes there is a systematic campaign by the military and police
to intimidate any individual or
organisation whom they (the military and police) deem to be separatists.
The removal of Filep Karma and
Yusak Pakage from West Papua should be seen in the light of removing two
West Papuans who are a
rallying point for those fighting injustice in West Papua.
Joe Collins of AWPA said “that not only should the authorities allow Filep
Karma and Yusak Pakage to
remain in West Papua but they should be immediately released with all
other West Papuan political
prisoners as a sign of good faith to the West Papuan people and as a way
of easing tension in the
territory”.
Info Joe Collins Mob. 04077 857 97
------------------------------------------------
Background
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage Prisoners of conscience Amnesty International
http://www.amnestyusa.org/Prisoners_of_Conscience/Filep_Karma_and_Yusak_Pakage/page.do?
id=1101238&n1=3&n2=34&n3=53
Protest and Punishment: Political Prisoners in Papua Human rights Watch
report
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2007/papua0207/
---
Title -- 5198 PAPUA: NZ prime minister urged to raise human rights
Date -- 15 July 2007
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Radio NZ International 13/7/07
Copyright - RNZI
Status -- Unabridged
- --------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and
links:
www.pmw.c2o.org <<http://www.pmw.c2o.org/>http://www.pmw.c2o.org/>
* Post a comment on this story at PMW's Right of Reply:
www.voy.com/166636/
<<http://www.voy.com/166636/>http://www.voy.com/166636/>
NZ PRIME MINISTER URGED TO RAISE ABUSES IN INDONESIA'S PAPUA
PROVINCE
<http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=33646>http://www.rnzi
..com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=33646
WELLINGTON (RNZI Online/Pacific Media Watch): The New Zealand-based
Indonesia Human Rights Committee has called on the prime minister,
Helen
Clark, to raise human rights abuses in Papua when she meets the
Indonesian
President.
Clark is due to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono next week.
The Committee says Papuans have been denied their right to
self-determination and those who dare talk about independence or
raise the
West Papua flag risk jail or worse.
It says Clark should appeal for an end to the closure of Papua and
for the
free access to the territory of human rights organisations and the
international media.
Last week, a report by the group Human Rights Watch said the
security
forces in Papua enjoy near total impunity for all their actions
which has
led to underreporting of crimes and to an ongoing climate of fear,
tension
and simmering anger.
+++niuswire
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
<http://www.pmw.c2o.org>http://www.pmw.c2o.org
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government
organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other
media
workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability,
censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region.
(c)1996-2007 Copyright - All rights reserved.
---
from Tapol <tapol at gn.apc.org> -----
Suara Perempuan Papua,
February 36 - 4 March 2007
Still Isolated:
Nomadic conditions still predominate in the more isolated parts in
the
interior in Papua, including along the border with PNG
Last January, Elly Ropla Fangka left her village of Firiwage for
Merauke
for medical treatment. But till now she has not been able to return
to her
village because she doesnt have enough money to pay the fare.
The secretary of Firiwage village in the district of Boven Digoel
left his
wife and child. The flight from Merauke-Tanah Merah to Boven Digul
costs Rp
850,000. When he reached Tanah Merah, he had to take a trip by a
longboat
costing Rp 200,000, and from other villages, the only way to travel
is to
go by foot to Mindiptanah or Waropko.
Elly said that in some regions and along the border, living
conditions are
very backward indeed and are a matter for great concern. The
villages get
no attention from the government and along the border, there is no
infrastructure or means of transport to travel to other parts.
Still worse is the lack of health services or primary schools, and
there
are no teachers, nurses or doctors.
'Who wants to go and work in isolated places which are difficult to
reach
and then difficult to leave. When someone goes to these places,
they may
have to wait for months before they can leave, and this would only
be
possible by a plane owned by one of the missions, which can carry
only 2 or
3 passengers, said Elly.
Local inhabitants often choose to live in the towns, and dont want
to
return to their villages, even though they may have a job to do
back home.
'In some villages on the border with PNG, there are no shops or
sellers.
The people rarely get any sugar, rice or other foods from outside.
They
just eat local foods and vegetables.'
Conditions in some villages are difficult. The homes are only
built of
coconut or banana leaves or plaited bamboo. There are many
mosquitoes and
animals can easily enter. When it rains, their homes are flooded
Many of the villages are very far from each other, sometimes 5 or
10
kilometres apart, and these distances can only be covered by foot.
Many
people live on their own ancestral lands, which are an integral
part of the
communities in Papua. Papuans live very close to nature and rely on
it
profoundly.
They often live in their houses for only a couple of months or for
as long
as they can live on the fruits of the forests and as long as there
are no
security problems. Once the supply of food runs out or security
problems
arise, they move elsewhere. This nomadic style of life is
predominant for
most people living in the interior.
In such conditions, illnesses such as malaria, respiratory
disorders and
tuberculosis are rampant. Papuans everywhere, in the villages and
in the
towns, frequently succumb to these illnesses.
In some villages the people live in houses built of zinc (zeng),
especially
those near the centre of the sub-district from where it takes one
or two
days to reach the district centre. These villages look rather
different
from those in the more isolated places.
People living in villages close to the border with PNG are
surrounded by
mountains, hills and valleys. They have felt none of the benefits
of
development and they get very little information about what is
happening
elsewhere. Their living conditions are very poor. Some still wear
only
penis gourds, string pants and possess very few clothes.
Yusak Yaluwo says that in order to help these very isolated
villages, some
new districts have been set up. 'The Koroway tribe have got a new
sub-district of Yaniruma, and other tribes also have new
districts.'
Hopefully as a result of these efforts, the people will be able to
get more
facilities from the government.'
TAPOL, the Indonesian Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tapol at gn.apc.org http://tapol.gn.apc.org
---
Jakarta Post.com
Raising the flag is just an expression of anger
Opinion News - Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Iwan Gunawan, Jakarta
The administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seemed to
be
irritated by independence aspirations reflected in the display of
separatist
flag in Ambon and Papua.
Such aspirations have been visible in Aceh, with former rebels
proposing a
local party which chooses their old flag as the party's symbol.
But Vice President Jusuf Kalla was quick to deny the administration
had ever
approved the request.
In response to the expression, a political party that claims to be
nationalistic said those incidents would not have occurred had they
still
been in power.
So should the nation be concerned about the flag-displaying trend?
>From the administration's point of view, the issue should raise
public
concern regarding it's ability to solve serious national problems.
If the government fails to be decisive in its handling of the
impacts of the
Sidoarjo mudflow or in pursuing major corruption cases, why should
we expect
to see punishment for those raising a flag which was not a crime in
the
first place?
Even if the administration is successful in building a legal case
against
those involved in the display of separatist group-linked symbols,
critics
would zero-in on the fact that we can steal state assets and walk
free --
but to show political aspiration in public is an offense.
>From the perspective of the nation, this trend should force us to
ask if
there we have a healthy state of central-regional relations in this
country.
Indonesia's people, its politicians and bureaucrats ignore the fact
that
provinces are not just administrative sub-units in a one-way top-
down
command system.
In fact, many of the regions in the country were sovereign
territories
before and during the colonial period. When independence was
declared at the
end of World War II in 1945, the regions did not think twice about
committing themselves to the new Republic of Indonesia.
What is often underestimated is while the allegiance may be
circumstantial
given the window of opportunity for independence at that time, it
was not
without reciprocal expectations.
In other words, the regions agreed to be part of the Republic with
an
expectation they would be an inherent part of any important
decision making
of the country.
For more than three decades under the New Order regime, however,
regional
participations in critical decision making were nearly absent.
Decisions were made by one man along with "elected" representatives
(from
the regions as well) pretending to deliberate -- only to finally
endorse any
decision of the president.
Today's decisions are made through painful procedures of democracy,
but
genuine participation of the regions in critical decision making
remains
absent.
State budgets are negotiated between the executive and the
legislative, both
of which are controlled by centralistic political elites.
The Regional Representative Council (DPD) is the more genuine
representatives of the people and was born in 2004 -- but the
centralist
elites were unwilling to give it a role in critical decision making.
Local elites were awarded a political space to contest their own
elections,
but only if they were loyal to the central party board.
And "loyalty" today is always associated with a "financial
contribution" to
the central board.
If all avenues for genuine regional and local aspirations are
blocked by
centralistic and elitist politics, the display of a separatist flag
by the
regionalists is actually a healthy way out.
No one has really been hurt, and they certainly did not take the
financial
pie the administration and the parties are fighting over.
Political parties and party candidates raise their flags almost
everyday,
often using public money and without question occupying public
spaces.
So why are the nationalists so worried about the "separatist" flags?
Some observers say the incidents would not threaten national
integrity. They
simply reflect the ability of those behind the move to win the
hearts and
minds of the population in regions that are tired of the dominance
of the
elites in Jakarta.
There seem to be several options the nations can consider in
balancing the
interests of the regionalists and the nationalists.
First, local elections for mayors, regents and governors could be
made more
open to local and regional candidates.
The 7 percent threshold for parties to name candidates should be
removed and
independent candidates should instead be allowed to contest.
The risk of potential deadlocks in local parliamentary processes if
this
option is pursued is a myth. In reality, there is no genuine
opposition or
coalition in this country anyway.
Pursuing this option would at least fully open the regional
political space
within the corridor of Indonesian democracy, even to the flag
raisers.
Secondly, the DPD can be genuinely involved in critical decision
making.
It needs a full legislative mandate, even if in the end it has a
smaller
number of votes compared with the House of Representatives.
This option would allow the regions to transparently see how their
aspirations are taken up in the national political decision making
process.
The debates over whether Indonesia subscribes to unicameral,
bicameral or
tricameral parliamentary system is rather irrelevant at this stage.
Indonesia is good at creating hybrid systems anyway.
Thirdly, regional symbols have been a part of this nation since its
beginning -- a flag is only part of it.
Had Abdurrahman Wahid been in office, he would have encouraged
other regions
to have their own flags -- not just Aceh, Maluku and Papua.
The presence of regional symbols will only better reflect the
diversity of
social identities of this great country. This option would at least
make
"illegal" flag-waving become legal and would allow our security and
intelligence to focus their energies on criminals and terrorists.
Unfortunately, the harsh reality is any of these changes depend on
the
willingness of the 550 House members and the administration to push
for
genuine reform.
The reform movement put up a modern infrastructure of democracy
with better
elections and institutions. But if the nationalist politicians in
the
parties and the administration opt to keep on with horse trading
and money
politics, then perhaps raising regional flags is actually a healthy
way of
showing regional aspirations.
The writer teaches regional development studies at the University
of
Indonesia and Bogor Institute of Agriculture.
---
Enhancing public awareness about West Papua
- -------------------------
Academic calls for more media scrutiny of West Papua
Dr Clinton Fernandes, Senior Lecturer in strategic studies at the
University of New South Wales, has serious concerns over the
Australian government's commitment to implement the majority report
recommendations of its own parliamentary JSCOT Inquiry into
Australia's latest Security Treaty with Indonesia (Lombok Treaty).
Dr Fernandes, who is visiting Brisbane this week to give a public
lecture to the Australia West Papua Association, believes that the
Federal government's commitment to human rights in our region will
hit an all time low if it fails to implement the recommendations of
the report.
"The JSCOT Report came about through open community consultation
earlier this year and is indicative of strong public support for an
Australian commitment to Indonesian human rights,�said Clinton.
�The Howard Government struck heroic poses about the need for
public
consultation when it came to office and it will make a mockery of
it's
own rhetoric if it ignores these recommendations.
�Of the five recommendations of the JSCOT Inquiry, one to four are
concerned with Australian engagement with human rights abuse in
Indonesia and especially in the two Papuan provinces.
�If the Howard government was truly committed to a peaceful
solution
in Papua it would call for greater access for the media and human
rights monitors as recommended by the JSCOT Report.
"The restricted access to Papua has enabled the Indonesian Security
Forces to act with impunity and military style operations have
displaced entire regions of the already impoverished Indigenous
Papuan population, leading to human hardship and in some cases
deliberate starvation of entire communities.
�Only last week, the very credible NGO, Human Rights Watch,
published documented accounts of rape, extra-judicial killings and
detention, beatings, torture and starvation of the Papuan population
of the central highlands by the Indonesian Security Forces in the
period 2005 to 2006.
�Understandably, the HRW Report made similar recommendations for
greater access for the media and human rights monitors in Papua as
outlined in the JSCOT Report.
�While the Howard government has a history of ignoring human rights
abuses in Papua, it does have consequences which are not in the
interests of the Australian community.
�Each time supportive speeches are made in favour of non-
involvement
in West Papua, it constitutes de-facto support for the Indonesian
Security Forces' destabilising and counter-democratic practices not
only in Papua but across the entire Archipelago.
�Each time the Howard Government supports military engagement with
the TNI instead of greater engagement with Indonesian civil society,
whatever the intention maybe, it ends up supporting the
anti-reformasi hardliners in Indonesian society over reform minded
moderates.
�Human rights and concerns for them, as outlined in the
recommendations of both the JSCOT and HRW Reports, should not be
seen
as superficial concerns of idealistic minorities but rather
realistic
building blocks for strengthening democracy in our region for a
secure and stable future,� concluded Clinton.
For further comment by Dr Fernandes contact Calum Hyslop on 0437
633
785
Details of Public Lecture by Dr Fernandes
Reluctant Indonesians: Australia, Indonesia and the future of West
Papua
6.30 to 8.30pm Thursday 19th July
Avid Reader Bookstore 193 Boundary Street, West End, Brisbane
For JSCOT Report Recommendations
see
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/6december2006/report.htm[
2]
For Human Rights Watch Report
see http://hrw.org/reports/2007/papua0707[3]
"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away
from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses
than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too
much." Joseph Conrad in Heart of Darkness
Links:
- ------
[1] http://www.geocities.com/awpab/Brisbane.htm
[2]
javascript:ol(\'http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/6december
2006/report.htm\');
[3] javascript:ol(\'http://hrw.org/reports/2007/papua0707/\');
[4] http://g.msn.com/8HMBENAU/2746??PS=47575
---
The Jakarta Post
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Papuans divided on flag controversy
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
A proposal to turn the outlawed Bintang Kejora flag into Papua's
cultural symbol has received resistance from a Free Papua
Movement (OPM) political prisoner and a former pro-Indonesian
independence fighter.
The objection against the proposal, which was recommended by the
Papuan Custom Council, was revealed to journalists after a
meeting with Papua Legislative Council Speaker John Ibo on
Monday.
"I disagree with Bintang Kejora being turned into a cultural
symbol because the flag is a representation of a sovereign
nation," said Saul Bomay who was jailed for 15 years at
Kalisosok in Surabaya, East Java.
"Its meaning should not be diminished to a mere cultural symbol."
He said many Papuans had died under the flag fighting for
Papua's independence.
A former 1945 independence fighter Ramses Ohee, also Sentani's
tribe chief, has voiced similar sentiments.
"We refuse (to let) the flag be turned into a cultural symbol
because it represents efforts to separate from the Republic of
Indonesia," he said after meeting John Ibo on Monday.
Ramses said if Papuans wanted to have a cultural flag, the
matter should be discussed with them -- rather than taking
quietly the idea to the council on behalf of all Papuans.
"We, the seniors, are here," he said.
"The proposal should be publicly discussed and we as Papuans
have the right to give our opinion."
John Ibo said the proposal to turn Bintang Kejora into a
cultural flag, the Burung Mambruk bird into local symbol and Hai
Tanahku Papua (Papua's My Land) into a local song would not
automatically be accepted.
He said there several decision-making stages were needed.
"We should involve researchers to evaluate the meaning of a
symbol or a flag before this can be decided," he said.
He suggested involving Papuan people by asking them to chose via
a contest a cultural symbol, flag or song.
Papua Legislative Council deputy speaker Komarusin Watubun said
the 2001 special autonomy laws covered issues surrounding the
flag, symbols and songs.
But Komarusin said it was not specifically written anywhere the
Bintang Kejora was a cultural symbol, the Mambruk bird was a
local symbol or the Hai Tanahku Papua was a local song.
He said analysis and careful deliberation was a must.
"We don't want our decision (to make a victim of) the people."
Indonesia's central government has long been criticized for
being solely interested in Papua's rich natural resources, with
little regard for its people.
However, former president Abdurrahman Wahid was praised for a
number of his policies that were favorable to Papuans during his
presidency.
While in power, he authorized the province's name change from
Irian Jaya to Papua and allowed the Papuan flag, the Bintang
Kejora, to be raised as a cultural symbol.
---
<matthew at hr.minihub.org> -----
West Papuan students in Yogyajarta forced into hiding post Eni
Faleomavaega visit
IPAHR received a report today that about 20 West Papuan students
have
gone into hiding after police searched for them yesterday &
Indonesian military, Brimob and Police arrived outside their
dormitory in Yogyakarta today.
The dormitory is Asrama Papua, Jln Kusumanegara No 119, Yogyakarta.
We rang one of the student activists in hiding. He said that
Police
came searching for him yesterday(180707) in the dorm. He hid and
they didn't find him.
Today Police and Military arrived and two truck loads of Brimob
parked outside the dormitory. It was not clear what they were
doing
or going to do. From what we understand this has caused 20
students
to go into hiding outside the dormitory today (190707).
These are the students involved are understood to have done
demonstrations in Yogya around the time of Eni Faveomavaega's vist.
It seems like this action is intimidation or an attempt to arrest
these students.
We will post any further developments.
Matthew Jamieson
Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights
PO box 1805, Byron bay NSW 2481 Australia
matthew at hr.minihub.org
tel +61(0) 418291998
---
The following statement was issued by ELSHAM- Papua on 15 July 2007
Sampari Dancing and Jakarta's Inability to cope with Papuan views
(slightly abridged)
Panic has broken out in Jakarta, as if the end of the NKRI (Unitary
State
of the Republic of Indonesia) is nigh.
And just because of the unfurling of the RMS flag by Malukan
dancers in
Ambon on 29 June, the unfurling of the Morning Star flag at the
opening
session of the Dewan Adat on 3 July, and the use of the GAM symbol
in Aceh
on 7 July.
These incidents have been blown up, leading to statements and demos
with
people burning separatist flags in several Indonesian towns, and
strong
reactions in Jakarta
Jakarta is becoming increasingly disturbed by developments in Papua
following the visit to Papua of the UN special representative for
Human
Rights Defenders and the visit to Indonesia by US Congressman Eni
Faleomavaega who has been outspoken in support of justice for the
Papuan
people.
Like a man with his beard on fire, Jakarta is alleging that money
allocated
for Special Autonomy (OTSUS) is being used for separatist
activities, and
now threatens to send more troops to crush the Papuan people, as if
the
Papuans were not civilised human beings.
Jakarta should understand that the Papuan people have repeatedly
called for
dialogue to find a way out of the prolonged civil and political
conflicts.
Jakarta should avoid responding to Papuan aspirations with military
repression and the deployment of 350 marine troops to Jayapura,
armed with
lethal weapons (see Cendrawasih Pos, 7 July).
Besides the deployment of marines, there is also the re-emergence
of
various red-and-white militias in Papua (6 July), in all, 500 men
including
Pemuda Pancasila, Pramukas, and many, many others.
Panca Marga Youth held a meeting with District Military Commander
172/PWY,
Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian at military headquarters . Following
the
meeting a Nusantara (Motherland) Gathering was held, bringing
together non-Papuan inhabitants currently living in Jayapura.
There was
also a meeting of a group calling itself Youth Guerrillas of Irian
Jaya
Barat, with Colonel Siagian, and the mobilisation of red-and-white
militias
in order to put a stop to Papuan calls for a Land of Peace.
This mobilisation of militias is reminiscent of what happened in
Timor
Leste during the referendum in 1999.
Bearing in mind the numbers of militias being mobilised along with
the
military (TNI), people are saying that each Papuan person is no
longer
being guarded by 5 and 10 armed personnel but by 25 to 50 military
troops
and militias.
At a time when Papuans are thinking about the fate of the leaders
of the
Dewan Adat who were summoned by the police and returned to their
homes in a
state of fear about their further dealings with the police, Jakarta
has now
come up with a new decision, a presidential instruction (Inpres)
5/2007 on
the allocation of Rp 17 trillion in order to accelerate development
in
Papua, it is being said, in order to prevent further flag incidents.
These responses reveal that Jakarta is not thinking seriously about
Papua.
This suggests that Papua has become an arena for political
bargaining
between Jakarta elites. Papuan has become an Indonesian colony
which is
being exploited for the benefit of cliques of people with plenty of
influence and money in Jakarta.
ELSHAM, an independent organisation which promotes Basic Human
Rights for
the Papuan people, makes the following immediate demands:
1. The police should end the detention of participants of the Dewan
Adat
Conference and the Sampari dancers from Manokwari.
2. The Indonesian government should open the way for dialogue with
international mediation.
3. The President of Indonesia should immediately disband the
various
militia groups set up by the TNI in all parts of Papua.
4. The Indonesian government along with the TNI, the Indonesia
police and
intelligence agencies should put an end to their policy of pitting
Papuans
against Papuans and Papuans against non-Papuans.
5. Those who have been organising the Motherland Gatherngs should
put an
end to spreading racist and religious sentiments.
6. A halt to moves to turn Papua into an arena for political
manoeuvre.
7. An immediate halt to terrorist and intimidatory actions against
human
rights activists and against the entire Papuan people.
8. The Indonesian should halt the dispatch of more troops to Papuan
and
withdraw all non-organic troops from Papua,
9. Jakarta should grant access for independent foreign observers to
visit
Papua.
10. The Indonesian government should withdraw Inpres 5/2007.
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tapol at gn.apc.org http://tapol.gn.apc.org
---
TAPOL press release
Continued detention of prisoners unconstitutional:
Papuan activists must be released
20 July 2007 - Calls for the release of prisoners jailed under
Indonesia’s
draconian 'hate-sowing' laws, including Papuans Filep Karma and
Yusak
Pakage, have been reiterated today by TAPOL, which promotes human
rights,
peace and democracy in Indonesia.
The 'hate-sowing' laws, set out in articles 154 and 155 of
Indonesia’s
Criminal Code, were declared unconstitutional by the country’s
Constitutional Court on 17 July because they restrict the right to
freedom
of expression set out in the Constitution.
The offending articles were originally introduced by the Dutch
colonial
power to stifle dissent. They criminalise ‘public expression of
feelings
of hostility, hatred or contempt toward the government’ and
prohibit ‘the
expression of such feelings or views through the public media’.
“The Court’s decision is a welcome endorsement of the fundamental
right to
free expression. It must now be implemented by releasing those
languishing
in jail for doing no more than expressing their peaceful political
views,”
said Carmel Budiardjo, director of TAPOL.
The injustice of using penal provisions to criminalise opposition to
Jakarta and criticism of government policy is keenly felt in West
Papua.
In April 2005 Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 and
10
years imprisonment respectively for organising peaceful
celebrations of
West Papua’s national day and flying the Papuan Morning Star flag
on 1
December 2004. They were charged under Article 154 and other
provisions.
“The continued detention of the two men should not be tolerated in a
democratic country,” said Budiardjo.
TAPOL urges the Indonesian authorities to release all prisoners
jailed for
their peaceful political views and activities and, in the spirit of
the
Constitutional Court ruling, to review all other outdated penal
provisions
that violate fundamental freedoms.
ENDS
Contact: Carmel Budiardjo on +44 208 771 2904 or Paul Barber on +44
1420
80153 or +44 774 730 1739.
---
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/20/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-
AIDS-Funding.php
International Herald Tribune
Indonesia to increase AIDS funding by 75 percent, mostly for Papua
province
The Associated Press
Published: July 20, 2007
�
JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesia will increase the amount of money it
spends on
fighting AIDS by 75
percent over the next three years, with the
major focus
on hardest-hit Papua province, the welfare minister
said.
Indonesia has one of Asia's fastest growing HIV rates, with up to
290,000
infections out of 235 million
people, fueled mainly by injecting
drug users
and prostitution.
Health authorities have warned that a failure
to take prompt action
in areas
like Papua � where infections are 15 times the national average
�
could
result
in 1 million people infected with HIV within a few years.
Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie said late Thursday the government
would
increase the amount of money
budgeted for the AIDS fight from US$67
million
(�48 million) last year to US$263 million in 2010.
The
government also wants to reduce its dependency on international
donors,
which have contributed up to 70
percent to the national AIDS
budget, he
said.
The main focus of the new spending would be on Papua, which now
receives
only 4 percent of the money
budgeted for AIDS even though it is the
hardest-hit area in the country, Bakrie told reporters after a
Cabinet
meeting.
A recent study found the lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and other
sexually
transmitted
diseases was a major contributor to the epidemic in
Papua, and
urged more spending on sexual education
and condom availability.
---
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/07/19/indone16428.htm
Indonesia: Bold Court Decision Good for Free Expression
Release Prisoners Held Under Unconstitutional Laws
(New York, July 19, 2007) – The ruling by Indonesia's constitutional
court to declare unconstitutional a set of laws that criminalize
free
expression is a bold and welcome decision, Human Rights Watch said
today. All prisoners currently serving sentences under these laws
should be immediately released.
" The government should immediately release all those convicted
under
these laws, whose very essence is to limit free expression in
Indonesia. "
Charmain Mohamed, Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch
On July 17, 2007 Indonesia's Constitutional Court declared
unconstitutional articles 154 and 155 of Indonesia's Criminal Code,
commonly known as the "hate sowing" (Haatzai Artikelen) offenses.
Articles 154 and 155 criminalized "public expression of feelings of
hostility, hatred or contempt toward the government" and prohibited
"the expression of such feelings or views through the public media."
The articles specified prison terms of up to seven years for
violations. Left over from the Dutch colonial administration, these
offenses were often used by the government to restrict peaceful
criticism of the government. Political opponents, critics, students,
and human rights defenders have been targeted and silenced under the
laws.
"The government should immediately release all those convicted under
these laws, whose very essence is to limit free expression in
Indonesia," said Charmain Mohamed, Indonesia researcher at Human
Rights Watch. "The court's decision to strike down this legislation
raises hopes that it will also tackle the myriad other repressive
laws
still on Indonesia's books."
Human Rights Watch called on the Indonesian government to publicly
acknowledge the court's decision and to immediately and
unconditionally release all those currently imprisoned under the
laws.
Others imprisoned under similar laws restricting free expression
should also be released. Human Rights Watch also called on the
government to instruct prosecutors to drop all pending charges for
peaceful political expression and not to file any such cases in the
future.
Current cases include Yusak Pakage and Filep Karma, who were
sentenced
in April 2005 to 10 and 15 years in prison respectively for having
raised the Papuan independence flag in the province of Papua. Among
the charges against them was "publicly stating hostility, feelings
of
hate or offense toward the government of the Republic of Indonesia"
under article 154 of the Criminal Code. Human Rights Watch
documented
their case in "Protest and Punishment: Political Prisoners in
Papua".
Human Rights Watch has also documented other similar cases in "A
Return to the New Order?"
"Yusak Pakage, Filep Karma, and others like them should be
immediately
released," said Mohamed.
Human Rights Watch called on the drafters of Indonesia's new
criminal
code to remove any provisions inconsistent with the letter and
spirit
of the constitutional court's decision and to repeal any legislation
used to prosecute and imprison individuals engaged in peaceful
political expression.
---
from joe collins <seosamh20 at hotmail.com> ---
- --
1) New MP in Papua New Guinea vows to speak out about West Papua
2) Initiating people-driven development for Papua
3) Papua signals move to microchip HIV carriers
1) New MP in Papua New Guinea vows to speak out about West Papua
RNZI Posted at 07:40 on 24 July, 2007 UTC
A newly elected Papua New Guinea MP says he wants to raise the
issue of self
determination for the people of Indonesia�s Papua region.
Powes Parkop is the new governor of PNG National Capital District.
He is also a lawyer and human rights activist, having headed an NGO
called
Melanesian Solidarity.
Mr Parkop says he respects the diplomatic relations the country has
with
Indonesia but he says he has a moral obligation to speak out about
Papua.
�I will speak on the issue of West Papua so that it is raised as a
serious
issue in Papua New Guinea and in the region so it can be addressed,
because
this is a real issue. It�s been pushed under the carpet for too
long.�
Around a third of the seats in the 109 seat PNG parliament have
been
declared so far.
- -------------------
Jakarta Post.com
2) Initiating people-driven development for Papua
Opinion News - Tuesday, July 24, 2007
HS Dillon, Jakarta
Despite evident shortcomings, one of the outstanding features of
post-Soeharto reform has been the devolution of considerable
authority to
the regions. This includes Papua, where, dating back from the Dutch
colonial
days, the institutional setup and policy-making has not favored
ethnic
Papuans. Ethnic Papuans have never been prominent actors in shaping
their
own future, let alone in determining the distribution of benefits.
It comes as no surprise then, that the growth and increases in
regional
income are not reflected in the Human Development Index.
It is clear that the planning and decision-making systems have not
been able
to address the development challenges posed by Papua. The dominant
development paradigm, placing emphasis on physical infrastructure,
is
certainly not the correct answer, either. Ethnic Papuans have not
been
empowered to draw full benefits from such public investment.
Historically speaking, infrastructure has generally served the
dominant
groups without generating meaningful value-added, either economic
or social,
for ethnic Papuans. In the current context, additional physical
capital
would certainly benefit non-ethnic Papuans and the national
economy, but
given the fact that ethnic Papuans are still not in a position to
compete,
it might very well widen the social gap.
The discrepancy between ethnic Papuans and non-ethnic Papuans is
widely
manifest in cities, as this is where the value-added gravitates
toward.
Thus, there are historical and structural underpinnings to the
Papuan
paradox of a resource-rich Papua with more than 80 percent of
ethnic Papuans
wallowing in abject poverty.
The special autonomy granted to Papua in 2001 provides ethnic
Papuans
greater latitude for cultural expression and represents an
opportunity to
reverse the historical injustices and institutional failures.
However, poor
governance among ethnic Papuan elite, perhaps, explains the
persistence of
the Papuan paradox: During the first five years the massive influx
of funds
failed to make a dent in widespread poverty.
Governor Suebu has a magnificent obsession: Using the second chance
provided
him to lead his people to write a new chapter in Papua's history by
employing a new development paradigm that attaches the highest
priority to
the welfare of ethnic Papuans.
He has set a Herculean task for himself from the very onset:
engaging
marginalized Papuans in equal discourse to better identify their
needs and
capacities.
It has taken him 46 days of traveling around Papua by land, over
water,
flying in light planes and helicopters, and even walking long
distances to
cover 16 of the 36 meeting points mapped out. On many occasions,
voices of
disenfranchised ethnic Papuans have brought tears to the eyes of
his
entourage, comprising state-level and senior officials from the
different
regencies.
He plans to capitalize upon the reformasi and democratization
momentum to
build a new Papua within the folds of the Republic of Indonesia. To
ensure
that ethnic Papuans get a fair share of public funding, his
administration
has formulated a strategic plan for village-based development,
aptly named
RESPEK.
Toward this end, in the current fiscal year he has reversed the top-
heavy
budget pyramid, reducing bureaucratic expenditures from 70 percent
to 27
percent, and increasing the share accruing to villages from 10
percent to 45
percent at one stroke. Therein, kampongs are being provided greater
latitude
and means to establish their own budget priorities and enhance
their
capacity as they deem fit.
At around the same time, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has
issued an
instruction espousing a "New Deal" for Papua, focusing on health,
vocational
education, the acceleration of basic infrastructure development,
food
security and affirmative action measures to give more ethnic
Papuans the
opportunity to hold posts within the administration, the police and
military
forces.
However, all this would require a quantum leap in the capacity of
ethnic
Papuans to plan and manage the overall system, institutions and
apparatus.
To strengthen fundamentals and to empower ethnic Papuans to assume
key roles
in development, and to ensure that the development path from the
kampongs up
unfolds such that Papuans continue to progress from one stage to
another, an
institutional home for the formulation of requisite breakthroughs
and
innovations might be in order.
Governor Suebu has expressed a desire to establish a People-Driven
Development Knowledge Center, which would help ensure that all
policies
formulated, institutions established and technologies designed (or
transferred in) were driven by the needs and capacities of ethnic
Papuans.
Support for an institution dedicated to helping ethnic Papuans
catch up,
should also rank high on the priority list of the corporate sector
and donor
community already committed to forging meaningful partnerships with
local
government and ethnic Papuans.
To achieve these objectives, such a center would need to begin by
mapping
the diverse physical-ecological, economic, social, cultural and
human
resource potentials, as well as population dynamics, and record
both local
initiatives and responses to interventions. With sincere donor
support, all
international best practices could be recast to meet the unique
needs and
capacities of ethnic Papuans, starting from the village.
Then, and only then, would Governor Suebu's vision of a Papuan
society which
upholds ethics and morals, truth and justice, and fully respects
the dignity
and value of mankind, come to be. People-driven in a dynamic sense,
such a
society would also place specific emphasis on the environment,
striking a
balance between utilization and conservation of natural resources
in order
to ensure a high quality of life for both current and future
Papuans. Under
such enlightened stewardship, development would continue to
progress and
become self-sustaining -- turning perceived weaknesses into
strengths.
As we move forward, it would serve us well to heed the lessons of
East
Timor, particularly that national unity cannot be preserved through
the
barrel of a gun. Despite the massive public investment (in sharp
contrast to
the immiserization during the Portuguese era), all that Indonesia
earned in
East Timor was hatred and disgrace.
We need to listen more to the Papuans. However, let there be no
mistake:
ethnic Papuans do not have a palm outstretched for charity. All
they want is
to be treated with dignity, and to be given their due. A Papua
governed
through good governance, with widespread prosperity among ethnic
Papuans,
would no doubt also contribute to the integrity of our Republic.
Perhaps, the wisdom gleaned from forging equal partnerships with
ethnic
Papuans will, in turn, be of value in transforming the rest of
Indonesia
into a more just and prosperous society.
The writer is a political economist and member of the Papua Forum.
He can be
reached at hsdillon at gmail.com.
- -------------------
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/24/1987295.htm?section=justin
ABC News 24/7/07
3) Papua signals move to microchip HIV carriers
Posted 42 minutes ago
A doctor says lawmakers in the Indonesian province of Papua are
mulling the
selective use of chip implants in HIV carriers to monitor their
behaviour in
a bid to keep them from infecting others.
John Manangsang, a medical doctor who is helping to prepare a new
health
care regulation bill for Papua's provincial Parliament, says
unusual
measures are needed to combat the virus.
"We in the government in Papua have to think hard on ways to
provide
protection to people from the spread of the disease," Dr Manangsang
said.
"Some of the infected people experience a change of behaviour and
can turn
more aggressive and would not think twice of infecting others," he
said,
adding that lawmakers are considering various sanctions for these
people.
"Among one of the means being considered is the monitoring of those
infected
people who can pose a danger to others.
"The use of chip implants is one of the ways to do so, but only for
those
few who turn aggressive and clearly continue to disregard what they
know
about the disease and spread the virus to others."
But Dr Manangsang says a decision is still a long way off.
The head of the Papua chapter of the National AIDS Commission,
Constant
Karma, reportedly slammed the proposal as a violation of human
rights.
"People with HIV/AIDS are not like sharks under observation so that
they
have to be implanted with microchips to monitor their movements,"
he told
the Jakarta Post.
"Any form of identification of people with HIV/AIDS violates human
rights."
- - AFP
---
The Jakarta Post
July 24, 2007
Police recruitment drive for Papua
JAYAPURA, Papua: The Papua Police is scheduled to recruit 1,500
Papuans in the 2007/2008 budget year, of whom 1,000 will be
assigned to Papua province and the other 500 in West Papua
province, an officer said Monday.
Deputy chief of Papua Police Brig. Gen. FR Andilolo said that
the large-scale recruitment was intended to fill up to 6,700
vacant posts in the two provinces.
The recruitment will be conducted jointly between the Papua and
West Papua provinces, which have provided Rp 52 billion (US$5.70
million) for both the recruitment process and the 10-month
training course recruits will go through before being assigned
to local police stations, Andilolo said.
Their monthly salaries will be paid by the central government,
he said.
"About Rp 25 billion of the total fund will be provided by West
Papua province, while the other Rp 27 billion will come from
Papua province," he said.
Andilolo said that 554 Papuans had passed selection in the first
round of recruitment and a second round would be conducted next
month. -- JP
---
from matthew jamieson
<matthew at hr.minihub.org> -----
Media
Release
Embargo 00:01 Thursday 26 July 2007
West Papua: Indonesian Military Colonel Siagian, indicted for
Crimes
Against Humanity, rallies militias in West Papua
The Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights (IPAHR) is
extremely
concerned at the increasing activity of pro-Indonesian militias in
West Papua.
That the regional commander Col. Burhanuddin Siagian has publicly
threatened ‘separatists’ in the past few weeks in West Papua is
alarming considering that he and other senior military & police are
actively meeting with nationalist civilian militias.
IPAHR has received reports from our sources in West Papua of an
increase in meetings by nationalist militia groups in the capital
Jayapura & other provincial towns in West Papua.
A range of pro Indonesian nationalist and militia groups meet on 6
July 2007 at the Military (KOREM 172) Auditorium in Jayapura, West
Papua.(i) Col. Siagian was reported to have spoken at this meeting
which involved 500 people. Subsequent meetings of the militias were
reported in West Papua during the past 3 weeks. (ii)
On the next day Col. Siagian was reported making public threats
directed at the meeting of Dewan Adat Papua (or Customary Council
of
West Papua). “What is absolutely certain is that anyone who tends
towards separatism will be crushed by TNI (Indonesian Military). In
the interests of NKRI (Republic of Indonesia), we are not afraid of
human rights. We are quite prepared to imprison anyone, or dismiss
them from their posts, whenever such is in the interests of the
NKRI.” (translation of Cenderwasih Post, 7/07/07).
Last month International & Indonesian human rights groups called
for
the removal of Col. Siagian from West Papua. Col. Siagian who
commands the 172 Military District based in Jayapura has been
indicted for Crimes Against Humanity in East Timor were he has
never
faced prosecution. (iii)
IPAHR believes the significant increase in militia related activity
in West Papua is similar to what happened in Timor Leste (East
Timor)
before the referendum in 1999. “The reappearance in West Papua of
the notorious Red and White militias with Col. Burhanuddin Siagian
makes it clear that the Indonesian Government can repeat the armed
violence experienced in East Timor.” said Paula Makabory,
representing the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights.
“These new reports signal that the Indonesian military & police
appear to have started a program to actively promote and support
militias across West Papua.” said Paula Makabory.
“What the Indonesian security forces commanders see as ‘separatism’
is West Papuan people trying to give expression to their basic
Human
Rights. Indonesia gives not space in West Papua for difference in
political opinion and any expression of the right of self
determination is severely repressed.”
“This situation cries out for direct international intervention.
There must be constant access for independent international
observers
in West Papua. . Indonesia restricts access by international
agencies and the foreign media to West Papua. The Indonesian
Government executive must be convinced to withdraw its repressive
security forces from West Papua.”
For further information contact:
Paula Makabory, Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights,
Australia Tel +61 402547517;
Rev Socratez Yoman, President, Communion of Baptist Churches,
Jayapura, West Papua Tel +62 812 4888458;
Matthew Jamieson, Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights,
Australia Tel +61 418291998
Footnotes
(i) On 6 July 2007 a meeting of 500 people from various pro
Indonesian nationalist and militia groups was organised at the
Military Korem 172 Auditorium in Jayapura. Col. Burhanuddin
Siagian
the Commander of Kodem 172 was reported to have spoken at this
meeting.
Indonesian & Papuan members of Meriah Putih (Red & White) militia
attended this meeting. Indonesian organisations reported at the
meeting were Pemuda Pancasila Youth (Youth following 5 basic
principle of Republic of Indonesia), Pramukas (Indonesian Boy
Scouts), Youth of Red and White (Youth for Red & White Colours of
Indonesian flag), Panca Marga Youth (Way of five principles of
Indonesia).
The Papuan groups included: Youth Guerrillas of Irian Jaya Barat,
members of the Jayapura based TRIKORA Pejuang (Fighter for TRIKORA,
which relates to President Sukarnos invasion strategy for control
of
West Papua during Dutch times) & the leadership of ‘women’s/
family’
organisation called Freedom Fighter Family of Irian Jaya Barat.
An ex OPM/TPN (Free Papua movement) guerrilla commander also
attended the meeting. This OPM/TPN guerrilla had surrendered to
the
Indonesian and now is said to work for the Indonesian security
forces. It was also reported that some individuals from groups,
which purport to be OPM/TPN (Free Papua Movement) guerrillas but
are
backed by Indonesian military also attended the meeting.
A follow up meeting in the Jayapura region occurred on 19/07/07 in
Koya Barat 35km from Jayapura town. It was reported that this
meeting
made the statement against the separatist movement in West Papua
and
committed to fight against the West Papua Freedom campaign. The
meeting was attended by a range of groups including local tribal
leaders, community leaders, youth leaders and leaders of a Highland
community and a traditional customary organisation.
(ii) The Panca Marga Youth is also reported to have held a meeting
with, Col. Siagian at military headquarters in Jayapura. Following
this meeting Panca Marga Youth and Red and White militia members
are
said to have organised a Nusantara (Motherland) Gathering, to bring
together Indonesian inhabitants living in Jayapura.
Another meeting of Red & White militia was reported in Biak on 15
July 2007. In Sorong, the Indonesian military has in the past month
organised a group of 70 community leaders to do ‘survival’
training.
In Timika, the regional centre servicing the giant Freeport copper
&
gold mine, the Red and White Militia is reported to be lead by a
local man, who is a former member of Indonesia’s notorious special
operations force, Kopassus. In Manokwari, Wamena & Nabire militia
organisations are reported by local sources.
(iii) Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, who is the commander of the
Jayapura
sub-regional military command (Korem 172) in Papua, has been
indicted
on Crimes Against Humanity charges in East Timor (now Timor-Leste).
Col Siagian, is a Kopassus trained commander.
Last month in an open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
of
Indonesia (see http://tapol.gn.apc.org/news/files/let070628.htm), a
group of International & Indonesian organisations called for Col.
Burhanuddin Siagian, to be withdrawn immediately and suspended from
active duty.
Former Australian diplomat, James Dunn, who served as UN expert on
crimes against humanity in East Timor in 2001-02, is reported in
Canberra Times on 23 July 2007 as making the following comments
about
Col Siagian. “Indonesian human rights agencies are calling for the
removal of a sector commander in West Papua, Colonel Burhanuddin
Siagian, who has been indicted for a particularly nasty atrocity in
the Maliana region in 1999. However, the fact that the TNI has
ignored such indictments, and the recommendation of Indonesia's own
human rights commission, is an indication of how little impact its
nation's shift towards respect for human rights has had on a
military
which, like the KGB, saw itself as a ruthless protector of an
authoritarian state.”
Further threatening statements by Col Siagian were reported in the
Cenderawasih Pos on 12 May 2007. Col Siagian threatened to destroy
anyone who betrays Indonesia: “If I meet anyone who has enjoyed the
facilities that belong to the state, but who still betrays the
nation, I honestly will destroy him”. This statement was
reportedly
made in response to demands by students for a review of the 1969
Act
of Free Choice and for a new referendum on self-determination.
These threats to Papuan activists and Tribal Leaders echoes similar
statements allegedly made by Col. Siagian when he was commander of
the Bobonaro Military Command (Kodim 1636), Maliana in East Timor
in
1999. Those statements in 1999 appear to have led directly to the
deaths of a number of Timorese civilians.
According to the indictments issued by the Special Panel for
Serious
Crimes of Dili District Court on 3 February 2003 (‘the Cailaco
indictment) and 10 July 2003 (‘the Maliana indictment’), Col
Siagian
made public speeches threatening to kill supporters of Timor-
Leste’s
independence and was responsible for the death of seven men in
April
1999. Col. Siagian is charged with individual responsibility and
command responsibility for the following crimes against humanity:
torture; murder; persecution; and deportation or forcible transfer
of
a civilian population. He is also considered to be responsible for
the creation of the Bobonaro militia system that became one of the
most repressive in the whole of East Timor. See indictments at:
http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Cailacoindnannexeng07feb03)
&
http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Maliana_Burhanuddin22_7_03.pd
f).
Matthew Jamieson
Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights
PO box 1805, Byron bay NSW 2481 Australia
matthew at hr.minihub.org
tel +61(0) 418291998
---
BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
July 24, 2007
Newly elected PNG MP to back Indonesian Papuan self-determination
Source: Radio New Zealand International, Wellington, in English
0830 gmt 24 Jul 07
Text of report by Radio New Zealand International on 24 July
A newly elected Papua New Guinea MP says he wants to raise the
issue of self-determination for the people of Indonesia's Papua
region. Powes Parkop is the new governor of PNG National Capital
District. He is also a lawyer and human rights activist, having
headed an NGO called Melanesian Solidarity.
Mr Parkop says he respects the diplomatic relations the country
has with Indonesia, but he says he has a moral obligation to
speak out about Papua.
[Parkop] I will speak on the issue of West Papua so that it is
raised as a serious issue in Papua New Guinea and in the region
so it can be addressed, because this is a real issue. It's been
pushed under the carpet for too long.
---
The Jakarta Post July 25, 2007
Papua separatism weakening: Army
JAKARTA: The Free Papua Movement (OPM) is no more than an
ideology, with only about six percent of the population of Papua
remaining active members of the separatist movement, a military
commander said Tuesday.
"We don't know the exact amount of OPM members. However, they
number about six percent of the Papuan population," Chief of the
Trikora Regional Military Command overseeing Papua and West
Papua provinces, Maj. Gen. Zamroni, said, as quoted by the
detik.com news portal.
"We have also detected that they now only have about 50 guns and
rifles, scattered throughout Papua," he added.
However, Zamroni said the movement would remain a threat to the
country's security and unity.
He said the recent OPM flag-waving incident in Papua had not
significantly impacted Papuans in general as it was committed by
a small group of residents. -- JP
---
Report received from ELSHAM Contact Post in Biak
Slightly abridged in translation
NAVAL WARSHIP WUNDI MONITORS THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BYAK DEWAN ADAT
AND
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN NORTH SUPIORI
20/21 July 2007
Three tribal groups inhabit the sub-district of Sabar Miokre in the
District of Supiori. This district was created when it was split
away from
the district of Biak Numfor and is headed by a camat (sub-district
chief)
and also has a military command (koramil) and a police post
This was at a time when there were tensions in Papua with rumours
circulating about Papua Merdeka, When reports started appearing in
the mass
media (Cepos, Surabaya Pos, Metro TV and foreign agencies), the
security
forces decided to take action.
On 20 - 21 July, the Dewan Adat in Supiori, in particular the Wabu
and
Urmbori tribes, organised a discussion known as Kankain Kakara Mnu,
otherwise called a village consultation or Panel Discussion.
The Panel Discussion held in Sabar Miokre kampung was convened to
follow up
the decisions adopted by the Biak Dewan Adat of Byak Mun Supiori
which was
held on 13 - 13 December 2006. Young people and intellectuals along
with
local elders and church leaders were jointly involved in the Panel
Discussion, the theme of which was 'kampung organisation, today,
tomorrow
and in the future'. The questions discussed were concerning the
customary
rights to the sea, the air, the coast and the forest.. The aim was
to reach
consensus regarding the development of the kampung in particular
and more
generally the district of Supiori.
The questions discussed were:
1. A Basic Model for Developing the District of Supiori
2. The Rights of the Native Inhabitants
3. A Manifesto of the Basic Rights of the Papuan People
4. Basic Model for the Traditional Rights of the Wabu and Urmbor
tribes
5. Basic Model for Livelihood of the Wabu and Urmbor tribes.
6.What is meant by 'kebun' and 'patok'?
7. Who is entitled to be called owners of customary rights?
8. Do migrants have customary rights?
These were the questions discussed and there was no discussion
about
politics or Papua Merdeka as we were fully conscious that the Dewan
Adat is
concerned solely with traditional matters, whereas the PDP is the
political
body.
Shortly after the session began at 5am, a member of the police was
appointed by the police chief of North Supiori ,
We slept there without any sense of fear as we knew that the local
military
were aware of what we were doing. However, after the various
speakers had
spoken about the items on the agenda, a police vehicle with several
members
of the police on board suddenly appeared and asked who was
responsible for
the meeting because the chief of police of Supiori had issued an
order that
the event should be disbanded.
The leaders of the tribal groups met with the police and suggested
that
there must have been a misunderstanding among the police. They
invited four
intel agents and four members of the police to monitor the event;
they said
that they should sit nearby so as to be able to make notes of the
discussion.
After lunch, the participants were startled by the appearance of a
warship, KLA Wundi which docked at the wharf of Sabar Miokre.
The Investigation and Monitoring Coordinator of the ELSHAM Biak
Contact
Post who was present was informed of the arrival of the naval
vessel and
approached the vessel, whereupon the following dialogue took place:
AK (ELSHAM): Good afternoon. Where is your ship from?
Marine officer: Good afternoon. We've come from Biak, we left last
night.
AK: What is your purpose in coming here?
Marine officer: We are looking for islands that have not been
recorded on
the map because we want to record them on the map.
AK; Did you and your group come straight from Biak to Sabar Miokre?
Marine officer: No. We stopped in Korido on the way and left
several of our
group there before coming here.
Following this dialogue, I returned to Biak. When I arrived back, I
told
the tribal elders about the encounter and they said that warships
had never
before docked here and they wondered why this had now happened
after a
Panel Discussion had been held.
On the following day, 21/07, a member of the committee met us in
Biak and
told us that four Javanese men had turned up by boat, going in the
direction of the warship, while monitoring the activities of the
Panel
Discussion.
Four military men, acting quite brazenly, then approached the place
where
we were. The people there could not contain their feelings and they
ordered
the Marine officers to leave and to stop monitoring the activities
of the
Panel Discussion. They also said that plans to set up a Marine Post
in
Meosbefondi village should be halted because, according to the
local tribe
who own the land, their permission had not been sought and the
local
community had not been informed of the programme which had been
only
conveyed to the village head and the TNI-AL (Navy) in Biak Numfor.
PARACHUTE DROPS OCCUR ALONG WITH MONITORING THE CHAIR OF THE PAPUAN
DEWAN ADAT
The chairman of the Papuan Dewan Adat , Mr Forkurus Yoboisembuat,
informed
me by sms on 20 July that on that morning there had been parachute
training
by the military from the Trikora Military Command. He said that
such a
thing had never happened before and this was the first time he had
seen
such a thing. He described this as part of a military strategy to
psychologically terrorise the people in the kampungs of Dosay, Yaru
and
Sabron because Mr Forkurus comes from there.
On the following day 21/07, the military carried our guerrilla
training and
while the training was underway, the personnel had asked the local
people
and children: 'Do you know the name of the chairman of the Papuan
Dewan
Adat' and 'Are your parents involved in the Gerakan Papua Merdeka
(OPM)?'
Two days later, on 23/07, they returned to the village and asked
the people
in the kampungs of Sabron, Dosay and Yaru for permission to conduct
guerrilla training there. According to the chairman of the Papuan
Dewan
Adat, the majority of the people refused to give permission, but
even so, a
military officer said that they would nevertheless return on the
following
day to ask for a space where they could conduct military training.
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tapol at gn.apc.org http://tapol.gn.apc.org
---
from Tapol <tapol at gn.apc.org> -----
Cenderawasih Post, 26 July 2007
(Two items)
[These problems are a scandal in a province that is home to a
company which
is the highest taxpayer to Jakarta. TAPOL]
Death rate of mothers in childbirth has risen again
Merauke, The number of women dying in childbirth has risen in the
past two
years. In 2005, the rate was 464 per 1000,000 births which rose to
499 in
2006. In the previous years, the numbers were declining. In 2001
the figure
was 1,071 and 529 in 2003 and fell to 202 in 2004.
An official of the Merauke health service said the reason for the
increase
was that many health workers who work in the villages have been
transferred to other districts following the creation of more
district
administrations, with the result that there were no medical staff
in the
villages. Another reason was that many health workers had abandoned
their
posts. The official said that people had either been transferred or
they
had left of their own will.
He said that there had been many attempts to recruit nurses and
midwives
but there was little interest to work in these places. 'They dont
want to
work in remote areas, they only want to work in towns,' he said.
'When we
invite people to work in the towns, hundreds come forward,' he said.
---
Anaemia is a big problem among pregnant mothers in Biak
Biak: There is a high incidence of anaemia among pregnant women in
Biak,
according to the head of the local health service. It is estimated
that
between 60 and 70 per cent of pregnant women are anaemic. He said
the
reason was that pregnant women were not eating enough nutritious
food.
This was a danger to the unborn child as well as to the child-
bearing
woman. He said that the incidence of anaemia among pregnant women
had
increased in the past three years.
The condition was caused, he said, by the lack of funds to keep
local
health centres operating, which means that pregnant women were not
being
properly monitored during the pregnancy. The lack of nutritious
food could
lead to the child being stillborn and also endangers the life of
the
mother. Adequate nutritious food for babies and children was also a
problem
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tapol at gn.apc.org http://tapol.gn.apc.org
---
from Tapol <tapol at gn.apc.org> -----
Cenderawasih Pos, 13 July 2007
Slightly abridged
(Clipping just received)
Military commender tells his men to 'Anticipate Separatists'
With the regional assembly (DPRP) now preparing to issue a
regulation about
cultural symbols, such as the Morning Star, the song Hai Tanahku
Papua some
time this month, the Commander of Korem 172/PWY, Colonel
Burhaniddin
Siagian, said that the DPRP and the MRP should 'act wisely' bearing
in mind
that the Morning Star flag, Tanahku Papua and the Mambruk bird
symbol were
not regional cultural symbols but symbols of separatism. A wrong
decision
would not be good for the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.
He said he had plenty of proof that the Morning Star flag is a
symbol of
rebellion. It was flown in a number of places on 1 July 2007 on the
anniversary of the OPM (Free Papua Movement). On those occasions,
the text
of the declaration of West Papuan independence was also read out.
'I think there are plenty of regional symbols that can be used by
the
Papuans as Papua is rich in symbols, but dont use symbols that have
been
used by separatists.'
He said that in anticipation of developments threatening the unity
of the
Republic, he would allow no space for the separatists to grow
anywhere in
Papua, whether in ideas or other forms.
'The Morning Star flag is clearly the separatists' flag. They
should not be
given the opportunity to fly the flag in Papua. The only flag that
may be
flown is the red-and-white flag,' he said.
Police should act firmly
In connection with the current interrogation of members of Dewan
Adat Papua
in relation to the unfurling of the Morning Star flag at the Sports
Stadium, the commander expressed the hope that the police will take
firm
action to deal with the flag raising incident. If they fail to act
firmly,
this would embolden Papuans to use separatist symbols.
The unfurling of the Morning Star flag represents a threat to the
integrity
of the Republic and requires firm action , especially bearing in
mind that
the conference did not discuss cultural matters but tended towards
politics. They should have concentrated on cultural matters such as
the
status of women under customary traditions, inheritance, the way to
resolve
conflicts and how to protect Papuan traditions, not politics; still
less
should they have flown the separatist flag.
'Dont let them trick us because we cannot be tricked. A separatist
symbol
is a separatist symbol. The TNI (Indonesian armed forces) is ready
to crush
their movement.'
On the same occasion, the Kodim commander, Lt Colonel A,H,
Napoleon, spoke
of recent developments in the district of Jayapura, in particular
the visit
by irresponsible groups who took actions that were a threat to the
country's integrity. He ordered the lower military commanders, the
danramil
and babinsa to do their bit., to direct the people in their areas
towards
defending the NKRI, in particular to get involved in activities
that are
inspired by nationalism. 'I also hope that the military commanders
will
support the policy of the governor in developing the kampungs, so
as to
promote the welfare of the people.
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tapol at gn.apc.org http://tapol.gn.apc.org
---
The Jakarta Post
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Papua law revision 'insignificant'
Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An independent NGO, the Papua Working Group in Jakarta, said a
revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law was insignificant and
that the Papuan administration needed a solid and transparent
plan to prioritize development and channel progression funds
properly.
The special autonomy law was expected to maximize the
implementation of funding channeled to Papua through several
political elites to ensure the ongoing development of the area.
"What the central government should do is make an evaluation and
create a transparent blueprint of allocation implementation,"
Papua Working Group in Jakarta member Amiruddin Al Rahab said at
a public discussion Friday.
But Amiruddin said prior to designing the blueprint, the
government should assess the progress of Papua's autonomy, which
is just five years old.
The working group said trillions of rupiah had been allocated
over five years but that physical developments were scant.
The Home Affairs Ministry still perceives Papua as the same as
other provinces, he said.
"The government needs to improve communication with the local
administrations in Papua.
"Strengthening their level of trust and the understanding of
technical regulations also matters."
He said the expansion of regencies in the area added a
complexity to the local administration's job and that
synchronizing Jakarta and Papua was tough task.
"They should confirm that in the following decade there won't be
any new establishment of regencies in Papua -- so that in
development can be boosted in crucial sectors."
One idea floated was to encourage and prepare Papuan students to
pursue their graduate education abroad -- in the U.S., England
or Australia.
"Their aspirations for freedom can be achieved within this
republic if they receive adequate educational and health
support, including ample stocks of medicine," said Amiruddin.
Lawmaker Ferry Mursyidan Baldan from the Golkar Party faction
said the House of Representatives had no plan to revise the
Papua Special Autonomy Law, through which it was supposed to
disburse Rp 3.29 trillion (about US$355 million) in 2007.
"We see that the law is yet to be optimal in its
implementation," Ferry said.
"Legislators need to examine where exactly the problem lies," he
said, adding sharing the budget evenly among regencies would not
solve the problem.
Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) coordinator Teten Masduki said
in preventing corruption or solving human rights issues, Papua
still needed external assistance.
"Local elites have benefited from budget misallocation," he said.
Teten said in order to solve misallocation problems, the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) needed to form regional
branch offices in Papua.
"If there are misallocations of funds or deviations in
implementation, then KPK can quickly probe the case based on the
existing law," Teten said.
---
From: Michel Leonardo <michelleonardo at yahoo.com>
Dear all,
The current development of Carbon Trading has now become a real threat
to the further existence of
Papuan Forest.The forest are placed as collateral by several bupati's at a
Chinese Consortium by the
name of Asia International Finance Holdings Ltd (AIF) pledging for loans
for development projects in the
regencies (kabupaten). The duration of the collateral is 99 years with the
exclusive rights for AIF to
manage & exploit the forests;
Please check the bupati in your own regency whether they have signed the
MoU/Agreement with AIF
and stop them from being persuaded into this business venture. Some
bupati's may have already signed
the MoU/Agreement, i.e: Paniai, Peg Bintang & Yahukimo and some may
follow. The person who
promoted this venture is Yan Mandari and assisted by Harry Wijaya and Dr.
Helfried Lombo, both usually
approached the bupati, chairman of the DPRD and also the chairman and
members of Customary
Council. The consequences of this venture may have a deep environmental
impact on the future
generations of Papuans in our beloved country!
Saudara sekalian!
Perdagangan Carbon sudah menjadi suatu ancaman yang nyata bagi keutuhan
dan keberadaan hutan
di Papua. Hutan ini sekarang telah ditempatkan sebagai jaminan oleh
beberapa bupati pada sebuah
konsorium Cina dengan nama Asia International Finance Holdings Ltd (AIF)
untuk mendapatkan dana
pinjaman untuk proyek-proyek pembangunan di kabupaten masing-masing.Jangka
waktu penempatan
jaminan adalah 99 tahun dengan hak istimewa (monopoli) untuk AIF mengelola
dan mengeksploitasi
hutan di Papua.
Harap diselidiki setiap bupati didaerah anda apakah mereka sudah
mendandatangani MoU/Agreement
dengan AIF dan segera menghentikan mereka agar tidak terlanjur masuk
kedalam usaha ini. Beberapa
bupati mungkin sudah mendanda-tangani MoU/Agreement, a.l.: Paniai, Peg
Bintang & Yahukimo dan
mungkin beberapa akan mengikutinya. Orang yang mempromosikan usaha ini
adalah Yan Mandari dan
dibantu oleh Harry Wijaya dan Dr. Helfried Lombo yang biasanya mendekati
para Bupati, Ketua DPRD
dan bahkan ketua dan anggota Lembaga Adat.. Konsekuensi dari usaha ini
bisa mempunyai suatu
dampak yang sangat buruk terhadap lingkungan dan generasi seterusnya orang
Papua di tanah air kita
tercinta ini!
leonardo
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070806.J03
Australia commits Rp 800 billion to combat HIV in Indonesia
World News - August 06, 2007
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Australia will start an A$100 million (Rp 800 billion) aid program early
next year to help Indonesia fight
HIV throughout the country, the Australian Embassy here said Sunday.
"It is an eight-year program which will start early next year and end in
2015," embassy spokesman John
Williams told The Jakarta Post.
The embassy said in a statement that the aim of the Australia-Indonesia
Partnership for HIV was to
prevent and limit the spread of HIV, to improve the quality of life for
people living with the virus and to
alleviate its socio-economic impact in Indonesia.
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said that Australia had
been a lead partner for Indonesia
in combating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for over a decade.
"The new partnership builds on Australia's current assistance and our
successful program to date. The
prevalence of HIV in Indonesia is, however, on the rise and poses a
serious threat to Indonesia's human
and economic development," Farmer said in a statement.
"Now is the time for further action to address the issue and we are
committed to working with Indonesia in
a common endeavor," he added.
The A$100 million partnership program is part of Australia's A$1 billion
(Rp 8 trillion) commitment to
fighting HIV/AIDS across the Asia-Pacific region up to 2010, announced by
Australian Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer at last week's regional ministerial meeting in Sydney.
Australia to date has made a number of important contributions in the
fight against HIV in Indonesia,
including the introduction of the first prison methadone treatment program
in an Asian country, the
embassy said.
"This treatment program is now being replicated in 95 prisons across
Indonesia," it said.
Australia, the statement said, will work with government agencies,
including provincial governments in
Papua and West Papua, to help them to lead, manage, and fund the HIV
response.
Aside from helping fighting HIV, the Australian government also built
thousands of schools throughout the
country as well as helping the country's reforestation program.
Last week, Farmer and Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad M.
Basyuni opened in
Lumajang, Madura, East Java, 46 Islamic junior schools (madrasah
tsanawiyah) that have been built with
Australian assistance.
Farmer said that the schools were part of the Rp 2.5 trillion Australian
government program which is
funding the construction or expansion of 2,000 schools in 20 Indonesian
provinces until 2009.
"Of those 2,000 schools, 500 are madrasah (Islamic boarding schools),
which demonstrates clearly the
importance of Islamic schools to the Indonesian educating system, and
Australia's understanding of their
role in educating Indonesia's children," he said.
The construction program would create more than 330,000 new junior school
seats for 13- to 15-year-
olds, targeting poor and remote areas, Farmer said.
Australia recently pledged Rp 77 billion to support efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from
deforestation and promote sustainable forest management in Indonesia.
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/27/govt-to-open-resettlement-areas-near-neighboring-states-
minister-says/
National
07/27/07 23:53
Govt to open resettlement areas near neighboring states, minister says
Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - The government will improve quality
of resettlement program
by sending people to areas which share borders with neighboring countries,
Manpower and
Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno has said.
In the next transmigration program, people would be resettled in
government's land and remote islands
next to neighboring states, he said here Friday.
"The future transmigration will be directed at supporting national and
food resilience scheme so that the
government will only resettle skillful people," he said.
The minister expressed optimism that the future transmigration program
would succeed and that people
would not fell homesick in their new residence.
"Hopefully there would be no resettled people return to their former
towns," he said.
In their new dwelling places the people would be provided with alternative
energy plantation in order to
meet rising demand for biofuels as well as reduce unemployment and
pauperism rates, Erman said.
Oil palm which can be turned into alternative energy is widely planted in
transmigration areas which share
border with neighboring countries.
The government would thus make self-contained towns for resettled people,
he said. (*)
Copyright © 2007 ANTARA
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070803.G02
Papua regency being buried in garbage
- August 03, 2007
Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Timika
Timika, the capital of Mimika regency in Papua, has been burdened by a
garbage problem so enormous
the local administration and residents are now blaming each other.
Huge piles of garbage can be seen across the city, including near the
independent Timika market and
throughout residential sites.
Most gutters in the city have been filled by household waste as residents
recklessly throw their rubbish at
the proper containers provided by the administration.
The condition has been worsened because the piles waste are not moved to
proper dump sites located
away from the city.
Mimika's regency administration has consistently asked its local people to
be more aware of the
importance of maintaining a clean city.
The city's conditions give newcomers to the Amungsa land, where Timika is
located, the impression
Timika is dirty.
Acting Mimika regent Atanasius Allo Rafra launched a major reshuffle on
Tuesday and replaced the head
of the city's sanitation office.
The removal of the officer, together with others who were considered to be
negligent in carrying out their
duties, was an attempt to steer the administration's programs onto the
right track.
The reshuffle has been hailed as a positive move by the public. They have
longed for a commitment from
the administration to improve the garbage problem and to include the
provision of public services.
No longer can residents and the administration blame one another. This is
now time for the public to
support the works of the sanitation office and other related institutions
as they try to manage the city's
household waste.
But better sanitation for the city is also desperately needed to help
prevent malaria.
A stronger commitment from city administration, supported by necessary
regulations, should see
residents encourage and support new programs.
The administration would then also support residential initiatives to
return order to their city.
There has been an improvement to the public's perception of the importance
of sanitation -- and this
improvement is expected to change the public's thought processes.
They have to-date been accustomed to doing nothing because the
administration has not been
forthcoming with funds or initiatives for change.
"I've reiterated many times the importance of properly handling sanitation
in Timika," acting regent Rafra
said.
I have asked the new head of the sanitation office to work much better in
handling household waste.
"I have also asked the public works office to help support the handling of
the waste problem," he said,
adding it was better for those failing to meet their duties to tender
their resignation.
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/24/microchips-mulled-for-hiv-carriers-in-papua/
National
07/24/07 14:31
Microchips mulled for HIV carriers in Papua
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Lawmakers in Indonesia's Papua are mulling the
selective use of chip implants
in HIV carriers to monitor their behaviour in a bid to keep them from
infecting others, a doctor said
Tuesday.
John Manangsang, a medical doctor who is helping to prepare a new
healthcare regulation bill for
Papua's provincial parliament, said that unusual measures were needed to
combat the virus.
"We in the government in Papua have to think hard on ways to provide
protection to people from the
spread of the disease," Manangsang told AFP.
"Some of the infected people experience a change of behaviour and can turn
more aggressive and would
not think twice of infecting others," he alleged, saying lawmakers were
considering various sanctions for
these people.
"Among one of the means being considered is the monitoring of those
infected people who can pose a
danger to others," Manangsang said.
"The use of chip implants is one of the ways to do so, but only for those
few who turn aggressive and
clearly continue to disregard what they know about the disease and spread
the virus to others," he said.
A decision was still a long way off, he added.
The head of the Papua chapter of the National AIDS Commission, Constant
Karma, reportedly slammed
the proposal as a violation of human rights.
"People with HIV/AIDS are not like sharks under observation so that they
have to be implanted with
microchips to monitor their movements," he told the Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
"Any form of identification of people with HIV/AIDS violates human rights."
According to data from Papua's health office cited by the Post, the
province has just over 3,000 people
living with HIV/AIDS. Some 356 deaths have been reported. Papua has a
population of about 2.5 million.
(*)
Copyright © 2007 ANTARA
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/22/political-groups-reminded-of-certain-quarters-exploiting-human
-rights-issues-in-papua/
National
07/22/07 13:40
Political groups reminded of certain quarters exploiting human rights
issues in Papua
Timika, Papua (ANTARA News) - Political groups, dignitaries, traditional
figures, the younger generation
and women`s organizations in Papua were reminded of certain quarters
exploiting different issues in the
province, a local intellectual has said.
Among the issues being exploited by the certain groups are those on human
rights, shortcomings in
development programs, poverty and under-development in Papua,
Intellectuals Association Chairman
Hironimus Taime said here Sunday.
Taime made the remark in response to comments from certain persons in
Papua and outside the
province on development, political and social issues as a way to separate
Papua from Indonesia.
The goup continues disseminating issues on alleged human violations in the
past to other countries to win
sympathy from the international community and the Papuan people who were
expected to be not
confident in the central government and the provincial administration, he
said.
"If there are shortcomings in the development programs in Papua, just call
on the government to settle
them," he said.
If they find human rights violations in the past, all parties should urge
relevant institutions to overcome the
problems, he said, adding that law enforcers should be replaced if they
were found unable to deal with
such legal questions with the credible ones.
"We presume that many members of the elite political groups in Papua have
been influenced by certain
groups or organizations which are struggling for Papua`s independence by
making political statements
affecting the unity and cohesion, peace and brotherhood of the Papuan
people," he said.
The elite politicians in Papua were expected not to politicize various
problems like poverty in an effort to
create restlessness among the people, he said.
According to him, Papua has been free since it integrated into the Unitary
State of Indonesia.
"However, they are still suffering from problems in the economic,
educational, health and social fields
among other things. Thus, we all are called to make concerted efforts to
make the people free from those
questions," he added.
Taime pointed out that the government has given big opportunities to the
Papuan people to contain
themselves through the special autonomy in line with Law No 21/2001.
"Let`s develop Papua and live side by side with all ethnic groups. If
there are groups that want Papua to
cut loose from Indonesia, they must be questionable," said Taime who was
once a Mimika Timur
subdistrict head in the 1990s.
Taime said in an effort to improve the welfare of the Papuan people who
are still suffering from
backwardness in all aspects of life, Papua should be split into some
provinces, more districts and villages.
In addition, he said, the Papuan people`s consumtive habits should be
changed to productive ones by
exploiting natural resources in the province for their welfare.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission A of the Mimika district legislative
council, Wilhelmus Pigai said the
local administration still has a lot of things to do including issuance of
several provincial regulations and
special regulations to implement Law No.21/2001. (*)
Copyright © 2007 ANTARA
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/11/indonesia-needs-to-exercise-firm-diplomacy/
National
07/11/07 12:13
Indonesia needs to exercise firm diplomacy
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Governor of the National Resilience Institute
(Lemhanas) Prof. Muladi has said
that the Indonesian Government needs to exercise firm, aggressive and high
quality diplomacy.
And Indonesia needed not to be too polite when dealing with problems which
concerned the country`s
integrity, Prof Muladi said here on Tuesday after meeting with Vice
President Jusuf Kalla.
Muladi stated that if necessary, Indonesia should reject foreign guests,
such as US senators or officials
of the United Nations` human rights commission if their visits could cause
negative impacts.
"We should be careful in receiving visits of foreign guests, such as US
senators or those from the UN
Human Rights Commission. If (their visits) clearly could cause negative
impacts, we should be firm, we
just reject (them)," Muladi said.
According to him, the Indonesian nation currently needed a firm diplomacy,
and it should be not too
polite. Such a stance has been practiced by a few countries, he said.
Concerning separatism in Indonesia, Prof. Muladi said that the government
must deal with the problem
firmly because it could endanger Indonesia`s integrity.
The Government, in this case the police, should eradicate separatism by
upholding law enforcement
firmly without violating human rights. Separatism should be dealt with by
law enforcement, and not by
military operations, he said.
He also suggested that the Government conduct social justice and cultural
approaches in its efforts to
deal with separatism.
In addition, he said, the Government needed to strengthen security
measures in restive areas in order to
prevent any foreign infiltration attempts.
"The military should guard areas around Aceh tightly, including in Sabang
and Medan, by posting war
planes, for instance," he said.
He said that Aceh and Papua Provinces must be watched closely because they
have abundant natural
resources and due to the presence of international NGOs which encouraged
separatism.
"In Papua, the situation could be quite dangerous because it has good
natural resources, adequate
human resources and due to the existing encouragement of international
NGOs such as those from
Australia," he said. (*)
Copyright © 2007 ANTARA
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/6/4/indonesias-forests-threatened-by-logging-palm-oil/
Environment
06/04/07 09:56
Indonesia`s forests threatened by logging, palm oil
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - It's one of the few countries that still has vast
swathes of tropical rainforests
left.
But conservationists say maybe not for long.
Indonesia's rainforests -- especially those on Borneo island -- are being
stripped so rapidly because of
illegal logging and palm oil plantations for bio-fuels, they could be
wiped out altogether within the next 15
years, some environmentalists say.
"Sixty percent of the protected and conservation areas are already badly
damaged due to illegal logging
and palm oil plantations," Rully Sumada, a forestry expert with Indonesian
environmental group Walhi,
told Reuters.
"The deforestation speed is 2.8 million hectares a year. At this rate, by
2012 the forests in Sumatra,
Borneo and Sulawesi will be gone, only the forests in Papua will be left.
And if cutting of trees carries on,
no forest will be left by 2022."
Indonesia has a total forest area of more than 225 million acres (91
million hectares), or about 10 percent
of the world's remaining tropical forest, according to Rainforestweb.org,
a portal on rainforests
(www.rainforestweb.org).
But the tropical Southeast Asian country -- whose forests are a treasure
trove of plant and animal species
including the endangered orangutans -- has already lost an estimated 72
percent of its original frontier
forest.
The biggest threat to the forests of Borneo, and also Aceh on the
northernmost tip of Sumatra island, is
from illegal logging.
A recent report by the Environmental Investigation Agency and
Indonesia-based Telapak said that
Malaysia and China were major recipients of stolen Indonesian timber and
that shipping companies from
Singapore carried such wood overseas.
China industry complicit
Greenpeace's China office said China's timber industry was complicit in
the illegal felling of Indonesia
and Papua New Guinea's merbau trees, with logs then smuggled to China and
processed and exported
as floorboards and high-end furnishings to the United States, Canada,
Australia and Europe.
Merbau is a resilient red hardwood, one of the most valuable in Southeast
Asia.
China's Foreign Ministry brushed away accusations that the country's
demand for timber was hastening
the destruction of Southeast Asian forests, saying it had a strict system
of supervision and management
of timber and timber product
imports."
"The effects of deforestation are crystal clear.
Bio-diversity will be destroyed," Masnellyarti Hilman, a deputy minister
in Indonesia's environment
ministry, told Reuters.
"Not to mention floods, landslides. We see them as a result of massive
deforestation by people who do
not care about its impact. Although they actually know that one of the
conditions to fulfil before cutting
trees down is to re-plant, some do,
some don't."
Orangutans in peril
Environmentalists say Indonesia has also lost vast amounts of forest land
to feed growing global demand
for bio-fuels as an alternative source of energy.
The world's second largest palm oil producer already has around 5 million
hectares of land planted with
oil palm and the government aims to develop between 2-3 million hectares
more of oil plantations
nationwide by 2010.
Environmentalists say the slash-and-burn technique used to speed up the
clearing of land for plantations
sends huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and is also
destroying several endangered
species such as the orangutan and the Sumatran tiger.
According to a recent U.N report compiled using new satellite images and
Indonesian government data,
orangutan habitat is being lost 30 percent quicker than was previously
feared.
It was estimated in 2002 about 60,000 of the shaggy ginger primates were
left in the jungles of Borneo
and Sumatra. Some ecologists say the number has now been halved and others
say the species could be
extinct in 20 years.
Indonesia says government policy is to preserve virgin forest and expand
palm plantations on degraded
and abandoned land that has already been cleared.
Indonesia's government has deployed the military on at least three
occasions in recent years to
confiscate timber and chase loggers out of its parks -- and has begun
training quick response ranger
teams to police protected areas.
But experts say the new units remain crippled by a lack of funds,
vehicles, weapons and equipment, and
face a huge threat from ruthless loggers.
"We allow people to open palm oil plantations as long as they replant.
Palm oil plantations open a wide
range of jobs but they must not do that in conservation areas," Hilman said.
The palm oil industry defends itself and its methods.
"If there are some endangered species in the area or an area is of high
conservation value, then it will
not be opened for plantations," Derom Bangun, executive chairman of the
Indonesian Palm Oil Producers
Association, told Reuters.
"The government has classified areas and has rules and we obey them. It is
not what people from outside
think that we burn." (*)
Copyright © 2007 ANTARA
---
http://www.antara.co.id/en/print/?id=1184945656
Missing air force helicopter in Papua in 2005 discovered
Jayapura (ANTARA News) - An Indonesian Air Force Twin Peck helicopter A
3451 which went missing in
October 2005 in Papua was discovered by the residents of Lere village in
Keerom district recently,
Jayapura military airport commander Col. P. Ismoko Ismono said in Sentany
on Friday.
Confirming that the ill-fated helicopter has been found at the border of
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea,
Ismoko said a special team was sent to the crash site to evacuate the
wreckage.
"The evacuation process by a special team is underway after the ill-fated
helicopter has been found by
the people of Lere village," Ismoko said, adding that a group of Lere
villagers informed Trikora Military
Commander Maj Gen Zamroni about the discovery on Tuesday.
After receiving the information, Zamroni instructed a special team to the
crash site in the jungle and found
the wreckage of the helicopter.
"Evacuation is underway," he said. (*)
Copyright © ANTARA
---
400 hospitalized for food poisoning in Papua
Jayapura (ANTARA News) - About 400 residents of Doyo Baru village, West
Sentani, Jayapura district
were admitted to Yowari Doyo hospital for food poisoning, the hospital
director, Alan Dien, said here on
Friday.
"47 of the victims have to receive special medical treatment for their
serious conditions," Dien said
adding that other victims did not show fatal symptoms.
Katinka Zoumilena (13), one of the victims, said she suffered from
poisoning after consuming food
prepared during a National Family Day celebration in Doyo Baru village.
"We received and ate food provided by the committee after the ceremony,"
she said.
She said she went home after consuming the food but she felt stomach upset
and queasy as she arrived
home.(*)
Copyright © ANTARA
---
http://www.cathnews.com/news/708/31.php
Don't forget Papua: Melbourne bishop
A Melbourne bishop well known for his support for Timorese people, Bishop
Hilton Deakin, is calling on
Australians to remember the role played by Papuans in assisting Australia
during World War II and has
urged Australia to resist human rights abuses in the region.
Giving the homily at the inaugural Asmat Mass for West Papua recently,
Bishop Deakin called for
Australians "to remember West Papua and draw upon all the memories that we
can to further their
cause".
At the service, people from West Papua also presented Bishop Deakin with a
letter for Pope Benedict.
Noting that there are "political affairs, national affairs, and
international affairs that affect the people of
West Papua", Bishop Deakin said that "some people believe that all these
sectional aspects, and only
these sectional aspects, define the place for any legitimate comment that
one may make about the people
of West Papua, of their present condition, and their future."
"But I come from a tradition that says 'no' to that. I believe that it is
a limiting way of tackling the issue. It's
a reductionist way. But it is a way that somehow or another attracts
people today," Bishop Deakin said.
However, a Christian point of view is different, he continued.
"The first step in this, which is also the basic principle of what one
might call basic Catholic social theory
and practice, is that no matter how we see people treat one another, we
are all fashioned, whoever we
are, in the likeness of God.
"It is a given. It is only discussable in the sense that it can be
described. That is, a human being, a total
human being, body, spirit, soul is somehow of God, and in some way like to
him.
"Out of this comes a second point that is also strong in the shared
Christian faith, but most certainly in
the faith of my Catholic tradition. Namely, that no one is alone.
"And for that reason, we so strongly reject the modern habit of stressing
individualism as a philosophy to
be followed. We in fact belong to community. We reach out and will always
touch a neighbour.
"To understand anything and any comment that one would make about human
rights, about the plight of
West Papuans, or the East Timorese, or the Australian Aboriginals, we must
keep those two principles in
mind, because that's where we start from," Bishop Deakin said.
"When we make a claim to freedom of comment in such matters as the ones
that we are talking about
now in West Papua, it is because in our view and judgement the rights
arising from those points that I
have just annunciated are being violated.
"Often people, like government information bureaucrats, spin doctors,
foreign affairs and staff diplomats,
settle for versions of affairs that are far short of the truth.
"The world, as a matter of fact, and this is my view, our neighbours, even
the West Papuans have walked
in fogs of misinformation for more than half a century.
"And always as a result of fogs of misinformation, the victim is the
truth," Bishop Deakin continued.
"Yet our national authorities are at this present time negotiating a
treaty with the oppressors of West
Papua," Bishop Deakin said.
"Its aims determine not only its content, but claim to be the right
decision for West Papuans. West
Papuans have a distinctly and different view. And so do I. And so should
everyone of good will.
"Yet this treaty is being signed in our name and in the name of our
nation. Just a month ago, a UN
representative spoke of the continuing dangers to any West Papuan who
speaks, writes, or seeks to
exercise her or his basic human rights. And here we are in Australia
contracting a treaty that covers
these issues without noting them."
"Those of you who have fled from that oppression and are here with us
today — and thank God you are
— can give a virile testimony for such degrading conditions in your
homeland without a doubt, as indeed
you have.
"The sufferings, the rapes, the bashings, the lack of due legal process,
the murders, the suppression of
indigenous culture, and the imposition of a foreign culture."
We must admit that we all have a great capacity to ignore these sorts of
things; to say, when they are
brought to mind, 'we didn't know'. We have been saying those things
forever and ever.
"We did it during the Second World War, even in Australia, over the
holocaust. We can see it being so
blatantly done at the present time over, what I think, is an invasion of
Aboriginal communities across the
top end of Australia.
"In all of this, let us pray that the West Papuan people never lose
heart," Bishop Deakin concluded.
---
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=34178
Radio New Zealand International
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
People in Indonesian Papua area on PNG border yet to receive ministry aid
Posted at 01:45 on 06 August, 2007 UTC
People in Papua’s Kerrom District are yet to receive aid from Indonesia’s
Ministry of Communications
and Information as part of the information dissemination programme in the
border area.
The Jakarta Post reports that the district, which borders on Papua New
Guinea, has yet to receive
devices to receive radio and television programmes.
The ministry is running a programme in 2007 to provide each isolated and
border area with a package
including parabola antenna and a power generator.
A Catholic Priest John Ponga said local people were in bad need of such
equipment to keep abreast of
development progress in the country in the fields of agriculture,
husbandry, plantation, health and
education.
He feared that the devices had arrived in Papua but were handed over to
persons who were not included
in the programme.
---
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=34068
Radio New Zealand International
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
Papua Kingmi church raided again by Indonesian police
Posted at 06:23 on 31 July, 2007 UTC
The Kingmi Church in the capital of Papua province has reportedly again
been occupied by Indonesian
police.
According to eyewitnesses, mobile paramilitary police, the Brimob,
supported by Indonesian military
forcibly entered and ransacked the Church’s Jayapura Synod office,
smashing windows and damaging
church equipment.
Three members of the Kingmi church and two others were reportedly wounded
in the attack by the
Indonesian security forces and a number of arrests made.
The police and military actions follow a confrontation between members of
the Kingmi church and a
group reportedly from the Indonesian Tabernacle Bible Church who want to
gain control of the Kingmi
church assets.
This is the third time since December that the Indonesian police have
occupied the Kingmi office.
An Indonesian court decision in April 2007 recognised the Kingmi Synod’s
right to maintain control of the
Church assets in West Papua.
---
http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=47580&nav=1
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari - the first international – chain hotel in West
Papua, Indonesia
Monday, July 30, 2007
Swiss-Belhotel International, the manager of hotels, resorts and serviced
Residences in Asia, is pleased
to announce that the management agreement of Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari was
signed in Jakarta on 9th
June 2007 by Mr. Susanto Pirono, Director of PT. Fanindi View Hotel and
Mr. Gavin M. Faull, President
of Swiss-Belhotel International.
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari which will be scheduled to open in August 2007.
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari offers convenient access to both the business
district centered around Jalan
Yos Sudarso No. 8, Manokwari and the upscale residential district of
Manokwari.
The Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari is a 3-star hotel, featuring 93 guest rooms.
The hotel is located in the
heart of the Central Business District of Jalan Yos Sudarso No. 8,
Manokwari, and it has city view and
sea view. It is the first International Hotel in Manokwari. The hotel
features include Swiss Cafe, an all day
dining outlet serving local and international cuisine, Breeze Bar serving
light refreshments, 5 Meeting
Rooms, 1 VIP Lounge and Ballroom for up to 300 persons for standing party,
an ideal environment for
seminars, meetings, conferences, weddings and anniversaries, Swimming
Pool, Spa, Whirlpool and
Fitness Centre.
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari comprise 42 Superior Rooms (30m²), 31 Deluxe
Rooms (34m²), 10 Junior
Suites (46m²), 9 Executive Suites (66m²), 1 Presidential Suite (112m²),
and four apartments – 2 bedroom
(80m²).
"The strategic location of the project in the heart of Manokwari, combined
with the uncompromising,
bespoke service of the Swiss-Belhotel brand, will make this property an
extremely attractive choice for
business travelers and leisure," said Mr. Emmanuel Guillard, Vice
President of Swiss-Belhotel
International in Indonesia. "Offering premium hotel accommodations,
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari will be a
welcome addition to the city's booming financial district, helping meet
the surge in demand from
multinational corporations as well as Manokwari’s growing numbers of
business travelers arrivals." said
Mr. Emmanuel Guillard, Vice President of Swiss-Belhotel International –
Indonesia. He added “Swiss-
Belhotel International Service Philosophy is aimed at providing our guests
affordable first class lodging,
clean, safe and with personalised and efficient service. In order to
capture our share of the market, we
must offer our customers excellent value for money. Swiss-Belhotel
International is
confident that Swiss-Belhotel International will create a standard, and
make The Swiss-Belhotel
Manokwari to the top of the line based on our Philosophy of building
mutually beneficial partnerships with
property owners and investors so that their objectives and goals are
achieved. We are confident that the
strength of the union between Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia and
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari will
be translated into great value and benefits for the future clients of
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari.” he said
"The strategic location of the project in the heart of Manokwari, combined
with the uncompromising,
bespoke service of the Swiss-Belhotel brand, will make this property an
extremely attractive choice for
business travelers and leisure," said Mr. Emmanuel Guillard, Vice
President of Swiss-Belhotel
International in Indonesia. "Offering premium hotel accommodations,
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari will be a
welcome addition to the city's booming financial district, helping meet
the surge in demand from
multinational corporations as well as Manokwari’s growing numbers of
business travelers arrivals." said
Mr. Emmanuel Guillard, Vice President of Swiss-Belhotel International –
Indonesia. He added “Swiss-
Belhotel International Service Philosophy is aimed at providing our guests
affordable first class lodging,
clean, safe and with personalised and efficient service. In order to
capture our share of the market, we
must offer our customers excellent value for money. Swiss-Belhotel
International is confident that Swiss
-Belhotel International will create a standard, and make The
Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari to the top of the
line based on our Philosophy of building mutually beneficial partnerships
with property owners and
investors so that their objectives and goals are achieved. We are
confident that the strength of the union
between Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia and Swiss-Belhotel
Manokwari will be translated into great
value and benefits for the future clients of Swiss-Belhotel Manokwari.” he
said
“We are currently negotiating for several other properties in the country
specifically those in key
destinations like Baguio, Boracay, Bohol, Palawan, Cebu and Tagaytay. The
Philippines is one of the
fastest growing areas in the Asia Pacific region for the hotel and
hospitality industry. We are thrilled that
Swiss-Belhotel International can be an integral part of this dynamic
growth of the country’s tourism
industry,” Swiss-Belhotel International’s Vice President, James Tam,
declares.
Headquartered in Hong Kong (SAR), Swiss-Belhotel International manages
hotels in the Asian region and
in the Middle East including hotels in CHINA Changchun, Hefei, Wuhan (2
Hotels) INDONESIA Jakarta,
Bandung, Semarang, Borneo Banjarmasin, Kalimantan, Bali (3 Hotels),
Jayapura, Kalimantan (opening
2008), Medan (opening 2008), Makassar (opening 2009), Mangga Besar-Jakarta
(opening 2009),
Manokwari, Manado (opening 2008) VIETNAM Hanoi, Halong Bay, Danang
(opening 2006), Hoi An
MALAYSIA (opening 2009) PHILIPINES Manila KUWAIT Kuwait, QATAR Doha
(opening 2009).
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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=33986
Radio New Zealand International
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
Increasing numbers dying in childbirth in Indonesia’s Papua - study
Posted at 02:17 on 27 July, 2007 UTC
The number of women dying in childbirth in the Indonesian city of Merauke,
in Papua province is
reported to have risen in the past two years.
In 2005, the rate was 464 per 100,000 births which rose to 499 in 2006.
An official of the Merauke health service says the reason for the increase
was that many health workers
who work in the villages had been transferred to other districts following
the creation of more district
administrations.
Another reason was that many health workers had abandoned their posts.
The official said that people had either been transferred or they had left
of their own will.
He said that there had been many attempts to recruit nurses and midwives
but there was little interest in
working in remote areas.
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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=33950
Radio New Zealand International
The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific
Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa
Caritas Australia objects to Papua HIV/AIDS microchip proposal
Posted at 23:20 on 25 July, 2007 UTC
Caritas Australia has criticised a proposal being considered by the Papuan
Legislative Council to have
microchips implanted in people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Indonesian provincial parliament is deliberating a regulation to
enable authorities to monitor actions
of HIV/AIDS patients it describes as having "high-risk behaviour".
The National AIDS Commission, as well as the Papua Health Office, have
slammed the proposal as a
violation of human rights.
And as a Catholic relief, development and social service organisation
involved in several AIDS
programmes in Papua, Caritas has also objected to it.
Caritas Australia’s CEO Jack de Groot has questioned whether the proposal
will cut the alarming rate of
infection in Papua.
“It’s a bit unclear to us where this has