[Kabar-Irian] News: August 14-16 2007

[Admin-Editors Kabar-Irian]

KABAR IRIAN NEWS

Aug 14-16

TOPICS

* Indonesia must seek survival in its diversity
* Refugees rally around the flag
* Indonesian auditor seeks lower output from Papua’s Freeport mine
* Indonesia wants to renegotiate copper
* TNI on alert during celebration of Independence Day in Mimika
* Tycoon Ciputra gets Asmat honorary title
* US miner Freeport-McMoran does not expect audit to alter its work contract
* Army HQ will shoot on sight anyone trying to pull down the Red-and-White
flag
*


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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20070815.F03&irec=2


Indonesia must seek survival in its diversity

Agus Pakpahan, Jakarta

Next to the desk in my office, a garuda, Indonesia's national bird, hangs
holding a ribbon that says:

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika -- Unity in Diversity. I also hang the same state
symbol in my living room at home.

A friend once asked me, "Why do you put that logo up on your living room
wall?" My reply was that I was

proud of being part of our unique cultural diversity.

Unity in diversity is not an imaginary thing. It is the long historical
fact that built a nation called Indonesia.

It is the realization of uniqueness across the cultural diversity that
enriches Indonesia's territory from

Sabang to Merauke. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is the magic phrase that unites
our nation.

So, when the modern world talks about pluralism, our founding fathers have
already built Indonesia based

on the uniqueness of our diversity. We have a strong belief and we accept
that what we inherit now is

rooted from the fact that we formed a nation not because we were similar,
but because we were different.

We have our own uniqueness. Unity in diversity is our spiritual capital
that enables us to live as one

nation in a unique way.

Language is a basic social creation that keeps a community alive. The
Indonesian language is our

medium to bridge the communication gap among different local languages. It
is an unparalleled invention

of our nation. Sometimes we do not realize that Bahasa Indonesia is our
most important cultural resource

that unites us without disregarding the local languages that are part of
our cultural heritage and enrich the

national language. In the era of globalization, Bahasa Indonesia is very
adaptive to foreign languages.

Bahasa Indonesia enables us to adopt and to adapt to future global changes
without having to worry

about whether we will lose our identity. Of course, we also have to master
foreign languages as a

consequence of the globalized world.

Whether or not Indonesia will exist in 2050 or 2100 will be determined by
our capability to maintain and to

practice Bhinneka Tunggal Ika in our political, economic and daily
affairs. I believe that local or regional

conflicts have resulted from violations of our Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
principle. The concentration of wealth

in one place such as Jakarta can be seen as another example of violation
of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. We

have to build not only one "top of the mountain" but multiple peaks, with
each of them representing our

cultural diversity. This means we build our strength in all the regions.

If we try to develop a philosophy of dominance, it will spark a strong
chain reaction that weakens the

whole system. We cannot follow the lead of the Dutch colonists who
conquered the archipelago by use of

force. We cannot use military power to maintain territorial unity.

What must be done is to spread the seeds of ideas that enable people to
gain the benefits of our

uniqueness. The meaning of wealth is not just in terms of physical or
material things. Indonesia has its

own feelings and awareness that binds us together, in so far as we see
fairness and justice in our daily

lives.

The key is how we can plant the seeds of respect among us, respecting our
differences. I believe that is

something we need to think of seriously as we celebrate Indonesia's 62nd
Independence Day.

The writer is an agricultural economist who specializes in natural
resources and institutional economics.

He can be reached at ciboerial at yahoo.com.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/refugees-rally-around-the-flag/2007/08/15/1186857596875.html

Refugees rally around the flag

Anniversary 
 West Papuans at Parliament House.
Photo: Glen Mccurtayne
Craig Skehan
August 16, 2007

THE diplomatically sensitive Morning Star independence flag was flown
outside the Australian Parliament

yesterday by a group of West Papuans - some of whose successful asylum
applications last year

infuriated Indonesia.

Flying the same flag in West Papua would probably mean jail.

It was the anniversary yesterday of the 1962 diplomatic agreement which
led to West Papua's

incorporation by Indonesia.

The independence campaigner Herman Wainggai yesterday called on the
Government to use a visit to

Australia next month of the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, to press for round-table

talks on the province's future.

Mr Wainggai told those gathered in freezing light rain, including 25 of
the 43 who were granted asylum

last year, that their plight had alerted ordinary Australians to
repression by Indonesian security

personnel. The refugees, some with their faces painted in traditional
designs and one sporting a

headdress of cassowary feathers, arrived at Cape York in January last year
on board an outrigger

canoe.

Mr Wainggai thanked the Australian Government for granting them asylum,
but said it was not doing

enough to speak out against abuses in West Papua, which borders Papua New
Guinea. "We are not

sure if those who need to hear our story are listening," he said. "People
in our homeland need protection

too."

Australia has signed a security agreement with Indonesia which provides
that neither country should

undermine the sovereign integrity of the other.

But submissions to a federal parliamentary inquiry stated that the treaty
should not be used to stifle rights

of those granted asylum in Australia to peacefully express their views.

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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=34388


Radio New Zealand International

Indonesian auditor seeks lower output from Papua’s Freeport mine

Posted at 01:47 on 14 August, 2007 UTC

An Indonesian Government audit report says the giant Freeport-McMoRan
Copper and Gold mine

operator in Papua should lower its maximum daily production at its
Grasberg mine to reduce

environmental damage.

A member of the auditor’s team, Witoro Soelarno, says the mine should
reduce its production by up to

one third from the current cap of 300,000 tonnes of ore per day.

Mr Soelarno told the news agency Bloomberg that the group hopes the audit
results are implemented this

year.

Indonesia initiated the audit after local activists last year called for a
shut down of the Grasberg mine,

accusing Freeport of not doing enough to benefit local people.

In 2006, a team of legislators inspecting Grasberg’s open-pit mine claimed
they had found environmental

violations that allegedly threaten the area’s ecosystem.


© RNZI 2004

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http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/13/business/sxfreeport.php

Indonesia wants to renegotiate copper
By Bambang Dwi Djanuarto and Claire Leow Bloomberg News
Published: August 13, 2007


Indonesia wants to renegotiate its contract with Freeport-McMoRan Copper &
Gold, the world's second-

largest copper producer, potentially cutting output and increasing
royalties from its Grasberg mine, a

minister said.

"Both parties must agree to change the contract of work," Purnomo
Yusgiantoro, the minister of Energy

and Mineral Resources, said Monday. The government wants to lower the
daily output ceiling at the mine

and increase local smelting, Purnomo said.

Freeport, based in Phoenix, Arizona, has not received formal notice of the
plan, Mindo Pangaribuan, a

spokesman for the company's Indonesian unit, said by telephone Monday.

Grasberg accounted for 4 percent of all copper mined last year, and lower
output may extend this year's

18 percent rally in prices on the London Metal Exchange. The mine, located
in Papua province, operates

under a 30-year contract signed in 1992, which may be extended for as many
as 20 years.

"It has to be a win-win situation, and cannot be at the expense of the
company or it will send a bad signal

to mining companies," Ahmad Solihin, an analyst at Mandiri Sekuritas in
Jakarta, said by telephone. "It

has to be agreed to by both parties."

Indonesia wants to lower maximum daily production at Grasberg to between
200,000 tons and 250,000

tons of copper ore from 300,000 tons, Purnomo said in Jakarta. The
proposal comes after a state audit

of the mine's operations. The company targets daily output of 220,000 tons
to 230,000 tons under a five-

year plan, Pangaribuan, of Freeport, said.

The government also wants as much as 50 percent of Grasberg's output to be
smelted at a facility in East

Java province, the minister said. At present, the smelter processes about
30 percent of the mine's output.

Shares in Freeport, which is led by Richard Adkerson, have gained 63
percent over the past 12 months,

and settled at $86.46 in New York on Friday. The company said last month
that second-quarter profit

gained to $1.17 billion from $382 million a year earlier, bolstered by the
$26 billion acquisition of Phelps

Dodge.

"It is not easy" to amend the U.S. company's contract of work, Purnomo
said Monday, adding that any

changes needed to be agreed to through negotiations.

Still, "we have not received any notification," said Pangaribuan, the
spokesman for Freeport's Indonesian

unit. "The royalty is calculated on a quarterly basis using a complex
formula related to copper prices and

production."

Grasberg is second only to Escondida in Chile in terms of copper output.
Freeport plans to produce 1.1

billion pounds of copper from the site this year, compared with 1.2
billion pounds in 2006. Gold output

may gain 6 percent to 1.8 million ounces.

Three-month copper futures in London traded at $7,506 per metric ton in
late afternoon trading in Jakarta

on Monday.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnation.asp?fileid=20070815.G02&irec=1

TNI on alert during celebration of Independence Day in Mimika

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Timika

Soldiers and police officers have been ordered to take strict action
against any groups or parties that

erect Papua's Bintang Kejora flags during the commemoration of Indonesia's
62nd Independence Day on

Friday.

The order was made in response to reports circulating in Timika, the
capital of Mimika regency.

Bintang Kejora flags would be erected on Wednesday, Mimika military
district commander Lt. Col. Trie

Soeseno said Tuesday.

Soeseno said he was informed via a mobile text message that said certain
groups would try to disturb the

commemoration ceremony in Mimika.

He said his subordinates were still investigating the reports.

"Anybody intending to hoist any flag aside from the Red and White ones
will disturb the sovereignty of

the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian Military (TNI) will take
stern action against any disturbance

in Papuan land," Soeseno said.

He said his command had deployed soldiers in a number of spots where
disturbances frequently took

place, including Mile 68 and Banti in Tembagapura district.

Soldiers assisted by the police would also intensify patrols ahead of and
during the celebrations.

"I urge the public not to be easily provoked by various groups to disrupt
security in Mimika regency," he

said.

Mimika Police chief Comr. Muhammad Yusuf said disturbances were predicted
to occur ahead of the

commemoration ceremony on Friday.

The police had strengthened their patrol in both Timika and Mimika in
general, he said.

Acting Mimika Regency Atanasius Allo Rafra said he was concerned about the
unexpected bloody

incidents in the regency, including the death of motorcyclist in Kwamki
Lama, as well as brawls among

supporters during a volleyball competition at Eme Neme Yauware field Sunday.

"I urge the public to take part in maintaining security to enable them to
join celebrations happily," he said.

A similar call was made by Mimika Legislative Council's speaker Yoseph
Yopi Kilangin.

He asked the public to "not be easily attracted by dismal invitations".

"All parties in Mimika regency have to work hand in hand to maintain
security," he said.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070814.C06

Tycoon Ciputra gets Asmat honorary title

City News - August 14, 2007

JAKARTA: The Asmat, one of the many ethnic groups in Papua, have given
property tycoon Ciputra the

honorary title of Aswets Beorpits, which means prosperous leader.

The title was bestowed on him Sunday by Asmat Regent Yuven A. Baikai, who
had just opened cultural

festival Asmat Beorpits in Ancol Dreamland, North Jakarta.

In his response, Ciputra said the Asmat people, like many other ethnic
groups in Papua, must not only

rely on central government assistance.

"Other than much needed infrastructure development, local administrations
in Papua must encourage

entrepreneurship and creativity," said Ciputra, the former president
director of giant developer PT

Pembangunan Jaya.

PT Pembangungan Jaya is the developer and owner of recreational park Ancol
Dreamland and a number

of housing complexes including Bintaro Jaya and Citra Raya.

"There must be a concrete breakthrough to boost economic development.
Asmat has natural and cultural

treasures that await exploration," Ciputra said as quoted by Antara.

To the Asmat people, Ciputra promised to build a museum in Jakarta to
promote the cultural heritage of

the Asmat and other Papuan ethnic groups.

The Asmat cultural festival ends August 19. --JP

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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=34443


Radio New Zealand International

The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific

US miner Freeport-McMoran does not expect audit to alter its work contract

Posted at 21:06 on 15 August, 2007 UTC

The US miner Freeport-McMoran says it does not expect a recent Indonesian
audit on its massive mine

in Papua to mean it has to alter its work contract.

A company official says the audit on Freeport’s operations, which started
in April 2006, has called on the

firm to limit output to around 250,000 tonnes a day to minimise
environmental damage.

The company is allowed to produce up to 300,000 tonnes of ore a day under
its work contract.

The government auditors also recommended that Freeport process more copper
within the country.

At present, Freeport processes 30 percent of its total ore output in
Indonesia, partly due to limited

smelting capacity within the country.

A spokesman for the miner says Freeport has been operating according to a
working contract.

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From:  Tapol <tapol at gn.apc.org>

Cenderawasih Post, 13 August 2007

Army HQ will shoot on sight anyone trying to pull down the Red-and-White flag

Here is a strong warning as the 17th August anniversary approaches to
anyone who tries to pull down the red-and-white flag already unfurled on
the mast. Army headquarters has issued a threat that they will 'shoot on
sight'.

'There's no problem with shooting anyone because this represents an insult
to the state, so everyone out in the field is given full authorisation,'
said Vice Admiral Sagoem Tamboen, head of Public Relations at army
headquarters.

Cables have been sent to all Kodams and Korems throughout Indonesia to
safeguard conditions in their area, especially as we approach the
anniversary of the proclamation on 17th August this coming Friday.

The officer said that the position taken by the army is not a violation of
human rights. On the contrary, it means upholding the law. 'If there are
elements who refuse to accept the red-and-white, and dont want to be
citizens of Indonesia, then they can just go somewhere else,' said Sagoem.

So who are they? The two-star general was not willing to mention names.
'There's no need for me to mention anyone. You yourselves know from what
happened last year, who these people were who caused disruptions.'

There were incidents last year in Muara Dua, Lhokseumawe, Aceh and in
Merauke, Papua. 'We need the support of local people to come forward and
report, if anyone is trying anything on.'

Meanwhile, the governor of Lemhanas (National Defence Institute)
Muladi  said that the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia was
indisputable (harga mati). It must be strongly defended. 'Any action
however small to provoke separatism must be firmly dealt with,' he said. He
said that the independence proclamation was not just something to be
celebrated symbolically. But it must be followed through with concrete
action, with hard work.'

A member of Commission 3 of Parliament, Soeripto, said that any on-the-spot
shooting should be preceded by giving a warning. 'It would be far better if
those involved were arrested and interrogated,' he said. A local assembly
member from Sidoardjo said that efforts to pull down the flag should be
handled carefully. 'Maybe such things are intended to discredit the good
name of the army,' he said.


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

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