[Kabar-Irian] News: June 27-Jul 1 2007
Admin-Editors Kabar-Irian
editors at kabar-irian.info
Sun Jul 1 23:31:51 MDT 2007
KABAR IRIAN NEWS
June 27-July 01
TOPICS
* Remove indicted colonel from West Papua
* Aircraft skids off runway in Papua; no causality (sic)
* West Papua: Dialogue in a Harsh Reality
* Scomi Engineering invests RM25m in machine shops
* Freeport-McMoRan Declares Dividend
* FILEP KARMA WAS TORTURED AS A RESULT OF HIS REPORT
* Human rights activists from West Papua targeted
* Eco-tourism at risk in Indonesia
* Open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
* Our very own failed state
* Indonesia’s forgotten province
---
MEDIA RELEASE
Embargoed to 00:01, 28 June 2007
Indonesia: Remove indicted colonel from West Papua
Crimes against humanity suspect a threat to Papuans
28 June 2007 – The presence in Papua of a senior Indonesian army officer
indicted on crimes against humanity charges in East Timor (now
Timor-Leste) endangers human rights defenders and political activists and
is a sign of the Indonesian government’s lack of commitment to justice and
accountability a coalition of Indonesian and international human rights
organisations said today.
In an open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia (see
http://tapol.gn.apc.org/news/files/let070628.htm), the organisations
called for Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, commander of the Jayapura
sub-regional military command (Korem 172) in Papua, to be withdrawn
immediately and suspended from active duty. They urged the Indonesian
government to review all evidence against Col. Siagian and other
high-level East Timor suspects to determine whether proceedings should be
commenced and to extradite to East Timor those indicted by Dili’s Special
Panel for Serious Crimes.
“It is shocking that a government supposedly committed to military reform
and fighting impunity would appoint an indicted officer to a sensitive
senior post in Papua,” said Paula Makabory, the spokesperson for the
Institute for Human Rights Study & Advocacy West Papua ELS-HAM.
“Papuans will continue to have their rights trampled on until the civilian
authorities exert control over military behaviour and ensure
accountability for past abuses,” she added.
Responding to Papuan demands for a review of their history, Col. Siagian
last month reportedly threatened to “destroy” anyone who “betrays”
Indonesia. This echoes similar statements he allegedly made when based in
Maliana as military commander of the Bobonaro district of East Timor. Two
indictments issued in 2003 state that he made speeches threatening to kill
East Timorese independence supporters and was responsible for the deaths
of seven men in April 1999 (See
http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Cailacoindnannexeng07feb03) and
http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Maliana_Burhanuddin22_7_03.pdf)
The organisations pointed out that Papuans who campaign peacefully are not
betraying Indonesia as alleged by Col. Siagian, but simply asserting their
right to express their political views. It called upon President
Yudhoyono to show his commitment to freedom of expression and support this
right.
Col. Siagian is not the only person accused of serious crimes in East
Timor who has continue d in an active position of command responsibility.
In April this year, Major General Noer Muis, former military commander of
East Timor, controversially co-directed a joint military training exercise
with the United States (see http://www.etan.org/news/2007/04muis.htm). In
2003, Timbul Silaen was appointed chief of police in Papua despite being
indicted on charges arising from his occupation of the same position in
East Timor in 1999. A number of senior suspects, including Major-General
Adam Damiri former military commander of the East Timor region, were
involved in military operations in Aceh.
Indonesia’s ad hoc human rights court tried 18 defendants (not including
Col. Siagian) on charges relating to crimes against humanity in East
Timor, but the proceedings were widely regarded as a sham. Twelve
defendants were acquitted and five had their convictions overturned on
appeal. The only conviction still standing is that of East Timorese
militia leader, Eurico Guterres. The UN-established serious crimes
process in East Timor indicted 392 suspects, but Indonesia refused to
co-operate and more than 70 per cent of those indicted, including all the
non-East Timorese nationals, remain free in Indonesia.
“We are dismayed by Indonesia’s lack of respect for the rule of law and
its apparent determination to perpetuate a cycle of impunity that
encourages military personnel to believe they will escape justice for past
and future violations of human rights,” said Matthew Jamieson Secretary of
the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights in Australia. “Indonesia
has failed to keep its obligations under international law and Indonesian
domestic law to prosecute Col Siagian for his alleged crimes.”
ENDS
Contacts:
Australia: Matthew Jamieson, Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human
Rights; +61 418291998; matthew at hr.minihub.org
UK: Paul Barber, TAPOL, +44 1420 80153; plovers at gn.apc.org
US: John M Miller, ETAN, +1 917 690 4391; etan at igc.org
---
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070630160626&irec=9
Aircraft skids off runway in Papua; no causality
JAYAPURA, Papua Province (Antara): An airplane belonging to PT Trigana
skidded off the runway at Mulia airport, Puncak Jaya district, Papua, when
it was trying to take off at 3.10 p.m. local time.
Citing a reliable source in the airport, Antara news agency reported that
the airplane skidded some 250 meters off the runway, causing its front
tires to sink in the soil.
Piloted by Adi Bambang, the aircraft was to fly 21 security personnel of
the Papua Regional Police, who had just finished their assignment to guard
the installation of a local district head.
No casualty nor injury was reported during the incident of the airplane,
which in the morning was flying from Wamena's regency, taking the same
security officers. (**)
---
http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=6898
West Papua: Dialogue in a Harsh Reality
2007-06-27
Mr. Viktor Kaisiëpo, UNPO Member representative of West Papua, gave a
presentation at the UNPO Secretariat on 21 June 2007, to brief on recent
developments in as well as the historical context of West Papua.
West Papua is one of UNPO’s founding Members, and denotes the western part
of the island of New Guinea, bordering on the Moluccas in the West, Papua
New Guinea in the East and Australia in the South. Its population is
composed of at least 250 different tribes, most of them Melanesian peoples
with their own language and culture. Christianity was introduced in the
19th century. With the immigration of Indonesians, Islam is gaining
prevalence.
During his visit, Mr Kaisiëpo outlined the continuous struggle against the
Indonesian oppression since the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM, the Free
Papua Movement) proclaimed the independence of West Papua in 1971. He
emphasised in particular the way of forwarding the struggle with peaceful
means, as an alternative to armed struggle.
“We have declared West Papua “Land of Peace” because we do not use weapons
or armed resistance anymore, we took our once armed resistance out of the
forest and brought them into the cities to work on advocacy, diplomacy and
non-violent action”, Mr Kaisiëpo said.
Mr Kaisiëpo used the opportunity to emphasize that despite the Special
Autonomy Law that came into force in 2000, there is still no real autonomy
and West Papuans still suffer many forms of discrimination and
disadvantages: “It is not just a matter of gaining political independence
but also to take control of your own natural resources, that is the only
way to obtain means for developing infrastructure and economic progress.”
West Papua is rich in natural resources such as gold, silver, natural gas,
copper, timber, etc. These resources are being exploited and ever since
Indonesia took over West Papua, its government has been taking full
advantage of those resources, while few profits are returned to West
Papua. During the last 30 years, vast areas of West Papua have been
granted as concessions to multinational, transnational and Indonesian
mining, oil and logging companies without consultation with, or approval
of, the indigenous peoples who have inherited these lands from their
ancestors who held them for 40,000 years.
Mr Kaisiëpo regretted to see how foreign companies make a lot of money at
the expense of the local people who hardly get a single per cent of the
total generated income. Emphasizing the seriousness of the political
struggle for self-determination, Mr Kaisiëpo noted: “We have to understand
that the challenge today is no longer the decolonisation process of the
past, today our real challenge is globalization.”
While sharing his views on UNPO’s aims and mission, Mr Kaisiëpo warned the
unrepresented peoples against any form of despair in their struggle to
make their concerns properly addressed by the international community,
saying that all the UNPO Members should realise that when they commit to
an organisation such as UNPO they are actually committing to themselves:
“We did not create UNPO to replace us, an organisation like this will not
do the work for you, UNPO is here because many Members do not have the
expertise and UNPO is here to assist and provide those elements and skills
needed for capacity building.”
Based on the principles of protection of human, economic and cultural
rights, Mr Kaisiëpo insisted that Members must determine where they want
to be in the upcoming years in order to move forward in the right
direction.
“I have committed myself to dialogue even if, as some of my people say, I
have to sit with the enemy
we must go beyond the principles and become
more pragmatic, this is the only way to build bridges between National
States and the unrepresented peoples.”
Mr Kaisiëpo finally expressed his solidarity with the rest of the UNPO
fellow Members which are still struggling in different arenas,
acknowledging the value UNPO has for its many and diverse Members.
Those attending the presentation found it an invaluable opportunity to
collect first hand and valuable information from one of the UNPO founders,
learning from the achievements, difficulties and overall experiences of
UNPO Member West Papua and its representative in the struggle for freedom
and human rights, as well as self-determination related to natural
resources and socio-economic development.
---
Friday June 29, 2007
Scomi Engineering invests RM25m in machine shops
By SHARIDAN M. ALI
LABUAN: Scomi Engineering Bhd is investing around RM25mil to open three
new machine shops in the region and expand its Brunei machine shop by
year-end to meet industry demand.
This would bring the total number of machine shops under Scomi Engineering
to 10, senior vice president Hilmy Zaini Zainal said.
The company would be opening machine shops in Irian Jaya, Johor Baru and
Saudi Arabia at an investment cost of between US$1.5mil and US$3mil per
plant, he said after launching Scomi Engineering’s upgraded machine shop
here yesterday.
Scomi Engineering currently has seven machine shops in the Asia-Pacific
region – in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, Thailand and
Indonesia.
A machine shop provides plain end threading services as well as threading
repair and maintenance works for upstream oil and gas pipes.
“The upgrade of the shop in Brunei will cost RM500,000. All the three
machine shops would be operational this year,” Hilmy said.
Hilmy said Scomi Engineering would fund the expansion via internal funds
and borrowings.
A view of Scomi Engineering’s upgraded machine shop in Labuan
“Our gearing is quite low, at between 0.16 and 0.17 times, as at Dec 31,
2006. We do not think we will have any trouble finding financing for the
expansion,” he added.
Hilmy said the company’s Irian Jaya machine shop was expected to open this
month, while the Saudi Arabian and Johor Baru machine shops would be
opened by October.
“The Saudi Arabian machine shop is a 70:30 joint venture with a local
partner there, with Scomi Engineering holding 70% stake. “Part of the
investment would also be from our partners there,’ he said.
Hilmy added that Scomi Engineering had invested RM8mil in the Labuan
machine shop. The facility would be adding three computerised
numerically-controlled (CNC) lathe machines costing about US$400,000 each
by year-end.
Currently, it has six CNC machines. The new machines would increase the
facility’s processing capacity to 20,000 pipes a year.
Meanwhile, Labuan Corp is looking for investors to further expand its oil
and gas industry and cement its role as one of the petrolchemical zones in
the country.
In line with the growth of the oil and gas industry on the 92 sq km
island, the corporation is considering allowing the reclamation of some
500 acres for development.
Labuan Federal Territory MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman said the
corporation was looking for private companies to invest in the land
reclamation, estimated to cost some RM400mil, and formulate an investment
return plan.
“We hope the plan will take off by next year, with maybe the first 200
acres in Phase I, and the remainder extended to the 10th Malaysia Plan,”
he said.
He added that the federal territory was also looking for corporate
entities to finance the reclamation via private finance initiatives and
was willing to offer incentives.
“The incentive basis can be worked out such as 80% of the land will go
back to the investors while the remaining will belong to the Government,”
he said.
SCOMIEN : [Stock Watch] [News]
---
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/28/ap3867383.html?partner=alerts
Associated Press
Freeport-McMoRan Declares Dividend
Associated Press 06.28.07, 11:55 AM ET
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. on Thursday announced a quarterly cash
dividend of 31.25 cents per common share.
The Phoenix-based company will pay the dividend Aug. 1 to shareholders of
record July 16.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
---
- ----- Forwarded message from samoxen <mior73 at dsl.pipex.com> -----
A MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM WEST PAPUA ABOUT FILEP KARMA IMPRISONED BY
INDONESIA FOR 15 YEARS IN ABEPURA PRISON FOR RAISING THE MORNING
STAR FLAG ON 1st DECEMBER 2004.
(RECEIVED ON TUESDAY, 26th JUNE 2007)
FILEP KARMA WAS TORTURED AS A RESULT OF HIS REPORT THAT RECENTLY
APPEARED IN THE LOCAL & NATIONAL MEDIA
On the 12th June 2007, TOP TV (Papuan Local TV), Cenderawasih Post
and Papua Post (newspapers) published Filep Karma's report about
violence and extortion which is being committed by Indonesian
prison officers.
Included in the report, he reported that the prison officers
receive bribes and also have stolen the prison's tools and
equipment which were used by prisoners for training and practical
activities. He reported that the prison officers took them and used
them as their personal belongings.
In addition, he reported about a list of names of the prisoners who
have bribed the prison officers and who are now enjoying freedom
outside the prison.
As a result of Filep Karma's report which was published by the
media, the prison officer named KRISTOMUS WAMUAR dragged him by the
collar of his shirt. He and his son (who has recently been
recruited as a new prison officer) dragged him along the ground and
together with ABRAHAM FINGKREUW, they violently dragged him along
the ground for about 40 meters.
As a result of their action his shirt was torn , his feet were
injured and his back bone and his coccyx (tailbone) which was
broken/damaged [when he was arrested in 2004] are now very painful
again.
Until the pubication of Filep Karma's report, he had a health
check regularly every Monday and Thursday at the Jayapura Regional
Hospital in Dok II Jayapura C. However, since that report came out,
he has not been allowed to have a health check again. The
Indonesian prison officer whose name is MELKIAS MEHUESH wants him
to get sick so he did not approve his permission to have the
medical check-up by refusing to sign his medical approval book.
This is still the situation now, up to and including Monday, 25th
June 2007.
Please campaign to stop these human rights abuses by the
Indonesian prison officers against Free Papua political prisoners.
Lord Jesus bless you.
[Name witheld]
---
URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal
<http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=ua-209-2007 >
28 June 2007
------------------------------------
UA-209-2007: INDONESIA: Human rights activists from West Papua
targeted following meetings with UN Human Rights Defenders Special
Representative
INDONESIA: Death threats, intimidation and attacks; human rights
defenders; impunity
------------------------------------
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received credible
information of ongoing attacks, intimidation, surveillance and
threats, including death threats, against human rights defenders from
West Papua that occurred in mid-June 2007, following their meeting
with Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN Special Representative to the Secretary
General on Human Rights Defenders. It is alleged that members of the
Indonesian military (TNI) are targeting people who met with Ms. Hina
Jilani during her visit to Indonesia and who informed her about human
rights abuses in West Papua. Although a formal letter has been issued
to the chief of the national police and the regional military
commander of Papua province, no action has been taken by the
authorities and the defenders continue to feel threatened while
conducting their work. It must be recalled that Indonesia is a member
of the UN Human Rights Council, which has mandated Ms. Hina Jilani to
carry out her work. Attacks on human rights defenders who have
communicated with Ms. Jilani should be considered very grave, as
should the Indonesian authorities’ failure to investigate such
incidents, and call into question Indonesia’s credibility as a
member of the Human Rights Council.
CASE DETAILS:
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of three
separate cases of alleged attacks, intimidation and threats by the
military against human rights activists from West Papua. It is
suspected that the following individuals were targeted by the armed
forces shortly after their meeting with Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN
Secretary General’s Special Representative on Human Rights
Defenders (for more information please see the UN Press Release
<http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/5b4138c66ce4b53bc12572f8005c4ac8?opendocument>
concerning her visit).
The first case reported involves two persons: Frederika Korain,
Priest Perinus Kogoya. They all work for the Peace and Justice
Commission for the Diocese of Jayapura (SKP Jayapura). They attended
a public hearing with Ms. Hina Jilani in Jakarta on June 7, 2007.
They returned to Jayapura on June 8, 2007. Sentani airport, where
their plane landed, was being heavily guarded by the police, military
and intelligence services, as Ms. Hina Jilani was scheduled to visit
Papua. The afore-mentioned persons' vehicle was passing Post 7
Sentani in Ifar (about 5-10 minutes from the airport), when they were
rammed by a blue Kijang car with police license plate number DS 1693
AF. As a result of the crash, the SKP car was damaged and the
passengers were in shock. The SKP driver attempted to stop the car
that had hit them, at which point two men got out of the car and
stated that they were intelligence commanders for the military
regional command of Trikora (Komandan Intel Kodam XVII Trikora). One
of the men also stated in a threatening tone that his name is FX.
Subangun and that he works as an intelligence commander in KODAM
Trikora. He provided his cell phone number: 0811484860, following
which the two men ran from the scene. The police, who saw the entire
incident, allowed them to leave the scene of accident without being
questioned. Local groups believe that this incident was no accident,
but was for the direct purpose of intimidating the two defenders,
notably as they had been being followed by the same car since they
had left the airport.
The second case involves Yan Christian Warinussy, the Executive
Director of the Institute of Research, Analysis and Development for
Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari, who has reported that he is under
surveillance both at his home and office. On June 8, 2007, Mr.
Warinussy met with Ms. Hina Jilani in Jayapura, and he came back to
Manokwari on June 9, 2007. At around 8pm that night, Mr. Warinussy
noticed a black Kijang Innova car parked in front of his house for
about 20 minutes. The car's windows were tinted. The car returned at
around 11pm that same night. On June 11, 2007, at around 7pm, two
Kijang cars parked in front of the LP3BH office on Gunung Salju
street for about 30 minutes. Mr. Warinussy requested protection from
Peace Brigade International (PBI) and asked them to accompany him
from Friday June 15, 2007 onwards. On June 16, 2007, at around 8pm,
two PBI activists and Mr. Warinussy, saw a metalic-coloured Kijang
diesel car and police license plate number DD 546 PD parked in front
of Mr. Warinussy's house for some 20 minutes. The car left and then
passed by twice that night without stopping. On Monday, June 18,
2007, at 11pm, that same car was parked in front of the LP3BH office.
The car is reportedly owned by the Manokwari Telkomsel telephone
company. However, the car is reportedly often borrowed by a member of
the Indonesian Navy named Hery, who is believed to be working as an
intelligence officer for the Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence
Agency (BAIS) in Manokwari.
The third case concerns Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, the head of the
National Human Rights Commission (Komnas Ham) in Papua Province. On
June 11, 2007, Albert received a text message from cell phone number
081344034383 that said "You who are reporting about the human rights
situation in Papua are trying to destroy the people. You want
evidence of people being killed, I will kill your tribe, your family
and your children will become only bones to show that there is only a
zone of peace in Papua."
On June 14, 2007, Mr. Albert Rumbekwan received five more text
messages from the same number, again containing death threats. AT
around 8am on the same day, unidentified persons parked three cars
some 20 meters from Mr. Albert Rumbekwan's office. The cars were a
black Avanza, a Kijang LZ and a white Kijang Kapsul. The perpetrators
were shouting, allegedly to get Mr. Albert Rumbekwan to come outside
and see them, but he ignored them, as a result of which they remained
in the area and monitored his offices until around 4pm. According to
Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, the persons involved had long hair and came
from two particular tribal groups, who it is thought may be being
used by the authorities to conduct surveillance on their behalf. When
Mr. Albert Rumbekwan left the office in a Komnas HAM Papua car, he was
followed to his home by these persons. During the afternoon, Mr.
Albert Rumbekwan received a telephone call from the same cell phone
number, asking him to meet with the caller at Swissbell Hotel at 7pm
that night. However, Mr. Albert Rumbekwan decided not to go to this
meeting. On the night of June 17, 2007, a car was reportedly engaged
in the surveillance of Mr. Albert Rumbekwan's house for about two and
a half hours.
The Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence
(KontraS) has already issued complaint letters concerning the three
afore-mentioned cases to the Chief of Police for the Province of
Papua (Kapolda Papua), Regional Military Commander of Trikora, chief
of National Police (Kapolri), Foreign Affairs Minister of Indonesia,
and the Head of Komnas HAM in Jakarta. However, no effective action
has yet been taken to investigate these incidents. The Indonesian
government must immediately investigate these incidents, punish those
found to be responsible and ensure that all such attacks and
intimidation tactics against human rights defenders are halted.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below expressing your grave
concern regarding the attacks, death threats, intimidation and
surveillance being experienced by human rights defenders in West
Papua, notably those who have been in contact with Ms. Hina Jilani,
the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human
Rights Defenders, during her recent visit to Indonesia. Indonesia is
a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which mandates
the Special Representative to carry out her work in favour of human
rights defenders, and as such, attacks on defenders who have
communicated with Ms. Jilani should be treated as being extremely
serious, as they exhibit a wanton disregard for Indonesia’s
international human rights obligations and pledges.
To support this appeal, please click here:
<http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=ua-209-2007 >
Suggested letter:
Dear __________,
INDONESIA: Human rights activists from West Papua targeted following
meetings with UN Human Rights Defenders Special Representative
Name of the victims:
1) Frederika Korain and Priest Perinus Kogoya from SKP Jayapura.
2) Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive Director of the Institute of
Research, Analysis and Development for Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari
3) Albert Rumbekwan, the head of the National Human Rights Commission
(Komnas Ham) in Papua Province.
Date of incidents: Mid-June 2007
Alleged perpetrators: members of the Indonesian armed forces (TNI)
and the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS).
I am writing to voice my deep concern about the grave situation of
human rights defenders in Indonesia's West Papua Province. Defenders
continue to face harrasment, threats, and surveillance by the
country’s security forces. I am informed that the following
individuals have been subjected to such treatment following their
having met with Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN Special Representative to the
Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, in which they had
discussed with her about the human rights violations in Papua. It
must be recalled that Indonesia is a member of the UN Human Rights
Council, which has mandated Ms. Hina Jilani to carry out her work.
Attacks on human rights defenders who have communicated with Ms.
Jilani should be considered very grave, as should the Indonesian
authorities' failure to investigate such incidents, as they exhibit a
wanton disregard for Indonesia's international human rights
obligations and pledges. These incidents call into question
Indonesia’s credibility as a member of the Human Rights
Council.
1. Frederika Korain and Priest Perinus Kogoya from the Peace and
Justice Commission for the Diocese of Jayapura (SKP Jayapura). On
their way back from the Sentani Airport in Jayapura on June 8, 2007,
Frederika and Priest Perinus Kogoya's car was rammed by a blue Kijang
car with license plate number DS 1693 AF, driven by two persons who
informed them that they were intelligence commanders from the Trikora
military regional command (Komandan Intel Kodam XVII Trikora). It is
thought the defenders' car was intentionally rammed in order to
intimidate them.
2. Mr. Yan Christian Warinussy, the Executive Director of the
Institute of Research, Analysis and Development for Legal Aid (LP3BH)
in Manokwari has reported that he has repeatedly been placed under
surveillance, both at his home and at work, on 11, 16, and 18 June
2007. It is believed that he is being watched by an Armed Forces
Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) officer named Hery in Manokwari.
3. Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, the head of the National Human Rights
Commission (Komnas Ham) in Papua Province, has received several death
threats in text messages to his cell phone. Unknown people have also
surrounded the office of Komnas Ham Papua. Mr. Rumbekwan was also
followed by a car when going home from work. Threats were also made
towards his family. The threats were made between 11 and 17 June,
2007.
I am gravely concerned to hear that after Ms. Hina Jilani's visit,
human rights activists are being targeted for having communicated
human rights issues to the UN official. As a signatory to the
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Indonesian State has a
responsibility to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders. The
Declaration reads: "The State shall take all necessary measures to
ensure the protection by competent authorities of everyone,
individually and in association with others, against any violence,
threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination,
pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her
legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present
Declaration." (Article 12.2).
Despite the above, the Indonesian military continues to attack and
intimidate human rights defenders with impunity. This is ensured by
the authorities' failure to investigate such incidents and to punish
those found to be responsible. As a member of the United Nations
Human Rights Council, Indonesia has pledged to uphold human rights to
the highest possible standards, but these incidents are seriously
undermining the country's credibility in this regard. It must be
recalled that attacks against human rights defenders must be taken
very seriously, as they represent many human rights victims. Attacks
on human rights defenders should be seen as attempts to also silence
the victims they represent and amount to attacks on human rights
themselves.
Although Indonesia has established a National Human Rights Commission
(Komnas Ham), which the international community has viewed as being a
positive advancement towards the protection of human rights, this
institution and its members still faces hindrances to their work and
even threats, as the above case shows all too clearly. I therefore
urge the Indonesian government to ensure that this body is able to
function in line with its mandate without constraints, so that it can
properly investigate human rights violations, enabling the prosecution
of the perpetrators of these acts.
I urge the Indonesian authorities to ensure that all attacks, threats
and acts of intimidation cease and all other barriers to the work of
human rights defenders are immediately halted. The government must
ensure that the afore-mentioned cases are immediately and impartially
investigated and that all persons found responsible are brought to
justice, with adequate reparation being provided to the victims. As a
member of the Human Rights Council, the spotlight is on Indonesia, and
as such it must ensure that it lives up to its international human
rights obligations and pledges. In particular here, the worsening
human rights situation in West Papua must be addressed without delay.
I look forward to your prompt and effective response in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
------------------------------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono
President
Republic of Indonesia
Presidential Palace
Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara
Jakarta Pusat 10010
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 3845627 ext 1003
Fax: + 62 21 231 41 38, 345 2685, 345 7782
Email: presiden at ri.go.id <mailto:presiden at ri.go.id>
2. Mr. Hendarman Supandji
Attorney General
Kejaksaan Agung RI
Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No. 1
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 7221337, 7397602
Fax: + 62 21 7250213
Email: postmaster at kejaksaan.or.id <mailto:postmaster at kejaksaan.or.id>
3. Gen. Sutanto
Chief of National Police
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 721 8012
Fax: +62 21 720 7277
Email: polri at polri.go.id <mailto:polri at polri.go.id>
4. Mr. Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara
Chairperson
KOMNAS HAM (National Human Rights Commission)
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3925230
Fax: +62 21 3151042/3925227
E-mail: info at komnasham.or.id <mailto:info at komnasham.or.id>
5. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary on the situation of human
rights defenders
Room 1-040, OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 906 8670
E-mail: urgent-actions at ohchr.org <mailto:urgent-actions at ohchr.org>
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua at ahrchk.org <mailto:ua at ahrchk.org>)
<http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=ua-209-2007 >
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<johnmacdougall at comcast.net> -----
http://www.upiasiaonline.com/economics/2007/06/18/feature_ecotourism
_at_risk_in_indonesia/
Feature: Eco-tourism at risk in Indonesia
HONG KONG, Jun. 18
SHAILESH PALEKAR
UPI Correspondent
Indonesia has announced it will stage a "Visit Indonesia Year" in
2008
- -- but tourist packages may not include visits to its once pristine
tropical forests, savanna grasslands, and lowland forests, as
unprecedented deforestation threatens to wipe out these magnificent
habitats.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry hopes to attract 6 million
foreign tourists and generate around US$5 billion in foreign
exchange
earnings. As part of the promotion, President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono
officiated at the opening ceremony of the annual Bali Arts Festival
in
Denpasar on Saturday, and the national airline Garuda sponsored a
"Bali Food Festival" in Beijing. The Indonesian Arts Institute is
planning an International Arts Festival in November, to draw experts
in arts and culture from Europe, Australia, the United States and
other Asian countries.
Environmental groups hope some of this revenue will go toward
protecting Indonesia's unique natural assets. Rully Sumada, forest
expert at environmental group Walhi, says that 60 percent of the
country's protected and conservation areas have been badly damaged
by
illegal logging and palm oil plantations. She believes that at the
current rate of deforestation, at 2.8 million hectares a year,
forests
in Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi will be gone by 2012 while forests
in
Papua and elsewhere will be wiped out by 2022 due to the continued
felling of trees.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia said the Guinness World Records had
accepted its proposal to include Indonesia in its 2008 record book
as
the country with the fastest rate of deforestation in the world.
Indonesia's forests cover roughly 91 million hectares and harbor
diverse life forms that include 11 percent of the world's plant
species, 10 percent of mammal species, and 16 percent of bird
species
- -- rich resources for eco-tourism.
However, revenues yielded by plantation crops like cocoa,
rubber,
and oil, and trading in wood and paper pulp are reportedly more
lucrative than tourism, which explains the systematic exploitation
and
destruction of this fragile eco-system by a series of Indonesian
leaders, who used revenues from the forest industry for political
and
personal gains. While the Suharto regime profited handsomely by
trading wood, paper pulp and plantation crops like cocoa, rubber,
and
oil, they virtually ignored the sustainable management and
development
of these areas.
A series of tragedies -- the Asian financial crisis in the late
nineties, Bali bombing in 2002 and tsunami in 2004 -- and other
external factors sent the tourism industry into a tailspin for
years.
However, two decades of aggressive growth in Indonesia's pulp,
plywood, and paper industries strained legal supplies of wood fiber,
resulting in illegal logging and poor forest management. More than
20
million hectares of forestland, cleared in 1985 for such purposes as
industrial timber plantations and estate crop plantations like oil
remain idle and unutilized.
Though the government provides statistics on tourist spending
and
hotel room occupancies, no accurate estimates are available for
forest
areas cleared by small-scale farmers, though shifting cultivators
are
believed to cause up to 20 percent of forest loss, according to the
"State of the Forest" report compiled by Forest Watch Indonesia and
the World Resources Institute. Also, the government's transmigration
program that relocated people from densely populated Java to other
outer Islands is responsible for about 2 million hectares of forest
clearance between 1960 and 1999.
The deliberate burning of forests to make way for plantations,
combined with unusual weather patterns due to climate changes, led
to
uncontrolled wildfires resulting in the loss of 10 million hectares
of
forestland between 1994 and 1998. There have been no significant
efforts at reforesting the burnt scrubby areas.
Continued periodic setting of forest fires has also affected
tourism, flights, and closure of airports, and affected other
services
like hotel rooms, tours, and the food and beverage industry.
The illegal felling and export of Merbau trees -- the most
valuable hardwood in Southeast Asia, has benefited government
officials, illegal loggers and powerful timber barons. If the inflow
of tourist dollars has helped the economy, the systematic pillaging
of
Indonesia's forests and illegal wood exports from Aceh to Papua, to
feed the global demand for wood has left the environment in complete
disarray.
Environmentalists warn that vast tracts of forestland cleared to
meet the growing global demand for bio-fuels have aided the
destruction to biodiversity through the effects of deforestation.
The
technique of clearing land for plantations has emitted large amounts
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while destroying the natural
habitats of endangered species like the orangutan and the Sumatran
tiger.
While the Indonesian government has maintained its commitment on
preserving virgin forests, experts say that efforts often lack funds
and resources to fight the constant threats from illegal and
ruthless
loggers. The Environmental Investigation agency and its Indonesian
partner Telepak has called Indonesia's rampant deforestation an
"environmental crime of unimaginable scale that continues to unfold
across Indonesia." They have also blamed the inadequacy of a
judiciary
that does little to curb such activities.
Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, announcing plans for
the
Visit Indonesia year, said, "We will be out of sight to the rest of
the world if we don't take effective and immediate action to raise
awareness among overseas tourists that Indonesia is a safe and
attractive place to visit."
With the focus on tourism and economic growth, awareness of
Indonesia's declining natural habitats has fallen on blind eyes,
which
could have a catastrophic effect on the global environment and world
economy.
---
From: "Watch Indonesia!" <watchindonesia at snafu.de>
To: "Watch Indonesia!" <watchindonesia at snafu.de>
From: "Watch Indonesia!" <watchindonesia at snafu.de>
Reply-To: watchindonesia at snafu.de
Subject: Open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono concerning
Burhanuddin Siagian, Military Commander in Papua
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:31:42 +0200
Open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono concerning Col. Cav.
Burhanuddin Siagian, Commander of the Resort Military Command 172/PWY
Jayapura, Papua
28 June 2007
Open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono concerning Col. Cav.
Burhanuddin Siagian, Commander of the Resort Military Command 172/PWY
Jayapura, Papua
Dear President Yudhoyono,
We are writing to express our grave concern about the tenure of Col.
Burhanuddin Siagian as commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military
command (Korem 172/ PWY/Jayapura) in Papua. Col. Siagian has been
indicted twice for crimes against humanity in East Timor (now Timor-Leste).
Indonesia has not complied with its obligations under international law
and Indonesian domestic law to prosecute Col. Siagian for his alleged
crimes, and it has furthermore failed to extradite him to East Timor for
trial. Instead he has been promoted and appointed to command a large
military unit within a highly sensitive area.
We are concerned that Col. Siagian represents a serious threat to
Papuans and that the lives of Papuan human rights defenders and peaceful
political activists may be endangered by his continued presence as
commander of Korem 172.
According to a report 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”. The statement
was reportedly made in response to demands by students and youths for a
review of Papua’s history.
We are disturbed that this threat to Papuan activists echoes similar
statements allegedly made by Col. Siagian when he was commander of the
Bobonaro District Military Command (Kodim 1636), Maliana in East Timor.
Those statements 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 19991. He 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 thought to have
been responsible for the creation of the Bobonaro militia system that
became one of the most repressive in the whole of East Timor.
Col. Siagian is named as a suspect in the report of Indonesia’s own
Commission of Investigation into Human Rights Violations in East Timor
(Komisi Penyelidik Pelanggaran HAM di Timor Timur, KPP-HAM), which
investigated human rights abuses in Timor-Leste during the period from 1
January to 25 October 1999.
We are dismayed that Indonesia’s failure to hold Col. Siagian and others
to account encourages military personnel to believe they will continue
to escape justice for serious crimes and seriously undermines
Indonesia’s progress towards becoming a country that fully respects
human rights and the rule of law.
This failure of accountability, and the continued active service in
positions of command responsibility of senior officers accused of
serious crimes, are indicative of a structural problem of impunity
within the Indonesian army (TNI, Tentara Nasional Indonesia) and a lack
of political will to address the problem that have not been addressed
since the TNI withdrew from East Timor. Meaningful military reform will
not be possible until serious efforts are made to end this cycle of
impunity.
Irrespective of his record in East Timor, we believe that Col. Siagian
is entirely unsuited to the sensitive position of Korem 172. Your
government has stated that it is committed to the peaceful resolution of
the Papua conflict. This policy is clearly undermined by belligerent
statements by local military commanders. Papuans who campaign peacefully
are not ‘betraying’ Indonesia as alleged in Col. Siagian’s statement of
May 2007; they are simply asserting their right to express their
political views. We strongly hope that you, as a democrat, would support
their right to do this.
We believe this is a crucial test case of the Indonesian Government’s
ability to exert civilian control over the TNI and we urge you to:
* Immediately withdraw Col. Siagian from Papua and suspend him from
active duty; all military or police officers who have been indicted for
crimes against humanity by the Special Panels for Serious Crimes in
Timor-Leste should be suspended from active duty pending the outcome of
criminal proceedings to determine whether or not they are guilty of the
charges against them.
* Review all available evidence, particularly in relation to
high-level suspects like Col, Siagian not previously indicted in
Indonesia, including evidence collected by the KPP-HAM report and by the
Serious Crimes Unit, to determine whether proceedings should be
commenced against suspects named therein;
* Extend full cooperation with judicial proceedings being conducted
in Timor-Leste, including entering into extradition and mutual legal
assistance agreements. Such cooperation should include extraditing
suspects against whom there are indictments.
We are grateful to you for your attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Paula Makabory,
Coordinator in exile of International Human Rights Campaign, ELSHAM,
West Papua
Budi Hernawan
Director, Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Diocese of Jayapura,
West Papua
Benny Wenda
Chairman of DeMMaK (The Koteka Tribal Assembly), West Papua
Usman Hamid
Coordinator, KONTRAS (the Commission for the disappeared and victims of
violence), Indonesia
Peongky Indarti,
Director of External Relations, IMPARSIAL (the Indonesian Human Rights
Monitor), Indonesia.
Bonar Tigor Naipospos
Chairman, National Solidarity With Papua (SNUP) & Solidarity Without
Borders (SOLIDAMOR), Indonesia
Donatus Klaudius Marut
Executive Director, International NGO Forum for Indonesian Development
(INFID), Indonesia
Ines Martins,
Coordinator, La'o Hamutuk (Timor-Leste Institute or Reconstruction
Monitoring and Analysis).
Brad Adams
Director for Asia, Human Rights Watch
Matthew Jamieson
Secretary, Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights, Australia
Carmel Budiardjo
TAPOL, UK
John M. Miller
National Coordinator, East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, USA
Eko Waluyo
Program coordinator, Indonesian Solidarity, Sydney
Professor Peter King
Convener. West Papua Project, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,
University of Sydney
Dr Clinton Fernandes,
Australian Coalition for Transitional Justice in East Timor
Paul O'Callaghan,
Director, Australian Council for International Development(ACFID)
Joe Collins
Secretary, Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
Dr Anne Noonan,
NSW Coordinator Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW)
Australia
Ed McWilliams
West Papua Advocacy Team, US
Melinda Janki
International Lawyers for West Papua, UK
Richard Samuelson
Co-Director, Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
Maire Leadbeater,
Spokesperson, Indonesia Human Rights Committee, Auckland, New Zealand
Gus Miclat
Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
Monika Schlicher
Watch Indonesia!, Germany
Gabriel Jonsson
Chairman Swedish East Timor Committee and Board Member Swedish Free
Papua Association
Chuck Warpehoski,
Director, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, US
William Ramsey,
Coordinator, Human Rights Action Service, St. Louis, US
Mary Whittlinger
Treasurer, America Ecumenical Moluccan Church, US
Rev. John Chamberlin,
National Coordinator, East Timor Religious Outreach, US
Rev. James Kofski
Asia/Pacific and Middle East Issues Maryknoll Office for Global
Concerns, Washington, D.C.
Tom Ricker,
Co-director, Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center, US
Sharon Silber and Eileen Weiss,
Co-founders, Jews Against Genocide, US
Elaine Donovan
Co-Founder, Concerned Citizens for Peace, Honeoy, NY
Roland Watson,
Founder, Dictator Watch, US
--
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Watch Indonesia! e.V.
Arbeitsgruppe für Demokratie, Menschenrechte
und Umweltschutz in Indonesien und Osttimor
Planufer 92 d Tel./Fax +49-30-698 179 38
10967 Berlin e-mail: watchindonesia at snafu.de
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---
Forwarded message from mark robinson
<robinson.mark at yahoo.com> -----
In today's Crikey newsletter, Christian Kerr says "the
left" is pushing for another "failed state" called
West Papua. (see last sentence).
If you'd like to challenge this view the address for
letters to the editor is: boss at crikey.com.au
*********************************************
15. East Timor: Our very own failed state
Christian Kerr writes:
In a magnificent triumph for Australian foreign
policy, Timor-Leste has come in at Number 20 on
Foreign Policy magazine?s Failed State Index for 2007.
Foreign Policy and the Fund for Peace, an independent
research organisation, have used 12 social, economic,
political, and military indicators, to rank 177 states
in order of their vulnerability to violent internal
conflict and societal deterioration. Bubbling under on
the list are two more failing states in our backyard ?
the Solomons on Number 30 and Papua New Guinea at
Number 52.
As Foreign Policy states, much of the trouble in the
world has its origins in weak and failing states.
"The problems that plague failing states are generally
all too similar: rampant corruption, predatory elites
who have long monopolised power, an absence of the
rule of law, and severe ethnic or religious
divisions," the report warns. "But that does not mean
that the responses to their problems should be cut
from the same cloth."
Australia and the international community have poured
billions of dollars into Timor-Leste. The result? A
state that ranks just marginally better than Burundi
and Ethiopia and comes in behind Sierra Leone and the
Republic of the Congo.
And, unsatisfied with Timor, the platitudinous left
continues to push for the creation of a new nation on
our doorstep that will be doomed to failure from the
very start ? West Papua.
http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20070626-Our-very-own-failed-
state.html
---
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4C457F82-87C9-4C29-9361-E55B211BD6FE.htm
UPDATED ON:
THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2007
6:51 MECCA TIME, 3:51 GMT
Indonesia’s forgotten province
By Step Vaessen in Papua province, Indonesia
Culturally distinct Papua is rich in resources but home to some of the
country’s poorest people
The governor of the remote Indonesian province of Papua is warning that
the region could revive its push for independence.
Barnabas Suebu has told Al Jazeera that the central government in Jakarta
must act quickly to improve conditions in the province.
With an area of almost half a million square kilometres, Papua has some of
the richest natural resources in the world, but its people are among
Indonesia’s poorest.
Many Papuans feel abandoned by
the Indonesian government
Travelling with the governor to the remote village of Kokanao, we saw how
bad the situation had become.
There is no road, no electricity and not enough water. Most of the
villagers here die young.
Karismus, a retired village head, shares his house with four families - 18
people in total.
He says he was promised a new house many years ago, but it never came.
He has long lost hope in the Indonesian authorities.
“Now the governor has come he can finally see how we are paralysed,”
Karismus says.
“How we are suffering here, how we all have become like blind people, I
really hope he sees that.”
The province of Papua makes up most of the western part of the island of
New Guinea.
‘Free Choice’
Governor Suebu (right) says Papuans need
to see the fruits of Papua’s natural wealth
Once under Dutch control, it became part of Indonesia in 1969 under the
so-called “Act of Free Choice” - a controversial process which many in the
province still dispute.
Angry that the Papuan people weren’t seeing any benefit from the
province’s natural resources, the Free Papua independence movement took up
arms to demand a greater share of the province’s wealth.
In a bid to end the unrest, six years ago the Indonesian government gave
the province limited autonomy.
But discontent is building once again and it won’t be easy to win over the
Papuan people.
Touring the province by helicopter, Governor Suebu is handing out $10,000
to every village
The idea is to ensure the money goes directly to the people in need,
rather than disappearing into the pockets of bureaucrats.
Suebu says handouts are needed to keep the people of the province on side.
Otherwise, he says, calls for independence will grow.
Justice and welfare
Some Papuans say the governor’s
efforts are too little, to late
“The situation in Papua has to change,” Suebu says.
“It’s very ironic that people are poor on top of so much wealth. That’s
why people are screaming for independence. The key solution is justice and
welfare for the people.”
Papua is the forgotten part of Indonesia. For nearly 40 years the Papuans
have been left behind.
Now hopes are high that finally someone will listen. But the question
remains if this is going to be enough to convince the Papuans that they
are part of Indonesia.
The independence movement has given up its armed struggle but in their
hearts many Papuans still want their own state.
Human rights campaigner Mama Yosepha, who is skeptical about the governors
mission.
“It’s all too little too late,” she tells us. “We have the right to have
our own state, the right to have our freedom.”
The governor is unlikely to win this fight alone.
Until the government in Jakarta changes its approach to Papua - many
people in the province will remain reluctant citizens of Indonesia.
---
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