[Kabar-Irian] News: June 6-11 2007

[Admin-Editors Kabar-Irian]

KABAR IRIAN NEWS

June 6-12

TOPICS

* Mining activity in PNG polluting rivers in Merauke district
* ‘Use of force will only cause anger among Muslims’
* Papuans greet UN envoy with rallies, demands
* UN envoy Jilani leaves Indonesia's Papua province
* UN secretary general's special envoy leaves Papua for Aceh
* Papuans plan demonstration to coincide with UN envoy’s Indonesia trip
* At the UN, Srebrenica Immunity Downplayed, West Papua No Comment
* West Papuans seek UN help to overturn 1969 vote
* NGO receives report on violence in Abepura Prison
* Pertamina to import 200,000 more barrels of kerosene in July
* Many of Papua's rural poor unable to read
* U.S. Congress briefed over progress in Papua


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http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/6/6/mining-activity-in-png-polluting-rivers-in-merauke-district/

Environment

06/06/07 21:44
Mining activity in PNG polluting rivers in Merauke district

Jayapura (ANTARA News) - Waste materials from gold, silver and other kinds
of mining activity in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are believed to have polluted
the water in several rivers flowing toward the sea in Merauke District and
other parts of Indonesia`s Papua province, a local human rights activist
said.

The waste materials were believed to have been produced by the mining
operations of a PNG-US-Australian joint venture in the Oc Tedi River in
PNG, Frits B Ramanday, head of the economic, social and cultural section
of the Papua branch of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas
HAM), said here Wednesday.

Tailngs from the mining activity in PNG were disposed of in the Fly river
whose downstream part flowed through Merauke district, he said.

People in Merauke district had complained about skin problems and often
found dead fishes in the Fly river giving rise to the suspicion that the
river water was polluted by mercury, he said.

Ramanday said mining, building construction and illegal logging activities
in Papua were now beginning to create various problems, including
environmental ones.

Affected people had often reported such problems to Komnas HAM`s Papua
branch office but the commission could not handle them well due to lack of
data and supporting facts.

The commission, he added, was planning to hold a seminar to get more
clarifications on environmental problems caused by mining and other
developmental activities.

"We want to build a strong network with our partners here to prevent local
people from being victimized by such activities," he added. (*)

Copyright © 2007 ANTARA

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http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/20070607084642/Article/index_html

‘Use of force will only cause anger among Muslims’

2007/06/07
Azura Abas


KUALA LUMPUR: Imaginative and sophisticated coun-|ter-terrorism approaches
are needed to contain the spreading anger in the Muslim community, an
international conference was told yesterday.
Among the approaches are ending the use of foreign military forces against
the terrorists, respecting the rights of the Muslims in affected areas and
winding up of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, said B. Raman, director
of the Institute for Topical Studies in India.

He said these moves would ensure that the international community
prevailed over terrorism.

"It is also imperative to repair and restore the damaged bridges between
Muslims and the non-Muslims and to remove the unfortunate feelings in the
minds of some sections of the Muslin community, particularly the youths.

"By repeatedly proclaiming over the electronic and print media and in
gatherings that they are not a targeted community will not lessen their
feelings of being insidiously targeted.
"Only a change in behaviour, outlook and interactions will convince them
they are not."

Raman was speaking at the plenary session on "The campaign against
terrorism: Major obstacles and how to overcome them" at the Asia-Pacific
Roundtable.

He said the focus in the campaign against terrorism should not be on
Muslims and Islam, but on those who had taken to jihadi terrorism in the
name of Islam and the wrongs allegedly done to Muslims.

"The counter-terrorism of the American brand are over-militarisation,
excessive use of force, a willingness to use the air force and heavy
weapons even at the risk of causing large civilian casualties and a
perceived insensitivity to the feelings of honour and self-respect of the
Muslims."

He also felt that correcting the misconceptions and misinterpretations of
each other was the equal task of Muslims as well as non-Muslims.

Associate professor of International Studies at University of New South
Wales-Asia in Singapore, Andrew T.H. Tan, said the war on international
terrorism as was being carried out by the US would not ensure success.

He noted that historians like Thomas Mockaitis had pointed out that no
counter-terrorism campaign had ever been won by military or police means
alone.

Tan said terrorism in the Asean region was being committed by non-Muslims
too.

He gave the examples of the ethnic minorities in Myanmar, the Hmongs and
Montagnards in Indochina, the people of Irian Jaya and until more
recently, the Timorese who were rebelling against the government.

A recent study, he said, found that rebellions in the region shared common
characteristics, such as strong underlying political, economic and social
grievances; a sense of relative deprivation and deep socio-economic
disparities; the presence of discrimination and prejudice; and, corruption
by the authorities.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070609.A06&irec=5

Papuans greet UN envoy with rallies, demands

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Hundreds of Papuans rallied Friday in Papua and West Papua provinces
during a one-day visit by special representative of the UN Secretary
General on Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani.

In both provinces, Jilani was greeted with rallies.

In Papua, the protesters, from the Coalition of Community Concern on Papua
and the United Front of West Papua People's Fight, welcomed Jilani, while
others called on her to "stop the genocide of the Papuans" and "stop the
killing in West Papua".

In West Papua's capital city Manokwari, the protesters called on the UN to
put pressure on Jakarta to overturn the 1969 referendum that joined the
territory to Indonesia, AFP reported.

"We urge the United Nations to accept the Papuan people's aspiration to
review the Act of Free Choice," as the referendum was known, rally
organizer Jek Wanggai told AFP by phone.

"The United Nations must register Papuan areas as colonized zones and
organize an immediate referendum vote."

The protesters gathered outside the hotel where Jilani was staying
Jayapura, demanding to see her.

Jilani briefly met the protesters, during which their representative,
Bucthar Tabuni, handed her a green map detailing human rights violations
in Papua.

A rally was also held outside Papua Legislative Council building but was
broken up by police.

Jilani met with top Papuan officials, including provincial secretary Tedjo
Suprapto, Papua Police chief Brig. Gen. Max Donald Aer, the council's
speaker John Ibo as well as religious leaders and non-governmental
activists.

Jilani said she was in the province to check on reports received by the UN
that several human rights workers in Papua were not comfortable conducting
their work and believed they were being spied on.

Such reports were also received by Papua Legislative Council speaker John
Ibo.

"I told Ibu Jilani that several human rights workers in Papua are working
under pressure, getting outside intervention that makes them uncomfortable
in doing their work," John Ibo told journalists after meeting Jilani.

Max D. Aer said the report received by Jilani did not reflect the real
situation in Papua since the police guaranteed all people's safety.

"If there are those who feel uncomfortable we're open to getting the
report. Our job is to protect people. If people don't feel comfortable,
please file a report," he said.

Jilani, who was first named by to the post by the secretary general in
2000 following a request from the Commission on Human Rights, is assigned
to support the implementation of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders
and gather information on the actual situation of human rights defenders
around the world.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as a special
representative Jilani is assigned to seek, receive, examine and respond to
information on the situation and the rights of anyone, acting individually
or in association with others, to promote and protect human rights and
fundamental freedoms.

The special representative was asked to submit annual reports to the
commission and to the General Assembly.

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http://english.people.com.cn/200706/09/eng20070609_382610.html

Home >> World
	UPDATED: 16:40, June 09, 2007
UN envoy Jilani leaves Indonesia's Papua province
font size  ZoomIn ZoomOut

UN special envoy Hina Jilani left the Indonesian easternmost province of
Papua Saturday to continue her trip to the tsunami-ravaged Aceh.

During her stay in Papua, she held meetings with a number of provincial
administration officials, military and police chiefs, members of the
provincial legislative assembly and the Papuan People's Council (MRP) as
well as religious and non-governmental organization leaders, reported the
national Antara news agency.

Jilani, at the Jayapura airport, said she had received a lot of
information on human rights issues in Papua and she would report it to the
UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Jilani went to Aceh, the country's westernmost province, also for a
similar purpose, namely to collect information on human rights issues in
the region.

She will hold a press conference in Jakarta on June 12 on the results of
her visit to Indonesia.

The Special Envoy for Human Rights is on a working visit to Indonesia from
June 5 to 13 at the government's invitation.

The purposes of Jilani's visit were among other things to observe the
implementation of human rights, to study the legal framework for defending
human rights, and to promote human rights in the country.

Source: Xinhua

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070609153934&irec=6

UN secretary general's special envoy leaves Papua for Aceh

JAYAPURA, Papua (Antara): Special envoy of the United Nations' Secretary
General for human rights Hina Jilani left Papua province for Aceh
Saturday, after a one-day visit to Papau.

During her stay in Papua, Jilani met with a number of officials, military
and police chiefs, members of the provincial legislative assembly, the
Papuan People's Council (MRP), and religious and non-governmental
organization leaders.

Jilani, at the Jayapura airport, told the press that she had received a
lot of information on human rights issues in Papua and she would report it
to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Jilani went to Aceh, the country's westernmost province, also for a
similar purpose, namely to collect information on human rights issues in
the region.

She will hold a press conference in Jakarta on June 12 on the results of
her visit.

The Special Envoy for Human Rights is on a working visit to Indonesia from
June 5 to 13 at the government's invitation.

The purposes of Jilani's visit were among other things to observe the
implementation of human rights, to study the legal framework for defending
human rights, and to promote human rights in the country. (**)

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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=32851


Radio New Zealand International

The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific

Papuans plan demonstration to coincide with UN envoy’s Indonesia trip

Posted at 02:07 on 08 June, 2007 UTC

About 1,000 Papuans are expected to conduct a peaceful demonstration in
Manokwari today to coincide with the visit to Indonesia’s Papua province
of a United Nations representative.

The UN Secretary General`s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs, Hina
Jilani, is making an excursion to Papua during her working visit to
Indonesia at the government`s invitation.

The purpose of her trip is to observe how human rights are being funded
and promoted in Indonesia as well as to study the legal framework to
defend human rights.

The Papua Youth and Student organisation, which has planned the
demonstration, aims to inform the UN about human rights abuses they
continue to suffer.

Its spokesman, Jek Wanggai, says they have three main points to make:

    “The people people of West Papua, we want to [have the UN] review the
Act of Free Choice in 1969; then the second, we cannot use Special
Autonomy again, because it’s not good for our people; and then the
third, we want a total referendum [on self-determination] in West
Papua.”

Jek Wanggai


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http://www.innercitypress.com/unhq060807.html

At the UN, Srebrenica Immunity Downplayed, West Papua No Comment
(edited by editors ki for brevity)

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN

UNITED NATIONS, June 8 -- Let us take for granted that there are many
problems that the UN cannot solve. What it and its Secretary-General and
Council can chose is what they deem important, what they comment on (and,
more fundamentally, how they run themselves, in terms of transparency and
accountability).

            Take, for purposes of this report, the single day of Friday,
June 8, 2007. Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesman made it a point
to re-read out a statement that had been released the night
before, that Mr. Ban condemns Iran's president's statement
about Israel. The Council met to adopt a statement in a
similar vein, but got bogged down.

    Afterwards France's Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere came out and
said that one country had reservations, and another had no
instructions. Press pundits assumed that Qatar was one of the two. But
which was the other? Indonesia, some assumed. Russia, said another,
thinking of business relations. South Africa, for G-77 and ideological
reason. The dark horse as always was China. Diplomat said, with all
due respect to France, the number of members with some reservations
was four, and not the publicly-claimed two. This will rear its head
again on Monday, when the Council is slated to meet on Lebanon, Sudan
and UNMEE (Ethiopia - Eritrea border), and an Ivory Coast report is
due.

            As set forth below, the UN had no comment, for a second day,
on the forced removal of people from Sri Lanka's capital based
on ethnicity. Nor on a protest of the UN's role in continuing
colonialism. From the transcript:

Inner City Press: West Papua, otherwise known as Irian Jaya in Indonesia. 
The United Nations' Hina Jilani is going there and there's a demonstration
asking the UN to use its influence to either have another referendum or to
somehow consider them as next in line [for independence].  Does the
current Secretary-General have any thoughts on that long-standing conflict
and has he noticed the demonstrations?

Deputy Spokesperson:  I'll check to see if there's anything new on this
that we can report to you.

            Twelve hours later, nothing had been provided.

<snip>
            No, thank you...  To be continued next week.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017 USA Tel:

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http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1946578.htm

West Papuans seek UN help to overturn 1969 vote

Last Updated 08/06/2007, 17:46:39


Hundreds of people have rallied in West Papua, calling on the United
Nations to pressure Jakarta into overturning a 1969 referendum that joined
the territory to Indonesia.

The demonstrators, rallying during a visit by UN envoy Hina Jilani, claim
the referendum was a sham.

Rally organiser, Jek Wanggai, says the UN must accept the Papuan people's
aspiration to review the Act of Free Choice, as the referendum was known.

"The United Nations must register Papuan areas as colonised zones and
organise an immediate referendum vote," he said.

Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights
in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich
natural resources flow to Jakarta.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070610185236&irec=0


NGO receives report on violence in Abepura Prison

JAYAPURA(Antara): PADMA Indonesia, an advocacy service for justice and
peace, has received a written report from inmates at the Abepura
penitentiary in Papua province on violence they were suffering in jail.

"The report is earmarked for the Papua governor while PADMA as a
non-governmental organization (NGO) received a copy of the report," leader
of PADMA Indonesia, Dr Norbeth Betan told Antara by phone from Jakarta on
Sunday.

According to the priest, PADMA would not keep silent after receiving the
report as the NGO is committed to offering advocacy for justice and peace
to all people regardless of ethnic groups, religions, races and social
status.

Norbeth admitted various kinds of violence frequently occurred against
inmates in the prison but many of them were not known because the
penitentiary is located on a remote isle.

It was reported that Filep JS Karma who represented other prisoners had
the courage to send a letter telling what had happened in jail to the
Papua governor with the copies to the Law and Human Rights Minister, the
Papua provincial police chief and NGOs including PADMA Indonesia.

"We are trying to get information as soon as possible on the violence case
at the Abepura penitentiary from different parties especially prisoners.
We will also open a representative office in Jayapura soon to enable us to
give advocacy for justice and peace there," Norbeth said.(***

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http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/6/9/pertamina-to-import-200-000-more-barrels-of-kerosene-in-july/

Economic & Business

06/09/07 01:07
Pertamina to import 200,000 more barrels of kerosene in July

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State oil company Pertamina is to import an
additional 200,000 barrels of kerosene in July to anticipate a prolonged
disruption at its oil refinery in Dumai, Riau, a spokesman said.

With the extra import, the total volume of kerosene imports in July would
reach 900,000 barrels, Djaelani Soetomo, head of Pertamina`s fuel oils
division, said here Friday.

"The extra import is just an anticipatory measure in case the Dumai
refinery which has been out of order for the past two weeks cannot yet
operate normally," he said.

Djaelani said the public need not worry about the possibility of a
kerosene scarcity as the existing stock was still sufficient to last over
the next 27 days.

The units producing kerosene and diesel oil at the Dumai refinery
developed a malfunction two weeks ago, causing a drop of up to 27,500
barrels per day in the production of the two kinds of fuel oil, he said.

At present, Pertamina had seven oil refineries with a combined production
capacity of 1.06 million barrels per day, he added.

The refineries are located in Pangkalan Brandan, North Sumatra (1.731
barrels per day), Dumai, Riau (166.652 bpd), Plaju, South Sumatra (102.925
bpd), Cilacap, Cenral Java (329.350 bpd), Balikpapan, East Kalimantan
(244.698 bpd), Balongan, West Java (165.662 bpd) and Irian Jaya (8.760
bpd).(*)

Copyright © 2007 ANTARA

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20070611.G03&irec=2


Many of Papua's rural poor unable to read

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Timika

Papua has the seventh highest rate of illiteracy in Indonesia, with
200,000 people aged 12 to 45 years unable to read.

In addition, more than 350,000 people over the age of 45 and living in
rural areas in Papua cannot read and write.

Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu said recently the province needed an
education program designed for people in rural areas to help them learn to
read.

Speaking from Mimika, Suebu said the United Nations had promised to
eliminate illiteracy universally through its Millennium Development Goal
program.

He said the problem of illiteracy in Papua was a vicious circle "similar
to the problems regarding poverty, ignorance, diseases and backwardness".

And it would take a lot of hard work and a strong will to change the
statistics, he said.

The governor promised recently his office would prioritize primary
education and provide suitable salaries to teachers in remote areas.

Suebu said a strong will was also needed to develop the minds of Papua's
citizens. He said his office was initiating a primary education program in
rural and remote areas and was focused "on eradicating illiteracy".

"It must be implemented with clear programs and concepts as well as
findings by the provincial, mayoralty and regency administrations for the
sake of improving education standards," Suebu said.

One program to immediately take effect would be the building of
infrastructure, schools and supporting facilities in rural areas.

The Papua administration has declared the initiation of an education
program in rural areas and said it will be called the Rural Development
Program.

"First though we will carry out a nutrition improvement program in
villages in the hope that people will be better nourished to take part in
the education programs," Suebu said.

"People should be provided with balanced food and nutrition so they can
take part in the programs for the sake of their own welfare."

The Papua provincial administration said it would also implement health
programs in rural areas.

In addition, it has promised to train 1,000 midwives, build
better-equipped community health centers and employ properly-paid medical
workers in remote villages.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20070611.H05&irec=4

U.S. Congress briefed over progress in Papua

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

ndonesia's sovereignty over Papua and West Papua may face less of a
challenge from the U.S. Congress after a visiting delegation from the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) outlined progress achieved
in both provinces to congressmen.

In an informal meeting between the PDI-P delegation led by Secretary
General Pramono Anung Wibowo and parliamentarians from the U.S. opposition
Democratic Party, Indonesia was asked to focus on building strong local
governments in the two provinces to empower local people.

Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, who has sought international support for
self-determination for so-called Papua New Guinea, told the PDI-P
delegation Indonesia's sovereignty over the provinces depended not so much
on international recognition but on how the Indonesian government treated
the territory, improved the capacity of local governments and empowered
Papuan people.

"Jakarta must uphold justice and speed up development programs in all
sectors to improve the social welfare of Papuan people," delegation member
Hasto Kristiyanto quoted Faleomavaega as saying during the meeting.

Faleomavaega sponsored in 2005 a bill asking the U.S. government to review
its recognition of Papua as part of Indonesia. With international
non-governmental organizations, he also lobbied the United Nations to
fight for the territory's self-determination in line with the deployment
of some 50,000 Indonesian soldiers to the province and alleged human
rights abuses that have occurred since the territory's transfer to
Indonesia in 1963.

The U.S. congressman also criticized Australia and New Zealand for leaving
the Papua issue up to Indonesia, saying it was an issue Australia and
other countries in the Pacific should not have ignored.

Jakarta granted special autonomy to Papua in 2001 in a national consensus
to counter a mounting independence movement launched by the Free Papua
Movement to fight for the province's independence.

West Papua, previously part of Papua province, was declared a new province
in 2003. Initially named West Irian Jaya, it was renamed as West Papua
upon the issuance of a government regulation on April 18, 2007.

Pramono said his delegation explained to the Congress members about the
granting of special autonomy, with increasing annual autonomy funds
distributed by the central government to the provinces to enable them to
deal with their own domestic affairs.

Beside receiving annual revenue from the mining of minerals, the two
provinces also obtained special funds of Rp 3.5 trillion (approximately
US$384 million) in 2006 to improve public services, particularly in the
health, education and transportation sectors.

The PDI-P delegation also asked the Congress to ensure all American mining
companies, particularly Lousiana-based Freeport McMoran Inc., preserve the
environment and empower Papuan people at its mining site in Timika, Papua.

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