[Kabar-Irian] News Feb 14 - March 06 2008 (Part II)

[Admin-Editors Kabar-Irian]

KABAR IRIAN NEWS

Feb 14 - march 6 2008 (Part II)

TOPICS

* Congressmen write to UN Secretary General calling for action on Papua
* Vague decree gives poachers leeway to plunder sea
* Papuan Special Autonomy advocate regains Indonesian nationality
* A new approach to building a new Papua
* Indonesian military intelligence forbids...
* Kalla asks Papua to use local wisdom in development
* Intellectuals criticize Papua bill
* West Papuan Struggle for Independence
* WEST PAPUAN CHURCHES...
* West Papua Report (Mar 2008)

---

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38082


Radio New Zealand International

The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific

Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa

Congressmen write to UN Secretary General calling for action on Papua

Posted at 01:57 on 18 February, 2008 UTC

American Samoa’s member of the US Congress, Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, has
written to the United

Nations Secretary-General expressing growing concern over Indonesia’s
Papua region.

In a joint letter to Ban Ki-Moon, Faleomavaega and fellow member of the US
congress Donald Payne say

it’s critical that the UN Security Council address security concerns posed
by human rights abuse in

Papua.

The congressmen say the human rights situation in Papua is deteriorating
against a backdrop of

decades of abuse by Indonesian security forces targetting Papuan people.

They are also concerned about the restrictions placed on journalists,
human rights activists and

diplomats trying to get access to Papua.

The congressmen have urged the Security Council to appoint a senior
official to create senior level

dialogue between Indonesia’s central government and the Papuan government
as well as civil society

leaders.

They say the key issues for dialogue to address are the demilitarisation
of Papua, Papuan self-

determination and transmigration of Javanese into Papua.

---

http://thejakartapost.com/news/2008/03/05/vague-decree-gives-poachers-leeway-plunder-sea.html


Thursday, March 6, 2008  7:16 AM

Vague decree gives poachers leeway to plunder sea

While Indonesia is still struggling to curb rampant illegal logging, the
country also faces poaching on the

open seas where wars between competing interests are often difficult to
detect.   |  Thu, 03/06/2008 1:23

AM  |  Business

On Tuesday, though, Indonesia and 10 other countries issued plans in Bali
to jointly combat illegal,

unreported and unregulated fishing.

The Jakarta Post's Rendi Akhmad Witular investigates the story behind
illegal fishing, traveling to

backwater Tual Island in Maluku province, a haven for the fishing
industry. Here are the reports.

The police combat-type patrol boat 001 Ambon stands by to prevent 14
fishing vessels from slipping out

of a port on Tual Island after the police detained the vessels for alleged
poaching.

With the patrol boat's only weapon being an old shotgun, the 12 crew
members have to ensure also that

none of the 306 crew members of the detained vessels escape on smaller boats.

The 001 Ambon is the only vessel available for patrolling the open sea;
and it is tasked with supervising

almost the entire eastern part of Indonesia.

The 001 Ambon adds to the 20 vessels of the same type operated by the
ministry of fisheries and

maritime affairs to patrol the nation's 93,000 square kilometers of water,
about the size of Hungary, and

protect them from poaching.

Despite the lack of supervision facilities in place, the ministry grants
fishing licenses that often end up in

the hands of dishonest fishing companies.

A document obtained by The Jakarta Post from the ministry highlights the
handling of licenses granted to

local fishing companies working with foreign ones.

Ministry investigators have determined the document is valid in terms of
internal administrative

procedures. It indicates that licenses are being granted improperly,
whether negligently or on purpose.

The document contains authorization from the ministry's director general
of fishing and licenses, Ali

Supardan, for fishing operations involving both local fishing firm PT Mina
Jaya Bahari and a Thai fishing

tramper, the Ocean Empire.

The 1,884-gross-ton tramper -- a vessel that receives and stores fish from
other vessels -- has a 3,465-

cubic-meter storage capacity.

The license granted by Ali, valid from Aug. 31, 2007, to Aug. 30, 2008,
gives the tramper the right to

dock in Tual, Merauke and Timika.

However, on Nov. 26, the tramper and several other vessels were detained
by the police off Tual Island in

Maluku for alleged poaching.

According to the National Police's deputy chief for special crimes, Sr.
Comr. Sadar Sebayang, the

tramper was receiving catches for export directly from fishing vessels.
This violates regulations that

require fishing vessels to transport catches to land-based processing
plants first.

The regulations are aimed at stimulating employment and tax revenue in the
fishing sector.

Because catching vessels cannot travel far on the open sea, police say,
trampers are used in poaching

operations to pool and transport illegally collected fish out of Indonesia
to neighboring countries,

especially Thailand.

According to the document, the decision by Ali to allow the tramper access
to Indonesian waters was

based merely on a private agreement involving a group of companies
desiring the use of a tramper to

transport processed catches for export.

Based on regulations, local and foreign joint-venture companies are
required to have a processing plant

before they are allowed to export fish.

However, pursuant to a 2006 decree signed by fisheries minister Freddy
Numberi, an exception applies

to fishing firms whose processing plants are not yet operational.

For wholly owned local firms the on-shore processing requirement is waived
for a one-year period and

such firms are allowed to export their catches directly.

These loopholes appear to relieve the authorizing agency -- in this case
the director general of fishing

and licenses -- from the duty to verify the compliance of fishing firms.

"It remains unclear whether the ministry is sloppy in granting licenses to
troubled firms, or if there is a

deliberate attempt on the part of some officials here to make way for
poaching," said a senior ministry

official who asked for anonymity, fearing dismissal for disclosing the
information.

"Firms whose vessels are detained during a crackdown typically don't have
processing units. They lease

trampers and load their catches there for direct export. This is illegal,"
he said.

Ali denied he bent the rules to provide opportunities to dishonest firms
to fish illegally.

"Overseas trampers are allowed to operate here ... local firms need them
to transport their processed fish

for export. But trampers must dock in the harbor to upload the fish."

He said he dealt with numerous applications and did not remember Ocean
Empire's. "I only give licenses

to trampers that comply with existing procedures."

Col. (ret) Firman, an executive for Mina Jaya, also denied police
accusations his firm had violated any

regulations. He said the tramper uploaded catches in the harbor,
supervised closely by customs officials

and officials from the fishery ministry.

According to the senior ministry official, while the 2006 decree had the
appearance of protecting

Indonesia from foreign fishing firms, in reality, by allowing foreigners
to effectively hide behind

Indonesian operations, it made it easier for them to poach here.

"The decree was made hastily. The directorate general of supervision had
not yet given its approval when

the decree was unexpectedly signed by Minister Freddy, (based) merely on
the input of the directorate

general of fishing and licenses," said the official.

The supervision directorate, he said, had demanded to see the draft of the
decree in order to detect

loopholes, as well as to prepare a clear-cut supervision system to detect
and prevent irregularities in the

granting of licenses.

Hanafi Rustandi, chairman of the Indonesian Seafarers Union, said while
the minister claimed that

foreign-sponsored local firms could help empower the country's fishing
fleet, "our fishermen remain in

backwaters while foreigners rake in proceeds from the sea".

>From 1996 to 1998, Freddy was the commander of the naval base overseeing
Papua and Maluku,

including the resource-rich Sea of Arafura and fishing areas near Tual
Island.

The ministry is now in the process of revising the 2006 decree, but
loopholes remain in the draft revision,

especially related to the direct export of certain fish -- such as tuna --
in connection with the land-based

processing exception.

The draft effectively allows fishing vessels to net tuna at will and
directly transfer them to trampers for

export. This will make supervision difficult, especially when the loading
takes place at sea.

The one-year waiver that exempts 100 percent locally owned fishing firms
from having processing plants

is another loophole that remains open in the current draft.

Ali acknowledged that the problematic language remained, but said
immediate revision wasn't needed.

"We have left clauses in place for the next revision of the decree .... If
you ask me whether we need a

breakthrough in the new decree (to prevent poaching), I guess that won't
be necessary right now."

---

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38218


Radio New Zealand International

The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific

Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa

Papuan Special Autonomy advocate regains Indonesian nationality

Posted at 02:00 on 25 February, 2008 UTC

A Papuan advocate of special autonomy and former Papua New Guinea citizen
has officially resumed

his status as an Indonesian national.

The Antara news agency reports that Franzalbert Joku’s citizenship was
approved by Indonesia’s Law

and Human Rights Minister.

Mr Joku has been the spokesman for both the PNG-based Papua Presidium
Council, and the

Independent Group Supporting the Autonomous Region of Papua within the
Republic of Indonesia.

Having lived outside of his native Papua for much of the past 40 years, Mr
Joku has called for Papuans

to work within the framework of special autonomy and not towards
self-determination.

A function was held at the weekend in Jayapura to welcome the return of Mr
Joku, as well as another

Papuan, Nicholas Simion Messet.

An Indonesian government official described the two as a good example to
other Papuans still abroad

and expected to follow suit.

Mr Joku said that after observing the real conditions in Indonesia and the
international political climate,

he decided to return home forever.

---
Jakarta Post.com
February 16, 2008


A new approach to building a new Papua
Opinion News - Saturday, February 16, 2008
Marcellus Rantetana, Jakarta
Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu is hosting a big meeting of Papua
development partners in Jayapura

on Feb. 15-21, 2008, with the theme "Coordination and Synchronization for
People Driven

Development". The meeting is part of his efforts to coordinate and
synchronize donor support for Papua

development programs.

In this case, he is one step ahead in controlling external support as most
local governments quite often

are not aware and do not understand donor activities in their areas.
Donors undertaking activities in

Papua will be present, while several ambassadors and representatives of
the World Bank, the United

Nations and a number of donor agencies will deliver speeches.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla will deliver a speech to officially open the
meeting Saturday, followed by

remarks from five Cabinet ministers. Regents, mayors and heads of
ministerial representative offices will

be present as well.

This meeting is one of many efforts to boost Papua's development. In 2001
the region was granted

special autonomy status with a special allocation of funds, under the
premise that the management and

use of the natural wealth of Papua had not yet been optimally utilized to
enhance the living standards of

native Papuans, resulting in a deep wealth gap between Papua province and
other regions, and violations

of the basic rights of Papuans.
It was expected that with this special autonomy, Papua would soon catch up
with other regions in the

country. Yet, it has been six years since the law was passed, but the
welfare and living standards in

Papua, especially for native Papuans, have not significantly changed.
Papua still tops the list of poverty

incidence, school dropouts, illiteracy, malnutrition and many others. Last
year, the President issued

Presidential Instruction No. 5/2007 on the acceleration of the development
of Papua and West Papua

provinces, instructing 11 Cabinet members to support the acceleration
program.

In terms of resources, Papua definitely is not short of funds. In fact,
some suspect the high prices of

commodities in Papua is in part due to an excessive supply of money in the
region. According to a

document issued by the Papua Provincial Development Planning Board, there
are 57 donor-funded

projects in Papua engaging in various sectors, including health,
education, local economy and gender

equality, spending millions of dollars every year.
The provincial budget jumped from Rp 0.59 trillion in 2001 to Rp 2.04
trillion in 2002, further increased to

Rp 2.43 trillion in 2003, to Rp 2.45 trillion in 2004 and to Rp 2.72
trillion in 2005.
We can fairly ask how much of these funds have been and will directly
benefit Papuans, especially

native Papuans, and how much are used for overhead. The governor has
repeatedly expressed his

concern about the imbalance between official expenditures and public
expenditures. Most of the local

government funds are still used to finance official-related activities,
with only a small proportion used for

people-related expenditures.

In helping Papua, we must make sure we do not repeat our experiences in
promoting development in

various parts of the country that ended up without very little to show for
the money spent. In this regard,

we have a lot of experience in promoting development in regions through
thousands of projects

throughout the country that have resulted in billions of dollars of
internal as well as external debt, yet we

can hardly point to any successes generated by these efforts.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been put into agriculture, yet we are
still struggling with the

production of rice, soybeans, sugar and others. Why? Because we left out
the farmers and the

government pretended to be the rice producers, so they decided what seeds
the farmers must use and

how much rice to produce. Even much larger amounts were invested in energy
and infrastructure, yet

we are still short of electricity, driving on bad roads and suffering from
floods every year.
Why? Because we did not care about the results of our work, the most
important thing being to disburse

the money and close projects on time. These projects were neatly organized
from the center (Jakarta)

down to the village level. Everything was well planned and organized,
except for forgetting to involve the

people that were supposed to be the beneficiaries. They were invited
whenever their signatures were

needed. And the people were happy because they were given free meals.
This approach, however, has destroyed the self-reliance and self-capacity
of grassroots communities. In

Syuru village in Asmat regency, like in many other villages in Papua, the
self-help community culture in

developing the village is already forgotten. All housing, roads and
general equipment in need of

maintenance are left to deteriorate, waiting and hoping for assistance
from the government ("A Multi

Stakeholder Synthesis of the Development Situation in Papua", UNDP 2005).
Hence, if we want to be successful in Papua, we better make sure to take
the people along. Local people

need to be empowered, their institutions need to be strengthened, so
whenever we all leave Papua in the

future, the Papuans will be able to manage their own resources, making the
best out of them without

destroying them, and solve their own problems.

In this regard, a lot still needs to be done, as clearly spelled out in
the 2006-2011 Papua Province

Medium-Term Plan. Among others, the structure of the provincial,
regency/municipal governments does

not yet reflect the true needs of government functions in line with the
law on special autonomy. The

structure has tended to get larger recently, with additional units without
proper prior analysis.
The capacity of government officials at all levels is far from adequate to
properly assume their roles and

functions, which in turn has resulted in poor service delivery. Planning
is based on the subjective

creativity of the planners instead of the real needs of the people. Fund
management is characterized by

lack of transparency and accountability. And the people are yet to be
involved in the decision-making

process.

Measures to overcome these problems demand our patience and often seem to
be fruitless, as they will

only generate meaningful results in the long run. This of course
contradicts our desire to generate results

as soon as possible so we can claim success. But then we are confronted
with the question, "Are we

really serious about helping the Papuans get out of their current
condition or are we actually serving our

own interests?"
There is no doubt that we all want to do our best to help the Papuans. It
does not really matter if

sometimes our efforts seem to be going nowhere, as long as we are sure
that we are doing right and are

on the right track. As the governor puts it, we do the planting and let
God do the watering!
The writer is a staff member at Partnership for Governance Reform in
Indonesia. The opinions expressed

here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of
Partnership.

---

From:  Richard Samuelson <samoxen at dsl.pipex.com>

Indonesian military intelligence forbids banned West Papuan author from
meeting with Indonesian Vice-President

English translation

14 February 2008

Commander of BAIS [Indonesian military intelligence] TNI in Papua, Colonel
Bangun P, has restricted the freedom of movement for Sendius Wonda.

Colonel Bangun P has sent a warning to the Head (Bupati) of the Puncak Jaya
Regency, Lukas Enembe, via SMS message:

"Mr Bupati, I advise you that your staff member Sendius Wonda must not join
the co-ordination meeting of all the Regencies"

The Co-ordination meeting involves all the Regencies from all over Papua and
the Vice President of Indonesia Moh Yusuf Kalla.

Sendius Wonda is the author of the book "The sinking of the Melanesian
Race". This book is banned by the Indonesian government Attorney General.
Sendius Wonda is the head of a government department in Puncak Jaya regency.




Message from Rev Socratez Sofyan Yoman, President of the Baptist Church in
West Papua.

---

Kalla asks Papua to use local wisdom in development

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

18 February 2008

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnation.asp?fileid=20080218.G01
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnation.asp?fileid=20080218.G01&irec=0>
&irec=0

Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Saturday asked Papua to use local wisdom to
accelerate development and achieve the true potential of the resource-rich
province.

Addressing high-ranking Papuan officials during a work meeting here to
evaluate development programs in the province, Kalla said governors, regents
and mayors in Papua needed to be more creative in crafting policies and
carrying out development programs to achieve significant advances in all
sectors.

"When constructing a building in a remote area, for instance, a regional
administration should call on local wisdom and use wood which is affordable
and easy to get, instead of stones and cement which could cost some Rp 1
million per pack because of the costly transportation fees," he said.

The Vice President said this fiscal year, Papua province would receive Rp 21
trillion (US$2.2 billion) in development funds and West Papua Rp 7 trillion.
He said these were significant amounts, especially considering the total
population was only about 2.8 million.

"If these huge amounts of funds were distributed equally to the population,
everyone would receive Rp 11 million. The funds will have significance for
the people if the development programs change their lives. Therefore, the
government must be efficient and the funds should not wholly be absorbed for
bureaucracy expenditures," he said.

Under the 2001 special autonomy law for Papua, the province received about
Rp 3 trillion in 2002, Rp 5 trillion in 2005 and Rp 6 trillion in 2006 from
the government as its share of revenue from the exploitation of natural
resources in the province. This includes the copper and gold mined by PT
Freeport McMoran Indonesia in Timika.

Jakarta has been criticized for its handling of Papua, with the latest
outcry coming after the government introduced a bill that would split Papua
into four new provinces and allow the central government to send more
security personnel into the country's easternmost province.

Most Papuans oppose the bill, and have called on Jakarta to settle
unresolved human rights abuses in the region and fight corruption in the
provincial bureaucracy.

Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu said in a report at Saturday's meeting that 80
percent of Papuans were officially defined as living in absolute poverty.

According to unofficial data from local NGOs and churches, some 60 percent
of Papuans are illiterate. Papua has also seen the fastest spread of
HIV/AIDS in the country.

"They are poor and cannot survive despite their natural wealth. This
condition has been worsened by the corrupt governance and poor
infrastructure and the low quality of human resources," Suebu said.
The three-day work meeting will last until Monday. It is being held so
officials can discuss the problems facing Papua and how to improve the
welfare of Papuans.

The meeting is also expected to seek a legal solution and basis for the
controversial formation of West Papua province following the annulment by
the Constitutional Court of Law No. 45/1999 on the province's formation.

---

Intellectuals criticize Papua bill

Angela Flassy, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

18 February 2008

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnation.asp?fileid=20080218.G05
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnation.asp?fileid=20080218.G05&irec=4>
&irec=4

Two Papuan intellectuals have expressed deep concern over a bill on the
formation of four new provinces in Papua, which they said would benefit
Jakarta and could sow conflict among tribes.

Don A. Flassy, a senior researcher at the provincial administration,
criticized the House of Representatives for attempting to divide Papua into
four new provinces -- West Papua, Southeast Papua, South Papua and Central
Papua.


He said the proposal was opposed by the majority of Papuans.


"The proposed formation of the four new provinces is in contravention of Law
No. 21/2001 on Papua's special autonomy and the 2004 regional administration
law, which recognize the province's uniqueness in terms of ethnicity,
culture and territory. The development of eight regencies into a Central
Papua province would likely incite horizontal conflicts among numerous
tribes and local cultures in the future," he told The Jakarta Post here over
the weekend.


The bill proposes the regencies of Supiori, Biak, Yapen Waropen, Nabire,
Waopen, Paniai, Dogiai and Mimika be developed into the province of Central
Papua, with Timika as the provincial capital.


According to the bill's sponsors, this would improve public services to
residents.


Don warned the presence of three separate ethnic groups in the province
could pose a serious threat to harmony, saying the government should learn
from the prolonged conflict between two tribes in Mimika.


"The culture of the Mee-Lani Poqo tribe in the mountainous area is in
contrast with the Saireri tribe's culture in Cenderawasih Bay and the Ha
Anim culture in Mimika. The three ethnic groups and cultures have their own
characteristics and interests, both in terms of customs and conflict
settlement," he said.


He said if a Central Papua province was formed, it should include only the
mountainous areas, home to the Komoro, Sempan and Agimuga tribes, while the
coastal area around Cenderawasih Bay, home to Saireri, should remain an
integral part of Papua province.


"The proposed regencies of Numfor, North Yapen, West Yapen, Upper Waropen,
Lower Waropen, Biak and Nabire in the coastal areas could be developed later
into a new province," he said.


Don also said the creation of new provinces should be aimed at improving the
welfare of residents, not helping the government enhance security in the
province, which is home to the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).


The proposed Central Papua would be home to about 605,000 people, 60 percent
of them indigenous Papuans. It has great potential in mining, agriculture,
forestry and tourism


The proposed new province would also be home to U.S. copper and gold mining
company PT Freeport McMoran Indonesia, and has the potential to produce
670,000 tons of fish annually in Supiori and Yapen Waropen.


Paniai regency is seen having great potential in agribusiness, while Nabire
could be developed to be a trade center for the province.


The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) opposes the proposed formation of the
four new provinces, which it said violated the 2001 special autonomy law for
Papua.


Deputy head of the assembly, Frans Wospakrik, said the MRP and the
provincial administration had their own ideas on how Papua should be
developed into several new provinces, but Jakarta has ignored their
suggestions.


"Jakarta has interpreted the law in accordance with its own interests. We
give up and ask the central government to withdraw the special autonomy so
that Papua can be governed according to its interests," he said.


Frans, also a former rector of Cenderawasih University in Papua, said the
assembly was deeply concerned that Jakarta continued looking down on Papuans
and ignoring their desire to build a better future.


He said the majority of Papuans were committed to the Indonesian unitary
state, but the government should listen to their suggestions for developing
the province and improve their living standards.

---

From:  Richard Samuelson <samoxen at dsl.pipex.com>

West Papuan Struggle for Independence

http://www.theblacklist.net

Historically, culturally and geographically, West Papua has always been part
of Melanesia and the wider Pacific region. But, as in many Pacific
countries, the people of West Papua have been separated from other Pacific
islanders by colonial lines drawn on the map. West Papua has been under
Indonesian control since the 1962 New York Agreement and the 1969 Act of
Free Choice. For many years, Indonesia has regarded the western half of the
island of New Guinea as the province of Irian Jaya - for the West Papuan
nationalist movement, the Indonesian takeover in the 1960s has not ended
their right to self-determination.


Papua Merdaka,

Follow the link below to Octavianus Mote's interview on Blogtalkradio
http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/MERLETTA/2008/02/14/Lets-Talk-about-our-Roots

Mr. Mote was interviewed by Kwasi Akyeampong and Merletta Martin of
TheBlackList -
https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/theblacklist

 homepage:
http://www.theblacklist.net

Papua Merdaka.

Thanks for being out there.

:Kwasi Akyeampong

Posted by TheBlackList - http://www.theblacklist.net

---

From:  Richard Samuelson <samoxen at dsl.pipex.com>

WEST PAPUAN CHURCHES

& OTHER RELIGIONS

APPEAL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE



Catholic & Protestant churches, Muslims, Hindus & Buddhists together made
this appeal:



WE



1.      declared West Papua as 'Land of Peace' on the 5th February 2002.

2.      made an appeal to the international community to have 'an honest and
peaceful dialogue similar to Aceh peace process. The dialogue will be
mediated by a neutral third party who is approved by both the native West
Papuans and the Indonesian government. This appeal was made on the 3rd May
2007 in a report from (various) churches about the failure of the Special
Autonomy Law no 21, Year 2001.

3.      recommended that ' a  solution to the difference of  ideology in
West Papua must be dealt with immediately between the central [Indonesian]
government and the native West Papuans which is facilitated by a neutral
third party which is approved by  both parties'. This recommendation was a
result of a workshop attended by West Papuan churches and religious leaders
in West Papua at Sentani Indah Hotel on 7th December 2007.

4.      On the 1st February 2008, before the celebration of the arrival of
the first missionaries in West Papua (5th February 2008), Churches and other
religious leaders made a statement that ' there are different ideological
perceptions about the integration of West Papua into the unitary state of
the  republic of Indonesia which hinder development and become a
destructive conflict. Thus, we expect that although the matter is complex
and sensitive, it could be solved through dialogue and reconciliation'. The
churches and religious leaders also stated that the number of military
personnel in West Papua is too many. In addition, the military personnel did
not understand nor try to learn local culture; in fact they are suspicious
of the people and treat them as enemies. This creates worries everywhere.

The religious leaders' reasons for the appeal to have an international
dialogue are as follows:



1.      There is no willingness to implement the Special Autonomy Law no 21
year 2001 at various levels; the central government of the Republic of
Indonesia, the house of parliament of the Republic of Indonesia, the
provincial government, the regional house of parliament, and the Papuan
People's Assembly [MRP].  The very obvious thing is that there is no equal
distribution of educational, health, and economic services throughout all
Papuan regions.



2.      The regional extensions which have illegally violated the Special
Autonomy law no 21 year 2001 have created new conflicts in all Papuan
regions.  Papuan tribes have been divided, there are no employment
opportunities for Papuans because there is not any good employment planning
and there is no balance in human resource development, and the traditional
rights have been removed and development is money-oriented.



3.      The policy of establishing military posts and the stationing of
Indonesian military personnel in West Papua has violated Law No 34 year 2004
about the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI). The presence of military armed
force posts, Indonesian Navy posts & Indonesian Air Force posts in all
regions of Papua has disturbed the people's peace. The decision to establish
and station military personnel was made only from one side. In addition, the
personnel appointed do not understand the native West Papuan culture and use
militaristic approach in dealing with the Papuans. The military personnel
used separatist issues [as an excuse] to deal with any Papuans who are
critical of the military.



4.      Militarism has entered and destroyed the civilian's ways of life by
forming militias such the Red and White front. The militias not only live a
militaristic life but also use military uniforms and practice militaristic
actions.



5.      Massive illegal exploitations of the natural resources such as
illegal logging, illegal fishing, illegal hunting and illegal distribution
of alcoholic beverage which is assumed to be backed by police and military
personnel.  Because the actors are military or police personnel, the
criminal actions were 'allowed' to happen and there is no legal action to
punish the actors.



6.       The different ideological perceptions between the native West
Papuans (and the military) have legitimized the use of violence against the
people. The people's different ideology was perceived as a legitimate reason
to label them as separatists or OPM (Free Papua Movement). The labelling of
the Papuans as OPM or separatists by the government, the military and the
police has created conflicts between the Papuans and the government. There
is no separatism in Papua. The "OPM (Free Papua Movement) issue" is kept and
maintained and used by the government for their own interests. In fact,
there is a strong assumption that those who claimed themselves as members of
OPM were trained and prepared by the Indonesian military and police.



7.      Evidence of the failure of the Special Autonomy law no 21 year 2001
was proven by the following which have all taken place under Special
Autonomy:

.         The killing of Theys Hiyo Eluay and the disappearance of Theys'
driver, Aristoteles Masoka by the Special Forces (Kpoassus) on November 10,
2001.

.         The formation of the West Irian Jaya province based on the
presidential decree no 1 year 2003.

.          The murder of Yustinus Murip on April 4, 2003 and the military
operations in Kuyawagi that killed 73 people and destroyed peoples'
churches, schools, houses and gardens.

.         The murder of Yustinus Murip on April 4, 2003 and the military
operations in Kuyawagi that killed 73 people and destroyed peoples'
churches, schools, houses and gardens.

.         The murder of Revd. Elisa Tabuni and military operation in Puncak
Jaya.

.         The government's decree no 77 year 2007 about the acceleration of
developments in Papua.

.         The restrictions on the visit of US Congressman Eni Faleomavaega's
meetings with the native Papuans on his visit to Papua.

.         The Indonesian government's regulations about the banning of the
Morning Star flag as the regional symbol of Papua.

.         The approval of  new proposed law that extended  Papua  provinces
into several new provinces; South Papua Province, Central Papua, North-West
Papua and several new regencies.

.         The murder of Omanggen Wonda in Tingginambut village, Tingginambut
district - Puncak Jaya regency on January 31 2008 at 21.00pm by Indonesian
military personnel from battalion 756.

.         There are many more incidents during the Special Autonomy Law no
21 year 2001.



The conclusion is: The Special Autonomy law no 21 year 2001 is indeed  a
TOTAL FAILURE and has brought DISASTERS TO HUMANITY AND THE DESTRUCTION OF
THE FUTURE OF  NATIVE WEST PAPUANS .



Jayapura - West Papua, 11th February 2008

Reported by: Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman, President of the Fellowship of West
Papuan Baptist Churches.


---

West Papua Report

March 2008

This is the 46th in a series of monthly reports that focus on
developments affecting Papuans This series is produced by the
non-profit West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media
accounts, other NGO assessments and analysis and reporting from
sources within West Papua This report is co-published by the East
Timor and Indonesian Action Network (ETAN) Back issues are posted
online at http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/default.htm . Questions
regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at
edmcw at msn.com.

Summary:

*Two senior US Members of Congress have urged the UN Secretary
General to address "rising reports of human rights violations in
West Papua."  The letter singles out intimidation of Papuans who
raised human rights violations with a visiting UN official;
continued restrictions on access to West Papua and failure of the
central government to implement reforms promised under "special
autonomy" legislation.  The letter urges "that the Security Council
appoint a senior official with responsibility to pursue the creation
of a senior level dialogue between the government of President
Yudhoyono and Papuan government and civil society leaders to be
mediated by a UN Security Council representative."

*A senior UN Human Rights official provides a detailed account of
continuing human rights violations in West Papua, continued failure
to hold accountable military officials for those violations and
failure of the police to protect Papuan civilians against threats
from unscrupulous developers backed by the military.  She describes
a "climate of fear" in which human rights defenders have been
targeted, often labeled as "separatists."

*Papuan Religious leaders condemn "special autonomy" as a failed
policy and decry the role of the Indonesian military in West Papua.
They call for an internationally monitored dialogue between Papuans
and the Indonesian government.

*Proposals to divide West Papua continue to roil efforts to build a
stable base for development of West Papua.  A prominent Papuan
academic notes that the proposals violate special autonomy
legislation and risk inciting inter-tribal and inter-cultural
conflict.

*The Papuan Governor has convened Indonesian and international
donors urging that they coordinate their assistance and better
engage Papuan people in their planning.

*The Dutch Government has pledged to better monitor court procedures
that impinge on human rights observance in Indonesia and
particularly cases in which human rights defenders are threatened.


Senior US Congress Members Call for UN-mediated Dialogue on West
Papua

Two senior members of the US Congress have called on UN Secretary
General to take action to address human rights abuse in West Papua.
The February 14 letter expressed "deep and growing concern regarding
rising reports of human rights violations in West Papua."

The two Congressional leaders, East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee
Chairman Eni Faleomavaega and third ranking International Relations
Committee member Donald Payne noted that the rights violations came
"against a backdrop of decades of abuse by Indonesian security
forces targeting the Papuan people."

Excerpts of the letter follow: (for full text of letter, see
http://www.etan.org/news/2008/02wpap.htm) "The upsurge in violence
has come on the heels of the June 5 -12, 2007 visit to West Papua by
Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Hina Jilani.
These threats and harassment appear to be specifically focused on
Papuans who met with Special Representative Jilani. In her report to
you, Ms. Jilani noted "harassment and intimidation" of human rights
defenders. Moreover, as noted by Ms. Jilani, security forces in West
Papua enjoy impunity from prosecution for human rights abuse and
corruption. Juan Mendez, UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of
Genocide, described, in 2006, West Papua as being among those
countries whose populations were 'at risk of extinction'."

"We are also concerned about the tight restrictions placed upon
journalists, human rights activists and diplomats trying to obtain
access to West Papua. As you know, nongovernmental organizations,
the media and foreign officials can act as witnesses to and bulwarks
against human rights abuses as well as agents of change. So, the
failure of these individuals to gain unobstructed access to the
country hinders Papuans' stories of human rights abuse, quashing of
civil liberties and inability to express their right to
self-determination from coming to the fore...."

"We are also concerned that notwithstanding assurances by Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that his administration would
address long standing Papuan grievances and implement Law No.
21/2001 on Special Autonomy, security and other Indonesian central
government officials in West Papua have failed to carry out
reforms."

"Understandably, Papuan officials, civil society leaders and Papuans
overwhelmingly have rejected the failed Special Autonomy policy of
the central government. They have instead rightly called for an
internationally mediated dialogue between Papuan officials and civil
society and senior Indonesian government officials to discuss such
concerns as the demilitarization of West Papua, Papuan
self-determination and transmigration of Javanese into Papua."

"We welcome the recent adoption of the United Nations' Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which calls for the elimination
of human rights violations and for combating discrimination and
marginalization against indigenous peoples. In that spirit, we urge
that the Security Council appoint a senior official with
responsibility to pursue the creation of a senior level dialogue
between the government of President Yudhoyono and Papuan government
and civil society leaders to be mediated by a UN Security Council
representative."


Senior UN Human Rights Officials Describes Conditions in West Papua

In a 28 January Report to the Human Rights Council, Senior UN
Special Representative Hina Jilani reported on her "Mission to
Indonesia."  The official devoted a significant portion of her
report to describing security force intimidation targeting Papuan
human rights defenders.  The report is available at
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=&docid=47baaeb62.
A
portion of that reporting follows (paras 64 through 74):

The Special Representative visited Jayapura, capital of the West
Papua province, on 8 and 9 June 2007.

A climate of fear undeniably prevails in West Papua, especially for
defenders engaged with the rights of the Papuan communities to
participation in governance, control over natural resources and
demilitarization of the province. The situation of these defenders
does not seem to have eased, and despite the adoption of the Special
Autonomy Law in 2001, their legitimate activities for the protection
of human rights continue to be targeted. The Special Representative
heard credible reports of incidents involving arbitrary detention,
torture, and harassment through surveillance. She was also informed
of cases where human rights defenders had been threatened with
prosecution by members of the police and the military. It was
alleged that when defenders had attempted to register their
complaints, that had been denied and they had been threatened.
Instances of excessive and disproportionate use of force when
policing peaceful demonstrations were also brought to her attention.

The Special Representative is particularly disturbed by allegations
that when defenders expose abuse of authority or other forms of
human rights violations committed by the security apparatus, they
are labelled as separatists in order to undermine their credibility.
The Special Representative believes that this trend places human
rights defenders at greater risk and must be discouraged by the
concerned authorities.

The Special Representative is also concerned about complaints that
defenders from West Papua working for the preservation of the
environment and the right over land and natural resources
(deforestation and illegal logging) frequently receive threats from
private actors with powerful economic interests but are granted no
protection by the police. Some old and recent cases concern direct
involvement of the police and military. Complaints were made to the
police, but no action was reportedly taken. Sometimes, the police
did not even make the effort to examine the facts. The Special
Representative reminds the Government that it has a responsibility
to protect its citizens against the harmful activities of non-State
actors.

This climate of fear has reportedly worsened since the incident of
Abepura in March 2006, where five members of the security forces
were killed after clashes with protesters demanding the closure of
the gold and copper mine, PT Freeport. Lawyers and human rights
defenders involved with the trial received death threats. The
harassment of these lawyers and defenders around the trial was
interpreted as a warning to the community of human rights defenders,
who have decreased their activities out of fear of harsh treatment.

Interference with freedom of movement and with defenders' efforts to
monitor and investigate human rights violations was also reported.
The Special Representative was perturbed to hear that Komnas HAM is
prevented by law enforcement authorities from carrying out its
official duties. She was particularly disconcerted by reports that
Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, Director of the branch of Komnas HAM in West
Papua, was intimidated and threatened on several occasions by the
police and unidentified persons in the course of his fact-finding
activities. For instance, in March 2006, following the Abepura
incident, Komnas HAM tried to conduct an investigation into the
incident but the Chief of the local police reportedly warned Mr.
Rumbekwan and his colleagues that "if they continue the
investigation, the police will kill them". Mr. Rumbekwan tried to
explain the mandate of Komnas HAM to the officer, but this latter
threw away the documents Mr. Rumbekwan was handing to him. Mr.
Rumbekwan reported all the cases to Komnas HAM in Jakarta, but
according to him, no assistance was provided.

The Special Representative was disturbed by reports that
international human rights monitors and journalists entering West
Papua are subject to tight restrictions and only a few are permitted
to operate, resulting in a scarcity of information on the human
rights situation in West Papua, mostly with regard to allegations of
human rights abuses occurring in remote areas.  It is worth noting
that, despite guarantees given by the capital to allow visits to
West Papua, local authorities often deny access.

The concerns of the Special Representative regarding the situation
of human rights defenders in West Papua persist, despite the
assurance to her by the Military Commander and the Chief of Police
in Papua that there was no institutional policy to target defenders.
According to various credible sources, an increase of military
presence has been witnessed on the island, despite an official
statement alleging the opposite.

According to reliable sources, a number of human rights defenders
with whom the Special Representative met during her visit in West
Papua were threatened and intimidated during and after the end of
the mission. On 8 June, shortly after the arrival of the Special
Representative in Jayapura, the vehicle in which Ms. Frederika
Korain and Rev. Perinus Kogoya, and Mr. Barthol Yomen, members of
the Peace and Justice Commission for the Diocese of Jayapura (SKP
Jayapura), were driving was hit by a car driven by intelligence
officers. The Special Representative sent a communication about this
incident on 11 July 2007. The Government however responded that
"this incident was evidently a misunderstanding that led to no
injuries of those involved. However, the perpetrators fled the scene
with only a weak excuse to exonerate culpability, but apparently not
before one of them had given his name and his telephone number".11
The Government later gave a detailed account of the incident,
concluding that "the exact details of the incident [had] been
changed and the events dramatized to politicize them".

On 9 June 2007, Mr. Yan Christian Warinussy, Director of LP3BH
(Lembaga Penelitian, Pengkajian dan Pengembangan Bantuan Hukum or
Institute of Research, Analysis and Development of Legal Aid) of
Manokwari, was subjected to surveillance, and on 29 July he received
threatening text messages on his mobile phone linking his human
rights work to the separatist movement. The Special Representative
alerted the Government about this situation in two communications
sent on 11 July and 28 August 2007. The Government replied that
"nothing malefic came of this incident and investigations thereafter
have not thus far been able to establish either a clear description
or the whereabouts of the alleged perpetrators".

The most worrying case is that of Mr Albert Rumbekwan, who on 11
June 2007 received death threats on his mobile reportedly stating:
"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". The Special Representative expressed her grave concern in
two communications addressed to the Government on 11 July and 10
August 2007. The Government responded that "[w]hile it is most
unfortunate that these incidents should occur during the official
visit of the Special Representative [.], it must be stressed that
such incidents are not the norm . over the years, [Mr. Rumbekwan]
has undertaken an increasingly high profile role as a campaigner for
peace, justice and human rights in his region of West Papua . [t]his
is something he continues to do to date as head of Komnas HAM in
Papua and it should be noted that he has in fact received police
protection and escort since he reported he was being harassed".14
While the Special Representative welcomes the granting of police
protection following these threats, she remains concerned at reports
that threats against Mr. Rumbekwan and his family persist,
indicating that the measures taken by the police are ineffective and
should be reinforced.


Papuan Religious Leaders Describe Special Autonomy a Failure, Decry
The Role of the Military and Call for Dialogue

On February 7 seven prominent Papuan religious leaders including
Catholic Bishop Leo Laba as well as Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist and
Hindu leaders have called for declaration of West Papua as a Land of
Peace and appealed for an internationally mediated dialogue between
the Indonesian central government and Papuans.  The leaders
described the Special Autonomy Law of 2001 as a "total failure that
has brought disaster and the destruction of the native West Papuans
future."  The religious leaders also described central government
division of West Papua into new provinces and districts as illegal,
specifically, in violation of the Special Autonomy Law.  These
actions have, they contended, divided tribes, failed to create new
employment opportunities and failed to advance human resource
development.  Instead, they described these externally driven
efforts as "money-oriented."

Much of the religious leaders statement focused on the role and
activities of the Indonesian military. They contended: "the policy
of establishing military posts and the stationing of Indonesian
military personnel in West Papua has violated Law No 34 year 2004
about the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI). The presence of military
armed force posts, Indonesian Navy posts & Indonesian Air Force
posts in all regions of Papua has disturbed the people's peace. The
decision to establish and station military personnel was made only
from one side. In addition, the personnel appointed do not
understand the native West Papuan culture and use militaristic
approach in dealing with the Papuans. The military personnel used
separatist issues [as an excuse] to deal with any Papuans who are
critical of the military.  Militarism has entered and destroyed the
civilian's ways of life by forming militias such as the "Red and
White front."

The leaders also complained about environmental destruction of
Papuan resources as a consequence of illegal logging, illegal
fishing, illegal hunting "and illegal distribution of alcoholic
beverage which is assumed to be backed by police and military
personnel."  Because the actors are military or police personnel,
the religious leaders said, "the criminal actions were allowed to
happen and there is no legal action to punish the actors." The
leaders also condemned "the labeling of the Papuans as OPM or
separatists by the government, the military and the police has
created conflicts between the Papuans and the government." The
leaders asserted that in fact "there is no separatism in Papua. The
"OPM (Free Papua Movement) issue" is kept and maintained and used by
the government for their own interests. In fact, there is a strong
assumption that those who claimed themselves as members of OPM were
trained and prepared by the Indonesian military and police."

Two Prominent Papuan Intellectuals Oppose National Parliament Bill
to Divide-up West Papua

Two Papuan intellectuals have expressed strong opposition to a bill
in the national Parliament that would create four new provinces in
Papua (West Papua, Southeast Papua, South Papua and Central Papua).

Don A. Flassy, a senior researcher at the provincial administration,
contended  that the Bill was opposed by a majority of Papuans (who
have not been consulted about the action).  He added that the
proposal was in contravention of Law No. 21/2001 on Papua's special
autonomy and the 2004 regional administration law, which recognized
the province's uniqueness in terms of ethnicity, culture and
territory.

Focusing on the proposed province of "Central Papua", Flassy warned
in an interview with the Jakarta Post that its creation "would
likely incite horizontal conflicts among numerous tribes and local
cultures in the future." He explained that the presence of three
separate ethnic groups in the province could pose a serious threat
to harmony, offering as proof the prolonged conflict between two
tribes in Mimika district, part of the proposed new province.  The
proposed Central Papua would be home to about 605,000 people, 60
percent of them indigenous Papuans. It has great potential in
mining, agriculture, forestry and tourism The proposed new province
would also be home to U.S. copper and gold mining company PT
Freeport McMoran Indonesia.

The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) opposes the proposed formation of
the four new provinces, which it said violated the 2001 special
autonomy law for Papua. That law requires the MRP's consent to any
new province formation. For his part, Deputy head of the assembly,
Frans Wospakrik, said the MRP and the provincial administration had
their own ideas on how Papua should be developed into several new
provinces, but Jakarta had ignored its suggestions. Frans, also a
former rector of Cenderawasih University in Papua, said the assembly
was deeply concerned that Jakarta continued looking down on Papuans
and ignoring their desire to build a better future.

Five Papuan District Leaders Call for Creation of a New Papuan
Province

Five District leaders in West Papua on February 18 announced their
intent to form a separate province.  Their call came in the context
of Provincial district-municipality working meeting (see immediately
following item) which they walked out of.  The five were leaders
from the Districts of Yahukimo, Tolikara Puncak Jaya, Pegunungan
Bintang and Jayawijaya.  The districts are located in the center of
West Papua which is among the least developed parts of the province
and the scene of repeated assaults on civilians by the Indonesian
military. Declaring that they had lost patience with central and
provincial authorities the District chiefs said they would choose
Wamena as their capital.

The leaders assessed that Indonesia's "special autonomy" policy had
not made any difference in the lives of the people in the districts
which they said remained poor and disadvantaged in every aspect of
life.   They also claimed that the Provincial level government had
also largely ignored these districts.

The five District leaders left for Jakarta on February 16  to meet
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Home Minister Mardiyanto and
Commission II members of the House of Representatives.

According to a  February 20 Jakarta Post article some residents of
one of the Districts, (Pegunungan Bintang district) have protested
the formation of a new province.

Papuan Governor Convenes Donors

West Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu hosted a February 15-21 meeting
of Papua development partners in Jayapura under the title
"Coordination and Synchronization for People Driven Development".
Participants included several ambassadors and representatives of the
World Bank, the United Nations and a number of donor agencies.  In
addition Vice President Jusuf Kalla gave a keynote address.  Five
Cabinet national ministers as well as Papuan District leaders,
mayors and heads of ministerial representative offices were also
present.

A February 16 Jakarta Post op-ed by Marcellus Rantetana, a staff
member at Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia, noted that
notwithstanding years of pledges by Jakarta officials and the
experience of six years of "special autonomy," there remained "a
deep wealth gap" between Papuans and residents of other province and
regions.  Rantetana also noted that violations of basic rights
persisted. He added, "it has been six years since the (special
autonomy) law was passed, but the welfare and living standards in
Papua, especially for native Papuans, have not significantly
changed. Papua still tops the list of poverty incidence, school
dropouts, illiteracy, malnutrition and many others."

The op-ed faulted the central government's failure to meet even the
most basic of human needs as being not simply a consequence of a
shortage of funds.  Funds allocated to West Papua have increased
significantly in recent years. The author asks however,"how much of
these funds have been and will directly benefit Papuans, especially
native Papuans, and how much are used for overhead."  Papuan
Governor Suebu has publicly noted the imbalance between official
expenditures and public expenditures He has explained that most of
the local government funds are still used to finance
official-related activities, with only a small proportion used for
people-related expenditures.

Rantetana called on donor groups and agencies to "take the people
along," explaining that "local people need to be empowered, their
institutions need to be strengthened, so whenever we all leave Papua
in the future, the Papuans will be able to manage their own
resources."

He further assessed the capacity of government officials at all
levels as "far from adequate to properly assume their roles and
functions, which in turn has resulted in poor service delivery."  He
continued, "planning is based on the subjective creativity of the
planners instead of the real needs of the people. Fund management is
characterized by lack of transparency and accountability. And the
people are yet to be involved in the decision-making process."

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Pledges Dutch Embassy Will Monitor
Papuan Court Hearing

The Netherlands-based Inter Faith Network on Papua reports that
during a recent meeting of the Dutch Parliament several members
expressed concern regarding the ongoing threats targeting human
rights defenders in West Papua. During a special session focused on
Indonesia, they raised several individual cases including those of
human rights defenders Albert Rumbekwan who has been the target of
intimidation and Sabar Olif who has been detained.

In reply to their questions, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs
promised that the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia would attend future
hearings. The Netherlands recently announced a new human rights
policy, in which the protection of human rights defenders is a
priority. The EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders also
specifically mention attending court cases as one of the instruments
available to European Embassies to actively contribute to the
protection of human rights defenders.

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