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1) Pacific concern relayed at UN over West Papua abuses

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2) Pacific nations want UN to investigate Indonesia on West Papua
3) Pacific nations want UN report on Papua
4) Activists, Church Groups Condemn Oppression Against West Papua
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1) Pacific concern relayed at UN over West Papua abuses

3:17 pm today 

Vanuatu has addressed a high level United Nations meeting over Pacific regional concerns about human rights abuses in Indonesia's Papua region, or West Papua.
The 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, was told that Indonesia has not curtailed or halted various widespread violations.
Vanuatu’s Justice Minister Ronald Warsal was speaking on behalf of his country and six other Pacific nations: Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands
Vanuatu's Justice Mnister Ronald Warsal addresses the 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council regarding the human rights situation in West Papua. Photo: webtv.un.org

"We note that in the past 15 years, the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights has collected evidence of gross human rights violations by Indonesian security forces in three principle areas of West Papua: Wasior, Wamena and Paniai."
Mr Warsal said the Commission described the sets of cases in the first two places as crimes against humanity, which are punishable under Indonesian and international laws.
He referenced reports of extrajudicial executions of activists and the arrests, beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful demonstrators, including high school students; as well as persistent violence against Papuan women.
West Papuan human rights activist Rode Wanimbo address the 7th Pacific Women's Network Against Violence Against Women in 2016 Photo: Pacific Women's Network Against Violence Against Women
The Vanuatu minister said Indonesia's government had not been able to deliver justice for the victims.
"Nor has there been any noticeable action to address these violations by the Indonesian government, which has, of course, immediate responsibility and primary accountability," he said.
He also mentioned the marginalisation of West Papuans in the face of steady migration to the region by people from other parts of Indonesia.
"We want further to highlight another broad aspect of human rights violations - the Indonesian government policy over many decades and continuing until today of the migration of non-indigenous Papuans to West Papua, leading to a dramatic decline in the percentage of the indigenous Papuan population."

Denial by Indonesia

Indonesia's delegation to the UN mission in Geneva has issued a reply, saying it categorically rejects the allegations voiced by Vanuatu's Justice Minister.
It said Mr Warsal's address does not reflect the real situation on the ground, accusing Vanuatu of "using human rights issues to justify its dubious support for the separatist movement in Papua".
In a statement, Indonesia said its record on the promotion and protection of human rights spoke for itself.
"This includes our co-operation with various UN Special Procedures and Mandate Holders, as well as various collaborative endeavours at bilateral, regional and multilateral level including within the Human Rights Council in strengthening human rights mechanisms as well as in the promotion and protection of various basic human rights."
"As a matter of fact, this year Indonesia will welcome the visits of two Special Rapporteurs, and present our third UPR report this coming May."
Earlier, Mr Warsal referred to a series of recent pronouncements by mandate holders of the UN Council about serious Indonesian violations of the human rights of indigenous Papuans.

West Papuan demonstrators tightly monitored by Indonesian police. Photo: Whens Tebay
These included representations by UN Special Rapporteurs on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the rights of indigenous peoples; the Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and the Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Indonesia's government, however, said it had always endeavoured to address any allegation of human rights violation as well as taking preventative measure and delivering justice.

'Domestic' issues

The Indonesian government again sent a message to Vanuatu that it should stay out of what it regards as its own domestic matters.
Jakarta said that Vanuatu's government should not divert its focus from addressing its various domestic human rights problem by politicising the issue of Papua for its domestic political purposes.
"In this regard, the Indonesian Government is prepared to work and co-operate with the Government of Vanuatu in their efforts to address various human rights violation and abuses against the people of Vanuatu" said the statement.
These abuses, according to Indonesia, included “violence against women, corporal punishment against minors, appalling prison condition, including torture of prisoners, and other challenges".

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (check shirt) has made regular visits to Papua region where his government has been spearheading a major economic development drive. Photo: AFP
However, the seven Pacific nations have called on the UN Human Rights Council to request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to produce a consolidated report on "the actual situation in West Papua".
Among other provisions, Mr Warsal said the report should also detail the various rights under the International Bill of Human Rights and the related conventions, including the right to self-determination.
"We believe that challenges of West Papua must be brought back to the agenda of the United Nations," said the Vanuatu minister on behalf of the Pacific countries.


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2 MAR 2017 - 5:22PM

2) Pacific nations want UN to investigate Indonesia on West Papua

Seven Pacific island nations have accused Indonesia of serious human rights violations of indigenous Papuans, and want the UN to investigate

Source:  
AAP, SBS News
2 MAR 2017 - 4:08 PM  UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO
Seven Pacific island nations have called for a UN investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in Indonesia's West Papua and Papua provinces, where a separatist movement has simmered for decades.
A statement to a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, read on behalf of the seven states by Vanuatu's Justice Minister Ronald Warsal, accused Indonesia of serious human rights violations of Indigenous Papuans including extrajudicial executions of activists and beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful protesters.
The statement called on the council to request a comprehensive report from the high commissioner for human rights and Indonesia's co-operation in providing unfettered access to the two provinces, which independence supporters refer to collectively as West Papua.
Pacific island leaders angered Indonesia last year when they used their speeches to the UN General Assembly to criticise Indonesia's rule in West Papua.
Jakarta accused them of interfering in Indonesia's sovereignty and supporting groups that carry out armed attacks.
Mr Warsal, who spoke on behalf of Vanuatu, Tonga, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and the Solomon Islands, said they also wanted to highlight the Indonesian policy of encouraging the migration of Javanese and other ethnic groups, which has led to the dramatic outnumbering of Indigenous Papuans in their own land.
The Indonesian government "has not been able to curtail or halt these various and widespread violations," he said.
"Neither has that government been able to deliver justice for the victims."

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3) Pacific nations want UN report on Papua
MARCH 2, 20174:06PM
Associated Press

Seven Pacific island nations have called for a UN investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in Indonesia's West Papua and Papua provinces, where a separatist movement has simmered for decades.
A statement to a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, read on behalf of the seven states by Vanuatu's Justice Minister Ronald Warsal, accused Indonesia of serious human rights violations of indigenous Papuans including extrajudicial executions of activists and beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful protesters.
The statement called on the council to request a comprehensive report from the high commissioner for human rights and Indonesia's co-operation in providing unfettered access to the two provinces, which independence supporters refer to collectively as West Papua.
Pacific island leaders angered Indonesia last year when they used their speeches to the UN General Assembly to criticise Indonesia's rule in West Papua.
Jakarta accused them of interfering in Indonesia's sovereignty and supporting groups that carry out armed attacks.
Warsal, who spoke on behalf of Vanuatu, Tonga, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and the Solomon Islands, said they also wanted to highlight the Indonesian policy of encouraging the migration of Javanese and other ethnic groups, which has led to the dramatic outnumbering of indigenous Papuans in their own land.
The Indonesian government "has not been able to curtail or halt these various and widespread violations," he said.
"Neither has that government been able to deliver justice for the victims."
The Dutch colonisers of the Indonesian archipelago held onto West Papua when Indonesia became independent after World War II.
It became part of Indonesia following a UN-supervised referendum in 1969 that involved only a tiny proportion of the population and was criticised as a sham. Independence supporters want a second referendum.
The indigenous people of the two Papua provinces, which make up the western half of the island of New Guinea, are ethnically Melanesian and culturally distinct from the rest of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.
West Papua is home to the world's largest gold mine by reserves, one of the world's biggest copper mines and vast areas of virgin forest.
The government insists it is an indivisible part of the Indonesian state and is unlikely to make any concessions to separatists out of fear that could re-energise other dormant independence movements.
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4) Activists, Church Groups Condemn Oppression Against West Papua
Published 1 March 2017 (12 hours 7 minutes ago)

Indonesia's neo-colonial stranglehold on West Papua has seen massacres, media blackouts and widespread human rights abuses.

A coalition of activists and church groups have called on Indonesia to end the widespread, yet little known violence and oppression in West Papua and to allow international journalists, observers, human rights groups and aid organizations in the country.
“We support the struggle for human rights of the people of Papua. We urge an end to the ongoing violence and impunity. We support the call for social and economic justice through serious dialogue and a concrete political process that seeks to address root causes of the present problems,” said Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of World Council of Churches, WCC.
The WCC met in consultation with members from the International Coalition on Papua in Geneva, Switzerland last week. Others including civil society organizations and diplomats also met to discuss the widespread human rights abuses in West Papua.
West Papuans won their independence from Dutch colonialism in 1963. As part of a controversial referendum in 1969, it was annexed by Indonesia , which has since ruled with an iron fist over the mostly Melanesian Indigenous population.

Around half a million Melanesians are thought to have been killed by Indonesian authorities. They face restrictions of movement and assembly, with many protesters being held as political prisoners.
Melanesians have been leading a continued struggle for independence, but many of their leaders have been forced into exile. Their struggle has gone largely unknown because of media bans by the Indonesian government.
Victor Yeimo of the West Papua National Committee said that he had asked Indonesian President Joko Widodo to allow international journalists into West Papua, but added that this continued to be rejected, saying that “there is no trust between the people of West Papua and the government in Jakarta.”
“The government of Indonesia fails to address the root problem, which is the historical problem. The West Papuan people will not stop screaming for independence until the root cause is addressed,” said Veronica Koman of the Indigenous group Papua Itu Kita based out of Jakarta.
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1) Pacific nations call for UN investigations into alleged Indonesian rights abuses in West Papua

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2) Bank Papua rejects new credits for Freeport workers

3) Pacific Coalition for West Papua addresses UN Human Rights Council
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-02/pacific-nations-call-for-un-investigations-into-west-papua/8320194

1) Pacific nations call for UN investigations into alleged Indonesian rights abuses in West Papua

By Pacific affairs reporter Liam Fox Posted about 9 hours ago



PHOTO: Indonesian security forces have been accused of beating and killing West Papuan activists. (AP: Dita Alangkara, file)
A group of seven Pacific island nations is calling on the United Nations to investigate allegations of widespread human rights abuses in Indonesia's Papua region, also known as West Papua.
Vanuatu’s Justice Minister Ronald Warsal made the request to a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and spoke on behalf of his 
own country as well as Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands.
Mr Warsal said various UN bodies and representatives had raised concerns about serious human rights violations committed by Indonesian security forces, including extrajudicial executions and beatings of West Papuan activists.
"To date the Government of Indonesia has not been able to curtail or halt these various and widespread violations, he said.


"Neither has that Government been able to deliver justice for the victims. Nor has there been any noticeable action to address these violations by the Indonesian Government."
Mr Warsal called on the Human Rights Council to request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to "produce a consolidated report on the actual situation in West Papua".
"The report must make recommendations for immediate action to halt the pattern of human rights violations," he said.
Indonesia rejected the allegations of widespread, ongoing human rights violations in West Papua.
"The Indonesian Government has always endeavoured to address any allegation of human rights violation as well as taking preventative measures and delivering justice," an Indonesian Government representative told the Human Rights Council.
West Papua, a former Dutch colony, became part of Indonesia after a UN-supervised referendum in 1969 that involved only a small segment of the indigenous Melanesian population.
There is strong support among many Pacific island nations for West Papuan activists who want another referendum to be held.



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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/109702/bank-papua-rejects-new-credits-for-freeport-workers

2) Bank Papua rejects new credits for Freeport workers

15 hours ago | 916 Views

Timika, Papua (ANTARA News) - Bank Pembangunan Daerah Papua (Bank Papua) has since February 20 rejected new credit proposal from the workers of Freeport Indonesia and its affiliates. 

The decision is temporarily until Freeport reached an agreement with the government and resume normal operation, said Joko Suparyono, acting chief of the Timika branch of Bank Papua, which is owned by the provincial administration.

"If Freeport has resumed normal operation credits would be available again for the workers of the company and its affiliates," Joko said here on Thursday. 

Freeport, which operates the countrys largest copper and gold mines in Papua, have been in disagreement over new status of contract and a number of contract terms.

Freeport, a subsidiary of U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan has threatened to bring the case to an international arbitrary court and the government said it was ready to meet the challenge.  

The American mining company has brought the worlds biggest gold mine, to a standstill. And now that Freeport has started to dismiss tens of thousands of workers, the local economy is poised to take a huge hit. In Mimika Regency, the West Papua province containing the Grasberg gold mine, 91 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is attributed to Freeport.

Freeport Indonesia abruptly stopped production on February 10 and laid off 10 percent of its foreign workers. It employs 32,000 people in Indonesia, about 12,000 of whom are full-time employees. The freeze was a reaction to a shakeup in Freeport's 30-year contract with the Indonesian government, signed in 1991. Indonesia has tried to levy additional obligations from Freeport in an attempt to increase domestic revenue from its natural resources. 

Joko said the bank policy is temporary but based on the position taken by both sides it might take a long time before an agreement is reached between the government and Freeport. 

He said around 3,000 workers of Freeport have accounts in Bank Papua. Bank Papua has provided credits for the workers of PT Freeport and its affiliates like PT Kuala Pelabuhan Indonesia (KPI), Puncak Jaya Power (PJP), Rimba Papua Hotel (RPH), etc. 

Joko said he had no report about how many workers of Freeport laid off or suspended having debts in credit provided by the bank. 

"Until February it was normal. The workers still received the salaries , but we would not know what would happen next," he said.(*)
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3) Pacific Coalition for West Papua addresses UN Human Rights Council
Pressure mounts on Indonesia as pacific nations bring grave abuses in West Papua to UN and support calls for self-determination. Kate Gething-Lewis and Andrew Butler report.
On 1st March 2017, the Vanuatu Minister of Justice, Ronald K Warsal, addressed the Council on behalf of seven Pacific nations. He began his address saying:
Today, I am speaking on behalf of both Vanuatu and six other nations of our Pacific region: Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and the Solomon Islands Mr. President, we seven have come together today – and in a separate written joint statement – in order to draw the attention of the distinguished members of the UN Human Rights Council to the grave situation in West Papua.
Warsal went on to draw attention to accounts of Indonesian state violence in West Papua, including: ‘killings and arrests of Papuans; extrajudicial executions of activists; the arrests, beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful demonstrators, including high school students; and reports of persistent violence against Papuan women.’
Noting the failure of the Indonesian government to curtail these and other abuses, he called on the UN Human Rights Council to ‘request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to produce a consolidated report on the actual situation in West Papua.’ He stated that the report should ‘detail the various rights under the International Bill of Human Rights and the related conventions, including the right to self-determination,’ something the West Papuan people have been striving for since 1963.
Reacting to the statement, Benny Wenda of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, who was in attendance in Geneva, said: ‘This is a historical moment for West Papua, as it is the first time in West Papuan history that we are represented at the Human Rights Council, at this level. On behalf of the people of West Papua, we extend our profound gratitude to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Pacific nations for your true leadership. For more than 50 years West Papua has been kept a secret. The time is now to request the UN revisit our case. The time is now for West Papua’s struggle to come to an end. We ask for all brothers and sisters across the Pacific, Africa, and around the world to please support West Papua’s legal right to self-determination. We want to be free.’
In the next stage of the campaign, six young swimmers will embark on a 69 kilometre journey up the length of Lake Geneva in August. They will carry with them a petition (which was launched in Westminster by Lord Harries of Pentregarth, Andrew Smith MP & Human rights activist Peter Tatchell) demanding an internationally supervised vote for the people of West Papua.
So far 20,000 people have signed the petition on the Avaaz website, and reports of Avaaz being banned in Indonesia are currently being investigated.
More information:
Find the Avaaz petition here (please sign and share). You can follow the #BacktheSwim campaign here.
We would like to thank the members of the Pacific Coalition for their continued support for the rights of the people of West Papua, including their right to self-determination.
#LetWestPapuaVote
Support has come in from around West Papua to thank the leaders of the Pacific Coalition for their continued support.
Today at the offices of the KNPB, Timika, West Papua. People prayed to give full support and thanks to the Pacific coalition for West Papua at the UN in Geneva.
Kate Gething-Lewis and Andrew Butler are members of the Free West Papua Campaign.
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1) Pacific island nations call for UN report on Papua abuses

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2) Indonesia Right of Reply
3) US Dept. of State 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -Indonesia 
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1) Pacific island nations call for UN report on Papua abuses

By STEPHEN WRIGHT
Posted: Mar. 2, 2017 8:00 am 
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Seven Pacific island nations have called for a U.N. investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in Indonesia's West Papua and Papua provinces, where a separatist movement has simmered for decades.
A statement to a session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, read on behalf of the seven states by Vanuatu's Justice Minister Ronald Warsal, accused Indonesia of serious human rights violations of indigenous Papuans including extrajudicial executions of activists and beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful protesters.
The statement Wednesday called on the council to request a comprehensive report from the high commissioner for human rights and Indonesia's cooperation in providing unfettered access to the two provinces, which independence supporters refer to collectively as West Papua.
In a right of reply, the Indonesian delegation accused Vanuatu of "blatantly using human rights issues to justify its dubious support for the separatist movement in Papua" and said the government's record of protecting human rights "speaks for itself." Pacific island leaders angered Indonesia last year when they used their speeches to the U.N. General Assembly to criticize Indonesia's rule in West Papua. Jakarta accused them of interfering in Indonesia's sovereignty and supporting groups that carry out armed attacks.
Warsal, who spoke on behalf of Vanuatu, Tonga, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and the Solomon Islands, said they also wanted to highlight the Indonesian policy of encouraging the migration of Javanese and other ethnic groups, which has led to the dramatic outnumbering of indigenous Papuans in their own land.
The Indonesian government "has not been able to curtail or halt these various and widespread violations," he said. "Neither has that government been able to deliver justice for the victims."
Indonesia maintains a tight grip on West Papua and restricts journalists from reporting there. However, the independence movement appears to be increasingly well organized, with different groups now united under an umbrella organization.
The Dutch colonizers of the Indonesian archipelago held onto West Papua when Indonesia became independent after World War II. It became part of Indonesia following a U.N.-supervised referendum in 1969 that involved only a tiny proportion of the population and was criticized as a sham. Independence supporters want a second referendum.
The indigenous people of the two Papua provinces, which make up the western half of the island of New Guinea, are ethnically Melanesian and culturally distinct from the rest of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.
West Papua is home to the world's largest gold mine by reserves, one of the world's biggest copper mines and vast areas of virgin forest. The government insists it is an indivisible part of the Indonesian state and is unlikely to make any concessions to separatists out of fear that could re-energize other dormant independence movements.
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2) Indonesia Right of Reply

Chapter 25 . on right hand side

General Segment - 8th Meeting, 34th Regular Session Human Rights Council

1 Mar 2017 - General segment    ...Read More



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3) US Dept. of State 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -Indonesia 
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Indonesia
BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR
Report
March 3, 2017

This is the basic text view.  SWITCH NOW to the new, more interactive format.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Indonesia is a multiparty democracy. In 2014 voters elected Joko Widodo (commonly known as Jokowi) as president. Domestic and international observers judged the 2014 legislative and presidential elections free and fair.
Civilian authorities generally maintained control over security forces.
Despite high-profile arrests and convictions, widespread corruption remained a problem, and some elements within the government, judiciary, and security forces obstructed corruption investigations and harassed their accusers. Impunity for serious human rights violations remained a concern. The government failed to conduct transparent, public investigations into some allegations of unjustified killings, torture, and abuse by security forces. Elements within the government applied treason, blasphemy, defamation, and decency laws to limit freedom of expression and assembly. There was a notable increase in rhetoric against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons during the year.
Police inaction, abuse of prisoners and detainees, harsh prison conditions, insufficient protections for religious and social minorities, trafficking in persons, child labor, and failure to enforce labor standards and worker rights continued as problems.
On some occasions the government punished officials who committed abuses, but sentencing often was not commensurate with the severity of offenses, as was true in other types of crimes
Full country report



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1) Indonesia’s Alleged Human Rights Abuse in West Papua Is Getting International Attention

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2) KPK raises possiblity of ‘collusion’ in Papua road project
3) Vanuatu raises human rights concern for West Papua at UN
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1) Indonesia’s Alleged Human Rights Abuse in West Papua Is Getting International Attention
  MADDISON CONNAUGHTON   Mar 3 2017, 6:06pm


Allegations of “extrajudicial executions, fatal shootings of peaceful demonstrators, and persistent violence against Papuan women" were raised at the UN this week.

Representatives from Nauru, Vanuatu, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands have joined calls for the United Nations to investigate allegations of mass human rights abuse in West Papua—an Indonesian province that's long sought independence. The seven Pacific nations are alleging there have been extrajudicial killings, and beatings of activists campaigning for the region’s sovereignty as part of the "Free West Papua" movement.


Speaking during a session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Vanuatu's justice minister Ronald Warsal requested the UNHRC investigate "the grave situation in West Papua." Minister Warsal said the Indonesian Government had repeatedly failed to stop "killings and arrests of Papuans; extrajudicial executions of activists; the arrests, beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful demonstrators, including high school students; and reports of persistent violence against Papuan women."
Representatives from Indonesia denied the allegations. As the ABC is reporting, an Indonesian representative told the UNHRC that "the Indonesian Government has always endeavoured to address any allegation of human rights violation as well as taking preventative measures and delivering justice."
After the UNHRC meeting, the leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda—who was in Geneva but not taking part in the meeting—labelled Minister Warsal's speech as "a historical moment for West Papua." Wenda noted it marked the first time the province had been represented at the UNHRC. "For more than 50 years, West Papua has been kept a secret. The time is now to request the UN revisit our case," Wenda said. "We ask for all brothers and sisters across the Pacific, Africa, and around the world to please support West Papua's legal right to self-determination. We want to be free."
At the end of 2016, reports emerged that the Indonesian military had suspended cooperation with Australia over allegedly offensive training materials referencing West Papua. Indonesia's military chief Gatot Nurmantyo told reporters that the materials, which were found by an Indonesian officer at a Perth military training base, said "Papua needs to be independent." Nurmantyo also said the materials "mocked" Indonesia's founding principles (called pancasila) as "crazy." Australian defence minister Marise Payne assured that the materials were being investigated, and reiterated Australia's support for Indonesia under the Lombok Treaty.
The Lombok Treaty is a broad agreement between Australia and Indonesia but it specifically states "strong support for each country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua." Indonesia's sensitivity over West Papua arises from a dispute between the two that's been running for at least 55 years. Most Papuans want a referendum about independence and feel they are living through an Indonesian "occupation." The Indonesian Government denies this, maintaining it has a legitimate claim over the region.
Responding to questions from VICE, a DFAT spokesperson said Australian Embassy officials regularly visit the province. "Australia believes the human rights situation has improved in recent years but there are still issues to be addressed," they said. "We have consistently urged Indonesia to allow free and open access to the Papua provinces. President Widodo's May 2015 announcement that reporting restrictions for foreign journalists in the Papua provinces would be lifted is a positive development.
"We encourage Indonesia to fully implement this commitment."
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2) KPK raises possiblity of ‘collusion’ in Papua road project
Jakarta | Sat, March 4, 2017 | 01:01 pm
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is looking into the possibility of naming another suspect in a graft case related to the Jayapura road construction project that implicates Michael Kambuaya, the head of the Papua Public Works Agency.
The anti-graft body said it had uncovered alleged collusion among the parties involved in the project.
“During the [ongoing] investigation, investigators uncovered alleged collusion committed by parties involved in the project,” KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah told journalists on Friday.
He further said the investigation revealed an alleged mark-up in the Rp 89 billion (US$6.68 million) construction project, for which the state suffered Rp 42 billion in losses, or almost a half of the value of the project.
“There are indications that the project is 40 percent overvalued. Around 10 to 15 percent from the total mark-up [the deduction from the real and perceived value of the project] was distributed to local officials,” Febri said.
He further said the corruption case violated the rights of Papuans to enjoy the full benefits of infrastructure development.
Financed by the 2015 revised regional budget, the project involves a 24-kilometer road connecting Kemiri and Depapre in Jayapura. (mrc/ebf)
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Vanuatu Daily Post

3) Vanuatu raises human rights concern for West Papua at UN

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The Minister of Justice, Ronald Warsal, delivered a joint statement in Geneva, Switzerland, before the Human Rights Council (HRC) to request the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to produce a comprehensive report on the current human rights situation in West Papua.
Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai, had tasked the Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Secretary to the PM, Johnny Koanapo to ensure Vanuatu effectively participated at the HRC in Geneva.
According to media reports, Minister Warsal delivered the statement on behalf of the seven Pacific Island Nations of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands.

“Their joint statement follows the separate statements of urgent concern about the situation in West Papua by these countries at the UN General Assembly in September 2016,” it stated.
“West Papua has seen more than a half-century of conflict between native Papuans and the Indonesian government in Jakarta and its military, which has been long accused of grave human rights violations, most notably in East Timor.”
The report stated that the joint statement noted that the Government of Indonesia has neither provided justice for the victims of these violations, nor issued the periodic human rights reviews and reports required on UN member states, nor taken any action to address the current human rights situation in West Papua.
“The Minister (Warsal) questioned why the Indonesian government has not reported on its Human rights situation when it signed up to most human rights convention,” it stated.
“Vanuatu used to be the lonely voice calling out on this issue in the past.
“Yesterday’s(Wednesday)meeting at the HRC was an important occasion because six other PIC’s have joined the fight.
“We now have a coalition of like-minded nations who see the need to help the Melanesian citizens gain some respect in their own land, we are not fighting for any of our interest, we are just concern that the Indonesians are abusing these Melanesians in their own motherland where as the MSG is still divided on the issue,” Mr Warsal said.
The report said that an estimation of some hundred thousand into the hundreds of thousands of Papuans were killed by the Indonesian military and police.
According to Radio New Zealand, the Indonesian delegation to the UN rejected and denied the allegations made by the Vanuatu Minister of Justice.
It said Mr Warsal’s address does not reflect the real situation on the ground, accusing Vanuatu of using human rights issues to justify its dubious support for the separatist movement in Papua.
Radio NZ also reported that Indonesia again sent a message to Vanuatu to stay out of what it regards as its own domestic matters.
Jakarta said that Vanuatu’s government should not divert its focus from addressing its various alleged domestic human rights problem by politicizing the issue of Papua for its domestic political purposes.
According the media report, the delegation at the UN met the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights based in Geneva to discuss the West Papua human rights issues.
The Minister’s delegation urged the office of the HRC to commission independent inquiries to investigate human rights allegations in West Papua.
The minister’s delegation also paid a courtesy visit to the Pacific Islands Forum Trade office in Geneva where a brief was provided by the Permanent Representative, Mrs Mere Falemaka, on the status of the preparations of WTO Ministerial meeting which will be held this year.
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Media release-AWPA calls on the Australian PM to raise West Papua with Jakarta

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Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)



Media release 5 March 2017


AWPA calls on the Australian PM to raise  West Papua with Jakarta



Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull heads off to Indonesia to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association leadership summit in Jakarta (5-7 March).


The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and Indonesia is the current Chair.  The theme of the Summit is “Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean”.


Joe Collins of AWPA said,  “ While in Jakarta the Prime Minister has a chance to discuss the issue of West Papua with the Indonesian President, something he did not do on Jokiwi’s visit to Sydney last weekend”.





















Supporters of West Papua in Sydney protesting durning Jokiwi's visit to Sydney (26 Feb. 2017)








AWPA would like to see Malcolm Turnbull follow the courageous stand of the Seven Pacific countries who raised West Papua at the UN’s   34th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva this week.


The Vanuatu Minister of Justice and Community Development, Ronald K Warsal, representing a coalition of seven Pacific countries – Vanuatu, 

Solomon Islands Palau, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu raised grave concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua.


Collins said "There are an increasing number of bilateral visits between Australian and Indonesian officials and AWPA believes that these bilateral visits present an opportunity for an open and frank exchange on how to improve the human rights situation in West Papua. We urge the Prime Minister to take the issue of West Papua seriously. There is no point in ignoring West Papua. The issue is not going away".


In concluding his statement the Vanuatu Minister said 


"Mr. President, as I close, we believe that challenges of West Papua must be brought back to the agenda of the United Nations”.


AWPA calls on the Australia Government to support this call from the Pacific Leaders.

Ends.


1) Indonesia pushes for Australia to import more palm oil and paper

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2) Turnbull heading to Indonesia
3) AWPA calls on Turnbull to raise West Papua rights violations with Jakarta
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1) Indonesia pushes for Australia to import more palm oil and paper
Jewel Topsfield  Jewel Topsfield
Jakarta: One of Indonesia's top trade officials has questioned whether "artificial" trade barriers are preventing Australia importing more palm oil, pulp and paper and wood products as the two countries negotiate a free trade deal to be concluded this year.
In an exclusive interview with Fairfax Media ahead of this week's Australian trade mission to Indonesia, Thomas Lembong said President Joko Widodo had been "revolutionary" in changing Indonesia's historical mindset of "insecurity and fear of globalisation".
However, Mr Lembong, the chairman of Indonesia's Investment Co-ordinating board, said Indonesia had to acknowledge that its regulations – which "change very frequently and often with no prior notice"– were a big obstacle to investment and a big source of complaints for foreign and domestic investors.
During his visit to Australia last month, President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, said he had conveyed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull some of the key issues in the free trade deal. The first was the removal of trade barriers – both tariffs and non-tariffs – for Indonesian products such as paper and palm oil.
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2) Turnbull heading to Indonesia
Updated: 9:29 am, Sunday, 5 March 2017
The Prime Minister is heading to Jakarta to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association leadership summit following President Joko Widodo's successful visit to Sydney.
The summit will address maritime security issues including people smuggling, transnational crime, illegal fishing as well as economic ties.
The trip comes after the two countries agreed to re-instate military co-operation and to conclude negotiations on a free trade deal this year.
Trade Minister Steve Ciobo is also in the Indonesian captial leading a business delegation.
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3) AWPA calls on Turnbull to raise West Papua rights violations with Jakarta

    

West Papua supporters protest in Sydney during President Joko Widowo's visit last week. Image: AWPA
An Australian-based West Papuan solidarity group today called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to raise the issues of human rights violations and self-determination heads with Indonesia.
Turnbull is travelling to Jakarta to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA_) leadership summit in Jakarta from today until Tuesday.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and Indonesia is the current chair.
The theme of the summit is “Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean”.
Joe Collins of the Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) said: “While in Jakarta, the Prime Minister has a chance to discuss the issue of West Papua with the Indonesian President, something he did not do on Jokowi’s visit to Sydney last weekend.”
Supporters of West Papua protested during Jokowi’s visit to Sydney last week.
The AWPA statement said it wanted Turnbull follow the “courageous stand” of seven Pacific countries which raised West Papua at the United Nation’s 34th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva last week.
Grave concerns
The Vanuatu Minister of Justice and Community Development, Ronald K Warsal, representing a coalition of seven Pacific countries – Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — raised grave concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua.
Collins said: “There are an increasing number of bilateral visits between Australian and Indonesian officials and AWPA believes that these bilateral visits present an opportunity for an open and frank exchange on how to improve the human rights situation in West Papua.
“We urge the Prime Minister to take the issue of West Papua seriously. There is no point in ignoring West Papua. The issue is not going away.”
In concluding his statement in Geneva, the Vanuatu minister said: “Mr President, as I close, we believe that challenges of West Papua must be brought back to the agenda of the United Nations”.
The AWPA statement called on the Australian government to support this call from Pacific leaders.
Also in Geneva, a church-backed coalition called on Indonesia to open greater access to West Papua for international journalists, independent observers, human rights organisations and the International Red Cross.
The call came at an international consultation hosted by the World Council of Churches with the International Coalition on Papua in Geneva.

Papuan student protests call on Indonesia to close Freeport

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http://asiapacificreport.nz/2017/03/06/papuan-student-protests-call-on-indonesia-to-close-freeport/
Papuan student protests call on Indonesia to close Freeport
March 6, 2017



Papuan protesters outside Malan city hall in East Java as demonstrations took place over Freeport mine and against human rights violations in several locations across Indonesia at the weekend. Image: Merdeka.com


Protesters from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and religious pupils from an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) faced off against each other at the Malan city hall in East Java.
Both groups held the protests on Friday under tight police security, as Papua protests over Freeport took place at several other places across Indonesia.
The scores of demonstrators from the AMP and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) unfurled banners and conveyed a number of demands, including the closure of the PT Freeport gold and copper mine in Papua.
They also brought banners with demands such as, “A joint action to support the Papua problem at the United Nations Human Rights Council” and “Close and Expel Freeport”. Protesters took turns in giving speeches.
The spokesperson for the AMP and FRI-West Papua, Wilson, said that the action represented Papuan society’s anxiety saying there are so many violations at PT Freeport that it was creating ever more misery in the land of Papua.
“The natural resources belong to the Papuan people, but up until now they have not been enjoyed by the Papuan people”, said Wilson.
The action also demanded the right for and self-determination for the nation of West Papua. The groups also demanded a resolution to human rights violations in Papua and the withdrawal of the Indonesian military from the land of Papua.

Counter action
Meanwhile, five people calling themselves the Malang City Darul Hikmah Kebonsari Foundation Islamic Boarding School Religious Pupils said they were there to counter the action which they believe threatened the disintegration of Indonesia.
“Our action is intended to counter them”, said Widoku Rahman, one of the religious pupils taking part in the rally.
The religious pupils claimed that would continue to monitor actions by the AMP who they believe is promoting separatism because of their demands for independence. The group supervised the action from the beginning until the end.
“Please if you want more information contact the head of our boarding school”, said Hadi Widiyanto, one of the other religious pupils.
During the action the five religious pupils unfurled red-and-white Indonesian flags on their chests. They wore long white shirts, white sarongs, white skull caps and sandals.
Although one of the participants brought a megaphone, it was not used for a speech.
Audio

In Ade Irmansyah, Jakarta, KBR reported that action coordinator Samsi Mahmud said taking the issue to the United Nations was the only way to resolve the numerous problems in Papua, particularly human rights violations.
Samsi also urged the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to give the Papuan people the right to self-determination.
“We also want to convey to the people of Indonesia, to the Indonesian government, the wishes of the Papuan people, namely that self-determination is the democratic solution for the future of our people and our nation. And for us, in relation to the problems that exist in Papua, the solution is self-determination for the Papuan people”, he said in a speech in front of the United Nations representative office for Indonesia in Jakarta.
Samsi also called on the government to withdraw all military forces, including the police. from the entire Papuan territory saying that the presence of military forces was causing human rights violations in Papua.
Similar rallies were also held by the FRI West Papua in Ternate (North Maluku) and by the FRI West Papua and the AMP in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.
Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service.
  A Papuan demonstration over Freeport mine in Jakarta. Image: KBR


1) Australian leader to continue free-trade talks in Indonesia

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2) Government Subsidizes Goods Transportation in Papua

3) Indonesia Warns US Mining Giant in Fresh Dispute

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1) Australian leader to continue free-trade talks in Indonesia 
Rod McGuirk Associated Press
Canberra | Mon, March 6, 2017 | 01:36 pm
Australia's prime minister said Monday that he was looking forward to discussing a free-trade deal with Indonesia while attending a regional forum in Jakarta.
Malcom Turnbull on Tuesday will attend the first Indian Ocean Rim Association leaders' summit in the 20-year history of the 21-nation organization.
Turnbull's one-day visit to Jakarta comes nine days after Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ended his first Australian visit as Indonesia's president.
The leaders used that Sydney visit to commit to finalizing a bilateral free-trade agreement this year after 17 years of negotiations. Jokowi said the deal must remove all Australian barriers to the importation of Indonesian palm oil and paper.
Turnbull has welcomed trade concessions that Indonesia has already made, including reduced tariffs on Australian sugar and fewer restrictions on Australian live cattle imports.
"We're making very good progress there and I look forward to discussing it further when I'm in Jakarta tomorrow," Turnbull told reporters in the Australian city of Melbourne.
Indonesian trade official Thomas Lembong, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, told Australia's Fairfax Media that his government wanted to see "concrete proof of unfettered and natural trade" in Indonesia palm oil, paper and wood products.
David Brewster, an Australian National University researcher on Indian Ocean security, said he expected Turnbull would be one of the few national leaders to attend the summit that will be chaired by Jokowi.
"His attendance at the meeting is probably primarily driven by the Jakarta relationship, wanting to show solidarity with Jokowi," Brewster said.
Turnbull later said in a statement that Australia had a fundamental interest in ensuring economic development in the Indian Ocean region and enhancing dialogue on shared security challenges.
The summit will agree to a statement on shared values and objectives, including a commitment to international law, and a declaration on countering violent extremism.
Australian interest in the grouping of predominantly developing states on the Indian Ocean fringe has deepened in the past five years, with the economic growth of India and China and a relative decline in influence in the region of the United States, Australia's most important strategic partner, Brewster said.

India is a member of the group while China has observer status. (dan)

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MONDAY, 06 MARCH, 2017 | 15:20 WIB
2) Government Subsidizes Goods Transportation in Papua
TEMPO.COJakarta - The government is planning to subsidize goods transport services in Papua. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that the Transportation Ministry has allocated 10 percent of its funds for infrastructure development in Papua.
Budi said that the plan was set to implement the equal development program in the eastern part of Indonesia. Budi also explained that the infrastructure development will be initiated by providing subsidies for goods transportation and the establishment of sea toll in Papua.
"Therefore, in addition to providing subsidies for commuters, we also subsidized transportation of goods in Papua," Budi said in a written statement on Monday, March 6, 2017.
Budi said that the development of sea infrastructure and crossing facilities need to be optimized in an effort to increase island connectivity and transportation of goods in Papua. Budi asserted that establishing a sea toll will decrease price disparity between the eastern part and western part of Indonesia.
"Currently, we can reach Timika, Merauke, Manokwari, and we will continue to improve to allow access to [mountainous] regions," Budi said.
In addition, Budi also highlighted the importance of developing river transportation to allow access to the most remote regions of Papua. "So that goods transport can be conducted not only through shore areas but also in river areas and prices of goods can be cheaper," Budi stated.
Budi added that the Transportation Ministry will also develop air transportation to connect remote areas in Papua. Budi said that the Ministry will construct eight new airports with more than 1,000 meters of runway to allow large airplanes to land.
"Hopefully, our brothers living in mountain areas can be reached using large airplanes," Budi said.
AHMAD FAIZ
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3) Indonesia Warns US Mining Giant in Fresh Dispute

Posted on March 5, 2017 By Dewi Kurniawati

50-year-old “contract of work” at lucrative mine up for grabs

There is rising concern among business sources in Jakarta that tension between the Indonesian government and the US-based mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, Indonesia’s oldest foreign investor, which has been in a months-long deadlock over future mining, could affect relations between Washington and Jakarta.
In addition to taking off a huge share of Freeport’s profits, business sources in Indonesia say the change in the contract could have unpredictable consequences for bilateral ties between the US ad Indonesia. That is because Carl Icahn, a major American investor, acquired 9 percent of Freeport recently. He is now a key investor who also acts as a close adviser to President Donald Trump, who with less than two months in office has already proven to be volatile when it comes to international relations.
Reuters reported last week that shareholders – perhaps meaning the 81-year-old Icahn – are pressuring Freeport to stand up to Indonesia over the changes. Freeport’s chief executive officer Richard Adkerson told a mining conference in Florida that the new regulations are “in effect a form of expropriation of our assets and we are resisting it aggressively.”
“Many of our shareholders feel that we have been too nice,” Adkerson said. “Now we are in the position of standing up for our rights under the contract.” Room exists for common ground – but a resolution could take months during which, according to Jakarta sources, tensions are feared to rise between the US and Indonesian governments.
The government is requiring the company’s local subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia to convert its 1991 contract of work – its compact with the government to operate – into a special mining license in return for an export permit extension.  The new agreement would require the company to divest 51 percent of its shares to Indonesian interests. The contract of work isn’t due to expire until 2021 but Freeport wants guarantees that it will be extended on the company’s terms before it invests a promised US$18 billion in the mining operation.
Freeport Indonesia operates the huge Grasberg mine in Papua, the world’s biggest copper mine and the second-biggest gold mine.   Its 2016 copper sales from Indonesia were worth about US$2.4 billion, up 130 percent annually since 1996. This year, the Grasberg mine is due to contribute around a third of Freeport’s global 2017 copper sales of £4.1 billion.
The matter spurred President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to comment on the issue, last week, saying he would take firm action if necessary.
“We want to reach a win-win solution, because this is a business matter. Now, I will leave this matter to the ministers. However, if it’s really difficult to deal with, I will take action.” Jokowi said.
Since starting its operations more than 50 years ago, Freeport’s existence has often been greeted with abhorrence by the Indonesian public. All affairs related to the company have always been political, with many Indonesian politicians and activists referring to it as a symbol of US economic imperialism.
Indonesian commercial and political interests have been attempting to modify the contract of work to get a bigger share of the operations for at least two years. In November 2015, Setya Novanto, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was caught on tape allegedly seeking to extort shares from the mining concern.
Although Setya lost his job as house speaker, eventually the scandal cost the job as well of Sudirman Said, the Energy and Resources Minister, who had launched the charges against Setya in the House Ethics Council. Other powerful names were dragged into the allegations against Setya at the same time. The affair pretty much ended inconclusively, however.
Freeport Indonesia insists that the 1991 Contract of Work is still valid and should be respected. Freeport owns 90.64 percent of Freeport Indonesia, while 9.36 percent is owned by the Indonesian government.
On February 17, Freeport Indonesia sent a notification letter to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry describing areas of dispute between the two parties. The company also said it would seek the possibility of taking the case to the international arbitration if no settlement was reached within 120 days after sending the letter.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has said local administrations in Papua would get shares from PT Freeport Indonesia when the company divests its 51 percent shares, as required by a new regulation.
Last week, Adkerson said the company expected to find a win-win solution during the dispute settlement period as the Grasberg mine was too important for either party to neglect.
In response to the case, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government was undertaking “transitional negotiations” to tweak the management of the mining industry for the sake of investment and national interests, such as job creation, exports and state revenues.
“There will not be private, murky negotiations any longer. We just want to abide by the law and try to be better in explaining this situation to the investors.” She told local media.
PT Freeport Indonesia employs some 32,000 people and has reportedly laid off 25 senior employees as the company negotiates with the government.
Jokowi on Jan. 22 signed the government regulation revising previous conditions on the implementation of the mineral and coal mining business. Under the regulation, mining companies are required to construct domestic smelters as a precondition for them to export the concentrates. That regulation has caused chaos in the mining industry because smelters require huge amounts of power and the government can’t produce enough near distant mining sites to operate them.
What will happen next?
The “win-win solution” seems unlikely, considering Jokowi has the burden to show the Indonesians that “he can stand up against Freeport bullies for more than 50 years”
If both parties fail to come to terms, conciliation or arbitration proceedings would be held in Jakarta, or another location if agreed by both sides.

1) Papua and Montara oil spill raised with Julie Bishop in Jakarta talks

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1) Papua and Montara oil spill raised with Julie Bishop in Jakarta talks
2) Julie Bishop slaps down reports of joint patrols with Indonesia in South China Sea
3) Indonesia UNHCR reaction diverts from serious violations in Papua: PIANGO
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1) Papua and Montara oil spill raised with Julie Bishop in Jakarta talks


Jakarta: The sensitive topics of Papua and the impact of the worst oil spill in the history of Australia's offshore petroleum fields have been raised in talks with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Indonesia.
The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said the "openness of Papua" had been discussed and revealed Ms Bishop had agreed to visit the province later this year.

"We love to see other countries visit Papua to have a look at what is really going on," Mr Pandjaitan said.
The proposed visit comes as seven Pacific nations last week called on the United Nations to investigate allegations of widespread human rights violations in Indonesia's restive Papuan province.
Vanuatu's Justice Minister Ronald Warsal said various UN bodies had raised concerns about extrajudicial executions and beatings of West Papuan activists committed by Indonesian security forces.
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry replied last week that Vanuatu's statement did not reflect the current situation in Papua, which had seen big changes under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, with infrastructure development boosted to improve the quality of life of the Papuan people.
Ms Bishop said she planned to return to Indonesia later this year for a range of reasons including the opening of the new Consulate General in Surabaya. 
"There hopefully will be an opportunity for me to visit Papua at that time," she said.
There has been a deep-seated mistrust of Australia's position on Papuan independence among some elements of Indonesian society ever since Australia's intervention in East Timor in 1999.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull emphasised that he had assured President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, of Australia's commitment to Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity during his visit to Sydney last month.
He said the 2006 Lombok Treaty, which recognises Indonesian sovereignty over Papua, was "the bedrock of our strategic and security relationship".
Meanwhile Mr Pandjaitan said he and Ms Bishop had also discussed the 2009 Montara oil spill, which fishermen and seaweed farmers from East Nusa Tenggara say devastated their livelihoods.
More than 13,000 seaweed farmers have launched a $200 million class action in the Federal Court in Sydney against PTTEP Australasia, a subsidiary of Thai state-owned oil company PTTEP.
"Australia as a very good partner can do something also to help the people of the area in eastern part of Indonesia especially in that Montara area," Mr Pandjaitan said.
Ms Bishop said the Australian Embassy was continuing to work with Indonesian authorities in relation to the oil spill.
"It will be a matter before the courts so there is a limit to what I can add to it," she said.
"But we most certainly had a very open and frank discussion about the matter and we will continue to work closely with Indonesian authorities to the extent we can."
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2) Julie Bishop slaps down reports of joint patrols with Indonesia in South China Sea
By Indonesia bureau chief Samantha Hawley Posted 30 minutes ago

The prospect that Australia and Indonesia would jointly patrol the South China Sea near Natuna Islands has been slapped down by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who denied reports the Indonesian President had ever suggested it. 
During a visit to Jakarta for a regional summit, Ms Bishop was adamant that Joko Widodo had never meant that Australian Navy boats would take to Indonesia's northern-most waters. 
"But if there is no tension, I think it is very important to have the patrols together," The Australian newspaper had quoted Mr Widodo as saying before his visit to Sydney just over a week ago.
The denial that the joint exercises were being contemplated came just hours before Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull landed in the Indonesian capital to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association Summit. 
Maritime security and countering radical extremism have been dominating discussions at the summit, which for the first time in 20 years will be held at a leaders' level today. 
On the sidelines of the official event, Indonesia's Security Minister Wiranto said of the more than 500 Indonesians who had travelled to join Islamic State militants in Syria, 53 foreign fighters had returned. 
He said Indonesia was trying to use them as "agents" to garner information about Islamic State activities.

Bishop to visit Papua towards end of year

One of Mr Turnbull's priorities during his visit to the Indonesian capital will be securing a free trade agreement with Indonesia.
Both countries say they hope a deal can be done before the year is out, but few details have been made public about what any agreement will ultimately include, and who would be the winners or losers.
China's so-called nine-dash line stretches into waters near Indonesia's northern Natuna Islands, with tension rising between Beijing and Jakarta last year
After a meeting with Ms Bishop, Indonesia's coordinating Minister for Maritime affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan said he did not know if joint patrols were necessary. 
"But for sure for economic activities we can do a lot," he said, referring to the area while also indicating that Australia could play a role in boosting Natuna Islands' tourism. 
He also revealed Ms Bishop would visit Papua towards the end of the year. 
"We don't mind, we love to see some other countries visit Papua to have a look what is really going on," he said.

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3) Indonesia UNHCR reaction diverts from serious violations in Papua: PIANGO
7:30 pm GMT+12, 05/03/2017, Fiji


Indonesia’s scathing attack on Vanuatu at the 34th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session is an attempt to divert the international community’s attention away from the on-going human rights violations taking place in West Papua.
These sentiments were echoed by the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs(PIANGO)executive director, Emele Duituturaga after Indonesia criticised Vanuatu of “politicising the issue of West Papua for its domestic political purposes” at the UNHRC in Geneva.
“Indonesia’s reaction was quite telling of its unwillingness to respect and uphold the values of what it means to belong to the international community of nations – the UN.”
“Their response was to resort to divide and conquer by picking on Vanuatu and then again offering to help Vanuatu with its alleged human rights issues in response to the Pacific coalition’s request to treat a member of the Pacific family – West Papua - with respect and dignity,” Duituturaga said.
She said the Pacific Islands Coalition on West Papua (PICWP) of which PIANGO is a member of would not be requesting the UN to send special rapporteurs into West Papua if they didn’t have enough evidence to prove that West Papuans were suffering.
“Indonesia plays an important role in Pacific stability and peace, their contribution to the region is widely known and appreciated. Pacific governments and civil society would not just as easily undermine such an important relationship.”
“However, when there is overwhelming evidence that thousands of West Papuans who are Pacific Islanders have lost their lives as they tried to raise alternative views in the governance of their resources with state authorities and even to motivate seven Pacific countries to form a coalition on West Papua, Indonesia must realise it can no longer afford to feign innocence at the UN.”
She said according to several human rights reports, the number of victims and cases of extra-judicial killings and torture in West Papua have not significantly reduced between 2012 and 2016.
“The number of political arrests has exponentially increased over the last 3 years and all victims of torture and killings that our partners were able to find were indigenous Papuans. While indigenous Papuans make up only some 40% of the population, they make up 100% of the victims. There is a clear element of racial violence in the practice of security forces.”
Duituturaga said the systematic disempowerment of West Papuans is such that literacy rates in remote regions have dramatically decreased, with some villages registering literacy rates as low as 20 percent.
“Since 2007, Indonesia has not allowed any special procedures to visit West Papua. The region is largely closed for international human rights observers. Foreign journalists get either no access or are accompanied by intelligence, making independent fact finding impossible.”
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg and that’s what PIANGO representative, Laitia Tamata is helping to support the PICWP delegation raise awareness on in Geneva.”

Tamata was one of the six panellists at the UNHRC side event jointly organised by the Permanent Mission of the Solomon Islands, state members and the Office of the Chair of PICWP called, “Shining the Light on the Human Rights Situation on West Papua” was held on 3rd March 2017.
Other panellists included the Solomon Islands Special Envoy for West Papua, Rex Horoi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Vanuatu Prime Minister and Head of Desk for Decolonisation Johnny George Koanapa, Jakarta-based Indonesian Human Rights Lawyer Veronica Koman, Executive Officer of Justice and Peace of Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia, Peter Arndt and Peaceful Conflict Resolution Facilitator, West Papua, Octovianus Mote. The discussions will be moderated by Vanuatu Ambassador to EU, Roy Micky Joy.
Indonesia’s scathing attack on Vanuatu at the 34th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session is an attempt to divert the international community’s attention away from the ongoing human rights violations taking place in West Papua.
 
These sentiments were echoed by the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs(PIANGO)executive director, Emele Duituturaga after Indonesia criticised Vanuatu of “politicising the issue of West Papua for its domestic political purposes” at the UNHRC in Geneva.
 
“Indonesia’s reaction was quite telling of its unwillingness to respect and uphold the values of what it means to belong to the international community of nations – the UN.”
 
“Their almost childish response was to resort to divide and conquer by picking on Vanuatu and then again offering to help Vanuatu with its alleged human rights issues in response to the Pacific coalition’s request to treat a member of the Pacific family – West Papua - with respect and dignity,” Duituturaga said....PACNEWS

SOURCE: PIANGO/PACNEWS
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1) Locals need Freeport saga to end soon

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2) Trans-Papua road set to be completed next year

3) Govt speeds up development in Papua

4) Is ‘Manis’ the sweet deal that brings Australia and Indonesia together?

5) Terrorism at top of agenda in Jakarta talks
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1) Locals need Freeport saga to end soon

  • Safrin La Batu
    The Jakarta Post Jakarta | Tue, March 7, 2017 | 07:07 am

Because it is all about the world’s largest gold mine sitting on their land for 44 years, Papuans refuse to be left out from the ongoing saga involving the government and United States-based mining company Freeport McMoRan.
A group of Papuan tribesmen has travelled all the way to Jakarta, shuttling from one organization to another to convey the grievances of Papuan people in connection with the prolonged contract dispute.
They want to be involved in the negotiations because the future of thousands of Papuans is also at stake.
“We are not seeking shares [in the company]. We simply want the government and Freeport to think about the fate of Papuans, whose land has been damaged [by the mining operation],” Odizeus Beanal, the director of Amungme tribal council LEMASA, said on Sunday.
The tribal leaders went to the offices of human rights group Imparsial to promote their cause. Previously, they had visited the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
John Gobai, chairman of the Meegabo Traditional Papua Council, echoed the same concerns, saying that if the company ceased operations, it would have a great impact on locals, who had become dependent on the company’s operations.
“Please let Freeport operate while the government, Freeport and the Papuan customary councils meet to negotiate the company’s contract. We do not care who will own the company’s shares later,” John said.
He added that allowing Freeport to operate would also assure the restoration of areas damaged by mining activities in the country’s easternmost province. “Is the government ready to restore this environmental damage?” John questioned while showing pictures allegedly depicting environmental damage at the Grasberg gold mine.
The company has reportedly slashed production and temporarily suspended 1,087 of the more than 32,000 workers it has as of Feb. 22, according to the Mimika Manpower, Transmigration and Public Housing Agency, following the row with the government.
According to data from PT Freeport Indonesia, 12,085 of the total workforce are permanent employees, comprising 4,321 Papuans, 7,612 other Indonesians and 152 foreigners.
The local subsidiary of the gold and copper miner has been in a deadlock over its operations as the government demands a conversion of its Contract of Work (CoW) agreement signed in 1991 into a so-called special mining license (IUPK) before extending its export permit.
John is also worried that the thousands of Papuans studying in many regions of the country on Freeport scholarships would be affected by the dispute.
Bisman Bakhtiar, executive director of the Center of Energy and Mining Law, said the government should not belittle the cause of the Papuans.
“The 2009 law on mineral and coal mining requires that Freeport build a smelter to get permission to export concentrate again, but President [Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo] could issue a regulation in lieu of law [Perpu] as a solution,” he said.
The Perpu should provide a legal basis to allow Freeport to resume operations during the negotiations, while forcing the firm to build a smelter.
Komnas HAM commissioner Natalius Pigai said the commission had received reports on the issue from Papuans, including local leaders.
“It is not fair to just think about nationalism while letting many people suffer,” Natalius told The Jakarta Post on Monday. “The government should protect the rights of Papuans, including their job rights.”
Freeport Indonesia spokesman Riza Pratama could not be reached for comment on Monday.
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2) Trans-Papua road set to be completed next year
Jakarta | Tue, March 7, 2017 | 04:13 pm

The development of the 4,300-kilometer trans-Papua road project in Papua and West Papua provinces on Indonesia’s easternmost island is expected to be completed next year, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono has said.
“The construction has seen significant progress,” Basuki said in Jakarta, as reported by tempo.co on Tuesday.
He said 3,850 km of the total 4,300-km road had been constructed, while the remaining section would be developed this year and next year.
Similarly, the ministry had also constructed 884 km of a 1,086-km road project near the border between Papua and Papua New Guinea, he said.
When the construction of the trans-Papua road is finished, it will accelerate development in the provinces because many areas that used to be isolated will be connected to economic centers.
Citing an example, he said the trans-Papua road section from Mamugu-Kenyam-Haberba-Wamena would result in a significant decline in prices of basic commodities and construction materials, particularly cement.
“People have started to benefit from the construction of the trans-Papua road and border road. People who in the past had to travel on foot can use vehicles,” he added.
The government has allocated Rp 7.61 trillion (US$570.75 million) for the construction of infrastructure in the provinces, as well as a Rp 2.18 trillion special allocation fund.
Apart from roads, the ministry is also developing housing and clean water projects. (bbn)


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3) Govt speeds up development in Papua

13 hours ago 

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government of Indonesia will continue to speed up the development in Papua and West Papua provinces, according to Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara.

"Hence, the public will realize that the government is serious about the progress of development in Papua and West Papua," Rudiantara remarked in a media discussion on "Indonesia Centrist Vision: Equality in Papua," here on Monday.

The minister noted that access to the Internet in Papua and West Papua is around 300 kilobytes/second, much slower than that in Jakarta with 7 gigabytes/second.

"In addition, the cost of Internet access to Papua and West Papua is 65 percent more expensive compared to Jakarta," the minister noted.

Therefore, Rudiantara added that the government is currently developing the Palapa Ring projects in areas that cannot be reached by telecommunication operators.

The Palapa Ring, one of Indonesias priority infrastructure projects for the 2016-2019 period, aims to accelerate the growth and distribution of telecommunication network across the country.

With an undersea fiber-optic cable network stretching across 13 thousand kilometers and an onshore network of nearly 22 thousand kilometers, the Palapa Ring project is expected to provide high-speed broadband Internet access to the entire people living in urban and rural areas.

According to the minister, the project demonstrates that the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is serious about establishing cooperation with investors for infrastructure development in the country.

The Palapa Ring project -- divided into three sections of west, central, and east Indonesian region -- is the first cooperation in the telecommunication sector under the availability payment method scheme initiated by the Ministry of Finance.

Of the three Palapa optical fiber ring projects, the west section will link areas in the provinces of Riau, Riau Islands, and Natuna Island with total optical fiber cable length of 2 thousand kilometers.

The central section will cover Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and North Maluku, with an optical fiber cable length of 2.7 thousand kilometers.

The third or east section will cover 35 districts/municipalities in four eastern Indonesian provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Papua, and Papua.

"The east section of Palapa Ring project will have a total optical fiber cable length of 8,454 kilometers with the total value of Rp5.1 trillion," Rudiantara remarked in Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday.

Rudiantara visited Papua recently to promote the Palapa Ring projects east section to the local government. He underlined that the project aims to meet the publics infrastructure needs in the telecommunications sector, particularly in the eastern region of Indonesia, and to offer faster Internet access to the region.
(Uu.O001/INE/KR-BSR/B003)



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4) Is ‘Manis’ the sweet deal that brings Australia and Indonesia together?


A security forum involving Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore could work where others didn't.
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia featured prominently 75 years ago for Australia when our troops deployed and fought there in the Pacific War. We do well to commemorate their efforts and the losses suffered, notably with Indonesian President Joko Widodo visiting Australia last month.
Ever since World War II, Australian security and economic policymakers have appreciated the significance to Australia's security and prosperity of engaging constructively and respectfully with these countries. With Donald Trump as US President and China's assertiveness adding to regional uncertainty, Australia would be wise to look at new ways to sweeten regional ties, while mindful of the past.


For nearly 50 years, Australia and New Zealand have partnered with Malaysia and Singapore, as well as the United Kingdom, in the Five Power Defence Arrangements. On one level, the arrangements are an anachronism – a hangover from the sunset of the British Empire. Yet the participating nations have found it to have enduring utility. It facilitates multilateral regional military engagement and cross-pollination of ideas, practices and experiences in a non-threatening way.

At times, when bilateral ties have strained, the five-power collaboration has proceeded largely unhindered by surrounding political storms. When, for instance, Malaysia and Australia had a falling out when then prime minister Paul Keating's labelled his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad as a "recalcitrant", security ties embodied in the arrangements continued uninterrupted.
Today, economic ties have never been stronger. Security ties remain robust, too: Australian military ships and aircraft routinely operate in and through Malaysian and Singaporean air and seaports. Australian maritime surveillance flights across the South China Sea routinely include Malaysian military personnel. The Integrated Area Defence System, based in Malaysia with a senior Australian officer in charge, plays an important role in facilitating close but largely unheralded engagement between these long-standing security partners.

With Singapore, Australia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in 2015, bringing bilateral economic, security and people-to-people ties virtually to the level of ties with New Zealand. That agreement built on the ties established over three-quarters of a century.
Clearly, Australia's ties with Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand are strong, multifaceted and overwhelmingly positive.
Yet this is simply not the case with our most important neighbour, Indonesia. Despite having been first to recognise Indonesian independence after World War II, Australia's ties have been buffeted repeatedly. In the 1960s, this revolved around the fate of the Dutch colony of New Guinea and Indonesia's "confrontation" over the newly emerged Malaysian confederation. The nadir came in 1999, when Australia supported an independent East Timor. Having supported Indonesia's takeover in 1975, the Australian volte-face is still seen as an act of treachery.
Subsequently, there was a "silver lining" to the tragedy of the Jakarta and Bali bombings and the Indian Ocean tsunami in the early to mid-2000s: Australia was able to offer a hand of friendship, providing invaluable humanitarian and other support as Indonesia struggled to respond. That support led to the signing of the Lombok Treaty in 2006 – itself largely predicated on Australia's agreement to recognise the former Dutch colony of New Guinea (now Papua) as being Indonesian territory in perpetuity.
Since then, unfortunately, the bilateral relationship has been like a game of snakes and ladders, with moments of apparent closeness followed suddenly by strained ties. Controversy over beef, boats, spies, clemency and Papua have continued to unsettle relations. Yet, like Malaysia and Singapore, getting the ties with Indonesia right is far too important to be subject to such sour notes. Perhaps bringing in our other regional friends and partners may help stabilise and sweeten relations for all concerned.
In a discussion with The Jakarta Post's Indonesian editor, Endi Bayuni, we considered how to sweeten regional relations between these important neighbours: Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore. Endi pointed out that, as an acronym, the word Manis means "sweet" in Indonesian. It occurred to us there was scope for the Manis countries to form their own regional maritime cooperation forum.
Controversy over beef, boats, spies, clemency and Papua have continued to unsettle relations with Indonesia.
Indonesia, understandably, would never want to join the Five Power Defence Arrangements: established as an imperial legacy and mindful of concerns over Indonesian future intentions. Similarly, being non-aligned and rightly proud of its independence, Indonesia has studiously avoided alliances. So an alliance is out of the question, but a maritime cooperation forum might just be sufficiently low-key to work.
With some vision and determination, the five Manis countries could work together on a broad range of issues of common concern related to the maritime space they share, unhindered by the apparent stasis associated with other broader regional forums. There are many trans-jurisdictional issues of shared concern to explore, including responding to natural disasters, the environment, climate change, cyber security, fisheries and people smuggling. A Manis forum could help change the regional dynamics.
Naysayers may argue Australia is already committed to too many ASEAN-related regional forums. Australia's engagement in such forums remains important, for although progress can sometimes seem glacial, they cover a wide range of issues of concern in which Australia has an interest. Perhaps, however, it is worth the extra effort to help form a Manis forum, engaging a range of government agencies, non-government bodies, thinktanks and academic institutions. It might just manage to make greater progress on some of the issues that have stalled or have been interminably delayed in other forums.
John Blaxland is professor of international security and intelligence studies at the ANU’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. john.blaxland@anu.edu.au

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5) Terrorism at top of agenda in Jakarta talks
Updated: 6:36 pm, Monday, 6 March 2017

Terrorism and maritime stability have topped the agenda in meetings between Indian Ocean nations in Jakarta, with Australia hailing a landmark declaration on preventing violent extremism.
With two thirds of the world's oil shipments and half of the world's container ships passing through the Indian Ocean, Indonesian President Joko Widodo spruiked the waters as 'the future' at the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) business summit on Monday
'(Around) 2.7 billion people are inhabiting the IORA regions. That's why, Indian Ocean is the ocean of the future and the future of world's economy lies in this region,' he said.
Both Indonesia and Australia are looking to the region for new opportunities both in trade and tourism and are also hoping to create fresh avenues of co- operation with countries they may otherwise not meet diplomatically.
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1) Papua committed to halt gender violence

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2) US ambassador encourages open communication between government and Freeport

3) Indonesia, PNG border complex complete
4) We don’t need Australia’s charity, East Nusa Tenggara fishermen say
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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/109790/papua-committed-to-halt-gender-violence

1) Papua committed to halt gender violence

3 hours ago | 258 Views
Jayapura (ANTARA News) - The government of Papua Province is committed to halt violence based on gender discrimination by issuing a Special Regional Regulation No.1/2011 and Province Regulation No.8/2013, Governor Lukas Enembe said here on Tuesday.

"Both rulings assure rights of the survivors as well as protect the victims of domestic violence," Enembe stated while adding that the Governor Regulation No.48/2015 had been issued to guide the activities of women empowerment and child protection bureau of the province.

According to Enembe, all parties should ensure the regulation is obeyed by people to avoid crimes.

"Everyone, including the government as well as civil society, needs to oversee the implementation of the laws in order to stop crimes," Enembe pointed out.

A strong awareness and commitment are important to prevent sexual assault against women and children, the governor remarked.

"As the number of the crimes tends to grow, it becomes a major threat to the citizens," Enembe added.

The governor stated that the authority needs to proactively crack down on perpetrators and maximize protection for the victims.

According to an annual report from The National Commission on Violence against Women, at least 16,217 cases of gender assault across the country were recorded in 2015.

In last year alone, around 2 thousand children in Papua and West Papua provinces suffered from the violence, an official from Papuas Prosecutor Office Harli Siregar said in Jan.

Siregar added that the cases have been investigated and submitted to the court by provinces prosecutor.

Reported by Hendrina Dian Kandipi
(UU.KR-GNT/KR-BSR/S012/B019/
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2) US ambassador encourages open communication between government and Freeport

2 hours ago | 317 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - US Ambassador to Indonesia Joseph R Donovan Jr has encouraged an open communication between the Indonesian government and Freeport McMoRan Inc.

"The open communication is intended to achieve an agreement that is advantageous to both the parties," Donovan said here on Tuesday. 

He stated that the shared communication could be a win-win solution.

"We agree on a win-win solution, because it will give a positive signal to foreign investors in the future. The solution also indicates Indonesias competitiveness at the global level." he remarked.

The ambassador will continue to monitor the controversy over a change in the contract status of gold and copper mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia (PFTI).

Under the government regulation 1/2017 on mineral and coal mining, the government would extend the export of concentrate on conditions that contract of work (CoW) holders must change their licenses into mining business permits (IUP) and special mining business permits (IUPK) and agree to build smelters within five years.

In addition, the company would have to follow a prevailing tax system and divest up to 51 percent of its shares.

Following this, President and CEO of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan, Richard C. Adkerson, earlier said that the company would take the Indonesian government to arbitration over the absence of a solution to the contractual dispute.

Adkerson told the press here on Monday that PTFI has sent a notification on Friday to Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Ignatius Jonan on the governments defaults and violation of the firms CoW.

The government cannot change the CoW signed in 1991 unilaterally by allowing exports only after it changed its status as IUPK, he noted.

"The letter stated that the Indonesian government and Freeport have 120 days to settle the disputes. At the end of that period, if the disputes are not resolved, then we reserve the right at that time to commence arbitration," he noted.

He admitted that the company has continued to negotiate with the government regarding the contract security, as it would need legal and fiscal certainty to invest in Indonesia.

Adkerson stated that since Jan 12, the company could not meet contractual obligations for copper concentrate shipments from the mine, following a five-week export stoppage.

"We have sent two ships to Gresik after the last export permit, but we could not export the concentrate due to workers strike. We have stopped operations for 10 days, because there was no place to store the concentrate," he remarked, adding that the parent company had not received dividends from PTFI for the past five years.(*)

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3) Indonesia, PNG border complex complete
9:00 pm on 7 March 2017 
Indonesia has completed construction of a new administration complex in Skouw on the border with Papua New Guinea.
The National reports the complex will soon be opened by the Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
The Indonesian vice-consul to PNG, Abraham Lebelauw, says the border complex has the strategic purpose of increasing the movement of people and trade between both countries.
Mr Lebelauw says Indonesia sees the border region as having the potential to become an economic engine room of the future.
The Indonesian construction company Karya Ninda says the Skouw border development master plan includes the construction of a township for border officers and their families.
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4) We don’t need Australia’s charity, East Nusa Tenggara fishermen say
Djemi Amnifu The Jakarta Post
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara | Tue, March 7, 2017 | 06:14 pm
An advocacy group claiming to represent 13,000 fishermen and seaweed farmers from East Nusa Tenggara has lambasted an Australia proposal to provide financial assistance in connection with an oil spill that devastated the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers in 2009.
"We don’t need charity. What we need is cooperation involving local fishermen to identify the overall losses sustained by local people and the victims, especially fishermen and farmers, who suffered from the environment degradation in the seas of Timor and Sawu,” Montara Victim Advocacy Team head Ferdi Tanoni said in East Nusa Tenggara’s provincial capital of Kupang on Tuesday.


A map shows the territorial water between Australia and Indonesia near East Timor, where oil spilled from rigs operated by an Australian company in the Montara oil field in 2009.(kompas.com/-)
Ferdi was referring to comments from Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop after a meeting in Jakarta on Monday. Bishop was in Jakarta also to attend the 2017 Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit.
“I hope that, as a good partner, Australia can help the victims,” Luhut said, as quoted in a statement from the ministry. Bishop responded by reiterating Australia’s commitment to provide assistance in relation to the case.

The pressure group is also representing fishermen and farmers from the regencies of Rote Ndao and Kupang in a class action lawsuit in Sydney against PTTEP Australasia, a subsidiary of Thai state-owned oil company PTTEP.
“Almost 90 percent of Indonesian waters in the Timor sea are polluted. All the productive area has been contaminated,” Ferdi said. (bbs)
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1) Bishop visit to West Papua welcomed cautiously

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2) Alleged rights violations weigh on Freeport’s shoulders
3) Australia Says No Plan for Joint South China Sea Patrols With Indonesia
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1) Bishop visit to West Papua welcomed cautiously
4:19 pm today 

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has cautiously welcomed news that Australia's Foreign Minister is to visit Indonesian-ruled Papua region this year.
Julie Bishop gave an undertaking to visit later this year, during talks in Jakarta this week with Indonesia’s government which has been touting a policy of openness about Papua.

This comes amid ongoing calls by Pacific Island governments for the United Nations to probe reports of widespread human rights abuses against West Papuans.
The matter is highly sensitive to Jakarta which opposes any outside interference in what it considers domestic affairs.
Last month, Australia's prime minister Malcom Turnbull reassured Indonesia's President Joko Widodo of Canberra's support for Indonesian sovereignty over Papua.
While Ms Bishop’s visit is not being described as a human rights fact-finding mission, the Liberation Movement says it is important that other governments find out more about the situation in Papua.
The Movement, which has observer status in the Melanesian Spearhead Group, urges Indonesia's government to allow Julie Bishop unfettered access to West Papuan community groups.
According to a spokesman for the Movement, a short and restricted visit to Papua by MSG Foreign Ministers in 2014 was evidence that Jakarta had so far failed to allow foreign governments open access to the region.
Indonesia is accused by the Movement of waging slow-motion genocide in Papua.
The West Papuan representative group cites evidence of simmering armed conflict, unrest, extra-judicial killings and jailings of Papuans, and marginalisation of their culture.

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2) Alleged rights violations weigh on Freeport’s shoulders
Viriya P. Singgih The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Wed, March 8, 2017 | 06:56 am
The cases against gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia (FI) are piling as the national rights body has stated that the firm has violated the rights of indigenous people during its 50year operation in Papua.
According to an investigation carried out by the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) from 2015 to 2017, FI has never paid compensation for the land it has been using as its working areas in Mimika, Papua, to its original owners — the indigenous Amungme people.
The commission claimed to have gone deep into various ministries, including the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry and the Environment and Forestry Ministry, during the investigation and called the Mimika administration and FI for questioning.
“We asked all of them whether or not there was proof of land transactions by Freeport Indonesia in the past. They weren’t able to present such evidence. Even the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry said it knew nothing about it,” Komnas HAM commissioner Natalius Pigai said on Tuesday evening after handing over the investigation report to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan.
The commission concludes that there have been violations on the rights of indigenous people, whose lands have been unilaterally seized by the Indonesian government and FI. It argued that there should be compensation for the people, whether in the form of money or shares of the company.
The Mimika administration in Papua has demanded 10 to 20 of percent shares in FI to compensate for the use of the land for the past 50 years.
FI, a subsidiary of United States-based mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Inc., was granted its first contract of work (CoW) in 1967 to operate the Ertsberg mine in Papua by the regime of former president Soeharto as the country tried to attract investments.
At that time, the Ertsberg mine was known as the richest copper deposit ever found on the ground with an estimated 13 million tons of ore reserves above the ground and 14 million tons of underground ore within a depth of 100 meters.
In 1991, FI’s contract was extended for 30 years following the company’s plan to further develop the Grasberg mine, located only two kilometers away from Ertsberg and eventually known as the world’s biggest gold mine and second-largest copper mine.
Mimika regent Eltinus Omaleng claims in his book, entitled Papua Asks for Shares, that at least 212,000 hectares of land have been seized from the Amungme people for the company’s operations.
He pointed to article 136 of the 2009 Mining Law, which requires mining license holders to settle all land disputes before starting their operations in related areas.
“The have been no compensation for 50 years. We don’t know whom it met, whether or not it has land certificate,” Eltinus said at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on Tuesday.
Eltinus said the Mimika or Papua administration was ready to make a certain agreement with FI to allow the latter to pay for the shares in installments over a period of five years. The administration, he added, was also ready to waive its dividend rights during the installment period.
Responding to this matter, Energy and Mineral Resources deputy minister Arcandra Tahar said the government would try to resolve the entire case of FI by involving the indigenous people. FI’s latest CoW requires the firm to have sold 51 percent of its stake to Indonesian entities by 2011 or 45 percent if it has sold a minimum of 20 percent in the local stock market.
However, a string of regulations were issued along the way that eventually allowed FI to dodge the requirement until Ignasius reversed the course recently.
“We will talk about the details of the divestment process later. However, it should still be based on the existing regulations stipulating that the company’s shares would first be offered to the central government,” Arcandra said.

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3) Australia Says No Plan for Joint South China Sea Patrols With Indonesia


Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull walk to their joint press conference in Sydney on Feb. 26, 2017. (Reuters Photo/Jason Reed)
By : Ben Weir and Cindy Silviana | on 1:22 PM March 07, 2017
Jakarta. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday (07/03) that his country aimed to work more closely with Indonesia over maritime security, but there was no plan for the neighbors to hold joint patrols in the South China Sea.
In an interview with the Australian newspaper last month, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he would like to see joint patrols and intended to raise the idea with Turnbull, but only if it did not further inflame tensions with China.
"We are not going to undertake any actions which would increase tensions in the South China Sea," Turnbull said, when asked by a reporter whether Indonesia had raised the prospect of conducting joint patrols.
"Our commitment is to increase our cooperation with each other in terms of maritime security. So we talk about more collaboration, more coordination, but it has not been taken any further than that," Turnbull, who is in Jakarta to attend a summit meeting of the 21-member Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), said.
Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan, also said after meeting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Monday that he did not envisage joint patrols though there were other areas to cooperate on.
"I don't know whether it necessary for us to do join patrols over there, but for sure, for economic activity, we can do," Pandjaitan said.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.
Indonesia has traditionally taken a neutral position on the South China Sea, acting as a buffer between China and fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that have the most at stake, the Philippines and Vietnam.
But Jakarta was angered after China said the two countries had "overlapping claims" to waters close to Indonesia's Natuna Islands and staged large-scale exercise on the edge of South China Sea in October.
Australia – which says it takes no sides on South China Sea disputes but has supported United States-led freedom of navigation activities in the region – has been rebuilding ties with Indonesia after a recent military spat.
Reuters
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1) Indonesia’s Abuses in Papua Prompt Call for UN Probe

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2) Mimika warned not to repeat the case of Cepu block
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 Dispatches

1) Indonesia’s Abuses in Papua Prompt Call for UN Probe
Andreas Harsono Indonesia Researcher
Pacific Island States Urge Human Rights Council to Intervene
A coalition of Pacific island states is urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate human rights abuses in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua (generally referred to as “Papua”).
The request by Vanuatu’s Justice Minister Ronald Warsal on behalf of Vanuatu, Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands expresses concern about “widespread violations” of human rights in Papua including extrajudicial killings of Papuan activists. The Indonesian government has rejected these allegations and stated that it “always endeavoured to address any allegation of human rights violation” in Papua.
Pacific island states have good reason to be concerned about human rights abuses in Papua. Although the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has repeatedly promised a new approach to Papua, home to a low-level insurgency and a peaceful pro-independence movement, the reality has not matched the rhetoric.
In April 2016, the Indonesian government announced it would seek accountability for 11 high-priority human rights cases in Papua from past years. However, the government has not provided any details as to when, where, and how the cases would be addressed. Indonesian authorities continue to restrict access by foreign journalists and rights monitors to the region.
Throughout 2016, Indonesian police arrested more than 3,900 peaceful protesters in Papua during protests for causes including support for Papuan independence. Police released the detainees after several hours without charge, but their arrests underline the official lack of tolerance for peaceful expression of political aspirations in Papua. As of September 2016, 37 Papuan activists were still imprisoned after being convicted of treason, many for nonviolent “crimes” such as public display of the pro-independence Morning Star flag.
If the Indonesian government really wants to improve human rights in Papua, it needs to stop reflexively denying the abuses that occur there and open up Papua to UN investigators. Until it does, those abuses – and international pressure on Indonesia to stop them – will only continue. 
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2) Mimika warned not to repeat the case of Cepu block
Viriya P. Singgih The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Wed, March 8, 2017 | 04:50 pm



A vehicle passes through gold and copper mining company's PT Freeport Indonesia’s (PTFI) mining area in Grasberg, Mimika, Papua. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)

Former Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli has warned the Mimika administration in Papua to be cautious following its aspirations to get shares in gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, especially considering the previous case of the Cepu block in Bojonegoro, East Java.
Mimika administration in Papua has demanded 10 to 20 percent of shares in Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of the United States-based mining giant Freeport McMoRan, in return for the company’s land compensation for operating in the region for the past half-century.
“I support the Mimika administration’s plan as the company has never paid compensation for the land used,” Rizal said recently in Jakarta.
However, he said the administration should not repeat the mistake made by Bojonegoro administration in the case of the Cepu block, which is operated by US oil and gas company ExxonMobil Indonesia.
The Bojonegoro administration has 4.46 percent of participating interest in Cepu block through subsidiary PT Asri Dharma Sejahtera (ADS), which it has made a revenue-sharing agreement with PT Surya Energi Raya (SER) owned by ruling NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh. Under the agreement, SER has a portion of 75 percent, while only 25 percent is taken by ADS.
“Because the Bojonegoro administration had no money to buy the shares in Cepu block, it made an agreement with a company. As a result, people in Bojonegoro get nothing out of it,” Rizal said. “Don’t let the same thing happen in the case of Freeport Indonesia.” (bbn)
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Indonesia prepares Rp 40t to acquire Freeport shares

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Indonesia prepares Rp 40t to acquire Freeport shares
Jakarta | Thu, March 9, 2017 | 01:57 pm

Indonesia has prepared Rp 40 trillion (US$2.96 billion) for acquiring shares in PT Freeport Indonesia, a copper and gold miner in Papua, as the company is required to divest at least 51 percent of its shares as stipulated in the new mining regulation.
The fund, will be used to buy 40.65 percent of Freeport’s shares as it already holds 9.36 percent of the mining giant’s stock.
The government and Freeport have been negotiating several issues including the conversion of Freeport’s contract agreement from a Contract of Work (CoW) to a special mining license (IUPK), the share divestment and concentrate export permit.
For the share acquisition, the government has sourced the funds from the state-owned enterprises’ pension fund (Dapen), Hadi said, adding that the move was in line with the instruction of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
“It is the government, which will be responsible for the fund, not the state enterprises,” said Hadi as reported by tribunnews.com on Thursday, adding that after the divestment the operator of the mining site would still be Freeport.
The divestment requirement is stipulated in Government Regulation (PP) No. 1/2017 on mineral and coal mining.
Speaking about the demand of the Mimika administration for 10 percent to 20 percent of the Freeport shares, Hadi said, it was still in the process of discussion.
Energy and Mineral Resources Deputy Minister Archandra Tahar, however, said Freeport had not agreed on the divestment of its shares.
“We are fighting [to get] 51 percent of the shares]. We can talk later about the demand of the regional administration,” Archandra added.
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1) WE ESPECIALLY REMEMBER THE WOMEN OF WEST PAPUA : WOMEN’S DAY IN FIJI

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2) Minister Luhut Meets Freeport Indonesia Workers

3) Indonesia, Denmark to increase defense cooperation

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1) WE ESPECIALLY REMEMBER THE WOMEN OF WEST PAPUA : WOMEN’S DAY IN FIJI

                                                            Marking Women’s Day in Fiji – fijisun.fj
Jayapura, Jubi – Opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has invited all men and women of all ages in Fiji to take concrete steps to accelerate the achievement of gender parity.
In her statement on the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2017 today, Ro Teimumu encouraged all to pause and remember those who played a role with distinction in displaying the strength of women in every aspect of our society, and those who have turned another chapter in our history.
“I mention here Captain Selai Saumi who in 2015 became the first local female pilot to command one of our national aircrafts. Just today, WPC Vaseva Rokotiko takes a bow as the first female police motorcyclist. Hearty congratulations to these young women,” Ro Teimumu said.
“I wish to take this opportunity of honouring the lives of woman and girls adversely affected due to acts of sexual violence and physical abuse.
“We also remember those who became casualties of war. In addition, we especially remember the women of West Papua who paid the ultimate price in fighting for freedom. They all deserve a special place in our prayers.”
She said the theme for this year ‘Be Bold for Change’ not only highlighted the importance of recognising and respecting women, but also underscored the need to understand that more and more women were serious about advancing the interests socially, economically and politically of themselves and their families.
“Together we can change the narrative and make gender equality a reality for Fiji.” (*)

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THURSDAY, 09 MARCH, 2017 | 22:50 WIB
2) Minister Luhut Meets Freeport Indonesia Workers
TEMPO.COJakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan held a meeting with dozens of PT Freeport Indonesia employees at his office on Thursday, March 9, 2017. The meeting was heating up when Freeport workers asked Luhut to visit the Mimika Regency.
"We are planning to go there, don't you mad at me," Luhut said to the workers.
The meeting was cut short because Luhut claimed that he must attend a meeting at the State Palace.
Virgo Salossa, a representative of the Care for Freeport Solidarity Movement said that the workers have managed to come early to meet with Luhut. However, the representatives can only have a short audience with the Minister and had only discussed trivial issues.
"We were greeted [in the office lobby] and only talk about trivial matters. We’re not asking for shares," Virgo said.
Virgo argued that the worker had never thought about the company's shares for the people. However, he believed that the government should take careful steps against Freeport because it will be recorded in history.
DIKO OKTARA

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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/109855/indonesia-denmark-to-increase-defense-cooperation

3) Indonesia, Denmark to increase defense cooperation

2 hours ago | 328 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Danish Ambassador to Indonesia Casper Klynge paid a courtesy call on Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu here on Thursday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the defense field.

Klynge said the effort to enhance defense cooperation between the two countries is positive thing to develop strategic partnership.

One of the instruments to develop the strategic partnership is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the Danish queen signed when she visited Indonesia last year, he said.

He noted that the two countries have the potentials to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in the defense field, including defense industry, peace-keeping mission, and cooperation between the two countries navies.

The ambassador, who visited the Peacekeepers Mission Force Center in Sentul, West Java, last week expressed his countrys keen interest in establishing cooperation with Indonesia in peace-keeping mission, including exchange of instructors.

He further positively welcomed the enhanced cooperation between the two navies as shown by the Danish naval chief of staffs wish to visit to Indonesia in May 2017 to meet his Indonesian counterpart.

"The (planned) visit is expected to increase cooperation between the two countries navies," the Defense Ministry website quoted Casper as saying.

He said Denmark is ready to cooperate with Indonesia particularly in developing warships.

"Denmark is ready to cooperate with Indonesian shipyards, both PT PAL in Surabaya and other shipbuilding companies in Indonesia. We can fully transfer technology in such way that Indonesia can produce warships themselves with local technology in accordance with its needs, both military and commercial interests," he said.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu lauded the enhanced cooperation between the two countries and hoped cooperation in the defense field could be continued and increased in the future.(*)
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1) West Papuan villages awarded forest permits

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2) For Freeport, just follow Indonesia’s wishes
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1) West Papuan villages awarded forest permits
Hans Nicholas Jong The Jakarta Post
Sorong, Papua | Fri, March 10, 2017 | 07:57 am



People of the nomadic Korowai forest tribe in Papua process the sagu palm. (Shutterstock.com/Mirek Nowaczyk)

Residents of Manggroholo village and Sira village in South Sorong, West Papua province, rejoiced on Thursday as their villages were the first in Papua to have their rights to manage the island’s forests acknowledged by the government.
The South Sorong administration handed over the hutan desa (village forest) permits to representatives of the villagers on Thursday. 
The Environment and Forestry Ministry defines a “village forest” as a state forest not encumbered by previous rights and managed by a village to improve its welfare.
Fredrik Sagisolo, the head of a local indigenous community alliance, said he expected the permit issuance to be followed by the recognition of other hutandesa in West Papua.
“We wanted our customary land rights to be wholly recognized because we knew that we had a lot of potential, but it was not us who managed the potential,” he said.
Greenpeace Indonesia heralded the acknowledgment as a landmark decision as it marked the first time villagers in Papua received rights to manage their own forests under the village forest scheme.
The scheme was part of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s land reform plan, which included the distribution of 12.7 million hectares of land access to local communities, villagers and indigenous people.
“After almost 10 years of fighting, finally today our friends received a permit to manage hutan desa, which will allow freedom and sovereignty in managing hutan desa,” Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Kiki
Taufik said during the permit-giving ceremony in Teminabuan, South Sorong.
He said the villagers had been fighting for their rights to manage around 3,500 hectares of forests from palm oil companies that wanted to convert the forest areas into oil palm plantations since 2013. (rin)
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2) For Freeport, just follow Indonesia’s wishes

Kristio Wahyono Former Indonesian representative to UNTAET
Yogyakarta | Thu, March 9, 2017 | 03:10 pm
“Many citizens resented the mining company’s reminder that without US support for the UN-organized Act of Free Choice in Papua in 1969, the result of the referendum could have been damaging for Indonesia. Freeport’s presence in Papua at that time was reportedly the main reason for the US’ decision to make it possible to reunite Papua with Indonesia.” (The Jakarta Post editorial June 24, 2015).
Puncak Jaya, the highest mountain in Papua, before the 1960s was believed to be the largest gold and copper mine in the world. In March 1962, the United States’ State Department sent a telegram to Jakarta’s embassy saying that top American diplomat Ellsworth Bunker would facilitate top-secret high-level negotiations between the Dutch and Indonesian governments.
The Dutch, according to US/ CIA declassified documents from 1962, “had to hand over West New Guinea [now Papua] to Indonesia regardless of Holland’s position.” The New York Agreement on Aug. 15, 1962, ultimately replaced Dutch colonialism with Indonesia’s rule over then West Irian.
The US policy shift against the Dutch in the 1960s was not necessarily for political and moral obligations toward Jakarta. It was not only a matter of the US’ own geopolitical economic interests but also its biggest worry over a continuing Indonesian shift toward communism should the Dutch hold on to Papua. On top of that, Washington had a “secret plan” for a long-term massive US investment in the territory.
Finally, under president Johnson’s administration, Indonesia’s foreign investment law was enacted on Jan. 10, 1967. The then Freeport Sulfur Company had the privileges and was the first to be licensed under president Soeharto’s government.
On April 5, 1967, the Indonesian government and Freeport Sulfur Company, through its subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia, signed the first contract of work (CoW I). Accordingly, all subsequent difficult situations were supposed to have been resolved shortly thereafter, but were not.
Eight years elapsed; president Gerald Ford, accompanied by state secretary Henry Kissinger hosted president Soeharto at Camp David in 1975, one day after the US independence day commemoration. The two leaders shared three issues facing the two states, namely US military assistance to Indonesia, international investment and Portuguese Timor decolonization.
While the latter attracted world attention, Washington only focused on securing its investment in Indonesia. The question of East Timor was the second priority, no matter what was going on.
First of all, prior to the Camp David meeting, by March 1975 the US National Security Council was recommending “a policy of silence” regarding Indonesia’s intention to “incorporate Portuguese Timor by force”; secondly, Kissinger signaled Jakarta’s embassy that there would be no objection from the US side if Indonesia invaded East Timor; third, at the critical moment of the Soeharto-Ford meeting in Jakarta, one day before the invasion of Dili on Dec. 7, 1975, president Ford and secretary Kissinger gave the “green light” for the blitz; fourth, the US had no objection whatever Indonesia decided to do, as shown by State Department’s declassified documents.
Chery Seal wrote in 2002 that: “US state secretary Henry Kissinger might lose his ‘investments.’ Worse yet, the push for the independence of East Timor could easily spread into nearby Papua, threatening Soeharto’s other interests and Kissinger’s gold mine, in which Soeharto had a hefty share.”
From the US perspective, with Kissinger as state secretary, the prospect of East Timorese autonomy dismayed Soeharto because he and his friends had very valuable holdings in the region. In short, Washington tried to avoid confrontation with Indonesia simply because of the ongoing “secret” Freeport activity.
It later became clear that until the eighties Freeport had operated quietly. The Ertsberg mine was all but exhausted and died, leaving behind an open pit over 360 meters deep and 2 kilometers wide.

The discovery of the Grasberg mine was believed to be as advantageous for Washington’s top priority goals. But they decided to withhold the announcement of the new gold mining. Massive activity in the Grasberg mines was never announced to the public until 1988.
Freeport finally officially recognized gold mining in Papua, having previously (1973-1994) claimed it was only a copper miner. The total volume of gold mined during the 21 years has never been publicly known (Dewi Aryani/Antara news: 2011). While CoW I was signed in 1967, CoW II came into force on Dec. 30, 1991, and will end in 2021.
Over the last two years, the company has been heading toward a showdown with the Indonesian government. Today, this company is considering going to arbitration if it can’t resolve the dispute within the next 120 days. “It’s not just Freeport [that has such a right], the government does too,” the Indonesian minister of energy and natural resources said.
It is unlikely that the US government will initiate aggressively what it did in 1960s, although Freeport chief executive Richard Adkerson stated: “Millions of US citizens indirectly invest in Freeport with their savings accounts and their retirement plans […] so what happens […] will be a matter of interest for the United States’ government.”
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1) West Papuan advocates pay tribute to Faleomavaega

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2) Tax collection guarantee key to resolving Freeport deadlock: Expert
3) Papua Supports Central Gov’t Policies on Freeport
4) British-owned cruise ship wrecks one of Indonesia’s best coral reefs
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1) West Papuan advocates pay tribute to Faleomavaega
3:04 pm on 10 March 2017 

                                         Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin  Photo: Free google search image
The East Timor Action Network, or ETAN, has paid tribute to the late Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin's work on West Papua.
The former member of the US House of Representatives, who represented American Samoa as its Delegate in Congress for 13 terms from 1989 to 2015, passed away in late February.
As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, Faleomavaega regularly monitored events in Indonesia's Papua region
ETAN's Ed McWilliams has written that Faleomavaega was an articulate and effective advocate for human rights in West Papua and long worked for a peaceful resolution of the serious problems confronting Papuans.
"He engaged persistently with US and Indonesian Government officials toward these ends," he said.
"His travel to West Papua and extensive contact with Papuans reflected a deep sincerity and good will toward the Papuan people and the peoples of the broader region which he knew so well."
According to Mr McWilliams, Faleomavaega drew upon this knowledge and experience and the broad respect accorded him in congress and elsewhere to advise several US Administrations regarding policy toward West Papua and toward Indonesia.
In 2010, Faleomavaega convened the first hearing in the history of the US Congress to include testimony from West Papua's traditional and religious leaders. and human rights advocates.
In 2007, he traveled to West Papua. The visit's schedule was heavily restricted by the Indonesian government, including the congressman not being allowed to visit Jayapura.
Faleomavaega subsequently protested to Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that the visit had been limited "to only two hours of actual meetings with the leaders and people of Biak and Manokwari due to supposedly security concerns".
During the visit, Faleomavaega "forced his way through barricades to talk with Papuans denied entry to official meetings".
He later wrote that he was deeply disturbed by the overpowering military presence, which he described as completely unnecessary.
Mr McWilliams said that Faleomavaega's interest in West Papua "derived in part from a sense of personal responsibility to carry forward the work of his Samoan relatives who are buried in West Papua and in honor of all those who have lived the struggle".
In July 2011 he was honored with the "John Rumbiak Human Rights Defenders Award" by the US-based West Papua Advocacy Team.
His passing is a loss for his many friends in the West Papuan community and those in the broader international community who support their struggle for freedom.
Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin's funeral is to be in Utah on Saturday.

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2) Tax collection guarantee key to resolving Freeport deadlock: Expert
Viriya P. Singgih The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Fri, March 10, 2017 | 01:00 pm
In a bid to settle its dispute with gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, the government needs to provide a long-term guarantee about the types of tax collection it will impose on the company, a tax expert has stated.
The local subsidiary of the United States-based mining giant Freeport McMoRan has temporarily halted operations due to the government’s demand that the contract of work (CoW) it signed in 1991 be converted into a so-called special mining license (IUPK) before extending its export permit, a move that will automatically annul the long-term investment stability guarantee provided in the CoW.
“It has to be clear first, what types of collection the government will impose on Freeport Indonesia within the next 20 years,” Center for Indonesia Taxation Analysis (CITA) executive director Yustinus Prastowo told The Jakarta Post recently.
“If it’s an income tax [PPH], it should still be an income tax until the contract is over. If it’s a value-added tax [PPN], it should still be a value-added tax. Then, if the company’s copper concentrates are included as non-taxable goods today, it should also remain the same. That’s the kind of guarantee that Freeport Indonesia is looking for.”
Yustinus said that when the types of tax collection were clear, the amount of collection from each category would still be open for negotiations in the future.
Data from the Finance Ministry shows that Freeport Indonesia paid Rp 1.23 trillion (US$92.1 million) in export duties alone to the government throughout 2016. (bbn)
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3) Papua Supports Central Gov’t Policies on Freeport

Friday, 10 March 2017 | 11:19 WIB

JAKARTA, NETRALNEWS.COM - Government Negotiation Team headed by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Teguh Pamudji, has met the Governor of Papua Lukas Enembe in Jayapura discussing the continuation of negotiations between the government and PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).
"This meeting in general explains the government policies remain consistent with downstream mineral policy. The government also still wants to keep social and economic activities in Papua running conducive," Teguh said in remarks published on Friday (3/10/2017).
For information, the government has given Special Mining Business Permit (IUPK) to PTFI dated February 10, 2017. The government has also issued export recommendation for PT FI on February 17, 2017.
Director General of Mineral and Coal Mining, Bambang Gatot Aryono, who participated in the meeting, said that currently the government continues to resolve matters related to stabilization of investment.
"However, if after six months PTFI cannot accept IUPK, please go back to the Contract of Work (CoW), but [it] could not export concentrates," said Bambang.
The government’s stance obtained support from the Papua Provincial Government. "We support the policies of the central government and we ask the government to be assertive against PTFI," said Governor Lukas.
Furthermore Papua Provincial Government also wanted to be included in discussing the future of PTFI’s operations, and still strive for aspirations which have been submitted to the government.
In response to this, Bambang Gatot explained that these aspirations largely have been accommodated in the progress of negotiations carried out by the government. (*)
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4) British-owned cruise ship wrecks one of Indonesia’s best coral reefs

Basten Gokkon for Mongabay, part of the Guardian Environment Network Friday 10 March 2017 21.14 AEDT

One of the main coral reefs at Raja Ampat, an Indonesian island chain home to perhaps the world’s richest marine biodiversity, was severely damaged last week when a Bahamian-flagged cruise ship smashed into it at low tide, according to an official report.

The 90-meter Caledonian Sky, owned by tour operator Noble Caledonia, ran aground in an uncharted shoal in West Papua province after completing a bird-watching trip on Waigeo Island on 4 March.
The British-owned company described the incident as “unfortunate” and said it was “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities”. Damage to the vessel was minimal and it has already set sail after being questioned by investigators.
An official evaluation team found that the ship had been caught in low tide despite being equipped with GPS and radar instruments, according to team member Ricardo Tapilatu, head of the Research Center for Pacific Marine Resources at the University of Papua.
“A tugboat from Sorong city was deployed to help refloat the cruise ship, which is something that shouldn’t have happened because it damaged the reef even worse,” Tapilatu said. “They should’ve waited for high tide” to refloat the vessel.
The 4,290-tonne Caledonian Sky, which was carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew on a 16-night journey from Papua New Guinea to the Philippines, damaged approximately 1,600 square meters of coral at a diving site known as Crossover Reef.
The incident resulted in the destruction of the ecosystem’s structural habitat and the reduction or loss of diversity of eight coral genera, including acropora, porites, montipora and stylophora.
“This is what we found during our investigation into the site,” Tapilatu said. “We are currently finishing the report and will submit our recommendations to the district office next week.”
Local homestay operator Stay Raja Ampat posted on Facebook: “How can this happen? Was a 12-year-old at the wheel? Anchor damage from ships like these is bad enough, but actually grounding a ship on a reef takes it to a whole new level.”
Due to Raja Ampat’s special biodiversity and its status as one of the world’s most popular dive sites, as well as the fact that the damage occurred in a national park, the evaluation team will recommend the company pay compensation of $800-$1,200 (£650-£985) per square meter, for a total of $1.28m-$1.92m, according to Tapilatu. The standard rate is $200-$400 per square meter.
“If the ship’s owner disagrees with the claim, then typically the government will take it to court,” Tapilatu said. If the company and government can reach an agreement, it will likely take a year or two for the district administration to receive the cash.
Tapilatu said the money would be used to revive the reef, a process he estimated could take a decade; to set more mooring buoys across the area to prevent ships from sailing into shallow zones; and to map out sailing tracks.

“The government has had talks about compensation with the ship company, and I’m optimistic that this won’t go to court. Unfortunately, there will not be any moves for coral revival until we get the money.”

Andi Rusandi, director for conservation and marine biodiversity at the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said local conservation and revival efforts were within the local government’s authority, but he said he would follow the situation.
In its statement, Noble Caledonia said it was “firmly committed to protection of the environment, which is why it is imperative that the reasons for it are fully investigated, understood and any lessons learned incorporated in operating procedures.”
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1) Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St in Darwin painted over

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2) West Papua friendship mural censored after strong pressure from the Indonesian Consulate
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1) Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St in Darwin painted over

Painters paint over the Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St. PICTURE: Ivan Rachman

A FINAL protest to save a mural dedicated to the persecuted women of West Papua failed to prevent the piece of cultural art from being destroyed.
The mural, a sign of friendship between indigenous Australians and West Papuans, was half painted over last week.
The remainder of the mural was covered yesterday morning and protester Cindy Watson said 10 people tried to save the artwork, to no avail.
The mural was painted on a brick wall at the intersection of Cavenagh and Bennett streets in June 2015 but Ms Watson said “pressure” from Indonesia to remove it had been strong ever since. She said it was particularly disheartening to lose the mural on the day Darwin marched for International Women’s Day.


Cindy Watson holds up a West Papua flag while painters behind her paint over the Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St. PICTURE: Ivan Rachman

“Whilst there’s a lot to celebrate with the things that women have achieved, there’s a lot to still struggle for and right on this day the remainder of an Aboriginal and West Papua friendship mural was wiped out,” she said.
“We wanted the mural to stay. It was not only a symbol of friendship, it was a piece of art, cultural art, and under pressure publicly from Indonesia it was completely wiped out.”
Ms Watson said more needed to be done to help the women of West Papua.
“We are working on more murals and on International Women’s Day we need not only to celebrate but we need to stand up for the voiceless people and that is the women of West Papua.”
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2) West Papua friendship mural censored after strong pressure from the Indonesian Consulate



                                                             The censored Freedom Mural.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
The West Papuan Friendship Mural in the Darwin CBD, which has become a poignant symbol of solidarity between the people of West Papua and Australia, was half painted over on March 4 after strong pressure from the Indonesian Consulate.
The mural was painted in June 2015 as part of a week of action in solidarity the West Papuan struggle for independence from Indonesia.
In June last year, the ABC revealed that the owners of the building, Randazzo properties, had asked the artists to paint over it as a "matter of urgency" following the application of "external pressures". Randazzo later denied this happened.
In an email obtained by the ABC, an employee for Randazzo told a representative from the artist group: "Due to some external pressures I have been asked to see the wall painted out as a matter of urgency and have started putting things in place."
Activists from Australians for a Free West Papua told the ABC they had been told by the same Randazzo Properties employee that the "external pressure" was the Indonesian consulate in Darwin.
The Indonesian Consul in Darwin, Andre Siregar, said while he had not been in contact with the wall's owner, he had written to the Northern Territory Government in August 2015 to register his opposition to the depiction of the West Papuan flag.
At the time Larrakiah elder June Mills said: "People cannot raise the West Papuan flag in West Papua — they are killed, or if not killed, jailed, or severely punished in some form.
"So we've painted the flag here, in solidarity with the Aboriginal flag — we are both recognising the struggle, and the real issue is they want that gone, because they don't want the message out, they're suppressing the information about what is happening in West Papua."
At the time of writing, half the mural had been painted over, but before it could be destroyed completely, local Free West Papua activists quickly repainted it with the words “You can’t cover up genocide”.
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AWPA update February 2017

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Summary of events in West Papua for February  -13 March 2017


West Papua raised at UN

It was encouraging to see the Pacific Countries again raise the West Papuan issue at the UN.  Ronald K Warsal, the Minister of Justice and Community Development in Vanuatu critised Indonesia at the 34th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva (1 March 2017) over the human rights situation in West Papua. He was speaking on behalf of a coalition of seven Pacific countries Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Palau, Marshall Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. In concluding his statement the Minister said,  “as I close, we believe that challenges of West Papua must be brought back to the agenda of the United Nations”.The Vanuatu Minister’s statement on UN Web TV at





In its right of reply Jakarta rejected the allegations made by the Vanuatu and basically said Vanuatu should look at its own human rights violation and abuses against the people of Vanuatu, such as violence against women, corporal punishment against minors and appalling prison condition.


The Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) executive director, Emele Duituturaga said about Jakarta’s attack on Vanuatu,

“Their response was to resort to divide and conquer by picking on Vanuatu and then again offering to help Vanuatu with its alleged human rights issues in response to the Pacific coalition’s request to treat a member of the Pacific family – West Papua - with respect and dignity,” Duituturaga said. She said the Pacific Islands Coalition on West Papua (PICWP) of which PIANGO is a member of would not be requesting the UN to send special rapporteurs into West Papua if they didn’t have enough evidence to prove that West Papuans were suffering. “Indonesia plays an important role in Pacific stability and peace, their contribution to the region is widely known and appreciated. Pacific governments and civil society would not just as easily undermine such an important relationship.”
However, when there is overwhelming evidence that thousands of West Papuans who are Pacific Islanders have lost their lives as they tried to raise alternative views in the governance of their resources with state authorities and even to motivate seven Pacific countries to form a coalition on West Papua, Indonesia must realise it can no longer afford to feign innocence at the UN.”

http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=12337836258bcbb9c5fb880ee4092f






Indonesian President visits Sydney
The Indonesian President visited Sydney on the 25-26 February. As usual talks were about trade and security and to shore up a minor break in military ties between the two nations. No talk of the human rights situation in West Papua at the Sydney meeting.  Supporters of West Papuan in Sydney protested during Jokiwi’s visit.  






Gathering outside the Channel 7 studies in Martin Place, supporters then marched to the Sydney DFAT offices and on to the Sydney Town Hall.Speakers including West Papuan representative Lewis Prai spoke out about the Lombok Treaty, the military and the plundering of the resources of West Papua. Photos of Sydney protest at




A week after the Indonesian President visited Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop went to Indonesia to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) leadership summit in Jakarta. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was celebrating its 20th Anniversary and Indonesia is the current chair. AWPA called on the Prime Minister to raise the issue of human rights violations in West Papua.  http://asiapacificreport.nz/2017/03/05/awpa-calls-on-turnbull-to-raise-west-papua-right-violations-with-jakarta/



Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to visit West Papua
The SMH (7 March) reported that “The sensitive topics of Papua and the impact of the worst oil spill in the history of Australia's offshore petroleum fields have been raised in talks with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Indonesia. The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said the "openness of Papua" had been discussed and revealed Ms Bishop had agreed to visit the province later this year.”



The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has cautiously welcomed the news that Australia's Foreign Minister is to visit Indonesian-ruled Papua region this year.While Ms Bishop's visit is not being described as a human rights fact-finding mission, the Liberation Movement says it is important that other governments find out more about the situation in Papua (RNZI 8 March).





Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St in Darwin painted over

KIERAN BANKS, NT News March 12, 2017 1:15pm


 

Painters paint over the Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St. PICTURE: Ivan Rachman



A FINAL protest to save a mural dedicated to the persecuted women of West Papua failed to prevent the piece of cultural art from being destroyed.

The mural, a sign of friendship between indigenous Australians and West Papuans, was half painted over last week. The remainder of the mural was covered yesterday morning and protester Cindy Watson said 10 people tried to save the artwork, to no avail. The mural was painted on a brick wall at the intersection of Cavenagh and Bennett streets in June 2015 but Ms Watson said “pressure” from Indonesia to remove it had been strong ever since. She said it was particularly disheartening to lose the mural on the day Darwin marched for International Women’s Day.




Cindy Watson holds up a West Papua flag while painters behind her paint over the Free West Papua mural on Cavenagh St. PICTURE: Ivan Rachman


“Whilst there’s a lot to celebrate with the things that women have achieved, there’s a lot to still struggle for and right on this day the remainder of an Aboriginal and West Papua friendship mural was wiped out,” she said. “We wanted the mural to stay. It was not only a symbol of friendship, it was a piece of art, cultural art, and under pressure publicly from Indonesia it was completely wiped out.”
Ms Watson said more needed to be done to help the women of West Papua. “We are working on more murals and on International Women’s Day we need not only to celebrate but we need to stand up for the voiceless people and that is the women of West Papua.”


                                                     ---------------------------
                                          Photo of original mural below. From ABC repor8 Jun 2016

PHOTO: West Papua independence activist Piter Elaby touches up a mural in Darwin's CBD on Australia Day, 2016. (ABC News: Felicity James)





Freeport Indonesia

There has been an ongoing dispute between Jakarta and Freeport.
The Jakarta Post reported (8 March) that the prolonged contractual dispute between the government and PT Freeport Indonesia, had prompted the giant miner to temporarily suspend production which  resulted in weakening economic growth in Papua especially in the mining sector. In the report the Bank of Indonesia’s assessment had projected that Papua would see economic contraction in the second trimester. This is a result of the declining performance in the mining sector due to the dispute. Whatever the outcome of the negotiation, Papua’s economy will be affected,” Joko Supratikto, the head of Bank Indonesia’s Papua representative office, said on Wednesday. “Overall, economic growth in Papua in 2017 is predicted to stand between 3 and 3.5 percent year on year,” he said in the provincial capital of Jayapura. Last year, Papua saw 9.21 percent economic growth, higher than the national figure of 4.95 percent. Mining contributed to 42 percent of the growth, he added.

Several Papuans dance during a demonstration of Freeport workers in front of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Jakarta on Tuesday. They demand the government and Freeport find settlement as soon as possible so the mining company can resume operations.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan)


Freeport’s  Indonesia’s president director Chappy Hakim resigned just three months after his appointment as the mining giant's top executive in February.


The Jakarta Post (13 March) reported that  the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will conduct an audit on PT Freeport Indonesia following the government’s decision to assign the body an advisory role during a settlement with the company over a contractual dispute.


A Jakarta Globe factbox on Freeport at

Factbox: Indonesia's Huge Papua Mine Run by Freeport Long a Source of Friction








Church-backed coalition  calls on Indonesia to open access to West Papua
Members of a church-backed coalition have called on Indonesia to open access to West Papua for international journalists, independent observers, human rights organizations and the International Red Cross (ICRC). The call came at an international consultation hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) with the International Coalition on Papua on 22 February at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva. Peter Prove, director of the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) quoted from the WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, who visited West Papua in 2012 saying he was fully behind his statement after the visit.
“We support the struggle for human rights of the people of Papua. We urge an end to the ongoing violence and impunity.

“We support the call for social and economic justice through serious dialogue and a concrete political process that seeks to address root causes of the present problems,” Tveit had said.


The Rev. Francois Pihaate, general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches based in Fiji, said the churches in the region are very concerned about violence in Papua. “How can we as churches be ignorant of what is going on outside our own world? That is why we as churches are concerned,” said Pihaate. https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/church-backed-coalition-calls-on-indonesia-to-open-international-access-to-west-papua

Rev. Francois Pihaate, general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches. Photo: Peter Kenny/WCC




Australian Diggers disciplined

The Australian Defence Force has disciplined officers involved in the tense defence brawl with Indo­nesia over West Papua. In January, the head of the Indonesian armed forces, General Gatot Nurmantyo, announced that he had suspended military co-operation with Australia, a ­decision that it appeared he made unilaterally. He said the reason he made the decision was because one of his ­Kopassus special forces officers found “hurtful” teaching material while training at the SAS’s ­Campbell Barracks in Perth. He said the material suggested that West Papua, which Australia recognises as part of Indonesia, should be independent and other material mocked Indonesia’s founding principles, known as the Pancasila. The ­Defence Department yesterday confirmed army personnel ­involved in either creating or ­distributing the materials that caused the controversy had been disciplined.“As a result of the investi­gation, the individuals involved in the incident have been subject to formal administrative action and the Australian Army has taken the management action necessary to address the matter,” the department said in a statement. (The Australian March 3, 2017).




Vale Eni Faleomavaega

Condolences to his family and friends
Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin was American Samoa's representative to the United States Congress. He  died on the 22 February 2017. He was a good supporter of West Papua.  


                       Del. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-AS) at 2010 Congresional Hearing on West Papua.Photo by John M. Miller/ETAN.


A tribute to Eni Faleomavaega by Ed McWilliams at http://etan.org/news/2017/03faleo.htm








Names released of four West Papuans charged with treason

RNZI 13 Feb. 2017

The names of four political activists charged by Indonesia with treason in West Papua have been released by the human rights advocacy group Amnesty International.Hiskia Meage, Emanuel Ukago, Panus Hesegem and William Wim are members of the pro-Papuan independence organization, the West Papuan National Committee and were among 70 people who were arrested while demonstrating in North Sulawesi Province in December.

The rally was part of 14 simultaneous demonstrations across Indonesia in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua becoming a full member of Melanesian Spearhead Group. Amnesty said 528 people were arrested nation-wide on 19 December but most were released without charge the following day. Committee members Hosea Yemo and Ismael Alua were also charged with treason for organising the rallies. Amnesty said the men remained in detention for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and should be considered prisoners of conscience.






West Papuan claims Australia deported him to PNG

RNZI 23 Feb. 2017A West Papuan English teacher, who escaped persecution to an Australian island in the Torres Strait, claims he was deported to Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby. The man, who wants to keep his identity a secret, said he fled the West Papuan regency of Merauke, where he was trying to help a group of Papua New Guineans detained by Indonesian police.

In 2006, Indonesia withdrew its ambassador from Australia after it refused to extradite a group of West Papuan asylum seekers. The man said Australian authorities agreed to deport him to PNG. "I said to them I don't want to go back. Not only is my life in danger, but my friends, my family. Everyone close to me is in danger. If they found out me everyone will be in danger," he said. The man said he was currently in a refugee camp in Port Moresby where he was waiting for PNG authorities to determine his refugee status.




KPK raises possiblity of ‘collusion’ in Papua road project

Jakarta |Post  Sat, March 4, 2017


The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is looking into the possibility of naming another suspect in a graft case related to the Jayapura road construction project that implicates Michael Kambuaya, the head of the Papua Public Works Agency. The anti-graft body said it had uncovered alleged collusion among the parties involved in the project. “During the [ongoing] investigation, investigators uncovered alleged collusion committed by parties involved in the project,” KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah told journalists on Friday. He further said the investigation revealed an alleged mark-up in the Rp 89 billion (US$6.68 million) construction project, for which the state suffered Rp 42 billion in losses, or almost a half of the value of the project. “There are indications that the project is 40 percent overvalued. Around 10 to 15 percent from the total mark-up [the deduction from the real and perceived value of the project] was distributed to local officials,” Febri said. He further said the corruption case violated the rights of Papuans to enjoy the full benefits of infrastructure development. Financed by the 2015 revised regional budget, the project involves a 24-kilometer road connecting Kemiri and Depapre in Jayapura. (mrc/ebf)





Korindo has violated deforestation ban, NGO reveals

By Vaidehi Shah Thursday 16 February 2017

Controversial Korean conglomerate Korindo pledged to stop clearing forests until it had conducted proper sustainability assessments, but campaign group Mighty has gathered evidence to show that Korindo has broken its promise. It has barely been two months since Korean-Indonesian conglomerate Korindo bowed to demands from environmental activists and announced a moratorium on forest clearing in its palm oil concessions, but campaigners claim that the company has already broken that promise. Through satellite images obtained on 13 January 2017—about a month after Korindo’s moratorium announcement—United States based non-governmental organisation Mighty found that Korindo was preparing to clear about 1,400 hectares of forest in an area that it had promised to stop clearing until the land had undergone proper audits to assess its conservation value. Full report at   http://www.eco-business.com/news/korindo-has-violated-deforestation-ban-ngo-reveals/






Papua’s Bird of Paradise under threat, says WWF

RNZI 27 Feb.2017

Environmental group World Wildlife Fund is warning that the Bird of Paradise is at threat, particularly in Indonesia's Papua province.

The group says the bird is considered sacred by Papuan tribes but it is increasingly becoming the target of illegal trading, taxidermy and poaching.

It is advocating an eco-tourism approach, including bird watching, to help conserve the bird's population and provide value ot local communities.

WWF spokesperson in Papua, Andhiani Kumalasari, said efforts must be made to save the bird before it's too late.

"We must conserve the birds of paradise so the next generation - your children, your grandchildren, can still look directly [at] or find the birds of paradise in the forest - not in a book or on the internet or a picture - or just a story from their parents or grandparents or something like that."

Andhiani Kumalasari says the bird's habitat, native forests, must also be protected if it is to survive.




Govt speeds up development in Papua

6 March 2017

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government of Indonesia will continue to speed up the development in Papua and West Papua provinces, according to Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara. "Hence, the public will realize that the government is serious about the progress of development in Papua and West Papua," Rudiantara remarked in a media discussion on "Indonesia Centrist Vision: Equality in Papua," here on Monday.


The minister noted that access to the Internet in Papua and West Papua is around 300 kilobytes/second, much slower than that in Jakarta with 7 gigabytes/second. "In addition, the cost of Internet access to Papua and West Papua is 65 percent more expensive compared to Jakarta," the minister noted.


Therefore, Rudiantara added that the government is currently developing the Palapa Ring projects in areas that cannot be reached by telecommunication operators. The Palapa Ring, one of Indonesias priority infrastructure projects for the 2016-2019 period, aims to accelerate the growth and distribution of telecommunication network across the country. With an undersea fiber-optic cable network stretching across 13 thousand kilometers and an onshore network of nearly 22 thousand kilometers, the Palapa Ring project is expected to provide high-speed broadband Internet access to the entire people living in urban and rural areas. According to the minister, the project demonstrates that the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is serious about establishing cooperation with investors for infrastructure development in the country.

The Palapa Ring project -- divided into three sections of west, central, and east Indonesian region -- is the first cooperation in the telecommunication sector under the availability payment method scheme initiated by the Ministry of Finance. Of the three Palapa optical fiber ring projects, the west section will link areas in the provinces of Riau, Riau Islands, and Natuna Island with total optical fiber cable length of 2 thousand kilometers.


The central section will cover Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and North Maluku, with an optical fiber cable length of 2.7 thousand kilometers.


The third or east section will cover 35 districts/municipalities in four eastern Indonesian provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Papua, and Papua. "The east section of Palapa Ring project will have a total optical fiber cable length of 8,454 kilometers with the total value of Rp5.1 trillion," Rudiantara remarked in Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday. Rudiantara visited Papua recently to promote the Palapa Ring projects east section to the local government. He underlined that the project aims to meet the publics infrastructure needs in the telecommunications sector, particularly in the eastern region of Indonesia, and to offer faster Internet access to the region.

(Uu.O001/INE/KR-BSR/B003)





Opinion pieces/reports/press releases/upcoming events etc.




Up coming
PUNKS FOR WEST PAPUA’ DOCUMENTARY 


Screening  dates

Tuesday 14 March – PSA House, Sydney

Friday 17 March – ANU Food Co-op, Canberra

Thursday 22 March – Croation Wickham Sports Club, Newcastle*

Thursday 23 March – 4Pines Brewery, Brookvale


Proceeds go to The United Liberation Movement Of West Papua.




A chance to wear a West Papuan T-shirt or carry a WP flag

Palm Sunday Rally Sydney

for 2017 is being organised by a broad coalition including church groups, unions, refugee rights groups and community organisations.

Theme: Deliver a clear message calling for an end to the politics of division and for our political leaders to welcome refugees, close the detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru and bring the refugees to Australia. 

Sun. 9 April 2017 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm 

Location  Hyde Park North, Sydney 


Starting from Hyde Park North, then march to First Fleet, Circular Quay




Remember West Papua - ANZAC Day Demo


Photos from  around the world showing  support for the Pacific Coalition for West Papua’s UN address


Sign the petition

A simple action to support West Papua is to sign the petition. Over 20,000 people have signed so far.



Media release-AWPA calls on the Australian PM to raise West Papua with Jakarta



Urgent Action: Prisoners of Conscience Could Face Life in Prison (Indonesia: UA 35/17)




Shirking Matilda: The Realpolitik Case for Australian Recognition of West Papuahttp://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2017/02/shirking-matilda-realpolitik-case-australian-recognition-west-papua/




INDONESIA: Government unwilling to resolve past human rights abuses




Amnesty International State of the World Report 2016/2017

COUNTRY REPORT INDONESIA 2016/2017




Environmental costs, benefits and possibilities:

Q&A with anthropologist Eben Kirksey




PT Agriprima Cipta Persada clears the Mahuze Kewamese Clan’s Ancestral Forest.



Will changes to Indonesia’s mining law hurt or help the environment?



AWPA Jan update





1) American Samoa’s Faleomavaega laid to rest

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2) Island nations call for investigation into human rights abuses in West Papua
3) Indonesia hosts MSG police heads
4) Meet the leaders of Papuan batik culture
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1) American Samoa’s Faleomavaega laid to rest
12:59 pm today 

Former American Samoa Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin was laid to rest at the Provo Cemetery in Provo Utah on Sunday with full military honours for the Vietnam War veteran. Photo: Leafaina Tavai Yahn
Former American Samoa Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin was laid to rest at the Provo Cemetery in Provo Utah on Sunday with full military honours for the Vietnam War veteran.
There was a gun salute and honour guard and a flag of the US which draped Faleomavaega's oak coffin was presented to his wife Hinanui.
Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects to American Samoa's longest serving Congressman.
Faleomavaega died on 22 February at the age of 63, he was Delegate to congress for 26 years.
Governor Lolo Moliga, Senate President Gaoteote Palaie and many relatives and friends of Faleomavaega from Samoa, Hawaii and across the United States attended.

A Fono resolution honouring the former Congressman, Lieutenant governor, army reserve Captain, Polynesian sailor and many other accolades and services of Faleomavaega was read at the funeral service then handed to Mrs Hunkin.
There were also football stars such as Jesse Sapolu of the San Francisco 49ers, and the biggest names in Polynesian Entertainment in Hawaii Tihati and Cha Thompson.
There were also many Pacific island groups in attendance, as Faleomavaega was a vocal advocate for Pacific minority groups in the US.
He often criticized Washington for lumping Pacific people together with Asian-Americans and paying more attention to Asia than the small dots in between.
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2) Island nations call for investigation into human rights abuses in West Papua
March 13, 2017 Posted by: Mark Bowling
SEVEN Pacific island nations have called for a United Nations investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Indonesia’s West Papua and Papua provinces where a separatist movement has simmered for decades.
Vanuatu’s Justice Minister Ronald Warsal made the request during a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, on behalf of his country as well as Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands.
A fact-finding mission carried out by Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission provided the Pacific nations with some of the key evidence, as Mr Warsal accused Indonesia of serious human rights violations of indigenous Papuans including executions of activists, and beatings and fatal shootings of peaceful protesters.
CJPC executive officer Peter Arndt visited West Papua in February last year, and later released a 24-page report on the fact-finding mission “We Will Lose Everything”, based on interviews with more than 250 community leaders in Jayapura, Merauke, Timika and Sorong.
Mr Arndt sat in the audience in Geneva as the group of seven Pacific nations called on the UN to request a comprehensive report from the high commissioner for human rights and Indonesia’s co-operation in providing unfettered access to the two provinces.
He later spoke at a UN session, detailing his fact-finding mission to West Papua which he undertook with human rights advocate Josephite Sister Susan Connelly.
“We heard many stories of bashings, torture, murder, economic hardship, social marginalisation and cultural deprivation,” Mr Arndt said after returning from West Papua last year.
“There is clear evidence of ongoing violence, intimidation and harassment by the Indonesian security forces.”
In a right of reply, the Indonesian delegation accused Vanuatu of “blatantly using human rights issues to justify its dubious support for the separatist movement in Papua” and said the government’s record of protecting human rights “speaks for itself”.
Pacific island leaders angered Indonesia last year when they used their speeches to the UN General Assembly to criticizse Indonesia’s rule in West Papua.
Jakarta accused them of interfering in Indonesia’s sovereignty and supporting groups that carryied out armed attacks.
Mr Warsal said the group of seven Pacific island nations also wanted to highlight the Indonesian policy of encouraging the migration of Javanese and other ethnic groups, which had led to the dramatic outnumbering of indigenous Papuans in their own land.
The Indonesian Government “has not been able to curtail or halt these various and widespread violations”, he said.
“Neither has that government been able to deliver justice for the victims.”
The CJPC report detailed what Mr Arndt said was “a slow motion genocide” – a marginalisation of Papuans economically, socially and culturally.
Indonesia maintains a tight grip on West Papua and restricts journalists from reporting there.
West Papua, a former Dutch colony, became part of Indonesia after a UN-supervised referendum in 1969 that involved only a small segment of the indigenous Melanesian population and was criticised as a sham.
Independence supporters want a second referendum.

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3) Indonesia hosts MSG police heads
3:15 pm today
Indonesia is hosting this week's meetings of police ministers and commissioners from member countries of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
The meeting is being chaired by Solomon Islands, as the current holder of the MSG chairmanship.
Other full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement.
Discussions will focus on emerging trends of crime, as well as regional security issues and how MSG countries can contribute to UN operations around the world.
The meeting of police ministers is expected to discuss progress made on the Regional Police Academy initiative, for which Indonesia has offered the Pacific countries assistance.
Indonesia has MSG associate member status, and forged close links with Fiji's government while becoming more engaged in MSG activities over recent years.
Indonesia's Chief of National Police, General Tito Karnavian, was also present at last December's MSG Police Minister's meeting in Fiji.
"I welcome these discussions because it is now important to build the capacity of our Police to address psychological, economical and societal problems which has added another layer of intricacy to policing," Fiji's Minister for Defence and National Security Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said.
“These new challenges have arisen against the background of ongoing the usual crime problems of drugs, property crime and violence."
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4) Meet the leaders of Papuan batik culture
NETHY DHARMA SOMBA THE JAKARTA POST
Jayapura, Papua | Mon, March 13, 2017 | 01:57 pm
The Papuan Putri Dobonsolo (Dobonsolo Women) group in Sentani, Jayapura regency, is committed to developing and introducing Papuan-motif batik to the public.
"The Papuan-motif batik that we develop here, called the Yoniki motif, is the signature motif of Sentani and only used by ondofolo and ondoafi [tribal chiefs]. The motif has seven derivatives and has been patented by Putri Dobonsolo," group founder Mariana Pulanda Ibo, 98, also known as Mama Ibo, told The Jakarta Post at her home during the inauguration ceremony of the Putri Dobonsolo Gallery.
Mama Ibo's house has also served as the group's workshop center for Papuan youths who are interested in participating in the development of the region's signature batik.
Established in 1996, the group's production currently still relies on orders, particularly from the church. "The customers who order our fabric are only church people; nothing yet from the administration," she said.
Mama Ibo is said to be the first generation of Papuan natives to have received batik-making training; she was sent by the Irian Jaya Development Foundation to Java to participate in the workshop back in 1995. "I was very interested in batik-making since it was a new thing in Papua; all we knew back then were the cultures of carving and painting. That is why I want the batik-making to be a new [popular] skill in Papua."

In addition to selling batik fabric from Sentani, the gallery also hosts a batik-making workshop center. "Regencies frequently send women here to learn batik-making; I'm very happy that the Papuan people have started to pay attention to this culture."
Around 20 employees work at the gallery and all Mama Ibo's children have also followed their mother's passion for batik-making. One of her daughters, Srimiati Ibo, 42, is one of the teachers at the workshop. "We are autodidacts; we have seen our mother and employees making batik since we were teenagers," said Srimiati.
Schools reportedly also send their students to the gallery to learn batik-making. Sofia, 16, from SMK 5 Jayapura state vocational school has been participating in the workshops for a year. "I started learning batik-making a year ago and I also take batik-making courses at school," she said.
Bank Indonesia (BI) Jayapura office head Joko Supratikto, who attended the gallery inauguration ceremony, said the central bank supported Putri Dobonsolo because of its passion for developing the region's creative industry with women as the main force. "[BI] always supports women’s creative businesses since women are the driving force of the Papuan economy," he said. (kes)
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