1) Papua on ‘full alert’ ahead of presidential election
2) Remembering the Tragedy 16 Years Bloody Biak July 6, 1998
3) Citizens and NGOs Papua Remembering Bloody Biak Targedi
4) Indonesia’s Poll Security Fears Grow as TNI’s Role Questioned
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1) Papua on ‘full alert’ ahead of presidential election
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Election Watch | Sun, July 06 2014, 8:32 PM
With just three days left before the presidential election, the Regional Military Command (Kodam) XVII/Cendrawasih in Papua has raised the province’s security level to “Siaga Satu” (full alert) as an armed civilian group has urged a boycott of the upcoming election.
The election boycott threats have been spreading via short message service, leaflets distributed on streets and a video recording from an armed civilian group led by Erimbo Enden Wanimbo, who claimed to be the commander of the Free Papua Movement’s (OPM) Seventh Division in the La Pago area. He threatened to attack vital infrastructure and security officers, especially those in the province’s central territory, known locally as ‘Pegunungan Tengah’.
“Today, the Kodam XVII/Cendrawasih is declaring ‘full alert’ for Papua, which takes effect as of today until the July 9 presidential election and days afterwards. The ‘full alert’ status will take effect without time limit, as it depends on developments in the situation,” Kodam XVII/Cendrawasih chief Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua said in Jayapura on Sunday.
He was speaking after a video conference with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Budiman on the province’s readiness ahead of the election.
Christian said the military command did not want to see any more violence and bloodshed occurring in Papua, therefore, it urged all parties in the region to refrain from carrying out violent acts or attacking security posts.
“Actually, I’d be really sad if there was an OPM member killed in an armed incident; but, if they dare to take up arms against us, I won’t hesitate to eradicate them. I’m not kidding so they should not commit any violent acts,” said Christian.
Six regions considered tense ahead of the presidential election are Jayapura, Keerom, Lanny Jaya, Puncak Jaya and Yapen regencies and the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border areas in Skouw Wutung.
“For those areas, we have deployed military personnel to help the police provide security,” said Christian.
As many as 2,300 personnel have been readied to work with the police to provide security for the upcoming presidential election.
Papua General Elections Commission (KPUD) chairman Adam Arisoi said Papua was prepared to stage the presidential election, saying that all election materials were ready in distribution points in each regency’s capital.
“The Kodam XVII/Cendrawasih is ready to provide assistance and has prepared three helicopters to distribute election materials to polling stations,” he said. (gda/ebf)
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A google translate of article in Suarapapua.com. Bw-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
2) Remembering the Tragedy 16 Years Bloody Biak July 6, 1998
By: Oktovianus Pogau | Sunday, July 6, 2014 - 12:08 pm | Viewed: 76 times
Remembering the Tragedy 16 Years Bloody Biak July 6, 1998
The victims of Bloody Biak tragedy was commemorated in 1998 brought the tower (Photo: Ist)
Papua, Jayapura --- Biak bloody tragedy is carved in the hearts of the suffering of the Papuans. An action received savage civilians, just as The Morning Star keep flying in a tower by about 500-1,000 mass, which ended with what became known as Bloody Biak event July 6, 1998.
Similarly, the release issued by Solidarity Victims of Human Rights Violations (SKP-HAM), to suarapapua.com, during a commemoration of Bloody Biak Tragedy in office Elsham Papua, Padang Bulan, City of Jayapura, Papua, on Sunday (06/07/2014) afternoon .
In commemoration initiated by United for Justice (BUK), Elsaham Papua, Papuans and JPIC in Papua GKI Synod was attended by dozens of residents, students, victims of Bloody Biak, NGO activists and the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua.
The release explained, that the action of raising the Morning Star flag was considered as unlawful, so violently handled by military and police.
Hundreds of unarmed civilian demonstrators lingered around the water tower, surrounded and fired on July 16, 1998 (early morning) Heat civilians in generous nature, and generous nature Saramom Waupnor Village, District / Kecammatan Biak town in a sleigh by officials to local seaports and persecuted.
Sewenan arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances and various other inhumane acts.
There are some victims were transported by trucks Brimob, also a container car to the local general hospital (Hospital) and Naval Hospital (Naval Hospital) Biak.
Yet. they have no serious medical care. About 6 people dead victims were transported to the Naval Hospital at the time Biak. Until now, their bodies have not been back to the hands of the family
Some time after the incident and the arrest sweep, dozens of bodies were found in waters (coastal) Biak.
Ironically, without an investigation, officials stated that the bodies were victims of the Tsunami disaster in Aitape, Papua New Guinea, which occurred July 17, 1998, although there among the corpses were wrapped in body Scout clothing and costumes Golkar.
Of the 230 victims of these events are recorded as follows: 8 dead, 3 missing persons, severe injuries were evacuated to Makassar 4 people, 33 people detained arbitrarily and summarily ~ 150 people have been tortured, and 32 mysterious corpse.
Cases of human rights violations in Papua, including the events of Bloody Biak, Indonesia never mmenyelesaikan State to its conclusion, and no perpetrators were brought to justice, but the tragedy of Biak is classified as gross human rights violations.
This case has completed the suffering of the people of Papua, trampling human dignity, violated national and international laws.
"Therefore, as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution, various laws and regulations in the Republic of Indonesia including Papua Special Autonomy Law, that the respect, protection and promotion of human rights is the responsibility of the state, then the awareness of this we are joined SKP-HAM in Papua urge. "
First, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia are responsible for the entire case against human rights violations that have occurred in Papua.
Secondly, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to investigate and prosecute violations of the Ad-Hoc, by reopening the work of Joint Fact Finding Team Bloody Biak events coordinated by the National Commission on Human Rights.
Third, within the framework of legal settlement intended, the Republic of Indonesia shall provide protection and assurance to the victims and their families, as well as provide rehabilitation and restitution to the victims.
Fourth, the Governor urged Papaua province, West Papua, the DPRP, West Papua DPRD, untu encourage sebauah formal evaluation of security policy and enforcement of human rights in Papua, as well as encouraging the processes of law in cases of human rights violations in Papua unresolved until now.
Fifth, the Human Rights Council of the United Bansa nations to immediately coordinate with the elected President of the Republic of Indonesia, to investigate human rights committed kejjahatan state in the Land of Papua.
Some survivors of the tragedy of Bloody Biak in attendance also gave some testimony related to the most heartbreaking events in Papua this.
LINCOLD ALVO
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A google translate of article in Suarapapua.com. Bw-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
3) Citizens and NGOs Papua Remembering Bloody Biak Targedi
By: Oktovianus Pogau | Sunday, July 6, 2014 - 11:33 pm | Viewed: 98 times
Citizens and NGOs Papua Remembering Bloody Biak Targedi
Papuans and NGOs commemorate events of Bloody Biak, 1998 (Photo: Lincold Alvi)
Papua, Jayapura Papua --- Dozens of residents who live in Jayapura and the surrounding areas, with a number of NGOs who are members of Solidarity with Victims of Human Rights Violations in memory of 16-year tragedy of Bloody Biak July 6, 1998.
Papuan Political Prisoners
Remembering the Tragedy 16 Years Bloody Biak July 6, 1998
Ask the victims of Bloody Wamena State Prisoner's Health Watch
Prior to End Mass Title, Release Prisoner Should SBY in Papua
End of Month May 2014 There are 76 Political Prisoners in Papua Prison
Heartbreaking events that occurred in the past 16 years, warned against forgetting that ever happened incredible violence committed by the state through the hands of iron in the city of Coral Heat, another name Noemfoor Biak, Papua.
The event, which lasted nearly three hours, beginning with testimony from Tineke Rumkabu, one of the victims of Bloody Biak Tragedy survivors.
Followed by worship by Rev. Dora Balabun. Then, a speech from Paul Mambrasar of Elsaham Papua, Peneas Lokbere United for Justice (BUK) Papua GKI Synod and JPIC represented by Rev. Dora Balubun. The activity ended with a meal together.
Bloody Biak Tragedy, one of the dark history that will be forgotten if not celebrated. At that time, July 6, 1998, morning at around 500-1,000 residents who had gathered at Biak water tower, front Biak City Health Center has gathered while Morning Star has lifted up a few days earlier.
Suddenly sounded from the direction of the port leading to the eruption of the crowd profusely that exist around the tower.
The shot was not just coming from the direction of the local port, but from the air. Helicopters were circling Biak where residents gather, ranging from housewives, children, and men, releasing a series of shots.
While the onshore section, Brimob troops from different directions, Navy, Army and police armed to the teeth with a drawn bayonet began merengsek entered into a crowd of people.
"Our brothers blindly shot, clubbed, kicked and stabbed although it has been bathed in bullets. Boys, small-large and women and the elderly not spared from the indiscriminate shooting," said Tineke Rumkabu, one Bloody Biak one victim who survived the tragedy.
He said it was very heartbreaking tragedy for him and other victims who survived.
"Every time when considering it. Such as never imagined before. Many bodies were found in Biak-Yapen strait, but by local pemerntah submitted that the victims of the tsunami in PNG, but no bodies were found wearing school uniforms, shirts Golkar and Scouts," he says.
The violence, middle-aged woman said that until now did not get serious attention from the government, even once there is an institution that is doing an investigation but no further developments.
"We hope, Prabowo or Joko Widodo, so when the president-elect has committed to resolve human rights violations in Papua, especially targedi Bloody Biak," he pleaded.
LINCOLD Alvi
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4) Indonesia’s Poll Security Fears Grow as TNI’s Role Questioned
Jakarta. Five points. That’s the margin in Wednesday’s presidential election that the military has determined could be the difference between a peaceful post-election period or an outbreak of clashes, amid ominous warnings of a plot to rig the ballot.
The latest opinion poll from Roy Morgan puts Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo at 52 percent, just four points ahead of Prabowo Subianto, a former military general, setting up what is expected to be the tightest presidential race in Indonesian history.
But with the stakes so high, the final margin of victory needs to be sufficiently wide to stave off the possibility of violent protests by supporters of the losing candidate, says Gen. Budiman, the Army chief of staff.
“If the difference is slim, we have to watch out,” he told reporters at Army headquarters in Central Jakarta on Sunday. “If it’s less than five percentage points, then we have to be careful. But if it’s more than that, then it’s safe,” he added.
Budiman said the potential for poll-related violence was particularly high this year given how polarized the campaign had become, but said he hoped that the series of five presidential debates, which concluded on Saturday night, had served to ease some of the tensions between supporters of the rival candidates.
He said the Army had drawn up a map of conflict “hot spots” — regions with a history of violence in the aftermath of local elections — and would be on heightened alert in those areas immediately before, during and after election day.
Most of the areas identified as conflict-prone are in Java and Sumatra.
“The military needs to be on alert the entire time, right up until the KPU” — the General Elections Commission — “issues the final results of the vote count. The situation should go back to normal once the results are out,” Budiman said.
The Army chief also vowed to maintain the neutrality of the armed forces — active service personnel are prohibited under electoral law from voting — but speculation is rife of a concerted effort to tamper with the balloting in favor of Prabowo.
“There’s a big plot being prepared to prevent Joko from becoming president,” Karyono Wibowo, the director of the Indonesia Public Institute, a pollster and think tank, said on Friday.
He claimed a “sense of solidarity” behind the military’s support for Prabowo — “the only military candidate” — and warned that it was “extremely dangerous” for the military to take sides.
“That’s why the people must demand that the military remains committed to being neutral,” Karyono said.
He did not elaborate on the “big plot,” but said that the publication of recent surveys showing Prabowo pulling level with Joko, and even overtaking him, pointed to a concerted and underhanded campaign to sway public opinion in Prabowo’s favor.
“We’re talking about a huge leap in poll numbers over a very short period of time. How could Prabowo boost his numbers in so drastically and even surpass Joko? It’s impossible. It’s inconceivable,” he said.
Karyono was speaking just a day before award-winning US investigative journalist Allan Nairn, who in recent weeks has published damning excerpts from a 2001 off-the-record interview that he conducted with Prabowo, alleged a conspiracy by the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) — a unit that the candidate once commanded — and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to rig the ballot.
Nairn, writing on his blog, cited sources who discussed the matter at Kopassus headquarters as telling him that “the operation is designed to ensure that the July 9 vote count will be won by” Prabowo.
“The topic was a covert operation to make Prabowo president. Among those present were veterans of covert ops in Aceh and West Papua,” Nairn wrote. “Although it is extraordinary — stealing a civilian election for one of the candidates — the commander referred to it as an extension of normal special forces tactics, ‘an operation a la Kopassus.”
Nairn cited his sources as describing the operation as involving “ballot tampering, street violence, and threats against Jokowi supporters, and could involve, in extremis, ‘the elimination of people.’”
“The ballot tampering part of the Kopassus/BIN operation — at least as discussed at the level my sources know of — does not involve the national central vote tabulation, but rather the count in key local precincts,” he wrote.
“It involves the ongoing deployment of covert money [...] The purpose of that money, almost all in cash, is to ‘play with the ballot papers’ by placing agents inside counting rooms or paying off state employees who guard the ballot boxes.
“This effort is particularly concentrated in Central, West, and East Java” — dovetailing with Army chief Budiman’s conflict hot spot map — “but is said to involve parts of all provinces.”
Nairn said his sources would not identify who was bankrolling the effort, but that it was being overseen by senior commanders — with the direct approval of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose Democratic Party last week endorsed Prabowo.
The BIN is also in on the conspiracy, Nairn claimed.
“The current BIN commander, ex-Army general Marciano Norman, is said to fully on board with the operation. Marciano is close to Aburizal Bakrie, the oligarch and Prabowo supporter,” he wrote.
Prabowo’s campaign team has previously written off Nairn’s allegations as “merely the ramblings of a foreigner who wants to discredit others.”
The latest opinion poll from Roy Morgan puts Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo at 52 percent, just four points ahead of Prabowo Subianto, a former military general, setting up what is expected to be the tightest presidential race in Indonesian history.
But with the stakes so high, the final margin of victory needs to be sufficiently wide to stave off the possibility of violent protests by supporters of the losing candidate, says Gen. Budiman, the Army chief of staff.
“If the difference is slim, we have to watch out,” he told reporters at Army headquarters in Central Jakarta on Sunday. “If it’s less than five percentage points, then we have to be careful. But if it’s more than that, then it’s safe,” he added.
Budiman said the potential for poll-related violence was particularly high this year given how polarized the campaign had become, but said he hoped that the series of five presidential debates, which concluded on Saturday night, had served to ease some of the tensions between supporters of the rival candidates.
He said the Army had drawn up a map of conflict “hot spots” — regions with a history of violence in the aftermath of local elections — and would be on heightened alert in those areas immediately before, during and after election day.
Most of the areas identified as conflict-prone are in Java and Sumatra.
“The military needs to be on alert the entire time, right up until the KPU” — the General Elections Commission — “issues the final results of the vote count. The situation should go back to normal once the results are out,” Budiman said.
The Army chief also vowed to maintain the neutrality of the armed forces — active service personnel are prohibited under electoral law from voting — but speculation is rife of a concerted effort to tamper with the balloting in favor of Prabowo.
“There’s a big plot being prepared to prevent Joko from becoming president,” Karyono Wibowo, the director of the Indonesia Public Institute, a pollster and think tank, said on Friday.
He claimed a “sense of solidarity” behind the military’s support for Prabowo — “the only military candidate” — and warned that it was “extremely dangerous” for the military to take sides.
“That’s why the people must demand that the military remains committed to being neutral,” Karyono said.
He did not elaborate on the “big plot,” but said that the publication of recent surveys showing Prabowo pulling level with Joko, and even overtaking him, pointed to a concerted and underhanded campaign to sway public opinion in Prabowo’s favor.
“We’re talking about a huge leap in poll numbers over a very short period of time. How could Prabowo boost his numbers in so drastically and even surpass Joko? It’s impossible. It’s inconceivable,” he said.
Karyono was speaking just a day before award-winning US investigative journalist Allan Nairn, who in recent weeks has published damning excerpts from a 2001 off-the-record interview that he conducted with Prabowo, alleged a conspiracy by the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) — a unit that the candidate once commanded — and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to rig the ballot.
Nairn, writing on his blog, cited sources who discussed the matter at Kopassus headquarters as telling him that “the operation is designed to ensure that the July 9 vote count will be won by” Prabowo.
“The topic was a covert operation to make Prabowo president. Among those present were veterans of covert ops in Aceh and West Papua,” Nairn wrote. “Although it is extraordinary — stealing a civilian election for one of the candidates — the commander referred to it as an extension of normal special forces tactics, ‘an operation a la Kopassus.”
Nairn cited his sources as describing the operation as involving “ballot tampering, street violence, and threats against Jokowi supporters, and could involve, in extremis, ‘the elimination of people.’”
“The ballot tampering part of the Kopassus/BIN operation — at least as discussed at the level my sources know of — does not involve the national central vote tabulation, but rather the count in key local precincts,” he wrote.
“It involves the ongoing deployment of covert money [...] The purpose of that money, almost all in cash, is to ‘play with the ballot papers’ by placing agents inside counting rooms or paying off state employees who guard the ballot boxes.
“This effort is particularly concentrated in Central, West, and East Java” — dovetailing with Army chief Budiman’s conflict hot spot map — “but is said to involve parts of all provinces.”
Nairn said his sources would not identify who was bankrolling the effort, but that it was being overseen by senior commanders — with the direct approval of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose Democratic Party last week endorsed Prabowo.
The BIN is also in on the conspiracy, Nairn claimed.
“The current BIN commander, ex-Army general Marciano Norman, is said to fully on board with the operation. Marciano is close to Aburizal Bakrie, the oligarch and Prabowo supporter,” he wrote.
Prabowo’s campaign team has previously written off Nairn’s allegations as “merely the ramblings of a foreigner who wants to discredit others.”
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