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1) Government Unaware of Papua Governor Meeting with Obama

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1) Government Unaware of Papua Governor Meeting with Obama

2) OPM Claims Responsibility for Fatal Shooting of TNI Soldier in Papua

3) Hundreds of Papua Students go to School in Java

5) Step Papuan People Diplomacy Gets Positive Response at MSG

6) Papuan People Have Self-Determination Rights

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HTTP://EN.TEMPO.CO/READ/NEWS/2013/06/26/055491504/GOVERNMENT-UNAWARE-OF-PAPUA-GOVERNOR-MEETING-WITH-OBAMA
WEDNESDAY, 26 JUNE, 2013 | 22:21 WIB
1) Government Unaware of Papua Governor Meeting with Obama
TEMPO.COJakarta - The Foreign Affairs Ministry says it is unaware that Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, along with 16 Papuan district chiefs, were scheduled for a meeting with US President Barack Husein Obama. Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Michael Tenne said his ministry has not received any notification regarding this issue. 
Previously, there was news that Lukas Enembe, along with district chiefs in Papua, will be visiting the US to meet with Obama and the owner of Freeport Indonesia. The meeting was facilitated by Obama’s stepsister, Maya Soetoro. Two weeks ago, Maya and some delegations from the University of Hawaii visited Yogyakarta to talk about a partnership with Indonesian universities, including some in Papua.
 
Yahukimo district chief Ones Pahabol confirmed that the Papua governor asked 16 district chiefs from the Central Mountains District Chiefs Association to meet Obama. The journey will be funded by the Papua Administration. 
The meeting will reportedly discuss the development of Freeport in Papua because the management of Freeport has not benefited Indonesia and Papua. 
"Obama must review whether a new contract with Freeport is necessary," he said. 
Ones denied the allegations the meeting will also include a hidden agenda to fight for Papua’s freedom. 
"This is for the sake of the nation, so Jakarta must support us. We will talk about economic freedom, not politics," he said. 
Press Attaché for the US Embassy to Indonesia Troy Pederson, said he has no comment on this matter because Maya Soetoro has already released a statement denying these allegations through an online media. 
PRIHANDOKO | JERRY OMONA | CUNDING LEVI | NATALIA SANTI


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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/opm-claims-responsibility-for-fatal-shooting-of-tni-soldier-in-papua/

2) OPM Claims Responsibility for Fatal Shooting of TNI Soldier in Papua



Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers arrive at Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang after a six-month assignment in the restive Papua province in this Feb. 28, 2013 file photo. (JG Photo/Dhana Kencana)

Jayapura. The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting of an Indonesian Military (TNI) soldier, which also left a civilian dead in the Papua district of Puncak Jaya on Tuesday.
Second Lt. I Wayan Sukarta, the head of the TNI station in Puncak Jaya’s Ilu subdistrict, was traveling in a car along with two lower-rank soldiers when a group of armed men attacked them with rifles in Jigonikme village in Ilu.
They managed to contact the station for help, but Sukarta and the civilian driver of the car, who has been identified as Tono, were already dead as more soldiers arrived in the location on Tuesday afternoon.
“There were, more or less, seven attackers who carried riffles,” Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Goliath Tabuni, the commander of the OPM’s National Liberation Army (TPN), claimed responsibility for the attack.
“The shooting was done by my members, on my order,” Goliath told Suara Pembaruan. “If the TNI and the National Police wish to hunt for the shooters, then come look for me or my members, not Papua civilians.”
But he denied that his members had killed a civilian in the attack.
“My members wouldn’t recklessly shoot civilians. If the media say a civilian has been a victim, that’s a lie. The TNI may have shot civilians in this region and even throughout Papua, but we don’t randomly shoot [civilians].”
Goliath added his group had taken some guns belonging to the soldiers they attacked on Tuesday, saying, “We’re getting stronger.”
In Jakarta, TNI commander Adm. Agus Suharto said the military together with police were hunting for the perpetrators, but no additional force would be sent to Papua.
“I am concerned. We’ve lost another TNI member. This shows that although we have tried to reach out to them with welfare approach, they keep committing violence. That needs to be underlined,” Agus said. “We will evaluate our activities there”.
Rights group Imparsial, meanwhile, warned the TNI against retaliating with more violence, saying the government needed to establish dialogue with separatist groups in order to end conflict in the restive region.
“Imparsial urges police to arrest the attackers… but hopes that the government won’t use the violence to justify deployment of more troops to Papua,” Imparsial executive director Poengki Indarti said on Wednesday. “To end violence in Papua, it is time for the government to begin preparing dialogue with groups considered to oppose the government. The government shouldn’t have a phobia for dialogue because peaceful dialogue will inspire trust between each other and disentangle the problem.”
JG, Suara Pembaruan
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http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2013/06/26/055491507/Hundreds-of-Papua-Students-go-to-School-in-Java
WEDNESDAY, 26 JUNE, 2013 | 22:51 WIB
3) Hundreds of Papua Students go to School in Java
TEMPO.COJakarta - As many as 500 Papua and West Papua children will be schooled in 178 high schools in Java and Bali. The director general for middle education at the Education and Culture Ministry Hamid Muhammad, says these 500 children will be funded by the government in the high school education affirmation program. 
Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh says this affirmation program is aimed at reducing the social gap between Java and Papua. This program also aims to prevent students in education affirmation programs from experiencing culture shock when they go to universities in Java. 
"Many are shocked when the go to universities and have difficulties competing with their friends," says Nuh. The affirmation program is also aimed at strengthening the relationship among cultures and uniting them as one brotherhood under the same nation.  SUNDARI SUDJIANTO
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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=77116
Posted at 16:50 on 26 June, 2013 UTC
Fiji’s foreign minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, says criticism of him by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation is unfair.
The group was dismissive over Ratu Inoke’s claim that it wasn’t representative of Indonesia’s West Papuans, who have unsuccessfully asked the Melanesian Spearhead Group to be made a member.
But Ratu Inoke has told Fijilive that the criticism is especially unfair given the effort Fiji has made to raise the West Papua issue in the MSG.
At last week’s MSG summit, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia’s FLNKS Movement backed the West Papuans’ bid but Fiji and Papua New Guinea have rejected it.
Ratu Inoke says before making a decision, the MSG leaders will need to analyse the precise situation.
The MSG accepted a bid by Indonesia two years ago to become an MSG observer.




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A google translate of article in Suarapapua. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa at

http://suarapapua.com/2013/06/langkah-diplomasi-rakyat-papua-mendapat-respon-positif-di-msg/
5) Step Papuan People Diplomacy Gets Positive Response at MSG

Published On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 
By Oktovianus Pogau. Under: EDITORIAL, 
OPINION. Tags: MSG Summit, LP3BH, PAPUA MERDEKA, WPCNL


Warinussy CH Yan, Executive Director LP3BH, Manokwari, West Papua (Photo: Oktovianus Pogau / SP)
By: Yan CH Warinussy *


After following the development of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) 19th Summit in Noumea, Kanaky, New Caledonia, then as a human rights activist in Papua, I saw that the people diplomacy through the container West Papua Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) has received a positive response.

Positive response I'm getting is that it turns the process of registration / registration (submission) proposal of WPNCL to obtain status as a member in the MSG as FKLNS (Liberation Struggle Organization Kanaky tribe in New Caledonia) has been well received by MSG.

So, if there is a growing opinion or the opinion current in the mass media, and the people in Papua and Indonesia generally, that the people of Papua WPNCL or proposal was rejected by the MSG, it is information that is a lie and can not be accounted for at all.

So the submission process has occurred and completed, so that as the people of Papua through WPNCL about to beg in order to get accepted into a MSG and MSG member has its own mechanism to manage any problems that exist in the region (Melanesian Territory, then we should be proud that our problems are being addressed and how the solution sought by MSG member countries, such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Island and FKLNS Republic.

Actually, what happens is MSG leaders agreed to postpone a decision on the status of the Papuan people through WPNCL as a member of the group, until they receive the report and recommendations of the visit of the official delegation to the MSG Indonesia and Papua advance.

One important thing to be understood and observed by all components of the political struggle for the rights of the Papuan people today, both at home and abroad that all MSG members agreed on the importance of the opportunity of self-determination for the people of Papua.

Therefore, they (the leaders of the member states MSG) bagimana need to know the real situation and the development of socio-political conditions and human rights in Papua itself, so they have set an important mission to send its foreign ministry to visit Indonesia (Jakarta ) and Papua (Jayapura) in the next six months.

Of the event, all components of the political rights of the Papuan people struggle should have been preparing and formally ask the MSG on the occasion of his visit that later, they can not only visit to Jayapura and Jakarta.

However, they (MSG) can also be visited and met with all the components of the Papuan people in other cities in the land of Papua, Manokwari, Sorong, Fakfak, Wamena, Biak, Serui, Nabire, Merauke, Honor, Enarotali and Kaimana.

So, they can obtain a full and factual information as well as clear and termasa the real conditions in Papua.

I want to use this opportunity to give a view to all components of the political struggle for the rights of the people of Papua, that the existence WPNCL very strategic as far as I understand it and need the support of all the components of the Papuan people.

Thus, the recognition and support of various organizations such as the struggle wing Papuan Presidium Council (PDP), the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), the Association of Women's Solidarity of Papua (ISPP), the West Papua National Committee (KNPPB) and the Federal Republic of West Papua ( NRFPB) is very important and urgent.

I really see that until now only the group West Papua National Authority (WPNA) which has yet to respond and support the critical processes that are encouraged by the people of Papua through WPNCL at MSG today.

It is very important that each component of the struggle of the people to unite and support this all important process, in order to avoid the possibility of infiltration (infiltration) of the other party, including the government of Indonesia to mengkaburkan Papuan political aspirations of the majority of the people who have wanted to have the opportunity to self-determination according to mechanisms of international law and the principles of democracy and human rights are universally applicable.

* Yan Christian Warinussy is executive director LP3BH Manokwari, and Award-Winning International in the field of human rights "JOHN HUMPHREY FGREEDOM AWARD" in 2005 from Canada. Currently he is also a Member of the Steering Committee of NGOs FOKER se-Tanah Papua
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A google translate of article in Suarapapua. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa at

6) Papuan People Have Self-Determination Rights

Published On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 By Oktovianus Pogau. 
Under: WEST PAPUA, EDITORS CHOICE. Tags: MSG Summit, PAPUA MERDEKA, WPCNL

Free West Papua (Photo: ist)

PAPUAN, Manokwari - Papua Orang Asli, as one of the Melanesian race group, as citizens of the world and indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination (the right to self-determination).

Thus the assertion Warinussy CH Yan, one of the human rights activists in Papua, in a press release sent to the editor suarapapua.com, Wednesday (06/26/2013) afternoon, from Manokwari, West Papua.

According to the award-winning John Humphrey Freedom Award from Canada's, it is in line with the contents of the Universal Declaration of the United Nations (UN), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

"I remind all concerned authorities in Papua, Indonesia in general and that is very fundamental issue is currently in Papua is not about welfare and economics, but a matter of differing views on the history of politics in the context of the integration of Papua into the Republic of Indonesia international law which has not been completed. "

"It's because until the matter has been brought to Papua continue to be discussed in international forums such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) recently in Kanaky, New Caledonia," the senior lawyer said.

In the forum the 19th MSG Summit, further Warinussy, has clearly stated that the MSG leaders they recognize human rights violations in Papua, and needs to be highlighted to promote the application of Papuans through West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL).

"One remarkable thing and justify my statement above is that the MSG leaders agree fully supports the rights of the West Papuan people to self-determination as set out in the preamble of the constitution MSG," he said.

That means, said Executive Director LP3BH this, that the people of West Papua, Papuan People that are based on Law No. 21 Year 2001 on Special Autonomy for Papua Province, as amended by Law No. 35 of 2008, is part of the indigenous peoples in the world , which also has the right to self-determination.

"The entire process towards self-determination that should be responded positively by all parties, including the Indonesian government under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and local governments in Papua."

"Certainly the mechanisms of international law and the principles of democracy and human rights are universal can be applied to the occasion with a just and right, and under the supervision of the United Nations as well," added Warinussy.

In line with Warinussy, according Wakum Dorus, one human rights activists in Papua, WPNCL applications received by the MSG shows that nasiba menentunan own right opportunity for West Papua will be more wide open.

"We believe and trust, now West Papua issue would be submitted to the UN for further discussion. This one diplomatic progress Papuan people, and should be supported, "he concluded.

Oktovianus POGAU



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1) No separatist flag on July 1

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1) No separatist flag on July 1

2) Officer, civilian killed in Puncak Jaya ambush

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1) No separatist flag on July 1

A- A A+
Paper Edition | Page: 4
Lambertus Pekikir, the leader of Free Papua Movement’s (OPM) military wing, the Papua Liberation Army Front (TPN) said that the organization will unilaterally proclaim the independence of Papua on July 1.

Lambertus said, however, the occasion would be celebrated solemnly.

“There will be no flag hoisting ceremony only mass prayers and a gathering at our headquarters,” Lambertus said as quoted by tempo.co.

He said that if any Morning Star flag, the symbol of the separatist movement, is visible in and around the capital of Papua, Jayapura, none of his men would be responsible for the consequences.

Traditionally, the Morning Star flag is hoisted during the anniversary of the OPM on Dec. 1 every year.

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2) Officer, civilian killed in Puncak Jaya ambush

Paper Edition | Page: 5
Another violent incident occurred in Papua when a group of seven men carrying rifles and sharp weapons attacked three Indonesian Military (TNI) members in Jigonikme village, Ilu district, Puncak Jaya regency on Tuesday.

 A member of Nabire Infantry Battalion, Second Let. Wayan Sukarta, and Tono, a public minivan driver, were killed in the incident.

“Second Let. Wayan was shot in the head and right leg along with slash wounds on his left shoulder and right thigh and a cut on his left cheek, while Tono suffered slash wounds on the back of his head and back,” Papua Police chief spokesman Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said in a press release.

The armed group also took the FN revolver owned by Wayan and set fire to the car he was using.

Based on the chronology of events, Wayan and two of his men, Second Pvt. Andi and Supiyoko, were returning from a visit to the Jigonikme village head using a Ford Ranger driven by Tono and his assistant who has not been identified. They intended to return to their post in Ilu.

Along the way, at a corner of a bridge on the highway from Tolikara to Puncak Jaya regency, or eight kilometers from their post in Ilu at around 2 p.m. local time, the group of armed men suddenly attacked them.

The three Indonesian Military (TNI) members who were inside the vehicle returned fire and during the gunfire second privates Andi and Supiyoko went to get help at the Ilu post.

However, as help arrived at around 4 p.m., Wayan and Tono were already dead and their car destroyed. Tono’s assistant, who remains anonymous, is yet to be found, as well as Wayan’s revolver.

When reached by the Post, Cenderawasih Military Command chief spokesman Col. Jansen Simanjuntak acknowledged he had not received the information.

“I have not yet received the information. I will check it first to the regency commander in Puncak Jaya,” he said.

The incident only adds to a series of violence in the province this year. In February, eight soldiers and four civilians were killed in two separate incidents in Puncak Jaya when unknown gunmen fired shots at a helicopter trying to evacuate dead soldiers.

In April, a police officer was killed and two of his relatives were wounded when unknown assailants attack their home in Yapen.

Members of the Free Papua Movement’s (OPM) military wing and the Papua Liberation Army Front (TPN) are usually blamed for the attacks.
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1) Separatists kill three in Indonesia's Papua

2) OPM Admits Shooting TNI Member in Papua
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Three people have been killed in Indonesia's restive eastern region of Papua, police said Thursday, in an attack claimed by separatists during which a soldier was shot dead and a civilian hacked to death.
A third civilian died after jumping into a ravine while trying to escape the ambush in the Puncak Jaya district, police said.
Tuesday's attack was claimed by a local leader of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) who said only members of the security forces were killed, not civilians.
Attacks on security forces are common in Papua, where poorly-armed militants have for decades fought an insurgency on behalf of the mostly ethnic Melanesian population.
Papua province police spokesman I Gde Sumerta said that there was "an exchange of fire, the gunmen killed the soldier by shooting him in the head".
The attackers then used a machete to hack to death the male civilian driving the car the soldier had been travelling in, the spokesman said.
A second male civilian travelling with the group died after jumping into a nearby ravine as he tried to flee from the attack, said Sumerta, adding his body was found early Thursday.
Goliat Tabuni, the local OPM leader, told the local Suara Pembaruan newspaper that "the shooting was carried out by my members, on my orders".
However, he said only security forces had been killed. "Our members will not indiscriminately shoot civilians," he said.
In February suspected OPM gunmen killed eight soldiers in an attack in Puncak Jaya, known as a militant hideout, in one of the most serious assaults on security forces in the region's recent history.
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FRIDAY, 28 JUNE, 2013 | 02:11 WIB
2) OPM Admits Shooting TNI Member in Papua
                                                 The West Papua National Liberation Army, lead by Goliath Tabuni. PHOTO: WPNLA

TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - The Supreme Commander of the West Papua National Liberation Army, Gen. Goliath Tabuni, claimed he was responsible for the shooting in the Papuan district of Illu on Tuesday, June 25. Two people were killed in the shooting, a TNI infantry lieutenant named I Wayan Sukarta and a civilian named Tomo.
"The shooting was done my members under my command," Tabuni said as reported by the West Papua National Liberation Army media, Thursday, June 27.  
In the report, Tabuni also said that the civilian they killed--reported by local media as a taxi driver--was actually a military intelligence of the TNI 753.
Tabuni further said that the Liberation Army is ready to fight against the military. He also asked Indonesia's security officers--the TNI and the police, not to use civilians as the targets of their emotional outlet.
"If want to pursuit my members, just look for me and my members only," he said.
Papua Police spokesman, Comm. I Gede Sumerta Jaya, said the motive of the shooting was to disrupt the distribution of basic goods to Illu District.  
Sumerta asserted that the police will do something about what happened and will form a special team to investigate the shooting. "It was a criminal act and the offenders will be pursued," he firmly stated.
 
JERRY OMONA

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Prior to last week’s MSG meeting many West Papuans were hoping for full membership. Image: West Papua Media Alerts
Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Daniel Drageset
Whereas some parties are pleased that the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) drew up a roadmap for membership of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL), others are disappointed that the MSG did not go all the way and give full membership to the WPNLC.
The WPNCL, which attended the 19th MSG Leaders’ Summit with a five-person delegation, expressed happiness over the outcome.
A ni-Vanuatu MP, however, has said that a roadmap is simply not good enough and that Vanuatu as a strong supporter of West Papua therefore should withdraw from the MSG.
WPNCL, however, seems more than content, even though full membership is yet to be achieved. In a statement issued earlier this week it stated that after many years of lobbying it has now “entered a new chapter in its international efforts.”
Before last week’s MSG meeting in the New Caledonian capital Nouméa, some had expressed hopes that the WPNCL would attain full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, just like the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), which is the coalition of parties calling for independence in New Caledonia.
Although this is yet to happen, the MSG stated that it “fully supports the inalienable rights of the people of West Papua towards self-determination.”
Human rights
Furthermore, MSG expressed concern for human rights violations in West Papua, and therefore decided to send a delegation to Indonesia later this year to discuss West Papua.
In an interview with Radio New Zealand International, Andy Ayamiseba of WPNCL said that this “is a clear indication that the case of West Papua is out of Indonesia’s hands.
“It is no longer a domestic issue or internal matter but it’s not a regional issue, an international issue.”
The Australian West Papua Association (AWPA) said that it is disappointing that the issue of membership was deferred, but it welcomed a number of the other decisions.
“[T]he fact that the issue of the right to self-determination for the people of West Papua was recognised by the representative regional body of the Melanesian Peoples is very significant as is the fact that the MSG leaders acknowledged that there are ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua,” Joe Collins of AWPA said in a statement.
He described it as “encouraging” that MSG goes on a “fact-finding mission” to Indonesia, but warned that such missions may be “controlled or manipulated as to where, when and whom they are permitted to see by the authorities.”
Disappointed ni-Vanuatu MP
In an article in the Vanuatu Daily this week entitled Shameful day for Vanuatu, an anonymous ni-Vanuatu MP said it was a “sad day for Vanuatu when news was made public […] that the issue of West Papua had to wait for another six months.”
The MP alleged that Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands held secret meetings between them on the issue of West Papua and called it “very disrespectful.”
“I call on Vanuatu leaders not to join the other MSG leaders to either Jakarta or West Papua [for a fact-finding mission] but for Vanuatu to protest to the other MSG countries to pull out from the MSG because the vision by Vanuatu’s first prime minister has been defeated,” the MP stated.
Moreover, the MP said that if ni-Vanuatu authorities do go to Indonesia they “will have to consider carrying in their hands messages of condolences to pass on to the families of so many hundreds and hundreds of our Melanesian brothers and sisters who were raped, jailed, tortured and shot in jails, and slaughtered like animals over the past many years by the Indonesian military.”

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Reply from DFAT to AWPA letter

STATEMENT BY THE RT. HON MOANA CARCASSES KALOSIL PRIME MINISTER at MSG

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                                                        THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU


                                                                                                STATEMENT                          
                                                              BY THE RT. HON MOANA CARCASSES KALOSIL 
                                                                                           PRIME MINISTER   

      DELIVERED 
                                                                                                                                                                 ON THE OCCASION OF THE 19th MELANESIAN SPEARHEAD GROUP   LEADERS’ SUMMIT

PLENARY SESSION
NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA  
21ST JUNE 2013

                                                                   




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Mr. Chairman
Hon. Prime Ministers,
President of the New Caledonia Government 

Deputy Prime Ministers
Hon. Ministers
Observers and Special Guests
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen


I bring with me warm greetings from the people of Vanuatu to you all who are present here today.
Let me on their behalf acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Kanaky people, with whom, we, the people of Vanuatu have close traditional and cultural ties through the Loyalty Islands Province from time immemorial. I echo the multitude of voices of the Vanuatu people, and express our appreciation for the very warm hospitality, accorded to my delegation during our arrival here in the Kanaky land. I also want to extend our appreciation to the Director General of the MSG Secretariat and his staff for working tirelessly with the host, the FLNKS and Government of New Caledonia, to organise this important meeting which brought us here today.

My Government remains grateful to the Government and the people of New Caledonia for looking after the Vanuatu citizens in this country, many of whom have been here for many generations. My people are here not only because of our close ties with France as part of our historical legacy, which we still treasure up until today; but also because they are accepted by the Melanesians in this great land of economic opportunity.

Mr Chairman,
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. It has been a long but winding road. Some of our Founding Fathers have since left us; and to those who are still with us today, may I on behalf of the people of Vanuatu pay tribute to them for breaking the kernel of colonialism and sowing seeds of freedom which has led to strong solidarity and growth in our sub-region. I believe that we have achieved some of their aspirations in our 25 years of the journey. I also believe that from our humble beginning, we have grown to a strong and vibrant organisation in the region, proving to our sceptics that sub-regionalism not only could be a vehicle for growth, but one that could serve our greater regional vision. And because we are called the ‘Spearhead’ Group, our collective strength literally connotes a spear that could penetrate any issue. I am therefore proud that the MSG

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Trade Agreement is the only active trading agreement in our region. It shows that together we can achieve great things.
Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, as one of the Founding Fathers of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, our very own Father Walter Hayde Lini, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu once said,
Quote “Vanuatu will not be fully free until all Melanesians are free.” Unquote.
That in itself defines the enormity of the task ahead of us. The preamble of the Agreement establishing our organisation further elaborates and perhaps transcends it to define who we are and what we stand for as a group.

Vanuatu’s own experience showed that at one stage during our period of struggle for an independent and democratic Republic, we had to seek help when we needed it. And we are grateful that our brothers from Papua New Guinea came in to assist in the restoration of law and order in 1980 before we got independence. There are many others who came in with financial support and offered assistance for infrastructure and other development needs.

I say this because all our experiences are valuable in indicating that within our group, there is a huge reservoir of compassion, respect, solidarity and empathy for those who are in need. And we must open the gates to this reservoir so that all peoples within the Melanesian sub- region, and even beyond, could harvest these values and principles.
So at the summit of our 25th Anniversary celebrations here in Noumea, New Caledonia today, let me remind us of the importance of the ‘canoe analogy’ told by the paramount custom Chiefs of Kanak—that as we paddle this canoe together, we must make sure we leave no Melanesian behind us.

This brings me, Mr. Chairman, to the application by the West Papua Coalition for National Liberation (WPCNL) seeking membership to the MSG. In the true spirit of Melanesia, my Government gives its unmistakable support for full membership of West Papua into this forum of Melanesians—a position we have always proudly pronounced for all Melanesians alike.
I am therefore greatly indebted to the outgoing Chair for his understanding for the West Papuan application to be accommodated in our discussions this week. I am also equally grateful to the host of this 19th Summit of the MSG Leaders for inviting the West Papua Coalition of National Liberation to this august gathering. This is indeed a huge landmark achievement of which all peoples in our Melanesian countries should be proud of.

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Mr. Chairman, we are aware of the concerns of West Papuans, who long for a day when they as Melanesians, could achieve self-determination. But also Dear Colleague Leaders and friends, we are aware of the human rights violations and atrocities being committed against West Papuans in their motherland. And so therefore, I join the many voices of peace loving citizens around the world, across all continents and oceans, to call for an end to the abuse of human rights. We urge that any continuation of abuse of human rights should be immediately brought to the attention of the international community. Leaders, ladies and gentlemen, I raise these serious concerns on this issue with great humility for a very important reason. And that is, we have strong respective political and economic relations with Indonesia and this relations at a bilateral level for us in Vanuatu is indeed an important one.

Vanuatu established diplomatic relations with Indonesia on 3rd of July 1995. And we treasure this relationship and wish to see it strengthened into maturity. We want to see the continuation of political dialogue between ourselves. But as sovereign friends, we equally believe we could in the true spirit of comradeship and maturity, discuss the issue of West Papuans who are undeniably Melanesians. Our collective acceptance of our friend, Indonesia, as observer in the MSG is done with the aim to promote amicable dialogue and discussion on issues of common interest, including the West Papuan desire for self- determination.

I thank the Government of Indonesia for being open to dialogue with Melanesian countries. Indonesia is a growing democracy and a very powerful friend and neighbour of Melanesia. I believe as a friend of Melanesia, important issues could be discussed without diluting our collective determination to see the West Papuans granted their right for self-determination some day.
We know that their cries have been bluntly denied by many rich and wealthy countries, including the UN for many decades, inspite of many rich discussions on good governance. So I say that we as brothers, must stand up for them. That is to say that the epicentre of support for the advocacy for West Papuan Self-Determination must begin in this region, the Melanesia. And from here it could spread to other foreign lands. The world must know our unwavering support for the colonized people just like we did for the Kanaky people and the French Polynesia who are now finally listed in the Decolonization list of the United Nations.

Mr. Chairman, the preamble of our constitution is very clear on our determination as a group. It states that we are determined to promote the Melanesian values, traditions and the inalienable rights of all Melanesians. We have this as a guiding principle and our decisions and actions must mirror what is enshrined not only in the MSG Constitution, but eternally in our hearts.
4
Mr. Chairman, the raison d’être of this noble organization was because of the strong determination by our leaders for the colonized peoples of this country to walk free from colonialism someday. Nevertheless, 25 years after that promise, we are still here with the FLNKS to show solidarity and to renew our commitment and assurances that their objective for independence will be achieved one day. One day they will be sitting with us around this table, no longer as a political party group but as Sovereign nation of the Kanaky people. Chair, this is the Melanesian dream-the Melanesian dream for freedom. One day, the people of this country will board the freedom train to join the nations of the world, where their rights and future will no longer be dictated to them.

To do this, I urge our Kanaky brothers to be united. And I say again, let us be united. We in Vanuatu have had our share of divisive political ideologies during our struggle for independence. But when we searched the souls of our people we found the determination and courage to never let our desire for freedom be extinguished by the power of money and a promise for comfort. We took the risk and today we are free and still maintain close relations with France and Britain. We value our relationship with them now. I thank God for this gift of being free. I would like to rally the people of Melanesia to support the people of New Caledonia in the upcoming referendum. I pledge the support of the Vanuatu people to the New Caledonia people for the upcoming referendum.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished leaders, Ministers and officials, as I conclude my statement on this issue, I want to sum up my remarks.

History will judge us, for the decisions we make here now and in the future. Our failure today to take decisive decisions, will be scrutinized and exposed by our future generations. Our motives behind our reluctance and hesitation, will be laid bare by our future generations. Therefore, we must demonstrate strong leadership as fighters for justice in the Melanesian region. May the true spirit for our Melanesian freedom descend upon all the colonized peoples, from our highest mountains to the lowest valleys of our land. So that one day all the peoples in Melanesia will be free. I said one day, they will be free. And where we as Melanesians could sit together around the same table and contemplate a new Melanesian civilization.

May the Great Compassionate and Merciful God bless us all. Long live Melanesia. 
Thank you Mr. Chairman. 

Summary of events in West Papua for June 2013

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Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088




Summary of events in West Papua for June 2013


Upcoming event. The Biak massacre- A citizens tribunal

The 15th anniversary of the Biak massacre is approaching on the 6 July. 

A citizens tribunal about the massacre is being held in Sydney. Full details at

http://www.biak-tribunal.org   For those who can attend a chance to catch up with members of the west Papuan community and their supporters.



Melanesian Spearhead Group –West Papua

The Melanesian Spearhead Group  (MSG) held it Summit in Noumea, New Caledonia (Kanaky) 13-21 June. Although it was disappointing that the issue of membership for West Papua at the MSG was deferred, (The WPNCL applied to the MSG for full membership), a number of decisions by the leaders of the MSG in relation to West Papua are to be welcomed.

From MSG Communiqué

Application for Membership


20. Leaders noted that a roadmap in relation to the application by West Papua National Council for Liberation (WPNCL) for membership should be based on clear and achievable timelines. Leaders acknowledged that the human rights violations need to be highlighted and noted that to progress the WPNCL’s application, it was important to continually engage with Indonesia. Leaders agreed to establish a process of dialogue and consultation with Indonesia. Leaders noted and welcomed the invitation from Indonesia to invite a Foreign Ministers’ Mission to be led by Fiji and that confirmation on the timing of the Mission was being awaited. The outcomes of the WPNCL’s application would be subject to the report of the FMM mission.


Decisions

21. Leaders:

(i) endorsedthat the MSG fully supports the inalienable rights of the people of West Papua towards self-determination as provided for under the preamble of the MSG constitution;

(ii) endorsedthat the concerns of the MSG regarding the human rights violations and other forms of atrocities relating to the West Papuan people be raised with the Government of Indonesia bilaterally and as a Group;

(iii) notedthe application received from the WPNCL to be a member of the MSG and that the application will be reviewed after the submission of the Ministerial Mission’s report; and

(iv) approvedthe Roadmap as recommended by the FMM which included:

a) that the MSG send a Ministerial Mission at the FMM level to be led by Fiji’s Foreign Minister to Jakarta and then to West Papua in 2013 and accept the invitation of the Government of Indonesia;

b) the Ministerial Mission to present its report to the Leaders at the earliest opportunity within the next six months;

c) the WPNCL to be officially informed of the MSG Leaders’ decision regarding its application; and

d) the Mission would be part of a process in determining WPNCL’s membership application.


The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, The RT. Hon Moana Carcasses Kalosil in a statement said  “Mr. Chairman, we are aware of the concerns of West Papuans, who long for a day when they as Melanesians, could achieve self-determination. But also Dear Colleague Leaders and friends, we are aware of the human rights violations and atrocities being committed against West Papuans in their motherland. And so therefore, I join the many voices of peace loving citizens around the world, across all continents and oceans, to call for an end to the abuse of human rights. We urge that any continuation of abuse of human rights should be immediately brought to the attention of the international community.  Full statement at



A statement from the WPNCLregarding the MSG decision on West Papua at


There was a lot of coverage in the media in the region (before and during) the MSG Summit in relation to West Papua.  In West Papua a number of rallies were called in support of West Papuan membership at the MSG. In Abepura on the 10 June The security forces broke up a rally which was called by the KNPB and three activists were arrested.  The former chairman of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Buchtar Tabuni was arrested on the 12 June and later released but not before he wasbeaten up by the police. AWPA media release/letter re rally at http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/media-release-letter-to-aust-dept-of.html

The PNG Prime Minister did not attend the MSG Summit as he was on a state visit to Indonesia. http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/89410/indonesia-png-agree-to-increase-cooperation




Bob Carr attacks supporters of West Papuan self-determination

Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr has accused people who advocate self-determination rights for West Papuans of misleading the indigenous people of Indonesia’s Papua region. Carr made the comment during a Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee hearing on his government’s response to ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua.


Video of Senator Richard Di Natale questioning Foreign Minister Bob Carr about allegations of ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua.






New reports

Human Rights and Peace for Papua, the international coalition for Papua (ICP) of faith-based and civil society organisations is publishing its third report on the human rights situation in Papua together with Franciscans International. The 2013 report has now been released and is available for download at www.humanrightspapua.org. The report covers cases of violations of civil, political, economic, social, cultural as well as indigenous peoples' rights. It was prepared by a group of human rights organisations based in Papua, Jakarta and abroad and covers events between October 2011 and March 2013.



To mark the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) released an advance version of its special report on practice of torture in Indonesia today. The report titled: "A facade of justice for torture victims in Indonesia", is the first special report focused on the issue of torture to be published in Article 2 June edition. The report examines actual torture cases, give analyses and comments on the operation of mechanism for remedy and legal redress for torture victims. http://www.humanrights.asia/news/press-releases/AHRC-PRL-012-2013


In brief

Papua Political Prisoners Decline SBY’s Clemency Offer

“The do not want [clemency] because they seek Papua’s freedom, not individual freedom,” Markus Haluk, a Papua human rights activist, told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday. “The political prisoners will remain as long as the Indonesia government refuses to free Papua.”




Freeport Mine attacked

The Freeport Mining Facility was attacked by up to 70 people on the 16 June. The Jakarta Globe reported that dozens of people vandalized Freeport facilities and looted ore concentrate at the copper and gold giant’s mining district in Mimika, Papua. Witnesses said that around 70 people came to the mining area, looting and vandalizing cars and a security post.http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/freeport-mining-facility-attacked/

A RNZI report raised the possibility that the reason for the attack was because people were starving as a result of not having any work.


RNZI 17 June 2013

Hundreds of residents attacked and burned down a police station in Indonesia’s Papua province following a rumor that a police officer had beaten a drunk resident. A Papua Police spokesman says two officers attempting to disperse the mob in Oksibil on Sunday suffered head injuries after being pelted with stones He says locals heard a rumor that a local had been beaten by an officer but he adds the officer had being trying to arrest the drunken man who resisted and then fought with the officer. Armed with traditional weapons, the villagers then attacked the police station and set it ablaze. The mob also damaged two police cars and 25 motorcycles. High ranking police officers and reinforcements have arrived in Oksibil following the arson attack.

In July 2007, the same police station was damaged by angry residents following the death of a civil servant, who had been taken into custody for drunk and disorderly behavior.





OPM Admits Shooting TNI Member in Papua

Two people were killed in a shooting incident on the 25 June. The victims were a TNI infantry lieutenant named Wayan Sukarta and a civilian named Tomo. "The shooting was done my members under my command," Tabuni said as reported by the West Papua National Liberation Army media. In the report, Tabuni also said that the civilian they killed--reported by local media as a taxi driver--was actually a military intelligence of the TNI 753. A third civilian died after jumping into a ravine while trying to escape the ambush. http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2013/06/28/055491816/OPM-Admits-Shooting-TNI-Member-in-Papua





Pramono Gets His Democrats Blue Jacket

Retired army general Pramono Edhie Wibowo has officially joined the Democratic Party, party officials have confirmed, opening the door to him becoming the ailing party’s presidential candidate next year.

The Democratic Party’s executive chairman, Cooperatives Minister Syarief Hasan, said on Saturday that Pramono joined the party “shortly after his retirement.” Pramono, Syarief said, is now one of the party’s advisory board members.

There has been speculation President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who chairs the party and is married to Pramono’s sister Ani, has been grooming Pramono as his successor. Yudhoyono has insisted that no members of his immediate family will seek the presidency in 2014, but conspicuously glossed over any mention of Pramono. 

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/pramono-gets-his-democrats-blue-jacket-2/






The death of Jofrey Korwa in the Netherlands

Endie van Binsbergenreported on the death of Jofrey Korwa in the Netherlands.

Here in The Netherlands we mourn about Jofrey Korwa (32), son of Eddy Korwa from Biak, who fled his country in 1964 for obvious reasons.Jofrey Korwa was a flamboyant activist, a dedicated campaigner, a beautiful person and a warrior with a heart of gold. He also knew how to be a bridge between Papua and Timor. He was still young, but we could all see him grow into a promising new leader of the young movement TiPaCo, the Timor Papua Connection.

In Solidarity Endie van Binsbergen



WWF maps out Asmat customary areas

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, June 29 2013,

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia is currently collecting data and mapping out significant areas for the Asmat people in Papua. The results will be submitted as part of material used for the drafting of Asmat regency’s spatial planning bylaw. The important areas that have been identified so far are hunting locations, a sago (Papuan staple food item) village, access to clean water, ancestral resting places, ancestral sites and other locations that are considered sacred, which only allow for restricted access. The Asmat people still live traditionally in a way in which everything is connected to their ancestors.



Opinion pieces/press release/reports etc.



Melanesian Spearhead Group Communique 


Reply from DFAT to AWPA letter

http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/reply-from-dfat-to-awpa-letter.html



Theft, murder and rape; West Papua's plight and Bob Carr's cruel deceit By Andrew Johnson 






WHAT INDONESIA’S RISE MEANS FOR AUSTRALIA



MSG to send mission to Jakarta and West Papua



West Papua prepares to welcome the Freedom Flotilla

http://freedomflotillawestpapua.org



Anti-apartheid leader dedicates award to the people of West Papua

Article by Dr Jason MacLeod, University of Queensland


Dying from Hunger in the World’s Rice Barn as PT Medco depletes Kampung Zanegi’s Forest

By ADMIN | Published: JUNE 25, 2013



http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2013/06/joy-and-disappointment-after-msgs-west-papua-decision/



Corruption Hurts Nation’s Poorest





1) Conflicting views on West Papua bid to join MSG

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1) Conflicting views on West Papua bid to join MSG

2) West Papuan membership of MSG a sensitive topic

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1) Conflicting views on West Papua bid to join MSG

Posted 9 hours 21 minutes ago
The Melanesian Spearhead Group is an organisational challenge at the best of times. And at this month's gathering in New Caledonia, the thorny issue of West Papua was front and centre.
The four member nations did attempt a show of unity but it did not disguise conflicting views on West Papua's bid to join the MSG.
Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney was at the meeting of Melanesian leaders in New Caledonia and filed this report.
Source: ABC News | Duration: 6min 40sec

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-30/conflicting-views-on-west-papua-bid-to-join-msg/4790482

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2) West Papuan membership of MSG a sensitive topic

Published on Jun 30, 2013
Both sides of politics in Australia recognise Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua. 

1) Morning Star Flag Raised During Papua's Independence Day

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1) Morning Star Flag Raised During Papua's Independence Day 
2) A Win For West Papua In Melanesia
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MONDAY, 01 JULY, 2013 | 14:13 WIB
1) Morning Star Flag Raised During Papua's Independence Day  
TEMPO.COJakarta - The Free Papua Movement allegedly raised the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag to commemorate the independence of Papua, which is believed to fall on July 1. The flags were found in several places in Papua, yet OPM's military wing, the Papua Liberation Army Front (TPN), refused that they were involved in the case.
TPN leader Lambertus Pekikir said that they were not responsible for the flags in Puncak Jaya, or the Carstensz Pyramid, the highest summit of Mount Carstensz in Papua. "We don't know which group did it, the authority can look for them, we are not responsible," he said.
Lambert said that he had warned all TPN members to remain calm during the Papuan independence day, and not to do any activity related to the commemoration. "So any activity related to it is not OPM'S responsibility," he added.
Numbers of Papuans commemorate the independence of Papua on July 1. The independence was proclaimed by Zeth Rumkorem and Jacob Pray, who raised the first Bintang Kejora flag on July 1 1971.
JERRY OMONA
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1 Jul 2013

2) A Win For West Papua In Melanesia

By Jason MacLeod


There's a long way to go - but Indonesia's acknowledgement of West Papua's independence push at a regional meeting last week was a breakthrough. Jason MacLeod explains why

West Papua has just won an extraordinary victory at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting in Noumea.

When the heads of government and distinguished persons from Melanesian nations gathered for the MSG annual meeting in late June, the most prominent item on the agenda was West Papua’s membership. It was the result of some 18 months work by John Otto Ondawame, Rex Rumakiek, Andy Ajamiseba and Paula Makabory, the coordinating group of the West Papua National Coalition of Liberation, a West Papuan umbrella group for resistance organisations inside and outside the country.

At the meeting, representatives of the Indonesian government (recently granted observer status by the MSG) publicly conceded that West Papua has become an international problem. This is extremely significant; for decades the Indonesian government has insisted that West Papua is an internal issue. Jakarta has repeatedly refused all offers of international assistance to resolve the longstanding conflict.

However, as noted by the West Papuan delegation, the Indonesian government is acutely aware that MSG members have successfully sponsored past pushes for decolonisation in Vanuatu, East Timor, Kanaky (New Caledonia) and now Ma’ohi Nui (French Polynesia which includes Tahiti).

In a formal statement, the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister for the Indonesian Government, Djoko Suyanto invited MSG “foreign ministers to visit Indonesia to observe Indonesia’s development in general, which also includes the government’s policy on the acceleration of development in Papua and West Papua”. The senior minister said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had endorsed the plan.

The governments of the Melanesian states – Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and the FLNKS (Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste, the National Socialist Liberation Front for Kanaky, a coalition of four pro-independence bodies) – will likely visit Indonesia in around six months, depending on negotiations with the Indonesian Government.

Collectively the MSG nations could force West Papua back onto the list of countries not yet decolonised, thereby making it the concern of the United Nations Decolonisation Committee. That they have invited five foreign governments to view the situation inside West Papua shows how worried they are.

If they are to travel to West Papua, the foreign ministers must determine who represents the West Papuan people: the Indonesian government, the Federal Republic of West Papua or the West Papua National Coalition. The MSG took it upon themselves to decide this at the urging of Commodore Vorenqe Bainimarama, the head of Fiji’s military government, with the support of Sir Michael Somare from Papua New Guinea. The West Papua National Coalition's application to gain either observer or member status at the MSG was deferred after a last-minute intervention by West Papuan exile Jacob Rumbiak, who insisted they were not the legitimate representative of the West Papuan people.

All this makes the next six months very interesting indeed.

Some things we can predict with a high degree of probability. First, the Indonesian government will attempt to buy off Melanesian political leaders. With endemic corruption in many Melanesian countries, weak rule of law, varying degrees of media freedom and vested economic and political interests at stake, they may succeed. Certainly the Papuans will never be able to compete with Indonesian largesse.

Bainimarama’s military government already has a close relationship with the Indonesian government so he will be unlikely to rock the boat. Without a free press or democracy in Fiji it will be much harder for the Fijian people to insist that the Papuans should live their lives out from under the Indonesian jackboot.

Papua New Guinea is particularly vulnerable. Some Papua New Guinean politicians, notably Sir Michael Somare, are heavily invested in logging, palm oil plantations, and supermarket chains with the Indonesian government and military. Other PNG politicians will be worried about instability along the shared border with West Papua. The Indonesian military has repeatedly crossed over into Papuan New Guinean territory in hot pursuit of Papuan dissidents, including nonviolent activists seeking sanctuary. That could play into support for demilitarisation of West Papua, a position supported by some politicians in PNG.

The Solomon Islands are also vulnerable to Indonesian influence. Of all the Melanesian countries, the Solomons have the lowest level of awareness of the Indonesian government’s occupation of West Papua. They are the site of substantial Indonesian and Malaysian logging interests.

Having said that, it must be noted that Gordon D. Lilo, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, told members of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation that “the West Papuan case is an incomplete decolonisation issue, it has been going on for too long; it must be resolved now”.

The Vanuatu government and the FLNKS will be much less responsive to Indonesian overtures. In Vanuatu last year the government was overturned largely over outrage at then Prime Minister Sato Kilman’s close relationship with the Indonesian government. The current Prime Minister, Moana Carcases Kalosil, is a strong supporter of West Papuan independence. The FLNKS also tie their own political fortunes to that of the West Papuan struggle for self-determination through a frame of Melanesian solidarity.

We can also guarantee that the Australian and New Zealand governments will wheel out their tired mantra that they “support the Indonesian government’s territorial integrity”. In an article in the June edition of The Monthly strategy doyen Hugh White recommended the Australian Government jettison any concerns for human rights over West Papua in favour of political and economic interests.

But ministers of both sides of the Tasman privately concede that their influence over Indonesian foreign policy on West Papua has receded. The MSG meeting in Noumea clearly showed how irrelevant Australian and New Zealand foreign policy on West Papua have become and how much the MSG is maturing as a regional political body.

However, familiar tensions between the West Papuan resistance groups came out during the Noumea meeting. The main fault line, exposed by an article in the Island Business, was between the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation and the Federal Republic of West Papua, who both claim to be the true representatives of the Papuan people.

Both the National Coalition and the Federal Republic applied to become members of the MSG. Representatives of the National Coalition are based in Vanuatu with easy access to the MSG secretariat in Port Vila, but the leadership of the Federal Republic is in jail, sentenced to three years prison for a dignified and nonviolent declaration of independence on 19 October 2011. Dialogue between the two groups is understandably difficult.

When Forkorus Yaboisembut, the President of the Federal Republic of West Papua learnt of the National Coalition's application earlier this year, he wrote to the Director General of the MSG. In the letter, Yaboisembut graciously withdrew his application, saying:

“Rather we request the letter be seen only as a letter of support from West Papua for the application for [the National Coalition's] MSG membership and as a means of introducing the Federal Republic State of West Papua to MSG for future purposes.”

This, and the fact that for a short time in late 2010-2011 both groups were part of a shared decision making structure, shows that cooperation is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Papuans now have six months to get their house in order. This might involve a political coalition between resistance groups, as was the successful model in East Timor and Kanaky, or unification under a shared vision similar to the African National Congress' Freedom Charter.

When the foreign ministers from the Melanesian Spearhead Group do visit West Papua they will be accompanied by the international media - a victory for Papuans who have long demanded their country be opened up to foreign media.

If, on the other hand, the Indonesian government insists on keeping journalists out during the MSG visit, they will only reinforce international perceptions that they do in fact have something to hide.

Either way, the Papuans, like the East Timorese before them who mobilised when Pope John Paul II visited in 1989, will seize this opportunity to register their cries for freedom in numbers never seen before.

Such a call may be heard further than West Papua, which has become an explosive political issue in Melanesia. The ties between Papuans and their Melanesian kin are closer than ever; what happens if citizens of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Kanaky rise up and insist that their leaders support West Papua? The overturning of Sato Kilman’s government in Vanuatu is a cautionary tale.

How will the Indonesian state react? They will likely point to the money they have poured into West Papua – the benefits of which have gone mainly to transnational corporations and Papuan elites, while further impoverishing the Indigenous people. They will argue that West Papua is a democracy; that Papuans are elected by their own people. This is true, but the Indonesian government denies the Papuans the right to form their own political party. In reality West Papua is a colonial outpost ruled from Jakarta.

Papuan political prisoners fill the jails, evidence of systemic torture leaks out, and the bodies of Papuans killed by the police and military pile up (like the alleged massacre of 40 Papuans in the remote Puncak Jaya area in recent months).

Finally, the Indonesian government will call the Papuan dissent terrorism or a foreign-led ploy. This kind of propaganda is the last resort of all authoritarian rulers. Official Indonesian military figures say the armed guerillas number little over 1000 full time fighters, most of whom are not active. On the other hand, the nonviolent movement numbers tens of thousands and they are on the streets every week, if not every day. The West Papuan independence movement is a nonviolent civilian based insurrection against continued Indonesian rule.

The Indonesian government can no longer credibly be concerned that West Papua, like East Timor before it, will become an international issue. It is too late for that. West Papua has already become an international issue.

In the next six months Jakarta’s job will be to enforce the Papuans' obedience while trying to minimize repression. The Papuans' task is to undermine the Indonesian government’s legitimacy and raise the political and economic costs of the occupation. The stakes are high but the potential reward is great: freedom.



1) MORNING STAR FLAG RAISED IN PUNCAK JAYA

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1) MORNING STAR FLAG RAISED  IN PUNCAK JAYA

2) Photos from a from demonstration today by the Papua Alliance Student in Jogyakarta 

3) Buchtar Tabuni : West Papua people ready to welcome  MSG mission to West Papua with Melanesia’s cultures

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1) MORNING STAR FLAG RAISED  IN PUNCAK JAYA


A- A A+
A group of civilians raised the banned Morning Star (Bintang Kejora) flag in Kampung Wandenggobak, Mulia, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Monday, while officers from the Puncak Jaya Police precinct were celebrating the National Police's 67th anniversary, which fell on July 1.
Intermittent gunfire was also heard in the lead-up to the Morning Star flag being raised.
“The flag-raising occurred at 8:55 a.m. local time when members of the Puncak Jaya Police precinct were preparing to celebrate Bhayangkara Day,” Agus, a local resident of Mulia, told The Jakarta Post.
It is unknown where the gunfire came from as the weather at the time was foggy. As the fog faded, the flag was seen flying at Kampung Wandenggobak, which is 3 kilometers from the location where the celebrations for Bhayangkara Day took place.
“Information currently circulating in Mulia indicates that the raising of the Morning Star flag was carried out by a group led by Enggaranggo Wenda and Purom Wenda,” Agus said.
Police officers from the Papua Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit deployed in Mulia lowered the flag.
Papua Police chief Insp.Gen.Tito Karnavian said both the raising of the flag and the sounding of gunfire were merely aimed at provoking the police.
“It was just provocation, hoping that police would enter the Puncak Jaya area so they could shoot our personnel. But we have experienced such tricks before so we were not fooled,” said Tito. (fan/ebf)

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2) Photos from a from demonstration today by the Papua Alliance Student in Jogyakarta 
to commemorate  OPM proclamation day. They are calling for a referendum


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From Biak News
3) Buchtar Tabuni : West Papua people ready to welcome  MSG mission to West Papua with Melanesia’s cultures

 Info Biak June 29, 2013, Buchtar Tabuni Chairman of National Parliament of West Papua (PNWP) during this week visit Biak Island city  to said dan announced MSG’s decision about West Papua  to Biak people. 
 In Juni 28, 2013, West Papua National Committee of Biak ( KNPB-Biak) did open  meeting in North Biak  to said and announced MSG’s decision.  People from vilages in north Biak come together in a place in Marur village to hear  MSG’s decision.
 Buchtar Tabuni Chairman of PNWP  in this meeting said We ( West Papua people) welcome  final decision  of MSG leaders  about West Papua dan said thanks to MSG who see us as brother womb who need  salvation. 50 years its long  we fighting for self determination. West Papua problem is an international case, where self determination rights of West Papua people uncommitted coverage as democration and fair according to international laws principles, human rights standarts and UN charter. West Papua territory  with unilateral agreement to be transfered from Nederlands colonies to Indonesia colonies. They are agreement not repect to self determination rights of West Papua poepl  as fair and democration.
 Buchtar Tabuni said  PNWP and KNPB will active passing MSG decision about West Papua to all West Papua people so, they will can know  this  MSG decision. “ I called to all west Papua people in city and villages to prepare your self  and  we do welcome  MSG mission to West Papua with Melanesia cultures”. “ We West Papua people who fight for self determination rights do decision to not take part with MSG mission in Jakarta  because that not our place. But we will waiting and do welcome  MSG mission in West Papua”. 

1) PAPUAN PLEA

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1) PAPUAN PLEA

2) Open-Pit Back to Normal, Freeport Says

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/02/papuan-plea.html

1) PAPUAN PLEA


Papuan plea: Papua students rally in front of the State Palace on Monday, demanding the implementation of real democracy. Demands have been mounting for the government to fully implement the special autonomy provisions enacted by their own laws in 2000 and remove all military personnel from the region. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/open-pit-back-to-normal-freeport-says/

2) Open-Pit Back to Normal, Freeport Says


More than a week after the government gave Freeport Indonesia partial permission to resume operations, the local subsidiary of Arizona-based Freeport McMoRan has seen output from its open-pit mine in Papua return to normal, an executive said.
“Production from surface mining already reached 140,000 tons a day. It is already back to normal and we just need to keep it more sustainable,” said Freeport Indonesia president director Rozik B. Soetjipto.
Freeport Indonesia resumed activities at the Grasberg Mine on June 22 after the government approved the resumption of open-pit operations, which were halted after two fatal incidents occurred in the company’s underground mine.
Rozik said that Freeport Indonesia normally produces 220,000 tons of ore per day, 80,000 tons of which come from underground mining operations.
The open-pit section of Grasberg accounts for 70 percent to 80 percent of total production, according to a Bloomberg report citing Barclays analysts.
Freeport has yet to secure government approval to resume underground operations, according to Rozik.
He said that an independent team has not yet determined the cause of the two fatal incidents.
On May 14, a tunnel collapse at an underground mining facility used for training exercises killed 28 miners and injured 10.
Two weeks later, a truck driver was buried by sludge after a tunnel in Freeport’s deep ore mining zone, where maintenance was taking place, collapsed.
The government instructed Freeport Indonesia to stop operations at its Grasberg complex.
According to a company statement, the stoppage has resulted in a loss of 80 million pounds of copper and 80,000 ounces of gold so far.
It will book losses of 3 million pounds of copper and 3,000 ounces of gold a day until operations resume.
Freeport declared force majeure on shipments June 12, a clause abrogating obligations due to events beyond its control.
— With additional reporting from Bloomberg

1) Australia's new aid minister refuses to comment on previous support for groups in West Papuan independence movement

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1) Australia's new aid minister refuses to comment on previous support for groups in West Papuan independence movement

2) OPM Condemns Morning Star Flag Raisers

3) Action needed



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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-02/an-australia27s-new-aid-minister-refuses-to-comment-on-previou/4795358?section=australianetworknews

1) Australia's new aid minister refuses to comment on previous support for groups in West Papuan independence movement

Updated 9 hours 21 minutes ago
Australia's new Minister for International Development Melissa Parke says she won't canvass her previous support for groups involved in the West Papuan independence movement nor would she comment on how her appointment would be viewed in Indonesia.
Ms Parke is now the minister responsible for the nation's aid budget and Indonesia is the biggest recipient of bilateral aid from Australia.
In an interview with the ABC, Ms Parke was asked if she was surprised at her appointment given sensitivity of the West Papuan issue for Indonesia.
"That is not an issue I am going to canvass," she said.
Last year, Ms Parke was one of the Labor MPs who defied a request from then trade minister Craig Emerson to boycott a meeting on the disputed province of West Papua.
The Australian Government supports Indonesia's territorial integrity and its continued rule in the disputed province of West Papua.
Foreign minister Bob Carr has said there is little international support for West Papuan independence, and that separatist forces shouldn't be encouraged.
At the National Press Club last week, Senator Carr said "independence for West Papua just won't happen."
Ms Parke says her focus is instead on delivering Australian assistance to the region.
"My background in human rights is well-known," Ms Parke said.
"My focus is on the aid programme and we are doing fantastic things together with the Indonesian Government in education.
"We are building and renovating 2,000 junior secondary schools and training 300,000 principals."
She says thousands of young Indonesians will be able to receive a mainstream, secular education and contribute to the economic capacity and governance of the region.
Ms Parke is a previous United Nation human rights lawyer with a long record of involvement in human rights issues including concern for the treatment of asylum seekers.
On the current debate over asylum seekers, Ms Parke says she will be working with the government as a member of the frontbench.
"What I think is the appropriate way forward is the one set forward by the Houston Panel that we really need to work on the basis of the regional framework," she said.
"It is a regional problem, we are not going to solve it on our own.
"We have to solve it in cooperation with countries in our region."
Ms Parke says Papua New Guinea is a priority for Australian aid, as none of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are being met in the country.
"We know PNG is facing issues when it comes to gender inequality, domestic violence, when it comes to literacy and health," she said.
"We know that a women in PNG are more than 200 times more likely to die from pregnancy related conditions or childbirth and that just isn't good enough."
Midwife training is one aspect of Australia's aid policy in PNG.
Ms Parke believes there is much to do in the region.
"18 of Australia's 20 closest neighbours are developing countries," she said.
"Our whole region is a priority region."


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TUESDAY, 02 JULY, 2013 | 16:16 WIB




2) OPM Condemns Morning Star Flag Raisers
TEMPO.COJakarta - Lambertus Pekikir, General Coordinator of National Freedom Army at Free Papua Organization (OPM), condemned the flag raising incident at Nyaw Village, Keerom District, Monday July 1.
The morning star was raised in the commemoration of West Papua independence day on July 1. "We have refused. We also regret the fact that the incident was set up by a certain party, taking the behalf on OPM. That was a violation to higher command," said Lambert Pekikir.
Lambert said that OPM Central Office did not instruct the flag raising incident. He said that the culprits were some teenagers from Nyaw Village and several indigenous figures in Keerom District. He mentioned that they will hold responsible to OPM, for claiming that the flag was on behalf of the organization.
JERRY OMONA
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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/02/action-needed.html
3) Action needed
Residents of Mumugu village in the district of Sawa Erma,Asmat regency, Papua, pose on Tuesday. About 40 of the 300 people residing in the village have been diagnosed with leprosy. Up till now, there have been no efforts to evacuate the lepers from the village, which is worrisome as the disease could spread.
(JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)




1) Child Dies in TNI-OPM Shootou

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1) Child Dies in TNI-OPM Shootout

2) Kevin Rudd and Indonesia's Obama

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WEDNESDAY, 03 JULY, 2013 | 02:13 WIB
1) Child Dies in TNI-OPM Shootout



TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - A twelve-year old girl from Tion City, Papua died in a shootout between the joint-forces of Indonesian National Army (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) and the National Defense Army of the Free Papua Movement on Monday afternoon, July 1.
"The victim died from a bullet wound, but we still don’t know whether she was shot by the TNI or by the armed groups," Lt. Col. Inf. Simanjuntak Jansen, Cenderawasih XVII military command spokesman, on said Tuesday, July 2.
Jansen said that the shootout broke on the edge of Tiom City when the TNI-Polri joint forces were chasing an OPM group presumably led by Purom Okinak Wenda.
"It was getting dark. On the way back to town, suddenly there was gunfire. Our members immediately fired back," he said. After the officers and soldiers arrived in Tiom, Jansen added, news came that a little girl was shot.
The TNI and Polri pursuit the Puron Wenda group after they allegedly attacked and burned the Pirime Sectoral Police office and shot three officers on November 27 last year. In the attack, the perpetrators also stole a revolver and two rifles from the officers.
According to Jansen, the TNI is now investigating the death of Arlince. The little girl was the daughter of a missionary family in Popome Village in Tiom.
 
JERRY OMONA
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Eureka Street

2) Kevin Rudd and Indonesia's Obama

Pat Walsh |  03 July 2013

PM Rudd's visit to Jakarta this week will almost certainly be marked up or down depending on the outcome of his talks with President SBY on the trafficking of asylum seekers from Indonesia to Australia. The issue is the latest high profile measure of the health of the Australia-Indonesia relationship.
A potentially much bigger test, however, is just around the corner. Next year, Indonesians will elect a new president. Their choice will not only say a lot about the state of democracy in the world's fourth most populous country; it will also impact on the Australia-Indonesia relationship for better or for worse.
The choice confronting the electorate is between what might be called Old Established Forces and New Emerging Forces, to borrow terms coined by Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno, in a former anti-colonial context.
The final list of candidates is still to be settled, but the two individuals who most starkly represent Indonesia's past and its future are Prabowo Subianto, a former military commander, and Joko Widodo (pictured), a civilian being described in Jakarta as Indonesia's Obama.
Suharto is dead, but he continues to make his presence felt. Posters in Central Java show a smiling Suharto teasing lebih enak jaman saya kan? (My time was nicer wasn't it?) and asking Indonesians how they are going. Many are said to pine for the days when, so the joke goes, 'You only needed to pay off one person to get things done'. His family recently opened a huge museum in his honour. It makes no mention of his crimes.
Though he tries to re-brand himself as a champion of Java's populous rural poor, a massive reservoir of votes, Prabowo is unavoidably associated with the Suharto years. He is the former dictator's son-in-law, prosecuted the disastrous war in Timor-Leste on Suharto's behalf, has a questionable record in Papua, and is widely considered to be tarnished with the Suharto regime's bad human rights record.


Prabowo has not been tried and found formally guilty of human rights violations. However, he is banned from the US for alleged involvement in torture and the organising of rapes during the upheaval in Jakarta at the end of the Suharto regime in 1998. And Timor-Leste's CAVR truth commission argued that he and fellow officers who had command responsibility in Timor-Leste during Indonesia's illegal occupation must be held accountable for the atrocities perpetrated against thousands of civilian victims there.
Australia is not generally considered to be active in the struggle against impunity in the region but it does require visa applicants to declare whether or not they have been involved in human rights violations, war crimes or militia activity. Presumably, therefore, if Prabowo were to apply to visit Australia now or, heaven forbid, as president, Canberra would follow the US lead and deny him access or, very likely, have to endure the embarrassment of public protest in Australia where engagement with Timor-Leste is strong at all levels of society.
Either way, Prabowo as president would almost certainly be a big headache for Australia and a potentially serious setback to our very important relationship with Indonesia reminiscent of the Suharto years.
If Prabowo represents Indonesia's dark past that is best left behind, Widodo is a breath of fresh air who would be good news for both Indonesia and Australia. Popularly known as Jokowi, he has the exciting star quality of an Obama. My own informal poll of young and old Indonesians around Jakarta confirms the very positive ratings he enjoys in the professional polls. The former governor of Solo, he was elected governor of Jakarta last year and has distinguished himself particularly by his sensitive dealings with the masses of Indonesia's poor.
It is not clear whether he will run next year or wait till 2019. My point is, however, that there are serious and attractive alternatives available to Indonesian voters who will do Indonesia proud at home and abroad.
There are positive signs in addition to the enthusiasm for Jokowi. The widespread use of social media among young voters is one. The fact that SBY, having served the maximum two terms, cannot run again is another. It means that Indonesia has rejected the Suharto period model which allowed the former strongman to convert Indonesia into a dictatorship and rule for over 30 years. Contemporary polling indicates that many Indonesians regard democracy as the best system for Indonesia and consider Suharto was a dictator.
The highly respected commentator Goenawan Mohamad observed recently that in the old days it was easy to blame Suharto for everything, but now Indonesians only have themselves to blame if they get it wrong.
Australia should more than just hope and pray that they get it right next year. PM Rudd should use his visit to send a clear signal about Australia's hopes for human rights and democracy in Indonesia and that as a society we are pro-poor and no longer prepared to accommodate the impunity that was a hallmark of the Suharto years.

Pat Walsh


Media release-PM Rudd is visiting Indonesia-will West Papua be the elephant in the room again?

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Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088


Media Release 3 July 2013


Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is visiting Indonesia for the third Indonesia-Australia Leaders' Meeting


No doubt the two main issues that will be discussed between Kevin Rudd and  President Yudhoyono will be curbing the flow of asylum seekers and the live cattle trade. 


Joe Collins of AWPA said,  "West Papua will be the elephant in the room again, yet it is the one issue that could cause major friction between our two countries. 


Human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian security forces are ongoing, people are being killed and arrested at peaceful demonstrations and this is 50 years after Indonesia took over control of the territory from the UN." 


We hope that Kevin Rudd will follow the example of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders and also raise the issue of human rights with the Indonesian President.


From the official MSG Communiqué  

"endorsed that the concerns of the MSG regarding the human rights violations and other forms of atrocities relating to the West Papuan people be raised with the Government of Indonesia bilaterally and as a Group"

The MSG will also go on a fact-finding mission to West Papua. We encourage Kevin Rudd to also ask Jakarta can Australia send a cross party parliamentary delegation to West Papua not only to investigate the human rights situation but to also to see how Australia can help the West Papuan people in the fields of health and education. 


ends.


1) Commentary: Indonesia: A reluctant good neighbor to Australia

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Many Indonesians find it hard to control their temper each time they read or hear any kind of “provocative” remark or statement from the Australian media, military, politicians or celebrities. The country is perceived as an arrogant neighbor that has a strong sense of superiority toward us, and which has no more important agenda than to destroy the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

To us, Australia is a nation that has little respect for Indonesia, while we do not believe that we deserve such treatment as a great nation. We would like Australians to learn more about Indonesia because of its pivotal role in the global community. While at the same time we often ignore the principle “to know thy neighbor”. We are apparently reluctant to learn more about our neighbors and instead focus on forcing them to deepen their knowledge about us.

A poll conducted this year by the Lowy Institute found that 84 percent of Australians believe that their country “acts as a good neighbor to Indonesia”, while only 54 percent agree that Indonesia acts as a good neighbor to Australia and only 30 percent of them believe that “Indonesia helps Australia combat people smuggling”.

Who among Indonesians would not feel angry at the perception that a majority (54 percent) agree that “Australia is right to worry about Indonesia as a military threat” and that “Indonesia is a dangerous source of Islamic terrorism”? One thing we need to remember is that perception does not always reflect reality.

Perhaps most of us will never forgive the continent state for “masterminding” the independence of East Timor (now Timor Leste), although we often forget that it was then president BJ Habibie who initiated an independence referendum for the former Indonesian colony.

It is also no exaggeration to say that most of us are strongly suspicious that Australia will, again, be the main supporter of the Papuan people in establishing their own state despite repeated denials from Australian government officials, including Foreign Minister Bob Carr during a meeting with a group of visiting Indonesian journalists, because Australia was among the first countries that endorsed Indonesia’s annexation of East Timor in the 1970s. The presence of a strong US military presence in Darwin only strengthens the suspicion that Papua’s independence is high on the neighbor’s agenda.

 During the Soeharto era, the then president was outraged when an Australian newspaper reported the corrupt practices of his children, although we found later that the reports were not totally wrong (if not totally right).

Today (Thursday), Prime Minister Kevin Rudd arrives in Jakarta to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Indonesia will opt to remain neutral regarding the September general election in Australia no matter who emerges as the winner (Labor or the Coalition), although Yudhoyono probably has a personal preference for Rudd. Rudd’s visit itself was not at his own initiative because it was his predecessor, Julia Gillard, who tabled the visit.

I remember visiting parliament in Canberra last month. Rudd was sitting in the back row when Gillard responded sternly to a statement by an opposition legislator who teased her about an economic issue. Rudd received little attention from the media or even his colleagues because most of the Australian media was confident that Rudd would not get enough of the vote to exact revenge against Gillard to secure the Labor Party’s helm.

Gillard had called for an early general election in September, while the opposition party was leading in several opinion polls. Opposition leader Tony Abbott, who promised to take a much tougher stance against boat people, including the possible deployment of naval ships to chase away the boats carrying them, was outraged at Gillard’s announcement that she would meet with Yudhoyono in Jakarta in August.

Gillard clearly wanted to get a major concession from the Indonesian government concerning boat people. I personally met with Gillard along with other Indonesian journalists as a part of an Australian Foreign Ministry program to organize a dialogue with their Australian counterparts. For Indonesia, Labor’s approach is more sensible because the burden is shared. Indonesia cannot control the flow of the boat people because of the vastness of the archipelago, and also because of the corrupt mentality of Indonesian officials who have direct contact with the migrants. The root of the problem lies not only with Indonesia but much more with the countries of origin.

Rudd’s visit would be much more meaningful were he to visit again after winning the September election, and if it were more of a courtesy visit.

In every way Indonesia is a major state and it is only right that it holds an honorable position among the international community. But we also need to behave as a great nation, one for which its people have high respect. There are 1,000 reasons to hate Australia, but we must also be ready when the same reasons are applied to us.


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THURSDAY, 04 JULY, 2013 | 12:35 WIB
2) Non-Papuans Rally, Demand Security
TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - Thousands of non-Papuans residents living in the Jayapura district marched in the district's street on Wednesday, July 3. The non-locals rallied to protest against the murder of a man from Sulawesi in Sentani, last week.
"We demand security guarantees and the closing of all liquor stores," said Burhan, one of the protest leaders.
Burhan said that the immigrants had never done any harm to the native Papuans. "Everyone her are traders and shop owners and we have been nice. But somehow [Papuans] think we've taken their rights, whereas we are helping them by providing jobs," he said.
The protest caused a number of shops to close as most shop owners joined the protest. Hundreds of merchants marched on the streets, asking the government to work harder in creating harmony between native Papuans and non-Papuans.
 JERRY OMONA
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http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-indonesia-relations-approach-with-caution/

3) Australia–Indonesia relations: approach with caution

Jul 2013
With all the talk in the past few days about the possibility of Australia and Indonesia coming into conflict—be it diplomatic or otherwise—it’s worth understanding some of the pressure points in the relationship. At the top of the list, at least from Jakarta’s perspective, would be the events of late 1999. Following a self-determination ballot in August 1999, the security situation in East Timor worsened and—after a period of active diplomacy and coercive efforts supported by the US—Indonesia consented to the deployment of an Australian-led, UN-authorised peacekeeping force (known as INTERFET).
Aside from the obvious reasons, this case study deserves close scrutiny because a certain mythology (and oversimplification) has crept into the narrative over the years. In the latest issue of the Security Challenges journal, I present a new take on the events of 1999. As part of my research for this article, I interviewed the six Ministers then serving in the National Security Committee of Cabinet, as well as nine others who were intimately involved in Australian policy-making. One key lesson from the events of 1999 is that Australia will—in all but the most extenuating circumstances—prioritise the Jakarta–Canberra relationship above almost all other concerns.
While some see the violence of September 1999 as a catastrophe Australia could—and should—have prevented, I instead suggest that Australia’s ability to influence this outcome was limited. The events of 1999 should be considered, to some degree, independently of events in 1998. In January 1999 the Indonesian President, B.J. Habibie, announced that East Timor’s status would be resolved through an act of self-determination. Though Australia had advocated Indonesian policy action on the issue of East Timor, this decision was completely unanticipated and generated acute policy challenges for Australia. As such, Habibie’s announcement caught Australia by surprise and precipitated a period of reactive policy-making.
As 1999 progressed, it became clear than the Indonesian military (TNI) were unable or unwilling to provide adequate security for the ballot. This was the primary policy challenge for Australia—having advocated a new Indonesian approach, Australia was politically tied to the outcome. The best method for ensuring the security of the ballot was widely acknowledged to be a pre-ballot peacekeeping force (PKF) deployed under Indonesian consent.  Given the abhorrent violence of September 1999, it’s no surprise that much of the historical debate centres on this issue.
Clinton Fernandes uses leaked documents to argue that Australia ‘worked assiduously’ to prevent a pre-ballot PKF. However, this account overlooks a number of factors that point to a more balanced Australian approach. Australia’s plan, in early 1999, was to maximise pressure on Indonesia­—specifically the TNI—in the hope that they would improve security. Though Fernandes suggests a rift in Australia–US relations on this point, public testimony from the American Assistant Secretary of State, Stan Roth, supported the Australian approach. Fernandes’ account also overlooks Australia’s subsequent efforts to secure a pre-ballot PKF.
In April 1999, TNI forces failed to intervene during a churchyard massacre in Liquica, in which approximately sixty civilians were killed. This prompted Howard to call Habibie to suggest a high-level meeting in order to discuss the violence and possible solutions.
The ‘Bali Summit’ of 27 April 1999 started with a private meeting between Howard and Habibie. Howard asked Habibie to accept a pre-ballot PKF, but Habibie judged the situation in East Timor to be a secondary concern. While the TNI had accepted his decision for a self-determination ballot, Habibie felt they would not accept foreign troops on (what was still) Indonesian soil. Howard pressed Habibie, but he was rebuffed—Habibie insisted that his ‘position would be absolutely untenable in Jakarta if he were to agree to this’.
Hugh White, then a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Defence, has since described the Bali Summit as the ‘last best chance to avoid the disasters of September’. I argue that while Australia could have pursued a pre-ballot PKF more forcefully, this would’ve entailed serious strategic risk. Had Habibie accepted Howard’s request, it could’ve precipitated a TNI coup or more determined efforts to subvert the ballot. These would have been catastrophic outcomes for Australia.
My research suggests that Australia’s primary policy challenge throughout 1999 was that of balancing competing strategic objectives. Pursuing one objective—such as reduced violence in Timor—could imperil more important objectives, such as supporting Indonesia’s continued democratic reform. Though Australia didn’t prevent the violence of September 1999, this wasn’t due to apathy, neglect or incompetence. Rather, this outcome reflects Australia’s invidious circumstances, where avoiding worst-case scenarios was a significant achievement. It also suggests that in all but the most-dire circumstances, Australia will likely prioritise good relations with Jakarta above other concerns. Given a bipartisan desire to address the ‘boatpeople’ issue, this notion could be of great relevance over the next year or so. A new Indonesian President, depending on their disposition towards Australia, could be another cause for cautious diplomacy.
After considering the events of 1998–1999, it would be foolish to conclude that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia should be paralysed by the fear of worst-case scenarios. However, it would be equally foolish to assume that the same priorities that motivated Australian behaviour in 1999 are less relevant today. Indonesia continues to be of immense and enduring importance to Australia. While this idea mightn’t resonate with a domestic audience, it’s a strategic reality unlikely to change, and should sensibly inform the consideration of any new policy which might pose a risk to the bilateral relationship.
Iain Henry is a Fulbright Scholar and PhD candidate at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. These are his personal views only. He tweets at@IainDHenry. Image courtesy of Flickr user jenny louise johnson.
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Jul 2013

One wonders whose opinions the reportedly more consultative Kevin Rudd sought in advance of his press conference last week, when he speculated about confrontation with Indonesia under a Coalition government. ‘I am very concerned about whether if Mr Abbott became prime minister and continues that rhetoric and that posture and actually tries to translate it into reality I really wonder whether he is trying to risk some sort of conflict with Indonesia’, Mr Rudd said. ‘It’s not a good thing, it’s a really bad thing’.
Confrontation with Indonesia would be an unspeakably bad thing for any Australian government, but it’s difficult to see how that outcome would emerge from a difference of view over asylum seekers. The Australian Navy will always operate with the safety of individuals at sea as their prime concern, and no political direction can alter that. It’s simply misleading to imply that the unhappy and complicated asylum seeker issue could degenerate into war between Australia and Indonesia. The constant influx of boats carrying asylum-seekers makes the bilateral relationship difficult, but so too do differences over live cattle exports, the attitudes of some Australian NGOs on Papua, drug-mules and a range of other issues. The fact is that relations between the two countries remain on a positive track notwithstanding specific points of tension.
Here’s some good news: there’s largely bipartisan support for building closer and more effective relations with Indonesia. The 2013 Defence White Paper put a premium on closer relations with Jakarta, describing it as ‘our most important relationship in the region’:
Australia benefits from having a strong and cohesive Indonesia as a partner to our north, as Indonesia does from a secure Australia to its south. Geographic proximity means that Indonesia’s and Australia’s security interests are intertwined. We have a shared aspiration for the stability and economic prosperity of our region that underpins our partnership and is driving increased breadth and depth in our defence cooperation. (DWP 2013 (PDF), paragraph 3.17)
At the Shangri-La Dialogue last June, Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo indicated the bilateral defence relationship was progressing well. He praised Australia for closely consulting with Jakarta on the white paper and offered to do the same as Indonesia updates its policy.
For its part, the Opposition has indicated strong support for the bilateral relationship. A Coalition policy statement released in January 2013 notes the opportunities Indonesian economic growth offers for Australia, commits to fast-track a free trade agreement with Jakarta, promises to avoid ‘damaging backflips’ like the suspension of the live cattle trade, and says that if Prime Minister Mr Abbott will make his first overseas visit to Indonesia. This positive approach has been summed up as ‘more Jakarta and less Geneva‘ in Coalition statements.
Both sides of politics claim to appreciate the importance of the bilateral relationship, and say that it’s a priority to deepen engagement. If the government and opposition really mean what they say, they should work harder to ensure that domestic wrangles don’t damage their bigger aspirations for the relationship. The reality is that both sides have an interest in making sure that relations with Jakarta are kept on an even keel through the election period so that whichever party wins power, a government with a new mandate can make Indonesia a priority.
What would be the right way to approach Indonesia in the lead up to our own domestic poll? Mr Rudd will visit next week, and it’s likely the Coalition will continue to make their own contacts in the weeks before the election. I suggest four key approaches. First, it’s important to not leave the Indonesians with an impression that either side of Australian politics is trying to enlist their support in a domestic spat. Jakarta, sensibly, will want to be able to deal with whoever wins office in Canberra. Domestic politics shouldn’t be exported.
Second, we must take the time to set out the bigger goals for the bilateral relationship. As I’ve written here, Indonesia doesn’t necessarily think its relationship with Australia is as critical to them as we’d like. We need to sell the positive case for close relations with Canberra, which will be built around economic links, trade and people to people ties. It’s pointless just hectoring Indonesians about why they should jump to address our interests.
Third, if the relationship is really critical to Australia, we should be prepared to put our money where our mouth is—by offering substantial incentives to change behavior around people smuggling. This could involve helping to equip and train the TNI Navy and Air Force with the wherewithal to patrol their waters. Large scale development assistance to build capacity in customs, policing, judicial and related areas would also assist. It’s worth remembering here the breakthrough moment in the bilateral relationship that took place when John Howard announced abillion dollar aid package in January 2005 after the tsunami devastated the Aceh Province. This was a defining moment which helped to overcome resentments from the East Timor experience. Big gestures can yield big rewards.
Finally, our Government and Opposition should approach their contacts with Indonesian leaders in a suitably low-key way. Megaphone diplomacy of the type associated with Prime Ministerial visits won’t help to deliver the types of cooperative and long-term outcomes Australia wants. The right approach would be for both sides of Australian politics to signal their willingness to be involved in a deep, sustained and closed door-dialogue after our election is over. If ever there was a need for some bipartisan consensus on an international issue, good relations with Indonesia is the critical one. References to Konfrontasi should be shelved and promises of continuity offered instead.
Peter Jennings is executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Image courtesy ofAustralian Foreign Minister archive.

1) Police Ban First Edition of Pelita Papua Magazine

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1) Police Ban First Edition of Pelita Papua Magazine
2) Papua Gold Panners Clash, Kills One

3) Australian perceived as arrogant and interfering in Indonesia

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THURSDAY, 04 JULY, 2013 | 23:05 WIB
1) Police Ban First Edition of Pelita Papua Magazine
TEMPO.COJayapura - After just days of the distribution of its first edition, Pelita Papua magazine encountered problems with the police last Wednesday for portraying the symbol of the Free Papua Movement on its cover. 
Previously, 2,000 copies of the 64-page edition were already been distributed. Fidelis Jeminta, chief editor of Pelita Papua in Jayapura, said this case would restrict freedom of the press in Papua again. 
"We feel we are being treated unjustly. Out there, many media outlets show pictures of the Bintang Kejora (symbol of the movement) but are not examined by the police," he said. 
The Pelita Papua magazine office is located in the Merauke district and has a permit issued by the Merauke district. The first edition of the magazine covers the issue of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) office in England. There is also an article about the opinions of some figures regarding the movement. 
"It’s normal, nothing big. We are disappointed at the police’s random prohibition," said Fidelis. 
Papua Police Chief Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said that published material about Papua’s freedom or anything that can incite violence is prohibited. He denied allegations that the police revoked the magazine’s license.  JERRY OMONA


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FRIDAY, 05 JULY, 2013 | 00:29 WIB
2) Papua Gold Panners Clash, Kills One
TEMPO.CO, Timika - Two groups of traditional gold panners at mile 34 of Freeport Indonesia's gold mining area in Timika, Papua clashed again on Thursday, July 4, killing one man and wounding dozens of other. 
Adrianus Lesomartewas was shot on his chest by an arrow. He died at the Mimika District General Hospital. In the clash, some two hundred gold panners attacked one another using various weapons including bows and arrows and rifles.
The Kuala Kencana Police tried breaking up the fights while evacuating panners. But the effort was not successful because the police were outnumbered.
As of the evening, the police were still patrolling and conducting friendly approaches to the two warring groups. Armored vehicles are stationed in areas considered prone to more clashes.
Several months ago, the two groups of gold panners also fought at the Budi Utomo Street, leaving two people dead and dozens injured.
 
TJAHJONO EP
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3) Australian perceived as arrogant and interfering in Indonesia

Posted 4 July 2013, 22:03 AEST
To coincide with Kevin Rudd's visit to Jakarta, readers of the English-language Jakarta Post woke up this morning to a provocative editorial about the relationship between the two countries.
Senior Managing Editor Kornelius Purba wrote that Australia is perceived as an arrogant neighbour that has a strong sense of superiority toward Indonesians, and is bent on helping the people of Papua achieve independence.
He says Australia's role in helping East Timor achieve independence remains a sore point for many Indonesians.
And who among Indonesians would not feel angry - he asks - at the Lowy Poll findings that a majority of Australians see Indonesia as a military threat and a dangerous source of Islamic terrorism.
But Kornelius Purba argues that Indonesia also needs to get to know Australia better - and that while "there are 1,000 reasons to hate Australia ... we must also be ready when the same reasons are applied to us."
Presenter: Joanna McCarthy
Speaker: Kornelius Purba, Senior Managing Editor of the Jakarta Post

Media release 15 years after the Biak Massacre the oppression of the West Papuan people continues

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Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088


Media release 5 July 2013

15 years after the Biak Massacre the oppression of the West Papuan people continues.


Saturday the 6 July marks 15 years since the Indonesian security forces massacred scores of people in Biak , West Papua. The victims, included women and children who had gathered for a peaceful rally. They were killed at the base of a water tower flying the Morning Star flag. Other Papuans were rounded up and later taken out to sea where they were thrown off naval ships and drowned.


The Australian Government who knew about the massacre turned a blind eye and did not protest to the Indonesian Government. (Between  July 11 - 14  an Australian Army Captain arrived in Biak to carry out an official investigation on behalf of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs) http://www.biak-tribunal.org/west-papua-massacre-cover-up-controversy-in-australia/


Joe Collins of AWPA said , "it is tragic  that 15 years after the Biak  massacre West Papuans are still being killed, arrested and jailed for peacefully protesting  about the injustice they suffer under Indonesian rule. We keep hearing how Indonesia is now a democracy yet  during May, the  security forces cracked down on a number of  peaceful rallies resulting in 3 people  killed and  up to 20 arrested". 


There is no freedom of the press in West Papua as just days after first edition of the  Pelita Papua magazine was published, it was banned by the police simply because it covered  the issue of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) office in England

West Papua is one of Australia’s nearest neighbours and the Australian Government should be doing everything it can to get Jakarta to negotiate with the West Papuan leadership to try and solve peacefully all the issues of concern in West Papua.

Ends

1) Australia at risk of becoming an island as Pacific prospers

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1) Australia at risk of becoming an island as Pacific prospers 

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1) Australia at risk of becoming an island as Pacific prospers

FIRST it was the Pacific Century, then the Asia Pacific Century, then the Asian Century with a recent nod towards the Chinese Century. Now we are hearing of the Indo-Pacific Century. Hollywood to Bollywood, as one US military officer put it recently.
A great sweep of ocean from India to the eastern shores of California is the strategic big picture, we are told.
But while Australian policymakers debate every chess move by China, India and the US a more urgent Indo-Pacific shift, this time Indonesia versus the Pacific, is happening in two areas not even named in the Australian defence white paper 2013: West Papua and Melanesia.
This is because West Papua remains the territory that dare not speak its name in Australian policy circles. By all means talk about democracy and human rights in faraway places like Syria and Burma, where Australia has little or no influence, or closer to home, hammering Fiji with an unproductive policy.
But it appears Australians can say nothing about atrocities happening on Australia's doorstep when Indonesia is involved. There is no way of putting this lightly: Australia continues to support Indonesian repression even as a growing body of international legal opinion labels Indonesian policy in West Papua a "slow moving genocide". This is not trivial.
Melanesia - the region encompassing Australia's nearest neighbours (Timor Leste, West Papua, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia) - likewise is not even referenced by name in the defence white paper.
This is a telling omission, as it reflects Australian policy to deal with these countries bilaterally while not understanding the growing dynamic of sub-regionalism and the importance of the Melanesian Spearhead Group that holds these nations and peoples together and is increasingly setting common policy for them.
Two weeks ago in Noumea, the leaders of Melanesia gathered for the 25th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of the MSG. Australia, close neighbour and supposed regional power, was not represented at this important gathering.
The summit also marked the transition of chairmanship from Fiji's Frank Bainimarama to Victor Tutugoro, representing the Kanaky people of New Caledonia on behalf of the pro-independence FLNKS, the Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation.
The MSG summit not only appointed a new chairman, but for the first time invited West Papuan delegates, who have applied for membership, as "special guests". Although the decision on membership for West Papua was deferred for six months pending a planned visit to the territory by a MSG special delegation, there is now strong momentum towards membership.
This year's official communique states that leaders "endorsed that the MSG fully supports the inalienable rights of the people of West Papua towards self-determination as provided for under the preamble of the MSG constitution" as well as "endorsed that the concerns of the MSG regarding the human rights violations and other forms of atrocities relating to the West Papuan people be raised with the government of Indonesia bilaterally and as a group". This could prompt a crisis of sorts in Australia's immediate region. Melanesian nations are moving away from both Australia and Indonesia, which prefer to keep the tragedy of West Papua under wraps.
Since the MSG's establishment in 1988, Canberra has not bothered to even apply for observer status, even as countries like China, Indonesia and Luxembourg are at the table.
Perhaps it wanted to wait until Bainimarama had left the stage as MSG chair, but the MSG summit further demonstrates how Australia has become strategically adrift from its own neighbours.
It continues to view the Pacific islands as small island states in need of aid and good governance, when it is more useful to view them now as large ocean states being courted by global powers, and comprising a significant bloc of UN votes.
Island nations want their culture appreciated, their sovereignty respected, more balanced trade and for their people not to have to jump through hoops of fire to get an Australian visa.
In West Papua, the fact that Indonesia has closed off this entire territory to all foreign media and NGOs including the Red Cross shows the extent to which Indonesia wishes to hide what it is doing there. It is a clumsy gesture, symbolic of another age.
Jakarta appears not to appreciate that successive Australian governments have never supported the West Papuans and lost much political capital in the Pacific in doing so. But Indonesia must realise this position is becoming increasingly untenable as the body count piles up and Indonesia shows no sign of ever implementing meaningful autonomy or reining in its military or the jihadis there.
As a result, Indonesia's hold over West Papua has lost its legitimacy as far as many Pacific island nations are concerned.
It is true that Indonesia has come a long way towards democracy and a free press since the fall of Suharto, but none of these progressive elements exist in West Papua, where even President SBY has no real influence over the military.
Yet the window for Indonesia to maintain control of the issue is fast closing. This is heading for the UN General Assembly, just as France is now faced with its Pacific territories like Tahiti being re-inscribed on the UN decolonisation list.
Modern multicultural Australia has forgotten the historic importance of the Pacific islands to Australia and needs its leaders to remind a new generation.
Barack Obama can declare himself a Pacific president, yet no Australian leader wants to claim our place in the region: former prime minister Julia Gillard was all about "the Asian Century", throwing away cheaply the opportunity to be a middle-power Pacific nation in the Pacific Century.
Step back from the US-China thing for now, that will play out over decades. More pressing is that Australia needs to better balance relations with Indonesia and Melanesia.
Australia's imperative is to embrace the Melanesian nations not as aid recipients and neighbours, but ultimately as family. It requires rhetoric, rolling out the red carpet and a new emphasis on soft-power diplomacy.
Australia will never be secure in Asia until it is secure and integrated with the island nations of the Pacific. It is time for Australian leaders to speak with vision and claim Australia's Pacific destiny. Applying to join the MSG would be a start.
Ben Bohane is communications director for the Pacific Institute of Public Policy in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
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Posted at 02:01 on 05 July, 2013 UTC
This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the Biak massacre in West Papua, when scores of West Papuans were wounded, arrested or killed while calling for independence from Indonesia.
On July 6, 1998, in Biak Island’s main town, Indonesian military units launched a dawn attack on Papuans who had staged a peaceful demonstration over several days.
Some were shot on the spot while many others were taken onto Indonesian naval boats and thrown into the ocean before their mutilated bodies washed up on Biak’s shores over following days.
A political counsellor at the US Embassy in Jakarta at the time, Ed McWilliams, visited Biak a few days later and found an entire town traumatised.
“And we don’t know the number of people (who died) but we estimate certainly in the hundreds. The effort was made to try to try to simply determine how many were killed by counting the bodies that were floating up from having been thrown into the sea, but the Indonesian military authorities would not allow the people to collect the bodies as they came in on the shore.”
Ed McWilliams
To mark the anniversary, survivors and a team of international jurists are holding a citizens’ tribunal at the University of Sydney tomorrow.
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1) Rudd Reiterates Recognition of Indonesia’s Sovereignty Over Papua

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1) Rudd Reiterates Recognition of Indonesia’s Sovereignty Over Papua

2) Australian PM: Indonesia is Important for Us

3) Stop Being Afraid of Dialogue between Indonesia and Papua



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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/rudd-reiterates-recognition-of-indonesias-sovereignty-over-papua/

1) Rudd Reiterates Recognition of Indonesia’s Sovereignty Over Papua



Bogor, West Java. Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reiterated his government’s recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty over Papua on Friday.
“I would like to publicly reaffirm here, what successive Australian prime ministers have said in the past, that Australia recognizes, recognized in the past and will recognize in the future, the territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia that includes Papua,” Rudd said.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the Bogor Palace, Rudd also praised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s “strong leadership” and the special autonomy package accorded for Papua’s development.
“I encourage him in this direction. I am sure, as Australian Prime Minister, I will do everything I can in supporting him in this important direction as well,” he said.
Rudd, who was on visit for the third annual Indonesia-Australia Leaders’ Meeting,  said that Yudhoyono’s government had already achieved success in Aceh, where the government also granted an autonomy package after it agreed with separatists rebels there to end decades of conflict in August 2005.
He said that Australia wanted to work with the government here in a way that could be helpful “in making sure that we bring about a long-term, stable, prosperous and secure Papua that is part of the Republic of Indonesia.”
A joint communique issued after the meeting of the two leaders, said that they “reaffirmed the two countries’ continued adherence to the principles of respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as mandated in the Lombok Treaty.”
“I am certain that under the leadership of Prime Minister Rudd, the cooperation, partnership and friendship between the Republic of Indonesia and Australia can continue to be stepped up,” Yudhoyono said on the same occasion.
Yudhoyono said that he and Rudd shared the same commitment in seeking new opportunities to boost cooperation.The leaders, it said, were encouraged by the many “positive developments” in their bilateral relationship since the previous meeting in Darwin last year.
In the joint communique Yudhoyono and Rudd also encouraged the further promotion of bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Indonesia and Australia.
“Noting that the two countries have shared interest in the area of food security, both leaders agreed to further explore trade and investment cooperation in the agriculture sector, including in the beef and cattle industry,” it said.
Tensions had risen several times between Indonesia and Australia over the alleged maltreatment of cows here, leading to a cut in beef imports from Australia.
The Leaders also recognised the importance of the two countries’ wide-ranging cooperation in tackling regional and global challenges, particularly transnational crimes such as terrorism, cyber-crime, drugs, corruption and money-laundering.
On the issue of human trafficking and people smuggling, the two countries agreed to continue to develop a regional solution.
The regional solution, the communique said, should involve countries of origin, transit and destination and cover elements of prevention, early detection and protection.
“They stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral actions which might jeopardize such a comprehensive regional approach and that may cause operational or other difficulties to any party,” the statement said.


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HTTP://EN.TEMPO.CO/READ/NEWS/2013/07/05/074493930/AUSTRALIAN-PM-INDONESIA-IS-IMPORTANT-FOR-US
FRIDAY, 05 JULY, 2013 | 21:14 WIB
2) Australian PM: Indonesia is Important for Us
TEMPO.COBogor – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that Indonesia plays an important role for Australia's interest. The two countries have agreed to establish a more intensive cooperation, particularly in economic sector.
"We have to cooperate more in economic sector," Rudd said after meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Bogor Presidential Palace , West Java, Friday, July 5.
Rudd emphasized that Both Australia and Indonesia will gain benefit from beef trading. "It's good for Australian beef industry, it's good for Indonesian investors and good also for Indonesian consumers," he said.
He also addressed his concern on human smuggling to Australia. "This problem of people smuggling is a problem for our entire region, therefore the President's initiative is for all of us to work together, and I salute you Mr president, on your bold move," the Prime Minister stated.
In the meeting, Kevin Rudd also said that the Australian government fully recognize Indonesian's authority over Papua. "Australia wants to work with the government here in a way that could be helpful in making sure that we bring about a long-term, stable, prosperous and secure Papua that is a part of the Republic of Indonesia."
PRIHANDOKO


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From Tapol

3) Stop Being Afraid of Dialogue between Indonesia and Papua‏



Bintang Papua, 4 July 2013

Jayapura: The Dutch Government has been urged to support the idea of 
dialogue between Jakarta and Papua to resolve the problem of Papua, as
has been suggested by the Papuan Peace Network.

'We call on the Indonesian Government and the Papuan people not to be 
afraid of sitting down together and thinking about what needs to be 
done to resolve the Papuan problem by means of dialogue between Jakarta 
and Papua,' said Yan Douw, a Catholic Monk during a meeting with the 
Dutch ambassador, Tjeer de Zwaan. He also had meetings with the chief of 
police, community leaders, religious leaders and youth leaders in Jayapura.

He therefore called on the Netherlands, the United States and the United 
Nations together with Indonesia to come together to discuss the Papuan
situation. 'If they fail to do so, they will share responsibility for 
any Papuan blood that may be shed,' he said.

The representative of the Catholic Diocese said he cannot understand why 
it was possible to resolve the conflict with Aceh by means of dialogue
but Indonesia has found it extremely difficult to respond to calls for a 
dialogue between Jakarta and Papua.

The Chairman the Alliance of Traditional People, Lenis Kogoya said that 
information being disseminated abroad about the question of Papua does
not reflect the reality in the Land of Papua. and he urged the Dutch 
Government to make sure that it receives information from a variety of
sources.

The chairman of the Jayapura branch of the GKI (Gereja Christian 
Indonesia) in Papua, Willem Itaar pointed out that the GKI was one of 
the churches from the Netherlands and from Germany that brought the 
Bible to the people of Papua which happened on 5 February 1855. One 
hundred years later, in 1956, the GKI was established in Papua.

Willem Itaar said that the GKI was one of the churches that played a 
part in placing Papua within the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. 
But subsequently the churches faced a dilemma because they must share 
responsibility for the security situation in the Land of Papua, bearing 
in mind the fact that the churches are present in all parts of the 
territory, right down to the smallest village.

'When anyone talks about Papua, one is talking also about the 
Netherlands because the Netherlands played a role in setting up the 
sovereign state of Indonesia, whereas it was in 1963 that Papua became
integrated as part of the Republic of Indonesia, which it continues to
be to this day, said Willlem Itaar.

Translated by TAPOL

Photos from Biak Tribunal

1) Indonesian diplomatic manoeuvre delays West Papuan independence

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1) Indonesian diplomatic manoeuvre delays West Papuan independence

2) Aids awareness grows in Indonesia’s Papua region



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http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2013/s3797365.htm 

1) Indonesian diplomatic manoeuvre delays West Papuan independence

Sean Dorney reported this story on Sunday, July 7, 2013 07:16:00
SIMON SANTOW: Indonesia has invited the foreign ministers of four Pacific Island countries to visit its two easternmost provinces - Papua and West Papua - to see for themselves if the people want independence.

Those two provinces are the western half of the main island of New Guinea.

This offer is something of a diplomatic manoeuvre, successfully delaying any consideration by the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the MSG, of an application for full membership by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation.

Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney went to the two yearly meeting of the leaders of Melanesia's sub-regional organisation, held this year in New Caledonia.

SEAN DORNEY: Twenty-five years ago, the four independent countries in Melanesia - Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea - created a sub-regional organisation, the Melanesian Spearhead Group and one of its aims was to help the Melanesian people of New Caledonia, the Kanaks, get their independence from France.

That has not happened yet but France did agree to allow the Kanak independence movement, the FLNKS (Le Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste), to take up full membership of the Melanesian Group.

Now, the Melanesian independence movement in West Papua - the Indonesian half of the main island of New Guinea - wants to join.

At the MSG's plenary session in Noumea, Dr Otto Ondawame, the vice chairman of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, put their case.

OTTO ONDAWAME: Our delegation come here as the lost son of Melanesia, to come here to ask for your support. We must unite and find a viable alternative to solve the longest conflict in our region.

SEAN DORNEY: Indonesia took control of what had been to then Dutch New Guinea in 1963 and six years later gathered just over 1000 tribal leaders together to vote in favour of becoming part of Indonesia.

It was called an 'Act of Free Choice' which the United Nations accepted. 

Paula Makabory, from the Institute of Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights, was part of the West Papuan delegation

PAULA MAKABORY: Yeah, I think with all of this, the MSG recognise that the Act of Free Choice was a shameful choice for West Papua.

(Dancing and singing at Official Opening)

SEAN DORNEY: At the official opening of the Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders meeting, the outgoing chairman, Fiji's military commander and prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, spoke of unity. 

FRANK BAINIMARAMA: As a result of our shared vision for closer regional integration, MSG solidarity has never been stronger. 

SEAN DORNEY: But Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Peter O'Neill, visited Indonesia instead of attending the MSG meeting while his stand-in, the deputy prime minister Leo Dion made it clear to the other MSG Leaders that PNG regarded West Papua as an integral part of Indonesia.

Fiji revealed that Indonesia had offered to host a visit by Melanesian foreign ministers and so Fiji suggested the membership application by the West Papuans be put on hold.

Vanuatu's prime minister Moana Carcasses made an impassioned plea on behalf of the West Papuans, and Sir Michael Somare, invited as an elder statesman, summed up the situation well although he was not referring directly to West Papua.

SIR MICHAEL SOMARE: In Melanesia we are also very divided. We are not united. We have to unite. The only course we can take is when we are united people you can beat your enemy. 

SEAN DORNEY: In the end the communiqué said the West Papuan's application would be considered after the foreign ministers of the MSG countries visited Indonesia.

However, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu insisted on the inclusion of two critical sentences. The first said that "Leaders endorsed that the MSG fully supports the inalienable rights of the people of West Papua towards self-determination…" and the second said the Leaders agreed that "the concerns of the MSG regarding the human rights violations and other forms of atrocities relating to the West Papuan people be raised with the government of Indonesia".

SEAN DORNEY: The reactions of the West Papuan delegation to the Communiqué were mixed. Dr Otto Ondawame was relieved.

OTTO ONDAWAME: We are very happy that our application has not been thrown out, but is still there on the agenda of the MSG. 

SEAN DORNEY: But the secretary-general of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, Rex Rumakiek, doubted the value of a ministerial trip to Indonesia.

REX RUMAKIEK: They will come back empty-handed. They won't see the people they really want to see and that means it's a waste of time. Better to make a decision right now instead of going to Indonesia.

SEAN DORNEY: Melanesian foreign ministers' visit to Jakarta and the Papuan provinces should take place before the end of the year.

This has been Sean Dorney for Correspondents Report.


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http://www.gulf-times.com/uk-europe/183/details/358660/aids-awareness-grows-in-indonesia’s-papua-region

2) Aids awareness grows in Indonesia’s Papua region


A student looks to the camera at a school outside Jayapura the provincial capital of Papua, Indonesia. The prevalence rate of HIV among Papua’s youth aged between 15-24 years is about three percent.

IRIN/Jakarta



Efforts to raise awareness of HIV/Aids in the Indonesian provinces of Papua, which has among the country’s highest rates of infection, and West Papua are making steady though slow progress, say aid workers and government officials. 
“People there believed that HIV/Aids was a curse from God, but that’s no longer the general perception,” said Setyo Warsono, a spokesman for the government’s National Aids Commission (KPA).

Since 2005, reported HIV infections have increased in both these provinces annually, with 535 new cases reported in West Papua and 3,028 in Papua in 2012, where infection rates have outpaced the national average. In Papua new cases more than doubled from 687 in 2009 to 2,499 in 2010. 
Tanah Papua (a local term that includes both Papua and West Papua provinces), 2,000km east of Jakarta, has some of the lowest levels of human development of Indonesia’s 33 provinces, according to the government.

According to a 2012 report from the Joint UN Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS), Tanah Papua was experiencing a low-level HIV epidemic, with a prevalence of 2.4% among the general population (versus a national average of 0.3%). About 30,000 people (22,210 in Papua and 7,160 in West Papua) are estimated to be living with HIV today. 
HIV prevalence among people aged 15-24 in Tanah Papua is 3%.

In 2010 the Papua provincial government, in partnership with UN Children’s Fund (Unicef), introduced a decree to integrate HIV education in schools in Papua Province, which included curriculum development, teacher training and HIV policy support at the district level. 
So far, 876 teachers in 58 secondary schools and 47 primary schools have received the training. 
“From zero teachers in schools teaching HIV awareness, we’ve increased the level markedly,” said Margaret Sheehan, Unicef’s chief of office in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province. “But there’s still a degree of reluctance from teachers to talk about how HIV can be transmitted through sex. More sensitisation work still needs to take place so teachers feel more comfortable.” 
Unicef plans to incorporate HIV education into an upcoming training programme for teachers in rural areas in partnership with the Papua and West Papua governments. 
But with 38% of children aged 7-15 out of school, and the highest provincial proportion of out-of-school children nationwide, aid workers are looking elsewhere to reach youths. 
Unicef is offering life-skills training at youth and Protestant church clubs in a part of the country where church leaders are esteemed in the community and most youths participate in church groups. 

The Papua provincial KPA is using radio, TV and a well-known local football team (given young people’s love of football in the province) to disseminate HIV education. 
Caritas Australia is working with a local NGO to train volunteer peer educators, as well as broadcasting HIV prevention messages through the radio and concerts in the Papuan district of Merauke. 
For the NGO’s programme coordinator in Indonesia, Terry Russell, poor rural infrastructure has been one of the biggest barriers to spreading HIV education. 
“Remote villages have no mobile phone contact, so pre-visits are necessary, and often roads have worsened due to weather or a bridge being down, so the process can be very time-consuming,” he said. In 2011, the government set up a unit in Papua and West Papua to accelerate infrastructure development in Papua’s remote areas, where more than onemn indigenous Papuans live, according to local media. 

Though slow, progress has been steady, say aid workers. 
“In 2005, people with HIV/Aids in Merauke were shunned by their families, but now many more are accepted and many more are willing to undergo HIV/Aids testing,” said Russell. In 2008 some 5,000 people in Tanah Papua were tested for HIV; as of 31 May this year, that figure has risen to 31,443. 
Unicef’s Sheehan said HIV messages on government-sponsored billboards and TV ads are now clearer. Whereas in the past there were billboards of leaders saying “We don’t want HIV”, posters now feature youths with HIV-prevention messages. 
According to the KPA’s Warsono, as of 2013 the government has set up local commissions to continue raising awareness about HIV in 19 of Papua’s 29 districts, and in all of West Papua’s 13 districts.
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