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1) LP3BH Protest Arrest 31 Activists KNPB

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2) New companies threatening the Papuan forest: Number 1 Pacific Inter-link.

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A google translate. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at

1) LP3BH Protest Arrest 31 Activists KNPB

Sorong, Jubi - Institute for Research, Study and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH) Manokwari Yan protest against the arrest of 31 activists of the National Committee of West Papua (KNPB), Friday (06/10/2016) by the Jayapura City Police while distributing leaflets.

Director of the Manokwari LP3BH Yan Christian Warinussy to the Jubi in Sorong, Sunday (12/06/2016), said action Jayapura police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner H. Sirait Marison Tobar and his staff continued it became a legal fact the most serious violations of the rights and freedoms and Google, as well as the rights and freedom of assembly are clearly guaranteed in the constitution of the Indonesian state.

"The deeds of the Jayapura police chief clearly violates the principles of respect for human rights set out in the Criminal Procedure Code and Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been ratified by the Government of Indonesia, "he said.


 
It also urged the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for the UN to send a special rapporteur and intervene and investigate alleged human rights violations in Papua, especially about the implementation of Law No. 9 of 1998 on freedom of expression in public.

In the records of Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) in Papua Road Map, he added, there are four findings into problems in Papua.
First, the effects of marginalization and discrimination against indigenous Papuans (OAP) as a result of economic development, political conflicts and mass migration to Papua since 1970. Bids from LIPI solution is recognition of affirmative policies be developed to empower OAP;

Second, the failure of development especially in the areas of education, health and economic empowerment of the people, which according to LIPI needed some sort of new paradigm of development that focuses on improving public services for the welfare of the villages, the village OAP;
Thirdly, the contradictions of history and political identity construction between Papua and Jakarta that can only be solved by dialogue crate that has been done to Aceh;

Fourth, accountability for past state violence against citizens of Indonesia (OAP). Bids solution of LIPI through the road of reconciliation between human rights court and a truth-telling as options for law enforcement and justice in the Land of Papua, especially for the victims, their families and citizens of Indonesia in Papua in general.

Chairman of the KNPB Sorong Kingdom Kamtius Heselo said KNPB often become victims of physical abuse when it held a demonstration which was considered contrary to the Homeland. (*)
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Related
More KNPB activists arrested in West Papua
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https://awasmifee.potager.org/?p=1426

2) New companies threatening the Papuan forest: Number 1 Pacific Inter-link.

There is currently some momentum for change in the palm oil industry, aiming to reduce its disastrous environmental and social impact. In Papua, some of the biggest companies, such as Sinar Mas, Musim Mas and Wilmar, have all abandoned plantation plans after signing up to ‘no deforestation’ policies.1 The Indonesian Government may also finally take some action to bring the industry under control. A new moratorium on palm oil permits is reportedly being prepared and the Forestry and Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya has made clear that one of the moratorium’s main objectives is to save Papua’s forest.
However, many companies with ambitions to vastly increase their plantation area are still looking to Papua as one of the few areas where large amounts of land are still potentially available. Plantations on this new frontier are often much larger than elsewhere in Indonesia, meaning huge environmental destruction and drastic changes which have a devastating effect on local indigenous populations.
Accurate information on how the oil palm industry is developing in Papua is crucial to be able to assess whether the changes in the industry will actually protect the forest and make a positive difference to the lives of indigenous Papuans, or if it will just give a better image masking the same old problems. Nevertheless, obtaining full data is still a major challenge. This series of articles aims to give it a shot, profiling a few of the newest companies to start operations in Papua, especially companies which have recently started cutting the forest, or appear to be preparing to start work. The first is a particularly worrying case, where forest clearance started last year: Pacific Inter-link.




In a remote area of Southern Papua an immense block of 2,800 square kilometres (the size of Luxembourg, or three times Singapore) of primary rainforest has been given permits for oil palm, and deforestation has already started. In an incredibly brazen move by local politicians, (later supported by the Forestry Ministry), this whole area was given away to just one company, the Menara Group, divided into seven contiguous concessions.
The Menara Group has since sold most of the concessions to two Malaysian-based companies: Pacific Inter-link took four of the concessions (PT Megakarya Jaya Raya, PT Kartika Cipta Pratama, PT Graha Kencana Mulia and PT Energi Samudera Kencana) and Tadmax Sdn Bhd took two (PT Trimegah Karya Utama and PT Manunggal Sukses Mandiri). The remaining concession, PT Usaha Nabati Terpadu, either still belongs to the Menara Group or has been sold to an unknown buyer.

Pacific Inter-link started work on one of the concessions, PT Megakarya Jaya Raya in mid 2015. Satellite images show that by April 2016, 2,840 hectares of forest had been cleared. About one third of that area was on deep peat, and the area lies within an intact forest landscape. Most of PT Megakarya Jaya Raya’s concession is classified on Indonesian government maps as primary forest, as are the other three concessions.
It isn’t easy to greenwash the conversion of 160,000 hectares of primary rainforest to palm oil plantation. Nevertheless, Pacific Inter-link makes a lame attempt to do just that on its website, stating that “Lots of careful measures are taken to ensure no ecological damage takes place due to this project.” The company did not respond to a request to view high conservation value assessments or social and environmental impact assessment.
How did one company manage to get its hands on so much land? There are no local groups in this remote area which have been able to undertake a full investigation. However, corruption must be suspected. The Boven Digoel Regency Head, Yusak Yaluwo, issued the initial location permits in July 2010, three months after being arrested on unrelated corruption charges. He was found guilty in November that year, and declared non-active by the interior minister. Nevertheless, despite being imprisoned in Sukamiskin Prison, Bandung, there were frequent allegations that Yusak Yaluwo was continuing to run the Boven Digoel government from his prison cell by mobile phone. He was officially removed from his post in May 2013, but wasn’t formally replaced by his deputyuntil June 2014. The upshot of this bizarre story is that there was no effective local government in Boven Digoel for three and a half years, the time which the Menara Group was engaged in the permit process for the plantations which would later be sold to Pacific Inter-link.
At the same time in the Aru Islands in Maluku, the Menara Group had tried to claim an even larger area for a sugar-cane plantation. However, as a strong local campaign was unearthing irregularities at every level, the Forestry Minister eventually declared that the plantation would not go ahead, giving the reason that the land was not suitable for sugar cane after all.
The land which is being cleared is near an indigenous village, Kampung Anggai, but there have been no reports of how the local people view the company, nor what methods the company used to persuade people to allow it to use their land.
Tadmax, the other company involved, has so far not developed its concessions, claiming to be looking for a partner, or to sell the land. Its 2015 Annual report states that “the Group is in the process of identifying parties to undertake a plantation development (both on its own or through joint ventures) and/or outright disposal of all or part of the land or a combination of the above. “
Previously both Pacific Inter-link and Tadmax had signed up to a joint venture in 2012 for an integrated timber complex which would use the wood from their concessions, but there is no recent news that might indicate the plan is still going ahead.

Pacific Inter-link is based in Malaysia, but is part of the privately-owned Yemeni conglomerate, the Hayel Sayed Anam Group. Its plantation in Boven Digoel is the company’s first, but palm oil has long been part of its core business and the company has a presence at almost all levels of the industry. It operates refineries on Sumatra, is a trader of crude palm oil which it buys from other plantation companies, and markets consumer goods produced from palm oil under a number of brand names: Avena, Madina, Pamin and Sheeba cooking oils, Saba Juliet and Meditwist Soap and Milgro milk products. As well as South East Asia, Pacific Inter-links products are marketed in the Middle East and Africa, where its brands have a dominant market position.
This high degree of vertical integration in its supply chain insulates Pacific Inter-link from the pressures on other palm oil producers, which have to contend with the possibility that if they continue to deforest, their product may be boycotted by several of the largest palm oil traders.
However, the concessions have caught the eye of Forestry and Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya. In an interview with foresthints.news she described how existing palm oil permits will be reviewed in preparation for a moratorium, “Several of our findings indicate that in areas where forest release permits have been granted since 2011 in Papua, nothing has been done there and they are simply landbanks. We even found that some of these permits have been traded. For example, seven forest release permits for palm oil development in that province [Papua], amounting to almost 300 thousand hectares, were sold to a number of business groups in Malaysia. This practice of trading involves 20 percent of the areas that should be given to communities.”
Pacific Inter-link is an RSPO member as a trading and processing company, but has not mentioned the existence of its plantations in any submissions to the RSPO. Neither has the company responded to requests for information from awasMIFEE.
The situation is extremely alarming: what is likely to be the largest single palm oil plantation development project ever to take place in Indonesia is happening in an area of primary rainforest, containing peat swamps, and with no information whatsoever on how the plantation is affecting the tribes living in one of the remotest areas of Papua. A large area has been cleared already, but this is still only so far only 1% of the total areas under permit. Serious and immediate attention is needed on how the Menara Group, and subsequently Pacific Inter-link managed to get control of such a large area, and it needs to be held to account on its potentially devastating social and environmental impact.

  1. in the case of Wilmar, the abandoned plantations would have planted sugar-cane. 
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1) Govt assures transparency in resolving Papua cases: Luhut

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2) MSG too politicised: Ambassador Joy
3) Papua journalists threatened over poll coverage

4) Former Hanura Lawmaker Jailed for 6 Years in Papua Bribery Case
5) Papua ready to continue EU-funded green development program
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1) Govt assures transparency in resolving Papua cases: Luhut
Marguerite Afra Sapiie The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Mon, June 13 2016 | 07:30 pm
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring openness and transparency in resolving human rights abuse cases in Papua.
“If our people [government officials] are found guilty of wrongdoing, we will also punish them,” he said during a hearing at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.
Currently, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Attorney General's Office are investigating three cases of gross human rights violations in Papua, namely the Wamena and Wasior incidents, which took place in 2001 and 2003 respectively, and the Paniai shooting in 2014, Luhut said.
The minister further said the government had invited several foreign ambassadors, including those from Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand, to witness Indonesia's efforts to resolve the cases.
Luhut claimed government officials had been making a good progress in resolving the cases, adding that the government would remain open to any group who wanted to join the efforts.
With the progress, Luhut said, the Indonesian government would not allow any foreign organizations or government branches to conduct independent fact-finding regarding the cases in Papua, adding that the government would take tough action if foreign entities were proven to have done so, Luhut added. (ebf)



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2) MSG too politicised: Ambassador Joy

Posted: Monday, June 13, 2016 8:00 am
By Godwin Ligo and Len Garae | The Vanuatu Ambassador to Brussels, Roy Mickey Joy, says the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) is too politicized, has lost its Melanesian integrity and what it stood for.
Mr Joy made this statement to Daily Post when asked if he was still interested in the possibility of becoming the next Director General of the Melanesian Regional Institution, if the upcoming MSG Leaders Meeting in Suva decides to re-advertise the post of the Director General.
“Honestly, I am no longer interested,” was his simple and direct answer.
Asked to elaborate he said, “Because the MSG has been too politicized by the member leaders and the MSG has tarnished its integrity.
“There are a lot questions being asked abroad by international organizations about the image of the MSG in Melanesia and the Pacific region.”
Joy was the Vanuatu candidate for the MSG top post, when it became vacant.
The Vanuatu Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai, wrote a letter to the MSG who is the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogovare, advising him of the Vanuatu candidate.
But shortly after, the member countries learnt that the MSG Chair had already appointed Fiji’s candidate to the top post.
Daily Post understands that the Fiji’s candidate arrived in Port Vila to take his post.
In the meantime, the Daily Post also understands that the pending issue of the Director General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) will be on top of the agenda in the upcoming MSG leaders meeting in Fiji.
“Whatever the outcome, I am no longer interested because the MSG leaders have politicized the Melanesian Institution and likewise with the MSG Secretariat in Port Vila,” Ambassador Joy told the Daily Post.
“Transparency and guiding rules have not been followed when the MSG is supposed to be an independent and impartial and transparent organization.
“Its influence is at stake. Organizations in the region and abroad are watching and questioning what’s going on in the MSG and the leadership of the MSG.
“As a long serving Ambassador abroad, I am calling on the MSG leaders to come to a drawing board as to how far we have come and where we are going,” stated the Vanuatu Ambassador to Brussels.
He said his second mandate as the Vanuatu Ambassador to Brussels ends in March 2017.
“If the offer is made to me by the Vanuatu Government for a third term in Brussels, I will take it because I want to stand for my country.
“I have always been patriotic regionally and abroad about upholding the image of my country Vanuatu abroad,” Mr Joy said.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Ambassadors of the Africa Caribbean Pacific Secretariat in Brussels is meeting next week, to prepare a dossier on West Papua for eventual submission to the Council of Ministers of the European Parliament four months away in October.
This was confirmed by the Dean of Ambassadors who is the Vanuatu Ambassador to the European Union, Roy Mickey Joy, during his accreditation to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and World Food Programme (WFP) in Port Vila last Friday.
The Ambassador took the opportunity to assure the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Leingkone, that every workload on West Papua is now on the shoulders of Vanuatu’s special representative to ACP, young and energetic MP Marco Mahe.
“We at the Embassy in Brussels will work closely with MP Mahe, through the Committee of Ambassadors, to ensure that by the time you (Minister of Foreign Affairs) arrive in Brussels in October, we will have made enough consultations and engagements with the European Parliament and members of ACP to support the dossier on West Papua,” Ambassador Joy said.
He asked the Minister to advise the Government that his team on the ground is fully engaged on the West Papua case.
“I have already briefed the Council of Ministers that the Committee of Ambassadors will be meeting in Brussels on the West Papua case next week,” the Minister said.
The Ambassador replied that as Dean of Ambassadors, he will make sure that the West Papua dossier is supported by member countries of Africa Caribbean Pacific.

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3) Papua journalists threatened over poll coverage

7:50 pm on 13 June 2016
Journalists have been intimidated and threatened while covering an election in the Mamberamo Raya regency of Indonesia's Papua province.
Each polling station in the regency was covered by a journalist but according to the Jakarta Post, there was widespread infringement on their work.
Vivanews.com journalist, Banjir Ambarita, said all journalists were intimidated and prohibited from taking pictures of the election by supporters of one candidate.
Rivand Nay, of Papua television station RCTI, was threatened by a group of men armed with bows, arrows and machetes at a polling station.
Mr Rivand said police Mobile Brigade officers witnessed him having his camera seized and being blocked from doing his work, but did nothing to help.
Papua Post journalist Gultom Pangaribuan said he and 10 other people were taken hostage at another polling station.
He said police officers present were too afraid to take action.
Meanwhile there are reports that up to 31 members of the separatist West Papua National Committee had been arrested by police.
Local media reports say the members of KNPB were arrested last Friday for handing out leaflets, advertising a rally planned for this Wednesday.
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4) Former Hanura Lawmaker Jailed for 6 Years in Papua Bribery Case

By : Jakarta Globe | on 5:36 PM June 13, 2016
Jakarta. The Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court sentenced a former lawmaker to six years in prison on Monday (13/06) for her involvement in a Papuan power plant bribery case.
Dewie Yasin Limpo — who was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a sting operation last October and subsequently fired from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) — was proven guilty of receiving bribes in exchange for ensuring the House of Representatives approved funding for a micro-hydroelectric plant in Deiyai district in this year's state budget.
Presiding judge Mas'ud also ordered Dewi to pay a Rp 200 million ($15,000) fine, or serve another three months in jail.
Dewie's expert staffer Bambang Wahyuhadi – who facilitated the kickback – received a similar sentence.
However, the sentence handed down by the court was more lenient, as prosecutors demanded a nine-year jail term and a Rp 300 million fine.
Deiyai mining office head Irenius Adi and Abdi Bumi Cendrawasih director Setiadi Jusuf were earlier found guilty by the same court and each sentenced to two years in prison for providing the bribe money.
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5) Papua ready to continue EU-funded green development program
Nether Dharma Somba The Jakarta Post
Jayapura, Papua | Mon, June 13 2016 | 08:48 pm


The Papua administration has said it will continue with programs developed in conjunction with the Participatory Monitoring by Civil Society of Land Use Planning for Low-Emission Development Strategy (ParCimon), which will expire this year.
“The Papua administration has always supported any program, which can provide better living standards, both directly or indirectly, such as the green development program introduced by ParCimon to the people of Papua,” Papua Deputy Governor Klemen Tinal said during a joint press conference with EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam Vincent Guérend in Jayapura on Monday.
Tinal said his administration would sign a memorandum of understanding with local administrations at regency and municipality levels on the implementation of the green development program in their respective areas. 
Begun in Papua in 2013, ParCimon seeks to carry out capacity-building programs on green development for people in three regencies, namely Merauke, Jayapura and Jayawijaya.
Sonya Dewi, the Indonesia country coordinator of the World Agroforestry Center, or the International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), said ParCimon had cooperated to strengthen the capacity of the three regencies so that all parties there could plan, implement and monitor and evaluate green development activities, which were sustainable.  
“The capacity building of local administrations can reduce obstacles to achieving our greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments and support our efforts to achieve low-emission development, which involve all parties,” said Sonya.
Guérend hoped the administrations of the three regencies could continue the ParCimon program and duplicate the program there to be implemented in other regencies.
In Jayapura, Sonya said, the Low Emission Development Initiative (IPRE) task force had managed to develop eight mitigation actions to reduce emissions by up to 19.2 million tons CO2 equivalent.
Under the ParCimon program, local residents in villages in the three regencies have been trained how to measure greenhouse gas emissions and to participate in green development in a concrete way. (ebf)
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Media release-Intimidation of KNPB and student activists increases. 65 more activists arrested on the 13 June

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Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)


Media release- 14 June 2016


Intimidation of KNPB and student activists increases. 65 more activists arrested on the 13 June


The AWPA condemns the arrests of 65 KNPB and student activists in Sentani and 4 in Nabire on the 13 June. 


Joe Collins of AWPA said, “the security forces are doing everything possible to stifle any raising of awareness of the issue of West Papua by cracking down on peaceful rallies and in this case arresting people for simply handing out leaflets about the upcoming rally planned for the 15 June".


Local media (suarapapua.com) has reported the arrests.  Previously 31 KNPB activists were arrested in Jayapura on Friday the 10 June.

Although the activists have been released a number were injured by being hit with canes.


In relation to the 31 activists arrest on the 10 June the Director of Manokwari’s LP3BH (Institute for Research, Study and Development of Legal Aid) reported to local media Jubi that  “The deeds of the Jayapura police chief clearly violates the principles of respect for human rights set out in the Criminal Procedure Code and Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been ratified by the Government of Indonesia”, (google translate Jubi 13 June).


Joe Collins of AWPA said, it is hoped that the governments in the region (the MSG leaders are meeting in Fiji) are noting the mass arrests in West Papua and will raise concerns with Jakarta about the abuses in West Papua and that they will urge Jakarta to allow rallies like the one planned for the 15 June to go ahead peacefully. 

 Ends

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A google translate. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
http://suarapapua.com/2016/06/13/polisi-tangkap-65-aktivis-knpb-dan-mahasiswa-sentani-dan-empat-aktivis-knpb-ditahan-nabire/

Police Arrest 65 Activists KNPB and Students in Sentani and Four KNPB Activists Detained in Nabire
Author Arnold Belau - June 13, 2016

Deterrence KNPB activists and students in Sentani time for flyers on the street before it was taken to the police station Doyo, Sentani, 06/13/2016. (Photo: Doc KNPB Sentani region)




JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com- National Spokesperson West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Center, bazookas Logo reported, police officers from the Jayapura Police have arrested 65 activists and students KNPB Sentani region on June 13, 2016 around 13.15 CET lunch at Sentani while distributing leaflets Papuans peaceful demonstration to be held on 15 June. While four KNPB activists in Nabire have not repatriated until today.

"They (KNPB activists and students) were released in the afternoon after being held several hours at the police. They were arrested while giving out leaflets in Sentani, said bazookas to suarapapua.com of Jayapura, Monday (06/13/2016).

The police action related to the increasingly repressive, KNPB asked the police to stop the violent attitude of silence the democratic space and stop the efforts being made to criminalize peaceful resistance movements struggle without ceasing built by the people of Papua.

"Police stop already with the old-fashioned measures being implemented in Papua. If this is true Neagra demokasi countries realize that democracy exists. Not even raped by the actions of the ancient. This age of technology and Papua are being monitored world, "said bazookas.

Meanwhile, Allen Halitopo, chairman of KNPB Sentani confirmed suarapapua.com confirmed the arrests of activists and students at the KNPB Sentani. Allen said all the arrested had been freed. There is only one student who is currently experiencing health problems. He was arrested at the airport Sentani.

"It's a very nasty Neagra evidence against the Papuans. Police stopped doing things that were unthinkable desired by everyone. We're trying to take care of Wiliam Kaibu Because he had not realized until this moment. He had not realized due to him what to do with the police until now we do not know. He was arrested by the police and interrogated in KP3U Sentani Airport, "said Halitopo.

Kronologisya, at 13:15 CEST policemen from the Police Doyo, Jayapura district came with a five motorcycle patrol, three Kijang Avanza, a Military Police patrol deer, two trucks full of weapons Dalmas with equipment to disperse and capture KNBP 64 activists and students who are out flyers on the way to the people of Papua, the arrest occurred at Jalan Raya Sentani, in front of Hotel Ratna.

Police forcibly encourage students and chairman of KNPB Sentani area dragged on the asphalt. They were forced to get into trucks to be brought to the police station Dalmas Doyo. Wakapolres Jayapura, Commissioner Arnold Tata threatened and issued a four-letter words and threatened to jail the KNPB activists and students during an argument.

"You will not be free, you have no right to speak even flyers you for it stirs up the people," said Wakapolres Jayapura, said Alen Halitopo quoted Wakapolres.

Allen said, he had asked for the reason police arrested activists and mahasisawa KNPB it but premises slapped two brutal apparatus KNPB members on behalf of Edo Bahabol and Naila Kossay. As a result, they can be injured in the clash of heads.

"They (the police) hit us with a cane. After ditanggkap was on his way to the police station Doyo stopped at the entrance of the Hospital Yowari, Doyo, threatened me with reasons that are not fundamental. In fact, they threatened me. They say, Allen if you clean hard we will jail you, "said Allen.

After being detained and interrogated for several hours at the police station Doyo, the kativis KNPB Sentani region and students sent home.

"We discharged afternoon around 4pm. There are several activists KNPB no bumps in the body and bruises on the head from being hit with a cane by the police. Wiliam Kaibu had not realized until this moment, "he said.

Besides officials in Jayapura Police have also confiscated Motor, Helm, HP brand Nokia, Glasses, Billboards betuliskan "WELCOME TO THE WORSHIP OF MUSLIMS PUASAH", two brands Canon camera belonging Uncen students.

In addition, the spokesman KNPB Nabire Region, Des Goo from Nabire reported, four activists KNPB Nabire region have also been detained at Nabire police station when an action notification letter to the police at the police station in Nabire, Papua.

"At around 9 am CDT, to deliver the letter notification to the police station. But until now they have not come home. We've been to the police station and they were in police custody Nabire. The reason they arrest are not clear, "said Goo.

Tekait detention of four activists KNPB These Nabire, Goo said, the arrest of four activists were not going to make a step KNPB Territory Nabire to get off on June 15 at low tide.

"We will stay down jaln June 15. Please police arrested and lower into custody. We will make the prison as our castles. We'll go down to the strength of the people of West Papua nation in Nabire. We ask Kaporles Nabire to clear the Nabire police station jail, "he said.

Activists KNPB and student activists arrested in Sentani are Yali Wenda, Cartoon Lokobal, Kalep Siringon, Menus Erelak, Yetius Wenda, Obet Sobolim, DIUS Tepmul, Melly Tepmul, Liwang Uropmabin, Detinus Enumbi, Sheatiel Suhuniap, Vitus Nelaud, Talinap Yali, Wene Abua, Meki Tabuni, Elinatan Basini, Mambalek Yeke, Isok Mer, Ina Walo, Risal Simbu, Nito Bahabol, Fredi Walianggen, Lipen Taplo, Herson Silak, Odi Balingga, Kenis Nabyal, Arius Tepmul, Julius Walle, Noris Uopmabin, Derina Kossay, Timi Upmabin, Emi Frances Tepmul, Kince Komba, Benoit Mirin, Aston Kona, Abel Pusop, Lenius Taplo, Peni Hisage, Jesse Wilil, Gethsemane jagar Yahuli, Ras Balingga, Omi Balingga, Beniyoni Tepmul, Dinus Tepmul, Manias Siep, Yetina Loho, Elison Logo, Enis Jikwa, Alex Hisage, Penius Wisal, Yantenus Jikwa, Orai Bahabol, Simon Murip, FinCEN Dogopya, Teni Tenggket, Soi Josep Ulunggi, Israel Wenda, Pitu Marian, Oseh Bahabol, Melki Halitopo, Eka Bembok, Kenis Nabyal, Arius Tepmul and Noris Uopmabin. Wiliam Kaibu known at Sentani Airport arrested and interrogated in KP3U Sentani.

While detained at the police station was the chairman of KNPB Nabire Nabire region Gobai Anton, Secretary KNPB Yakop Ugipa, Mote Akulian PRD Chairman and members of KNPB Melkizedik Yeimo.

Earlier, police from Jayapura City Police have also arrested and detained 31 activists KNPB Port Numbay area and then released. (Read: 31 KNPB Activists Freed, KNPB: Police Should Not Allow Exempt But Resistant They)

Announcers: Arnold Belau


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Photo from KNPB Numbay Facebook page


1) KNPB Rallies Shouldn’t Be Restricted, says Councillor

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2) Political Statement About Decolonisation At FestPac Was Necessary
3) Golfer Fraction Rejects Refugees Settlement in Papua

4) Papua Forum Discusses Transportation Issues

5) Accelerating Papua Development, Government Plans Papua Development Authority
6) Several Injured in Cessna Aircraft Landing Incident in Papua

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1) KNPB Rallies Shouldn’t Be Restricted, says Councillor 
13 June 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – Chairman of Hanura Fraction of Papua Legislative Council Yan Permenas Mandenas urged Police to not restrict and stop the West Papua National Committee from staging rallies despite its support for an independent Papua.
He said Papua Legislative Council is the house of people and is a place for people to voice their aspirations, regardless their background or affiliations, as long as it is legal.
“I think the Police shouldn’t keep blocking the West Papua National Committee in doing a rally. The Central Government shouldn’t always underestimate them. Especially in Papua Parliament’s Office, anyone can express their aspirations. It is the house of people, as long as not against the rule,” said Mandenas on last weekend.
He said the Police should be wise to read the situation on the ground. Giving permission to do a rally at the Papua Parliament Office, for example, is better than let them do it on the street because it would disturb the people’s activities. Let the councilors meet them and manage their aspiration, give it a political, development, social and legal review before pass it to related stakeholders.
“KNPB shouldn’t do a rally on the street; it seems there is no room for aspirations. Let them go to the parliament office. It’s a support from Hanura Fraction; we do not take any symbols against to the Constitution. Even it’s related to the aspirations for independence, they must express their voice in here,” he said.
Separately, the councilor from the Commission I of the Papua Legislative Council for Government, Political, Legal and Human Rights Affairs, Laurenzus Kadepa said the parliament does not discriminate anyone because it opens to all aspirations of any groups. But the Police seem to discriminate people in providing the permit for demonstration.
“It is not about politic, but justice in the space of democracy. Whatever is their ideology, do not restrict them in expressing their aspirations,” said Kadepa, politician from NasDem Party who is also the member of Hanura Fraction of Papua Legislative Council.
According to him, the Police was deliberately allowing the certain groups to express their aspiration though they do not have the permit. But on the other hand, the certain groups such as KNPB is restricted, being stopped and give limited space to express their aspirations. (*)
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2) Political Statement About Decolonisation At FestPac Was Necessary
13 June 2016
By Kisha Borja-Quichocho-Calvo
DURING the closing ceremony for the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, a few Chamoru activists came together to make a political statement. We sacrificed four of our official FestPac wraps and made banners with the following words on them: “Decolonize Oceania” and “Free Guåhan.” And when it was time for the Guåhan delegation to parade onto the main platform, we walked around the Paseo Stadium with these banners.
Why did we take such an action?

It must be understood that this action was necessary for a number of reasons.
First, it was necessary to demonstrate that FestPac is not just an event which highlights the beautiful cultural facets of our Pacific communities — songs, dances, chants, poetry, artwork, food, navigation. It is also an event which should remind us of the historical and political struggles of our peoples, of the social and political unrest in our Pacific Island nations (such as in the Marianas, West Papua, Hawai’i, Kanaky/New Caledonia) and the beauty in our ability to survive hundreds of years of colonialism.
Second, the action was necessary to show that we stand in solidarity with other Pacific islanders’ resistance movements.
Finally, this action was necessary to express the Chamoru situation. Guåhan remains a U.S. colony and Chamorus here have yet to vote for our political status. This is a very big deal, and others throughout the region and around the world need to know about it, and how there is a community of people who stand against the status quo.
And while there seemed to be mixed reactions toward our action (several of our mañaina or elders chanted “Biba Chamoru,” blew their kulo’ shells, and held up our island’s flag; others seemed confused; some even thought that that FestPac was not the appropriate venue for the action), it was an action that made a very clear, very bold statement: We recognize the struggles of our sisters and brothers throughout Oceania, including their movements against different colonial powers, movements regarding climate change and movements against violence toward Pacific islanders.
We stand in solidarity with the Kanaka Maoli, Kanak, Marshallese, i-Kiribati and West Papuans. We stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the region who are fighting to keep their cultures thriving, especially in places where they are the minority.
Further, we wanted to inform our local, regional and international communities of the struggle for political self-determination for the Chamoru people of Guåhan, how we have yet to exercise our rights as an indigenous people and how there is a strong movement to politically decolonize and liberate our indigenous community. As the oldest colony in Oceania, it is very important that this message be made known.
The FestPac closing ceremony could not have been a more perfect event to take action and make a political statement. FestPac is not solely a cultural event; it is very much a political event. After all, if it weren’t for the many political movements that occurred throughout the region — with indigenous languages and traditional practices, movements which were rooted in culture — then perhaps major changes in the region would not have been made.
We must stop thinking that we live in an island paradise, a utopia of peace and harmony. Because there is nothing peaceful about our indigenous peoples living on colonies, where we can’t make decisions for ourselves. There is nothing harmonious about being unable to control or even negotiate what the U.S./France/Chile/Taiwan wants to do with our lands. There is nothing utopic about the rejection of our right to decolonize ourselves.
The action that we took at the FestPac closing ceremony was necessary to make a statement, not just for Guåhan, but for the entire Pacific region. The world was watching us that night; hopefully, they heard our message, too. (*)
The author is a resident of Mangilao, Guam


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3) Golfer Fraction Rejects Refugees Settlement in Papua
11 June 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – The Golkar faction at the Papua Legislative Council rejected a decision by the Batam Immigration Office tto relocate some refugees and asylum-seekers from Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia and Afganistan to Papua due to a shortage of shelters.
Golkar faction Chairman Ignasius W Mimin said the group rejected the plan because Papua is not a ‘trash basket’ or shelters for undocumented people and that Batam Immigration Office should not randomly move those immigrants to Papua.
“While the Indonesian citizens who come to Papua would be limited. Now Papuan stakeholders are struggling to protect the indigenous Papuans by restricting the migrants from other Indonesian regions. So how could we accept foreign citizens? Papua doesn’t need them. The goal is not clear,” Mimin told Jubi on Friday (10/6/2016).

He also question why should the refugees and asylum-seekers to be transfered to the Immigration Detention House in Jayapura, Papua instead of to other provinces. He asked Batam Immigration Office to review its plan.
“Do not just send those refugees and asylum-seekers to Papua. Moreover, they are coming from troubled countries and have no clear purpose. Papua is not such a region to accommodate the trouble,” he said.
He said this plan should be coordinated first with the Papua Provincial Government, not only included the Jayapura Immigration Office. He worried this would raise a new problem in Papua.
Some refugees and asylum-seekers from several countries such as Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan are planning to be moved in Papua due to the shelters in Batam have been overloaded.
Batam Immigration Office Chief Agus Widjaja said currently there are 351 refugees and asylum-seekers in Batam. They are now staying at Sekupang Immigration Detention House and a hotel in Nagoya area. In the near future, some of them were scheduled to be transferred to Jayapura.
“58 refugees are now staying at Sekupang Immigration Detention House, while the rest is in Nagoya. The unmarried occupants in Nagoya will be replaced to Jayapura,” he said.
He further said they run out the proper shelters for refugees in Batam. Sekupang Immigration Detention House only has a capacity for 72 people. If they were accommodated in the hotel, there would be not a control facility such as at the Detention House. They are free to come-and-go from the hotel and go around Batam. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
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4) Papua Forum Discusses Transportation Issues

11 June 2016

Wamena, Jubi – Officials from transportation offices throughout Papua Province held a technical coordination meeting to try to find solutions to problems facing the sector.
Papua Governor Lukas Enembe in a speech read by Jayawijaya Regional Secretary Yohanes Walilo in Wamena, Friday (10/6/2016) said this meeting should be used as a way to to share and result in a strategic decision to resolve the transportation issues in Papua.
It is also to find solutions regarding to the difficulty access of transportation to some areas in Papua that cause the increase of price. Development of transportation infrastructure in remote areas is including the development and improvement of services as well as pioneering services delivery to coastal areas, water transportation and pioneering flight to remote areas.
“This forum should create solutions to eliminate isolated areas in Papua,” he said.
The opening of isolated areas is expected to support the growth and services of another sectors as well as to support the regional development.
Jayawijaya Reginal Secretary Yohanes Walilo to reporter said this forum was expected to provide supports to some areas that are still strungling with the transportation access.
“For example, in Wamena we still depend on air transportation and there are some regencies that could not be accessed by land transportation. Therefore through this forum, it is expected that we can make the same perception on transportation development in the future,” said Walilo.
He admitted the level of expensiveness in the Papua highland area has yet to be resolved. Therefore the road construction is expected to reduce the price of goods. “We hope this forum could raise a collective agreement about ticketing price that quite expensive for the people, especially before the feast,” he said. (Islami Adisubrata/rom)
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5) Accelerating Papua Development, Government Plans Papua Development Authority
10 June 2016

Jakarta, Jubi – Despite the failure of the Papua and Papua Barat Development Acceleration Unit, the Indonesian government is planning to form another development institution in Papua called the Papua Development Authority (PDA).
PDA would have special authority and flexibility in both the management system and implementation of activities for accelerating the development through the synchronization of sectoral development and territorial customary, and by considering the political aspect and the weakness of program management ‘machine’ in the Central Government.
“Its tasks include planning and creating budget policies, delegation, implementation, and controlling,” Rd. Siliwanti, MPIA, Director of BAPPENAS, told Jubi at Training Center of the State Ministry Office in Jakarta, Thursday (9/6/2016).

Its steering committee would consist of the president, several ministers and the governors of Papua and Papua Barat. The Steering Committee would be assigned to build a political development consensus between the Central Government and Provincial Government of Papua and Papua Barat; to provide general guidance and public policy; and to provide guidance on the implementation and control of development policy; as well as to provide guidance, policy and control over budget management.
Besides to PDA, the Government is considering three alternatives, said Siliwanti. “There is also a plan to form an institution called Coordination and Strategic Management Agency, that would be under the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs in order to optimize the performance of ministries or institutions at the central level,” said Siliwanti.
Of the four alternatives, according to her, based on review by BAPPENAS team, only PDA has a chance to be well implemented. “It’s only the government’s idea. Inputs from any stakeholders are still opened. So far, we are up to the stage of discussion, dialogue.  No decision yet,” said Siliwanti.
She also added this idea has been also discussed with the provincial government of Papua and Papua Barat through Regional Development Planning Agency (BAPPEDA) of both provinces.
Further she said the institution would not only concern to development problems, but also to solve the human rights violation and security problems in Papua. However these ideas need to be discussed separately.
“It is such idea, but it needs to be discussed separately. For example, there is input from Ms. Adriana Elisabeth from LIPI (Indonesian Science Institute) that the institution should only focus on the problems related to the development, but it needs to make synergy and coordination with other institutions working on the human rights and security resolution,” said Siliwanti. (Victor Mambor/rom)

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6) Several Injured in Cessna Aircraft Landing Incident in Papua

By : Robert Isidorus | on 12:06 PM June 14, 2016

Jakarta. Several people were injured in a landing incident involving a Cessna 208B aircraft at Nop Goliat Airstrip in Yahukimo, Papua, on Tuesday morning (14/06).
The aircraft – belonging to local air carrier Associated Mission Aviation – failed to smoothly land in the airport’s runway and hit a residential area near the airport at 7.58 a.m. local time.
“When the airplane was about to land, it hit the residence area. Following the incident, two passengers, pilot and residents were injured,” Associated Mission Aviation director Djarot Soetanto said.
According to the latest communication with pilot Brian Potingger, the machine of aircraft was burned during the flight, said Djarot.
The passengers have been rushed to the hospital for further treatment.
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1) Rallies in West Papua

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2) Activists condemn new crackdown on Papuans – 100 arrested in 4 days
3) NZ MPs want action on West Papua mission
4) Open letter to Mr Andre Siregar Indonesian Consul to Darwin
5) Indonesia to develop special economic zone in Sorong
6) Behind Indonesia’s Red Scare
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1) Rallies in West Papua
A large number of rallies took place in West Papua today. Many reports  with photos of the rallies have been posted on various Facebook pages West Papua Media had a live feed.
It is understood that over 700 security force personal were brought in to control the demonstrators.
Just 2 postings on Facebook below plus a report from surapapua.com.
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1,200 KNPB Members have been arrested and are being held by police in the police station in Jayapura (Polres) in Doyo Sentani. KNPB in are in the Town Hall, Sentani - Jayapura.
source: KNPB Sentani
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"KNPB Timika News:- Today, the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Region Timika, NRFPB, WPNCL and thousands of Papuans consisting of several denominations of the Church, of the Government, as well as children of school employees, took part in the action of peace rallies held by KNPB at the Roundabout Timika Indah, before the House Emeneme Yaware on Wednesday June 15, 2016.
There were over a 1000 people taking action in the march, which was obstructed by the TNI/Police in front of the Timika roundabout in Emeneme Yauware
In accordance with the Notice, the KNPB had already given a notification letter to the Police that, KNPB Timika were marching down the road in accordance with the agenda of the National Command. Its targets are in office of Regional People's Representative Assembly (DPRD) Mimika.
Dear people of Papua, Police Chief Yustanto stopped the march saying we can't be in the street. Where is the place to convey the aspirations of the people of Papua?
Wow DPRD (Member of Parliament building) is for who and what? The chairman of the West Papua Parliament in Timika informed the KNPB that he would welcome them into the parliament building, but the Indonesian Police and military blocked and closed the building. The Police lied to the KNPB and the West Papuan people, stating that all the Members of Parliament had a meeting in Jayapura.
The peaceful march was obstructed in Timika's beautiful roundabout at 09. 00 s / d 2.00 WPB today. There is still a roundabout Oration happening in Timika Indah."
source: KNPB Timika - Wendanax'soon Nggembu Enggilek
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A google translate. Be -aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at

Korlap Action in Housing III Waena Take Action Period Stay Calm

Author Arnold Belau - June 15, 201601

JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com- Thousands action commanded by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) intercepted by military and police. Coordinator of the action still negotiating with officers who were in the place of action. Action coordinator invites all past actions remain calm. Because negotiations are ongoing.

"We ask all members of the KNPB, the people of Papua and sympathizers to remain calm place. Let old also remain calm. Our action was peaceful and not anarchy, "said Elihud Dabi, Korlap in Housing III Waena, Wednesday (15/06/2016).

Elihud say, if until later authorities did not leave the room to go to the office of DPR Papua, the Papuan people will remain in place.

"If the apparatus is still clean hard and hold us here, we will fill ourselves so arrested. Or until DPRP came to see us here, "he said.

Filep Karma who also participated in the protest said the situation like this is easy once provocateur play action, for that, he hopes all future action can be patient.

"The smart provocateur steal opportunity. Do not give a chance on him. Still participate coordinators. Do not create additional movement, "urged him, as he followed Papua independence slogans.

Until this news was broadcast, korlap action is still negotiating with the security forces.

As reported earlier, 250 mass action were arrested and have been secured at the police station Doyo. In Wamena, 100 people have been arrested and detained at the police station Jayawijaya and hundreds of other Papua masses had reached the parliament office Jayawiaya. While in Timika, blockading forces mass in the central town of Timika.

Announcers: Stephen Yogi

Editor: Arnold Belau


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2) Activists condemn new crackdown on Papuans – 100 arrested in 4 days
  

The Australian West Papua Association has condemned the arrest of 65 KNPB (National Committee of West Papua) and student activists in Sentani and 4 in Nabire on Monday. Local news media, such as Suara Papua, have reported the latest arrests, as well as 31 KNPB activists being arrested in the capital Jayapura last Friday, bringing the total of arrests to at least 100 in four days.
“The Indonesian security forces are doing everything possible to stifle any raising of awareness of the issue of West Papua by cracking down on peaceful rallies,” said Joe Collins of AWPA. “In this case they arresting people for simply handing out leaflets about the upcoming rally planned for 15 June 15  [today].”
Although the activists have been released, many were injured by being thrashed with canes. Suarapapua.com reported that Allen Halitopo, chairman of KNPB Sentani, had confirmed the arrests of activists and students at the KNPB Sentani.
Now freed
Allen said all the arrested had been freed. There is only one student who was currently experiencing health problems. He was arrested at the airport Sentani.
In relation to the 31 activists arrested on the June 10, the Director of Manokwari’s LP3BH (Institute for Research, Study and Development of Legal Aid) reported to local media Tabloid Jubi that  “the deeds of the Jayapura police chief clearly violate the principles of respect for human rights set out in the Criminal Procedure Code and Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been ratified by the government of Indonesia”.  [Google translation]
Collins said it was hoped that the governments in the Pacific region (the Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders are due to meet in Fiji) are noting the mass arrests in West Papua.
He called on the MSG to raise concerns with Jakarta about the abuses in West Papua and to urge Jakarta to allow rallies like the one planned for today to go ahead peacefully.

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3) NZ MPs want action on West Papua mission
3:16 pm today
New Zealand politicians want the government to press for progress on a high level fact-finding mission to Indonesia's Papua region.
The New Zealand government indicated on several occasions that Indonesia was opposed to the idea but Greens MP, Catherine Delahunty, who leads a now 20 strong group of New Zealand parliamentarians, said this country had to do more.
"We will be writing a collective letter to Murray McCully as Minister of Foreign Affairs calling on him to make a comment on this lack of progress," she said.
"Because it was already agreed. It is clear from the past year that there continue to large numbers of human rights abuses and there is a need for a fact finding mission. So we are going to push our government because they signed up to this, they should be standing up for it."

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Barbaric occupation 
4) Open letter to Mr Andre Siregar, Indonesian Consul to Darwin
The story about the Morning Star and Aboriginal flags mural in Darwin has recently been brought to my attention.

In the report I have read, amongst other things, you said that you respect Australia’s right to free speech and political expression, that Indonesians find the Morning Star Flag of West Papua offensive as it is a separatist one that Australians have raised issues with you about the mural and that human rights are improving in Indonesia.

In response, I would like to say that I am pleased that you respect Australia’s right to free speech and political expression even if you consider the Morning Star offensive.

However, you must also appreciate that many ordinary Australians are very concerned about the human rights situation in West Papua as they were with the situation in East Timor when it was occupied by the Indonesian Military (TNI) for a period of 24 years during which nearly a third of the population was wiped out.

Many Australians also know the history of what happened in 1965 when the CIA assisted the TNI to overthrow the Suharno government followed by the massacres of well over a million Indonesians. The Suharto dictatorship which replaced the Sukarno leadership arranged the so-called Act of Free Choice in West Papua in 1969 which was as brutal as it was fraudulent.

It went on to commit genocide and horrific human rights abuses in Aceh, East Timor, West Papua and parts of Indonesia itself. Many of the crimes committed were as serious as those committed by the Nazis during World War 2. Is it any wonder that many consider the TNI to be the largest terrorist organisation in the SE Asian and SW Pacific regions of the world?

We know that not all Indonesians are offended by the Morning Star flag. Former Indonesian president, Abdurrahman Wahid, allowed the flag to be flown and agreed that West Papuans should be allowed to publicly use their cultural symbols. In addition, Indonesians who respect human rights and know the history of West Papua also support West Papuan symbols and independence.

The people of West Papua are Melanesians. They are not Asians. The only reason that the Indonesian government claims that West Papua is part of Indonesia is that it was also colonised by the Netherlands.

The only reason that West Papua is not an independent nation is that the US intervened in the 1960s to stop the Netherlands from giving the people their freedom because it wanted its gold and copper.

The US mining corporation Freeport-McMoRan still makes huge profits from West Papua’s gold and copper and the Indonesian government obtains massive taxes from this mining activity. In contrast, the people of West Papua receive little benefit from the theft of their resources.

The TNI occupation of the country has been barbaric and genocidal. Human rights observers estimate that during the 54 years that the TNI has been there about 500,000 people have been murdered. West Papuans have lost their lands which have been given to Javanese transmigrants with no compensation.

You claim that human rights are improving in Indonesia and yet almost every week we receive stories of TNI atrocities.

It is a positive sign that President Joko Widodo says that he wants to investigate the crimes committed by the 1965 TNI bloodbath in Indonesia and improve human rights in West Papua. To be really genuine, this process has to be supervised by a bona fide human rights organisation and not by former officers of the TNI.

The fact is that Indonesia cannot be considered to be truly democratic and respectful of human rights until it exerts more power over the TNI and prevents its barbarism against West Papuans, Indonesians and others in the region who suffer from its brutal behaviour.

In addition, Indonesia should allow the UN to conduct a referendum tin West Papua to determine the will of the people regarding their future, it should allow the International Court of Justice to put on trial all the TNI officers alleged to have committed war crimes and human rights violations and it should pay compensation to all the victims of the TNI in Indonesia, West Papua, Aceh and Timor-Leste.

If some attempts were made to bring justice to those who have suffered at the hands of the TNI and to markedly increase democratic freedoms within West Papua and Indonesia, there would be greater stability within Indonesia itself and a greater chance for peace in this region of the world.

Yours sincerely

Andrew (Andy) Alcock

Information Officer

Australia East Timor Friendship Association (South Australia)

Member: Australia West Papua Association (South Australia)

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5) Indonesia to develop special economic zone in Sorong
Atom Amindoni The Jakarta Post  
Jakarta | Tue, June 14 2016 | 09:11 pm
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo decided on Tuesday to develop a special economic zone in Sorong, West Papua, as part of fulfilling his promise to pay more attention to the development of the easternmost region in the country.
"Development in Papua, both Papua and West Papua, needs to be accelerated. Not only to improve connectivity by building roads, bridges, airports and ports, but also to create industrial zones and centers of economic growth," Jokowi said, adding that he had instructed related ministries to speed up development in the region.
In preparation for the special economic zone, Jokowi has instructed his Cabinet to ensure the feasibility of land-acquisition and infrastructure and transportation development, as well as support the necessary supply of power.
Separately, Sorong Regent Stepanus Malak said that the development of infrastructure and facilities in the special economic zone would require Rp 5 trillion (US$373.9 million) in investment. Currently, there are 12 companies in the regency, including international oil and gas company Petrochina, as well as several companies from Japan, Korea and Australia.
"The core business in the special economic zone will be palm oil processing, timber processing, fisheries, petrochemicals and oil refineries," he said.



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6) Behind Indonesia’s Red Scare
Why is the Indonesian military again warning of an imminent communist revolution?

Indonesia. Military figures have publicly warned of discreet attempts by communists to launch a revolution and reminded citizens to steer clear of communism or risk imprisonment. Additionally, several organizations associated with the military, most notably the Communication Forum on Indonesian Veterans’ Children (FKPPI), have staged protests and raised banners across the island of Java to warn of communism’s potential ascent.
But the military’s warnings are not just empty threats. Security forces, which consist of the police and the military, have intensified crackdowns on literature, memorabilia, and movies related to communist ideology and the failed September 30, 1965 coup attempt and its aftermath, which saw the imprisonment and killings of hundreds of thousands of suspected communists and communist sympathizers. In May, a shop owner was temporarily arrested for selling reproduced images of a hammer and sickle on t-shirts featuring German thrash metal band, Kreator. Bookstores have had books on leftist ideology and the 1965-66 killings seized by security forces. Ironically, the seizure of academic texts on communism and the killings was supported by the acting head of Indonesia’s National Library. A movie screening in Yogyakarta to celebrate World Press Freedom Day was disbanded by security officials, following a complaint by the FKPPI. The screening, which was organized by a group of journalists and activists, was on a documentary about labor rights, which the FKPPI accused of seeming too left-wing.
Numerous academics, journalists, and activists have spoken out against the “excessive” use of force. Even President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who instructed law enforcement to enforce the laws against the use of communist imagery in May, has said that the crackdowns have been too excessive. National Police Chief Badrodin Haiti also urged security officials to soften up. While the crackdowns have slightly subsided as of early June, the “red scare” has not. On June 3, anti-communist protests, organized by hardline Islamic and nationalist organizations took place at Jakarta’s National Monument. This raises the question: what led to the sudden public and security anxiety on communism?
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Jokowi and the Military
Jokowi came to power with weak political capital. His administration has faced frequent attempts by political parties to block his every move, routine images of fights in his cabinet, and public subordination to his political patron, former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. The military, with its powerful territorial command and famed ability to deliver swift action, seemed like an attractive alternative as a power base. The military already had considerable social influence through the operation of its 13 territorial commands, which operate all the way down to the village level. This allows them to get involved in community-building initiatives, which has the added effect of improving their public image.
May 2015 report by the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict worryingly points out how Indonesia’s military is expanding its influence deeper into the realms of domestic affairs and security. For instance, the military has already signed dozens of memoranda of understandings with various civilian agencies in the past two years. They are a key part of Jokowi’s plan to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2017, which empowers the military to set up structures for land cultivation and oversee crop yields. The military is also cooperating with local governments to launch community projects that empower locals, but also has the added objective of collecting information and bolstering nationalism. They have also joined Jokowi’s fight against drugs and terrorism, areas that were previously reserved for the police. Now, the military is also involved in the crackdowns on leftist symbolism.
Ryacudu, whose appointment was mired with controversy, also announced the military’s intention to establish 900 training centers by early 2018 for a civilian defense corps, which has the purpose of defending the country against “proxy wars” waged by communists, radical militants, homosexuals, and other “foreign influences.” The training centers will teach millions of students, civil servants, and others about survival skills and civic education. What is perhaps most worrying about the military’s return to public life is that it is likely to limit the progress to shed light on a long list of past human rights abuses.
Revisiting the 1965-66 Killings
The crackdowns on suspected communist materials coincided with Jokowi’s order for an investigation into the 1965-66 killings. In April, an historic symposium on the September 30, 1965 coup attempt and its aftermath was held in Jakarta and gathered scholars, activists, political figures, and military officials. The event was jointly sponsored by a number of groups, including military officials. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan (a former army general himself) supports the forum, though he made it clear to participants that the government was not going to offer an apology to the victims of the 1965-66 killings. Nonetheless, he announced that the government will form a team to investigate and excavate mass graves. Panjaitan’s support for the investigation is in deep contrast to that of Rycadu, who decried the symposium. Rather, he argued that there was no need to remember “forgotten parts” of history.
In early May, rumors began spreading around that a communist revolt was imminent. Even a number of prominent retired generals have confirmed that these speculations are genuine. However, it is difficult to see communism gaining much traction in a country where the ideology is already universally panned. History textbooks highlight communism’s failed war with the nationalists. Under the Suharto regime, state-controlled television annually played a screening of Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (Treachery of the G30S/PKI) to remind the public about the communist killings of six respected generals. The Suharto government has succeeded in eliminating any semblance of communism within the Indonesian people’s psyche to the extent that a communist rebellion is unfathomable.
Indonesia’s recent red scare is nothing more than the security establishment’s attempt to steer the conversation away from reconciliation on the 1965-66 killings. There is genuine anxiety about the possibility that the perpetrators of the 1965-66 killings may be held accountable. Indeed, most of the senior security officials who led the campaigns in the 1960s are long dead. However, some perpetrators, many of whom have flaunted their kill lists (as seen in the Oscar-nominated documentary, Act of Killing), are still around and fear for their freedoms. Additionally, security officials may fear that once an investigation on the 1965-66 killings have been conducted, the public may demand investigations on more recent human rights abuses, such as the 1989 Talangsari Massacre, 1998 Jakarta riots, and killings in Aceh and Papua. Most of the senior perpetrators of these events or conflicts are still alive today and continue to wield some level of political influence.
Hardliners within the military are responding to public demands for an investigation over the 1965-66 killings with excessive crackdowns on communist imagery and ideology. Constant reminders by senior military officials about communism’s continued ban in Indonesia are meant to silence those who seek to propagate information about the killings. They have reminded the Indonesian people about the sanctity of Pancasila (Indonesia’s state ideology) and the threats that communism had posed to the Indonesian state’s stability in the past. On the other hand, the anti-communist protests and campaigns, which are led by organizations associated with the military, are aimed at the government. The FKPPI is working together with hard-line Islamic groups, including the notorious Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI), to confront the government about its decision to deal with the 1965-66 killings. It’s also done to remind more liberal-minded security officials (former or serving), such as Luhut Panjaitan and Agus Widjojo (organizer of the symposium), that they risk losing their influence in the military if they side with Jokowi. This is perhaps said perfectly by former General Kivlan Zen to Panjaitan that “he [Luhut] would have betrayed his seniors [in the military]” if he continues forward with the investigation.
The Indonesian military is more influential than it has ever been since its political influence was lessened in 2004. Their response to the Indonesian government’s decision to investigate the killings is proof that some of its members are not only able to mobilize forces to quickly campaign against the government, but that their extended security role allows them to intimidate the Indonesian people. There are two victims in this whole story: the victims of the 1965-66 killings and other human rights abuses, whose perpetrators are unlikely to be put to justice anytime soon, and the rest of the Indonesian people, whose civil liberties have been further curtailed.
Gatra Priyandita is a PhD candidate at the School of Culture, History, and Language at the Australian National University. His research focuses on Indonesian public diplomacy and domestic politics in the post-Suharto era.
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Indonesia detains hundreds of Papuans ahead of minister's visit

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/indonesia-detains-hundred/2874838.html


Indonesia detains hundreds of Papuans ahead of minister's visit

     
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JAKARTA: Indonesia on Wednesday briefly detained more than 1,000 pro-independence demonstrators in its eastern province of Papua, ahead of a visit by a top security official to look into claims of human rights violations.
Papua has been gripped by a long-running and often violent separatist conflict since it was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely-criticised U.N.-backed referendum in 1969. Dutch colonial rule ended in 1963.
Security forces still maintain a strong presence and are often seen as taking a heavy-handed approach to peaceful demonstrations, activists say.
The protesters took to the streets in Sentani, near Papua's provincial capital, to demand that an independent body conduct human rights investigations rather than the Indonesian government. They were detained for protesting without a permit.
"We localised them so their movements were limited," said Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin. "We did not arrest anyone."
The police action was backed by Atmadji Sumarkdijo, an aide of Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who is set to visit the province on Thursday.
Asked about the police response at a time when President Joko Widodo wants to reduce tension in the region, Sumarkdijo said, "It doesn't mean you can do anything you want. Rallies need police permits."
The protesters also called for an internationally monitored referendum for independence.
Widodo faces an uphill battle in attaining his key goal of easing the tension in Papua, aimed at through measures such as stepping up investment, freeing political prisoners, and resolving cases of human rights violations.
Although there were no reports of violence, activists fear growing numbers of detentions over the last six weeks could change the picture.
"Tensions are getting high now," said Veronic Koman, a lawyer for the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, which focuses on Papuan issues. "More police are arresting them and more of them are fighting back."
Last month, more than 2,000 Papuan activists were detained on the anniversary of Dutch New Guinea's 1963 integration into Indonesia.
Papua province and West Papua make up the western half of an island north of Australia, with independent Papua New Guinea to the east.
(Additional reporting and writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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1) KNPB: In Lima Police Day Has Seize 1,235 Papuan

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2) Papua Police chief denies detaining pro-independence group
3) Freedom Activists Sign Deal For West Papua Mine
4) Papua to expand green development
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A google translate. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
1) KNPB: In Lima Police Day Has Seize 1,235 Papuans


                                    Action Papuans in Waena, Jayapura, 15/06/2016. (Photo: Doc SP)
JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com-- West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Center report, in the last five days, beginning on June 10 and until today, Wednesday (15/06/2016) Indonesian republic colonial police have arrested 1,236 people.
 "If today there are about 1,135 of those who were arrested. Ie 100 people were arrested in Wamena. 1,004 people were arrested in Sentani and 31 students were arrested by officers from the police station in Malang, East Java. Then, on 10 June, officers from Jayapura Police arrested 31 people in Jayapura City. And on June 13 and 65 people were arrested in Sentani. On the same date, in the last 13, four people were arrested in Nabire. So all that is captured in the past five days there are 1,235 people, "said bazookas Logo, a spokesman for the National KNPB to suarapapua.com Center of Jayapura, on Wednesday (15/06/2016).
Explained, 31 people were arrested in Jayapura when bagika flyers. 65 people in Sentani also arrested while handing out flyers in Sentani. 4 people in Nabire, were arrested while between a notification letter to the Police. 31 students in Malang arrested while today's action. 100 people in Wamena and 1004 people in Sentani arrested while going action.
"But after being arrested, has been freed. And they were released after interrogation and diminitai information on police. But in Nabire, they were detained for one day in prison Nabire police station was recently released, "explained Logo.
It is said, in Sentani, one person was arrested, interrogated and beaten so briefly lost consciousness. But this time she was cured.
"Whenever a fishing apparatus, there is always the persecution of activists KNPB as happened in Sentani. On the way to the police station, many of which were hit in the middle of the road. This barbarity colonial state that is being shown in the Papuan people, "he said.
Logo asserted, colonial police attitude today show real support and accelerate the struggle for West Papua, and then damage the image of Indonesian democracy itself.
"Papua People increasingly obvious and more difficult to believe Indonesia as a democracy, if the security forces to the people that are on Papua in open public expression. The police should put forward human values. Not kedepankan violence and repression, "he said.
Demonstrations Papuans reject the settlement team of human rights violations made in Jakarta led by Luhut Panjaitan, Legal and Security Affairs took place in several cities in Papua and West Papua. Among other things, Nabire, Merauke, Fak-Fak, Paniai, Timika, Manokwari, Sorong, Biak, Sentani, Jayapura.
Announcers: Arnold Belau

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2) Papua Police chief denies detaining pro-independence group
Dandy Koswaraputra The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Wed, June 15 2016 | 10:12 pm
The police have denied claims that they detained over 1,000 Papuans who staged a rally today to demand Indonesia hold an independence referendum in the nation’s easternmost province.
It’s ridiculous. We did not arrest them. We did not detain them at all. We only ordered them to disperse,” Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpaw told thejakartapost.com on Wednesday. 
Paulus said the government had instructed police to ensure security in Papua amid the ongoing activities of groups pushing for the province’s separation from Indonesia.
“They are trying to resist the constitutional state. They are hiding on behalf of freedom of expression and trying to internationalize the issue,” General Paulus asserted, adding that police have the responsibility to counter their propaganda. 
Police said that an anti-Indonesia group called National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) was behind the mobilization of the Papuan people and had frequently tried to organize massive demonstrations. 
“We have never permitted them to do so because their ultimate goal is to separate Papua from Indonesia,” he said.   
According to the Legal Aid Institute (LBH), a series of demonstrations have taken place in Jayapura, Baliem, Fakfak, Sentani, Sorong, Timika and Yalimo as well as in Malang, East Java. 
“I welcome LBH to come to us and talk about the issue instead of releasing provocative material to the public,” Paulus said. 
There have also been actions in Papua to call for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua to be recognized as a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. (dan)
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3) Freedom Activists Sign Deal For West Papua Mine
  
A Canadian company has staked a claim to one of the world’s biggest gold mines by entering an agreement with groups seeking West Papuan independence. The Grasberg mine in the Indonesian province of Papua is currently owned by an assortment of firms including Freeport McMoRan and Rio Tinto. The deal struck by Van Gold Resources only has worth if Indonesia loses the territory. “While the agreement is obviously not currently enforceable against those companies operating under Indonesian auspices, it may be one day,” says the company’s lawyer Dr Jonathan Levy. Under its agreement with the West Papua Liberation Organisation (WPLO), Van Gold has negotiation rights should independence be achieved.
Political statement
“The intent here is to make a statement that the people of West Papua and not the Indonesian occupiers are the true owners of the land and its resources,” Dr Levy told Pasifik News. “The multinationals that are extracting billions of dollars must one day be held accountable for their cooperation with a colonialist regime.” The company concedes the agreement may amount to nothing, especially given the WPLO is only one of several groups fighting for independence. When approached for comment, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua revealed it knew nothing of the deal. “In the scheme of things this is a forward looking proposition,” says Dr Levy. “This is no more speculative then companies which are now developing asteroid mining in a serious manner.”

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4) Papua to expand green development

Nether Dharma Somba The Jakarta Post
Jayapura | Tue, June 14 2016 | 07:17 am

The Papua provincial administration has announced that it will resume a low-emissions initiative that was introduced previously by the EU. 


The program, titled Participatory Monitoring by Civil Society of Land Use Planning for Low-Emission Development Strategy (Parcimon), is set to end in 2016 but will be picked up by local administrations.

“The Papua administration always supports programs that improve people’s welfare, just like the green development programs in Parcimon,” said Papua Deputy Governor Klemen Tinal during a press conference with EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam Vincent Guerend on Monday.

Klemen said there would be a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the central government and local administrations for the green development programs.

Parcimon has been running in Papua since 2013 to educate people in three regencies — Jayawijaya, Merauke and Jayapura — about green development. 

Sonya Dewi, the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) Indonesia coordinator, said that Parcimon had helped to monitor and evaluate development programs in the region.

“Through capacity building, the local administrations can reduce obstacles to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and support low carbon development,” she said.

Among Parcimon’s programs is one where where residents measure greenhouse gas emissions and use data to work toward green development. Guerend said that the government would continue Parcimon’s programs and implement them in other regions also.

“The European Union hopes that the end of Parcimon in Papua will mean the beginning of its implementation in more regions,” he said.

In Jayapura regency, Dewi said a team tasked with running the low-carbon programs had developed eight mitigation actions that had reduced CO2 emissions by 19.2 million tons.

The Papua administration has also formed an action plan to reduce emissions, through Gubernatorial Regulation No. 99/2013.

Klemen said Papua residents should help preserve forests. “Investors in the region should also support the sustainability of Papuan forests since they form part of the world’s lungs,” he said.

Through Parcimon, Mulima villagers in Jayawijaya have been introduced to a number of economic activities such as farming honey bees, breeding pigs, planting fruit and breeding fish in ponds, as well as cultivating vegetable crops to meet their daily needs or to sell for extra income.

These activities will hopefully support the government’s carbon emissions reduction programs as locals will no longer need to fell trees to meet their basic needs.

In Jayawijaya, Parcimon, through its local partner ICRAF Indonesia, has developed 10 emissions reduction strategies.

Local communities, for instance, can participate in preventing declines in carbon stocks by maintaining protected forests and Lorentz National Park conservation areas.

They can also increase carbon stocks by, among other things, maintaining the function of primary and secondary forests, planting ulin (ironwood) trees, cultivating coffee and fruit crops and by planting cassowary trees on idle land, transforming it into secondary forest.

“If the 10 emissions reduction strategies run successfully, emissions in Jayawijaya regency could be reduced by 50.18 percent by 2020, exceeding the national target of 41 percent,” said the head of the Low Emissions Development Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group, Dadi Permed.
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1) KNPB Claims Police Detain 1,004 Members

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2) Jubi Journalists Told to Coordinate Reporting Agenda with Police

3) EU Welcome Investment in Papua

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1) KNPB Claims Police Detain 1,004 Members
16 June 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee claimed that more than 1,000 of its members have been detained by police during a rally on Wednesday to oppose the Human Rights Investigation Team set up by the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs on(15/6/2016).
“All were detained. We are now at Jayapura Police Office. There are 1,004 activists. They are still being questioned at the Police’s office,” Chairman of KNPB Sentani Region Alan Halitopo told Jubi on Wednesday (15/06/2016).
He said the Police arrested them because they did not have a permit for the rally.
But KNPB said they were likely to be released after being questioned.
Bazoka Logo, Central KNPB spokesperson told today the Police broke its record of arrests against Papuans.
“The colonial government made a record of highest detention,” he said. This detention proved Indonesia is no longer democratic State.
Separately, Jayapura Police spokesperson Imam Rubianto they questioned 600 people and released them shortly after “They have been released this afternoon, at five o’clock. Cellphones that were seized by the Police have been returned as well,” he said.
Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin said police localised the demonstrators to limit their movements. He added no one was arrested.
The police action was backed by Atmadji Sumarkdijo, an aide of Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who is set to visit the province today. (Benny Mawel/rom)
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2) Jubi Journalists Told to Coordinate Reporting Agenda with Police

16 June 2016


                                                                           Illustrated
Jayapura, Jubi – Jayapura Police Deputy Chief Police Commissionaire Arnold Tata warned two Jubi journalists Benny Mawel and Zely Ariane to make early coordination with the Police while covering a rally by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Sentani Region on Wednesday (15/6/2016). 
 
Both took photographs and video for reportage and followed the protesters who were arrested and taken to Jayapura Police Office.
Riding a motorcycle, both journalists intended to cover the arrests at the Police station, but an officer stopped them in front of the station.
An officer from the Sabara Unit warned the two that their journalistic activity was considered intrusive.
Mawel explained that as a journalist, based on the Press Law, they have the right to do their job without restrictions.
But the Police did not want to listen any further.
Deputy Police Chief Tata said KNPB rally was illegal, so reporting is not required.
To calm down the tension, he asked both to enter the Police station to talk with Jayapura Police spokesperson, Inspector Imam Rubianto who then asked permission to photocopy their ID and press cards.
He said during the time the Police considered Jubi is less coordinated with the Police in Sentani area, less participated in such activities carried out by Jayapura Police.
“In many activities held by Jayapura Police, other media came to participate, while Jubi has never been there,” he said while pointing the photographs of their activities hanging on the wall of his office’s lobby.
He also asked Jubi to be more cooperative with the Police related to the reporting agenda. He didn’t question about the reporting done by both journalists today, but he only wanted Jubi to coordinate with Jayapura Police Public Relation.
Jubi Editor-in-chief Dominggus Mampioper said there is no obligation for reporters to do early coordination with the Police in doing coverage.
“Journalist is assigned to cover the fact of ongoing event, and KNPB rally was real happening, doesn’t matter if it was legal or not we should keep reporting it,” said Mampioper. (Victor Mambor/rom)
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3) EU Welcome Investment in Papua

15 June 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Vice Governor Klemen Tinal invited the European Union to invest in various sectors in Papua.
“Papua is open for everyone. So, go ahead,” Tinal told reporters after receiving the EU Ambassador at his office in Jayapura.
Papuan people must learn to accept other people, furthermore Papua is currently becoming part of free trading or that is usually called the ASEAN Economic Community (MEA).
“Papuans must learn to accept the outsiders, because the world is global now,” he said.
He added the Papua Provincial Government is strongly supporting the programs that bring a good impact –whether it is direct or indirect, such as environmental and energy programs.
“However, for those who want to invest in Papua, they must obey the existing rules and regulations,” said Tinal.
Earlier, the EU Ambassador Vincent Guérend with the Director of the EU Partnership for Indonesia Franck Viault and the EU Program Manager Giovanni Serritella visited the Papua Provincial Government on Monday (13/6/2016).
The mission purpose of the ambassador and delegates to Papua is to monitor the implementation of Participatory Monitoring by Civil society of Land-use Planning for Low Emission Development strategies (ParCiMon) Project that has been running in three regencies Jayapura, Merauke and Jayawijaya in order to achieve the low-emission base development and the attempt to contribute towards the low-emission base development in Indonesia.
“This mission is the EU’s follow up in supporting the sustainable green development in Papua,” Guérend told reporters in Jayapura.
Through ParCiMon Project, he explained, Papua Provincial Government, in particular three working regencies and the EU have had the partnership in strengthening the local capacity so that the local stakeholders could do planning, implement and conduct monitoring and evaluation on green sustainable development activities.
“For four years of the implementation period, ParCiMon Project was implemented by partners consisting of World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) Papua (PLCD-TF), Brawijaya University and YALI Papua,” he said. (Alexander Loen/rom)

1) Spanish Man Among Hundreds Detained in Free West Papua Rally

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2) MSG leaders summit scheduled for Honiara 

3) Rights violation cases in Papua to be settled definitively: Minister Pandjaitan

4) Artists Launch Protest Against Freeport`s Sponsorship in Art Jog  
5) Papua Provincial Government Set up 286 Fishing Vessels
6) Keeping Peace Despite Different Political Choices
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1) Spanish Man Among Hundreds Detained in Free West Papua Rally
By : Edo Karensa | on 4:42 PM June 16, 2016


A Spanish national was among hundreds of people detained on Wednesday (15/06) for attempting to stage a rally in Jayapura to support West Papua's independence. (Antara Photo/Indrayadi TH)

Jakarta. A Spanish national was among hundreds of people detained on Wednesday (15/06) for attempting to stage a rally in Jayapura to support West Papua's independence and reject a reconciliation plan prepared by the Indonesian government.
Thousands of protesters from pro-independence group West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, had descended from neighboring districts into Jayapura but were intercepted by the police before they could reach the Papua Provincial Council office in Jayapura.

The KNPB has rejected a reconciliation plan prepared by Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan, arguing that the Indonesian government is still pursuing repressive tactics toward pro-independence Papuans.
Among the detained protesters was Andreu Arino I Prats, a Spanish national and a student at Fisica University in Barcelona.
Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Patrige Renwarin told Vivanews the police are questioning the Spanish national about his involvement with the KNPB.
According to the police, Prats entered Indonesia through the border city of Tarakan in North Kalimantan around two and a half months ago.
“He had just been here in Jayapura for two days and decided to join the protest,” Patrige said.
KNPB claimed more than 1,236 activists had been detained in West Papua and Papua for taking part in a number of rallies since June 10.
“Most of the detained activists had been released, but only after much questioning by the police. In Nabire, the police held them in custody for a whole day,” KNPB spokesman Bazoka Logo told local media Suara Papua.


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2) MSG leaders summit scheduled for Honiara 
4:50 pm on 16 June 2016
Foreign Ministers and senior official of Melanesian Spearhead Group member states have held respective meetings this week in Lautoka, Fiji.
The meetings come ahead of a special MSG leaders summit which is understood to be scheduled for the Solomon islands capital, Honiara, on July 14.
The leaders' summit, which was originally scheduled for Port Vila in Vanuatu last month, has been postponed twice amid a busy schedule for the various leaders involved.
The summit is expected to formalise the appointment of the MSG's new director-general, Amena Yauvoli, and to discuss a bid by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua for full membership in the group.
The venue of the summit was changed after an aborted attempt at holding the summit in Port Moresby two weeks ago, ahead of which the leader of the Liberation Movement was not allowed to enter Papua New Guinea.


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3) Rights violation cases in Papua to be settled definitively: Minister Pandjaitan

Kamis, 16 Juni 2016 20:53 WIB | 697 Views

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - An Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said here on Thursday that the government wishes to settle alleged cases of human rights violations in Papua definitively.

"I will meet all community elements, including religious figures, students, military and police officials and also non-governmental organizations. The government wishes to show to the world that we are serious and transparent in settling the cases. There is no engineering,"  he said at Sentani airport in Jayapura, Papua.

He said the process has been going well. The integrated team that was set up in May 2016 to handle alleged cases of human rights violations in Papua and West Papua provinces has been assigned to collect data, information and analysis and it will submit its report to the President.

Minister Luhut said in a written statement received here that day that a team had indeed been set up by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in 2011 and this integrated team was set up by the government and was aimed at helping accelerate the settlement of the cases.

"The integrated team has defined the criteria for a human right violation. The criteria have been formulated transparently, and are measurable with impartiality. Based on the criteria, out of 22 reported cases, three could be categorized as human right violations, namely the Wasior, Wamena and Paniai cases," he said, adding that he had never intervened in the process of work of the team.

Minister Luhut said whoever is declared guilty by the team will face judicial process. "Whoever he is, be they community members or law enforcement officials. In principle, whoever is declared guilty will be taken through a judicial process," he said.

To assure that the process is transparent, he said he had invited New Zealands Ambassador to Indonesia, Trevor Matheson, Solomon Ambassador Salana Kalu, Fiji Ambassador S.T. Cavuilati and Papua New Guinea Ambassador Peter Ilau to Papua.

"Their presence here is to make the international community see what we have been doing. They are not a fact-finding team," he said.

When asked about the rejection of the team by a Komnas HAM Commissioner, Minister Luhut said he had received confirmation from Komnas HAM Chairman Nur Kholis that this is a matter of a personal view and not the decision of Komnas HAM.

"When he was contacted by our staff, Pak (Mr) Nur Kholis said the decision of Komnas HAMs plenary meeting is to establish a working task force that will help Nur Khlis and Ibu (Mrs) Zandra Mambrasar to work for Papua together with the governments team," he said.

With regards to reports about more than 1,000 people being arrested while conducting a demonstration to protest the governments team, Papua Regional Police Chief Paulus Waterpauw denied this, saying, "There has never been any arrest made. We only asked them to disperse."

During his visit to the office of the Financial Service Authority (OJK) in Jayapura, Minister Luhut and the Head of the National Planning Board, Sofyan Djalil, had been briefed on OJK activities so far.

OJK has emphasized on financial education and boosting economic development in Papua.

On the occasion, Minister Luhut also expressed support for the development of entrepreneurship in the coffee, cocoa and palm oil plantation sectors.

He advised OJK to set a target and find indigenous business cadres. 

Minister Luhut plans to visit Wamena, Manokwari and Merauke while in Papua.

(Reporting by Syaiful Hakim/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR)
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THURSDAY, 16 JUNE, 2016 | 22:40 WIB
4) Artists Launch Protest Against Freeport`s Sponsorship in Art Jog  

TEMPO.COYogyakarta - A group of young artists under the Alliance for Art Jog 2016 Boycott urged the Art Jog 2016 committee to return a sponsorship money worth Rp100 million (US$7,500) given by mining company PT Freeport Indonesia.
The demand was expressed in a rally launched in front of the Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta, where the Art Jog 2016 was held on Thursday, June 16, 2016. As many as 30 people launched the protest that was tightly secured by police. Some of the protesters were from Papua who live in Yogyakarta.
The Art Jog 2016 was opened in May 27, 2016 and will be closed in June 27, 2016. Protest coordinator Nasir explained that the alliance was not against the art event.
“But we reject inhuman arts,” Nasir said.
According to Nasir, the event sponsorship was counterproductive with the Art Jog 2016 that features humanity-themed artworks. The alliance urged the committee to answer for their decision to involve Freeport and other environmentally-unfriendly companies as sponsors of the event. They also urged the committee to terminate contracts with Freeport and ban the company to be involved in art events in Indonesia.
Earlier, Art Jog director Heri Pemad insisted on keeping sponsorship fund from Freeport Indonesia to hold the largest art fair in Indonesia. Heri said that it would be tricky to break the contract with Freeport in the middle of the event.
"If we terminated the sponsorship [contract] with Freeport, we would have legal issues,” Heri added.
SHINTA MAHARANI
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5) Papua Provincial Government Set up 286 Fishing Vessels
15 June 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Provincial Marine and Fisheries Office are praparing more than 286 fishing vessels of different gross tonnage.
“The vessels are in response to a proposal submitted by regencies, namely Jayapura Municipality, Jayapura, Biak, Yapen, Waropen, Timika and Merauke regencies,” said Fransiscus Xaverius Mote after the inauguration of Fishery Forum Board from Jayapura Municipality, Sarmi and Keerom regencies last week.
According to Mote, the office was only facilitating the assistance provided by the Central Government to the regional/municipal government through the proposal.

“There are such requirements, for example they must establish a cooperation which is consisting of 20 fishermen at least and they have the fisherman ID card,” he said.
Not only getting the vessel, the fishermen are also included in the training from the Indonesian Ministry of Marine and Fisheries for all positions in the boat, such as the captain, machine operators, catching crews and so on.
“They promised to manage the human resources to be trained. Why would we give those vessels without coaching or training the people,” Mote firmly said.
Director of Market Access and Promotion of the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Ines Rahmania considered this assistance is the best attempt for Papua.
“Now along with the minister’s policy of moratorium, there are lots of fishes but less ices. So with this small assistance, we hope the fishermen do not need to wait very long for getting fishes,” she said. (Sindung Sukoco/rom)
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6) Keeping Peace Despite Different Political Choices
15 June 2016

Jayapura, Jubi – People should respect each other and keep the peace regardless of their political choices, said Director of Ilalang Papua La Hardin in response the recent emergence of a nationalist group to counter a rally by pro-independent KNPB (West Papua National Committee) .
Harding said a third party is needed to reconcile these two rival groups since it could be a challenge for peace. He also warned about groups with interests ahead of the 2017 Regional Head Elections.
“Because there are rumors among the people that both non-Papuans and coastal Papuan tribes will go together chasing the highlanders. It’s so vulnerable to conflict,” he told Jubi in Abepura, Jayapura City.
Earlier, before the series of rallies by nationalist group BARA NKRI and KNPB, there were some incidents of burning the morning star flag.
“We knew about the flag burning but who was behind it?” he said. For that reason he asked the government to open the space for dialogue for straining the problems become widespread.
A city resident told Jubi the government should take action to counteract the current situation.
“Government should prevent the acts that might affect the people in order to keep the peace in Papua. The government must also mediate the both sides immediately,” he said. (Abeth You/rom)
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1) Papuans and Indonesians at the same table in MSG

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2) Doubts Cast Team’s Prospects of Resolving Human Rights Cases in Papua  

3) EU Ambassador Visits Wasur One-roof School

4) Papuan rights issues will be solved without deception: Luhut
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1) Papuans and Indonesians at the same table in MSG
3:24 pm today
The chairman of this week's Melanesian Spearhead Group Foreign Ministers meeting in Fiji has lauded the occasion of having West Papuan and Indonesian delegates at the same table.
However, Milner Tozaka, who is the Solomon Islands Foreign Minister, has admitted that this was not the way Indonesia initially wanted it to be.
Mr Tozaka claimed it was the first time in the MSG history that Indonesia and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua were seated with the rest of the group's full membership at the meeting in Lautoka.
The Liberation Movement, which has observer status in the MSG, and Indonesia, with associate member status, are both vying for full membership in the group.
An upcoming MSG leaders summit in July in Honiara is expected to deliberate on this.
However Jakarta has lobbied intensely in the region to counter efforts to include the Liberation Movement in the MSG, saying its own involvement in the group already covers representation of West Papuans.
But grassroots support in Melanesian states for West Papuan self-determination aspirations is strong and international diplomatic activity over the matter is growing.
The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement have signalled support for West Papuan full membership, while the other two full members, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, appear likely to sie with Indonesia.
In Lautoka, Mr Tozaka said Indonesia expressed objections to accommodate the Papuans at the senior officials meetings prior to the Foreign Ministers meeting.
But he said he stood his grounds and stressed the need for both parties to participate.

Meanwhile, Solomon Islands' special West Papua envoy, Rex Horoi, described it as the start of a long awaited process the MSG has been pushing for.
He said the MSG wanted to provide a platform for both Indonesia and the ULMWP to conduct open and transparent dialogue on ongoing human rights violations and issues facing the indigenous Melanesians of Indonesia's Papua region.
The MSG Foreign Ministers also discussed the recently concluded negotiations for the new MSG Trade Agreement - the Melanesian Free Trade Agreement (MFTA) which was endorsed at the recent Trade Ministers Meeting convened in May in Port Vila.
Mr Tozaka admitted that there is a dire need to convene the meetings to ensure that the life-blood of the MSG is maintained and, if need be. revamped.
"Today we have important issues to consider, most notably the critical financial situation of our Secretariat," he said.
"The Secretariat needs adequate financial support to deliver a number of important mandates and decisions of our leaders."
He said despite the challenges faced by members on the resourcing issues and differing views on how to best address these challenges, it was good to see the exploring of various cost-cutting measures.
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2) Doubts Cast Team’s Prospects of Resolving Human Rights Cases in Papua  
17 June 2016

Jayapura, Jubi – Some Papuans expressed doubts that an investigation team from the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs will be able to resolve cases of human rights violations in Papua.

Yunus Wonda, Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, told reporter on Thursday (16/6/2016) in Jayapura that he was pessimistic the Indonesian Government could resolve such cases in Papua.
“The team would not able resolving such cases though by involving some human rights observers, since the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs is not an independent institution,” he said.
He said although the government’s team had some data, he believed it would not gain trust from other countries.
“The Government can give anything in funding for Papua, but still it wouldn’t solve the problem because it didn’t reveal the root [of the problem]. We hope a resolution for Papua could be found through dialogue,” he said.
He said he totally agreed if the human rights issue could be resolved collectively by involving the National Human Rights Commission. If so, Indonesia would be recognized in the international community as being capable in solving the cases of human rights violations.
As an example, he pointed if he murdered someone, and then personally pointed himself to resolve the problem, it’s just not right.
“Therefore, the team that consisting of Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs, General Attorney and National Human Rights Commission and some human right observers would be useless, because the world would not recognize their work,” said Wonda.
Earlier, Papua legislator Laurenzus Kadepa said he was pessimistic if the Government would resolve the cases of human rights violations in the past and present, though President Joko Widodo has asked the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs and other institution for tacking it. Papuans shouldn’t have expectations to the State.
“I am not sure if the Government had good intention to resolve the human rights violations in Papua properly. Despite finding resolution, it refused to admit that human rights violations were truly occurred. I am not sure the Government would recognize the human rights violations whether it was occurred in the past or present,” Kadepa told reporter on April.
Meanwhile, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe expressed his disappointment after holding a closed meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs to discuss about the alleged human rights violations in Papua at the minister’s office in Jakarta. Attended in the meeting were including Papua Police Chief, the Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, Cenderawasih Military Commander, the Chairman of Papua People’s Assembly, National Human Rights Commission Papua Representative, Coalition for Human Rights Violations in Papua.
This meeting was to follow up the Focus Group Discussion on Documentation of Alleged Human Rights Violations from 15, 18 and 10 April that was held in Jayapura City and attended by the civil society groups concerned to human rights violations issues. Papua Police and National Human Rights Commission Papua Representative Office facilitated the FGD.
“The Central Government couldn’t resolve the human rights issues in Papua. It must be handed over to Papuans to solve it through the customary law. It’s still need to be discussed,” said Governor Enembe on April.
He disappointed with this meeting and considered the Government is not capable in solving the human right issues in Papua. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)

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3) EU Ambassador Visits Wasur One-roof School

17 June 2016 


Merauke, Jubi – The EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam Vincent Guerend visited Wasur One-Roof School accompanied by Regent Frederikus Gebze on Wednesday (15/6/2016).
Wasur One-Roof Headmaster Sergius Womsiwor accepted the ambassador and delegates, while the pupils performed a welcome dance, before taking the ambassador into a room for talks.
In his speech, Guerend asked the pupils to not waste their opportunities and urged them to study well. Because the future is on their hands. If you are going to school and study hard, you’ll be success.

“The purpose of my visit is also a form of friendship representing 28 countries. It is our commitment to promote a peace in Indonesia,” he said.
Womsiwor said hundreds of pupils studied at the school are indigenous Papuans in general.
Almost 90 percent are Papuans and coming from disadvantage families. However, Womsiwor said, it has become his commitment to give the widest opportunity to the children to get education in this school. Even, most of them were boarded at the school dorm. On this occasion, he also revealed about lacking of facilities to support the learning activities, including fence, school laboratory and equipment at the doom.
“We hope the EU Ambassador could pay attention by visiting to this school,” he said. (Ans K/rom)

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4) Papuan rights issues will be solved without deception: Luhut
Marguerite Afra Sapiie The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Thu, June 16 2016 | 04:46 pm

Indonesia is committed to taking a holistic approach in its push for an immediate settlement of human rights cases in Papua, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Thursday.
Luhut, who flew to Papua on Wednesday night and will be in the province until Saturday, plans to meet with all stakeholders, including religious leaders, students, military and police personnel, and NGOs to prove the country's commitment to settling the issue.
"The government wants to show the world that we are serious and accountable and [will resolve these cases] without any deception," Luhut said in a statement.
An integrated team responsible for investigating and analyzing alleged rights abuse cases in Papua, formed in May by Luhut, has concluded that from the 22 cases that were investigated, three constitute human rights violations and those three are currently in the process of being settled, Luhut said.
The three are the 2014 Paniai shooting, the 2001 Wamena incident and the 2003 Wasior incidents.
Confirming a statement made by National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Nur Kholis, Luhut said a plenary meeting of the commission had agreed to create a task force that included Komnas HAM commissioners that would assist the government in resolving the cases.
New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia Trevor Matheson, Solomon Islands Ambassador to Indonesia Salana Kalu, Fijian Ambassador S.T. Cavuilati and Papua New Guinean Ambassador Peter Ilau also presented as witnesses of Indonesia's efforts in Papua, Luhut said.
The results of the investigation carried out by the integrated team will be submitted to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. (bbn)
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1) West Papua bid on MSG agenda

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2) Indonesia Rejects Separatist Movement in West Papua: Foreign Ministry
3) Papua-centric perspective should guide development in province: minister
4) Indonesia accused of arresting more than 1,000 in West Papua
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The Fiji times
1) West Papua bid on MSG agenda
Shayal Devi Saturday, June 18, 2016

THE Melanesian Spearhead Group is expected to deliberate on West Papua's bid to become a full member of the organisation next month.
Director general Amena Yauvoli said the request for membership was on the agenda, along with the endorsements from the MSG senior officials and foreign ministers meetings in Lautoka this week.
"The foreign ministers' meeting (yesterday) is to deliberate on the issues put forward and recommended by senior officials," he said.
"Today, the decisions they take will go up to the leaders during a special summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on July 14."
According to Mr Yauvoli, the key decisions made by foreign ministers were in relation to strengthening the MSG and its secretariat based in Port Vila.
One of these was the appointment of the MSG director general, which was endorsed by the foreign ministers yesterday.
"Now that the senior officials have agreed and have recommended to the foreign ministers, they have endorsed it and now, they will take it up to the leaders for the formal endorsement, which completes the formalisation of the appointment."
The adoption of the newly-established MSG trade agreement will also be at the forefront of next month's meet.
Mr Yauvoli said a meeting of senior trade officials and ministers in Port Vila endorsed the MSG Free Trade Agreement and this would be submitted to leaders for their endorsement and approval. If all goes to plan, the new agreement could come into effect by January 1 next year.
"The deliberations (for the agreement) so far have been really good and it will trigger further opportunities and benefits not only for MSG member countries but the Pacific as a whole."
Mr Yauvoli said they were also working and trying to strengthen and improve the financial status of the MSG secretariat.
Meanwhile, United Liberation Movement for West Papua delegate Amatus Douw said the process of becoming a full member was quite complicated.
"I believe the MSG Secretariat has been working hard to formalise a criteria of membership from observer to full member," he said.
"We also really appreciate all the delegates and members of the MSG themselves, they are really working hard to help West Papuan people."
Last year West Papua's bid to join the group was knocked back by the MSG — they were given observer status.
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2) Indonesia Rejects Separatist Movement in West Papua: Foreign Ministry
By : Eko Prasetyo | on 7:18 PM June 17, 2016
Jakarta. The Indonesian government has rejected the claims of a separatist group which calls themselves the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, or ULMWP, a press release from the Foreign Ministry said on Friday (17/06).
“The ULMWP is a separatist movement in a sovereign state. The movement has no legitimacy and does not represent the people of West Papua,” the ministry's director general of Asia Pacific and Africa Desra Percaya said at the Ministerial Level Meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Lautoka, Fiji, Thursday.
Desra in his statement made specific references to the ULMWP’s effort to upgrade its status from an observer group to a fully-fledged member of the MSG.
Intense lobbying from the Indonesian delegation had apparently foiled the ULMWP's move.
MSG merely noted ULMWP's proposal and formed a committee to discuss membership criteria, as some of its member states had proposed to have Indonesia instead as a full member of the MSG.
The Indonesian delegation also invited MSG member countries to attend the Bali Democracy Forum on Dec. 8-9 to discuss how to strengthen security cooperation in the Melanesian subregion.
Desra also met face-to-face with the foreign ministers of Fiji and the Solomon Islands, the head of the Papua New Guinea delegation and the director general of the MSG during the meeting.

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3) Papua-centric perspective should guide development in province: minister
Marguerite Afra Sapiie The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Fri, June 17 2016 | 03:09 pm
The government should change its view of development in Papua from an Indonesia-centric perspective to a Papua-centric one that prioritizes underdeveloped areas, National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) chief Sofyan Djalil has said. 
According to Sofyan, Papuans should make use of local resources in their development efforts. For example, if they have coffee and cacao plants, then they should improve those industries. If they have fish, then the government could help to create a fisheries-based industry.
"Instead of constructing Transpapua, it's better if we build or strengthen intermodal transportation or connect the province with outside areas," Sofyan said in a visit to the easternmost province on Thursday. 
Sofyan emphasized that local government in Papua should not initiate infrastructure development that did not offer a fruitful contribution to the local people, such as constructing a road on a mountain that would only benefit some vehicle owners but not all residents. (dan)



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4) Indonesia accused of arresting more than 1,000 in West Papua

Oliver Holmes South-east Asia correspondent
Friday 17 June 2016 

Activists say detentions taking place during rallies calling for independence referendum


                                             Protesters on the street this week. Photograph: freewestpapua.org

Indonesian police have been accused of arresting more than 1,000 people at rallies in West Papua demanding an independence referendum.
Part of Indonesia’s easternmost Papua province on New Guinea island, West Papua is ethnically distinct from the rest of the country and was annexed by Indonesia in 1969. Many Papuans consider the takeover to have been an illegal land grab.

Protests took place across West Papua this week, activists said, posting photos on social media of their faces painted with the blue and red of the Morning Star, a banned flag used by West Papua independence supporters.
The government and police did not officially acknowledge the arrests, which activists said had been taking place since Wednesday. The Guardian was unable to independently verify the reports.
The Jakarta Post newspaper quoted an unnamed officer from the local Jayapura police headquarters who confirmed that some arrests had been made.
“Yes, they are under examination,” the officer was quoted as saying.
In May, 1,500 protesters were detained in what activists said was the largest mass arrest during Indonesia’s democratic era, which started in 1998. At that time, the police acknowledged the detentions, saying they had been made because the rally organisers did not have the necessary permits.
Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, has visited Papua – formerly known as Irian Jaya – and released political prisoners in an attempt at appeasement. He has said he will travel to Papua three times a year.

Many West Papuans, however, accuse the Indonesian military of abuses over several decades. More recently, residents have questioned the objectivity a fact-finding mission led by Indonesia into human rights abuses in the region.

The Netherlands retained Papua after Indonesian independence in 1945, but Jakarta moved into the region in 1962 and formally took over seven years later after a referendum that was widely condemned as having been fixed by the Indonesian government.
The West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda, who fled to the UK in 2003 and was granted political asylum, said in a statement this week that “while our demonstrations were entirely peaceful, the Indonesian police were determined to use brute force to crush them. Such mass arrests and brutality are becoming increasingly common in West Papua and it is estimated that in the last two months, nearly 3,000 West Papuan people have been arrested by the Indonesian authorities.
“My people cannot be silent while our fundamental human rights continue to be crushed, violated and denied to us by this brutal occupying colonial power.”
The map in this article was amended on 17 June to more accurately reflect the local geopgraphy
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1) Council Speaker Slams Police for Stopping Protesto

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2) Minister of Trade Launches ‘Brewing Papuan Coffee with Pride’ Campaign in Dogiyai
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1) Council Speaker Slams Police for Stopping Protestors
18 June 2016



Papuan pro-independence supporters named People Community Dok 7,8,9 Tanjung Ria in front of Papua House of Representative during the protest on Wednesday (15/6/2016) – Jubi/Arjuna Pademme

Jayapura, Jubi – The Chairman of Papua Legislative Council blasted the police for blocking hundreds of Papuan pro-independence supporters named People Community Dok 7,8,9 Tanjung Ria as they tried to  voice their aspirations at Papua Parliament’s Office on Wednesday (15/6/2016).
The politician from Democrat Party criticized the Police personnel who closed and guarded the entrance gate of Papua Parliament’s Office to avoid the protesters coming to the parliament’s yard. Wonda also apologized to Papuan people who could only give oration at Taman Imbi, Jayapura City after the Police’s restriction.
“The entrances of parliament building has been closed and guarded by the Police. We weren’t elected by the Police but by the people who are suffering selling the beetle nuts, being abandoned. This is their place. We were elected by them to talk about their needs and aspirations; to protect them. We only knew this the house of people,” said Wonda on Friday (17/6/2015).

According to him, it’s not because of the councilors do not want to meet with the protestors, but usually they could meet them when they were at the parliament’s yard. “Papua Legislative Council is not Papua Police. The parliament building is the house of people. This is the place they could express their aspiration. They are free to talk about anything. This is the place. It is not allowed to close and guard the entrance of the building. Don’t let the permit becoming a reason to prohibit people for entering their house,” he said.
He said the Police should let the protesters come to express their aspiration to the parliament, whatever it is. After they did it, they will disband by themselves. “It might not possible that Papua will get independence by tomorrow. The way used by the Police to close the entrance wasn’t right. The host of the building is the councilors, not the Police. It is just not right, and shouldn’t be repeated,” he said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)

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2) Minister of Trade Launches ‘Brewing Papuan Coffee with Pride’ Campaign in Dogiyai
18 June 2016

Jayapura, Jubi – After successfully promoting Indonesian coffee at the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Expo 2016, the Indonesian Minister of Trade Thomas Lembong invited coffee lovers and the international community to get a taste of Papuan coffee through “Brewing Papuan Coffee with Pride” campaign.

The program launch was held at Dogiyai Regency, Papua on Saturday (11/06/2016). This event is part of part of “Work and Excellent Papua Movement” run by Papua Working Group with fully support of the Indonesian Ministry of Commerce.
“Papua Province has a potentially world class coffee. It has become one of coffee-producing regions in Indonesia that is in demand, in addition to Gayo, Mandailing, Java, Toraja, Sumatera, and Sulawesi coffees,” said Lembong said in a press release this wekk.
He said Papua Provincial Plantation Office recorded there are 16 coffee farmers in Papua distributed in the regencies of Jayawijaya, Tolikara, Lanny Jaya, Pegunungan Bintang and Dogiyai. He explained some coffee lovers in Jakarta are also participating in this campaign. Along with the Central Government, they were invited for educating the cultivation technic, post-harvest processing and marketing.
“The empowerment and education activities are useful to improve the welfare of farmers to be more optimal. We know the consumers are willing to pay the cost for a cup of delicious coffee, but unfortunately the farmers are not well informed about the price of coffee in the market,” said the minister.
Dogiyai Regency is divided into 10 sub-districts which all have potency of coffee, but its production is not yet optimal.
In this regency, the Minister of Commerce closely monitored the phases of coffee processing from A to Z.
Coffee processing in Dogiyai is still done traditionally. The machines such as grinding machine used in the process were from Dutch era. Drying and pilling process are done manually; the coffee beans are also roasted on the stove and grinded manually.
Coffee plantation in Dogiyai Regency is Dutch missionary legacy from 1890s. In that era, most of Dogiyai residents are coffee farmers. But along with time changes, the local people are slowly to plan the coffee and become the construction workers for instant cash.
Earlier, the Ministery of Commerce also monitored a coffee farm at Tolikara Regency and talked with the local coffee farmers. He expected the Papuan coffee could be the pride of Papuan people and become a commodity to improve the welfare of Papuan people.
The Acting Dogiyai Industry, Trading and Cooperation Office Andrias Gobai revealed Dogiyai Regency has five coffee small enterprises, one of which is fostered by Catholic Church Pastoral. Besides Dutch heritage farms, there is one-hectare coffee plantation manage by SMP Yayasan Pendidikan Sekolah Katolik (Junior High School of Catholic School Foundation).
“The school includes the coffee education in their curriculum in which the pupils were taught of coffee picking and processing at school. We hope, Papuan coffee, in particular from Dogiyai with its Arabika Moanemani coffee could penetrate the export market within next three years and could be served in the National Sports Event in Papua in 2020,” said Gobai. (Agus Tebai/rom) 

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Luhut Invites Ambassadors to Monitor Human Rights Cases Handling

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SATURDAY, 18 JUNE, 2016 | 16:42 WIB
Luhut Invites Ambassadors to Monitor Human Rights Cases Handling

TEMPO.COJakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan invited the ambassadors of Papua New Guinea, Viji, Solomon and New Zealand to participate in monitoring the handling of cases of human rights in Papua.
In a working visit in Manokwari on Saturday, Luhut asked for the ambassadors’ view on the process of handling the case since the beginning and asserted that all stages of the investigation were carried out in a transparent manner.
He said the human rights management team in Papua has been formed and is composed of people who are credible from the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), prosecutors, and observers.
"Eight of the observers are of Papua. It is no longer a demand for observers from West Papua. I have asked the Governor to recommend anyone to join the team," Luhut said.
ANTARA
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1) Luhut warns Papuans of fatal threat of narcotics and HIV/AIDS

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2) AHRC : Lack of Genuine Policy and Rights in West Papua

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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/105289/luhut-warns-papuans-of-fatal-threat-of-narcotics-and-hivaids

1) Luhut warns Papuans of fatal threat of narcotics and HIV/AIDS

Minggu, 19 Juni 2016 11:52 WIB | 550 Views

Manokwari, W Papua (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for Law, Security and Political Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan warned the West Papua people of the danger of narcotics and HIV/AIDS.

"It is important for religious and community leaders to know that millions of Indonesian have been addicted to narcotics," Luhut, who is a on visit here, said on Saturday.

He said last year, there were at least 5.9 million drug addicts in Indonesia and the illicit drug caused the death of 30-50 Indonesians every days.

"It was our official record. The head of the National Bureau of Narcotics (BNN) said the real figure is believed to be higher," he said at a meeting with local religious leaders and regional officials.

He said narcotics and HIV/AIDS are deadly, that serious steps should be taken without delay. 

Religious leaders have an important role in the efforts to stamp out narcotic traffic and eradicate HIV/AIDS.

Religious leaders should cooperate with law enforcing agencies in the national campaigns to prevent the spread of the deadly diseases.

"This is serious . What I said is fact. Based on last years data, narcotics users increased all over Indonesia," he said.

He said regional officials, community leaders as well as the military and police dont tolerate drug traffickers.

Firm measures is the only solution to end the problem, he added.

User of methamphetamine and ecstasy grew in number from year to year, he said, adding the number of methamphetamine users grew 350 percent and those of ecstasy rose by 280 percent.

"The users are our children, our people from Sabang to Merauke," he said.

He said the military and police and BNN should cooperate and support each other in the regions to eradicate narcotics trade.

He said Indonesia is made up mainly of sea territory and therefore, the country has long coast lines to watch over to prevent narcotics smuggling.

"You have a big duty to prevent drug smuggling via seas," he said addressing the regional leaders.

Narcotics and HIV/AIDS are serious problem , a big threat to the productivity and creativity of the countrys younger generation which is expected to be the future leaders of the country, he said.

Luhut was especially warned the governor and district leaders in the province of the high cases of HIV/AIDS in Papua and West Papu8a.

In Jakarta, known HIV/AIDs carriers make up 1.03 percent of the city population, in Papua the ratio is higher at 2.4 percent and in West Papua 3.2 percent.

"This needs serious addressing by the regional leaders," he said.(*)

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http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/ahrc-lack-of-genuine-policy-and-rights-in-west-papua/
2) AHRC : Lack of Genuine Policy and Rights in West Papua
19 June 2016
After monitoring 20 months of the human rights situation in Papua and West Papua provinces under President Joko Widodo’s administration, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is dismayed at the utter lack of progress in the protection and realization of people’s rights. Since President Widodo’s inauguration on 20 October 2014, there were considerable expectations for improvement in Indonesia’s human rights situation, particularly in Papua and West Papua.
President Widodo was believed to have a strong commitment to addressing the various human rights violations in Papua, providing remedies for victims and families, and evaluating the presence of security forces in the province. Over a year of his presidency however, has neither resolved any of the past human rights violations, nor seen any adequate remedy and guarantee for non recurrence given to the victims.
Law No. 21 of 2001 on special autonomy for Papua and West Papua province has yet to bring benefits to local indigenous Papuans. Similarly, government development of public infrastructure has an economic and business orientation rather than benefits for the local community. The government’s attempts to boost international investment to Papua and West Papua will likely see an increase in migration to the provinces from elsewhere in Indonesia, further fuelling local discontent.
Furthermore, criminal justice institutions in the provinces do not function to address human rights problems. The police are frequently involved in various human rights violations in the two provinces, and the accountability mechanism has failed to address this problem. The Paniai case of 8 December 2014, where four indigenous Papuan children were shot to death, two adults seriously injured, and 17 others injured (AHRC-UAC-089-2015) is an indicative example of the brutality faced by Papuans, as well as the lack of any effective investigation or remedies. Other cases that have also not been investigated and prosecuted under President Widodo’s administration include the case of a member of the Air Force heavily maltreating 22-year-old Amsal Marandof (AHRC-UAC-143-2015), the case of arbitrary arrest and torture of three indigenous Papuans on 27 August 2015 (AHRC-UAC-003-2016), and the case of the shooting and brutal attack on 10 indigenous Papuan youth conducted by police officers of Tigi Police Sector (AHRC-UAC-090-2015).
The AHRC has also observed the Indonesian government’s lack of willingness to deal with past human rights abuses in Papua and West Papua provinces. The investigation report of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on the gross violations in Wasior Wamena Papua (2001 and 2003), for instance, has been sitting with the Attorney General for the past eight years, without any action taken by that office. In the allegations of genocide in the Central High Lands of Papua from 1977-1978 as well, although the AHRC submitted a report to Komnas HAM, as of yet there is no progress in the investigation. While Komnas HAM initiated establishing a team in November 2015 to audit human rights violations beginning from the integration of Papua to the Republic of Indonesia until the case of Tolikara (AHRC-UAC-106-2015AHRC-UAU-002-2016), since then there has been no clear information on the team’s existence or work.
Recently, a government initiative under the Coordinator Minister of Politic and Security (Menkopolhukam), Mr. Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, was announced, to establish a special team dealing with human rights violations in Papua and West Papua provinces. Local human rights groups however, have largely rejected the initiative, saying that representative indigenous Papuans in the team are not genuinely representing indigenous Papuans on the ground. In fact, the initiative is typical of the government process to suddenly establish a team without proper consultation and discussion with Papuans on the ground. The government tends to simplify the problems in Papua, and its economic and infrastructure perspective on Papua does not seriously take into consideration the history of human rights violations occurring from the time of integration to the present.
The AHRC therefore calls for President Joko Widodo and his administration to take serious and comprehensive steps to deal with the various human rights problems facing Papua and West Papua provinces. The government should stop seeking political benefits in dealing with the provinces, and focus on improving the situation of the local communities. In particular, the government must guarantee protection of local indigenous Papuans, local human rights defenders and journalists, and consistently open Papua and West Papua to international monitors to ensure the progress of resolution. (*)
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1) Merauke Government Restricts Palm Oil Investment

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2) Fuel Prices at Puncak Jaya Fixed

3) Meeting Seeks More Involvement of Women in Public Life 

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1) Merauke Government Restricts Palm Oil Investment
20 June 2016

                                       Indigenous people in Merauke refuse palm oil plantation on their lands – SKP Merauke

Merauke, Jubi – Merauke Regent Frederikus Gebze said his administration would restrict palm oil operations and applications for permits from investors would be carefully reviewed.
He said palm oil plantation operations had destroyed the forest and caused environmental damage.
“It becomes a task under my leadership for the next five years, that we should protect and keep the sustainability of the forest. So the forest ecosystem would not be destroyed due to deforestation,” he said.
Earlier, the EU Ambassador Vincent Gerund said the European Union was strongly concerned on the environmental, education and health issues.
“The forest, said Guerend, should be well protected and sustained,” he said.
“We already collaborated with some other regions in Indonesia to protect the forest. In addition to the government, the customary landowners also need to be involved in this program. Hopefully this program could be well implemented in Merauke Regency,” he added. (Ans K/rom)
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2) Fuel Prices at Puncak Jaya Fixed
20 June 2016

Jayapura, Jubi – Fuel prices at Puncak Jaya, including kerosene, gasoline and diesel have been fixed at Rp 30,000.
But the high price doesn’t affect the fuel purchase and residents continue to buy from the vendors.
“Although it’s expensive, it doesn’t affect them because the supplies are always ready,” said Parijan who sells the fuel in Mulia City told Jubi a few days ago.
He said the fuel price has been standardized due to cost of transportation from distributor to Wamen City and other cities is expensive, it’s done by air transportation.
“The transportation cost is expensive. For other commodities such as instant noodles, cigarettes and other goods, the prices might not different with other regions, but for fuel, it is higher,” he said.
The gasoline and diesel stocks are usually ready in three or four days in a time.
“We also distribute the fuel to the residents fairly. One consumer was given 20 litters ransom of gasoline and diesel, while 10 liters for kerosene for one consumer,” he said. It is to avoid the jealousy among residents.
“Now many residents have motorcycles. The fuel consumption for both motorcycle and car is the same. No specialty in fuel distribution,” he said.
Mulia resident Markus Wonda told he and local residents need the fuel.
“The fuel is fairly distributed here, so those who want to purchase the fuel feel it’s not difficult to get it. Because each person is allowed to buy 20 litters of gasoline or diesel, and 10 litters of kerosene,” he said.
However, Markus said, her rarely buy gasoline.
“I rarely use my vehicle. I use it only for going to the market or farm. Other than that I choose to just walk,” he said. (Roy Ratumakin/rom)
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3) Meeting Seeks More Involvement of Women in Public Life 

20 June 2016

Mulia, Jubi – A meeting on women and child protection in Puncak Jaya, Papua, has called for more representation of women in parliament.
A joint agreement after the Technical Coordination Meeting of Women and Child Protection  in Mulia, Puncak Jaya Regency, attended by 67 participants from 22 regencies, sought to promote gender equality, said the Head of Papua Provincial Women and Child Protection Agency Anike Rawar.
Rawar  told Jubi the meeting held from 9 to 11 June 2016 has resulted eight points of agreement to be endorsed at the provincial and national levels.
“The first point is the Provincial Women and Child Protection Agency to support the change of institutional nomenclature in accordance to the Law No 23/2014 on Local Government through advocacy and coordination,” she said.
Rawar added in order to materialize the gender equality in development, the government at provincial, municipal and regional is expected to have commitment to endorse the formation of gender mainstreaming working group and capacity strengthening as well as to endorse the establishment of gender responsive budget.
“The next agreement is we ask both provincial and municipal/regional governments to consider to provide appreciation or reward to P2TPA in order to improve their performance in providing service and assistance towards women and children whom the victims of violence,” she said.
She also added the forth of joint agreement is a memorandum of understanding is required in order to strengthen the work coordination between relevant and cross-sectorial offices in the handling the violence cases against women and children.
“The fifth is in order to protect the children from all forms of discrimination and sexual abuse, physical harassment as well as the fulfillment of children’s basic rights, each municipality/regency is expected to create the child-friendly city as well as regional children forum,” she said.
Further, at point six, it is more focus in preparation of women representatives in the legislature in 2019, which is expected all parties to prepare the women politicians in accordance to Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection Regulation No 10/2015 about grand design of women representation in the legislature in the Election 2019.
“Furthermore, in order to improve the women participation in economic sector, the support from the provincial and local governments is needed to endorse the policy and regulation for the opening of economic access for women by using all women capacity in each development areas,” she said.
Earlier, the Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Yembise said every women, in particular Papuan women, must participate in the development, and Papuan women must take part in the parliament.
“In 2030 we must able to show that women are equal with men, which is the percentage of women and men in the parliament is 50:50. Once it was equal we will report it to the UN Secretary General,” said Yembise.
She said Indonesian becomes one of the countries that take their women to the era of 50:50 in 2030. It means both men and women must walk together, be equal in every aspects of life. (Roy Ratumakin/rom)
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1) Indonesia attempts to crush mass peaceful rallies across West Papua

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2) Australia’s political parties accused of double standards on West Papua human rights: Catholic Justice Commission

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1) Indonesia attempts to crush mass peaceful rallies across West Papua

 06/20/2016 08:57 am ET 

Benny Wenda is West Papua’s independence leader, International Spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and founder of the Free West Papua Campaign. He lives in exile in the UK.


Last week, thousands of West Papuan people rallied in the streets to call for freedom and for our fundamental right to self-determination to be exercised. They showed their full support for the United liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)’s full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The people of West Papua also rallied to show their support for the Pacific Islands Forum Human Rights Fact Finding Mission to West Papua, and a rejection of Indonesia’s false attempts of an Indonesian led Fact Finding Mission.

 

 


In every corner of West Papua and in several Indonesian cities, the people of West Papua gathered peacefully to show their true aspirations.

I hope that the world will look and see these demonstrations as evidence that we the people West Papua continue to risk our lives by simply calling for our fundamental right to self-determination. While our demonstrations were entirely peaceful, the Indonesian police were determined to use brute force to crush them and unconfirmed reports estimate that over 1000 people were arrested simply for joining and supporting these peaceful demonstrations.

It is reported that in the last 5 days over 1000 people have been arrested in Port Numbay/Jayapura, over 100 people arrested in Wamena, 32 people arrested in Malang, 5 people arrested in Yahukimo and 4 people arrested in Nabire. At least one of the people arrested in Port Numbay/Jayapura is believed to have been interrogated and beaten until they lost consciousness. Such mass arrests and brutality are becoming increasingly common in West Papua and it is estimated that in the last 2 months, nearly 3000 West Papuan people have been arrested by the Indonesian authorities simply for peacefully demonstrating and calling for our fundamental right to self-determination to be exercised.





My people cannot be silent while our fundamental human rights continue to be crushed, violated and denied to us by this brutal occupying colonial power. We desperately need a Pacific Islands Forum Fact Finding Mission to come to West Papua to help to uncover, document and expose these ongoing human rights violations. The Indonesian government is trying to claim that there are only 11 human rights abuses that need to be investigated in occupied West Papua. We West Papuans know that this is totally and deliberately false. It is estimated that over 500,000 West Papuan people have been killed since Indonesian illegally took control of West Papua and this killing along with torture, rape and other of the most heinous human rights abuses continues unabated to this day. As an example of the scale of human rights atrocities in occupied West Papua, the Asian Human Rights Commission has found that between 1977 and 1978 at least 4146 West Papuan people were killed by the Indonesian authorities in the Central Highlands region of West Papua alone.






Why then is the Indonesian Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan going to West Papua, the UK and Australia, attempting to claim that he is helping human rights in West Papua when his government continues to oppress our fundamental human rights, arresting hundreds of people for peacefully demonstrating? Clearly there is no democracy or freedom of expression in occupied West Papua. We are being silenced and suppressed by the Indonesian government, military and police. While the Indonesian government is trying to claim it is resolving human rights abuses, literally thousands of West Papuan people have been arrested in the last two months alone; just for peacefully demonstrating for self-determination.





The world needs to see this truly desperate situation in occupied West Papua. West Papua is a militarized emergency zone with more and more Indonesian soldiers coming and killing innocent people. The biggest human rights disaster in the Pacific is happening today just 250km North of Australia and we West Papuans are worried that if this genocide and illegal occupation continues to be ignored, in the next few decades will will be completely wiped out from our own country.

 

 



Therefore on behalf of my people I am calling for urgent international intervention in West Papua. We are suffering under a cruel genocide and have been brutally oppressed ever since Indonesia illegally took control of our country in the 1969 Act of NO Choice. It is time for we the West Papuan people to be free to choose our own destiny and to exercise our fundamental right to self-determination in an Internationally Supervised Vote (Independence referendum).

Please help to support the people of West Papua before there are no West Papuans left. Please help to end to these human rights atrocities once and for all by joining the growing number of voices around the world supporting the people of West Papua and our fundamental right to self-determination being exercised through an Internationally Supervised Vote.

Please hear my people’s cry for freedom.




Benny Wenda is West Papua’s independence leader, International Spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and founder of the Free West Papua Campaign. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and lives in exile in the UK.

Follow Benny Wenda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bennywenda

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2) Australia’s political parties accused of double standards on West Papua human rights: Catholic Justice Commission

Updated yesterday at 8:23am
With Australia heading to a general election in less than two weeks, Catholic church leaders are calling on the major political parties to end their double standards on human rights advocacy in the region.
The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission's executive officer Peter Arndt says successive Australian governments have ignored gross and long-running human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces in West Papua while condemning similar abuses elsewhere in the region.
Source: Pacific Beat | Duration: 5min 44sec
Audio
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1) Focus on West Papua

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2) Visit by Police Chief perceived as effort to intimidate
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1) Focus on West Papua
Charlene Lanyon Tuesday, June 21, 2016
SUBMISSIONS made by various sectors to the Pacific Islands Forum have highlighted West Papua as an issue of concern in the region.
Committee representative Lopeti Senituli said 47 submissions were received from the private sector, civil society, individuals, donor communities and Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies.
"The committee comprises experts in specialist fields and we are tasked with identifying and recommending to the forum leaders a set of initiatives that are transformative of the region and supportive of deeper regionalism.
"We would also review progress reports and prepare a brief report to the forum leaders.
"During our assessment, we found that 13 of the 47 proposals that were received were on the issue of West Papua," he said.
PNG's Leonard Louma said West Papua was also one of the five priority issues adopted by the forum last year, along with climate change, fisheries, cervical cancer and information and communications technology.
"However, last year the focus was on the human rights violations happening in West Papua," he said.
"This year's submission focuses on highlighting the issue on the international stage such as at the United Nations and its Human Rights Council.
"Papua New Guinea PM and forum chair Peter O'Neill had written to the Indonesian president and he has informed us that the appropriate place to bring up this issue was at the Bali Democracy Forum."
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2) Visit by Police Chief perceived as effort to intimidate


Jayapura, Papua Elsham – On Friday 17 June 2016, at 2.20 p.m., local time, the Head of the Fakfak Police Resort,  Fakfak Police Chief Superintendent Ghazali Ahmad, accompanied by six of his officers, paid a visit to the Fakfak Secretariat of the Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELSHAM Fakfak). According to Freddy Warpopor, Co-ordinator of ELSHAM Fakfak, the purpose of his visit was to confirm a report regarding the complaint submitted by ELSHAM Fakfak, in relation to cases of pornography and sexual abuse committed by the Fakfak Police Resort against minors.
As was previously reported, on 2 May 2016, local police officers had arrested a number of civilians who were planning on conducting peaceful demonstrations. A number of teenagers were also among those arrested. During the interrogation at the Fakfak Police Headquarters, one of the police officers had displayed  video footages of porn on his cell phone, and then he had forced MT, HD and HH to watch the video. Subsequently, the victims’ family asked ELSHAM Fakfak to accompany the victims to report the case to the Profession and Ethics Division (Propam) of the Fakfak Police.  After the complaint was submitted, ELSHAM Fakfak, together with a team of Human Rights advocates in Fakfak held a press conference on Thursday 16 June 2016.
A day after the case was reported and the press conference held (16 June), Fakfak Police Chief Superintendent Ghazali Ahmad came to the Secretariat of ELSHAM Fakfak, located at Jalan Krapangit Gewab, Village of Lusiperi, Fakfak District City, Fakfak. During his visit, the Chief of Police was accompanied by one of his aides who was wearing a police uniform, and four other police officers in plain clothes. When they arrived in front of the Secretariat of ELSHAM Fakfak, the aide of the Police Chief directly barged into the office, without asking for permission to enter beforehand.
“They came without any prior notice. When I stepped out and met with the Police Chief, he asked: “Oh Mr. Freddy, please could we have our picture taken, it’s for my records”.  After the aide took our picture, he went straight into the office of ELSHAM’s secretariat without asking for permission, and he started taking pictures of any and all the documents that were there, as well as the furniture that was in the room, including the nameplate of ELSHAM Fakfak’s secretariat,” said Warporpor.
Warpopor then advised the Fakfak Police Chief to meet with the Chairman of the Mbaham Matta Customary Council in order to fulfill certain obligations for a process of customary settlement of the case, because the community wished for such a process. In the meantime the settlement through the formal legal process will still be pursued, so that there will be sanctions against police officers who have violated the law. Responding to the suggestion by the Co-ordinator of ELSHAM Fakfak, the Police Chief promised he would continue to co-ordinate in order to find the way to a favourable settlement. A around 3 p.m., local time, the Fakfak Police Chief and his men left the building of the ELSHAM Fakfak Secretariat. Before the arrival of the Police Chief, members of the police intelligence had been seen, monitoring the Secretariat of ELSHAM Fakfak.
In a separate statement, Ferry Marisan, Director of ELSHAM Papua, stated that the actions taken by Fakfak police officers who walked in unexpectedly at the office of the Fakfak Secretariat of ELSHAM, represent a form of intimidation. “The police should abide by the legal procedures in order to collect information, they were out of order when they abruptly walked into the office of ELSHAM Fakfak, without any prior notice. It was only yesterday that we submitted the complaint to the Profession and Ethics Division (Propam) of the Fakfak Police; if they wish to obtain certain clarifications or confirmation, they are more than welcome to send an official letter to us, and we will respond. We do not want any pressure from any party whose intentions would be to make people afraid to report the truth,” said Marisan.
ELSHAM Papua © 2016
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1) Australia: Where Parties Stand on Human Rights- (Human Rights Watch)

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2) Press Release on final outcome of the MSG SOM & FMM Meeting

3) LBH Jakarta questions Tito’s track record amid compliments

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Human Rights Watch-

1) Australia: Where Parties Stand on Human Rights


Response to the question re human rights in Indonesia
On your first visit to Indonesia, what human rights issues will you raise with Indonesian officials?


The Coalition said that “[w]hile Australia recognizes and respects Indonesia’s sovereign right to apply its laws, Australia is strongly opposed to the death penalty and supports its universal abolition. The Australian Government condemns all violence in the Papua provinces. The rights of all citizens should be upheld and credible allegations of human rights abuses should be investigated. Australia believes firmly that the freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right belonging to all individuals - including those belonging to religious minorities and that this freedom must be respected in all countries in accordance with international human rights law. Australia is a strong advocate for non-discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”


The Labor Party said it “will raise the following, among other issues, with Indonesia and all countries: A global moratorium on the death penalty; The protection and empowerment of women and girls; The rights of religious minorities; LGBTI rights; Treatment of prisoners and; Disability and mental health rights. As a country of first asylum, Labor is committed to working closely and cooperatively to assist Indonesia as well as the many other countries impacted by people movement to ensure the protection and processing of people seeking asylum under the Refugee Convention. In addition, a Shorten Labor Government will raise issues relating to human rights in West Papua with our Indonesian counterparts.”


The Greens said it is “deeply concerned about the ongoing use of the death penalty in Indonesia,” and believes it has a “responsibility to do all we can to oppose the death penalty.” It is “deeply concerned about the situation in West Papua, and will continue to raise this as a key human rights issue, including detention of peaceful protesters and advocates, continued limitations on media and research access, and the right to self-determination. Discrimination against women is a continuing concern in Indonesia, with Human Rights Watch reporting Indonesia has a total of 279 discriminatory local regulations targeting women. Bylaws also discriminate against LGBTIQ and religious minorities. Religious minorities in Indonesia continue to be the target of attacks from militant groups, and this is a key human rights concern.”


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Responses to all questions  at

JUNE 21, 2016

Australia: Where Parties Stand on Human Rights

Responses to Questions Before July 2 Federal Elections

(Sydney) – Three political parties and two independents running in the Australian federal elections set out their human rights priorities in response to a Human Rights Watch questionnaire, Human Rights Watch said today. The parties gave their positions on a range of domestic and foreign policy human rights issues, including whistleblower protection and offshore asylum policy, in advance of polls on July 2, 2016.

“The parties’ answers on key human rights issues provide important insights into how Australian human rights policy could take shape after the elections,” said Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch. “We hope this information will be helpful to voters in deciding which party to support.”

The questionnaire was sent on April 27 to the three largest political parties (CoalitionLabor and Greens), all of whom responded. It was also sent to minor parties and independents, of whom independent Senator David Leyonhjelm (Liberal Democrats senator for New South Wales) and Andrew Wilkie (independent member for Denison) responded.

The questions related to domestic policy topics including protection of journalists, whistleblowers, and activists; disproportionate incarceration of indigenous people; asylum seeker policy; and marriage equality.

Foreign policy questions dealt with offshore processing of asylum seekers; Australia’s advocacy against the death penalty; tackling human rights violations in the Asia-Pacific region; specific country concerns in China, Indonesia, and elsewhere; and violence against women in Papua New Guinea. The compilation of full responses to the questionnaire can be found on the Human Rights Watch website.

“We intend to hold the parties to their promises that uphold human rights and take issue with their positions that don’t,” Pearson said. “Whoever wins should know that civil society will be monitoring their actions from day one.”


Excerpted responses: 

Domestic policy

What changes, if any, should be made to Australia’s laws covering the rights of journalists, whistleblowers, and activists to speak out on matters of public interest? 

The Coalition[1] said that they “will introduce new whistleblower protections for people who disclose information about tax misconduct to the Australian Tax Office.”

The Labor Party said that, “[t]he public has the right to know the truth, the media has the right to publish the truth, and whistleblowers deserve protection for exposing the truth.” Labor will continue to oppose the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Standing) Bill, which aims to “silence the voice of the community on environmental matters.”

The Greens said legal protections for public sector whistleblowers should be “extended to cover the private and not-for-profit sectors.” For financial security, the Greens advocate for “a model based on the US False Claims Act where whistleblowers can be supported by getting a set proportion of any additional revenue collected by government agencies as a result of the information provided. This is a particularly important measure in relation to companies or individuals evading the tax office.”

Senator David Leyonhjelm (Liberal Democrats senator for New South Wales) said “the suite of national security legislation… enacted by the Abbott/Turnbull government adversely affected free speech and should be repealed as a matter of urgency. Taken together, they attacked freedom of speech, undermined press freedom, attacked whistleblowers, undermined legal professional privilege, and provided for mandatory data retention.”

Andrew Wilkie (independent member for Denison) said he has introduced legislation twice that would provide more protection for whistleblowers and “the current federal public interest disclosure framework is seriously flawed. It fails to encourage and facilitate in many material ways the disclosure of corruption and wrongdoing in the public service. Its definitions and provisions are ambiguous, obscure and restrictive, and it excludes or impedes several classes of potential whistleblowers including those employed as intelligence officers, parliamentarians and parliamentary staff.”



What would you do to address the disproportionate incarceration of indigenous people in Australian prisons and jails?

All parties said they would work closely with the states and territories to address these issues.

The Coalition said they will “address the issues that have led to the unacceptably high rate of Indigenous incarceration. This includes increasing education, training and employment opportunities and tackling the misuse of alcohol and other drugs.” They will also develop a “prison to work” approach that addresses long-term unemployment.

The Labor Party said it will use “community-driven and national strategies that empower communities to address the complex causes of incarceration and crime.” Labor “will establish a working group of State, Territory and local government agencies, as well as key community organizations, to develop measurable targets that address rising incarceration rates and build safer communities” and “establish a national coordinating body to build the evidentiary base, collect data and measure progress.”

The Greens will call on the government to “adopt a national justice target to address the disproportionate incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples” and call “for the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, [and]… an end to mandatory detention.”

The Liberal Democrats said that “people should not be incarcerated for non-payment of fines. … Cannabis should be legalized for both recreational and medicinal use, thus avoiding the disproportionate incarceration of both poor and the black people for drug offences, and as a corollary other non-violent drug offences should be medicalized (as in Portugal).”

Wilkie said Australia should “implement national targets to reduce rates of Indigenous incarceration” and “work constructively with Indigenous communities to address societal problems.” Wilkie said that Australia should “implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.”



Foreign policy

What should be done about the situation of refugees and people seeking asylum who are being held on Manus and Nauru?

The Coalition said that “[t]he refugee determination process in Papua New Guinea is managed and administered by the Papua New Guinea Government according to their domestic laws and processes. If a transferee is found to be a refugee, they are permitted to permanently settle in PNG.” And likewise for Nauru, although “if a transferee is found to be a refugee, they may settle in Nauru for up to ten years or settle in Cambodia.”

The Labor Party supports retaining offshore processing but “does not believe offshore facilities should be run as punitive holding cells. They need to be humane and offer people seeking safety exactly that. Fast and efficient processing should occur so that claims for protection can be determined quickly and fairly. Labor will implement independent oversight of Australian-funded processing facilities” and “will work with our regional neighbors to find lasting resettlement options.”

The Greens said they would abolish offshore detention and “remove all children and their families from detention immediately, including those in offshore detention and on Nauru.”

The Liberal Democrats said it is “more comfortable with offshore processing than mass drownings, although neither situation is ideal.”

Wilkie said “Australia’s offshore processing centers must be immediately closed, all people housed within brought to Australia, and their claims processed as soon as possible.”



Australia has established ongoing “human rights dialogues” with China, Vietnam, and Laos. How will you make these dialogues more effective in promoting the human rights of the people in those countries?

The Coalition said that “strengthening our human rights engagement is an important component of the Coalition government’s bilateral relationships in our region. An important means of achieving this has been Ministerial-level human rights dialogues where issues have been discussed in an open and frank forum.”

The Labor Party said it will increase “the reporting on human rights dialogues in the annual reports of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; [develop] clear strategies and benchmarks for each dialogue and; [increase] the human rights training among Australian diplomats and [ensure] that all our diplomatic posts undertake human rights monitoring.”

The Greens said they would involve nongovernmental organizations, human rights experts and civil society in these dialogues, improve transparency and “[e]ach dialogue should be results oriented, with clear, time bound objectives so that progress can be measured… at the conclusion of each dialogue process, the Government should table a report on progress, and time set aside for consideration of this report in the parliament.” 



What role is there for public – as opposed to private or “quiet” – diplomacy in promoting human rights abroad?

The Coalition said that, “Australia engages with the international community with active, practical advocacy, sensitivity and fairness, and a willingness to speak out against human rights violations and abuses… Under the Coalition, Australia will continue to play an active part in promoting Human Rights Council resolutions on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, human rights defenders, human rights and the internet, and civil society.”

The Labor Party said that they will privately and publicly raise concerns about human rights abuses in other countries: “private human rights diplomacy can be enhanced by, where appropriate, public diplomacy, advocacy, reporting and condemnation of human rights abuses.”

The Greens said that, “Australia should give much greater weight to public diplomacy in determining its human rights approach. Australia should speak more forthrightly about human rights violations in countries, particularly in our region and those with whom we have direct trade and political relationships.”



What should Australia do to address the growing crackdown on human rights in China? 

The Coalition said concerns are raised “through a variety of channels, including ministerial meetings; our bilateral Human Rights Dialogue; officials in Beijing and Canberra; and public statements. The Government recently co-sponsored a joint statement in the UN Human Rights Council alongside eleven other countries.”

The Labor Party said it has raised concerns, privately and publicly, about human rights abuses in China. It “will support stronger international mechanisms and processes for monitoring human rights violations and will encourage the development of regional dialogue on human rights issues in our region.”

The Greens said “Australia should use its relationship with China as an avenue to advocate, both privately and publicly, for an end to human rights abuses in China.”



On your first visit to Indonesia, what human rights issues will you raise with Indonesian officials?

The Coalition said that “[w]hile Australia recognizes and respects Indonesia’s sovereign right to apply its laws, Australia is strongly opposed to the death penalty and supports its universal abolition. The Australian Government condemns all violence in the Papua provinces. The rights of all citizens should be upheld and credible allegations of human rights abuses should be investigated. Australia believes firmly that the freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right belonging to all individuals - including those belonging to religious minorities and that this freedom must be respected in all countries in accordance with international human rights law. Australia is a strong advocate for non-discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The Labor Party said it “will raise the following, among other issues, with Indonesia and all countries: A global moratorium on the death penalty; The protection and empowerment of women and girls; The rights of religious minorities; LGBTI rights; Treatment of prisoners and; Disability and mental health rights. As a country of first asylum, Labor is committed to working closely and cooperatively to assist Indonesia as well as the many other countries impacted by people movement to ensure the protection and processing of people seeking asylum under the Refugee Convention. In addition, a Shorten Labor Government will raise issues relating to human rights in West Papua with our Indonesian counterparts.”

The Greens said it is “deeply concerned about the ongoing use of the death penalty in Indonesia,” and believes it has a “responsibility to do all we can to oppose the death penalty.” It is “deeply concerned about the situation in West Papua, and will continue to raise this as a key human rights issue, including detention of peaceful protesters and advocates, continued limitations on media and research access, and the right to self-determination. Discrimination against women is a continuing concern in Indonesia, with Human Rights Watch reporting Indonesia has a total of 279 discriminatory local regulations targeting women. Bylaws also discriminate against LGBTIQ and religious minorities. Religious minorities in Indonesia continue to be the target of attacks from militant groups, and this is a key human rights concern.”


The Coalition did not respond under each individual question but responded under relevant thematic subheadings. See here.

Region
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2) Press Release on final outcome of the MSG SOM & FMM Meeting
MSG June meetings end: ULMWP is grateful and looks forward to MSG Leaders’ Meeting in July
The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) held its Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and its Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) between 14 and 16 June 2016 in Lautoka, Republic of Fiji Islands. It was the first time that a delegation of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was able to attend both meetings officially, after having received an invitation from the Secretariat of the MSG.
Mr. Benny Wenda, the ULMWP spokesperson, has expressed deep appreciation on behalf of his organization for this privilege, which was made possible by the MSG’s June 2015 decision to grant observer status to the ULMWP. At present, the MSG is a regional organization of five Melanesian member states – Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Kanaky/New Caledonia. Mr. Wenda further stated that ever since 2013, when the MSG first gave its full support of the inalienable right of the West Papuan people to self-determination as provided for under the preamble of the MSG Constitution, the issue of West Papua has featured prominently on the agenda of the MSG. He called this prominence a clear sign that the fate of their Melanesian brothers and sisters in West Papua is of great importance to the leaders and peoples of the MSG countries. The observer status accorded the ULMWP is also a recognition of the organization as the legitimate representative of the people of West Papua and their liberation struggle against Indonesia’s continuing colonial rule.
After gaining observer status last year, the ULMWP applied for full MSG membership and hoped that a decision would be reached at the just-concluded June MSG meetings. Due to technical and legal constraints, however, the decision was deferred. ULMWP Head of Delegation, Mr. Rex Rumakiek, stated that the ULMWP was not at all discouraged. The ULMWP is certain these procedural problems will be resolved before the mid-July MSG Leaders’ Meeting in the Solomon Islands. Mr. Octo Mote, Secretary General of the ULMWPstated that his organization had full trust in the MSG and in the MSG’s founding commitment to be, above an organization promoting and protecting the political, social, cultural and economic interests of Melanesian peoples throughout Melanesia.
Secretary General Mote also said his organization and all West Papuans very much welcomed the MSG’s granting to ULMWP the opportunity to sit at the same table at the June meetings with Indonesian officials. For the first time, West Papuan delegates sat as equals with Indonesia in an official international decision-making body, and a de facto recognition of the momentum both inside West Papua and internationally of the West Papuan demand for self-determination. Mr. Mote stated that it was important that both parties had a chance to listen – and to be listened to – with understanding and respect. The ULMWP believes that a negotiation process between the ULMWP and the Indonesian government mediated by a strong neutral third party or parties could lead to an amicable solution to the injustice, oppression and colonialism and the lack of self-determination that West Papuans still face.
Ends//
Benny Wenda
Spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)
Media contact number +4407411053953
Email: office@bennywenda.org
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3) LBH Jakarta questions Tito’s track record amid compliments
News Desk The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Tue, June 21 2016 | 06:51 pm
Arbitrary arrests of activists and the suppression of free speech in Papua and Jakarta are included in the track record of National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Comr. Gen. Tito Karnavian, the widely praised sole candidate for National Police chief, lawyers claim. 
In a report entitled "Track Records of Police Chief Candidates" released over the weekend, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) questioned Tito's policies when he served as Papua Police chief in 2012 to 2014 and as Jakarta Police chief in 2015 to 2016.
“Throughout 2013, Tito was allegedly responsible for human rights abuses [in Papua] including the shooting, disappearances, murders, restriction and dismissal of demonstrations that resulted in three dead victims and two injured, and also the arbitrary arrests of 26 people,” the report says as published on the LBH Jakarta website, www.bantuanhukum.or.id.
As Jakarta Police chief, Tito was also reportedly responsible for several evictions, the criminalization of workers and members of the Papuan Students Alliance, who held rallies in October and December 2015, respectively. Furthermore, Tito was also suspected of giving a green light to the dispersing of the Belok Kiri (Turn Left) Festival, an event held in March to discuss the history of the leftist movement in Indonesia as well as the 1965 Communist purge.
The report also claims that Tito said the police by law had the authority to violate human rights when doing their jobs.
"I disagree that the police cannot use violence," he said in November 2015, the report says quoting tempo.co.
Tito, the youngest three-star police general to be nominated for the post, has been lauded for his extensive educational background and achievements during his career at the National Police. Often dubbed a terrorism expert, Tito saw his career soar after being named best student when he graduated from the Police Academy in 1987 up until he won the favor of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to gain the sole nomination for top cop. 
The House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing on Tito before deciding whether to approve his promotion to the position of National Police chief to replace Gen. Badrodin Haiti. (vps/rin)
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Media release -18 years since the Biak Massacre in West Papua

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Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

 PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088



Media release 5 July 2016 




18 years since the Biak Massacre

                                                         From  Biak Massacre Citizens Tribunal website

On the 2 July in 1998 the West Papuan flag, The Morning Star flag was raised on top of a water tower near the harbour in Biak.  Up to seventy-five people gathered beneath it singing songs and holding traditional dances.  As the rally continued many more people in the area joined in with numbers reaching up to 500 people.


On the 6 July the Indonesian security forces attacked the demonstrators massacring scores of people.  The victims included women and children who had gathered for the peaceful gathering. They were killed at the base of the water tower. Other Papuans were rounded up and later taken out to sea where they were thrown off naval ships and drowned. No security force personal were ever charged over the killings.


18 years late the West Papuan people continue to suffer human rights abuses

Since the beginning of May over 3000 West Papuans have been arrested in peaceful rallies throughout West Papua. Although the majority of activists were eventually released, during the arrests on the 2 May in Jayapura a large number of activists were taken to the Mobile brigade (BRIMOB) headquarters and made to remove their shirts and put in a field in the extremely hot midday sun. Seven activists were also reported to have been tortured.  


The tragedy of the Biak massacre reminds us of the ongoing suffering of the West Papuan people and the importance of full membership for them at the MSG. 

AWPA urges the MSG leaders to respond compassionately and courageously to the application from the ULMWP by granting them full membership at the MSG


Background

Searching for the truth about a massacre in West Papua

The Biak Massacre Citizens Tribunal

Photos of commemoration of Biak Massacre outside Indonesian Consulate Sydney on 6 July

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Photos of commemoration of Biak Massacre outside Indonesian Consulate Sydney on 6 July




















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