Analysis & Opinion

The ignored Papuan war on PNG’s border
by: Arthur Williams

Source: asopa.typepad.com

“Every day planes come in, vomiting migrants” - West Papuan eyewitness

I HAVE WATCHED the West Papua story for many years but especially since Epel Tito lost the Defence Ministry when he named Indonesia as PNG’s most likely future enemy. He’d also said he was ashamed at the treatment of the Melanesian people by their own government in Jakarta with its transmigration (now called in-migration) policy of swamping PNG’s brothers and sisters with non-Melanesians.

He said he was also ashamed with the lack of support for West Papuan independence by PNG, the biggest Melanesian nation, which shares a common border with the Indonesia colony. Only tiny Vunuatu had the balls to stand up for these unhappy people.

Journalist's death overshadows launch of Papua food project
Press Release by TAPOL and DTE

11 August 2010 - The death of a local journalist has increased concerns about a giant food estate launched today in Merauke, Southeastern Papua by Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture.

TAPOL and Down to Earth, the International Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia are calling for a moratorium on the food project, known as MIFEE (Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate) until independent assessments of the political, economic, socio-cultural, environmental and gender impacts of the project have been undertaken.

The suspicious death of the journalist, Ardiansyah Matra'is, in late July, following threats against him, has been linked to his coverage of this week's local elections for the district head in Merauke.

TAPOL press release, 9 July 2010

Dialogue a must for Papua

Papua is in a state of heightened tension following a series of events that culminated in a mass rally yesterday by thousands of Papuans at the provincial parliament, the DPRP, in Jayapura.

The demonstration and similar actions in other locations across the territory were intended to increase pressure on the DPRP to support a recommendation by the Papuan People's Assembly, the MRP, to 'return' Papua's 2001 special autonomy law to the central government in Jakarta.

(Klik di sini untuk versi bahasa Indonesia)

Indonesia: Stop Prosecuting Peaceful Political Expression

EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue Should Take up Cases of Imprisoned Activists

June 22, 2010

(Jakarta) - The Indonesian government should immediately release the more than 100 Papuan and Moluccan activists imprisoned for peacefully voicing political views, and change laws and policies to protect freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should act now to ensure that a European Union-Indonesia dialogue on human rights scheduled for June 29, 2010, in Jakarta will get off to a successful start, Human Rights Watch said.

The 43-page report, "Prosecuting Political Aspiration: Indonesia's Political Prisoners," is based on more than 50 jailhouse interviews with political prisoners conducted between December 2008 and May 2010. It describes the arrest and prosecution of activists for peacefully raising banned symbols, such as the Papuan Morning Star and the South Moluccan RMS flags. The report also details torture that many say they have suffered in detention, especially by members of the Detachment 88/Anti-Terror Squad in Ambon, as well as police and prison guards in Papua, and the failure of the government to hold those responsible to account.

U.S. Training of Kopassus: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Not Come

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) warned President Barack Obama against renewing any U.S. training for Indonesia's notorious special forces.

"Training Kopassus will set back efforts to achieve accountability for past and recent human rights violations and will do little or nothing to discourage future crimes," said John M. Miller, National Coordinator of ETAN. "This is a bad idea whose time has not come."

The Obama administration is considering resuming training of Kopassus and may announce a change in policy when President Obama visits Indonesia later this month.

"It's impossible to credit Kopassus with human rights reform when it retains active duty soldiers convicted of human rights violations," said Miller. These include soldiers convicted of killing West Papuan leader Theys Eluay and the kidnapping and disappearances of Indonesian activists in 1997 and 1998.

Impunity at the Freeport Gold & Copper Mine: Will Indonesian Security Forces Get Away with It Again?

West Papua Advocacy Team Statement
Source: WPAT

Contact: Edmund McWilliams, West Papua Advocacy Team, +1.575.648.2078 (English)
Eben Kirksey, Ph.D., University of California, +1.831.600.5937 (English or Bahasa Indonesia)

July 23, 2009 - Amidst an ongoing shooting spree at the Freeport McMoRan mining concession in Timika, West Papua, four people have died, including an Australian Freeport employee. Six separate ambushes have taken place since shootings began on July 11.

A race to find scapegoats appears underway. Indonesian authorities have arrested as many as 20 individuals. Trusted sources informed the West Papua Advocacy Team that these detainees have been interrogated without the presence of their lawyers and at least one, an elderly man, was beaten by security personnel. Even after these recent detentions, a convoy of 12 Freeport busses again came under attack by gunmen on Wednesday, 22 July.

Leaders of Pacific Island countries, including Australia and New Zealand, should devote special attention to the plight of West Papuan human rights defenders at the annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga says TAPOL, the UK-based NGO that promotes human rights, peace and democracy in Indonesia.

The level of intimidation against human rights defenders, political activists and religious leaders by Indonesian military and intelligence personnel has increased markedly since a visit to West Papua in June 2007 by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani, says TAPOL in an open briefing to the Forum leaders.

Biak to Become Military Base for Eastern Indonesia - report submitted by ELSHAM Biak, Papua

(Abridged translation courtesy of TAPOL)

I. INTRODUCTION

The district of Biak Numfor is strategically located, being near the Pacific Ocean while the northern tip is close to The Philippines.

Its inhabitants are able to engage in trade with the Philippines, while fishing vessels operate in nearby waters from The Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.

In terms of security, it is strategically located for a military base, being close to Asia and the Pacific. Three islands, Mapia, Tandjung Barari and Pantai Korem, are frequently visited by foreign warships docking here to monitor the activities of the Indonesian army.

Indonesia: Military Business Threatens Human Rights
Response to Research by Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Source: Kontras

Commision for Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) expresses regret toward the tardiness of Indonesian govenrment to release President Decision on implementation of Law No. No.34/2004 on Military. This setback will weaken iniative to push military withdrawn from businesses, reform the budget process and hold military personnel accountable for crimes by 2009. That tardiness threatens human rights.

[An English version of this article is published as "A Yellow Light for Indonesia" by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.]

PacNet #4 (CSIS-Hawaii) February 1, 2007

oleh Professor Donald E. Weatherbee

Selama enam tahun pemerintahannya, George W. Bush telah mendorong pemulihan hubungan dengan Indonesia. Amerika Serikat memandang Indonesia sebagai mitra utamanya dalam berurusan dengan masalah yang menjadi prioritas yakni counter-terrorism. Lebih penting lagi, Amerika Serikat melihat peranan besar Indonesia dalam membentuk terjaminnya wilayah Asia Tenggara yang stabil dan damai dalam jangka panjang di mana Amerika Serikat akan berpartisipasi sepenuhnya.