Papuan state leaders warn Papuan not to be provoked on 1 December
The instruction was issued by Forkorus Yaboisembut, president of the Republic, and Edison Waromi, its prime minister.
The instruction was conveyed in a press conference held by the spokesman of the transitional government, Jack Wanggai and a member of his staff, Heppi Daimboa, on Thursday.
He also said that there are groups called the TPN which have been set up by the Indonesian army and police, who will try to provoke the Papuan people.
He also said that the name of the flag which until now has been publicised as Bintang Kejora is now called Bintang Fajar. This is in accordance with a decision taken at th Papuan People’s Congress held from 24 May till 4 June, 2000 when it was decided to change the name of the flag from Bintang Kejora to Bintang Fajar. This decision was re-affirmed by a decision taken at the third Papuan People’s Congress held from 17 – 19 October 2011, which also adopted decisions regarding the currency, and the seven tribal regions which are now called the seven federated states.
The President and the Prime Minister also called on all Papuans to take part in thanksgiving prayers in locations that will be identified and should consist of peaceful actions, long marches and other activities. ‘Anything that happens outside these instructions are not the responsibility of the President and the Prime Minister,’ he said.
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Two Papuans arriving to attend congress in Jayapura are arrested
All passengers who alight from the ships are subjected to sweepings undertaken by the police. A delegation from Serui was also subject to investigation. Ten people were taken into custody. After being interrogated, eight were released while two were held. The two who were held, Noak Kandipi and Henok Dorri, were found to be in possession of sharp implement in violation of the law.
The chief of police of Papua confirmed these arrests, saying that they were carrying weapons without the necessary permit.
The chairman of the congress organising committee, Selpius Bobii described this as an action of terror against Papuans arriving from outside who were coming to attend the congress.
‘Their aim is to warn delegates from other parts of the country against coming to Jayapura to attend the congress.’ he said.speaking at a press conference held at the office of the Dewan Adat Papua. He called on the army and the police not to arrest people and damage the programme of the congress, saying that this was very dangerous indeed. ‘We call on the police to release the two people immediately,’ he said. He also called on all Papuans not to be provoked by issues that are being launched to damage harmonious relations with the community.
A member of the monitoring and advocacy team express his deep regrets that emergency laws were being used in a part of the country which was not in a state of emergency. ‘Moreover,’ he said, ‘people coming from the kampungs know absolutely nothing about these laws.’ He said that the monitoring team would assist the two and said that they did not know whether the two had been designated as suspects.
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Thousands expected to attend Third Papuan People’s Congress
Other persons who have been invited from abroad are waiting to see whether they will be issued with visas by the Indonesian embassy in their country.
The event which is now drawing near will, according to Selpius Bobii, be the uppermost forum of the Papuan people for the adoption of decisions on a number of agenda items, and some of the participants have already arrived. These are from components or organisations, youth groups and women’s groups, the TPN/OPM, traditional groups and others. ‘They will have the right to vote,’ he said..
No final decision has yet been taken about the venue of the event which is likely to be attended by tens of thousands of people. ”If three places that have been approached cannot be used, we will have to hold it on Theys Square. With regard to the possibility that some people may want to fly the morning star flag during the event, all we can do is to make suggestions. We have asked people not to fly the morning star flag, which people may acknowledge. Let’s hope they will listen to what we say.’
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Activists detained for attending consolidation meeting
from westpapuamedia.info and sourcesRelated articles
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- West Papua Report October 2011 (westpapuamedia.info)
Deal with the rectification of history first, says Indonesia
JAYAPURA – The claim made by the Committee for the Third Papuan People’s Congress (scheduled for 16–19 October) that they already have the support of the government has received a pessimistic response from a member of the DPRP, the Papuan Provincial parliament, Dr. Johanes Sumarto. He said that the Papuan parliament is urging the Third Papuan People’s Congress Committee to deal first with the unfinished agenda of the Second Papuan Congress, then talk about the issue of a third congress. He said that as one point on the agenda remained unfinished, that is to say, the rectification of history had not yet been successfully dealt with, it was not the time to start dealing with more agenda items. Because of this, said Johanes, pushing ahead with the Third Papuan People’s Congress before outstanding agendas had been dealt with was a waste of time, funds and energy. “The [agenda of the] Second Papua Congress has not been finished and now they want to have a third – this is a waste of energy, money and so on,” said the representative of the Gerindra Party when contacted by Bintang Papua at his office at the Papuan local parliament in Jayapura on Monday (3/10).
According to Johanes, once the agenda of the Second Congress is finished, this should be reported to the government and along with the plan for the Third Congress. “This in no way diminishes the will to hold a Third Papuan People’s Congress. I value their desire to have this congress. But this is a question of efficiency of the activity,” he added.
The problem according to him was that the Second Congress received the blessing and financial support of the central government via former President Gus Dur [Abdurrahman Wahid), to the tune of one billion rupiah, whereas this Third Congress had not yet been approved by the government. “The central government hasn’t approved it yet, but neither have they opposed it,” he said.
As reported in this newspaper yesterday... [repeats article of 2 October 2011].
Translated by TAPOL
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Nurses in Papua take their complaints to governor.. and to the ALDP
Bintang Papua, 19 February 2011
Abridged in translation by TAPOL
Nurses working at the Dok II General Hospital have taken part in a
demonstration at the governor’s office, complaining that their rights
have been ignored.
‘We are working to the utmost and often doing things that doctors should
be doing in addition to our own duties. In addition to applying
catheters and giving infusions, we do laboratory work and look after
and wash the patients, as well as handling things that doctors should be
doing.’
Leni Ebe is one of more than one hundred nurses working at Dok II in
Jayapura.who are critical of the management of the hospital which they
describe as being appalling. After having made complaints to the
director of the hospital (to no avail), they took their complaints to
the governor of the province.
She spoke in particular about the incentive fee that had been promised
by the government but had not yet been paid.
Nurses in all the hospitals in Abepura as well as elsewhere in Papua are
doing their utmost, she said. ‘We were promised the incentive fee in
2009 and were eventually paid Rp 30,000 [around £2.00], which we got
only after pressing very hard for it.’
Since the enactment of the Special Autonomy law (in 2001), Papua has
been allocated substantial sums of money yet internal management
problems have led to a failure to solve problems in the hospitals,
including the failure to pay the incentive fee, which is being paid to
administrative staff. This led to the hospital personnel deciding to
take their problem to the governor.
Leni Ebe said that it had been agreed that specialist doctors and
dentists would get Rp 10 million (a month), phamacists would get Rp5
million and other medical personnel would get Rp 3m, while other staff
including nurses would get only Rp1m. ‘We have to handle so much of the
work, including that usually done by doctors. Is this is all we are
worth? It is far too little, especially for those of us who have
families to feed.’
A decision by the governor allocating the money for the whole of 2010
had not been followed through, as a result of which the nurses decided
to take their problem to the ALDP this week. Anum Siregar, director of
the ALDP, said that the failure to implement the decision was a clear
indication of the lack of any seriousness on the part of the government
to solve the problem and could lead to similar cases occurring elsewhere.
Human rights situation raised with US diplomat visiting Papua
Bintang Papua, 16 February 2011
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORTED TO US DIPLOMAT
Biak: The traditional Papuan community in Biak reported the current
social and political situation in Papua to the first secretary for
political affairs at the US embassy, Melanie Higgins, when she visited
the office of DAP (Dewan Adat Papua) in Biak. Their representatives drew attention in particular to the human rights situation and the
deteriorating welfare since the enactment of the Special Autonomy Law (OTSUS) which had led to the failure of OTSUS.
The issue that came to the fore was that for the Papuan people the
solution was merdeka – independence. ‘This poured forth from the hearts of the indigenous people during their meeting with the US diplomat on Wednesday. They said that this would be the best solution for the accumulation of problems in Papua,’ said Yan Pieter Yarangga, chairman of DAP in Biak-Supiori, following his meeting with Higgins.
He said that the visit by Melanie Higgins was consistence with the US
decision to evaluate OTSUS in Papua. She was able to hear how OTSUS had been implemented in the ten years since its enactment.
Besides talking about the failure of OTSUS, they raised some specific
cases, such as the beating of a civilian by a member of the security
forces (TNI) over a land dispute regarding land being held by the Air
Force.
They also talked about such matters as history, the development process and the growing number of poor Papuans. Women who were present spoke about the growing number of HIV/AIDS victims in Biak and everywhere in Papua.
‘We talked about many serious problems which were an indication of
genocide. ‘But we very much regret the fact that according to the US
there is no genocide in Papua,’ said the chairman of the local DAP.
He said that the indigenous people of Papua nevertheless warmly
appreciated the visit by Melanie Higgins and the present position of the US, and understood their US support for NKRI (Unitary State of the
Republic of Indonesia.).
‘But they should realise that we will not retreat and will continue to
struggle until we reach a solution for the political status for the
people of Papua and hope that Melanie Higgins will pass on the views of the indigenous Papuan people to the US government, in so that they would be passed on to the central government in Jakarta for them to take steps in favour of a comprehensive solution of the Papuan problem.’
‘Actually, there were many problems to raise with her but time was
short, so we came to the conclusion that we should raise a number of
basic indicators about problems of a very substantial nature.’
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WOMEN SAY: DEPUTY GOVERNOR MUST KEEP HIS PROMISE
WOMEN SAY: DEPUTY GOVERNOR MUST KEEP HIS PROMISE
Bintang Papua, 8 February 2011
Hundreds of women traders (known as mama-mama) visited the office of the governor of the Papua province to demand that the deputy governor, Alex Hesegem keep the promise he made to give them assistance in the form of capital. The women stayed in the hall of the governor’s office, demanding to meet the deputy governor. After waiting for two hours, they were eventually able to meet him.
He said he was happy to enter into dialogue with the women but things became tense when they persisting in demanding that he keep his promise. He responded by saying that this would certainly be done, I can do it tomorrow.’
But he asked he women to draw up a list of their names because another official insisted that anyone receiving half a million rupiahs would have to pay a fee of five thousand rupiahs. This is reportedly the reasons why the capital has not yet been provided. Some women said that they had no objection to paying this fee.
‘This problem has been going on for two years, and we have been going back and forth to the governor’s office, but all the time they keep telling us to go somewhere else.’
She said that she hoped that after supplying the list of women, the
matter will be resolved because they were worn out, going back and forth about this.
The issue dates back to 2007 when the deputy governor held an open
house. When the mama-mama went there to meet the officials, they
requested help in the form of half a million rupiahs for each one of
them yet to this very day, they have not received anything.
[COMMENT: This just shows the problems Papuan people continue to
encounter in order to secure for themselves a role in engaging in trade
and business in Papua. TAPOL]
Flag raisers to go on trial in Manokwari
JUBI, 11 February 2011
Flag raisers to go on trial in Manokwari
Two Papuans are due to go on trial in Manokwari for raising the 14-star flag. The two men are Melkinus Bleskadit and Dance Bleskadit who, along with five others, raised flags on 14 December 2010. The documents regarding the two men were handed over by the police to the attorney’s office.
A lawyer acting for the two men, Yan Christian Warinussy, said that this is the second stage in the judicial process, following interrogation and bringing together other evidence.
‘The two men are now awaiting action on their case by the prosecutors who will present the charges against them,’ he said. He said that the two men were likely to be charged for treason – makar – and the lawyer hoped that the trial proceedings would commence as soon as possible.
Four others involved in the flag raising are Jhon Wena, 21, George
Rawiay, 20, Benha Supangha, 20, and Alex Duwen, 22. [The name of the fifth person was not mentioned .] The ages of the two men due to be formally charged were not given.
The seven men were arrested as they were commemorating the anniversary of the independence declaration of the West Melanesian Republic on 14 December 2010.
The five men are being held in police custody and are still undergoing
interrogation by the police.
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Bintang Papua: DPRP member calls for end to separatist stigma
Bintang Papua, 9 February 2011
[Abridged in translation by TAPOL]
STOP SILENCING PAPUANS WITH THE SEPARATIST STIGMA
The chairman of Commission A of the provincial legislative assembly, the DPRP, Ruben Magai, has called on the police chief to stop using political stigmatisation when conducting operations in Papua. Such statements, he said, result in scaring the indigenous Papuan people and trying to silence them.
These remarks followed a recent statement by a police officer [lower down, it is clear that the statement was made by the police chief] alleging that the OPM is present in the region of Degeuwo, on the border between Paniai and Nabire,. where security disturbances have recently occurred.
Regardless of whether the police have firm evidence, such statements are a form of character assassination, in a region that is known to have abundant natural resources where investors would be keen to invest, with the backing of the security apparatus.
‘This kind of thing is very bad and should be corrected,’ he said. ‘It is as if all the security disturbances are the work of separatists and have nothing to do with injustice. When the term separatism is used in Papua, it is clearly directed against the Papuans who live in the area.’
He warned of a high-level conspiracy by people in authority. All this makes the indigenous Papuans harbour feelings of hostility towards those who make such baseless statements. The term NKRI (Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia) should not be the exclusive property of people in officialdom. People throughout the territory , including those living in the interior, should be able to speak loud and clear about the NKRI.
But at a time when the state is engaged in a number of questionable activities, including acts of violence against the population in the interior as well as making all kinds of baseless accusations, such things can only spread a feeling of insecurity and anxiety for isolated communities in the interior who know very little about what is going on. ‘What they do know is that they are suffering from injustice as well as the consequences of development which have destroyed their natural resources.’
They are living without any guarantees for security in their old age, which is something that should be taken into consideration, he said.
The age-long problems will remain unresolved as long as the security forces pursue the approach of violence and intimidation, he said.
The Alliance of Intellectuals is also disappointed by the chief of police
Similar views have been expressed by the Alliance of Intellectuals of Suku Wolani Moni, who regret the statement made by the chief of police to the effect that the OPM has a base in Degeuwo.
An Alliance deputy chairmen, Tobias Bagubau, said that a week ago the chief of police promised that they would put an end to illegal logging in Degeuwo. ‘As a representative of the Wolani Moni people, I regret the police chief’s statement to the effect that the OPM is based in Degeuwo whereas in fact there are no OPM members in Degeuwo.’
He said that he thinks the police chief is playing a new game of distracting attention from all the unresolved problems. ‘Please stop making such allegations about the OPM in Degeuwo. What we want is for the problem of illegal mining to be halted,’ he said.
He said that he can’t stop wondering why the police chief is always making such statements which can only lead to widespread feelings of dissatisfaction and result in insecurity for the state.
‘If the OPM is indeed here, they should be arrested. After all, there are plenty of members of the security forces based here,’ he said.
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Verdict on violence in Papua unjust, says Kontras
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DAP leader rejects police moves to question him
Bintang Papua, 11 January 2011
Forkorus Yaboisembut, the chairman of the Papuan Indigenous Council, DAP
has reported that two members of the police force came to visit him at
2pm the previous day, saying that they wanted to take him to Jayapura
police headquarters to question him about a case of bribery in
connection with attempts to kill him some time ago.
Speaking by phone to Bintang Papua, Forkorus said that he was confused
by the police officers’ visit because, according to him, the case they
wished to discuss had been resolved in a collegial fashion within the
kampung. He said that there had been some misunderstandings between
himself and some of his grandchildren but the matter had been resolved
peacefully in November 2010. If the police now intend to investigate the
matter, this would be quite wrong because the matter had already been
resolved within the family.
‘There is no need for the police to investigate the matter,’ said
Forkorus, ‘because I have already told the media that the matter has
been resolved.’ He said that the money involved had already been
returned to its rightful owners within the family. The incident had
occurred when one of his grandchildren, under the influence of drink,
had made threatening remarks against him.
The local chief of police has denied that they had made any attempt to
take Forkorus in for questioning.
Selection of MRP members should stop, say church leaders
Abridged in translation by TAPOL
Bintang Papua,11 January 2011
Given the growing concern about the implementation of Special Autonomy
(OTSUS) as reflected in the decisions of the Grand Assembly of the MRP
and the Papuan Indigenous People held on 9-10 June 2010, several church
leaders have called on the Indonesian president, the governors of the
provinces of Papua and West Papua and the chairmen of the provincial
legislative assemblies to halt the process of selecting members of the
MRP (Majelis Rakyat Papua – Papuan People’s Assembly) until such time as
there are clear answers to the eleven recommendations that were
submitted to the provincial assembly (DPRP) on 18 June 2010, according
to a joint communique by the churches The signatories include the head
of the Evangelical Church, the GKI, Rev. Jemima Krey, the head of the
Kingmi church, Rev. Benny Giay, Rev. Socrates Yoman and the head of the
Pentacostal Church, Rev. Tonny Infandi.
The assembly held in June 2010 which was facilitated by the MRP was an
official forum representing the voice of the Papuan people, well within
the framework of the rule of law in Indonesia. On that occasion, the
Papuan people clearly expressed the view that the OTSUS Law 21/2001 had
failed to result in any improvements in the living conditions of the
Papuan people which is why the Papuan people had returned the law to
Jakarta.
The handing back of the law to the two provincial assemblies occurred in
Jayapura and Manokwari on 18 June 2010, when a deadline of one month was
set for members of the asemblies to hold plenary sessions to respond to
the people’s aspirations, but since that time, neither of the assemblies
had adopted any measures to respond to these demands.
The impression is that the the central government as well as the
provincial assemblies are not in any way interested in taking any
action to improve the implementation of OTSUS, which is in direct
contradiction with the wishes of the Papuan people.
The situation has been further aggravated by current moves to set up a
new MRP, a body that has now been rejected by the Papuan people.
There is even the impression that the central government via the
intermediary of the United Agency of the Papuan Provinces, is about to
create a ‘puppet MRP’ within the framework of the OTSUS law that will be
incapable of granting protection and upholding the basis rights of the
indigenous Papuan people.
Church leaders regard the creation of such an MRP as being in serious
violation of the dignity of the Papuan people. The church leaders
therefore state the following:
Firstly, we respect the aspirations of the indigenous Papuan people as
declared in the decisions of the Grand Assembly on 9 -10 June 2010, that
OTSUS has failed and has been returned to the central government.
Secondly, that the central government and the provincial assemblies
should immediately stop all moves to select members of the MRP until
such time as there are concrete responses to the results of the Grand
Assembly that were made public on 16 June 2010.
Thirdly, we call upon the governors of the Papuan provinces to stop
ignoring the aspirations of the Papuan people and to sit down with the
people to hold comprehensive talks about Papuan aspirations in rejection
of OTSUS, democratically and in a spirit of justice.
Fourthly, we call on the central government to enter in dialogue with
the Papuan people so as to bring to an end the protracted legal and
political uncertainty which has brought despair to the Papuan people
who we lead in this Land of Papua.
Fifthly, we reject all attempts or formulations that spread confusion
about the demand for dialogue between the Papuan people and the
government of Indonesia which has for many years been expressed by the
Papuan people.
Sixthly, we urge the Indonesian government to stop all forms of
intimidation and terror and other repressive measures that are aimed at
stifling critical opinions from our community regarding development
that is now under way in the Land of Papua which has failed to respect
the interests of the common people.
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- Seven Papuan activists are now in jail of POLRES Manokwari for conducting peaceful demonstration and unfurling 14-star flag (westpapuamedia.info)
Buchtar Tabuni and friends are still in police custody
[Slightly abridged in translation by TAPOL]
Bintang Papua, 30 December 2010
Buchtar Tabuni and friends are still in police custody
Jayapura:
Two convicted prisoners charged with treason [makar], Buchtar Tabuni and Filep Karma, along with three other prisoners, Dominggus Pulalo, Alex Elopere and Lopes Katubaba are still in police custody. Buchtar and the others are in police custody and face charges of causing damage and incitement in Abepura Prison on 3 December 2010.
Confirming this in a press release on the security situation at the end
of 2010, Police Inspector-General Bekto Suprapto said that although
Buchtar and his colleagues were convicted prisoners and already serving sentences in Abepura Prison , they now had the additional status of facing new charges. ‘This means that their sentences will certainly be increased,’ he said. (sic)
The police chief said that with their removal from Abepura Prison,
conditions at Abepura Prison had improved. It was much easier now to
keep control of the prisoners in Abepura than it was when Buchtar and
the others were there, he was quoted as saying. ‘We have received
reports that the prison inmates are easier to control, they are more
obedient and now do as they are told, whereas before they were not easy to control.’
He said this was an indication that Buchtar and the others had been
inciting the other prisoners to be disobedient.
Asked about the number of prisoners who had escaped from the prison, he said that they were all on the wanted list [DPO] and their capture was the top priority for 2011 but he did not mention the number of prisoners involved. According to information from other sources, at least fifty prisoners have escaped from the prison.
He said that Buchtar and the others would face several new charges such as causing damage (Article 170) and incitement (Article 160), and could face up to seven years in prison.
When Bintang Papua requested permission to take photos of Buchtar and his friends in police custody, this was refused. The police officer said that this would only infuriate the general public.
As previously reported, Buchtar and his friends [allegedly] caused
damage after an inmate Wiron Wetipo disappeared from the prison and was shot dead by a joint patrol of the police and the army, while they were raiding a house in Tanah Hitam which is suspected as being the
headquarters of the OPM/TPN.
On hearing that Wiron had been shot dead, the six persons [not five
which is the number of names given in this article] now face charges for causing damage and inciting the other prisoners.
Filep Karma is serving a 15-year sentence while Buchtar is serving three years. The other prisoners are serving sentences of two or three years.
[Note how this senior police has no doubt that Buchtar and Karma will
be found guilty of the new charges they face. Such is the rule of law in Indonesia. - TAPOL]
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- West Papuan political prisoners denied food for 2 days (westpapuamedia.info)
Abepura prison director, staff, accused of violence towards prisoners
[Slightly abridged in translation] Bintang Papua, 13 December 2010 Director of Abepura Prison and 14 of his staff accused of acts of violent towards prisoners There is still no clear information with regard to two cases of violence that occurred in Abepura Prison in the past month and it is hoped that the police will carry out a serious investigation in order to explain these two incidents that have led to the security forces conducting sweepings throughout the district of Abepura. The need for a more humanitarian approach in dealing with the victims of these actions was stressed during a press conference held by Forum of People's Democracy (Forem) in Abepura on Monday. The series of incidents included the shooting in Nafri and the enforced removal of five prisoners, Filep Karma, Buchtar Tabuni, Dominggus Pulalo, Lopez Karubaba and Eni Elopere which has raised questions by Forem, particularly why the men were forcibly transferred to police custody and to explain what their present status is. Two of the prisoners are political prisoners while the other three are being held on criminal charges. The five men were transferred by the police on Friday, 3 December at around 11pm, on the orders to Abepura prison director , Berthy Sitinjak. Up to this day, the prison authorities have failed to tell them the reason for their having being transferred to police custody. All the focus has been on the five men having allegedly provoked others in the prison to destroy things in the prison on that Friday afternoon. According to the prisoners themselves, these acts of destruction were an expression of their feelings of dissatisfaction with the attitude of the prison director who failed to tell them why five of their co-prisoners had fled from the prison on the same day at about 12 noon. One of the men, Wiron Wetipo, was shot dead while Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni tried to calm people down, and asked to meet the director of the prison for an explanation as to what happened to the prisoner who was shot dead in Tanah Hitam. According to Forem, as stated by Simon Yumame, Dominggus Pulalo, Lopez Karubaba and Eni Elopere were not involved in damaging prison facilities, yet even so, they were maltreated by prison director Berthy Sitinjak along with 14 members of his staff. These actions resulted in a damaged ear for Dominggus Pulalo and swellings on his head as a result of being kicked repeatedly all over this body. According to Filep Karma and his co-prisoners, the five men who fled from the prison on Friday were criminal prisoners and were in no way connected with any political activities or the OPM. They had simply spent their time in the prison learning new skills and growing vegetables. Forem has therefore urged the prison director Berthy Sitinjak and the deputy director of law and human rights to take responsibility and to ensure the return of the five prisoners so that they can serve the remainder of their sentences in Abepura Prison.and to explain publicly why the five prisoners were shot at even though they had been able to flee from the prison at a time when it was being heavily guarded. Forem also calls on the minister for law and human rights and the Diretor-General of prisons to take firm action against the director of the prison for the arbitrary acts of violence taken against the prisoners in Abepura Prison. According to Forem, at their press conference, the prison authorities have shown that they are incapable of giving proper guidance to the prisoners; on the contrary, they have caused widespread anxiety among the prisoners against the police and army for opening fire on prisoners that resulted in the death of Wiron Wetipo. These two serious incidents, the shooting in Nafri and the flight of the prisoners, means that the army and the police should conduct a full investigation into the Nafri shooting and other matters, that violence should not be resorted to and they should behave in a more professional way and in accordance with the law, so as not to create an atmosphere of fear among the prisoners. The prisoner director, when asked about the accusations being made against his staff for using violence in the prison, showed no interest in the matter, saying simply that it was okay for the prisons to express their views about allegations that the prison staff used violence. The truth was, according to him, that they had thrown things around in the prison office. 'Which is why was they have been moved to police custody for their involvement in the events of 3 December, and their cases are now being taken forward by the police.
Bintang Papua: Rejection of OTSUS intensifies DPRP should convene plenary session
Bintang Papua, 1 November 2010
Rejection of OTSUS intensifies
DPRP should convene plenary session
The rejection of OTSUS, the Special Autonomy Law of 2001, has intensified with a demonstration outside the office of the regional legislative assembly, the DPRP calling for it to convene a plenary session to discuss the eleven recommendations adopted recently by the MRP which included the rejection of OTSUS.
‘We declare that the OTSUS law adopted in 2001 has resulted in no significant improvements in the living conditions of the Papuan people, and we state that OTSUS has failed.’
The chairman of Pepera PB, Selpius Bobii said that OTSUS provided for a system that sides with the Papuan people, and which protects and empowers them. But in the nine years since the enactment of the law, not a single special regulation as required under the law has been adopted. There have been inconsistencies between the attitude and the actions of the central government.
The chairman of the Customary Youth of Papua, Wilson Uruway, presented a joint statement to the deputy chairman of the DPRP who was urged to make a statement in response. He said that all the aspirations of the people submitted to the assembly had been discussed. Those concerning the central government would be quickly forwarded to the government in the same way that the eleven recommendations of the MRP has been forwarded.
The joint statement was supported by a large number of groups and NGOs.
Hardly any of the OTSUS funds has not been used in ways that would assist and help indigenous Papuans but had been misdirected as ‘fictive funds’. The central government was accused of thwarting the MRP at all levels of its activities, as a result of which it has be incapable of struggling for the rights of the Papuan people.
Among the indicators of the problem was the tardiness in adopting special regulations – Perdasi and Perdadus – regarding management of the administration and for economic development. Dualism between provincial and districts administrations has occurred in their adoption of different regulations
Before demonstrating in front of the DPRP, the crowd gathered at Expo Waena, where they waited for a group from Sentani Customary Council to join them.
One speaker called on the government to speak out against acts of intimidation, threats and killings of Papuans perpetrated by the TNI/Army and the Police.
A group led by the chairman of DAP Forkorus Yaboisembu arrived at the DPRP travelling on several trucks.
The demonstration was surrounded by two special Brimob units and members of the local police. Nevertheless, the action proceeded peacefully
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Historic Papua day commemorated
Bintang Papua, 19 November 2010
19 November 1969 is a historic day for the Papuan people, a day regarded as been sacred by many sections of the people struggling for independence. On this day in 2010, groups gathered to recall the historic event when the Papuan issue was discussed in the US Congress, although it did not clearly stated that the US Congress fully supports Papuan sovereignty.
At a gathering held to socialise the events at the US Congress, Wilson Waimbo Uruwaya announced that they would hold a peaceful demonstration calling for the peaceful solution of Papua’s status which was discussed by the UN General Assembly in 1969.
Wilson said that all elements of the Papuan struggle were united in their determination to socialise the results of the US Congress on which occasion, a discussion took place about crimes against humanity and the need to seek a solution to the difficult problems that were being faced by the Papuan people to the present day.
The discussions in the US Congress which had occurred for the first time have taken the Papuan people a step forward in their history of struggle.
Brimob should act professionally and be loved by the people
Bintang Papua, 15 November 2010
Abridged in translation
Brimob should act professionally and be loved by the people
The commander of the Brimob unit in Papua has called on his men to avoid acts of violence in resolving problems that may arise. Speaking on the occasion of Brimob’s 65th anniversary, Police Commissioner Prasetyo said: ‘We need to be firm but without using violence. We may feel angry but we should not act in a spirit of anger.,’ he said.
Saying that these words were aimed at members of the force in Papua, he acknowledged that this would involve a process, over time. ‘It’s not something that is easy to do, like turning your hand upside-down and could take quite a long time.’
He said that the changes must start from the top. ‘We must set an example. We should not behave arrogantly towards the people but behave as leaders towards their subordinates, and stop beating up people.’
Measures were also being taken to reinforce the number of personnel and improve their equipment to ensure that they preserve security in those places where their presence is needed, without bringing in extra forces from elsewhere.
He referred to statements made recently by a number of Papuan leaders concerning the TNI (armed forces) and the police that had been reported in the media about the use of violence towards Papuans. He said that in principle, the presence of Brimob in these places was legitimate.’If any of our members behave incorrectly, then they should face sanctions,’ he said.
The national chief of police spoke abut the history of Brimob which was established in November 1946 as a special police force that had been active during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia. In 1961, Brimob was highly praised by President Suharto.
He said that the occurrence of many disturbances within the community meant that the presence of Brimob was necessary. It was, he said. a unit that was trained to handle all high-intensity disturbances of security.
[Comment: Brimob is a special unit of the Indonesian police force, Polri. Some years ago, it was decided that the Indonesian army, the TNI should take a back seat in West Papua and it would left to the police force to be in charge of maintaining 'security' in Papua. Members of the regular police force are frequently condemned in many parts of Indonesia for using violence against ordinary members of the public and for corruption. But as far as we know, it is only in Papua that Brimob has been brought in and deployed on a permanent basis.
As readers will know, several serious cases of the use of torture against Papuans have been condemned after being widely circulated on the internet, and several officers were last week tried before a military court and given very light sentences for these terrible crimes. Reports of these incidents have not identified which police units were involved but it is likely that the personnel involved were members of Brimob. TAPOL]
