Month: June 2011

Land Of The Morning Star Clip from Strange Birds in Paradise

This is first video clip off the Strange Birds in Paradise: A West Papuan soundtrack CD;

Music compiled by David Bridie, featuring Arnold Ap songs and singing by Hein Arumisore, Donny Roem and members of Tabura.

Video directed by Charlie Hill-Smith.

www.strangebirds.com.au

Strange Birds in Paradise – A West Papuan Story  
While the Indonesian army continues to dominate the indigenous inhabitants of West Papua, three friends gather in Melbourne to record outlawed folk songs with renowned Australian rock musicologist David Bridie.  DVD AVAILABLE NOW

Strange Birds in Paradise: A West Papuan Soundtrack

Release Date: 10/06/2011
Catalogue No.: W0003
Record Label: Wantok Musik
Format: CD
Buy Here: http://www.theplanetcompany.com/product/77793

This is the soundtrack to the film by Charlie Hill-Smith, with music by David Bridie & Arnold Ap, sung by Hein Arumisore, Donny Roem, Kelly Kwalik and Jacob Rumbiak. It is a journey more than 250 West Papuan cultures, the interviews paint a picture not only of a country with a rich musical tradition and breathtaking nature, but also of a country weighed down by Indonesian military oppression. While the Indonesian army continues to dominate the indigenous inhabitants of West Papua, three friends gather in Melbourne to record outlawed folk songs with renowned Australian rock musicologist David Bridie.

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Dogiyai villagers still in shock after Moanemani incident

JUBI, 28 June 2011Following the shooting of four civilians by members of the security forces in Dogiyai, Paniai, the people there are still in a state of shock.

A local man, Eli Petege said that all the inhabitants of four kampungs have fled their homes after being traumatised by the incident which led to the death of two inhabitants of Dogiyai.

‘Three kampungs evacuated but have now returned home, but they  are still in a state of shock.’ He said that the four kampungs that had been affected by the incident were Ikebo, Kimupugi, Muniyopa and Ekemani.

During the tragedy in Moanemani which  happened because a group of people were gambling, there were four casualties. The two men who died were Dominikus Auwa, 24 years, and Aloysius Waine, 24,  while three others were seriously injured, Otniel Yobee, 26, Agus Pigai, 24, and Wilibrodus Iyai.

The material losses included three pigs, the destruction of six homes along with the furniture and two motorbikes.

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Students press for action against widespread corruption in Papua

Bintang Papua, 27 June 2011
PAPUA A PARADISE FOR CORRUPT OFFICIALS

Students urge DPRP to adopt a regulation on combating corruption

Jayapura: Papua is a veritable paradise for people who corrupt the people’s money  while a number of top-level officials behave as if they are beyond the law,’ said Thomas Sugi, chairman of the Students Executive Board of the Faculty  of Law at Cenderawasih University. He was speaking at a demonstration of youth and students outside the  DPRP – Papua Provincial Legislative Assembly.

The students urged the DPRP to draft a regulation, known as a Perdasi, dealing with corruption and stamping it out. It has been estimated that as much as Rp. 28 trillion of OTSUS – special autonomy – funds were embezzled during the eight years from 2002 – 2010 following the adoption of the OTSUS law, according to the findings of the auditing body, BPK published on 18 April 2011.

Sugi said he hoped that such a regulation would act as a dis-incentive for officials of the province  who were thinking of embezzling money that belonged to the people. He said that the students fully support comments made about this problem on a number of occasions by the chief of police of the province, Drs Bekto Suprapto.

But he added that, should the law enforcement agency – the police – be shown to be seeking to protect the corruptors, then they would  press for the adoption of a non-confidence motion in the police chief for failing to keep his promise.

On the same occasion, the chief of police of Jayapura, AKBP Imam Setiawan SIK who had been pressed to support efforts to stamp out corruption in Papua declared that the aims of the demonstration were an inspiration to the law enforcement agencies. He said that they would act with all speed via the judiciary in cases where people in the community alleged that corruption had occurred.and would make regular reports to the general public on the matter.

‘The chief of police of the province also called on local police chiefs at the sub-district level to report at least three cases of corruption a year that were under investigation..’

And for the current year, he said, we would call for at least five cases to be handled.

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Cabinet minister visits Merauke to promote the MIFEE project

JUBI: 27 June 2011

On his first visit to Merauke to see preparations for MIFEE, the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, Marie Pangestu, the Minister of Industry and Trade said that the customary rights of the local community should be dealt with first, by issuing certificates, in connection with the MIFEE project that is being developed in the district of Merauke. The land which will be used for planting must be suitable for whatever crops are to be grown there.

The minister was speaking to journalists after flying over the land that will be used for the MIFEE project.

‘I have been closely following the discussions and reports about this projects which have been taking place at the centre. And now, I have come to see things for myself at close range and I have come to the conclusion that the land is very suitable indeed for agricultural production. ‘

He also said that he had received a short account from the Merauke governmental chief about the plans being made for the project, as well as measures for its implementation and land usage. Companies planning to invest can now go ahead to acquire the necessary licences and start planting their crops.

He went on to say that it was now necessary to build the necessary infrastructure, in particular harbours to support the project once it gets underway. For instance, he said, investors who intend to establish palm oil plantations will need harbours of their own.

[COMMENT: The central government will clearly be investing huge sums of money to promote the interests of companies planning to invest in MIFEE. Not at all clear what is meant by issuing certificates to the local communities whose customary rights to the land will be sacrificed as investors are invited to grab their land with little regard for the loss of their livelihoods based on hunting and fishing. No mention either about whether the rightful owners of the land will be granted any compensation for the loss of their land and the destruction of their livelihoods. TAPOL]

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Freeport: Workers warn management of strike action next week

JUBI, 25 June 2011
The local branch of the union of energy and mining workers at
Freeport-Indonesia announced on Friday 24 June that it had set a
deadline of 4 July for its decision to organise a strike at Freeport.

The intention to take strike action was announced by the chair of the
Freeport branch, Virgo Solossa.

‘We are keeping the door open for the management to recognise our
legitimate demand for talks but if the management makes no response, the
strike will go ahead.’

Since the weekend all the workers on the low-land and high-land company
premises have been wearing black arm bands as a sign of the death of
industrial partnership.which the company has until now praised.

The cause for the strike action is that a number of members of the union
are threatened with dismissal for allegedly being absent from work.

‘This is an act of discrimination and intimidation against our right as
leading members of the union. We have no intention of allowing this to
happen, and give the management until 3 July. If they fail to response,
then any question of industrial partnership will be regarded as
dead.,’said Virgo.

The action will involved the 8,000 workers at the company.

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