Month: October 2011

Report by GKI on Third Papuan Congress and Declaration of Independence

[Full translation by TAPOL of the report received from KPKC, Synod of GKI, Indonesian Christian Church on 21 October 2011]THE THIRD PAPUAN CONGRESS

The Third Papuan Congress was held from 17 October and attended by Papuans from across the territory of Papua. After facing difficulties regarding the venue of the Congress, the Congress was held in the Zakheus Tunas Harapan Padang field.

On 19 October, Prokorus [normally spelt Forkorus] Yaboisembut was elected the President of West Papua and the evangelist Edison G. Waromi was elected the Prime Minister. Following the elections, Prokorus Yaboisembut read out the Declaration of a New State, the Federal State of West Papua, the symbol of the state – the Mambruk Bird, the currency – the guilder, the national anthem Hai Tanahku Papua, and the national languages, Pidgin, Indonesian Malay, local Papuan languages and English, and the geographic territory of the Papuan Federal State.

The text of the DECLARATION OF AN INDEPENDENT PAPUA **and the confirmation of the Declaration of West Papua which was read out by Prokorus Yaboisembut stated: ‘On this day, 19 October 2011, we proclaim the full independence and sovereignty  of our state’  and therefore the State of Indonesia must speedily end its occupation of Papua. All components of the leadership who were elected at the Third Papuan People’s Congress shall immediately discuss the basic principles of the State of West Papua.

Selpius Bobii, the chairman of the Third Papuan People’s Congress, declared: ‘We the people of West Papua in this highest forum declare that the proclamation of the Papuan National Committee on 19 October 1961which now marks its fiftieth anniversary, was a time when the Papuan people lived freely, during the era of the Dutch/UNTEA and we want to return to the sovereignty which once existed.’

The declaration of the Papuan Congress is as follows:

1.    The restoration of the Independence and Sovereignty of the Papuan people in the state of West Papua.
2.    On this day, 19 October 2011, we declare our complete Independence and Sovereignty  as the Papuan people and the state of West Papua.
3.    The establishment and enactment of the Constitution of the State of West Papua.
4.    The formation of the Government of West Papua shall come into being from the moment of the adoption of the Constitution on 19 October 2011.
5.    The Indonesian government must quickly end its occupation from the moment of the adoption of the Constitution on 19 October 2011.
6.    We propose that the Secretary-General of the United Nations and members of the UN, in particular the US Government and the Indonesian Government, should recognise and regularise governmental powers within the shortest possible time and register the state of West Papua as a member of the UN within the shortest possible time, in order to uphold human rights, democracy and just and basic rights in the world.
7.    We grant a full, official mandate  to International Parliamentarians for West Papua and International Lawyers for West Papua and supportive countries to advocate all matters with regard to the annexation of sovereignty and independence of the Papuan people and to follow this up through lawful international mechanisms or at the International Court, until such time as the full and complete transfer of power from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Government of  West Papua which has already been established and formulated at the Third Papuan Congress in Jayapura-Portnumbay, the Papuan part of Federal State of the Republic of Papua.
8.     In the name of the Papuan people in the state of West Papua and the adoption of the Declaration of Decision No. 0012/03/10-2011 by the Third Papuan Congress, to consider and take cognisance of the general views of various components of the West Papuan people, as set forth in the reports of the commissions that were agreed at the Third Papuan Congress.
—————–

[Note: According to the observations of the KPKC of the GKI Synod, the location of the Third Papuan Congress was heavily guarded  by troops of the Indonesian army and police who were in a state of readiness, accompanied by six police armoured vehicles and trucks that were stationed outside the location of the Congress.]

Related articles
19

RAW FOOTAGE OF THE ATTACK ON THE PAPUAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS

by Numbay Media — via our partners EngageMedia.org

This is raw footage of Wednesday’s attack by the Indonesian military and police on the Third Papuan People’s Congress in Jayapura. The footage shows people dancing, soldiers closing in, and gun shots. The video was shot by several observers. The last sequence was shot while the camera person was hiding from gunfire. Police have now confirmed that five people were killed in the attack – human rights groups say it was more.

Related articles
3

US CONGRESSMAN FALEOMAVAEGA CALLS UPON GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA TO ASSURE SAFE AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF WEST PAPUANS IN CUSTODY AND TO WORK FOR THEIR RELEASE


Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that he has sent a letter to Ambassador Dr. Dino Patti Djalal of Indonesia raising concerns about the safety and treatment of Mr. Forkorus Yaboisembut and many others who were arrested at the recent meeting of the Papuan People’s Congress in West Papua.  It has been reported by the international media that the Indonesian Armed Forces and police have beaten and arrested hundreds of civilians who attended the meeting.

The full text of the Faleomavaega’s letter, which is copied to U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel to Indonesia, is included below:

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

 

I am writing to request your intervention in ensuring the safety and the humane treatment of Mr. Forkorus Yaboisembut and many others who were arrested on Wednesday, October 19, 2011, at the third meeting of the Papuan People’s Congress in West Papua.

 

According to numerous media outlets, it has been reported that the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) fired shots during the meeting where a crowd of thousands of defenseless and unarmed civilians were engaged in peaceful political assembly.  While the crowds dispersed after the shots were fired, many West Papuans, including journalists, were attacked and apprehended by the Indonesian military and police. 

 

These are serious violations and crimes against humanity especially given that the Government of Indonesia is a signatory to both of the United Nations treaties on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. 

 

Enclosed are photos that display the heavy military presence of the TNI and police at the meeting prior to the chaos.  Clearly, the presence of the Indonesian military was to intimidate the peaceful citizens, which is a continuation of the human rights violations by the TNI as reported in the U.S. State Department 2010 Human Rights Report.

 

Media reports also continue to circulate that Imam Setiawan, Chief Police of Jayapura Province, may have played a significant role in the attacks given his reported links to the death of a West Papuan leader, the fatal attack on a journalist reporting from West Papua, and many West Papuans attacked and killed within the past few years.     

 

I have very serious concerns in the matter and I do not condone the serious acts of violence by the TNI and police on the peaceful demonstration by unarmed civilians who were simply voicing their opinions about the failure of the Government of Indonesia to seriously implement the Special Autonomy law for West Papua.  It is obvious the actions by the TNI and police are contrary to the commitments made by President Yudhoyono to solve the issues in West Papua in a “peaceful, just, and dignified manner.”

 

For these reasons, I am concerned about the events that have transpired and I want to be assured by the Government of Indonesia that Mr. Yaboisembut and others will be treated humanely while in custody and that you will work for their release.  I would like to meet with you sometime early next week to discuss the matter further.

Related articles
13

Third Degree: Indonesians Open Fire on Delegates

Indonesians Open Fire on Delegates
By: Judith RECZEK

http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/4193

Published: 21/10/2011

At least two people are confirmed dead after Indonesian military and police opened fire and arrested 800 West Papuan leaders and congress delegates yesterday, on the last day of The Third Papuan People’s Congress. Over 20,000 people attended the congress, which started on October 16 on an oval in near Jayapura, in West Papua. Military trucks, police and soldiers armed with machine guns had surrounded the oval for three days.

A week earlier, on October 10, Indonesian guards opened fire on striking workers at the Freeport McMoran’s Grasberg gold and copper mine near Timika, West Papua. Two workers were killed and six others injured in that clash.

Roughly 9000 disgruntled workers have been on strike since September 15, demanding higher wages and better work conditions.

The Freeport miners’ trade union (SPSI) spokesperson Juli Parorrongan told 3rd Degree that the workers were on their way to Gorong Gorong bus terminal when the shooting started. They were heading to the mine facilities to stop contract workers as they were still on strike.

The police blocked the terminal, and warning shots were sent in the air. Panic spread, and shots were aimed at the crowd.

“The workers then became angry and that’s why the conflict and chaos began,” Mr Parorrongan said.

Local mineworker Peter W. Ayamiseba, 30, died later in hospital after being shot in the chest. Leo Wandago died five days later from his wounds.

The SPSI said the Grasberg mine workers are among the worst paid in the world, with wages between $A2.10 and $A3.50 an hour. They have rejected the 25 per cent increase the PT Freeport Indonesia management have offered.

Mr Parorrongan said they have lowered their demands from $30 per hour.

“We are now asking for $US17.50 but we can go down to US$9 per hour. It depends on the decision from management.

“We started the strike last month, and we have continued another month. We will strike until the problem is solved,” he said.

According the Fortune 500 list in 2010, the Freeport-McMoran group made a profit of around $US4.3 billion. Grasberg is the biggest gold mine and the third biggest copper mine in the world. Australian company Rio Tinto and the Indonesian government are both significant shareholders in the mine.

The Indonesian government announced a loss of $8 million for every day production is halted.

A report by Australian journalist Naj Taylor published on Al Jazeera last week explained Rio Tinto’s involvement in the Grasberg mine. Taylor reported on the blacklisting of Rio Tinto and Freeport-McMoran by the Norwegian Pension Fund in 2008 for “grossly unethical conduct” over treatment of workers at the Grasberg mine.

Taylor’s report also documents close ties between the Grasberg mine operators and the Indonesian military, whose history of violence is extensive.

A statement from the Coalition for Freeport Indonesia Workers’ Struggle said “there have been numerous incidents of pressure and intimidation against the workers, either directly by the Freeport management or through the arrogant actions of the police and the Mobile Brigade.”

Greens Senator and West Papua Spokesman Richard Di Natale said he was saddened to hear of the violence towards the miners.

“There needs to be a thorough investigation into the shooting and acts of violence that occurred against ordinary workers,” he said.

The Third Papuan People’s Congress started in Jayapura on October 16 and Mr Di Natale addressed the importance of the congress for the future of West Papua.

“I am deeply concerned that the conflict in West Papua is escalating. The only long term solution is to ensure that the West Papuan people are free to determine their own future.”

Mr Parorrongan told 3rd Degree he hoped the Indonesian government would protect them while they were on strike, but they have been slow to respond.

“We also hope the international human rights will have concerns about the tragedy. They have broken the law and we hope the international community will give us support so this will finish good,” he said.

For breaking news on the atrocities being committed in the wake of the Congress visitWestpapuamedia.info. 

0

It’s Time To Take A Stand On Papua

via NewMatilda.com

21 Oct 2011

It’s Time To Take A Stand On Papua

By Richard Di Natale

rudd and sby

The violence in West Papua this week is deeply worrying – and raises uncomfortable foreign policy questions for the Australian government, writes Senator Richard Di Natale

Yesterday afternoon news reached my office that unarmed Papuans — women, young people, church leaders, academics, tribal elders — and at least one Australian citizen, were being shot at by the Indonesian security forces.

We now know that at least four people are confirmed dead, scores severely wounded and hundreds have been detained at the police station in Jayapura, the capital of West Papua.

We are deeply concerned that a number of these people including Forkorus Yaboisembut, the Chair of the Papuan Customary Council, were beaten or tortured. Their crime? Reading an aspirational declaration of independence and meeting to discuss how West Papuans might peacefully secure basic freedoms that you and I in Australia take for granted.

It is not my place to get into the politics of independence. That is for the Papuans to decide. It must be said, however, that until there is a free and fair vote of all eligible Papuan citizens in the territory, any claim by the Indonesian government that there is democracy in West Papua will be highly contested.

The fact is that the Australian government and many other western countries were party to a fraudulent transfer of sovereignty during the 1960s. That is not hyperbole. It is fact. Professor Pieter Drooglever and Dr John Saltford have separately documented the travesty of justice that unfolded in West Papua during the transfer from Dutch to Indonesia rule. Less than 0.01 per cent of the population participated in the so-called Act of Free Choice in 1969 and those that did were forced to do so.

But this week’s peaceful gathering at Zaccheus Field in Abepura was not about the past. It was about the kind of future that West Papuans want. The Papuans’ desire for freedom is irrepressible. Many of the civil and political rights Papuan people want — like freedom of expression, the release of political prisoners, an opening up of the province to foreign media, and respect of land rights — could be realised within the framework of the Indonesian state. By shooting and jailing Papuans who peacefully demand these legitimate rights, the Indonesian government is creating a bigger problem and fuelling political instability.

These events in our nearest neighbour raise serious questions back home. We are we providing funds, training and equipment to the Indonesian Military (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, or TNI) and the Police force, including the counter-terrorism police (Detachment 88). There is mounting evidence that they are anything but a positive force for human rights in the region. By furthering our close military ties, we become complicit in acts of repression by the TNI such as that unfolding in West Papua today.

The Australian government has been secretive with regards to these links. We don’t know exactly what kind of military assistance is being supplied to the TNI and the police. The Australian government needs to come clean about the extent and nature of our level of defence cooperation with Indonesia. The shootings in West Papua — and indeed in other places in Indonesia — raise serious questions about what, if anything, the Indonesian military and police have learnt from East Timor. And whether our own government has learned anything, either.

One thing we do know from East Timor is that when violence like this occurs and political rights are continually repressed you can guarantee that West Papuan resistance will continue and eventually become a mainstream issue. West Papua is on our doorstep. I hope we can be good neighbours.

We can not ignore West Papua any longer, and we need to send the strongest possible signal to the Indonesian government that violent repression of peaceful meetings, people merely exercising their right to free speech and assembly, is totally unacceptable.

Indonesia insists it is a democracy. Its constitution guarantees all its citizens the right to free speech and free assembly. We should hold them to this promise by immediately suspending all military assistance to and cooperation with Indonesia. There is no compelling evidence that on the balance of things Australia’s military assistance in Indonesia has improved human rights. I fear that our anti-terrorism support is sometimes being used to harasses and intimidate human rights defenders.

I want to be a part of a Parliament that can encourage the Indonesian government and the West Papuan people to find peaceful and democratic ways to address the root causes of conflict in West Papua. Guaranteeing free speech and releasing political prisoners would be a good first step. The President has promised an open dialogue, and he must keep that promise.

In the meantime those of us in Parliament need to seriously reflect on the kind of relationship we want with Indonesia. For the sake of our West Papuan neighbours, and for Australia’s long-held commitment to human rights, we must be prepared to take a bold stand.

Related articles
6

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑