Category: syndication

Whoever shot at an ambulance must be caught, says Baptist leader

Tabloid JUBI
August 5, 2013
The director of Baptist Voice Papua, Matius Murib, said that the shooting of an ambulance which killed a nurse and seriously wounded two other people in Puncak Jaya has compelled him to speak out.He was deeply concerned about this  incident because the victims were ordinary civilians who know nothing about what is going on. He said that it was up to the police to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice so that we know who it was who was behind the incident.’I have raised this matter with the chief of police because the victims were civilians and not members of the security forces which means that the police must  investigate the incident and arrest those responsible.

‘What we must remember,’ he said, ‘is that the state of Indonesia is based on the rule of law.

‘The three victims of this incident were all civilians, not members of the security forces. ‘

He said that he had reported the incident to the chief of police who promised to look into the incident.

‘Even in a time of war, there are regulations that have to be complied with. Medical personnel, children, mothers and civil society  must be properly protected. There can be no justification for killing civilians.’

He pointed out that all the victims were medical personnel and are not members of the armed security forces. ‘It is absolutely clear that unarmed people  must not be targets for a firearms attack.Firearms should only be used against people who are armed.’

The name of the person who was killed is Herry Yoman, 32 years old.

Giving a detailed account of what happened, a police spokeman said  that at 11.20am, three people arrived at the Intensive Care Department of Mulia Hospital  and asked for an ambulance and medical personnel to collect the person who had been seriously injured in the District of Tingginambut.

‘As they were on their way back, passing through the Urgele Kampung, just 100 metres from an army post in Puncak Senyum, the ambulance was shot at by unidentified persons, as a result of which three people  were hit.

The police officer said that one person, Herry Yoman, a Dani, died after being shot in the jaw with some teeth torn out.

The other two people both of whom were Dani, were wounded in their arms.

[Translated by TAPOL]

Related articles
1

Papuan politician criticises the security forces for failing to solve shooting incidents

Bintang Papua
 
August 3, 2013

Jayapura: While on the one hand, the human rights activist in Papua, Mathias Murib has urged the police chief in Papua, Drs Tito Karnavian, to investigate the shooting of three medical personnel who work at the Mulia General Hospital, a member of Commission A of the DPRP (provisional assembly) for Politics, Law and Human Rights has said that the intelligence activities of TNI/Polri (Indonesian Army and Police) in Papua are far from satisfactory. Every time a shooting incident occurs, all they say is that that it was perpetrated by ‘unknown persons’.

“There are large numbers of troops and intelligence agents spread all over Papua but they have achieved nothing. Moreover, a vast amount of money has been allocated to the security forces.”

These remarks were made by the chairman of DPRP’s Commission A for Politics, Law ad Human Rights, Ruben Magay S.I.P, speaking at the office of the DPRP in Jayapura.

According to Magay, who is  a member of Partai Demokrat, the activities of the TNI and Polri are highly questionable.

‘They always say that ‘unknown persons’ (OTK) are responsible and do nothing to give victims  a sense of justice.

There have been many shooting incidents against civilians, the most recent being the shooting of three medical personnel who work at the General Hospital whose names are Heri Yoman, 27 years old, who is reported to have died, as well as two nurses, Darson Wonda, 27 and Fritz Baransano, 42. both of whom were seriously wounded.when the ambulance in which they were taking a patient to the hospital was shot at by an armed gang in the District of Puncak Senyum, District of Tinggnambut on Wednesday, 31 July.

He said that incidents like this must be investigated by the intelligence forces and not simply blamed on ‘unidentified people’.

[Translated by TAPOL]

 

1

Malind Women’s views about Companies Operating in Kampung Baad, Animha District, Merauke.

Report

by

August 4, 2013

Since 2011, three sugar cane companies have been going around Kampung Baad, Animha district and Kampung Tambat, Tanah Miring district, talking about their plans and trying to win over community leaders. The companies involved are PT Anugerah Rejeki Nusantara (ARN) owned by the Wilmar International Group, and PT Papua Daya Bio Energy and PT Tebu Wahana Kreasi, owned by Medco Agro Group.

All three of these companies have made various kinds of promises and approaches as part of their attempts to get their hands on forest and swamp lands between the Kumb and Maro rivers: an area of 73,000 hectares in all. The majority of this land is around Kampung Baad and Kampung Tambat, two villages settled by Marind people belonging to the Baad tribe.

PT ARN has even brought traditional leaders from Kampung Baad on a trip to Lampung and West Sumatra provinces to visit sugar and oil palm plantations, supposedly so they could make comparisons. But still the people have not wavered in their refusal to give up their land. The women of Kampung Baad, or “mama-mama”, who are often only spectators in the process of negotiations about the land, also want to add their voice to the debate. What follows is a short selection of a group discussion with Christina Gebze and the other mama-mama of Kampung Baad.

So what would happen if the companies came to use the land?

“Where would we end up? We have to think about this now, because previously we always knew that there were always plenty of fish, kangaroos and cassowaries, but because people have taken them for their needs, they are mostly all gone. But if we sell our land, they will be even further gone! What are we going to eat, where can we farm? We only have the land, everything else will have gone, and that is going to make life tough for us”.

The companies say that they will rent the land and give money as compensation, how do you feel about that?

“I’ve heard them say things like that, but we don’t know how much land they are asking for, how many hectares, how many square kilometers, they don’t show us any documents. And women are never involved. According to our traditions, it is normally the men who participate in meetings. The women cannot even ask their husbands who go to the meeting. Normally, a woman’s responsibility is to cook, process sago, go fishing, and plant coconut, cassava and taro root.”

“We can’t sell the land. I’m scared to live off money we get for the land, because who is it who created the land? I didn’t do it with these hands of mine. If we give birth, that comes from an agreement between two people, but who does the land come from? It would be better not to sell the land.”

“Women should have rights because women also have a role in helping their kin. There is a forest grove over there which marks the land limit.”

The companies want to rent the land for 35 years?

“That’s a really long time. Maybe by that time we wouldn’t want to sell any more, but we can imagine that the wild pigs would all be gone, the deer would be gone, the kangaroos all gone. And if the land is sold, where could we plant our crops? Take a look at Kampung Zanegi, there is already no forest there.”

“According to Malind customary law we cannot destroy nature, but right now so much has been destroyed. It is such an indignity for us to see this, but now money changes everything, although it is strictly forbidden to damage nature. Malind people cannot kill, only with black magic, but that is a different matter.”

Could people still live according to customary law?

“Where could we carry out our customary practices? We prefer the land as it is, there is no need to sell it. Right now we can go and look for fish and plant our crops. If our land is sold, we will be confused, and what will happen to our grandchildren? The Baad people are rich because of all the trees from the Maro River to the village, but if they are sold then the people won’t have anything left. People are thinking about where we would run to, who would help us?”

What do you think is best for the children?

“If children go to school maybe they can help to raise people’s living standards. If we look around here we can see that school isn’t working, not one person from the Kumb river area has ever got a degree – or maybe there is someone, but no more than one or two people. Even though there has been a school here since the 1930s. If there were people with degrees then maybe they would know ways to help the people.”

“The kids need to be educated so that they can defend this place and so that the land is not sold. If this doesn’t happen, for sure all the land will get sold.”

Will the companies provide help with education?

“I don’t believe it. They say they will give help, they asked us to open bank accounts, but nothing has come of it.”

Original Indonesian Source: Pusaka http://pusaka.or.id/kehadiran-perusahaan-dalam-pandangan-perempuan-malind-di-kampung-baad-distrik-animha-merauke/ English Translation: https://awasmifee.potager.org/?p=458

Related articles
1

US embassy official for political affairs visits FOKER – Papua

Bintang Papua,
30 July 2013
Jayapura: The Second Secretary for Political Affairs at the US Embassy in Jakarta, James P. Feldmeyer, declared that he will pay close attention to any information or complaints, however small he receives from Papuan people.He urged NGOs in Papua not to despair and to continue to provide information to his embassy about developments in Papua. He said that  any information he received from NGOs in Papua would be passed on to officials of the US Government.

He was speaking at the office of Foker (Co-Ordinating Forum) of NGOs in Papua when he made this comment.

According to information obtained by Bintang Papua, the US diplomat held a private meeting at the Foker office, when he was accompanied by a female colleague. From there, they visited the office of ELSHAM – Papua.

The Executive Secretary of a Papuan NGO, Lienche F. Maloali said that the aim of the meeting had been to urge NGOs in Papua not to stop providing information to the US Embassy about the situation in Papua including information about various human rights violations  that continue to occur in Papua.

Mr Feldmeyer made it clear that they are always keen  to get the most up-to-date information from those who are members of various Papuan organisations which could be sent to senior officials at the embassy or to members of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Such information would also be made available to members of the US Congress and possibly also to the President of the USA.

Lienche, as Malioli is known to his friends,  said that they felt very frustrated  because they continue to send information about the latest situation in Papua, but they had never received any serious response.

‘Initially we felt frustrated because information about human rights violations, however great or small,  has been sent to people abroad. Now we are being told not to feel frustraated and to continue to provide information about the latest events in Papua.’

One member of Foker – Papua, Bas Wamafma said that the US Government should urge the Indonesian Government to provide the space for democracy in Papua  and to allow foreign journalists to have the freedom to carry out their journalistic activities  in the Land of Papua.

[Translated by TAPOL]

1

Nabire: Brimob Assaults a Civilian Due to Wage Demands

by Oktavianus Pogau  at SuaraPapua.com

June 28, 2013

Nabire – On 26 June 2013, Titua Money, a traditional landowner of Kampung Warmi, Yaur District, Nabire Region, Papua was violated by 3 members of the Mobile Police Brigade of Papua district.  Titus was assaulted due because he protested against PT. Nabire Baru, an oil palm plantation regarding a delay in the payment of his wages.

“It is true that my brother’s face was assaulted with a rifle butt by three members of the Mobile Police Brigade (Brimob) of Papua. His lips were bleeding and busted. His buttocks were assaulted with the rifle butt until it turned blue black,” explained the victim’s brother, Imanuel Money, when he was contacted by suarapapua.com, on Friday (28 June 2013) afternoon.

Before the assault, Imanuel said that his brother was detained and handcuffed by the three policemen, after which they rained repeated blows to his face with a rifle butt.

“After the arrest, the policemen released eight shots in the air to intimidate other workers who were present in the plantation,” Imanuel added.

Imanuel further elaborated that, his brother Titus, had protested to the manager of PT. Nabire Baru due to a delay in the payment of his wages. This practice had become increasingly frequent and without an explanation provided to the workers.

“The delay in the payment of the wages of the workers, including my brother, was a common practice of the plantation, however no one dared to protest because armed police personnel were employed by the plantation to pacify the situation to their benefit,” explained Imanuel.

Imanuel said that he had asked his brother to return to Nabire to attend to his medical needs, however this was prohibited by the management of the plantation.

“The plantation has utilized the mobile police brigade to keep peace in the plantation. To our knowledge the plantation has employed eight mobile police brigade personnel for that purpose. The three mobile police brigade who perpetrated the assault are Sertu Eko, Serda Genta and Sertu Urbanus,” said Imanuel.

Imanuel demanded immediate legal disciplinary action by the Police Inspector General of Papua, Tito Karnavian and Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Nabire, Bahara Marpaung against the three personnel.

“As a representative of the kin of the victim I demand that the Police Inspector General of Papua and the Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Nabire take due action against the three personnel who perpetrated an inhumane assault against my brother over a trivial matter,” expressed Imanuel.

When contacted by suarapapua.com for confirmation, the Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner, Bahara Marpaung verified the assault by the three police personnel against Titus Money who is an employee of PT Nabire Baru. The Commisioner claimed that Titus had threatened and assaulted the manager in a drunken stupor.

“Mr Titus Money had threatened and assaulted the plantation manager in a drunken stupor. Our personnel meant to calm him down, however Titus had behaved in a disorderly manner and spat on one of the officers. This had enraged the personnel who resorted to severe action to control Titus Money,” explained the Commissioner of Nabire.

The Commissioner also bid the family of the victim to make a formal police report with adequate medical evidence as proof the assault if they wished to proceed with legal action against the three police personnel who had assaulted Titus Money.

“I welcome the family of the victim to make a police report to start the legal process. I am also prepared to meet the family tomorrow at the District Police Station of Nabire, I shall await them,” he urged.

Pt. Nabire Baru is an agribusiness involved in promoting oil plantations. It started its operations in Kampung Sima, Yaur district and Nabire district, three years ago. It has been actively recruiting the local communities in the areas as labourers and workers with very low wages.

Related articles

 

3

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑