Tag: colonialism

Hana Hikoyabi formally challenges interior minister for rejecting her membership of the MRP

From Bintang Papua 1 May 2011,[Abridged in translation by TAPOL]

By Hana Hikoyabi

Although I was elected democratically as a member of the MRP – Majelis Rakyat Papua – from election constituency 1 and my election was confirmed by the  the district chief and the governor, my membership has been rejected by the Interior Minister, like someone who has been found guilty though nothing has been proven in a court of law, I wish herewith the challenge the minister’s decision which is quite without any justification.

I fully conformed with all the procedures as required. including police requirement, for the district  of Jayapura district, the Keerom district for the period 2011 – 2016.

According to informed from the MRP secretary I was referred to  as being  a person not suitable for membership because I do not conform with the requirements.

According to government decision 64/2008, anyone whose membership is not acceptable can seek clarification.

I object to the decision of the interior minister to the effect that the membership of Dra Hana Salomina Hikoyabi and Drs Agus Alue Alua cannot be confirmed as members. as we do not conform with the requirements under article 4 (c), (d)  and (h). This article  says that members must be loyal  to the  Pancasila and have a strong commitment  to protecting the community and loyalty to the Indonesian Constitution, should be a person of high moral standing and be a model to the community.  and has not been found guilty of anything under law. These requirements are set down clearly under law.

According to PP54/ 2004 regarding the MRP,  the person shall not have been found guilty in a court of law for committing a crime and receiving a sentence of five year or more.

In accordance with the above,  it is clear that the decision to reject my appointment as  member of the MRP is in conflict with the law, because it is not based on any court verdict.

This places me in the difficult position of  having been responsible for an act of treason – makar – whereas at the time that I nominated myself for member of the MRP form 2011 – 2016, I received an official confirmation from the local police and from the local court of law that I am well-behaved and have never been found guilty of anything or convicted of anything

The minister’s decision means that the statements issued by the police and the Jayapura district court are unlawful. It also means that the administrative procedures regarding personnel cannot be relied upon as the way of handling the governance. in accordance with the rule of law.

[Note: The MRP consists of Papuans from three groups, women, youth and traditional clans.]

Related articles
1

PT Medco refuses to pay compensation for Papuan land used for three years

[COMMENT: Here is a major company bemoaning its fate if required to pay compensation for Papuan land, without acknowledging that its operations have certainly led to the devastation of the livelihoods of the people whose land it has been using for three years. How does one weigh the demise of a company against the lives and livelihoods of indigenous Papuan people who are bereft of the land that is the very heart and soul of their physical and spiritual beings?  This is the first time we have read reports  about the absence of any compensation for Papuan people. It sums up a problem besetting Papuan people across the length and breadth of West Papua. TAPOL]JUBI, 21 April 2011

The inhabitants of Sanggase kampung, district  of Okaba, district of Merauke, have submitted a demand for compensation of sixty-five billion rupiahs from PT Medco for their operations in the kampung for the past three years, but they have had no response from the company.

In other words, the company has simply washed its hands and is not prepared to pay any compensation.

At a meeting held on Thursday this week with the district chief (bupati) of Merauke which was also attended by representatives of the local administration and military chiefs, as well as a number of local people, the representative of PT Medco in Papua Aradea Arifin,  said that paying compensation  of sixty-billion rupiahs  would mean that the company would not be able to function any more.

He said that the land being used by the company is 2,800 hectares. Should such a large amount of money be paid in a case like this?. ‘It simply means asking us to close down our company,’ he said. ‘So it is quite impossible for us to pay the community such a huge amount of money.’

He claimed that during the years of its operations in Kampung Boepe, the company had  given assistance to the local people in the form of building houses, building a church, provided motor cycles and so on which he claimed meant that the company  had acknowledged the problems confronted by the people there

Related Articles
3

Local people reject PT Nutfa Malind-Papua in Okaba

JUBI, 18 April 2011The inhabitants of Sanggase kampung, district of Okaba are strongly against the presence o f PT Nufta Malind-Papua who plan to set up a timber factory covering the land of several inhabitants.  They said the project had never been discussed with them as owners of the land.
Inhabitants of several other kampungs, Alette, Alaku, Makaling,Iwol, Dukmiro and Wambi. The head of the Dukmiro clan, Mathias Mahuze said the construction of the factory had never been discussed with them.
He said they have no objection in principle to such projects but the local people, owners of the land must first be consulted.
If they say nothing but only enter in communications with certain elements, then they are bound to encounter difficulties when they begin their operations.

‘We have never prohibited investors from entering any of these areas, including the district of Merauke, but it is far better to prepare the necessary documents for such operations. They need to meet face to face with the local communities for well organised discussions to avoid any problems emerging in the future.

Related Articles
3

Komnas HAM member warns of potential conflicts in Papua

Bintang Papua 13 April, 2011 

The deputy chairman of the Papua branch of the National Human Rights Commission is afraid that serious conflicts could occur in Papua around such issues as the election of the governor, conflicting views regarding special autonomy/OTSUS and the new Papuan Asembly, the MRP, conflicts between religious groups or between the churches, and the Puncak Jaya case. Other issues that were potentially controversial were the recent shooting dead of two people in the Freeport area, the serous flooding in Paniai and a number of mysterious deaths that have not been investigated.

Mathius Murib conveyed these thoughts to Bintang Papua in an SMS message.

He urged all sides in Papua to remain vigilant, to do everything possible to preserve peace in Papua and not to be provoked into making emotional responses. What is needed, he said, is well-thought out criticism in an era of democratisation and recognition of basic human rights in Indonesia. People should be careful to abide by the laws and regulations.

He expressed the hope that the newly appointed MRP would struggle for the basic rights of the Papuan people and hoped that the members of the new body would acknowledge the struggles waged by the late Agus Alue Alua and his colleagues in the previous MRP.

Related Articles
8

Papua Church Leader Warns Of ‘Unfair’ Gubernatorial Election

FYI
The Jakarta Post
Monday, April 11, 2011 

Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The death of a prominent Papuan leader has sparked concerns over the
security of the upcoming gubernatorial election in the volatile
region.

GKI Papua synod deputy chairman Rev. Elimelekh D. Doirebo said that
the demise of former Papuan People’s Assembly speaker Agus Alue Alua
destroyed any expectations of a fair and safe election for the
province this September, as well as undermined the possibility of a
pro-Papuan Assembly.

“Agus was very vocal in fighting for the rights of the Papuan people,
including supporting the policy that Papua local administration heads
must be Papuan,” he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Agus reportedly died Thursday at Dian Harapan Hospital in Jayapura.
Agus, who was re-elected to the Assembly for a second term, died soon
after being admitted to hospital. The cause of death is unknown.

Agus was known for his policies, including a decree stipulating that
Papua local administration heads and their deputies must be from the
region.“We believe Agus died as a result of the persistent
intimidation he faced,” Elimelekh said.

He claimed Agus faced threats especially from Barisan Merah Putih,
which wanted to oust the original members of the Assembly whom they
perceived as too radical in their defense of Papuan rights and their
opposition to special autonomy.

In June last year, rallies initiated by the original Assembly members
drew thousands in Jayapura, who issued 11 recommendations for a better
solution to the strife in Papua.

The protestors urged the central government to annul special autonomy,
which they claimed was a tool for the central government to win the
hearts of Papuans while toning down demands for independence.

They also called for a dialog mediated by neutral international
parties to address Papuan grievances.

“Several Papuans in Jakarta once came to Papua to meet Agus and
basically forced him to stop criticizing the election of new Assembly
members and special autonomy. They also forced him to step down,”
Elimelekh claimed.

Later, he added, Agus was removed from the roster of new Assembly
members following accusations he supported separatism.

Hana Hikoyabi, who was also re-elected to the Assembly, was likewise
disqualified. As of today, the new elected Assembly members, who will
serve until 2016, have not been inaugurated.

The GKI, along with Papua’s KINGMI synod and Papua’s Baptist churches
synod, boast a following of more than 1.3 million members, most of
them native Papuans.

Related Articles
0

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑