Tag: Papua

Two West Papuan Community led Ecological Struggles

From our friends at Hidup Biasa

http://hidupbiasa.blogspot.com/2012/03/west-papuan-community-ecological.html and http://hidupbiasa.blogspot.com/2012/03/tablasupa-nickel-minings-drilling-rig.html

Two West Papuan Community Ecological Struggles

On the sidelines of the Papuan People’s struggle for self-determination, at a local level Papuan communities continue to resist the logging and mining industries that are destroying their forests. Here are two stories of recent community resistance from areas close to the Papuan capital Jayapura, translated from the Alliance for Democracy in Papua website http://www.aldepe.com.

1. Seeing their forest destroyed, Arso Villagers Burn Five Logging Camps.

Annoyed by hearing the sound of chainsaws almost every day, and in addition the reports of villagers who regularly enter the forest telling of finding loggers’ camps there, around 20 people from Arso, both young and old, agreed to check the forest for themselves.

Community Resistance against logging (file photo: "The forest eats the forest-eater" by manukoreri.net/westpapuamedia)

This area of forest is commonly called the ‘Golden Triangle’, and is divided between the territory of three villages, Arso, Workwana and Wambes.

As they had guessed they would, once inside the forest they found two sites used by loggers, which had been connected with a track made from offcuts of wood which the loggers would use, dragging the wood from behind a vehicle.

At the first site there was only one camp. At this camp they confiscated two chainsaws and took statements from three loggers who were at the location. They then forced the loggers to leave.

The group continued to the next location. Possibly because the loggers had received information from their friends at the first site, there was only one person left, and they didn’t find any chainsaws.

As their emotions rose some people almost hit out at the logger, but were held back by others. At this second location, four camps were found, complete with televisions, speakers, supplies of food and clothing and so on.  Two vehicles used for dragging wood were also found.  In their emotional state, the people destroyed and burned the camps and everything they found there, along with the camp at the first location.  The two vehicles were also burnt.

According to statements from the loggers, they had been given permission by the customary chief of kampung Workwana, although the Arso villagers felt that they had been cutting trees far inside the Arso territory.

Several people interviewed in kampung Arso on Tuesday 6th March explained that they were still angry “It’s so sad to look at that forest, they even cut very small ironwood trees.” said Wenderlinus Tuamis, a youth who had participated that day.

Meanwhile, according to Franky Borotian, they had been allowing the logging to continue because previously a villager from Workwana had asked to use wood to build her house “a sister had asked for permission to build a house, but then it turned out someone used that permission for business purposes”, he said.

The problem has been passed over to the Customary Council (Dewan Adat).  Villagers asked the Customary Council to use their wisdom to resolve the situation so that conflicts between the people would not emerge.  Especially since the Golden Triangle had become the area which people rely on for food, as other areas have been taken over by two big oil palm plantations, state-owned PTPN II and PT Tandan Sawita Papua (Part of Peter Sondakh’s Rajawali Group)

source: http://www.aldepe.com/2012/03/merasa-hutannya-dirusak-warga-arso.html

2. Tablasupa Nickel Mining’s Drilling Rig Burned, Three Imprisoned

On the morning of 8th February 2012, local people from kampung Tablasupa, near to the Papuan capital Jayapura, burned a drilling rig belonging to the mining company PT Tablasupa Nikel Mining.   The action was connected to an ongoing conflict between local people and the company, which plans to mine nickel on 9629 hectares of land, and is currently carrying out exploration activities.   Although the company has been given a permit by the local Jayapura Bupati’s office, the people of Tablasupa feel that their rights as the holders of customary rights over the land have not been respected.

Two weeks after the machine was burnt, on February 20th,  police arrested
three villagers. Saul Sorontouw, Lambertus Seibo and Kanisius Kromisian.
They have been charged under article 170 of the Indonesian penal code, and are being held in Jayapura police headquarters. While in prison Saul Sorontouw has been ill with gout, which has caused swellings in his knees.  On February 28th police demanded statements from another six villagers, but they were allowed to go home that evening.

The following statement was released by villagers of Tablasupa the day
before the action:

Statement of opinion of the Sorontou-Okoseray-Kiswaitou Ethnic Group
As holders of rights to customary lands on the area covered by PT Tablasupa Nickel Mining’s Mine Enterprise Permit (IUP), Mining Rights (KP) and the Bupati’s recommendation that allows exploration in Kampung Tablasupa, Jayapura Regency

Regarding the as yet unresolved problems around PT Tablasupa Nickel Mining commencing exploration activities on customary land belonging to the people of kampung Tablasupa, the Sorontou- Okoseray- Kiswaitou ethnic group wishes to make the following declaration:

“Reject PT Tablasupa Nickel Mining” conducting exploration and mineral exploitation activities within the customary boundaries of the Sorontou- Okoseray- Kiswaitou ethnic group.

The reasons for our rejection of mining activities are as follows:
1. The whole territory of kampung Tablasupa is unsuitable for mining
activities.

2. The impact of mining activities would also damage the environment of
areas that fall within the territory of neighbouring villages.

3 To avoid mining activities causing conflict with the people and nearby villages.

4. The effect of mining activities will damage and desecrate the environment, and industrial pollution from the mine will contribute to global warming and affect the sources of clean water from the Cyclop mountains.

5. No consensus has been reached through a musyawarah system that would
represent an agreement between the people of Tablasupa and neighbouring
villages.

6. The holders of customary rights to the land have not given their approval (under the Law on Mineral and Coal Mining 4/2009 article 135, companies holing a Mine Enterprise Permit can only commence activities if they have obtained agreement from the holders of customary rights on that land).

7. The customary and human rights of the Sorontou- Okoseray- Kiswaitou
ethnic group must be respected and valued by all.

A solution to the development of kampung Tablasupa which supports the
social economy and also contributes to local business could include:
-building beach tourism and hotels
-developing fishing
-selling fresh water.

Such development would involve all the people of Tablsupa either as workers or taking roles in a management structure and could take the form of an enterprise or foundation that was formed by the people of kampung Tablasupa.

This is the message that the Sorontou- Okoseray- Kiswaitou ethnic group wishes to be known by the general public.

Tablasupa, 07 February 2012 .

Sources: http://www.aldepe.com/2012/02/polisi-menahan-3-tiga-warga-sehubungan.html ; http://www.aldepe.com/2012/03/saul-sorontouw-sakit-di-tahanan-polres.html ; and other articles on http://www.aldepe.com
statement: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Komunitas_Papua/message/2952

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Stop criminalising lawyers and human rights activists in makar cases

JUBI, 5 March 2012
Chairman of the Garda KPP P Bovit Bofra (Jubi / Arjuna)

 

Bearing in mind the continual terrorising of defence lawyers during the makar (treason) trial  [now under way in Jayapura] and  of human rights activists as well as journalists covering the trial, the central executive of GARDA-P , the Movement for People’s Democracy has called upon the security forces to put an end to all of their attempts to silence these people.

In a press release issued by GARDA-P on 5 March, it called for an end to the criminalisation of the lawyers defending Forkorus Yabisembut and his four co-defendants. They also urged the Indonesian government to  dismiss the head of the Public Prosecutors Office, Julius D Teuf, SH and replace him because he has been deliberately attempting to criminalise the defence team of Forkorus and his co-defendants.

‘We also call on the prosecutors to stop their questioning during which they have made offensive and insulting remarks  about the defendants and also about the Papuan people during the trial.We call for the unconditional release of the defendants and for an end to all the violence and  prohibitions  against journalists wanting to report the trial hearings because the trial is being held in public.’

GARDA-P said that during makar trials in Papua, the defence lawyers  are always being subjected to threats and terror by the security forces because they are defending persons who are being charged with makar.

Not only the lawyers but also the judges  are threatened and subjected  to interruptions, to ensure that the hearings comply with the interests of the state. Not only that, but also the bags of the defence lawyers are searched  before they enter the court.for the trial of Forkorus and his co-defendants.

GARDA-P  also said that the police on duty frequently carry weapons outside the courthouse in order to terrorise the defendants and their lawyers. and seek to threaten journalists who are reporting the trial which is open to the public.

GARDA-P regards these actions as being attempts to influence the court proceedings  in order to ensure that the police and the prosecutors make heavier demands for those facing  makar charges.

‘During the hearing on 24 February, while witnesses were being questioned, the prosecutor was constantly interrupting the questioning which greatly angered the defence lawyer, Gustaf Kawar, with the prosecutor now seeking to exclude Gustaf Kawar from the defence team. Such actions are an attempt to cause division (among the lawyers) and to make things more difficult for the defendants.’

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Amnesty Calls for Release of Forkorus and colleagues

Bintang Papua, 8 March 2012Jayapura: Amnesty International has called on the Indonesian Government to release Forkorus and his colleagues. This follows the demand made in court by the prosecutor for the five men to be sentenced to five years.

‘On 5 March, the prosecutor demanded that Forkrus Yaboisembut, Selfius Bobii, Dominikus Sorabut, Edison Waromi and Agust Sananay Kraar be sentenced to five years imprisonment. Amnesty believes that the men were arrested and have been detained simply for exercising their human rights peacefully, in particular their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly,’ said Josep Roy Benedict, member of Amnesty’s team which campaigns for Indonesia and Timor Leste.

Amnesty declared that the five men are ‘prisoners of conscience’ and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

‘Amnesty is also concerned about the lack of progress being made by the Indonesian Government in response to the meeting of Indonesia’s National Commission for Human Rights which stated that abuses of human rights  had been committed by the Indonesian security forces at the time of the Third Papuan Congress on 19 October 2011, whcih resulted in the deaths of three persons and the maltreatment of dozens of participants,’ he said. The five men should be tried in a court that conforms with international standards of justice. In a number of recent internal disciplinary sessions, government officials have only been subjected to administrative sanctions.

He went on to say that the government must repeal or revise all laws that are being used to criminalise freedom of expression, in particular Article 106 of the Criminal Code.

Meanwhile, according to the Prosecutor, his demand for a five-year sentence for Forkorus and the other four is appropriate. He was responding to the views that have been expressed in some circles pointing out that in previous makar cases, the sentences have been higher that five years, even as high as twenty years or life imprisonment.

The Prosecutor Julius D Teuf said  that anyone who has followed the court hearings  will understand that the five defendants were guilty of making certain attempts. ‘Their intention was to establish a new state but they were not successful  because of the actions by the security forces and this is why we think that our demand for the five men is adequate.’

The next hearing of the trial of Forkorus and his colleagues is due to take place on Friday, 9 March.

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‘Saying that there are no political prisoners in Papua is a Lie’

Bintang Papua, 7 March 2012Following a statement that has just been made by Amir Syamsuddin, the Minister for Law and Human Rights claiming that there are no political prisoners (tapol/napol) in Papua, various human rights groups as well as Mama Yosepha, the Director of  the Human Rights and Anti-Violence Foundation, and Markus Haluk, a well-known Papuan human rights activist, have responded.

Mama Yosepha and Markus Haluk said: ‘This statement by the Minister for Law and Human Rights shows the extent of the lies being made in public, which came after the dialogue organised by Amnesty International  last November. The Minister said that there were no political prisoners in Papua, only criminal prisoners. This is in line with the racist policies that are used against the Papuan people,’ said Markus Haluk.

Mama Yosepha and Markus Haluk said: ‘We are well aware of the denials and lies continually being spread by the Indonesian government through the Minister for Law and Human Rights. This is happening systematically in relation to the true facts that are known to the Papuan people. Since late 2011, five political prisoners have been on trial, Forkorus and his four colleagues, who are facing the charge of makar – treason – in connection with the declaration made by the Federal Republic of West Papua in October 2011 on Zakheus Square, Jayapura. In addition, from 2008 – 2010, sixteen political prisoners have been in custody in Manokwari while in Fak-Fak there are as many as sixteen prisoners, as well as fifteen in Nabire, four in Mamberamo Raya, one in Biak who is being held in  Abepura prison, and of all these, four are convicted prisoners, plus another six in Timika , which means that from 2008 to the present there have been 67 political prisoners.’

Markus went on to say that there are around ten political prisoners being held in connection with the assault on the ammunition dump in Wamena in 2003 who are now in  custody in Nabire and Biak prisons,while Filep Karma has been in custody since 2004, having been sentenced to fifteen years  and is being held in Abepura Prison, which brings the total since 2008 to seventy-two tapols and napols (tapol refers to detainees, while napol refers to convicted prisoners).

The fact that there are political prisoners in  Papua  was officially acknowledged by the head of  the Papua office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Drs Daniel Biantong in 2010, when he produced a list of 25 persons registered as tapol and napol throughout Papua.

‘The demands for sentencing have varied from eleven months to life imprisonment. This can be broken down as follows: one person for eleven months, two persons for three years, three persons for five years, one person for six years, one person for ten years and one person for fourteen years, as well as three persons who  were sentenced to fifteen years, five who were sentenced to seventeen years, four to twenty years, while two were given life sentences. In all these cases, the prisoners were charged with makar under Article 106 of the Criminal Code,’ he said.

If we go farther back, said Markus,  following the dialogue held on 26 February 1999 during the presidency of B.J.Habibie , all political prisoners who were then being held in Papua were released. However, one year later, in 2000, many Papuan leaders  and ordinary Papuans were arrested and put on trial for makar, and this has been going on up to the present day.

Mama Yosepha,  said: ‘We human rights activists in Papua  have been firmly insisting that there are tapols and napols in Papua, and they are not criminal prisoners. We urge on the Indonesian government to stop spreading lies  and making racist remarks, like talking about murders, arrests and detentions with regard to Papuan leaders and ordinary Papuans here in the Land of Papua. Instead they should release Papuan leaders such as Forkorus Yaboisembut and Edison Waromi as well as the three others with them and lift the makar charges that are being made against all five of them.’

She went on to say: ‘Bearing in mind the statement made by the Minister for Law and Human Rights last  year and then on 5 March 2012, and bearing in mind too that Indonesia is now a Democratic State,what should happen is that the Indonesian government should release all the political prisoners who are now being held throughout Papua  as well as outside Papua.’

She went on to add: ‘We urge the Indonesian government to allow complete access for diplomats, journalists, human rights workers, members of Senates and congresses [around the world] to visit Papua.’

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Thousands cram gravesite of Theys to support IPWP

West Papua flag

March 8, 2012

by West Papua Media with local sources

Several thousand people crammed the grave site of murdered independence hero Ondofolo Theys Eluay on March 7, to hear resolutions from the Pacific regional Feb 29 launch in Canberra of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP).

Organised by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), the gathering passed without hindrance by security forces, despite reports from participants that several heavily armed units of the Indonesian army and police were shadowing the mass of demonstrators as they conducted a converging Long March from the Waena UNCEN student dormitories, Abepura, Kotaraja, Kamkey and surrounding areas.

The gravesite of the revered Chief, the former Papuan Presidium leader assassinated by Indonesian Kopassus officers in 2001, is the traditional site for mass rallies for self-determination in West Papua, guaranteed access to the land in perpetuity by the family of Theys Eluay.  Indonesian-owned businesses and commercial development is gradually surrounding the gravesite amidst a perceived strategy by Indonesian authorities to block access to what has become a sacred site to West Papuan people.

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The Voice of Papua independent media reported KNPB spokesman Buchtar Tabuni telling the gathered crowd that “all the people of Papua and Papuan students in Australia have joined in the launch event in Australia for IPWP-Pacific, and have come to talk about self-determination for the people of West Papua.”

“Whatever the risks, we are the children of West Papua, would bet ourselves to this struggle.  This is how it is in our land of West Papua,” said Buchtar.

The rallies dispersed peacefully without incident.

 

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