Tag: Papuan marginalisation

DPRP condemned for failing to keep its promises

JUBI, 12 May 2011

DPRP never keeps its promises

The chairman of Papuan Anti Militarism Solidarity, SRPAM, Elias Petege,
has called the DPRP, the provincial legislative assembly, a body that
always breaks its promises. So no one should be surprised that many of
the people’s aspirations have not been met. He said that to this day,
the DPRP has failed to keep its promise to meet the SRPAM in order to
discuss ways of solving the violation of human rights in Dogiyai.

‘Yesterday the DPRP accepted a request by our demonstration and promised
to meet us today but they didn’t keep their promise, without explaining
why.’

Petege said that during an action that took place yesterday, 11 May,
SRPAM called on the chief of police to dismiss the chief of police in
Papua, the chief of police in Nabire and the chief of police in
Moenamani because they had done nothing to halt the gambling that is
believed to have the support of the police in Moenamani.in the
sub-district of Dogiyai.

As a result, a fight broke out between the local police and the local
community during which several members of the community were killed.

The DPRP was also called upon to immediately mediate between the two
sides in order to solve the problem. Via the intermediary of the deputy
chairman of commission A, the DPRP promised to hold a meeting with
SRPAM to discuss measures that need to be taken, but unfortunately this
turns out to have been nothing more than lip service.

In the opinion of Petege, the DPRP is simply not bothered about the
matter and has failed to respond to the aspirations of Papuan people.
The DPRP just allows human rights violations to go on happening in Papua
without lifting a finger,’ he said.

‘We feel very disappointed indeed and have lost all confidence in the
DPRP. Just imagine, we arrived at their office at 9am and stayed there
until 3pm, but there was no one at all at the office and no one there to
explain why they were absent.’

Related articles
1

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

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

West Papuans in KRPBK determined to reject OTSUS

Bintang Papua, 4 April 2011 

West Papuans determined to reject OTSUS
Call for dissolution of MRP

Jayapura: All elements within the United Papuan Peoples’ Coalition for Justice (KRPBK) are firm in their rejection of Special Autonomy – OTSUS, and call for the dissolution of the MRP as well as rejecting UP4B (Unit for Accelerated Development of Papua and West Papua) which was recently created by the central government.

The reasons: The DPRP (Papuan provincial legislative assembly) adopted the OTSUS law for Papua in 2001, but ten years on, OTSUS has been a total failure, according to KRPBK spokesman Selpius Bobii, following a meeting between the coalition and the DPRP on Monday 4 April.

He said they had urged the DPRP to publicly announce its decision, based on the aspirations that were adopted in 2001. This led to the creation of a special OTSUS committee, Pansus OTSUS to accommodate the aspirations of the Papuan people. ‘We will continue to voice our rejection of the failed OTSUS.’ He also called on Pansus OTSUS to hold a plenary session with one item only on the agenda, the rejection of OTSUS.

Asked whether they had set a deadline for this plenary session, he said they could not speak about this for the moment but they were working to consolidate the views of all elements of Papuan society, and were planning to organise a nationwide strike as well as actions to occupy all government offices in the Land of Papua.

Asked to explain this further, Yunus Wonda (who also attended the meeting with the DPRP) said that calling a plenary session was not an easy thing to . There were a number of political parties in the DPRP each with their own mechanisms  and statutes which must be accommodated. ‘Rejecting OTSUS is not just an emotional issue but must take into account a number or ways in which OTSUS had failed, before the issue could be discussed at a plenary session of the DPRP.

Pansus OTSUS will still have to make an evaluation of OTSUS which will involve a number of NGOs, academics, traditional leaders, leaders of the women’s and students’ movements, in order to be able to act in unison

——

Related Articles
10

Nurses in Papua take their complaints to governor.. and to the ALDP

Bintang Papua, 19 February 2011
Abridged in translation by TAPOL

Nurses working at the Dok II General Hospital have taken part in a
demonstration at the governor’s office, complaining that their rights
have been ignored.

‘We are working to the utmost and often doing things that doctors should
be doing in addition to our own duties. In addition to applying
catheters and giving infusions, we do laboratory work and look after
and wash the patients, as well as handling things that doctors should be
doing.’

Leni Ebe is one of more than one hundred nurses working at Dok II in
Jayapura.who are critical of the management of the hospital which they
describe as being appalling. After having made complaints to the
director of the hospital (to no avail), they took their complaints to
the governor of the province.

She spoke in particular about the incentive fee that had been promised
by the government but had not yet been paid.

Nurses in all the hospitals in Abepura as well as elsewhere in Papua are
doing their utmost, she said. ‘We were promised the incentive fee in
2009 and were eventually paid Rp 30,000 [around £2.00], which we got
only after pressing very hard for it.’

Since the enactment of the Special Autonomy law (in 2001), Papua has
been allocated substantial sums of money yet internal management
problems have led to a failure to solve problems in the hospitals,
including the failure to pay the incentive fee, which is being paid to
administrative staff. This led to the hospital personnel deciding to
take their problem to the governor.

Leni Ebe said that it had been agreed that specialist doctors and
dentists would get Rp 10 million (a month), phamacists would get Rp5
million and other medical personnel would get Rp 3m, while other staff
including nurses would get only Rp1m. ‘We have to handle so much of the
work, including that usually done by doctors. Is this is all we are
worth? It is far too little, especially for those of us who have
families to feed.’

A decision by the governor allocating the money for the whole of 2010
had not been followed through, as a result of which the nurses decided
to take their problem to the ALDP this week. Anum Siregar, director of
the ALDP, said that the failure to implement the decision was a clear
indication of the lack of any seriousness on the part of the government
to solve the problem and could lead to similar cases occurring elsewhere.

4

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑