Tuesday, August 20, 2013

1) Indonesia warns it may use force against West Papuan Freedom Flotilla


1) Indonesia warns it may use force against West Papuan Freedom Flotilla
2) PNG Png to purchase electricity from indonesia`s Papua

---------------------------------------------------------


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/20/indonesia-west-papua-flotilla-force

1) Indonesia warns it may use force against West Papuan Freedom Flotilla

Government says 'use of weaponry may not be necessary' but armed forces 'will take measures' if activists enter its waters


Judalu Neal from Yarrabah Aboriginal community near Cairns, who will be on the flotilla. Photograph: Margret Gilchrist
The Indonesian government has said it hopes it will not be necessary to use lethal force against a boatload of activists planning to land illegally in Merauke, West Papua, in the coming weeks.
The West Papuan Freedom Flotilla is sailing from Australia to raise awareness about the abuses faced by Indigenous West Papuans under Indonesian rule. They have been denied permission to enter Indonesian territory.
Indonesia's deputy co-ordinating political, legal and security affairs, Agus Barnas, told the Guardian on the phone from Jakarta that "the use of weaponry may not be necessary. We won't threaten them with guns, but we want to send them away from Indonesian territory."
He said the government had ordered the navy commander and the air force commander to patrol the area near where the boats are planning to land.
"We're paying special attention, and intensifying [our patrols]. If they enter Indonesian water, the armed forces will take measures," he said. "The order is to direct them away from Indonesian territory."
Barnas said the government had made it clear to the Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, during independence day celebrations last week, that Indonesia viewed the flotilla as a direct attack on its sovereignty, telling him: "No country should allow … use [of] its territory as a base to launch a disturbance to another country."
But a spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs told the Guardian that "the flotilla will not be prevented from leaving Australia. It is not illegal to depart an Australian port."
The spokesman confirmed that Moriarty had discussed the Freedom Flotilla with the Indonesian government, including members of the foreign ministry, but he declined to say whether Australia had sought an assurance that deadly force would not be used against the activists.
"The Indonesian government has made it very clear that the flotilla would be breaking Indonesian law should it attempt to enter Indonesian waters – under no circumstances will the Australian government condone the breaking of another country's laws," the spokesman said.
Izzy Brown, one of the flotilla participants, said she was not surprised by Indonesia's reaction.
"We knew something like that was potentially on the cards so we've been preparing for it," she said.
"We do have contingency plans – we have planned different courses of action depending on what arises."
But Brown said the plan was to attempt to land in West Papua regardless.
"West Papuans live in fear every day, in fear of the Indonesian military," she told the Guardian. "We are embarking on a peaceful journey to bring awareness and compassion about an issue that has for too long been ignored in the Australian and international media."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

2) PNG Png to purchase electricity from indonesia`s Papua

Tue, August 20 2013 09:47 | 151 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - Papua New Guinea plans to buy electricity from Indonesia`s province of Papua to cover shortage in power supply in PNG province of Vanimo across the border. 

Vanimo will buy 2 megawatts of electricity from a power plant to be built with a capacity of 2x10 MW in Papua, Indonesian Consul in Vanimo, Jahar Gultom said. 

"The two countries, PNG and Indonesia have signed a cooperation agreement on the purchase of power from the Jayapura branch of the state electricity company PLN," Gultom said here on Tuesday. 

He said the Indonesian government will build a distribution network to reach Wutung to be linked with a distribution cables to Vanimo, Aitape and possibly to Wewak.

A number of PNG`s province still are dependent on diesel power plant for electricity, which is more expensive, he said. 

He said PNG also hopes that next year, through the cooperation agreement, it could rely on power supply from Jayapura for the province of Sandaun.

"In early September three to four governors from PNG may visit Papua to see the possibility of expansion of the cooperation agreement," he said. 

The PNG governors plan to visit power plants in Papua including PLTU Yarmok, PLTU Holtekamp and PLTA Genyem in the city and regency of Jayapura. (*)
Editor: Heru

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.