Thursday, March 19, 2015

1) Police Assaulted and Gun Stolen in Papua at Fundraiser

2) Freeport Indonesia Blockade Enters 5th Day, Output Still Halted
3) Minister to focus on Papuan  women
4) Freeport to Face Court unless It Pays Taxes
5) Tourism Department to Hold Melanesian Archipelago Festival
6) Tongoi Papua, Customary Council Byak and Religious Party Declare 3 Program
7) Japan to Build Power Plants in West Papua

8) National Commission on Women also Report Papua Issue to President
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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-assaulted-gun-stolen-papua-fundraiser/

1) Police Assaulted and Gun Stolen in Papua at Fundraiser


Students at a Papuan independence rally in Surabaya, in this Dec. 2, 2013, file photo. (AFP Photo/Bay Ismoyo).

Jayapura. A policeman was assaulted and his firearm stolen during a fundraising event in the separatist eastern province of Papua on Thursday, Indonesian police told the Jakarta Globe.
Police said a member of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB) attacked 2nd. Insp. Budi Santoso while police were trying to disperse a fundraising event in Yahukimo district on Thursday. Police believe the KNPB is affiliated to the armed Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatist organisation, which continues to stage a low-level armed insurgency against Jakarta’s rule over Papua.
“When the police were trying to dismiss the KNPB fundraising event, one of the officers was attacked and his revolver was snatched,” Papua police spokesman, Patrige Renwarin, told the Jakarta Globe.
Police believe one of the KNPB members snatched the firearm and have launched a search operation.
“After snatching the gun the perpetrator ran away and we are still searching for him,” Patrige said.
Patrige said the police decided to disperse the event because the KNPB did not have a permit to hold a fundraiser.
The KNPB responded angrily to the police intervention and tensions quickly escalated  between the crowd and officers at the scene. Patrige said the situation in Yahukimo remained tense on Thursday afternoon.

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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/freeport-indonesia-blockade-enters-5th-day-output-still-halted/

2) Freeport Indonesia Blockade Enters 5th Day, Output Still Halted

By Dennys Kapa on 11:30 am Mar 20, 2015
Category News 
Jakarta. A blockade by workers at Freeport-McMoRan’s Indonesian mine extended into a fifth day on Friday, a union official said, with output still halted but maintenance workers allowed into the Grasberg site by protesters.
A lengthy disruption to supplies from one of the world’s biggest copper mines could support benchmark metal prices that have dropped around 7 percent so far this year.
“The blockade is still happening today,” Albar Sabang, a senior official at a Freeport union told Reuters on Friday. “The management is in dialogue with the protesters but we are not involved.”
“Yesterday they allowed some technicians to go up to the mine site to take care of the machines,” Sabang said about the demonstration, which relates to a settlement reached with other employees at the end of a previous dispute and is not union-backed.
Freeport Indonesia, which employs about 24,000 workers and is seen producing 43 percent more copper concentrate this year at 2 million tonnes, could not be reached for comment on Friday.
Although copper ore production had been halted since Monday, stockpiles of copper concentrates were ready for shipment at a port used by the US-based miner, union officials added.
Around 50 people are involved in Friday’s blockade, Sabang added, which is a similar number to Thursday but down from more than 300 workers that protested earlier in the week.
Relations between Freeport and the workers’ unions have been strained in recent years. Late in 2014, a planned one-month strike following the death of four workers was canceled at the 11th hour.


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3) Minister to focus on Papuan  women

Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Wed, March 18 2015, 6:15 AM - 

In conjunction with the recent International Women’s Day, the government has laid out its plans to protect Indonesian women from violence, with this year’s focus being on the eastern part of the country.

Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Susana Yembise said on Tuesday that the eastern part of the country, especially Papua, needed special attention from the government as it had long been neglected in many respects.

“My attention has shifted to that area at the moment,” Yohana said during an event held to commemorate International Women’s Day in Central Jakarta.

Data from the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) in 2013 showed that Papua had a high prevalence of violence against women, with 1,360 cases reported for every 10,000 women in the province.

Domestic violence made up 56 percent of the cases, followed by sexual violence with 24 percent and trafficking of women at 18 percent.

While Jakarta has a higher rate of violence against women, with 1,699 cases in every 10,000 women, the ministry said that the figure was higher in the capital because women could have their reports heard compared to women in Papua.

Yohana, who is the first female minister from Papua, blamed patriarchy for violence against women in Papua.

“We are living in a male-dominated society,” said Yohana.

Regina Muabuay from the Rising Papua Women Coalition said that the patriarchal culture of Papua had prevented women from achieving their true potential.

“So when there is a woman who has goals or ambitions, sometimes men will not approve of that due to tradition,” she said on Tuesday.

The tendency for Papuans to maintain their traditions also resulted in poor law enforcement.

“Because people perceive tradition as higher than the law, when someone reports a case to the police, they will ask that person to settle the case amicably through tradition first,” Regina said.

There is also a tradition where men give dowries to their brides, which results in men feeling that they are entitled to women.

“So when men hit their wives, they feel it is acceptable since they have already ‘paid’ for their wives,” said Regina. 

Some men reportedly cannot accept the fact that their wives earn more than they do.

“Men who abuse their spouses usually lack confidence. They could be offended by income disparity,” University of Indonesia (UI) psychologist Rose Mini said on Tuesday. 

Yohana said that she planned to roll out programs to change the patriarchal system in Papua to make it more flexible, although it is not yet clear how she would do that.

Yohana also said she would tackle the wide distribution of alcoholic beverages in Papua, which she suspected of having contributed to the high prevalence of violence against women.

“There is a need to control the distribution of alcohol in Papua,” she said.

Yohana also said she would take initiatives to prevent domestic violence cases in Papua by handling the problem of women’s trafficking.

“Trafficking of women in Papua has destroyed the fabric of families in Papua. Women trafficked to Papua ended up being mistresses and after I investigated the cases, these women came from Manado, North Sulawesi,” she said. “I need to go to Manado to meet religious leaders and regional government and ask them to stop sending young girls to Papua.” -




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http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/03/19/freeport-to-face-court-unless-it-pays-taxes/


4) Freeport to Face Court unless It Pays Taxes


Jayapura, Jubi – Government of Papua is going to take legal action against PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), the copper and gold mining unless the company pays Surface Water taxes, an official said.
“We are ready to take legal action against PT Freeport Indonesia, if it does not comply with Regulation Tax Act No. 28 of 2009 on Regional Taxes and Levies Regional, and Local Regulation of Papua,” head of Department of Revenue of Papua Ridwan Rumasukun told journalists in Jayapura, Papua on Wednesday (03/18/2015).
He said all this time Freeport Indonesia only pays Surface Water tax based on an MoU which stipulates a small rate and is not based on the law and regulation. According to the rules and regulation of Papua, PT. Freeport must pay provincial government Rp. 435 billion per year.
If PT.Freeport has objection to that, it can apply for a waiver and, if approved, has to pay 50 percent of the total owed to the government.
“Well, Freeport needs to settle the tax from 2011 until 2014 and it clearly must be based on the regulation and not on the MoU,” he said.
He added that earlier Papua Provincial Government is also working with the High Court of Papua as the State Attorney for this case, but before the government has delivered an objection letter to the PT. Freeport.
“Governor of Papua through the Second Assistant Regional Secretary of Papua, has given some inputs on this case. If they are not paying the tax, we are ready to bring to the court it,”Rumasukun added.
Director General of Regional Finance Ministry of Home Affairs Reydonnizar Moenek said, it would facilitate meetings between Provincial Government and Management of PT. Freeport Indonesia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs already has data about surface water tax. (Alexander Loen/Tina)
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5) Tourism Department to Hold Melanesian Archipelago Festival

Jayapura, Jubi – The Department of Tourism and Creative Economics of Papua Province is planning to hold the Festival of Melanesian Archipelago in an effort to open up to neighboring countries.
“The Papua festival is one of our big programs,” the head of Tourism and Creative Economics, David Pagawak, said in Jayapura this week.
“We call it Melanesian because Papua New Guinea people are Melanesian and it is a neighboring country,” he said.
When asked about the use of the term archipelago, David said Papua also wanted to open up to other provinces in Indonesia. In the festival, there would be a display of handicrafts, art, cultural and dance performances, etc.
Through this program, it hoped that would attract more tourists to come and would bring tremendous revenue to the Native people.The festival would be coincided with the National Games (PON) in 2020. (*)
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6) Tongoi Papua, Customary Council Byak and Religious Party Declare 3 Program

Biak, Jubi – Byak Customary Council, Tongoi Papua and church party in Biak declared three important programs before the workshop’s participants from Biak, Supiori and Tongoi Papua at Arumbay hotel, Biak a few days ago.
Chairman Tongoi Papua Frans Pigome said, the three important programs declared were first, an establishment of International Training Center in Biak; second, cultural development and society capacity empowerment in seven areas in Papua and the last is Eco-tourism development.
“Training Center in October 2015 has been running with five classes by using Petrus Kafiar building,” Pigome said when met reporters at Arumbay hotel, Biak on Thursday (12/03/2015).
He further stated, these all programs required supports from all parties, including PT. Freeport Indonesia. He hoped when the programs are realized well, will give mutual benefits for example the peoples of Biak as fish supplies and PT. Freeport Indonesia as consumers of fish.
Meanwhile, chairman of Byak Indigenous Council Chairman, Yan Piet Yarangga said it supported the programs specially eco-tourism program as it encouraged people to better manage the potential marine that they have in Biak. (Marten Boseren/ Tina)
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7) Japan to Build Power Plants in West Papua

Jayapura, Jubi – Japan Gas Corporation (JGC), a global engineering company headquartered in Yokohama, plans to build a 50- megawatt power plant in the Indonesian easternmost province of Papua, according to JGC President Director Tetsuo Fujita.
On Wednesday (18/03/2015), senior executives of JGC including Yoshihiro Shigehisa and Tetsui Fujita met with Vice President Jusuf Kalla to discuss the plan, Antara reported.
“We are preparing several power supply investments in Indonesia, as a reserve for out next generation. (Indonesia) does not have to import (electricity) from other countries,” Shigehisa told reporters after their meeting with Kalla. He is Chairman Emeritus of JGC Group.
“I hope we can build a thousand-megawatt project out of the required 35 thousand-megawatt generation capacity, with all the materials being sourced from Indonesia,” according to JGC Director Emeritus Yoshihiro Shigehisa.
The initial power plant will be built in Sorong, West Papua, with capacity of 50 MW. It will cost US$200 million-300 million, according to Fujita, who is PT. JGC president director. The project ground breaking will take place this year, he said.
Sofjan Wanandi, a member of the vice presidents expert team for economy, explained that the 50-megawatt power plant will be built in Papua. He pointed out that Sorong, Biak, Fakfak, Timika, Kaimana, Merauke, Sarmi, and Serui are among the 15 locations in Papua where the power plants will be built.
Sofjan, who is a prominent businessman, said that the country’s Eastern provinces are left far behind the rest of Indonesia in electricity penetration. Accordingly, special attention will be given to the regions. (Victor Mambor)

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8) National Commission on Women also Report Papua Issue to President

Jakarta, Jubi/Antara – Representatives of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) met President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace to discuss violence against women and Papua.
Komnas Perempuan commissioner Yuniyanti Chuzaifah said they presented the latest findings on violence against women, including domestic violence and sexual assaults.
“We will deliver the findings related to a number of issues, including promoting the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault, ” she said this week.
In addition to the issue of violence, Komnas Perempuan discussed the issue of sexual violence bill, which is canceled to be discussed at National Legislation Program ( Prolegnas) of House of Representatives in 2015. Not only that, they will also discuss the issue of Papua and violence in May 1998, where there is a lot of rape against ethnic Chinese women.
“Also discussed was the agenda of gender education, migrant workers, and a few things including institutional strengthening of the National Commission of Women through Presidential Decree,” she added.
Figures of violence against women based on annual data of National Commission for Women continues to increase every year. In 2014, Komnas Perempuan recorded amount of violence on women reached 305 730. That number increased from 2013 in which recorded 279 688 cases of violence against women. From these figures, domestic violence took first place with a number of percentage reached 68 percent. (*)

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