Saturday, November 21, 2015

1) Papua campaigner coming to grips with release



1) Papua campaigner coming to grips with release
2) In Denouement of $2b Freeport Shakedown, Cabinet Fractures Appear
--------------------

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201779637/papua-campaigner-coming-to-grips-with-release

1) Papua campaigner coming to grips with release
20 Nov 2015

Human Rights Watch says Filep Karma is still coming to terms with his release after 11 years in prison in which he became West Papua's most high profile political prisoner.
PlayDownload:Ogg  |  MP3Audio duration:( 3′ :10″ )


Transcript
Human Rights Watch says Filep Karma is still coming to terms with his release after 11 years in prison in which he became West Papua's most high profile political prisoner.
Filep Karma was yesterday freed from a prison on the outskirts of Jayapura, the capital of Indonesia's Papua province.
Karma was jailed for raising a pro-independence flag at a political ceremony in 2004.
Human Rights Watch's Indonesia spokesperson, Andreas Harsono, spoke to Karma this morning and says although his release was anticipated, it's still come as a bit of a shock.
ANDREAS HARSONO: He did not expect the release to be that fast. You can imagine if you stay in a house, in this case a prison for 11 years and suddenly you are asked to leave your house in the next 24 hours, he is mentally shocked but of course his family and himself they enjoy a good time, they had a family dinner last night, he also met with hundreds of Papuan activists, just commoners, common people who welcomed him. He is happy but at the same time he is weary because you know 11 years in prison and suddenly being released and he told me that he would like to take a break, he would like to cool himself down, to calm himself down, he needs time to re-integrate into his family, society, friends and dealing with other expectations that the people of Papua have on him becoming, you know their effective leader.
BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: Once he's taken some time to rest and recover do you think that he will continue to be outspoken?
AH: Well, knowing him for several years he is quite a stubborn man, I think he will be like what he is, he will be outspoken you know.
BT: Do you think that there might be a softening on part of the Indonesian government and we may see more people being released?
AH: Well I don't know but Human Rights Watch calls on the government to release all political prisoners. There are about 100 now because after May when President Joko Widodo released five prisoners, 14 more were arrested in Papua. In fact I just had a chat this morning with a top official in Jakarta, I told them that 'look this is very good to release Filep Karma but again there are still many others who are in jail because of their peaceful political activities and they should be released' and she offered me to meet with another high ranking very influential official in Jakarta to discuss again the list of names of people that should be released.
---------------------
http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/denouement-2b-freeport-shakedown-cabinet-fractures-appear/
2)
In Denouement of $2b Freeport Shakedown, Cabinet Fractures Appear
Jakarta Globe | on 3:39 PM November 2015
Jakarta. Cracks are beginning to show in the highest levels of President Joko Widodo’s cabinet amid the unraveling of what could be the single biggest corruption case in Indonesian history.

Luhut Pandjaitan, the chief security minister, said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday that he found it “very strange” that the energy minister, Sudirman Said, had filed a complaint with the House of Representatives alleging an attempted shakedown by House Speaker Setya Novanto of copper and gold miner Freeport Indonesia.

Luhut, whose name comes up frequently in the transcript of a recording of the alleged conspiracy, questioned Sudirman’s motive for taking the issue public.

“I feel it’s very strange. Why would Minister S.S. report this? You’d have to ask him yourselves,” he told reporters.

Sudirman alleges that Setya, in a meeting in June with Freeport Indonesia chief executive Maroef Sjamsoeddin and businessman Muhammad Riza Chalid, sought to have a 20 percent stake in the company divested through him, on the pretext that the shares would go to President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

In exchange, the House speaker gave his reassurances that the company – the single biggest taxpayer in Indonesia – would be allowed to continue operating. The key to making it all work, Setya is recorded as saying “lies with Pak Luhut and with myself.”

Setya initially denied the allegation of a shakedown, but on Thursday finally admitted to it, saying he was joking when he demanded the shares.

Sudirman on Thursday confirmed speculation that the recording was made by Maroef, whom he said had been suspicious about Setya’s requests to talk. The meeting is alleged to have been the third between the parties, and took place at the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place hotel in South Jakarta.

“Based on the information from the [Freeport Indonesia] CEO, Pak M.S., indications of something fishy were already apparent in the first and second meetings,” Sudirman told Detik on Thursday. “So to protect himself, Pak M.S recorded [the conversation during] the third meeting.”

Freeport Indonesia’s parent company, Arizona-based Freeport McMoRan, holds a 90.64 percent stake in the miner, and is require to gradually bring that figure down to 70 percent by 2019, starting with a 10 percent divestment this year.

Maroef’s predecessor as CEO, Rozik B. Soetjipto, last year estimated the value of a 10 percent stake at around $2 billion. If the shakedown allegation is confirmed, that would make this case by far the single biggest corruption conspiracy in Indonesia’s history.

The vast potential tied up in such a deal was apparently not lost on Riza, the businessman said to have sat in on the meeting with Setya and Maroef.

“Freeport runs, you’re happy, we’re happy,” he is recorded as saying, apparent to Maroef. “We’ll get together and play golf, we’ll buy a nice private jet…”

No comments:

Post a Comment

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