1) Freeport mine "Blood Money" expose wins journalism awards
2) Legal Aid Activist Warns Against Provocation in Papua
3)Indonesia still one of the Most Corrupt
4) A Chronology of PT Minersave's (Freeport's) Entry into Intan Jaya Regency, West Papua.
-------------------------http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/freeport-mine-blood-money-expose-collects-nz-journalism-awards/1057296
2) Legal Aid Activist Warns Against Provocation in Papua
Robert Isidorus | December 07, 2012
1) Freeport mine "Blood Money" expose wins journalism awards
Updated 7 December 2012, 11:49 AEST
There were concerns about human rights abuses and serious environmental damage.
So much so that earlier this year, the New Zealand Superannuation Fund pulled out of investing in the mine.
One person who has been investigating this story is photojournalist Karen Abplanalp from Auckland University of Technology's Pacific Media Centre.
Her feature 'Blood Money', won her the Sally A. White Prize for Investigative Journalism and Best Feature Award this week, as well as last month's New Zealand's Bruce Jesson Emerging Journalist Award.
Presenter:Geraldine Coutts
Speaker:Karen Abplanalp, journalist and photographer, Pacific Media Centre, Auckland University of Technology
---------------------------------------------
2) Legal Aid Activist Warns Against Provocation in Papua
Robert Isidorus | December 07, 2012
Jayapura. A legal aid activist in Papua has said the recent unrest in Manokwari, West Papua, is a clear indication of efforts to destabilize the region to prompt a need for a stronger security presence. He urged tribal leaders in Papua and West Papua not to allow themselves to be provoked.
“I want to call on the leaders of tribes in Papua, such as the Arfak, the Doreri, the Wamesa, not to easily fall to provocation following the latest development,” Yan Christian Warinussy, the director of the Institute for Research, Analysis, and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari, said on Thursday.
Yan said he believed it was clear that in the case of the Manokwari incident, in which police shot and killed escaped prisoner Timotius Ap, there were certain sides who wanted horizontal conflict between groups to break out in West Papua.
“The indications are clear since the clash [broke out] between Papuan natives — the Yapen Waropen tribe with members of the Seram ethnic group — in Sorong recently,” he said, speaking of another recent conflict in the region. He added that tension between tribal groups was also raised during the Dec. 1 anniversary of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) and “even appeared in the case of the shooting of Timotius Ap,” in Manokwari.
He gave no details about the indications that tribal tension was being provoked, but he said that all tribal leaders should restrain themselves and allow the Manokwari police to investigate the shooting.
“If the family of the victim finds any indications of violations of the law in the case of the shooting to death of Timotius Ap, they have the rights, guaranteed by the prevailing law, to file a legal suit in line with the procedures and legal mechanism that are in force,” Yan said.
He said the seeds of conflict were being sown by groups that he said “are professional and trained,” and are strongly suspected to come from official state institutions.
“There are individuals among its [state institutions] leaders who want to see West Papua not peaceful,” he said.
Yan said the target was clear, “to weaken civilian control and efforts to create a clean and accountable government that would push development in West Papua,” by creating an unstable environment for large scale investment in the region, and therefore justifying a stronger security presence there.
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said the Manokwari city police on Dec. 4 received information that Timotius Ap, also known as Arnold Ap, who had escaped from jail on Sept. 16, was at his in-laws’ home on Jalan Baru Manokwari.
When police came to arrest him, the suspect fled on a motorcycle and was chased until the Maripi beach, where he attempted to shoot at the police personnel using a home-assembled handgun. Police shot to immobilize him but hit him in the waist. Timotius, who had been jailed for theft, rape and other crimes, died not long after.
The next day, a protest march took place in Manokwari. Crowds engaged in vandalism and arson and police used teargas to disperse the crowd.
Suara Pembaruan
“I want to call on the leaders of tribes in Papua, such as the Arfak, the Doreri, the Wamesa, not to easily fall to provocation following the latest development,” Yan Christian Warinussy, the director of the Institute for Research, Analysis, and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari, said on Thursday.
Yan said he believed it was clear that in the case of the Manokwari incident, in which police shot and killed escaped prisoner Timotius Ap, there were certain sides who wanted horizontal conflict between groups to break out in West Papua.
“The indications are clear since the clash [broke out] between Papuan natives — the Yapen Waropen tribe with members of the Seram ethnic group — in Sorong recently,” he said, speaking of another recent conflict in the region. He added that tension between tribal groups was also raised during the Dec. 1 anniversary of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) and “even appeared in the case of the shooting of Timotius Ap,” in Manokwari.
He gave no details about the indications that tribal tension was being provoked, but he said that all tribal leaders should restrain themselves and allow the Manokwari police to investigate the shooting.
“If the family of the victim finds any indications of violations of the law in the case of the shooting to death of Timotius Ap, they have the rights, guaranteed by the prevailing law, to file a legal suit in line with the procedures and legal mechanism that are in force,” Yan said.
He said the seeds of conflict were being sown by groups that he said “are professional and trained,” and are strongly suspected to come from official state institutions.
“There are individuals among its [state institutions] leaders who want to see West Papua not peaceful,” he said.
Yan said the target was clear, “to weaken civilian control and efforts to create a clean and accountable government that would push development in West Papua,” by creating an unstable environment for large scale investment in the region, and therefore justifying a stronger security presence there.
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said the Manokwari city police on Dec. 4 received information that Timotius Ap, also known as Arnold Ap, who had escaped from jail on Sept. 16, was at his in-laws’ home on Jalan Baru Manokwari.
When police came to arrest him, the suspect fled on a motorcycle and was chased until the Maripi beach, where he attempted to shoot at the police personnel using a home-assembled handgun. Police shot to immobilize him but hit him in the waist. Timotius, who had been jailed for theft, rape and other crimes, died not long after.
The next day, a protest march took place in Manokwari. Crowds engaged in vandalism and arson and police used teargas to disperse the crowd.
Suara Pembaruan
-------------------------------
3)Indonesia still one of the Most Corrupt
Friday, 07 December, 2012 | 20:28 WIB
Friday, 07 December, 2012 | 20:28 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesia is still ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Corruption tend to be on the rise, mostly carried out by officials at the national and regional levels.
The low ranking of Indonesia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is the proof. On Dec. 6, Transparency International announced that Indonesia was ranked 118 of 176 countries in 2012 CPI. Indonesia scored 32 points and in the same position with Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, and Madagascar.
The information was delivered by Natalia Soebagjo, the Indonesian Transparency International Secretary-General on Dec. 6. She said that Indonesia’s ranking has not changed in the recent years, still near the bottom, regionally.
Compared to other South East Asian Countries, Indonesia’s ranking is below Singapore (ranked 5 with 87 points), Brunei Darussalam (ranked 46 with 55 points), Malaysia (ranked 54 with 49 points), Thailand (ranked 88 with 37 points), and the Philippines (ranked 118 with 34 points).
While other South East Asian Countries ranked near the bottom besides Indonesia are Vietnam (ranked 123 with 31 points) and Myanmar (ranked 172 with 15 points).
Every year, the Transparency International releases the CPI, a global index measuring the level of corruption formed by combining several indexes from various institutions. The CPI measures the perception level of corruption in the public sector, carried out by state officials and politicians.
FEBRIANA FIRDAUS
The low ranking of Indonesia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is the proof. On Dec. 6, Transparency International announced that Indonesia was ranked 118 of 176 countries in 2012 CPI. Indonesia scored 32 points and in the same position with Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, and Madagascar.
The information was delivered by Natalia Soebagjo, the Indonesian Transparency International Secretary-General on Dec. 6. She said that Indonesia’s ranking has not changed in the recent years, still near the bottom, regionally.
Compared to other South East Asian Countries, Indonesia’s ranking is below Singapore (ranked 5 with 87 points), Brunei Darussalam (ranked 46 with 55 points), Malaysia (ranked 54 with 49 points), Thailand (ranked 88 with 37 points), and the Philippines (ranked 118 with 34 points).
While other South East Asian Countries ranked near the bottom besides Indonesia are Vietnam (ranked 123 with 31 points) and Myanmar (ranked 172 with 15 points).
Every year, the Transparency International releases the CPI, a global index measuring the level of corruption formed by combining several indexes from various institutions. The CPI measures the perception level of corruption in the public sector, carried out by state officials and politicians.
FEBRIANA FIRDAUS
-----------------------------------------------
viaregwest papua list
4) A Chronology of PT Minersave's (Freeport's) Entry into Intan Jaya Regency, West Papua.
This article from KOMISI, a group of students from Intan Jaya in West
Papua (in co-operation with the Suara Papua website), recounts how the
Freeport mining company, through its subsidaries, established
exploration activities in remote Intan Jaya regency over twenty years
ago with the help of a western missionary. Currently, as local
politicians grant permissions for further exploration work without a
mandate or the consent of the communities that live there, the students
make a clear demand that the company leaves their land, knowing the
pattern of conflict that is bound to emerge otherwise.
Translated from
http://suarapapua.com/2012/12/kronologis-masuknya-pt-minersave-di-kabupaten-intan-jaya
Article available in English on hidupbiasa:
http://hidupbiasa.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-chronology-of-pt-minersaves-freeports.html
December 2, 2012.
Intan Jaya Regency is a new administrative region which split from
Paniai Regency in 2008. Until that time, Sugapa, Hitalipa and other
areas were still under the administration of Paniai Regency.
The story begins in 1989 - 1990 when several westerners arrived, calling
themselves the Survey Team. They were accompanied by a missionary from
District Hitalipa, who had been given the friendly nickname of Jani Mala
by local people. His real name is John Cutts, a foreigner who was born
and raised in Intan Jaya.
They arrivedfrom Timika in an Airfast helicopter, and after arriving at
the Kingmi Missionary Post in Hitalpa district , they continued towards
the Hiyabu river, not far away.
Once at the river they started taking sand, water and rock samples. Then
they continued towards the confluence of the Hiyabu and Dogabu rivers,
and then to the confluence of the Wayabu and Wabu rivers and to several
streams that joined the Wabu River, taking more samples at each river.
As they passed the Wabu River at Wandoga, John Cutts happened to meet a
local resident, Stevanus Sondegau, by a stream known as Wonemiggi. John
and his companions continued their journey to the confluence with the
Tigabu river, where once again they took samples and panned the sand to
look for gold.
At that moment John met with another local resident, known locally as
Ojegoa Tawa Mbole Belau or Didimus Belau, from Bilogae village, Sugapa
District, who farmed cassava, taro and other plants along the Tigitalipa
river. As usual John Cutts spoke in Migani, the local language, and told
Didimus what they were doing there.
“ A me,..mepao,..mendaga kaneta taliago kaya, Hitalipagemaya tali
ne,..du ne,..homa ne,.. inigiao dia digio,. usua naga ndogo- Timika ge
inua noa nggaga inuapa dutima dia diggiyo,.data kapage go wabu ge
dega-dega data homeyo pialiggiyo dipage go Timika puapaya” John Cutts
said to Didimus in Migani, which means “I'm accompanying these people to
collect water, rock and sand samples from Hitalipa to look at in the
laboratory in Timika. From here we will continue to follow the upper
reaches of the Wabu river then to Homeyo District and then we will go to
Timika”. John Cutts, the man who the local people always addressed as
Jani Mala, continued with the survey team towards Homeyo District.
Several months later, on 28th September 1991, John Cutts made a second
visit to Sugapa, Intan Jaya as a representative of PT Freeport
Indonesia. His aim was to meet with the head of the Sugapa district and
tribal chiefs to inform them that PT Freeport would start operations in
Sugapa district and several other districts in Intan Jaya.
That meeting, which took place in the Sugapa district office, was
attended by Hombore BA, the district head at the time, the members of
the Tripika (local representatives of government, police and military),
together with community leaders who hold the customary land rights, who
all came and listened to what John Cutts had to say.
Migani community leaders that were present in that meeting included
Paulus Japugau, Yuliu Sani, Adolof Belau, Oktopianus Sondegau, Samuel
Japugau, Andreas Tipagau, and Bony Sondegau amongst others. They were
confused when they heard John Cutts' explanations, and didn't understand
why he wanted to carry out this exploration (Survey) on their land. They
went straight home without agreeing to anything or being in agreement
with John Cutts' wishes to start surveying their land.
John Cutts took advantage of the Intan Jaya people's limited knowledge
and lack of experience to introduce Freeport to the area on its own
terms, without any agreement to co-operate or Memorandum of
Understanding with customary land rights holders. Although no such
agreement had been made, John Cutts nevertheless imposed his wishes,
bringing PT Freeport to Sugapa and other locations in Intan Jaya.
The way John Cutts gave PT Freeport the opportunity to carry out
exploration activities in Sugapa, Hitalipa and other areas of Intan Jaya
is an example of daylight robbery. The people had no option but to
accept what little they could at that time, so they made the non-written
suggestion to PT Freeport, that they would allow them to go ahead with
their explorations. However as compensation for the trees that PT
Freeport cut for their helipad, drillpad, material pad etc. they must
take on local people to work for the company, explained a reliable
source who is a customary landowner in that village.
In this way several local youth accepted jobs from PT Freeport in
Sugapa, but they met with many obstacles. They didn't know what they had
to do. Each mornng at 4.30 am they had to have tools and materials ready
to build the basecamp and clear the land, while other workers went up
and down to where the helipad, drillpad, materialpad and landing site
would be built in the forest. Day after day, week after week and month
after month, the wages the local workers received was very small indeed.
The helicopter which had been hired for the exploration made endless
trips to Timika to bring food for the local workers in Sugapa. As
exploration activities took hold in Sugapa, the Freeport manager took on
the police and military who were assigned to Sugapa district to maintain
security at the site.
The company needed building materials to build the camp and so requested
that local people provide boards and wood, with the promise that they
would be paid 15,000 Rupiah for thin planks, 10,000 Rupiah for large
pieces of wood, and 5000 rupiah for medium sized pieces of wood.
When they heard that the people prepared the materials the company
required. However the people were sadly not paid as had previously been
agreed with PT Freeport, but had to renegotiate for a lower price. The
people protested at this transaction, but were confronted with the
police and army.
Whenever anyone protested, the police and military stationed there would
deal with the problem; if anyone claimed they should be paid the price
the company had proposed, the police and military would hit that person
without hesitation until their face was black and blue. After one man,
Linus Sondegau, was beaten in this way, a mass fight broke out between
police and army and the local workers.
On seeing this, local people felt powerless to make any further protest
against PT Freeport's deception in Sugapa. Meanwhile John Cutts had
since disappeared, after bringing these people who knew no pity. Local
workers just took all this while remaining outwardly calm, because they
were not really ready to become labourers. Many local people who were
accepted into the hoist team fell from the helicopter, because they were
not equipped with sufficient knowledge of safety at work.
Several local workers fell from the helicopter holding the rope to
attach it, for example one worker who was caught in the trees on the
side of Mount Wabu-Sugapa. No-one came to his help but fortunately the
helicopter released the rope. The worker, called Didimus Japugai was
caught in the branches of a tree. Local people's crops were damaged by
the downdraught from the helicopter as it landed with its cargo of tools
for the company's. The owners of the land asked to be paid for the
damage done to ther crops by Freeport's helicopter, but nothing could be
done because the process was handed over to local police and military.
So the people had to gracefully accept this injustice.
Exploration took place in vital places for the local people's
livelihood, such as their hunting grounds, the places they would find
wood or rattan, and the land they cultivated. The Sugapa-Bilagae
base-camp was tightly guarded by police and military who forbade the
people to roam around the base-camp both day and night. Once two or
three pigs from Bilogae villagers were killed by guards without letting
the village chief know beforehand. The guards then asked for half of the
meat, in exchange for the bullets they had lost they said, and
like-it-or-not the pigs' owners had to once again gracefully accept,
afraid of being beaten or shot by the security forces.
At night the people from the Bilogae (Wabu) base camp would take
advantage of their situation and bring underage girls and even several
married women from the village for sex. Local workers were encouraged to
gamble and other negative actvities. When a local worker wanted to visit
a sick family member they were told go to work or be fired, that's how
the workers were treated at the time.
PT Freeport, using PT Minersave as it's vehicle, felt at liberty to
explore the land, forests and rivers of Wabu, Intan Jaya as if it was
land that belonged to nobody. Compensation for the flora and fauna has
still not been paid to the holders of customary rights over this land
until the present day.
As a result, PT Freeport destroyed the natural environment which
protected the people's animals and plants, and so all who lived there
evacuated to places where it was possible to live better and more
peacefully.
That is the story of how PT Freeport, by means of PT Minersave, was able
to enter Intan Jaya regency and assume that the natural environment of
Intan Jaya was without an owner, leaving it free to explore just as it
pleased.
Recommendation letter not legitimate
The recommendation letter below was issued by the caretaker leader
(Bupati) of Intan Jaya Regency Maximus Zonggonau and the head of Intan
Jaya People's Representative Council Herenius Sondegau without
co-ordination, discussion or input from Intan Jaya's indigenous people.
Reommendation letter number: 65/REK/BUP./IJ/2012 states “based on the
Director of PT IRJA EASTERN MINERALS letter Number IM/08/II/2012 dated
16th February 2012, the Bupati of Intan Jaya hereby grants its
recommendation to PT. IRJA EASTERN MINERALS to make use of the protected
forest of Intan Jaya regency for exploration activities. In the course
of carrying out these activities it is intended that all valid
regulations are obeyed, especially to protect the environment in the
conservation forest.” Such laws had never been obeyed by any of the
exploration and exploitation activities carried out in Sugapa during the
years before this note was written.
Unilateral Claims
The Elected Bupati and vice-Bupati of Intan Jaya Regency, Natalis
Tabuni, Ss, Msi and Fr. Yan Kobogayau, Sth, M Div have stated that they
are “able to develop and unearth Intan Jaya's natural potential”.
Natalis Tabuni's statement to journalists which was reported in rthe
print and eletronic media Bintang Papua and Papua Pos Nabire is a
unilateral claim because the population of Intan Jaya in general depends
on the natural environment and rivers such as Wabu, Kemabu,Mbiabu for
their livelihoods, and the location of Intan Jaya is extremely
unsuitable for a mining company's operations.
Most people in Intan Jaya live along the aforementioned rivers. If a
mining company manages to force its way in, the mine waste would clearly
be disposed of in Intan Jaya's rivers. Meaning that water, land, the
environment and the people would all be affected by this chemical waste
which will result in the slow but sure extinction of local ethnic groups.
PT Freeport, which through PT Minersave has been operating in Wabu
Sugapa Intan Jaya in recent years, and is still active in the area, is
what has become of John Cutts' strategy of taking advantage of the local
people's limited understanding.
PT Freeport commenced operations on 28th September 1991, but until the
present day customary land rights holders have not granted their
agreement to co-operate. Until today people are still seeking redress
for the damage to the flora and fauna, especially for the pollution of
water resources and illegal logging.
The people are asking for PT Freeport to be stopped, because the company
has not made agreements with community leaders, indigenous leaders,
church leaders, women leaders, youth leaders or intellectuals and
students from the Moni people who inhabit the land between Mbulu-Mbulu
and Anepone-Sanepone.
The people of Intan Jaya are in general agreement and spread the word
from church to church, from village to village and in every district of
Intan Jaya to stop the mining company on their territory. So, whoever it
is that is that is letting the mining company force its way into Intan
Jaya, whether for exploration or exploitation, should stop right now. If
any permissions have been given they should be immediately revoked,
because it constitutes an attempt to kill and wipe out the people of
Intan Jaya, whether directly or indirectly.
People will be killed directly as a result of the security operations
around the mining area, keeping indigenous people out so they cannot
disturb mining, which will surely end up with people being imprisoned
and killed, as well as provoking wars between tribes and clans who will
end up killing one another as the riches of nature that indigenous
people can access disappear into nothing. [translator's note: all of
this already happens on a regular basis around Freeport's existing mine
near Timika.]
Indirect killing comes neatly packaged, structured and planned and is
divided up between government, NGOs and churches, alongside the effects
of alcohol, HIV/AIDS and chemical waste polluting Intan Jaya's rivers.
We often read in the print and electronic media about protracted
conflicts caused by mining. The evidence shows there is a high risk of
conflict in mining areas the world over. These conflicts are
deliberately created by people with vested interests in the natural
riches belonging to the indigenous people, but once they start it is
difficult for anyone to stop the conflict.
Statement of Opinion
As residents and students of Intan Jaya Regency involved in the Somatua
Intan Jaya Independent Community of Students (Komunitas Mahasiswa
Independen Somatua Intan Jaya (KOMISI)), we wish to emphatically state that:
Firstly, as we have seen, read and heard, mining the world over results
in conflict. Therefore we strongly reject the irresponsible and inhumane
attempts that are being made to allow a mining company to operate.
Secondly, we do not want mining companies to carry out exploration or
exploitation in ant part of the territory of Intan Jaya either now or at
any time to come, because that will mean that indigenous people will be
wiped out from Intan Jaya.
Thirdly, if a mining company is going to force its way into Intan Jaya,
it would be better if we, the people of Intan Jaya and students in
KOMISI, were to all be killed straight away.
This statement has been prepared so that those with a vested interest in
Intan Jaya regency will take no further action. We have only one
objective, and that is that the people of Intan Jaya can be saved from
the threats of large-scale foreign investment that bring no real
benefits to the local people.
*This piece was published as a collaboration between KOMISI and Suara
Papua editors.
Papua (in co-operation with the Suara Papua website), recounts how the
Freeport mining company, through its subsidaries, established
exploration activities in remote Intan Jaya regency over twenty years
ago with the help of a western missionary. Currently, as local
politicians grant permissions for further exploration work without a
mandate or the consent of the communities that live there, the students
make a clear demand that the company leaves their land, knowing the
pattern of conflict that is bound to emerge otherwise.
Translated from
http://suarapapua.com/2012/12/kronologis-masuknya-pt-minersave-di-kabupaten-intan-jaya
Article available in English on hidupbiasa:
http://hidupbiasa.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-chronology-of-pt-minersaves-freeports.html
December 2, 2012.
Intan Jaya Regency is a new administrative region which split from
Paniai Regency in 2008. Until that time, Sugapa, Hitalipa and other
areas were still under the administration of Paniai Regency.
The story begins in 1989 - 1990 when several westerners arrived, calling
themselves the Survey Team. They were accompanied by a missionary from
District Hitalipa, who had been given the friendly nickname of Jani Mala
by local people. His real name is John Cutts, a foreigner who was born
and raised in Intan Jaya.
They arrivedfrom Timika in an Airfast helicopter, and after arriving at
the Kingmi Missionary Post in Hitalpa district , they continued towards
the Hiyabu river, not far away.
Once at the river they started taking sand, water and rock samples. Then
they continued towards the confluence of the Hiyabu and Dogabu rivers,
and then to the confluence of the Wayabu and Wabu rivers and to several
streams that joined the Wabu River, taking more samples at each river.
As they passed the Wabu River at Wandoga, John Cutts happened to meet a
local resident, Stevanus Sondegau, by a stream known as Wonemiggi. John
and his companions continued their journey to the confluence with the
Tigabu river, where once again they took samples and panned the sand to
look for gold.
At that moment John met with another local resident, known locally as
Ojegoa Tawa Mbole Belau or Didimus Belau, from Bilogae village, Sugapa
District, who farmed cassava, taro and other plants along the Tigitalipa
river. As usual John Cutts spoke in Migani, the local language, and told
Didimus what they were doing there.
“ A me,..mepao,..mendaga kaneta taliago kaya, Hitalipagemaya tali
ne,..du ne,..homa ne,.. inigiao dia digio,. usua naga ndogo- Timika ge
inua noa nggaga inuapa dutima dia diggiyo,.data kapage go wabu ge
dega-dega data homeyo pialiggiyo dipage go Timika puapaya” John Cutts
said to Didimus in Migani, which means “I'm accompanying these people to
collect water, rock and sand samples from Hitalipa to look at in the
laboratory in Timika. From here we will continue to follow the upper
reaches of the Wabu river then to Homeyo District and then we will go to
Timika”. John Cutts, the man who the local people always addressed as
Jani Mala, continued with the survey team towards Homeyo District.
Several months later, on 28th September 1991, John Cutts made a second
visit to Sugapa, Intan Jaya as a representative of PT Freeport
Indonesia. His aim was to meet with the head of the Sugapa district and
tribal chiefs to inform them that PT Freeport would start operations in
Sugapa district and several other districts in Intan Jaya.
That meeting, which took place in the Sugapa district office, was
attended by Hombore BA, the district head at the time, the members of
the Tripika (local representatives of government, police and military),
together with community leaders who hold the customary land rights, who
all came and listened to what John Cutts had to say.
Migani community leaders that were present in that meeting included
Paulus Japugau, Yuliu Sani, Adolof Belau, Oktopianus Sondegau, Samuel
Japugau, Andreas Tipagau, and Bony Sondegau amongst others. They were
confused when they heard John Cutts' explanations, and didn't understand
why he wanted to carry out this exploration (Survey) on their land. They
went straight home without agreeing to anything or being in agreement
with John Cutts' wishes to start surveying their land.
John Cutts took advantage of the Intan Jaya people's limited knowledge
and lack of experience to introduce Freeport to the area on its own
terms, without any agreement to co-operate or Memorandum of
Understanding with customary land rights holders. Although no such
agreement had been made, John Cutts nevertheless imposed his wishes,
bringing PT Freeport to Sugapa and other locations in Intan Jaya.
The way John Cutts gave PT Freeport the opportunity to carry out
exploration activities in Sugapa, Hitalipa and other areas of Intan Jaya
is an example of daylight robbery. The people had no option but to
accept what little they could at that time, so they made the non-written
suggestion to PT Freeport, that they would allow them to go ahead with
their explorations. However as compensation for the trees that PT
Freeport cut for their helipad, drillpad, material pad etc. they must
take on local people to work for the company, explained a reliable
source who is a customary landowner in that village.
In this way several local youth accepted jobs from PT Freeport in
Sugapa, but they met with many obstacles. They didn't know what they had
to do. Each mornng at 4.30 am they had to have tools and materials ready
to build the basecamp and clear the land, while other workers went up
and down to where the helipad, drillpad, materialpad and landing site
would be built in the forest. Day after day, week after week and month
after month, the wages the local workers received was very small indeed.
The helicopter which had been hired for the exploration made endless
trips to Timika to bring food for the local workers in Sugapa. As
exploration activities took hold in Sugapa, the Freeport manager took on
the police and military who were assigned to Sugapa district to maintain
security at the site.
The company needed building materials to build the camp and so requested
that local people provide boards and wood, with the promise that they
would be paid 15,000 Rupiah for thin planks, 10,000 Rupiah for large
pieces of wood, and 5000 rupiah for medium sized pieces of wood.
When they heard that the people prepared the materials the company
required. However the people were sadly not paid as had previously been
agreed with PT Freeport, but had to renegotiate for a lower price. The
people protested at this transaction, but were confronted with the
police and army.
Whenever anyone protested, the police and military stationed there would
deal with the problem; if anyone claimed they should be paid the price
the company had proposed, the police and military would hit that person
without hesitation until their face was black and blue. After one man,
Linus Sondegau, was beaten in this way, a mass fight broke out between
police and army and the local workers.
On seeing this, local people felt powerless to make any further protest
against PT Freeport's deception in Sugapa. Meanwhile John Cutts had
since disappeared, after bringing these people who knew no pity. Local
workers just took all this while remaining outwardly calm, because they
were not really ready to become labourers. Many local people who were
accepted into the hoist team fell from the helicopter, because they were
not equipped with sufficient knowledge of safety at work.
Several local workers fell from the helicopter holding the rope to
attach it, for example one worker who was caught in the trees on the
side of Mount Wabu-Sugapa. No-one came to his help but fortunately the
helicopter released the rope. The worker, called Didimus Japugai was
caught in the branches of a tree. Local people's crops were damaged by
the downdraught from the helicopter as it landed with its cargo of tools
for the company's. The owners of the land asked to be paid for the
damage done to ther crops by Freeport's helicopter, but nothing could be
done because the process was handed over to local police and military.
So the people had to gracefully accept this injustice.
Exploration took place in vital places for the local people's
livelihood, such as their hunting grounds, the places they would find
wood or rattan, and the land they cultivated. The Sugapa-Bilagae
base-camp was tightly guarded by police and military who forbade the
people to roam around the base-camp both day and night. Once two or
three pigs from Bilogae villagers were killed by guards without letting
the village chief know beforehand. The guards then asked for half of the
meat, in exchange for the bullets they had lost they said, and
like-it-or-not the pigs' owners had to once again gracefully accept,
afraid of being beaten or shot by the security forces.
At night the people from the Bilogae (Wabu) base camp would take
advantage of their situation and bring underage girls and even several
married women from the village for sex. Local workers were encouraged to
gamble and other negative actvities. When a local worker wanted to visit
a sick family member they were told go to work or be fired, that's how
the workers were treated at the time.
PT Freeport, using PT Minersave as it's vehicle, felt at liberty to
explore the land, forests and rivers of Wabu, Intan Jaya as if it was
land that belonged to nobody. Compensation for the flora and fauna has
still not been paid to the holders of customary rights over this land
until the present day.
As a result, PT Freeport destroyed the natural environment which
protected the people's animals and plants, and so all who lived there
evacuated to places where it was possible to live better and more
peacefully.
That is the story of how PT Freeport, by means of PT Minersave, was able
to enter Intan Jaya regency and assume that the natural environment of
Intan Jaya was without an owner, leaving it free to explore just as it
pleased.
Recommendation letter not legitimate
The recommendation letter below was issued by the caretaker leader
(Bupati) of Intan Jaya Regency Maximus Zonggonau and the head of Intan
Jaya People's Representative Council Herenius Sondegau without
co-ordination, discussion or input from Intan Jaya's indigenous people.
Reommendation letter number: 65/REK/BUP./IJ/2012 states “based on the
Director of PT IRJA EASTERN MINERALS letter Number IM/08/II/2012 dated
16th February 2012, the Bupati of Intan Jaya hereby grants its
recommendation to PT. IRJA EASTERN MINERALS to make use of the protected
forest of Intan Jaya regency for exploration activities. In the course
of carrying out these activities it is intended that all valid
regulations are obeyed, especially to protect the environment in the
conservation forest.” Such laws had never been obeyed by any of the
exploration and exploitation activities carried out in Sugapa during the
years before this note was written.
Unilateral Claims
The Elected Bupati and vice-Bupati of Intan Jaya Regency, Natalis
Tabuni, Ss, Msi and Fr. Yan Kobogayau, Sth, M Div have stated that they
are “able to develop and unearth Intan Jaya's natural potential”.
Natalis Tabuni's statement to journalists which was reported in rthe
print and eletronic media Bintang Papua and Papua Pos Nabire is a
unilateral claim because the population of Intan Jaya in general depends
on the natural environment and rivers such as Wabu, Kemabu,Mbiabu for
their livelihoods, and the location of Intan Jaya is extremely
unsuitable for a mining company's operations.
Most people in Intan Jaya live along the aforementioned rivers. If a
mining company manages to force its way in, the mine waste would clearly
be disposed of in Intan Jaya's rivers. Meaning that water, land, the
environment and the people would all be affected by this chemical waste
which will result in the slow but sure extinction of local ethnic groups.
PT Freeport, which through PT Minersave has been operating in Wabu
Sugapa Intan Jaya in recent years, and is still active in the area, is
what has become of John Cutts' strategy of taking advantage of the local
people's limited understanding.
PT Freeport commenced operations on 28th September 1991, but until the
present day customary land rights holders have not granted their
agreement to co-operate. Until today people are still seeking redress
for the damage to the flora and fauna, especially for the pollution of
water resources and illegal logging.
The people are asking for PT Freeport to be stopped, because the company
has not made agreements with community leaders, indigenous leaders,
church leaders, women leaders, youth leaders or intellectuals and
students from the Moni people who inhabit the land between Mbulu-Mbulu
and Anepone-Sanepone.
The people of Intan Jaya are in general agreement and spread the word
from church to church, from village to village and in every district of
Intan Jaya to stop the mining company on their territory. So, whoever it
is that is that is letting the mining company force its way into Intan
Jaya, whether for exploration or exploitation, should stop right now. If
any permissions have been given they should be immediately revoked,
because it constitutes an attempt to kill and wipe out the people of
Intan Jaya, whether directly or indirectly.
People will be killed directly as a result of the security operations
around the mining area, keeping indigenous people out so they cannot
disturb mining, which will surely end up with people being imprisoned
and killed, as well as provoking wars between tribes and clans who will
end up killing one another as the riches of nature that indigenous
people can access disappear into nothing. [translator's note: all of
this already happens on a regular basis around Freeport's existing mine
near Timika.]
Indirect killing comes neatly packaged, structured and planned and is
divided up between government, NGOs and churches, alongside the effects
of alcohol, HIV/AIDS and chemical waste polluting Intan Jaya's rivers.
We often read in the print and electronic media about protracted
conflicts caused by mining. The evidence shows there is a high risk of
conflict in mining areas the world over. These conflicts are
deliberately created by people with vested interests in the natural
riches belonging to the indigenous people, but once they start it is
difficult for anyone to stop the conflict.
Statement of Opinion
As residents and students of Intan Jaya Regency involved in the Somatua
Intan Jaya Independent Community of Students (Komunitas Mahasiswa
Independen Somatua Intan Jaya (KOMISI)), we wish to emphatically state that:
Firstly, as we have seen, read and heard, mining the world over results
in conflict. Therefore we strongly reject the irresponsible and inhumane
attempts that are being made to allow a mining company to operate.
Secondly, we do not want mining companies to carry out exploration or
exploitation in ant part of the territory of Intan Jaya either now or at
any time to come, because that will mean that indigenous people will be
wiped out from Intan Jaya.
Thirdly, if a mining company is going to force its way into Intan Jaya,
it would be better if we, the people of Intan Jaya and students in
KOMISI, were to all be killed straight away.
This statement has been prepared so that those with a vested interest in
Intan Jaya regency will take no further action. We have only one
objective, and that is that the people of Intan Jaya can be saved from
the threats of large-scale foreign investment that bring no real
benefits to the local people.
*This piece was published as a collaboration between KOMISI and Suara
Papua editors.
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