1) Papua Kidnappers Demand Money, Pig for Hostages
2) Semen Indonesia Opens Packing Plant in Papua
3) Kopassus, Japan's defense forces strengthen partnership
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1) Papua Kidnappers Demand Money, Pig for Hostages
Farouk Arnaz & Banjir Ambarita | January 28, 2013
Farouk Arnaz & Banjir Ambarita | January 28, 2013
While cold, hard cash is typically the preferred medium of exchange for kidnappers the world over, an armed group in Papua has given new meaning to the phrase “bringing home the bacon.”
Police say nine employees of a construction company were held hostage by an armed group of 12 people on Friday at Ukawo hamlet in Paniai district, where in addition to seeking Rp 20 million ($2,060) for the hostages’ safe return, the group included a pig in its ransom demands.
“They held hostages and asked for a ransom,” National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said in Jakarta on Monday. “Five hours after the ransom was delivered, the hostages were set free.”
Police say the group was led by L.Y., the brother of John Yogi, a prominent leader of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) in Paniai.
Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said the kidnappers were carrying five firearms, a machete, an ax, and a bow and arrow, when they arrived at a construction site and rounded up all the employees. They asked the employees to hand over their mobile phones, bags and wallets. The kidnappers also took food and construction equipment.
According to police, the kidnappers then asked an employee to call their company’s office in Enarotali, the district capital, to send someone with the ransom. After receiving the money and the pig, the kidnappers fled into the forest.
“We chased them after the incident and after the perpetrators ran away,” Agus said. “Hopefully the perpetrators can be arrested so such incidents will not happen again. The nine victims are all safe and not injured.”
Paniai is known as an OPM stronghold, where John Yogi is thought to be the local leader. Police there say the resistance fighters’ arsenal consists of about 20 different types of weapons that they stole from soldiers and police officers.
Police say nine employees of a construction company were held hostage by an armed group of 12 people on Friday at Ukawo hamlet in Paniai district, where in addition to seeking Rp 20 million ($2,060) for the hostages’ safe return, the group included a pig in its ransom demands.
“They held hostages and asked for a ransom,” National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said in Jakarta on Monday. “Five hours after the ransom was delivered, the hostages were set free.”
Police say the group was led by L.Y., the brother of John Yogi, a prominent leader of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) in Paniai.
Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said the kidnappers were carrying five firearms, a machete, an ax, and a bow and arrow, when they arrived at a construction site and rounded up all the employees. They asked the employees to hand over their mobile phones, bags and wallets. The kidnappers also took food and construction equipment.
According to police, the kidnappers then asked an employee to call their company’s office in Enarotali, the district capital, to send someone with the ransom. After receiving the money and the pig, the kidnappers fled into the forest.
“We chased them after the incident and after the perpetrators ran away,” Agus said. “Hopefully the perpetrators can be arrested so such incidents will not happen again. The nine victims are all safe and not injured.”
Paniai is known as an OPM stronghold, where John Yogi is thought to be the local leader. Police there say the resistance fighters’ arsenal consists of about 20 different types of weapons that they stole from soldiers and police officers.
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ID/Amrozi Amenan | January 28, 2013
Sorong, West Papua. Semen Indonesia, the nation’s biggest cement maker, has begun operating a Rp 162 billion ($16.8 million) cement packing plant in Sorong as the company seeks to tap rising demand for the building material in the country’s east.
The company, formerly known as Semen Gresik, on Friday opened the plant with a capacity of 600,000 tons per year.
Lack of supply of the building material has caused the price of cement in West Papua to be much higher than that in Java.
Dwi called Semen Indonesia’s cement packing plant the start of the company’s commitment to invest in Papua, an island with rich mineral resources.
“We keep studying to enlarge our investment here. We have already explored the possibility of building a cement factory itself, including a plant to produce ready mix [cement product],” Dwi said.
He said the packing plant will serve as a hub for distribution into other regions, including Timika in Papua, and Maluku.
The cement packing plant is expected to lower the cost of cement to Rp 85,000 to Rp 91,000 per sack.
Poor infrastructure, high logistical costs and low supply currently means the price is as high as Rp 1 million. In Java, a sack typically sells for Rp 50,000 to Rp 60,000.
Tuti Rahayu, the Industry Ministry’s director for downstream chemical industry, said that last year cement sales in Papua and Maluku stood at 1.22 million tons, rising 55 percent from 2011.
The sales growth rate outpaced other regions in Indonesia, with Kalimantan the next biggest riser, at 21 percent.
The company, formerly known as Semen Gresik, on Friday opened the plant with a capacity of 600,000 tons per year.
Lack of supply of the building material has caused the price of cement in West Papua to be much higher than that in Java.
Dwi called Semen Indonesia’s cement packing plant the start of the company’s commitment to invest in Papua, an island with rich mineral resources.
“We keep studying to enlarge our investment here. We have already explored the possibility of building a cement factory itself, including a plant to produce ready mix [cement product],” Dwi said.
He said the packing plant will serve as a hub for distribution into other regions, including Timika in Papua, and Maluku.
The cement packing plant is expected to lower the cost of cement to Rp 85,000 to Rp 91,000 per sack.
Poor infrastructure, high logistical costs and low supply currently means the price is as high as Rp 1 million. In Java, a sack typically sells for Rp 50,000 to Rp 60,000.
Tuti Rahayu, the Industry Ministry’s director for downstream chemical industry, said that last year cement sales in Papua and Maluku stood at 1.22 million tons, rising 55 percent from 2011.
The sales growth rate outpaced other regions in Indonesia, with Kalimantan the next biggest riser, at 21 percent.
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3) Kopassus, Japan's defense forces strengthen partnership
Mon, January 28 2013 21:11 | 81 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia's army special forces (Kopassus) and Japan's self-defense forces army will continue to develop their cooperation to later even cover natural disaster mitigation.
Kopassus deputy general commander Brigadier General Jaswandi received Japan's self-defense forces' chief of staff General Eiji Kimizuka and delegation at the Kopassus Headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta, on Monday.
The visit was marked by a welcome ceremony, a photo session and a courtesy call meeting at the office of the Kopassus general commander Major General Agus Sutomo.
They would then be followed by a meeting at the Kopassus meeting room started with speeches from the Kopassus general commander and Japan's self-defense's army chief of staff, an expose by operations assistant to the Kopassus general commander, Lt Col Rifky and concluded by a film show of Kopassus profile.
Sutomo said in his speech read out by Jaswandi that relations and cooperation between the Indonesian and Japanese armies have grown well and lasted for a long time.
"This will certainly open a wider opportunity for further development in the future," he said.
He said the visit of the chief of staff of the Japanese army this time was very important to increase cooperation between Indonesia and Japan especially between Kopassus and the Japanese army based on mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefits.
He expressed hope the visit would continue in the future to develop deeper understanding between the two sides to support bilateral cooperation between the two countries especially in the field of natural disaster mitigation.
General Eiji Kimizuka on the occasion meanwhile expressed hope that cooperation in the field of natural disaster mitigation could immediately be implemented.
(S037/H-YH/S012/KR-BSR)
Kopassus deputy general commander Brigadier General Jaswandi received Japan's self-defense forces' chief of staff General Eiji Kimizuka and delegation at the Kopassus Headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta, on Monday.
The visit was marked by a welcome ceremony, a photo session and a courtesy call meeting at the office of the Kopassus general commander Major General Agus Sutomo.
They would then be followed by a meeting at the Kopassus meeting room started with speeches from the Kopassus general commander and Japan's self-defense's army chief of staff, an expose by operations assistant to the Kopassus general commander, Lt Col Rifky and concluded by a film show of Kopassus profile.
Sutomo said in his speech read out by Jaswandi that relations and cooperation between the Indonesian and Japanese armies have grown well and lasted for a long time.
"This will certainly open a wider opportunity for further development in the future," he said.
He said the visit of the chief of staff of the Japanese army this time was very important to increase cooperation between Indonesia and Japan especially between Kopassus and the Japanese army based on mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefits.
He expressed hope the visit would continue in the future to develop deeper understanding between the two sides to support bilateral cooperation between the two countries especially in the field of natural disaster mitigation.
General Eiji Kimizuka on the occasion meanwhile expressed hope that cooperation in the field of natural disaster mitigation could immediately be implemented.
(S037/H-YH/S012/KR-BSR)
Editor: Ade Marboen
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