1) Papuan accuses Indons of genocide
3) Namah: Border issues are serious
4) Seven Papuans are arrested and
tortured on false allegations
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http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/16185920/papuan-accuses-indons-of-genocide/
Joseph Catanzaro, The West Australian
Updated February 20, 2013, 2:10 am
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The West Australian © Activist: Benny Wenda. Picture: Supplied
He escaped from prison while on murder and arson charges, spent two years on an international wanted list after Indonesian authorities alleged he was a terrorist and tomorrow he will arrive in Perth.
But West Papua independence movement leader Benny Wenda says Indonesian authorities - his accusers - are the ones guilty of terrible crimes.
He says they are the aggressors in a secret war of genocide being waged against his people less than 500km north of Australia.
Mr Wenda, who is on an international speaking tour to raise awareness about his people's fight for self-determination, said yesterday he was a peaceful political campaigner who was the victim of false allegations intended to silence him.
"They (Indonesia) always say that I am a criminal," he said.
"Actually, it's the other way around. Indonesia is the criminal. They illegally occupied my country and are killing my people."
Mr Wenda, 37, was arrested for murder and arson after allegedly inciting an attack on Indonesian police in 2000. But his Australian lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, said the charges were politically motivated and unfounded. She said Mr Wenda was in a refugee camp in Papua New Guinea at the time of the attack.
"The prosecution was unable to produce any credible evidence," Ms Robinson said. "The judge accepted three witness statements from police from three people we could not identify and they were unable to bring to the courtroom."
In 2002, Mr Wenda escaped from jail through a ventilation shaft, crossed into PNG and went to Britain, which gave him political asylum.
In 2011, Interpol put him under a red flag notice after Indonesia added terrorism to the allegations against him. After a two-year legal battle, his name was cleared and the flag removed.
The catalyst for his activism came when, as a five-year-old in West Papua's central highlands, he allegedly saw Indonesian soldiers rape his aunts and brutally beat his mother.
"I tried to help my mum," he said. "Her face was bleeding right in front of my eyes. I couldn't do anything. I just cried."
Mr Wenda claims that since West Papua voted to become part of Indonesia in 1969 - a ballot he says was forced at gunpoint - authorities have killed about 500,000 West Papuans in their crackdown on separatists. He said many recent killings were by a squad of crack troops known as Detachment 88, who get support from Australia.
WA Greens senator Scott Ludlam, who will speak with Mr Wenda in Perth and echoed the Papuan leader's concerns about Australia's links to Detachment 88, said the people of West Papua had a legitimate claim to self-determination and should not be treated like criminals.
Amnesty International and the Australian Government have urged Indonesia to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Papuan provinces.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said Australia backed Indonesia's sovereignty over the Papuan provinces and that Detachment 88 received help from Australian Federal Police for investigations and forensic assistance.
Mr Wenda said he had never taken up arms for his cause and believed peaceful, political lobbying was the way forward.
"The world is changing," he said. "We don't have any power to resist through the gun.
"The powerful weapon is the peaceful way. The powerful weapon is the truth."
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http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/?p=61626
2) Papua New Guinea sends troops to Indonesia border
Melbourne, Feb 19: Papua New Guinea’s cabinet has approved US$2.5 million to deploy defence force soldiers to patrol and protect the border with Indonesia.
The National newspaper says the national executive council has moved with urgency to address problems between PNG citizens living in the border area and the Indonesian military.
PNG’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the situation requires immediate national government intervention and for appropriate strategies to be adopted to ease tension at the border.
PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato will issue a protest note to Jakarta expressing the government’s concern about the construction of Indonesian military posts in the border area.
Pato will also inform the Indonesian government about continuous harassment of PNG citizens by the military and other illegal activities as reported by the National Security Advisory Committee’s investigation team. –BERNAMA
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3) Namah: Border issues are serious
By ISAAC NICHOLAS
OPPOSITION Leader and Vanimo-Green MP Belden Namah has warned that more than 10,000 PNG citizens from the border have moved to Indonesia and may next demand they move with their land to Indonesia.
Mr Namah told grievance debate in parliament that successive governments have failed to address the border issues.
He said the Indonesian side is more developed in terms of services, which is luring Papua New Guineans to move across the border to access these better services.
“If we are not careful, many of our citizens living near the border who are already attracted by Indonesian government services on the other side of the border, especially the 12 to 15,000 people in my electorate of Vanimo-Green, may move to the Indonesian side of the border, basically because successive PNG governments have not provided necessary services on our side of the border,” Mr Namah said.
“If the Indonesian government so desires to attract our citizens to the other side, our citizens will demand that they move with their land and become part of Indonesia.
“As responsible leaders we must take serious action and that is for both governments to sit with landowners from both sides of the border and clearly define where the border should run to make sure we protect our resources and land.”
Mr Namah said he welcome the announcement by the Prime Minister to increase trade and investment between Indonesia and PNG, but urged both governments to do first things first, which is a permanent determination and demarcation of the international border between Indonesia and PNG.
“Once the landowners identify their traditional boundary both governments must take careful note and create a permanent border once and for all.”
He recommended that a north to south border highway be built right across the entire land border, and PNG should build two border townships in the south and northern ends.
“Without this strategic infrastructure, nothing meaningful will happen on the border.”
“Once the landowners identify their traditional boundary both governments must take careful note and create a permanent border once and for all.”
He recommended that a north to south border highway be built right across the entire land border, and PNG should build two border townships in the south and northern ends.
“Without this strategic infrastructure, nothing meaningful will happen on the border.”
Mr Namah said the landowners along the border have initiated the move in a petition to the Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion on the issue of permanent demarcation of the border. He said the current Batas market in Indonesia is in fact sitting on PNG land and permanent demarcation should be along the Tami river.
Mr Namah said there were recent raids on the southern end of the border where there is poaching by Indonesians, and recent joint patrols by police and PNGDF discovered that the Indonesian navy has built a jetty on Torrasi River inside PNG border.
“While I welcome PM’s announcement for increased trade and investment along the border, we as a country need to have a serious look at the demarcation of our border.”
Mr Namah said there were recent raids on the southern end of the border where there is poaching by Indonesians, and recent joint patrols by police and PNGDF discovered that the Indonesian navy has built a jetty on Torrasi River inside PNG border.
“While I welcome PM’s announcement for increased trade and investment along the border, we as a country need to have a serious look at the demarcation of our border.”
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4) Seven Papuans are arrested and tortured on false allegations
AHRC U/A with suggested action.
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arbitrary arrest and torture of seven Papuans which took place on 15 February 2013. The victims were driving home in two cars when the police stopped them as they were looking for two pro-independence activists. The victims were later brought to the police station where they were further questioned on the whereabouts of the activists. They were severely beaten, kicked and electrocuted before being five of them were released without charge the next day. However, as at the time of writing two of the victims remain in police custody....................
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