1) Doubts over investigation into Papua shooting

2) No Smelter Construction in Sight, Govt Warns Freeport

3) Benny Wenda: Indonesian military and police torture and kill children in Paniai, West Papua

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http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/262874/doubts-over-investigation-into-papua-shooting

1) Doubts over investigation into Papua shooting

Updated at 4:47 pm on 31 December 2014

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Indonesia police say a total of 53 people are being questioned over the fatal shootings of at least five young civilians by security forces in Papua earlier this month but there are doubts about the credibility and impartiality of the investigation.

Papua Police spokesman Patridge Renwarin says witnesses include civilians, soldiers and police.

The Jakarta Globe reports that he told the Antara news agency the national police are questioning their officers and the TNI was conducting its own investigation into possible involvement of its soldiers.

The announcement comes just days after President Joko Widodo told a crowd in Papua that the civilian killings were deplorable and he wanted the case solved immediately.

Human Rights Watch Indonesia has called on Mr Widodo to form a joint fact-finding team to ensure a credible, impartial investigation into the deadly shootings.

It says the National Commission on Human Rights, or Komnas HAM, police and military should all be involved.

Komnas Ham is conducting its own inquiry into the incident, but the military has refused to cooperate and Human Righs Watch says Indonesia's military law prevents civilian investigators from speaking with military personnel at the scenes of crimes.

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http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/12/31/056632018/No-Smelter-Construction-in-Sight-Govt-Warns-Freeport

WEDNESDAY, 31 DECEMBER, 2014 | 08:30 WIB

2) No Smelter Construction in Sight, Govt Warns Freeport

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government sent a warning to PT Freeport Indonesia, reminding the US-based miner to immediately set the locations for its smelters. To date, the Government has yet to see any sign that Freeport is keeping its promise to build smelters in Gresik and Papua, and complete the construction in 2017.

"The warning letter was sent on Monday, December 29th. The due date is January 25, 2015," said Sukhyar, director general of mineral and coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. In addition to reminding the miner about their smelter promise, the government is also asking Freeport to provide their biannually evaluation report.

Sukhyar said that if Freeport fails to constrict the smelters, their export license will continue to be detained. The mining company will be allowed to resume exports if the smelters are 60 percent done by February 2015.

Freeport Indonesia president director Rozik Soetjipto said the smelter construction process has reached the stage of technology studies. The company has not determined the location for the smelters in Gresik and Papua. "We are not sure [where] yet. Land permit process also takes a long time," he said. 

URSULA FLORENE SONIA | AYU PRIMA SANDI

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http://sfbayview.com/2014/12/benny-wenda-indonesian-military-and-police-torture-and-kill-children-in-paniai-west-papua/

3) Benny Wenda: Indonesian military and police torture and kill children in Paniai, West Papua

December 29, 2014

by Benny Wenda

Five West Papuan youth, age 17-18, were massacred by Indonesian military and police, who shot into a crowd of protesters Dec. 8. They were protesting an incident the night before, when younger children were beaten and a 12-year-old tortured for complaining that a military vehicle was being driven with its headlights off.My heart filled with grief and sadness when at least five of my people were brutally massacred by the Indonesian military and police in West Papua on Dec. 8, just for protesting against military violence against children. Torturing and killing children is a crime against humanity, and those responsible must be brought to justice.

My heart filled with grief and sadness when at least five of my people were brutally massacred by the Indonesian military and police in West Papua on Dec. 8, just for protesting against military violence against children. Torturing and killing children is a crime against humanity, and those responsible must be brought to justice.

Alpius Youw, Alpius Gobai, Saday Yeimo, Simon Degei and Yulian Yeimo were all boys aged between 17 and 18 and were all shot dead by the Indonesian military yesterday in Paniai. This horrific tragedy occurred when the Indonesian military and police mercilessly opened fire upon a crowd of people, mostly youths and children who were demonstrating against the torture of another 12-year-old boy by Indonesian soldiers.

There is absolutely no excuse for the cold blooded massacre of between five and 12 innocent boys and I want to say that I fully condemn this evil human rights atrocity. How can the Indonesian government ever defend its position in West Papua while it continues to massacre my people, even children, just for speaking out against military brutality?

There is absolutely no excuse for the cold blooded massacre of between five and 12 innocent boys and I want to say that I fully condemn this evil human rights atrocity.

Events such as this horrible day of bloodshed in Paniai reveal to the world exactly what the Indonesian government is to this day doing in West Papua. Recently I was interviewed by BBC Indonesia and I declared that I do not trust the new Indonesian president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and do not believe that he will bring any positive change for my people.

Outside the Indonesian embassy in London on Dec. 13, the Free West Papua Campaign and British friends protest the Dec. 8 massacre of West Papua youth

This heinous massacre against the Papuan youth is exposing Jokowi’s lies to the world and is proof that he is continuing to murder the next generation of my people just like former Indonesian presidents have done, with no regard whatsoever for our human rights.

With so much evidence coming out of West Papua every day, the world cannot remain blind to my people’s suffering while my country is under illegal occupation and my people, including children, are being viciously massacred by Indonesian soldiers. We will not be silent.

I am calling upon the international community to condemn this act of extreme terror towards my people who were only protesting against military brutality. Please look at the reality of what is really happening to my people. Men, women, children – all of us are being killed like flies in our own country by an occupying Indonesian army.

I ask all supporters and friends including human rights organizations, NGOs and church groups to also fully condemn this massacre of boys and children in Paniai. Please share and widely publicize this atrocity so as to increase worldwide awareness about the genocide in West Papua.

I am calling upon the international community to condemn this act of extreme terror towards my people who were only protesting against military brutality.

Please help to lobby politicians to support my people in breaking free from the Indonesian military occupation by supporting us in our struggle for self-determination and independence. You can send this letter to your political representatives and ask them to support media freedom and self-determination in West Papua. My people are in desperate need of voices to report the reality of this genocide we are facing every day.

Benny Wenda leads the protest in London. Wenda is a West Papuan independence leader and international lobbyist living in exile in the U.K., where he was he was granted political asylum in 2003 by the British Government following his escape from custody while on trial in West Papua.

On behalf of the Free West Papua Campaign, I give my full and deepest condolences to the families of all those ruthlessly murdered in the Paniai massacre. Their loved, their youths and children died protesting for all our rights, so that freedom and justice will one day come to our people as a whole.

The victims of this terrible day will be remembered in the history of West Papua forever along with the other hundreds of thousands of innocent Papuans who have died in our freedom struggle. May they rest in peace.

Having just returned from Vanuatu, where I have been attending a reunification conference for all West Papuan independence leaders, I have great hopes for West Papua’s freedom struggle. But such massacres as these cause great pain for all Papuans, showing us the urgency of our people’s quest for the liberation from this violence and illegal occupation.

It is for this reason that I am writing these words as a cry for help. Please see the suffering of my people and take action to help us. We are desperately in need of international support to help us find true peace and freedom in our own country.

Please support my people in our peaceful struggle against these horrors of colonialism and genocide. We want our rights to be restored and our justice granted. We want a free West Papua.

Benny Wenda, founder of the Free West Papua Campaign and spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, can be reached at office@bennywenda.org. Learn more at www.bennywenda.org andwww.freewestpapua.org.

1) Human Rights Group Questions Impartiality of Paniai Shooting Investigation

2) Jokowi’s Christmas peace  for Papua: Will it last  long?  
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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/human-rights-group-questions-impartiality-paniai-shooting-investigation/ 
1) Human Rights Group Questions Impartiality of Paniai Shooting Investigation  

Jakarta Globe on 04:08 pm Dec 30, 2014
Category Featured, Front Page, Human Rights, News
Tags: Papua, Papua human rights abuses, Papua violenceJakarta. A total of 53 people are being questioned over the fatal shootings of at least five young civilians by security forces in Papua earlier this month, police say, but there are doubts about the credibility and impartiality of the investigation.
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sen. Cmr. Patridge Renwarin said the witnesses included civilians, members of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and police.

He told Antara news agency that the National Police were questioning their officers and the TNI was conducting its own investigation into possible involvement of its soldiers.

The announcement comes just days after President Joko Widodo told a crowd in Papua that the civilian killings were deplorable and he wanted the case solved immediately.

Security forces opened fire on about 800 peaceful demonstrators, including women and children in Enarotali in Paniai district on Dec. 8. Five protesters were killed and at least 17 others — including elementary school students — were injured, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. Local media reported another died of gunshot wounds on Dec. 10.

Patridge said no suspects had been named and police had not figured out who was behind the shootings. A key part of the investigation seems to revolve around a bullet fragment found at the scene.

“We have to wait for the bullet fragment to be examined,” he said “the whole investigation depends on the result.”

Victims and activists have said the incident was prompted with the beating of a 12-year-old boy from Ipakiye village, five kilometers from Enarotali, when the boy confronted a group of men in an SUV for driving at night with their headlights off.

The beating resulted in villagers marching to the capital to demand an explanation the next day. At around 10 a.m. the crowd spotted the same SUV and began attacking it. Police then opened fire on the unarmed crowd, witnesses said.

But the National Police chief, Gen. Sutarman, gave a different account of what happened, claiming the victims were planning an attack against the local military base, where locals suspected the SUV driver was hiding. Police stopped the crowd from advancing by setting up a barricade.

Sutarman has previously suggested the shootings could be the work of gunmen affiliated with the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

‘Joint probe crucial’

Human Rights Watch Indonesia has called on Joko to form a joint fact-finding team to ensure a credible, impartial investigation into the deadly shootings.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), police and military should all be involved, it said.

Komnas Ham is conducting its own enquiry into the incident, but the military has refused to cooperate and the Indonesia’s 1997 Law on Military Courts prevents civilian investigators from speaking with military personnel at the scene of crimes, Human Rights Watch said.

“The Papua inquiry has been stymied because civilian investigators can’t interview the soldiers who were at the scene,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at the organization said. “A joint probe with police, military, and human rights investigators is crucial to ensure that all information is collected and that the findings will be taken seriously.”

Human Rights Watch has also said numerous witnesses are afraid to speak out about the incident for fear or reprisals.

The Paniai shootings were one the worst acts of state violence in years. Hostilities between Papuan civilians and the security forces have frequently turned deadly since Indonesia annexed the region in 1969.



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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/30/jokowi-s-christmas-peace-papua-will-it-last-long.html

2) Jokowi’s Christmas peace  for Papua: Will it last  long?  
Dwi Atmanta, Jakarta | Opinion | Tue, December 30 2014, 10:25 AM
As has happened in the past, the public will be unable to expect a transparent investigation, let alone justice to be delivered.

Jokowi realizes the long-standing practice, but the existing criminal justice system gives him limited options. He can hope the rights body will declare the Paniai shooting a crime against humanity, which will then enable him to order the Attorney General’s Office to bring to justice whoever is held responsible for the killings. 

The human rights trial, however, will not materialize without the consent of the House of Representatives, which currently is controlled by the opposition.

Fair settlement of the Paniai case alone is a daunting job for Jokowi. In fact, Papuans have been waiting for a comprehensive solution to decades of being deprived of their rights in their own homeland, which ironically occurred after their official incorporation into Indonesia through the Act of Free Choice in 1969. For years Indonesia had fought for sovereignty over Papua from the Dutch only to throw the Papuans from misery into ordeal. 

Reform movements led to the granting of special autonomy for Papua, but no significant changes have happened to the lives of Papuans despite trillions of rupiah having been transferred from Jakarta. Poverty and poor access to healthcare and education for Papuans have continued to plague Papua nearly 14 years after the inception of the special autonomy, which the Jakarta elites believed was a decent retribution for Papua.

The generous special autonomy funds handed to Papua and later West Papua correlate with the increasing number of corruption cases involving local public officials in the two provinces. The naming of 44 West Papua legislative council members and the province’s regional secretary Marthen Luther Rumadas and former Papua governor Barnabas Suebu graft suspects recently is just proof that corruption thrives while supervision is lacking in Papua.

Papua is a paradox of Indonesian development. Blessed with abundant natural resources, Papua and West Papua are home to regencies that rank among the most impoverished and least developed regions in the country. Recurrent acts of violence in the territory, many of them allegedly perpetrated by separatist groups, only indicate that injustice, inequality and marginalization of local people remain unfinished business for Jakarta, no matter who is president.

 Then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised a new deal for Papua after taking office 10 years ago, but his government’s approach in dealing with Papua was the same old story. Jakarta’s recipe to tackle the Papua issue has never departed from “divide and rule”, as was apparent in the forcible formation of West Papua province in 2004 and a plan to create two more provinces and a new military command there.

 Like his predecessor Yudhoyono, Jokowi made many promises to the Papuans, including his plan to visit the land three times a year. It seems exaggerated, even if Jokowi hopes his frequent trips to Papua will ensure the development agenda and improvement of public services to run in accordance with the plan.

To woo Papuan voters back in June, Jokowi underlined Papua’s importance. Now the country’s leader, he has to show why Papua matters to him and the whole nation and how he will translate his pledges into policies.

As happened when Indonesia solved the Aceh problem with dignity in 2005, the central government’s policies toward Papua should be based on respect for the local people, which will require a dialogue between two equal parties. A dignified settlement will need efforts on Indonesia’s part to heal Papua’s past wounds, which of course include a formal state’s apology to Papuans for atrocities and the government’s indifference that they have endured for a long time.

The most urgent measure is revising the 2001 law on special autonomy for Papua. Prior to the end of its term in October, the Yudhoyono administration submitted the draft revision, which offers Papuan rebels a part in local politics, reminiscent of the deal accepted by the then Aceh separatist group, or GAM, which formed the Aceh Party.

Without assurance of an all-inclusive solution, the long-lasting peace Jokowi will try to create in Papua will never come true.


The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post.

Govt halts division of regions in Papua

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/29/govt-halts-division-regions-papua.html

Govt halts division of  regions in Papua
The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | National | Mon, December 29 2014, 6:46 AM


The government announced Sunday that it would halt the establishment of new administrative regions in Papua as the current ones had yet to improve people’s welfare.

“The establishment of new [administrative] regions will be postponed to avoid a greater burden on the state budget,” said Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo as quoted by Antara, who was in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s entourage celebrating Christmas in Papua at the weekend.

Tjahjo said a review of the performance of new administrative regions in the country had shown that 60 percent of them did not have the ability to manage their natural resources and generate local revenues.

“As [new administrations] cannot increase local revenues, they cannot improve equal development and people’s welfare, thus becoming a burden on the central government,” said the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician.

Papua currently consists of two provinces, Papua and West Papua, with dozens of cities and regencies. Their failure to improve the welfare of residents had prompted requests to split the regions into smaller administrative areas.

1) Widodo's condemnation of Papua shootings too late, says HRW

1) Widodo's condemnation of Papua shootings too late, says HRW

2) JENNIFER ROBINSON, LAWYER AND DIRECTOR OF LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR THE BERTHA FOUNDATION.

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http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/262777/widodo's-condemnation-of-papua-shootings-too-late,-says-hrw

1) Widodo's condemnation of Papua shootings too late, says HRW

Updated at 5:11 pm today

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Human Rights Watch says the Indonesian President's condemnation of the killing of Papuan civilians by the military has come too late.

Joko Widodo, who has been in the province for Christmas celebrations, says the incident in Paniai in which 5 protesters were killed, and 17 people -- including children -- were injured was deplorable.

But Andreas Harsono says it took 20 days for the President to condemn the killings, and is questioning whether Mr Widodo will allow full access for a proper investigation.

Mr Harsono says the police have complained that they cannot properly investigate because they aren't being allowed to interview soldiers who were at the scene.

He says the government also needs to ensure victim safety.

"The fear among victims is so high to the extent that they do not want to talk to police or military investigators because they fear reprisal if they speak up. That's why it is important for the government to send the witness protection agency to go to Paniai and to provide their protection if they want to speak up."

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http://www.abc.net.au/sundayprofile/stories/4152274.htm

2) JENNIFER ROBINSON, LAWYER AND DIRECTOR OF LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR THE BERTHA FOUNDATION.

Friday, December 19, 2014 

Jennifer Robinson leaving the Ecuador Embassy in London after visiting WiliLeaks' Julian Assange. (2012)

Related Audio:

Jennifer Robinson, Bertha Foundation Director of Legal Advocacy.

Download as MP3

Jennifer Robinson was thrust into the global spotlight when she became the legal advisor to WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. But it�s her long held interest in Indonesia�s relationship with the province of West Papua that sparked her passion for human rights law and advocacy.

It's fair to say that Jennifer Robinson has an unusual life.

The London based lawyer is Director of Legal Advocacy for theBertha Foundation � a global philanthropic organisation that works to bring about change in areas such as human rights. It means she�s on a plane for much of the year.

She's also a passionate advocate for West Papuan independence � a legacy of her year in Indonesia while at university.

Jennifer Robinson went from a public school on the New South Wales south coast to the Australian National University. She won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford where she came under the wing of Geoffrey Robertson, QC.

Having just arrived back in Australia for Christmas, Jennifer Robinson spoke to Richard Aedy.

1) Jokowi Breaks Silence on Killings in Paniai, Pledges to Resolve Shootings

2) Editorial: Papua Probe Shows Jokowi’s True Colors

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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/joko-breaks-silence-security-force-killings-paniai/

1) Jokowi Breaks Silence on Killings in Paniai, Pledges to Resolve Shootings

Fact-Finding Team: The president will set up an independent probe into the deaths of five civilians at the hands of the police

By Banjir Ambarita on 10:35 pm Dec 28, 2014

Category Featured, Front Page, Human Rights, News

Tags: Joko Widodo, Paniai shooting, Papua human rights abuses

Jayapura. President Joko Widodo has told a crowd in Papua that the shooting of five young civilians in the province earlier this month is unacceptable, and that the government will soon form a fact-finding team to investigate the case.
Joko, who is in Indonesia’s easternmost province to attend Christmas celebrations, said the incident, which occurred in the town of Enarotali in Paniai district on Dec. 8, was deplorable.
Security forces opened fire on about 800 peaceful demonstrators, including women and children. Five protesters were killed and at least 17 others — including elementary school students — were injured, according to a report from Human Rights Watch.
Joko, who addressed a crowd of hundreds at Mandala Stadium in Jayapura, the provincial capital, on Saturday, said he empathized with the grieving families.
“I want this case to be solved immediately so it won’t ever happen again in the future,” the president said. “By forming a fact-finding team, we hope to obtain valid information [about what actually happened], as well as find the root of the problems.”
Joko added he wanted peace in Papua.
“I want my visit to Papua to be useful, I want to listen to the people’s voices, and I’m willing to open dialogue for a better Papua,” he said.
Joko said the government needed to listen to Papuans in order to solve the long-running conflict in the restive region.
“I think that the people of Papua don’t only need health care, education, the construction of roads and bridges, but they also need to be listened to. That is what I will do in dealing with the problems in Papua,” he said.
Hostilities between Papuan civilians and the security forces have frequently turned deadly since Indonesia annexed the region in 1969.
The president had earlier faced strong calls from Papuans to abandon his plan to celebrate Christmas in the troubled eastern province due to his previous muted response to the Paniai shootings, which were one the worst acts of state violence in years.
Victims and activists have said the incident was prompted with the beating of a 12-year-old boy from Ipakiye village, five kilometers from Enarotali, when the boy confronted a group of men in an SUV for driving at night with their headlights off.
The beating resulted in villagers marching to the capital to demand an explanation the next day. At around 10 a.m. the crowd spotted the same SUV and began attacking it. Police then opened fire on the unarmed crowd, witnesses said.
But the National Police chief, Gen. Sutarman, gave a different account of what happened, claiming the victims were planning an attack against the local military base, where locals suspected the SUV driver was hiding.
Police stopped the crowd from advancing by setting up a barricade, he said.
“Amid the protest, some [unknown] gunmen fired shots from the hills far away, causing the 200 or so people to riot,” the police general claimed.
He also denied that a high school student was among the five people shot dead by officers, despite photographs obtained by HRW clearly showing young men in school uniforms among those shot.
The coordinator of the Papua Peace Network, or JDP, Rev. Neles Tebay, welcomed the president’s plan to form a fact-finding team, having previously criticized the police for being “very secretive” about their investigation.
“The president is willing to identify the problem, so surely this is a good commitment,” Neles said on Saturday.
Further Coverage
Editorial: Papua Probe Shows Jokowi’s True Colors

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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-papua-probe-shows-jokowis-true-colors/

2) Editorial: Papua Probe Shows Jokowi’s True Colors

By Jakarta Globe on 11:21 pm Dec 28, 2014

Category Editorial, Front Page, Opinion

Tags: Indonesia human rights, Joko Widodo, Paniai shooting, Papua

Joko Widodo was always going to be the president that his predecessors were not, from his man-of-the-people ways to his love of heavy metal.
This past weekend, he again demonstrated the quality that has inspired in Indonesians so much hope for positive change, when he promised to set up a fact-finding team to probe the shooting deaths of five unarmed Papuan civilians, reportedly by the security forces.
The president was in Papua for Christmas celebrations when he made his remarks about the Dec. 5 shootings in Paniai district.
By most credible accounts, the incident involved police firing indiscriminately into a crowd of unarmed civilians protesting police brutality against a 12-year-old boy. The police chief’s more fantastical account is that “gunmen in the distant hills” fired on the crowd, whipping it up into a violent frenzy and forcing police to act in self-defense.
Joko has done something unprecedented and hugely commendable here: He has refused to take the word of the police chief at face value and instead taken it on himself to ensure that the truth, no matter how painful, comes to light through the unaberrated lens of an independent investigation.
For far too long the security forces have controlled the narrative that the rest of Indonesia and the world have obtained from Papua. That they have long taken a heavy-handed approach to anything deemed a security disturbance is no secret.
Joko’s move is perhaps the first official step by any Indonesian government to bring official accountability to an act of excessive use of force by security officers in Papua. This will be hugely important in clearing the path toward addressing the legitimate grievances that Papuans have long held against the government. Even if that is Joko’s only legacy, it will be a worthwhile one.

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Jokowi joins Christmas celebration in Papua amid shooting uproar

http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/28/jokowi-joins-christmas-celebration-papua-amid-shooting-uproar.html

 Jokowi joins Christmas celebration in Papua amid shooting uproar 

Hans Nicholas Jong

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | December 28 2014 | 11:06 AM

- See more at: http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/28/jokowi-joins-christmas-celebration-papua-amid-shooting-uproar.html#sthash.JmtxumLA.dpuf

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended the national Christmas celebration in Papua on Saturday, marking the first time the country’s easternmost province played host to the event. 

Jokowi, accompanied by First Lady Iriana, their children, Kahiyang Ayu and Kaesang Pangarep, as well as Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel and Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto, arrived at Sentani Airport, Jayapura, at 2:30 p.m. local time.

Upon arrival in the province’s capital, Jokowi received a traditional welcome as artists performed a traditional Papuan dance.

Local officials who welcomed Jokowi included Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe, Papua provincial legislative council (DPRD) speaker Yunus Wonda and Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende.

Shortly after, Jokowi and his entourage visited the Prahara traditional market in Sentani, Jayapura, where they attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of two markets in Jayapura and Sentani.

In a speech, Jokowi said he visited the traditional market to show his commitment to supporting the development of traditional markets in Papua.

“My promise is to develop markets in Sentani and Jayapura. Today I have shown my commitment and [the construction] will start immediately,” he said.

Jokowi also warned local government officials against charging illegal levies on mama-mama, local women who work as vendors in the market.

After wrapping up his visit at the market, Jokowi went directly to Waringin Sports Complex in Jayapura to deliver a speech to the crowd that began gathering in the morning. 

In his speech, Jokowi said Papuans should take pride in the fact that the national Christmas celebration was being held in their province.

“This year, we have to be grateful that our Christmas celebration is being held in Papua, in Jayapura,” 
said Jokowi.

He promised that he would return to Papua by the end of next year, after vendors at Sentani Market asked him to come back to inaugurate the new market.

“They said that construction of the market would be completed by the end of 2015. Therefore, when it is inaugurated, it will coincide with New Year. So, I will return for the inauguration,” Jokowi said.

Jokowi also finally broke his silence on the recent shooting incident, allegedly committed by military personnel, in Paniai Regency, Papua, which claimed the lives of five civilians.

“For me, the most important thing is not to let such incidents happen again because I want to start building here,” he said.

Earlier, a number of church leaders in Papua urged Jokowi to cancel his plan to visit the province on account of their disappointment over the government’s slow response to the incident, which also left 21 others injured.

Jokowi’s public statement on Saturday was his first since the shooting incident occurred. 

He said he wanted to get a comprehensive account on the incident before issuing a statement. “I was not in a rush to comment on the incident because violence occurs a lot in Papua. If I make a comment but it doesn’t solve [the problem] then my comment serves no purpose,” Jokowi said. 

He also called on the local government to continue holding talks with the central government to prevent violence in the future. “Dialog is important so that the central and the regional [government] are in sync. No more violence in Papua,” Jokowi said.

On Saturday evening, Jokowi attended the national Christmas celebration at Mandala Stadium, Jayapura. More than 400,000 participants took part in the celebration, which was estimated to cost Rp 20 billion.

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1) Jokowi Visit An Opportunity for Indonesia to Tackle its Papua Problem

1)  Jokowi Visit An Opportunity for Indonesia to Tackle its Papua Problem
2) Police Out in Numbers as Jokowi Visits Papua
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http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/jokowi-visit-an-opportunity-for-indonesia-to-tackle-its-papua-problem/

1)  Jokowi Visit An Opportunity for Indonesia to Tackle its Papua Problem
President’s Christmas visit to Papua provides momentum to address longstanding grievances

By Prashanth Parameswaran
December 27, 2014


Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is now on a weekend visit to the restive eastern region of the province of Papua to begin to address a half-century long separatist insurgency that continues to simmer there.
Jokowi is in Papua to attend national Christmas celebrations, which he decided to hold there for thefirst time (they are usually held in Jakarta). But he is also using the visit as an opportunity to confront Indonesia’s troubling legacy in Papua, long a black mark on its human rights record.
For decades, a deadly cycle of violence has persisted in Papua due to socioeconomic and political grievances toward the state and the heavy-handedness of security forces, which appear to operate with impunity. Jokowi had vowed to tackle the problem head on in the run-up to the presidential election, floating ideas such as lifting restrictions on the foreign press and constructing a new presidential palace near the Papuan capital of Jayapura.
Jokowi’s weekend visit is a good chance to begin to deliver on that promise, and his full itinerary suggests that he and his team recognize that. On Friday, even before leaving Jakarta for Papua, hesummoned church leaders to get their input on what should be addressed. Jokowi’s trip itself will comprise mainly visits to three cities. Following his arrival in Jayapura on December 27, the president will give a speech to open the Christmas celebration in Papua Bangkit Square at Sentani Airport. He will then visit the city before continuing on to Wamena in Jayawijaya regency and Sorong in West Papua, where the trip will end on December 29.
During the trip, he will engage in a range of activities, such as holding meetings with Papuan public figures and volunteers and commissioning several traditional markets. He will also reportedly conductblusukan (impromptu visits) during his time there to hear the voices of local residents despite lingering security concerns – a defining feature of Jokowi’s people-centric approach to governance.
Despite the encouraging signs so far, some are already questioning whether any of this symbolism will translate into substantive policy changes. The Jokowi administration has come under fire recently for its ineffectual response in addressing a December 8 incident in Paniai, where Indonesian military and police opened fire on hundreds of unarmed protesters, killing five. Some students and church leadersin Papua had even told Jokowi to cancel his visit in the face of this inaction.
Others say that he will need to follow his visit with tangible deliverables. Human Rights Watchimplored Jokowi to create a joint inquiry into the December 8 shootings.  And the Presidium of the Papua Council (PDP) urged him to consider releasing political prisoners and reviving a commission for truth and reconciliation.
“If all this could be accepted and implemented, the people of Papua would have the confidence in the president…Promises would not solve anything,” Thaha Alhamid, the secretary general of the PDP, saidearlier this month.
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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-numbers-jokowi-visits-papua/
2) Police Out in Numbers as Jokowi Visits Papua
By Banjir Ambarita on 04:41 pm Dec 27, 2014
Category Featured, Front Page, News, Politics
Tags: Joko Widodo Jokowi, Papua
Jayapura. Indonesian police and military deployed officers from throughout Papua on Saturday as President Joko Widodo arrived in the separatist eastern province to attend a Christmas celebration.
“We will deploy the officers from Sentani and Wamena for security, but that’s only for the external security. For the internal security hundreds of soldiers will also be deployed,” Cendrawasih military commander Maj.Gen. Fransen. G. Siahaan told the Jakarta Globe on Saturday.
Joko was scheduled to attend a Christmas celebration at Mandala stadium in Jayapura. Fransen said thousands of police officers would be mobilized to secure streets used by the president to and from the stadium.
Fransen said security would also be focused in Wamena.
“The dangerous spot is in Wamena where the president will visit on his second day here before he heads to Sorong then Jakarta,” he said.
Joko was scheduled to arrive in Jayapura at 2:45 p.m. Eastern Indonesia Time accompanied by 11 cabinet ministers.
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1) Jokowi receives input on Paniai before flying to Papua

2) LP3BH strongly protests against new military command in West Papua

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/26/jokowi-receives-input-paniai-flying-papua.html

1) Jokowi receives input on  Paniai before flying to  Papua

Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Fri, December 26 2014, 11:19 PM - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/26/jokowi-receives-input-paniai-flying-papua.html#sthash.3PcdvvG4.dpuf

Only hours before leaving Jakarta for Papua to attend national Christmas celebrations, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo summoned the leaders of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) and the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) to get input on what should be addressed in Papua.

Jokowi will fly to Papua on Saturday morning to attend festivities in the province, despite calls from a number of church leaders in Papua for Jokowi to cancel his plan, in an expression of disappointment over the government’s slow response to the recent shooting incident in Enarotali, Paniai, in which five civilians were killed.

Jokowi is also set to undertake blusukan (impromptu visits) to hear from local residents during his two-night trip to the province.

During the Friday night meeting at the State Palace, Jokowi also met with representatives from two Papuan churches, Benny Giay and Karel Phil Erari, who rejected Jokowi's plan to visit Papua.

The PGI's Bambang Wijaya said the organization hoped that Jokowi's visit "will not merely be a ceremonial gesture, but will result in bringing peace to Papua, instead".

The PGI also submitted its findings on Paniai — which concluded that Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers were responsible for the shootings — to the President.

KWI chairman Mgr. Ignatius Suharyo said he urged Jokowi to listen to the voice of Papuans, particularly those who understood about matters related to Papua, such as Pastor Neles Tebay and his rights group, the Peaceful Papua Network.

"I am sure the President will meet our friends there [...] not to give a solution, but more to hear them. Because a solution without first hearing [the problems] will be a mess," Ignatius said on Friday after the meeting at the State Palace.

He added that he perceived that Jokowi's visit would be "a part of a dialog which aims to stop violence and to [encourage] reconciliation."

"The President said he has received much information, but it is not yet complete. Therefore he is acting cautiously in order not to add more pain, and to seriously start to build trust, because the problem is trust," he added.

Jokowi wants the incident to be investigated thoroughly, and intends to find solutions to Papuan matters in general, Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto said.

"We have received the PGI's preliminary reports on Paniai," Andi said after the meeting. "For sure, tomorrow’s visit will be used by the President to really hear the voice of the Papuan people to bring about a peaceful Papua."

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has previously demanded that the government immediately set up a joint fact-finding team involving the national rights body, the TNI, the National Police and local leaders to probe the recent shootings in Paniai, after a Komnas HAM investigation confirmed soldiers were the primary cause.

The incident also resulted in injuries to 11 other local people, three policemen and seven soldiers.

Komnas HAM’s investigation has yet to identify whether the gunshots were fired by members of the police or the TNI, who were at the location for security reasons.

However, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Fuad Basya has said that the TNI had yet to receive any requests from Komnas HAM regarding the matter. He added that the TNI had set up its own investigative team, which was still conducting an inquiry into the incident. (nvn)

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2) LP3BH strongly protests against new military command in West Papua

Statement by LP3BH - Manokwari  21 December 2014

  The Institute for Research, Investigation  and Development of Human Rights - Manokwari herewith wishes to convey its strongest protest to

the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir  H.Joko Widodo  against his plan to create a new Regional Military Command in the Land of
Papua, specifically in West Papua. The statement made by President Joko Widodo is a deep insult to the feelings of the entire Papuan people because it fails to take account of the innermost feelings of the Papuan people, of their experiences and sufferings of the people (Memoria Passionis) during the fifty-year military occupation of the Land of Papua, since 1963.

During the entire period of the New Order under the leadership of President Soeharto, the Indonesian military enjoyed  unlimited powers
and authority, to the extent that they carried out intervention regarding the appointment of government ministers, attorneys-general,
the chairmen of the Supreme Court, the military commanders, right down to  the heads of provinces and city mayors.

This plan by  President Jokowi is clearly in violation of the principles of the Republic of Indonesia as one of the largest democracies in the world.
The dynamics  and history of the Land of Papua for the past fifty years reveals lengthy proof about the victims of gross human rights violations which are widely believed to be perpetrated by officers and members of the TNI (Indonesian Army) who occupy the entire territory of the Cenderawasih Land.  There was the execution of 53 indigenous Papuan civilians in Arfai-Manokwari on 28 July 1989 as well as the summary execution and destruction of homes that amounted to virtual genocide of the civilian population living in the Central Highlands  of Papua in 1977 and 1978.   In addition, there have been summary executions  and forced disappearances and punishment for those who were involved in flying
the Morning Star flag following the  Third Papuan Congress in Lapangan Zacheus-Padang Bulan, Jayapura on 19 October 2011

In all these cases, members of the TNI and the Indonesian Police Force were acting under the command  of the security forces and
resulted in many victims falling among the civilian population.  Yet to this day, nothing has happened to resolve all these cases in
accordance with the laws in force in this country.   Members of the TNI and the Police enjoy impunity  despite their
involvement in these  gross violations of human rights, in accordance with the provisions  of articles 7, 8 and 9 of Law 26/2000 regarding
Human Rights Courts but none of these cases have been dealt with nor have the perpetrators  been punished in accordance with the law.

In view of all this, the LP3BH firmly rejects  the policy now being pursued by the ultra-nationalist leadership of President Jokowi and
previous governments who in all cases regard with scepticism all the problems occurring in the Land of Papua, seeing them as acts of
separatism and which are therefore dealt with by the security approach.  It is the security approach which determines the decision to set up
a new military territorial command which will result in the addition of some 13,000 officers of the Indonesian Army, which can only lead to
yet more conflicts being dealt with by armed force, whereas the victims are always civilian people in the Land of Papua, especially in
such places in the Central Highlands as Bela, Jila, Alama, Mapnduma, Ilaga, Enarotali, Mulia, Tingginambut and their environs who inevitably in such cases become the victims of these conflicts.   In our opinion, President Jokowo and his entire administration should deal with this by peaceful means as the way to handle conflicts in the Land of Papua.  Furthermore, by seeking to understand the core of the problem and seeking a solution by means of peaceful dialogue.   The creation of yet another military command in the Land of Papua will be regarded throughout the world as being an indication that Indonesian governments throughout the past fifty years have never sought to make Papua a Land of Peace but continued to treat it as an area of conflict which requires firm control and keeps the area under tight control, not permitting any information to be known about this situation, at home and abroad.  The creation of a new military command in West Papua  will make it even more difficult to allow freedom of expression  and opinion as well as continuing to refuse access to foreign journalists.

The LP3BH herewith calls on all civil organisations and all indigenous Papuan people to take a firm stand in opposition to the
creation of a new military command in West Papua, because such a decision will mean that the Papuan people are regarded as separatists who face discrimination and always become the victims of acts of violence by the security forces, that is to say by the armed TNI and
Police Force.
Peace!
Signed by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive-Director of the LP3BH