2) In West Papua, Disappointing Verdict on Corrupt Police
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) Chief Muhammad Yusuf, admitted that he was disappointed with the verdict reached by the Sorong District Court in West Papua, which dismissed the money-laundering charges against Police Sr. Brig. Labora Sitorus.
"I'm disappointed and this is proof that the judges are not well informed about money-laundering," Yusuf told Tempo last night.
Yesterday, the Sorong District Court judges sentenced Labora to two years in prison and fined him Rp 50 million. According to the panel of judges, which comprised of presiding judge Martinus Bala and members, Magdalena Sitanggang and Irianto Tiranda, Labora was only proven to have committed the crime of illegal logging and transporting illegal fuel. "Therefore LS [Labora] is sentenced to two years in prison," said Martinus, reading the verdict.
The sentence was far lower from what prosecutors had demanded, which was 15 years in prison for Labora and a Rp 100 million fine. Labora has not responded to the verdict, while the prosecutors will seek to counter the court's ruling. "We will file for an appeal," said one of the public prosecutors Syahrul Anwar.
HANING TYAS | IRA GUSLINA SUFA | MUHAMMAD MUHYIDDIN | BERNADETTE CHRISTINA MUNTHE
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http://tabloidjubi.com/en/?p=1144
3) MAN ATTACKED BY NAVY OFFICERS IN BADE
Jayapura, 17/2 (Jubi/MS) – A resident of Bade Kampung, Edera Sub-district, Mappi Regency, Papua, Blasius Sumaghai (23 years old) was allegedly beaten up by Indonesian Navy officers, a report said.
Majalahselangkah.com, reported that as a result of the attack on January 26, Blasius was unable to walk for four days and suffered serious trauma. Blasius was sitting in front of a kiosk at Jl. Dumuyu RT VI Bade Kampung when suddenly two marine officers from Bade Station came and hit his back and chest with their rifle butt, the report said.
He was then taken to the Navy station by motorcycle and there he was hit again rifle butt, the website said. His was also attacked with a water hose, resulting in some serious injuries. The report said he was not the only victim of marine officers.
Yustinus Akabagaimu, 27, son of teacher Xaverius Akabagaimu was attacked earlier for no apparent reason, causing him not to be able to walk.
Many victims are afraid to report cases of violence or did not who they should report to.
A source said attacks on Bade’s men by marine officers occurred after some residents complained of the youths’ alleged bad behavior.
“But there are the police. Are they just bunches of flowers? Their task is to guard the security while marines have a duty to guard the country during a war. How can the Marines take over the Police’s tasks in front of them? It’s weird,” the source said.
“But there are the police. Are they just bunches of flowers? Their task is to guard the security while marines have a duty to guard the country during a war. How can the Marines take over the Police’s tasks in front of them? It’s weird,” the source said.
Police who were on duty at the Bade Police Station is said could not help to guard that village. On 2009 Christmas, Stefanus Silooy, 38, a local youngster was killed by three police officers. The incident triggered the destruction of a local police station by residents.
The Navy station at Bade Village is actually not strategic as the village is located in the riverbank instead of the seashore that should be guarded by the Water Police Unit. The reason why they build their station there is to collect levies from the Plywood and Palm oil company PT Korindo Group in Assikihas been operating since 1990 and PT Mam recently opened near Bade village.
Bade is a very strategic port city, because all of Plywood and CPO from PT Korindo in Assiki is transported only through Digoel River where Bade is becoming an entrance and exit door. (PD/KB/MS/rom)
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https://awasmifee.potager.org/?p=777
4) SKP: An Oil Palm Plantation is Threatening the Kamoro People in Mimika
The Justice and Peace Secretariat (Sekretariat Keadilan dan Perdamaian – SKP) of Timika Diocese in Papua are worried about how the environmental impacts of PT Pusaka Agro Lestari clearing forest for an oil palm plantation could affect the survival of the Kamoro people along the coast of Mimika Regency.
The co-ordinator of SKP in the Timika Diocese, Saul Wanimbo, told the Antara News Agency on Thursday that clearing the forest near to Iwaka and as far as the headwaters on the Timika-Paniai road to make way for PT PAL’s oil palm plantation could affect the Kamoro people’s survival.
The Kamoro people have always relied on sago palms, canoes and rivers, the key elements of their continued existence.
“I can’t imagine how it will be for the Kamoro people living along the shore in five to ten years time. They are bound to suffer as a result of the presence of oil palm upstream,” said Saul.
He said that the SKP Timika Diocese was in the process of compiling the necessary data and information to hold a seminar on the effects of oil palm investment in Mimika, to which they would invite experts and government bodies.
Based on the experience of Keerom, Jayapura, Manokwari and Sorong, where oil palm has been developed since the 1980s, he said, this industry brought absolutely no economic benefit to Papuan indigenous communities.
“We want to ask what benefits oil palm has brought to build up the economy of Papuan indigenous people over the years? Not one Papuan has seen a positive economic improvement as oil palm plantations have moved in,” said Saul.
According to him, the lack of economic benefits which indigenous Papuans have received from oil palm is due to the Papuan methods of farming, which are still very traditional if compared to other areas. Farmers in Papua, he says, are not yet familiar with techniques of permanent cultivation, and still keep shifting their cultivated plots from one area to another.
As well as this, he said, the majority of ethnic groups in Papua still rely foodstuffs that they obtain from the natural environment .
If forest areas are destroyed, felled in the interest of new oil palm plantations, then the ecosystem which supports the people’s livelihood will be damaged or even lost for ever.
“We are asking that local government act wisely and treat this problem seriously. Maybe the effects are not yet visible, but in a few years we will reap the problems. The government must be firm and put a stop to this investment if it doesn’t want the people to suffer”, said Saul.
He added that SKP groups throughout Papua have declared war on oil palm investment because it also provides no benefits for forest conervation. Despite several workshops and seminars to which experts and decision-makers were invited, local governments in Papua seem incapable of taking on investment in the guise of oil palm
According to data from the Mimika forestry service, PT PAL plan to develop a 38000 hectare oil palm plantation from Iwaka District to West Mimika District.
According to data from the Mimika forestry service, PT PAL plan to develop a 38000 hectare oil palm plantation from Iwaka District to West Mimika District.
The company is in possession of a cultivation rights permit (HGU) from the government and a permit to operate from the Mimika Bupati since 2007.
Source: Bintang Papua http://bintangpapua.com/index.php/lain-lain/papua/papua-selatan/item/13158-skp-perkebunan-kelapa-sawit-ancam-warga-kamoro
[awasMIFEE note: In 2011 PT Pusaka Agro Lestari was bought by the Noble Group, a company which trades in agricultural commodities, and has only recently started investing in oil palm plantations. PT Pusaka Agro Lestari is its second plantation in Papua, after PT Henrison Inti Persada in Sorong]
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