1) 2 TNI
Soldiers Shot in Armed Group Attack in Papua
2) Another soldier shot dead in Papua
3) Immigration staff at
Indonesia-PNG border not back on duty
4) Malaria remains endemic in
five Indonesian provinces
5) West Papua:
Photo Project Draws Attention To Human Rights Abuses And Political Struggle
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1) 2 TNI Soldiers Shot in Armed Group Attack in Papua
Jayapura. Two Indonesian Military officers were injured after yet another exchange of gunfire on Friday between the military and an armed group suspected to be part of the Free Papua Movement in Puncak Jaya district, Papua.
The two soldiers were identified as Polang Harahap and Rahman Hakim, who were shot in the forehead and right shoulder, respectively, after an armed group ambushed a military (TNI) outpost in Gurage village, Puncak Jaya on Friday afternoon. The assailants managed to flee the scene.“‘[Both injured soldiers] are being evacuated to Mulia Hospital,” Lt. Col. Rikas Hidayatullah, spokesman for the Papua military command, said on Friday. “Other [TNI] members are chasing after the shooters. We don’t know yet if anyone [from the attackers] was injured.”
The village of Gurage is located near the Tingginambut area, where a faction of Papua’s separatist group, or OPM, led by Goliat Tabuni is known to launch attacks on Indonesian security personnel.
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2) Another soldier shot dead in Papua
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Archipelago | Fri, April 25 2014, 8:05 PM
A member of the Indonesian Military (TNI) identified as Second Sgt. Rahman Hakim from Sentani 751 Infantry Battalion was shot dead by an unidentified man at the TNI post in Gurage District, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Friday.
It was also reported that a civilian identified as Polang Harahap was also shot and in critical condition.
Cendrawasih Military Command spokesman Col. Rikass Hidayatullah said the two men were shot by unidentified men. Rahman took a shot to his shoulder while Polang was hit on his temple.
“The victims have been brought to Mulia General Hospital while soldiers have been deployed to pursue the perpetrators,” he said.
Rahman's body was handed over to his family to be buried.
The Gurage post has a history of being ambushed. According to military records, many lives have been lost at the post.
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3) Immigration staff at Indonesia-PNG border not back on duty
Fri, April 25 2014 17:02 | 421 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - Jayapura immigration office in the border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea has not brought back it staff for security reasons.
"We have not got our immigration staff back in Skouw, Jayapura, after gun fires and border fence closing," explained Head of Jayapura Immigration Office, Gardu Tampubolon here on Friday.
He sated that Skouw immigrations staff have been transferred to Hamadi indefinitely.
"Citizens activities in both the countries are still on but it is done via the sea since it is considered to be more secure," pointed out Tampubolon.
Besides immigration staff that is not back in Skouw, the market in the border area that sells daily necessities for Papua New Guinea citizens is also still closed.
Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border fence has been closed since April 5, after gunfire between security forces and paramilitary groups.(*)
"We have not got our immigration staff back in Skouw, Jayapura, after gun fires and border fence closing," explained Head of Jayapura Immigration Office, Gardu Tampubolon here on Friday.
He sated that Skouw immigrations staff have been transferred to Hamadi indefinitely.
"Citizens activities in both the countries are still on but it is done via the sea since it is considered to be more secure," pointed out Tampubolon.
Besides immigration staff that is not back in Skouw, the market in the border area that sells daily necessities for Papua New Guinea citizens is also still closed.
Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border fence has been closed since April 5, after gunfire between security forces and paramilitary groups.(*)
Editor: Heru
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4) Malaria remains endemic in five Indonesian provinces
Fri, April 25 2014 17:00 | 401 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Malaria is a major public health problem in most tropical countries, including Indonesia with five of its provinces still having high cases of this deadly disease.
Hundreds of people in the province of Papua, West Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and North Maluku are still at risk for malaria infection.
In the province of Papua alone, around 42.6 of every thousand people have suffered from malaria.
The highest rate was recorded by the regency of Keerom, where 317.18 of one thousand people have suffered from malaria, and Mimika stood second with 246.8 of one thousand people.
As part of the National Malaria Eradication Program, the Ministry of Health is determined to distribute 6.3 million mosquito nets in 2014 to prevent the spread of malaria by anopheles mosquitoes.
"A total of 3.6 million mosquito nets have been distributed so far, but we are going to distribute 6.3 million more this year," Health Ministrys Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health Tjandra Yoga Aditama clarified here on Wednesday.
He added that besides mosquito nets, preventive measures were being taken by spraying 49,260 houses in 2013 and 47,966 houses in the previous year.
In Biak Numfor district, Papua, the local health department on Friday, marked the World Malaria Day by distributing free mosquito nets to the local community.
Biak Numfor Deputy District Head Thomas AE Ondy, while distributing the mosquito nets stated that World Malaria Day is commemorated every year on April 25 and is regarded as global efforts to control and eliminate the disease.
On the occasion, he called upon all public elements in the district to lead healthy lifestyles in their efforts to control the spread of malaria disease.
Meanwhile, "Movement Against Malaria" committee spokesman Ruslan pointed out that the annual parasite incident of malaria in Biak Numfor district remained high, at 46 per one thousand people.
"It means, out of every one thousand people in Biak, 46 are malaria positive, and therefore we call upon the people here to exercise their habit of using mosquito net all the time," Ruslan asserted.
He explained that people should continue to prevent malaria from spreading by leading a healthy lifestyle and by always cleaning up the mosquito breeding grounds.
During her visit to Mimika district in Papua last week, Health Minister Dr Nafsiah Mboi praised the seriousness of the district administration to eradicate malaria.
The minister noted at the time that currently there were 200 districts in Indonesia that were already free of malaria and 117 others were still expected to be declared free of the disease.
"Hard work is needed to reduce the cases," the minister stressed, adding that it should not be too difficult to carry out the program to free Mimika of the disease as the PHMC of PT Freeport Indonesia already has long experience fighting malaria in Kuala Kencana and areas around it.
She added that eradication of malaria had to be carried out from upstream to downstream, by maintaining a healthy environment, killing mosquito larva through fogging and with abate, regular blood tests and the use of mosquito nets.
The minister lauded the policy of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who set aside 15 percent of the funds for Papua Special Autonomy to finance health programs.
"If that program could be fully implemented, there should be substantially large amounts of funds available for health sector development in Papua," she explained.
Meanwhile, Mimika acting district head Ausilius You stated that the district was set to be free from malaria in 2018, or earlier than the previously set target of 2028.
Ausilius, however, noted that support from all public elements and other institutions were needed to eradicate malaria, which was still a common disease in the district.
Malaria is transferred and spread by anopheles mosquitoes.
Ausilius indicated that he had invited the Department of Public Health & Malaria Control (PHMC) of PT Freeport Indonesia, the district health service and other related agencies to discuss ways of accelerating efforts to eradicate the disease in Mimika.
PT Freeport Indonesia is an Indonesian unit of the US mining giant Freeport McMoRun Copper & Gold operating large copper and gold mines in Papua.
"According to the districts strategic plan, Mimika could be free of malaria only in 2028, but I want the time target set earlier. Before the National Sports Week is held in Papua in 2020, Mimika should be free from the disease," he asserted.
Meanwhile, head of Mimika district health service Ibrahim Iba stated that in a bid to cope with malaria in Mimika, the health service will launch a week long campaign to educate the people on the use of mosquito nets.
According to him, the health service has procured tens of thousands of mosquito nets sprayed with insecticides for the use of the local people.
According to the World Health Organization, malaria remains one of the worlds biggest health challenges that has killed more than 600 thousand people in 2012.
Therefore, April 25 has been named as World Malaria Day, to remind the public and the world that malaria is both preventable and curable. (*)
Hundreds of people in the province of Papua, West Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and North Maluku are still at risk for malaria infection.
In the province of Papua alone, around 42.6 of every thousand people have suffered from malaria.
The highest rate was recorded by the regency of Keerom, where 317.18 of one thousand people have suffered from malaria, and Mimika stood second with 246.8 of one thousand people.
As part of the National Malaria Eradication Program, the Ministry of Health is determined to distribute 6.3 million mosquito nets in 2014 to prevent the spread of malaria by anopheles mosquitoes.
"A total of 3.6 million mosquito nets have been distributed so far, but we are going to distribute 6.3 million more this year," Health Ministrys Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health Tjandra Yoga Aditama clarified here on Wednesday.
He added that besides mosquito nets, preventive measures were being taken by spraying 49,260 houses in 2013 and 47,966 houses in the previous year.
In Biak Numfor district, Papua, the local health department on Friday, marked the World Malaria Day by distributing free mosquito nets to the local community.
Biak Numfor Deputy District Head Thomas AE Ondy, while distributing the mosquito nets stated that World Malaria Day is commemorated every year on April 25 and is regarded as global efforts to control and eliminate the disease.
On the occasion, he called upon all public elements in the district to lead healthy lifestyles in their efforts to control the spread of malaria disease.
Meanwhile, "Movement Against Malaria" committee spokesman Ruslan pointed out that the annual parasite incident of malaria in Biak Numfor district remained high, at 46 per one thousand people.
"It means, out of every one thousand people in Biak, 46 are malaria positive, and therefore we call upon the people here to exercise their habit of using mosquito net all the time," Ruslan asserted.
He explained that people should continue to prevent malaria from spreading by leading a healthy lifestyle and by always cleaning up the mosquito breeding grounds.
During her visit to Mimika district in Papua last week, Health Minister Dr Nafsiah Mboi praised the seriousness of the district administration to eradicate malaria.
The minister noted at the time that currently there were 200 districts in Indonesia that were already free of malaria and 117 others were still expected to be declared free of the disease.
"Hard work is needed to reduce the cases," the minister stressed, adding that it should not be too difficult to carry out the program to free Mimika of the disease as the PHMC of PT Freeport Indonesia already has long experience fighting malaria in Kuala Kencana and areas around it.
She added that eradication of malaria had to be carried out from upstream to downstream, by maintaining a healthy environment, killing mosquito larva through fogging and with abate, regular blood tests and the use of mosquito nets.
The minister lauded the policy of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who set aside 15 percent of the funds for Papua Special Autonomy to finance health programs.
"If that program could be fully implemented, there should be substantially large amounts of funds available for health sector development in Papua," she explained.
Meanwhile, Mimika acting district head Ausilius You stated that the district was set to be free from malaria in 2018, or earlier than the previously set target of 2028.
Ausilius, however, noted that support from all public elements and other institutions were needed to eradicate malaria, which was still a common disease in the district.
Malaria is transferred and spread by anopheles mosquitoes.
Ausilius indicated that he had invited the Department of Public Health & Malaria Control (PHMC) of PT Freeport Indonesia, the district health service and other related agencies to discuss ways of accelerating efforts to eradicate the disease in Mimika.
PT Freeport Indonesia is an Indonesian unit of the US mining giant Freeport McMoRun Copper & Gold operating large copper and gold mines in Papua.
"According to the districts strategic plan, Mimika could be free of malaria only in 2028, but I want the time target set earlier. Before the National Sports Week is held in Papua in 2020, Mimika should be free from the disease," he asserted.
Meanwhile, head of Mimika district health service Ibrahim Iba stated that in a bid to cope with malaria in Mimika, the health service will launch a week long campaign to educate the people on the use of mosquito nets.
According to him, the health service has procured tens of thousands of mosquito nets sprayed with insecticides for the use of the local people.
According to the World Health Organization, malaria remains one of the worlds biggest health challenges that has killed more than 600 thousand people in 2012.
Therefore, April 25 has been named as World Malaria Day, to remind the public and the world that malaria is both preventable and curable. (*)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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5) West Papua: Photo Project Draws Attention To Human Rights Abuses And Political Struggle
A Dutch Surinamese photographer and journalist has created a photo project of West Papuan political refugees living in exile to raise awareness of their plight. While in West Papua, his equipment was confiscated and returned only upon his departure, despite that it was not a visit for journalistic purposes. This clearly indicates that West Papua is still one of the most policed places on the planet.
Below is an article published by Warscapes
The author, Rohan Radheya is a Dutch Surinamese contract photographer and videojournalist. He is one of the very few press photographers from his country of origin covering stories on an international scale. With his work he hopes to reach out to the younger people in his community and to motivate them to explore their artistic side. Rohan is currently represented by Zumapress.
In 1969, Indonesia took over West Papua with the now infamous Act of Free Choice, a mock referendum where West Papuans were forced to relinquish their independence through intimidation and threats. Today [22 April 2014], fifteen years after a democracy replaced President Suharto's dictatorship, West Papua is still one of the most policed places on the planet – with approximately 30,000 security personnel dealing with an indigenous population of around two million.
Human rights records speak of atrocities, with disappearances and tortures happening on a daily basis. What is even more troubling is that some Indonesian military officers who committed and supervised tortures and genocide in East Timor are now serving in West Papua, and they are committing the same crimes.
What triggered Indonesia’s annexation of West Papua are its rich natural resources. The US and other Western countries have huge investments in West Papua’s copper and gold. The US giant McMoran operates in Freeport, the largest mine in the world, making the company Indonesia’s largest taxpayer. For decades now, parts of West Papua and the Grassberg mine especially have been restricted to foreign journalists, making any assessment of the humanitarian crisis almost impossible.
I first became interested in West Papua a year ago [2013] when I had the chance to visit the capital Jayapura. When I arrived at the Sentani airport, I was told by the Indonesian immigration officers to go to the police station and pick up a surat jalan, or visiting permit, which is issued to all foreigners. At the police station, the head commissioner who was going through my passport noticed previous journalist visas from other countries. He asked me if I was a journalist. I thought it would be useless to deny it and I confirmed that indeed I was a journalist, but that for this particular trip I had no intention of working. What came after was most surprising. He quite simply Googled me and imposed upon me to leave my photographic gear at the police station. I could pick it up again on my way out of the country.
And so it is that I went through West Papua without a camera. I visited Wamena, Jayapura, and Vanimo. I met with key leaders of the OPM (Organisasi Papua Merdeka), the freedom movement for the liberation and independence of West Papua.
When I came back to my home in the Netherlands, I looked for a way to bring forward the plea of West Papuans. I visited the International Criminal Court in The Hague and talked to Simon Sapioper, the President of the National Government of West Papua in exile.
Simon sat down with me and told me about the horror of the 1998 Biak Massacre, where hundreds of West Papuans were chained and then dumped in the ocean by the notorious Indonesian Kopassus (Komando Pasukan Khusus or Special Forces Command). When their bodies washed ashore, the Indonesian authorities claimed they were victims of a tsunami that occurred one thousand miles away somewhere in Papua New Guinea. Simon hinted this could be a strong case for the International Criminal Court to start investigating crimes against humanity in West Papua. Fatou Bensouda, the head prosecutor of the ICC, told him to gather as much evidence as possible.
I wanted to help and this is where my photos came into play. I needed strong pictures and I was inspired by the work of James Mackay and his project Abhaya, about political prisoners inside Burma. I was introduced to many West Papuan political refugees and started photographing each of them holding a board of a place in West Papua where war crimes have taken place.
This is only a humble first step towards understanding, representing and offering exposure to West Papua’s independence struggle that would be strengthened if it gains an international awareness.
Photo by Flickr © Austronesian Expeditions
- See more at: http://www.unpo.org/article/17079#sthash.rTqLkjpy.dpuf
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