1) Indonesia remains sensitive over West
Papua
2) UN Human Rights session hears of
Papua deterioration
3) No firm stance from Jokowi or
Prabowo on Freeport
------------------------------------------------------------
1) Indonesia remains sensitive over West Papua
The journalist who revealed Indonesia's move to pull out of a New Zealand-funded police training programme in West Papua says he believes political sensitivity is behind the decision.
The story in the Jakarta Globe newspaper quotes a high-ranking Indonesian police officer saying the Indonesian government stopped the programme amid concerns about New Zealand's hidden motives.
Harry Pearl, who co-wrote the article, says he can only speculate about the real reasons.
But he says Indonesia remains very sensitive about activities in the province.
"It's not unusual for them to turn down aid programmes in West Papua, they are quite strict you could say on what aid programmes go on there. I still think they are pretty sensitive to outside scrutiny."
Harry Pearl says Indonesia is touchy about the West Papuan independence movement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) UN Human Rights session hears of Papua deterioration
Updated at 4:14 pm today
The United Nations Human Rights Council's current session has heard concerns that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly continue to deteriorate in Indonesia's Papua region.
The International Coalition for Papua says in the last year, the number of political arrests has more than doubled, while the number of reported cases of torture and ill treatment of detainees has quadrupled.
Furthermore, it says an increasing number of detainees are denied access to lawyers and face unfair trials.
At the end of last month, there were reportedly at least 79 political prisoners in Papua.
There were also 20 reported cases of violence and intimidation against journalists last year - up twelve from the previous year.
Among the Coalition's recommendations, it urges Indonesia to review its policing policies in Papua and its training of security forces personnel to ensure that rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the right not to be tortured and ill-treated, are respected.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) No firm stance from Jokowi or Prabowo on Freeport
Sita W. Dewi and Hasyim Widhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tasikmalaya | Election Watch | Thu, June 12 2014, 9:12 PM
Presidential candidates Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Prabowo Subianto have dodged politically sensitive questions over the need to extend the contract of PT Freeport Indonesia to mine the world's largest gold deposit in Papua.
When asked on the campaign trail in Tasikmalaya, West Java on Thursday about his take on Freeport, Jokowi merely said that Freeport's extension demand was not an issue that needed to be immediately resolved.
"Do you know what year it is now? I will have all the time in the world to take a stance on that," said Jokowi.
Freeport, a local unit of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., will see its contract expire in 2021.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s spokesman for economic affairs, Firmanzah, said the company's demand for an extension would need to be considered by the next administration.
This is because the 2009 Mining Law and a 2010 government regulation stipulate that a proposal for the extension of a mining license must be submitted at least two years before the previous contract’s expiration date, or in the case of Freeport in 2019.
While Prabowo refused to answer any questions about Freeport, his nephew and top Gerindra Party official Aryo Djojohadikusumo, on behalf of his uncle, said only that Prabowo’s administration would maximize the economic value of Freeport while operating in Indonesia.
"We want to create downstream industry, open as many jobs as possible and get our royalties paid in full. We also don’t want to see any transfer pricing to foreign countries. However, at the same time, we also want to respect our contracts and cooperation with our partners worldwide."
"We want to create downstream industry, open as many jobs as possible and get our royalties paid in full. We also don’t want to see any transfer pricing to foreign countries. However, at the same time, we also want to respect our contracts and cooperation with our partners worldwide."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.