1) Prabowo or Jokowi for the
Jakarta-Papua dialogue?
2) Special team to investigate killing
incidents in Timika
3) Yudhoyono to strengthen bilateral ties with Pacific
countries
4) Biak Numfor regent named suspect in block grant graft
case
5) SBY Becomes First Indonesian President to
Visit Fiji
6) Hope KNPB Fiji SBY Not Deceived
7) Benny Wenda Honored in the Caribbean
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Prabowo or Jokowi for the Jakarta-Papua dialogue?
Budi Hernawan, Leiden | Opinion | Tue, June 17 2014, 9:10 AM
There are only two options for the next presidency — Prabowo Subianto or Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
They have been portrayed as opposites. While Prabowo’s campaign speaks of “Saving Indonesia” (Selamatkan Indonesia), Jokowi’s proclaims “Indonesia the great” (Indonesia Hebat).
Whereas Jokowi is well known for his impromptu visits or blusukan, Prabowo is famous for his rigid instructions and commands.
While Jokowi has risen from the level of a small-town entrepreneur, Prabowo has reinvented himself
as a populist figure, distancing himself from the perception of a New Order general with a notorious track record.
Jokowi’s camp promotes his vision on human rights at length, Prabowo’s vision does not even mention the word “human rights”.
Both camps, however, hardly mention anything about the Jakarta-Papua dialogue. Instead, both are preoccupied with the welfare approach for Papua as if it was the magic bullet.
That is why, despite this whirlwind of national politics, many Papuans remain bewildered. Some of them ask in whom we trust? Some say trust no one.
Some others, like West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists, call for boycotting the presidential election whereas others who are part of the game work extra hard to secure votes for their candidates.
While many Papuan activists seem skeptical about the upcoming election, others are hopeful that Jokowi might be a new entry point for the Jakarta-Papua dialogue.
Many are deeply weary of Prabowo due to his legacy in Mapenduma and the human rights record of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) of which he was the commander.
So will the new president be true to his promises?
“Promise” can be a magic but also dirty word in Papuan politics. Papuans feeling betrayed by failed promises is nothing new. In the 1960s, the Dutch were clinging onto the territory of Papua, promising to prepare Papuans to govern their own country, before signing the 1962 New York Agreement as a legal basis to transfer the territory to the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) and then to Indonesia.
Successive presidents offered different promises but not all paid serious attention to engaging in meaningful dialogue with Papuans. The most preferable approach is pursuing economic progress. Sukarno proclaimed his commitment to establishing a prosperous and fair society when he first arrived in Kotabaru (now Jayapura) on May 4, 1963. Similarly, Soeharto was well known for his martial law for Irian Jaya for more than three decades, leaving a legacy of fear.
When BJ Habibie took the presidency, he invited 100 Papuan representatives to the Presidential Palace for a national dialogue on Feb. 26, 1999. Instead of achieving any meaningful negotiations, Papuans were told to go home and rethink their call for independence. They have never heard any follow-up since.
It was Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid who took an exceptional initiative to engage in genuine dialogue with Papuans.
He crafted a space for Papuans to reclaim their names as “Papuans”, not “Irianese” or any other labels given to them by outsiders.
He was also supportive of Papuans’ initiatives when they organized their grand deliberation (Mubes) and congress in 2000.
But when his then deputy, Megawati Soekarnoputri, took over the presidency, Gus Dur’s initiatives disappeared.
She signed a Special Autonomy (Otsus) deal for Papua in 2001, she issued a presidential decree (Inpres No. 1/2003) to divide Papua into three new provinces, contradicting the spirit and the letter of the Special Autonomy Law.
She insistently promoted the economic development approach while allowing the military to operate almost independently.
A group of Kopassus soldiers were convicted and punished for assassinating Papuan leader Theys Eluay although the court failed to discover Aristoteles Masoka, the driver. Megawati, of course, is the one promoting Jokowi.
In President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s first term, he was successful in ending the prolonged armed conflict in Aceh and religious conflicts in Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi. This achievement is internationally acknowledged and greatly appreciated.
This credit, however, did not transfer to Papua. During his second term, he invited the Papuan church leaders twice with a promise of a follow-up for dialogue between Papua and Jakarta, but it never went anywhere.
While economic stability and prosperity is a conditio sine qua non for the public good of any nation, this is not the only criterion to assess how a government fulfills its constitutional mandate.
Questions of justice and human security are not inferior to economy. Conversely, these are paramount for Papua. Gus Dur made it very clear that reconciliatory gestures are the right approach for Papua.
Another kind of promise comes from neighboring states. In its 2013 summit communiqué, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders highlighted their concerns over the worrying human rights condition in Papua.
They promised to send a mission to visit Jakarta and Papua to have firsthand information of the situation. Under tight arrangements with Jakarta, the MSG ministerial mission visited Jayapura for four hours and concluded that there were no human rights violations in Papua.
Vanuatu, the only UN member publicly supporting Papuans, dissociated itself from the visit and went solo. Last March, former Vanuatu prime minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil rocked the boat of the UN Human Rights Council, requesting a UN expert for Papua to investigate the situation of human rights in the territory. We are waiting for the
follow-up on this appeal.
What can Papuans make out of these promises? Perhaps Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman was right when he said that Papuans had to trust themselves.
Instead of looking for outside assistance, he urged Papuans to rely on themselves in crafting their own future. While this suggestion is not novel, it reiterates the need for Papuans to build self-reliance and critical thinking on the most essential things they have to do for their own future.
We should not forget, however, that Papuans are entangled in intricate power relations both domestically and internationally. They do not live in a vacuum so that they can independently decide and act without taking into account different power relations that influence and sometimes, determine their fate.
Perhaps this is the time they have to seize a new opportunity for dialogue with a new regime, despite the silence of both candidates over the very issue.
The writer is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) in the Netherlands.
They have been portrayed as opposites. While Prabowo’s campaign speaks of “Saving Indonesia” (Selamatkan Indonesia), Jokowi’s proclaims “Indonesia the great” (Indonesia Hebat).
Whereas Jokowi is well known for his impromptu visits or blusukan, Prabowo is famous for his rigid instructions and commands.
While Jokowi has risen from the level of a small-town entrepreneur, Prabowo has reinvented himself
as a populist figure, distancing himself from the perception of a New Order general with a notorious track record.
Jokowi’s camp promotes his vision on human rights at length, Prabowo’s vision does not even mention the word “human rights”.
Both camps, however, hardly mention anything about the Jakarta-Papua dialogue. Instead, both are preoccupied with the welfare approach for Papua as if it was the magic bullet.
That is why, despite this whirlwind of national politics, many Papuans remain bewildered. Some of them ask in whom we trust? Some say trust no one.
Some others, like West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists, call for boycotting the presidential election whereas others who are part of the game work extra hard to secure votes for their candidates.
While many Papuan activists seem skeptical about the upcoming election, others are hopeful that Jokowi might be a new entry point for the Jakarta-Papua dialogue.
Many are deeply weary of Prabowo due to his legacy in Mapenduma and the human rights record of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) of which he was the commander.
So will the new president be true to his promises?
“Promise” can be a magic but also dirty word in Papuan politics. Papuans feeling betrayed by failed promises is nothing new. In the 1960s, the Dutch were clinging onto the territory of Papua, promising to prepare Papuans to govern their own country, before signing the 1962 New York Agreement as a legal basis to transfer the territory to the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) and then to Indonesia.
Successive presidents offered different promises but not all paid serious attention to engaging in meaningful dialogue with Papuans. The most preferable approach is pursuing economic progress. Sukarno proclaimed his commitment to establishing a prosperous and fair society when he first arrived in Kotabaru (now Jayapura) on May 4, 1963. Similarly, Soeharto was well known for his martial law for Irian Jaya for more than three decades, leaving a legacy of fear.
When BJ Habibie took the presidency, he invited 100 Papuan representatives to the Presidential Palace for a national dialogue on Feb. 26, 1999. Instead of achieving any meaningful negotiations, Papuans were told to go home and rethink their call for independence. They have never heard any follow-up since.
It was Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid who took an exceptional initiative to engage in genuine dialogue with Papuans.
He crafted a space for Papuans to reclaim their names as “Papuans”, not “Irianese” or any other labels given to them by outsiders.
He was also supportive of Papuans’ initiatives when they organized their grand deliberation (Mubes) and congress in 2000.
But when his then deputy, Megawati Soekarnoputri, took over the presidency, Gus Dur’s initiatives disappeared.
She signed a Special Autonomy (Otsus) deal for Papua in 2001, she issued a presidential decree (Inpres No. 1/2003) to divide Papua into three new provinces, contradicting the spirit and the letter of the Special Autonomy Law.
She insistently promoted the economic development approach while allowing the military to operate almost independently.
A group of Kopassus soldiers were convicted and punished for assassinating Papuan leader Theys Eluay although the court failed to discover Aristoteles Masoka, the driver. Megawati, of course, is the one promoting Jokowi.
In President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s first term, he was successful in ending the prolonged armed conflict in Aceh and religious conflicts in Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi. This achievement is internationally acknowledged and greatly appreciated.
This credit, however, did not transfer to Papua. During his second term, he invited the Papuan church leaders twice with a promise of a follow-up for dialogue between Papua and Jakarta, but it never went anywhere.
While economic stability and prosperity is a conditio sine qua non for the public good of any nation, this is not the only criterion to assess how a government fulfills its constitutional mandate.
Questions of justice and human security are not inferior to economy. Conversely, these are paramount for Papua. Gus Dur made it very clear that reconciliatory gestures are the right approach for Papua.
Another kind of promise comes from neighboring states. In its 2013 summit communiqué, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders highlighted their concerns over the worrying human rights condition in Papua.
They promised to send a mission to visit Jakarta and Papua to have firsthand information of the situation. Under tight arrangements with Jakarta, the MSG ministerial mission visited Jayapura for four hours and concluded that there were no human rights violations in Papua.
Vanuatu, the only UN member publicly supporting Papuans, dissociated itself from the visit and went solo. Last March, former Vanuatu prime minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil rocked the boat of the UN Human Rights Council, requesting a UN expert for Papua to investigate the situation of human rights in the territory. We are waiting for the
follow-up on this appeal.
What can Papuans make out of these promises? Perhaps Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman was right when he said that Papuans had to trust themselves.
Instead of looking for outside assistance, he urged Papuans to rely on themselves in crafting their own future. While this suggestion is not novel, it reiterates the need for Papuans to build self-reliance and critical thinking on the most essential things they have to do for their own future.
We should not forget, however, that Papuans are entangled in intricate power relations both domestically and internationally. They do not live in a vacuum so that they can independently decide and act without taking into account different power relations that influence and sometimes, determine their fate.
Perhaps this is the time they have to seize a new opportunity for dialogue with a new regime, despite the silence of both candidates over the very issue.
The writer is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) in the Netherlands.
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2) Special team to investigate killing incidents in Timika
Tue, June 17 2014 19:21 | 471 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The Papua regional police command has sent a special team to Timika, the capital of Mimika district in Papua, to investigate the cause of a recent spate in killing incidents.
Chief of the Papua regional police command, Inspector General Tito Karnavian, informed ANTARA here on Monday that he had indeed sent the team led by Adjunct Senior Commissioner Azis to the district.
Karnavian explained that the team will investigate who were really behind the incidents and also the related motives.
Karnavian noted that the team has so far arrested seven suspects on charges of possessing sharp weapons, and six of them have been referred to the regional police command for further investigation.
When questioned about the possibility of all suspects being involved in the killing incidents, Karnavian pointed out that it was not impossible as the vehicles used by them had identities similar to what the witnesses had described.
"When they were caught, a number of sharp weapons were recovered from their cars," Karnavian added.
The suspects have been taken to the regional police command for further investigation, Karnavian remarked.
Karnavian denied that the case was triggered by a clash between different tribes linked to the traditional land dispute case in the Djayanti area of Mimika district.
He stated that presently, he could not confirm if they were related to the Djayanti case.
In the past two months, seven people were killed in Timika due to fatal wounds inflicted by sharp and traditional weapons, such as arrows.
The hostility between the two tribes in Djayanti area since June 11 was amicably resolved with a peace agreement marked by a traditional ritual of breaking arrows. (*)
Chief of the Papua regional police command, Inspector General Tito Karnavian, informed ANTARA here on Monday that he had indeed sent the team led by Adjunct Senior Commissioner Azis to the district.
Karnavian explained that the team will investigate who were really behind the incidents and also the related motives.
Karnavian noted that the team has so far arrested seven suspects on charges of possessing sharp weapons, and six of them have been referred to the regional police command for further investigation.
When questioned about the possibility of all suspects being involved in the killing incidents, Karnavian pointed out that it was not impossible as the vehicles used by them had identities similar to what the witnesses had described.
"When they were caught, a number of sharp weapons were recovered from their cars," Karnavian added.
The suspects have been taken to the regional police command for further investigation, Karnavian remarked.
Karnavian denied that the case was triggered by a clash between different tribes linked to the traditional land dispute case in the Djayanti area of Mimika district.
He stated that presently, he could not confirm if they were related to the Djayanti case.
In the past two months, seven people were killed in Timika due to fatal wounds inflicted by sharp and traditional weapons, such as arrows.
The hostility between the two tribes in Djayanti area since June 11 was amicably resolved with a peace agreement marked by a traditional ritual of breaking arrows. (*)
Editor: Heru
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3) Yudhoyono to strengthen bilateral ties with Pacific countries
Tue, June 17 2014 14:58 | 456 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Yudhoyono's three-day working visit to Fiji from June 17 to 19, 2014, aims to strengthen bilateral relations with countries in the South Pacific region.
"The South Pacific region is important, and therefore, since the past ten years we have strengthened our relations with key countries," Yudhoyono remarked during a press conference before leaving the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, for Fiji on Tuesday morning.
Yudhoyono noted that over the years, Indonesia has worked towards building good relations with Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
The head of state explained that good relations with countries in the Pacific region were based on an agreement that they respected the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
According to him, the Papua issue was frequently debated at the international level, but it can be resolved by fostering sound bilateral relations with the countries in South Pacific.
Yudhoyono stated that several events, such as the Pacific Island Forum and Melanesian Spearhead Group were frequently used by certain groups to raise the Papua issue.
"But, my task is to improve cooperation and friendship with South Pacific countries and to explain them about our policy with regard to Papua," the he noted.
According to Yudhoyono, cooperation and friendship with the South Pacific countries can reduce disinformation and misinformation about the Indonesian policy toward Papua in the context of international relations.
He further added that he had ever allowed the representative of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to come to Papua to gain first-hand information about the economic development policy and security aspects.
"The South Pacific region is important, and therefore, since the past ten years we have strengthened our relations with key countries," Yudhoyono remarked during a press conference before leaving the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, for Fiji on Tuesday morning.
Yudhoyono noted that over the years, Indonesia has worked towards building good relations with Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
The head of state explained that good relations with countries in the Pacific region were based on an agreement that they respected the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
According to him, the Papua issue was frequently debated at the international level, but it can be resolved by fostering sound bilateral relations with the countries in South Pacific.
Yudhoyono stated that several events, such as the Pacific Island Forum and Melanesian Spearhead Group were frequently used by certain groups to raise the Papua issue.
"But, my task is to improve cooperation and friendship with South Pacific countries and to explain them about our policy with regard to Papua," the he noted.
According to Yudhoyono, cooperation and friendship with the South Pacific countries can reduce disinformation and misinformation about the Indonesian policy toward Papua in the context of international relations.
He further added that he had ever allowed the representative of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to come to Papua to gain first-hand information about the economic development policy and security aspects.
Editor: Ade Marboen
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4) Biak Numfor regent named suspect in block grant graft case
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | National | Tue, June 17 2014, 11:37 PM
The Papua Prosecutor's Office has named Biak Numfor Regent YS as a suspect in the misuse of block grants reaching up to Rp 10.2 billion (US$842,371) from the Education and Culture Ministry during the 2012 academic year when he served as Youth and Sports Agency head in Supiori.
YS is currently being detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over the allegation of receiving kickbacks from a businessman.
Papua Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Maruli explained that the block grants were allocated to renovate 25 elementary schools in Supiori. Around Rp 250 million to Rp 800 million were transferred directly to the principal's bank account depending on how many classrooms needed to be renovated. The renovation was to be self-managed by the schools themselves without intervention from the government.
However, during his time as Supiori Youth and Sports Agency head, YS issued memos to two staff members to monitor the project, including the disbursement of funds and the appointment of personnel who would have conducted the renovation.
One school, state elementary school SD Mapia, was not renovated because the materials for the renovation were lost when the ship transporting them from Supiori to Mapia island sank. The remaining 24 schools that received the funds did not conduct proper renovation, which led to suspicions of fraud.
YS may face a minimum sentence of four years in prison and a maximum sentence of life if he is proven to have violated the Corruption Law.
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5) SBY Becomes First Indonesian President to Visit Fiji
Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Fiji on Tuesday — the first visit by a sitting president of Indonesia to the island nation — in a move to strengthen ties with South Pacific states as well as to clear up diplomatic disagreements over the situation in Papua.
South Pacific countries, and bodies such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), an intergovernmental organization made up of Melanesian states, have a history of supporting Independence for Papua and West Papua — issues sure to overshadow Yudhoyono’s visit.
Indonesia’s harsh efforts to suppress Papuan nationalism have met with widespread criticism in the region.
Yudhoyono will attend the second Pacific Islands Development Forum, currently underway in Fiji, where he has been asked to deliver the keynote speech on development programs.
The visit was initiated by the Fiji government in order to strengthen bilateral relations.
“My duty is to increase the partnership with those countries, and we will explain our policy in Papua correctly so that we can reduce any misinformation about Papu,” Yudhoyono told journalists at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in East Jakarta before his departure.
He cited Indonesia’s strong, although rocky at times, relationships over the past decade with Australia, East Timor, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea as evidence that stronger relationships could be developed with Melanesian states.
“They all respect the unity of Indonesia,” he said. “Therefore it is an important matter for geopolitics in the South Pacific and Southwest Pacific.”
Teuku Faizasyah, a member of the president’s special staff for foreign affair, said that Fiji was an important country in the South Pacific for Indonesia, as highlighted by the visit.
Yudhoyono ends his second five-year term in office in October.
The president is scheduled to have a private meeting with Fiji President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Voreqe Josaia Bainimarama. The two countries were set to discus collaboration in the arenas of culture, governance, maritime issues, regional and international affairs, and sports.
First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and several cabinet ministers were set to accompany the president for a three-day visit.
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A google translate of posting on KNPB webpage. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
6) Hope KNPB Fiji SBY Not Deceived
June 17, 2014 By: reporters Category: International, News
Jayapura, KNPBnews - The visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Fiji today, Thursday (06/17/2014) Indonesian colonialism is an effort to expand upon the sovereignty of the nations of Melanesia. We hope that the Government and people of Fiji are not easily deceived by flattery and rhetoric SBY.
The statement was made by the Chairman of the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) when found KNPBnews Abepura Prison this morning. According to him, the Government and people of Fiji should be aware of the draft strategy Indonesian colonialism brought SBY to Fiji.
"SBY managed to deceive the people of West Papua, and West Papua failed to build. Praxis 10-year rule, West Papuans serve migrant population distribution of land and massive political Islamisation. This is a real example to be reckoned with our brothers and sisters in Fiji, far before they cooperate with the Government of Indonesia, "said Victor.
Asked about the impact of the struggle of West Papua from SBY to visit Fiji, Yeimo precisely stated that the evidence of the progress of the struggle of the Papuan people.
"People Melanesian Papua fully supports; Pacific churches supporting Papua Merdeka; MSG support Self-Determination. That is why, the President wants to destroy the harmony of the Melanesian countries (MSG and PIF), "said Victor.
"How to bribe and lure something to kill Papua struggle it has become a culture of colonial Indonesia. It was not only on the ground of West Papua, but also in Fiji tomorrow, SBY will seduce with economic rhetoric to dispel Papua struggle ", said Yeimo
President Yudhoyono in a press conference before leaving for Fiji at Halim Airport, East Jakarta, Tuesday (06/17/2014) saying that the problems in Papua are not brought to the international world by certain elements of the required effort to establish a strong and good relationship with countries in the South Pacific.
During his visit to Fiji, the President will meet with President of the Republic of Fiji, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. President Yudhoyono also invited as the Chief Guest (main guest) on Summit 2 The Pacific Islands Development Forum held in Fiji.
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A google translate of posting on KNPB webpage. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
7) Benny Wenda Honored in the Caribbean
June 17, 2014 By: reporters Category: International, News
London, KNPBnews - Coordinator of International Diplomat West Papua, Benny Wenda was awarded "The Presidents Award" in the closing ceremony of the Book Fair Book Fair at the Chamber of Commerce building, Concordia, Caribbean on Saturday (14/06/2014) then.
As the site covered the Caribbean, Caribseek News, the 12th annual event held St.Martin Book Fair that gives great sympathy and support for the West Papuan struggle for independence from Indonesian invaders.
Benny Wenda participate in the show to present the situation genocide, colonization, and racial is going on in West Papua. He also helped sing songs Lani speaking.
"Caribbean people are suffering under the yoke of slavery and many African countries are also experiencing the crime of apartheid and colonialism. Now my people are the last people in the world who still suffer under modern slavery, apartheid and colonialism. We need your support until the end of freedom. "Wenda said, as quoted by the official website of the Free West Papua Campaign.
He got applause and great sympathy of the show's guests. Lasaña M. Sekou, a poet and a leading author in the area of support delivered a statement to the nation of Papua.
"Caribbean people, artists, writers, and our government finally lifted to the surface, holds a remarkable record in the defeat of the Apartheid regime in South Africa and the liberation of the prison Madiba, Nelson Mandela. Even when we are struggling to fix errors and improve our own lives in a country and region, another nation, in other areas of our island, calling us to raise the banner once again, to meet in the whirlwind once again. We answer, oi, because this is also who we are as' Caribbean people. "Said Sekou.
In the event of Benny Wenda also meet and greet with the local governor, and several Ministers and departmental heads there. Benny said that Caribbean people welcome and support the struggle of the Papuan people.
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