1) Vanuatu wants
West Papua at UN level
2) MATHEA MAMOYAU: EMPOWERING KAMORO
WOMEN
3) PEACEFUL DIALOGUE JAKARTA - PAPUA
4) POOR PEOPLE IN PAPUA DROP TO 36,000 ?
5) MORE THAN 300 POLICE, SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO
SECURE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
6)
MSG : WEST PAPUA SHOUD RE-APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
7) KOMNAS HAM INVITES PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES TO TALK HUMAN RIGHTS
8) Inside Indonesia’s Elections
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1) Vanuatu wants West Papua at UN level
Updated at 7:14 am today
The Vanuatu Prime Minister Joe Natuman says the government is still looking at pushing the West Papua issue at the United Nations level.
His comment comes as the Melanesian Spearhead Group resolved to seek a more proactive approach alongside Indonesia to help address the development needs of West Papuans.
MSG leaders have brushed off a formal MSG membership application by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, telling the group to reapply as a more inclusive, united bid.
Meanwhile, Mr Natuman says the Vanuatu government is considering seeking an International Court of Justice opinion on the legality of the UN-sanctioned process under which the former Dutch New Guinea was ceded to Indonesia.
"That process is still open to us. Right now we have to deal with the issue as it is. We talk with the Indonesians and have dialogue with the Indonesians and dialogue with all the Melanesians of various inclinations, political inclinations, in Papua and West Papua."
The Vanuatu Prime Minister, Joe Natuman.
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2) MATHEA MAMOYAU: EMPOWERING KAMORO WOMEN
Markus Mardius, Contributor, Timika, Papua | People | Wed, July 02 2014, 1:36 PM
Mathea Mamoyau originally wanted to join the Women’s Army Corps, but wound up defending the rights of Kamoro women as an activist in Mimika regency. Now the 48-year-old, better known as Thea, is set to join the provincial legislature as a representative, after winning a seat in the last election.
Thea has been working for PT Freeport Indonesia since 2006 as a “women’s relationship coordinator”, running empowerment programs for the Kamoro that have been sponsored by the company and USAID.
The Kamoro — one of 20 tribes in Papua, comprise around 18,000 people living in 59 villages around coastal Timika. They work as hunters, food gatherer, wood carvers and spirit mask makers.
Thea, who stands at 170 centimeters, says she’s frequently been suspected of being a provocateur — an allegation she dismisses.
“I must explain to them that my activities are done to empower the Kamoro women in order to maintain and preserve the mangroves. Some mangroves might be chopped down by irresponsible individuals to enrich themselves without any permits from the local residents as the owners,” Thea says.
Mangroves will flourish if Kamoro women understand how to grow and maintain the forests, Thea adds. She’s proud of her work in developing and promoting a government regulation banning the destruction of mangroves — something that has reduced social conflict in the province.
Dense mangrove forests — which cover more than 276,000 hectares along Mimika’s coastal wetlands — help to protect the environment and provide habitats for crabs and shrimp. The traditional crab cultivation business in Timika is one of the largest in Eastern Indonesia.
“I don’t want them to become spectators in their own land if mangrove trees are chopped down for the sake of the business. Seeing this disadvantageous condition, legal assistance has been introduced in order that they understand the rights of forest, land, and education,” Thea said.
Since Mimika was incorporated as a province in 2001, development has accelerated, changing the lives of local residents in dramatic ways. The population has increased, with more and more outsiders arriving to set up homes and businesses in Timika, Thea said.
As a result, Thea has taken to the field to protect the rights of local residents in a regency where more than half the population is poor.
“I have routinely been visiting the villages in the hinterlands of Timika to promote and provide legal assistance to Kamoro women. Quite often my team — Sister Yulita [a nun] — and I stay overnight at local houses because of the distance.”
It takes at least five hours by boat to visit the villages, she says.
Thea fears that destruction of the mangrove forests will lead to land seizures, dashing the hopes of their children and grandchildren. “They will never see what mangroves look like, and will not have the land in the future. I asked them not to fall asleep in the abundant forest.”
On land rights, Thea has inspired Kamoro women to conduct land mappings certified women during the certification process.
She’s also worried about increasing incidents of domestic violence over the last 10 years. “Often a few drunken habits and financial issues dominate conflicts in the family that result in domestic violence. Some of the couples are not open in their financial management. At least four cases of domestic violence a month have happened.”
On education, Thea has been touting the importance of literacy, encouraging Kamoro women to send their children to school.
“The local government has provided some schools for them for free. However, I often find children in the village who do not want to return to school,” Thea says. “The reason is that they want to help their parents to plant taro and cassava, fish and hunt. I rekindle their spirit to go back to school.”
She feels satisfied that her work to empower and educate Kamoro women has begun to pay off.
“They have expressed their gratitude,” Thea says. “They know their rights now,”
Photo by Prihantoko
Thea has been working for PT Freeport Indonesia since 2006 as a “women’s relationship coordinator”, running empowerment programs for the Kamoro that have been sponsored by the company and USAID.
The Kamoro — one of 20 tribes in Papua, comprise around 18,000 people living in 59 villages around coastal Timika. They work as hunters, food gatherer, wood carvers and spirit mask makers.
Thea, who stands at 170 centimeters, says she’s frequently been suspected of being a provocateur — an allegation she dismisses.
“I must explain to them that my activities are done to empower the Kamoro women in order to maintain and preserve the mangroves. Some mangroves might be chopped down by irresponsible individuals to enrich themselves without any permits from the local residents as the owners,” Thea says.
Mangroves will flourish if Kamoro women understand how to grow and maintain the forests, Thea adds. She’s proud of her work in developing and promoting a government regulation banning the destruction of mangroves — something that has reduced social conflict in the province.
Dense mangrove forests — which cover more than 276,000 hectares along Mimika’s coastal wetlands — help to protect the environment and provide habitats for crabs and shrimp. The traditional crab cultivation business in Timika is one of the largest in Eastern Indonesia.
“I don’t want them to become spectators in their own land if mangrove trees are chopped down for the sake of the business. Seeing this disadvantageous condition, legal assistance has been introduced in order that they understand the rights of forest, land, and education,” Thea said.
Since Mimika was incorporated as a province in 2001, development has accelerated, changing the lives of local residents in dramatic ways. The population has increased, with more and more outsiders arriving to set up homes and businesses in Timika, Thea said.
As a result, Thea has taken to the field to protect the rights of local residents in a regency where more than half the population is poor.
“I have routinely been visiting the villages in the hinterlands of Timika to promote and provide legal assistance to Kamoro women. Quite often my team — Sister Yulita [a nun] — and I stay overnight at local houses because of the distance.”
It takes at least five hours by boat to visit the villages, she says.
Thea fears that destruction of the mangrove forests will lead to land seizures, dashing the hopes of their children and grandchildren. “They will never see what mangroves look like, and will not have the land in the future. I asked them not to fall asleep in the abundant forest.”
On land rights, Thea has inspired Kamoro women to conduct land mappings certified women during the certification process.
She’s also worried about increasing incidents of domestic violence over the last 10 years. “Often a few drunken habits and financial issues dominate conflicts in the family that result in domestic violence. Some of the couples are not open in their financial management. At least four cases of domestic violence a month have happened.”
On education, Thea has been touting the importance of literacy, encouraging Kamoro women to send their children to school.
“The local government has provided some schools for them for free. However, I often find children in the village who do not want to return to school,” Thea says. “The reason is that they want to help their parents to plant taro and cassava, fish and hunt. I rekindle their spirit to go back to school.”
She feels satisfied that her work to empower and educate Kamoro women has begun to pay off.
“They have expressed their gratitude,” Thea says. “They know their rights now,”
Photo by Prihantoko
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A GOOGLE TRANSLATE OF ARTICLE IN SUARAPAPUA.COM. BE-AWARE GOOGLE TRANSLATE CAN BE A BIT ERRATIC.
ORIGINAL BAHASA LINK AT
3) PEACEFUL DIALOGUE JAKARTA - PAPUA
ADVERSE MSG DECISION PAPUANS LEGAL POSITION
BY: OKTOVIANUS POGAU | WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014 - 10:15 PM | VIEWED: 172 TIMES
ADVERSE MSG DECISION PAPUANS LEGAL POSITION
PAPUAN STUDENTS IN JAKARTA DID AMBUSH MSG GROUP (PHOTO: OKTOVIANUS POGAU / SP)
PAPUAN, JAYAPURA --- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH, STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT OF LEGAL AID (LP3BH) MANOKWARI, YAN CHRISTIAN WARINUSSY JUDGE, THE DECISION TAKEN MELANESIAN SPEARHEAD GROUP LEADERS (MSG) AT THE LAST MEETING OF JUNE 26, 2014, IN PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, VERY DETRIMENTAL TO THE POSITION OF PAPUAN PEOPLE (OAP).
PEACEFUL DIALOGUE JAKARTA - PAPUA
"AS AN ADVOCATE OF PAPUA, I THINK THEY HAVE MADE A DECISION THAT IS FUNNY AND STRANGE, BUT IMPRESSED NUANCED POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS, AS WELL AS THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF THE OAP LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS," SAID WARINUSSY, TO SUARAPAPUA.COM, WEDNESDAY (2 / 7/2014).
IN A DECISION ISSUED, FURTHER WARINUSSY, PRODUCED FOUR IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION WEST PAPUA NATIONAL COALITION FOR LIBERATION (WPNCL), WHICH CONFIRMS THAT THE NEED FOR SUCH NEW APPLICATIONS WPNCL ENCOURAGE A MORE INCLUSIVE AND UNITED.
"THIS LAYOUT ODDITIES, FUNNY AND NUANCED POLITICAL IMPRESSED," SAID FOKER LSM PAPUA STERING COMMITTEE THIS.
ALSO IN ONE OF THE DECISION, SAID WARINUSSY, EXPLAINED THAT THE MSG HAS SENT A DELEGATION HEADED BY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND COOPERATION OF FIJI RATU INOKE KUBUABOLA TO VISIT INDONESIA ON 11-15 JANUARY 2014 AT WHICH OF THEM TO JAYAPURA, PAPUA.
"THE QUESTION HERE, WHEN THE MSG LEADERS TO PAPUA, WHETHER THEY HAD MET REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PAPUAN PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE ORGANIZATION? FOR EXAMPLE, THE PAPUA PRESIDIUM COUNCIL (PDP), THE PAPUAN CUSTOMARY COUNCIL (DAP), WPNCL, WEST PAPUA NATIONAL AUTHORITY (WPNA), WEST PAPUA NATIONAL COMMITTEE (KNPB)? "
"OR IF THE MSG LEADERS HAD MET THE ALLIANCE OF YOUTH, STUDENTS, STUDENTS AND WOMEN OF PAPUA? WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THERE IS NEVER AN AGENDA, NEVER EVEN HAD A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF OFFICIAL AND LEGITIMATE CIVILIANS IN PAPUA, "SAID THE SENIOR LAWYER.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS, FURTHER WARINUSSY, WHICH COULD ARISE FROM A CONCLUSION THAT THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILED A YEAR AGO BY WPNCL THEN SAID TO BE REPRESENTATIVE.
"WHAT IS THE REASON BEHIND THE PROPOSED LAW IS MSG? AN ENTIRE PEOPLE OF WEST PAPUA HAVE UNITED IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION WPNCL? WE ARE CONFUSED BY ALL OF THESE DECISIONS, "HE SAID.
"IN MY OPINION, THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY ORGANIZATIONS STRUGGLE OF THE PEOPLE OF PAPUA TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO THE ATTITUDES AND DECISIONS OF MSG ARE VERY VAGUE, UNCLEAR AND THE POLITICAL MOTIVES," HE SAID.
WHY LAW IS VERY DETRIMENTAL SIDE OAP, ACCORDING TO THE AWARD RECIPIENTS "JOHN HUMPHREY FREEDOM AWARD" THIS, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN CLEARLY IGNORED THE LAW AND THE POSITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS BASED ON THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, DATED DECEMBER 10, 1948.
"EVEN IN CONFLICT ALSO WITH THE DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ORGANIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS, AS GIVEN GUARANTEES FOR THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ON EARTH," HE SAID.
"I WANT TO SAY THIS DECISION IS VERY NAIVE AND STUPID IMPRESSED IF THERE WAS A VIEW OF THE MSG LEADERS TO DRIVE CHANGE AND SUBMISSION OF THE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION WPNCL AS PART OF MSG ALONE," HE GROWLED.
THEREFORE, ACCORDING TO WARINUSSY, MSG LEADERS DECISION AS IT IS MORE DEMANDING THAT ALL COMPONENTS OF THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE ON LAND, SEA, LAND, MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS AND CANYONS IN PAPUA TO UNITE AND FIGHT TOGETHER.
"WE HAVE TO FIGHT WITH THE FACTIONS AND GROUPS CONCERNED IN ORDER TO PASS THE APPLICATION TO BE RESUBMITTED BY THE WPNCL IN 2014," HE CONCLUDED.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN JAYAPURA, ELI RAMOS SAID, A REJECTION OF THE APPLICATION WPNCL PROVE THAT THE MELANESIAN COUNTRIES EASILY BOUGHT WITH MONEY, FROM THE ATTENTION OF FELLOW HUMAN RACIAL GROUPS.
"EVIDENCE OF SUCCESSFUL INDONESIAN DIPLOMACY. MONEY MAY BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THESE COUNTRIES COMPARED TO HEED THE CRIES OF THE SUFFERING AND THE PEOPLE OF WEST PAPUA FOR 52 YEARS," HE TOLD THE MEDIA.
OKTOVIANUS POGAU
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4) POOR PEOPLE IN PAPUA DROP TO 36,000 ?
Jayapura, 1/7 (Jubi) – According to data released by Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Papua Province, the number of poor people in Indonesia’s easternmost province in March 2014 reached 924,000 compared to the September 2013 figure of 960,560.
“In percentage, the poor in Papua over the last six months declined by 1.47 percentage points, from 31.52 percent in September 2013 to 30.05 percent in March 2014,” head of Central Statistics Agency, Didik Koesbianto told reporters in Jayapura, Papua on Tuesday (1/7).
The poor are concentrated in rural areas where as many as 889.04 thousand people (38.92 percent) of them live While in urban areas the poor accounted for 35,370 (4.47 percent).
“During the period September 2013 – March 2014, a decline in the number of rural poor was by 30.3 thousand people (-1.80 percent) and the number of poor in urban areas also decreased by 5.8 thousand persons (-0.76 percent ), “he explained.
“During the period September 2013 – March 2014, a decline in the number of rural poor was by 30.3 thousand people (-1.80 percent) and the number of poor in urban areas also decreased by 5.8 thousand persons (-0.76 percent ), “he explained.
The poverty line in urban areas in March 2014 was Rp. 404.944 higher than rural areas reached Rp. 338.206. This means that the cost to meet basic needs for food and non-food greater in urban than in rural areas.
“The food commodities are much greater than non-food commodities such as housing, clothing, education, and health), which is 74.74 per cent versus 25.26 per cent,” he said.
“The food commodities are much greater than non-food commodities such as housing, clothing, education, and health), which is 74.74 per cent versus 25.26 per cent,” he said.
He added that food commodities that have great impact on urban line poverty are rice, cigarettes, eggs, sugar, fish, and red onion. While commodities that affect line poverty in rural areas are sweet potatoes, rice, cigarettes, and pork.
“In the period September 2013 – March 2014, Poverty Gap Index (P1) and the Poverty Severity Index (P2) showed a tendency to increase. This indicates the average expenditure of the poor tends to be further away from the poverty line and inequality expenditure of the poor who are also getting bigger, “he said.
“In the period September 2013 – March 2014, Poverty Gap Index (P1) and the Poverty Severity Index (P2) showed a tendency to increase. This indicates the average expenditure of the poor tends to be further away from the poverty line and inequality expenditure of the poor who are also getting bigger, “he said.
Previously, Governor of Papua Province, Lukas Enembe said, to bring out of the shackles of poverty in Papua, all parties are required to fully understand the problems in Papua in order to implement the policy.
“We want to understand the real problems in Papua since almost 50 years we have dealing with development in Papua and did not happen yet, ” Enembe said.
“We want to understand the real problems in Papua since almost 50 years we have dealing with development in Papua and did not happen yet, ” Enembe said.
He further said that after visiting several areas in Papua, he found many Papuan are still living in poverty. These findings are not only seen in the villages, but also in urban areas.
“After I took several visits around Papua, I saw Papuans still live under poverty every like they don’t have good nutrition. I also saw someone wore the same clothes and did not wash. Is it only me who see or you also see it. This conditions are founded all over Papua, “he said. (Jubi / Alex/ Tina)
“After I took several visits around Papua, I saw Papuans still live under poverty every like they don’t have good nutrition. I also saw someone wore the same clothes and did not wash. Is it only me who see or you also see it. This conditions are founded all over Papua, “he said. (Jubi / Alex/ Tina)
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5) MORE THAN 300 POLICE, SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO SECURE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Jayapura, 1/7 (Jubi) – A total of 335 police and soldiers will be deployed to provide security during the presidential election on July 9, Puncak Jaya Police chief, adjunct commissioner major (Pol) Marselis Sarimin.
“Yes, they have been called up to secure the presidential election from any disruption by certain groups that exist in Puncak Jaya region and other regions,” he said by phone on Tuesday (1/7).
Here said Ilu, Tingginambut and Mulia districs are among areas in Puncak Jaya vulnerable to security disturbances.
“Therefore, we set up 25 specialized personnel for these areas. We do not want to take risks when delivering logistics to every village, “he said.
“Therefore, we set up 25 specialized personnel for these areas. We do not want to take risks when delivering logistics to every village, “he said.
Earlier, Papua police chief, General Inspector, Tito Karnavian said, have shifted a number of troops to the areas that are considered vulnerable and potentially security disturbances.
The prone regions are Indonesia-PNG border, Lanny Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Yapen, Paniai, Tolikara, and Jayawijaya regencies. (Jubi / Arjuna / Tina)
The prone regions are Indonesia-PNG border, Lanny Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Yapen, Paniai, Tolikara, and Jayawijaya regencies. (Jubi / Arjuna / Tina)
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6) MSG : WEST PAPUA SHOUD RE-APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
Jayapura, 30/6 (Jubi) – The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has apparently rejected the application for membership by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) filed a year ago in Noumea, New Caledonia.
In the last MSG Conference, WPNCL proposed the application with the support of more than 70 representative groups within Papua Indonesia. But some MSG leaders in the meeting held in Port Moresby on Thursday, 26 June indicated West Papua need to be inclusive and united before re-applying for the membership. The Prime Minister of PNG Peter O’Neill who represents the MSG leaders said West Papua also need to consult with Jakarta.
“We believe it should represent all Melanesians who live in Indonesia, and the application should be consulted first with the government of Indonesia as we have done with the membership of FLNKS,” said O’Neill after the meeting.
“We believe it should represent all Melanesians who live in Indonesia, and the application should be consulted first with the government of Indonesia as we have done with the membership of FLNKS,” said O’Neill after the meeting.
However, the limited forum of the MSG leaders in Port Moresby has appreciated West Papua as part of MSG.
“We welcome the interest and application of West Papua for becoming part of the MSG, but we encourage them to unite in preparing the application to MSG,” said O’Neill.
“We welcome the interest and application of West Papua for becoming part of the MSG, but we encourage them to unite in preparing the application to MSG,” said O’Neill.
The MSG leaders also agree that the application should represent the Melanesians who live in Indonesia.
In the MSG Summit in Noumea last year, the Indonesian Delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wardhana said the Melanesians not only live in Papua, but also in Maluku and Nusa Tenggara.
WPNCL representative, Andy Ayamiseba criticized this decision. According to him the MSG leaders do not see the reality happened in Papua. The MSG visit to Indonesia in the early year has hijacked by Indonesia, so the MSG delegation could not meet the groups who support the WPNCL in proposing the application for MSG membership.
“The mission report of MSG Foreign Minister is totally misleading. How they could they make a conclusion that WPNCL was not represent the majority (Papuans) if they never met one of the civil representatives?” Ayamiseba said.
“The mission report of MSG Foreign Minister is totally misleading. How they could they make a conclusion that WPNCL was not represent the majority (Papuans) if they never met one of the civil representatives?” Ayamiseba said.
He also questioned the statement of MSG leaders asking West Papua to consult with the Government of Indonesia in proposing the application of MSG membership, which is also occurred to the Kanak Liberation Front (FLNKS). “FLNKS never consulted the application with the French Government to be the MSG member,” said Ayamiseba.
Further, the campaign group of West Papua liberation in PNG said the Government of Indonesia has intervened this decision.
“The policy of free trading between Indonesia and PNG, the establishment of the Police Academy in Fiji and the status as observer for Indonesia were clearly an attempt of Indonesia to influence the Melanesian region,” said Fred Mambrasar, the member of liberation campaign of West Papua in PNG.
“The policy of free trading between Indonesia and PNG, the establishment of the Police Academy in Fiji and the status as observer for Indonesia were clearly an attempt of Indonesia to influence the Melanesian region,” said Fred Mambrasar, the member of liberation campaign of West Papua in PNG.
The campaign group has asked the MSG to keep consistent with their decision in Noumea last year which recognize the right of self-determination of Papuans, acknowledge the human rights violations in Papua and support the WPNCL application.
The meeting of MSG leaders also decided to keep doing a dialog with Indonesia to gradually withdraw the military forces from Papua.
“We want to cooperate with Indonesia to achieve it (military withdraw from Papua) because we believe the human right issues could be handled over the dialogue instead of the confrontation,” said O’Neill.
“We want to cooperate with Indonesia to achieve it (military withdraw from Papua) because we believe the human right issues could be handled over the dialogue instead of the confrontation,” said O’Neill.
The meeting of MSG leaders was attended by the MSG Chairman Victor Tutugoro, the Prime Minister of PNG Peter O’Neill, the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Gordon Darcy Lilo, and the Prime Miniser of Vanuatu Joe Natuman, while the Prime Minister of Fiji Veroque Bainimarama not participated in the meeting. (Jubi/Victor Mambor/rom)
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7) KOMNAS HAM INVITES PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO TALK HUMAN RIGHTS
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Election Watch | Wed, July 02 2014, 8:24 PM
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has invited presidential candidates Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Prabowo Subianto to convey their stances on human rights at Komnas HAM headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday.
"We've been analyzing their mission statements based on the Constitution, laws on human rights, the law on human rights trials and even the law on eradicating racial discrimination," Komnas HAM presidential elections monitoring coordinator Maneger Nasution said in Jakarta on Wednesday, as reported by kompas.com.
The meeting is scheduled to be held at Komnas HAM headquarters in Central Jakarta at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Maneger said the commission would quiz the candidates on seven issues that had been decided in their previous plenary sessions, namely past human rights violations, agrarian conflict, violence and conflict in Papua, protecting the rights of minority groups, the death penalty, accelerating police reform, mining cooperation and the agricultural sector, local administrations and guaranteeing the economic, social and cultural rights of the people.
"We will ask both presidential tickets about their knowledge, perception and commitment to these seven areas," he said.
Maneger added that the format of the meeting would be a question-and-answer session with Komnas HAM commissioners and experts in the field.
Further, Maneger noted that Komnas HAM would take its own stance should the candidates fail to fulfill the invitation.
According to Komnas HAM chairperson Hafid Abbas, there is a chance the Jokowi-Kalla will not be able to attend the meeting as they already have a scheduled agenda outside of Jakarta. (fss)
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JULY 02, 2014
8) Inside Indonesia’s Elections
Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation and archipelago on the planet, has climbed the ranks of global neo-liberalism to become the world’s 10th largest economy, as many newspapers announced on May 4, 2014. Within a few decades, the nation managed to increase its gross domestic product (GDP) at a fast and steady rate, primarily by exploiting and extracting its natural resources: timber, oil, coal, gold, and a myriad of other riches. The owners and managers of the country, however, have not succeeded in making substantive improvements in the standards of living of the population.
As the gap in wealth inequality continues to increase across Indonesia, the government lauds itself for allowing the destruction of the forests of Borneo, the mass palm monoculture in Sumatra, the strip-mining of the occupied territories of Papua, and the overfishing of the waters around Sulawesi. They pat themselves on the back while wrapped in the flag to justify their exploitation of people and resources for the sake of the progress of the Nation. On July 9, 2014, the country will choose a new president, but despite this change, the situation does not bode significant improvement.
Indonesia’s economic policies are strongly influenced by a small group of rich, powerful families, and its foreign policy is either directed or tacitly approved by Washington. Politicians switch party allegiances based on political opportunism and are, one way or the other, related to each other. The two leading contenders for President of the Republic of Indonesia are Joko Widodo (Jokowi) of the Democratic Party of Indonesia and Prabowo Subianto, of the Gerindra Party. Prabowo, for example, was head of the special forces (Kopassus), and he was married to the daughter of the former dictator Suharto who deposed President Soekarno.
On the other hand Prabowo was the running mate of Soekarno’s daughter (Megawati, PDI, now Jokowi’s party) in the previous elections. Prabowo’s vice-president nominee is Hatta Rajasa (National Mandate Party – PAN), whose daughter is married to President Yudhoyono’s (Democratic Party – PD) son. In this Brobdingnagian web of familial connection and political alliances it is difficult to discern the ideological stances and nuances of the candidates. Both presidential candidates will almost surely continue the policy of environmental destruction and indigenous oppression to further their interests and those of their circle of friends.
Nevertheless, the ascent of Lt. General (ret.) Prabowo Subianto should sound alarm bells for the future of Indonesia. Much of the country has never addressed the atrocities during Suharto’s regime that resulted in the deaths of over half a million alleged communist sympathizers, the US and British backed invasion of East Timor, and the continuing bloody occupation in West Papua that has resulted in an estimated 500,000 deaths so far. Nor has the country dealt with its accepted militaristic and authoritarian tendencies, which favor the image of a strong patriarch with a military background and flirts, with symbolism and sympathy, with many of the past’s most fascist regimes.
This tendency has manifested itself in its presidents, the brutal occupation of West Papua, and the recent military build up and provocative moves against Papua New Guinea. Of all the Indonesian presidents, the only one who has not held a military title has been the only woman, Megawati Soekarnoputri: the daughter of the military general who secured Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch. Lt. General Prabowo is directly and strongly connected to the former Suharto dictatorship and its so-called New Order, a reign of terror that was financially and politically supported by the United States.
During that particularly dark chapter of Indonesia’s history, which lasted from 1967 to 1998, Prabowo was a lieutenant general in the Indonesian army and head of the Indonesian Special Forces, Kopassus, which protected Suharto’s regime and advanced the dictator’s policies of political persecution and assassination against leftist movements or dissenting voices. It was also during that period that Indonesia’s military grip over West Papua was tightened, and its resources began to be sold off to the highest bidders. At least nine democracy activists seeking the fall of Suharto are confirmed to have been tortured and kidnapped while Kopassus was commanded by Prabowo; he is suspected of having been in charge of the kidnappings of many student activists who sought the overthrow of the dictatorship in 1997, 13 of whom were never found, and he has been identified by United Nations interviews as the leader of the operation that resulted in the Kraras Massacre of 1977 and that earned him the nickname “The Butcher of Timor.” Prabowo has pledged that, as president, he will manage the country with “military efficiency.”
During the economic turmoil that plagued Indonesia and much of Asia in the late 1990s, Prabowo fueled ethnic tensions and openly called for the Muslim Indonesian population to join him in annihilating the “traitors to the nation,” referring to the Chinese who were viewed as the source of the economic troubles. Not surprisingly, much of the economic devastation then could easily be linked to Suharto’s embezzlement of billions of dollars from the country’s development and industry – an arrangement that would likely have benefited an in-law of the First Family, like Prabowo. His massive conglomerate of oil, coal, paper pulping, palm oil, and timber industries, incorporated under the “Nusantara Group,” have made him one of the richest men in Indonesia, with a net worth, as of 2009, of $127 million (Rp 1.5 trillion).
The people of West Papua know that a switch of presidents will result in no significant development in their cause for self-determination, and Benny Wenda, the nation’s tribal leader in exile, has thus called for a boycott of the vote. The environmental destruction, which has brought Indonesia to the echelons of the fastest deforesting zones in the world, is likely to continue, to justify the capitalist “progress” while mostly benefiting the country’s corrupt elite. Leftist resistance movements will live in fear of the shadow of persecution from the country’s uncomfortable authoritarian legacy.
Given all these dark aspects of the potential president’s past, it is pertinent to ask what kind of government Prabowo would lead, whether the occupation of West Papua will escalate, and if the level of impunity enjoyed by Prabowo’s troops in Timor in 1977, and Jakarta in 1998, will be reinforced and applied all across Indonesia to silence dissenting voices.
Sadly, a vote for Jokowi will also maintain the status quo of social and natural devastation. The people of Indonesia are the victims of a cruel joke, stuck between a rock and a hard place and forced to vote for the “lesser of two evils.”
Ruben Rosenberg Colorni writes for News Junkie Post, where this article first appeared.
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