1) Statement by
Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive Director of LP3BH
30 July 2014
2) Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
demands explanation from Australia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Statement by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive Director of LP3BH
30 July 2014
At this moment when political changes are under way in Indonesia
as President-elect Joko Widodo and his deputy Drs Jusuf Kalla are soon
to be sworn in, and we are awaiting the results of of the challenge by
the opposing candidates, Prabowo and his deputy Drs Hatta Rajasa,
Indonesia is regarded as the third largest democratic country in
the world where a conflict still rages in the Land of Papua.
We wish to draw attention to the important issue of releasing all
the detained political prisoners as well as those who have already
been sentenced.
It is an urgent matter for the newly elected president and his
deputy to release all these prisoners. According to the most recent
information which was made available in June this year, there are 68
detainees and convicted prisoners who are being held simply because of
a difference of opinion and were tried under Articles 106. 108 and 110
of the Criminal Code.
There are others who are facing charges for inciting hatred and
using force as stipulated under Article 160 of the Criminal Code.
There are many prisoners, such as Filep Karma, Otis Waropen, Jemi
Yesmias Kapanai. Yenite Morib, Soleman Fonabeta, Pendius Tabuni,
Penius Tabuni, Natan Nagoya, Piet Hein Manggaprouw, Victor Yeimo,
Yosep Arwakan, Jantje Wamaar, Isak Klaibin and others who are being
held in police cells all round Papua, in Nabire, Abepura-Jayapura,
Sorong, Manokwari, Biak and Timika.
The Institute for Investigation, Observation and Development of the
Law (LP3BH), which is one of the many NGOs calling on the new
Indonesian Government to prioritise the unconditional release of Filep
Karma and his colleagues who have been charged and sentenced simply
for holding different opinions on political matters.
They should be giving the opportunity to join together and
formulate a policy for the introduction of political changes in the
Land of Papua, together with civil society organisations. They have
all been treated as 'enemies' or separatists. This is the case with
many organisations such as the PDP (Presidium Dewan Papua), the KNPP
(Komite Nasional Papuan Youth), ISPP, (Ikatan Solidaritas Perempuan
Papua), DAP (Dewan Papua Adat), WPNCL (West Papuan National Coalition
for Liberation, AMP (Aliansi Mahasiswa Papua), the KNPB, (National
Committee of West Papua), as well as the WPLO (West Papuan Liberation
Organisation).
This would enable the Papuan people to join together to build a
Land of Peace. a new Papua which would enable the newly elected
President and Deputy President to appoint a special minister charged
with helping the new Indonesian Government to formulate a new policy,
a new approach and a new strategy to resolve all the issues and
conflicts in the Land of Papua.
Peace!
[Translated by Carmel Budiardjo, with apologies for the slight delay.]
-------------------------------------
(Note Victor Yeimo has just been released)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-president-susilo-bambang-yudhoyono-demands-explanation-from-australia-20140805-100tcw.html#ixzz39eEROENo
2) Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demands explanation from Australia
Indonesia has reiterated that it wants “full transparency” surrounding the naming of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in
relation to an Australian court case.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Tuesday that the President was still waiting for the circumstances of his naming to be made “crystal clear”, suggesting that the Australian government’s response so far has not satisfied him.
The new glitch in relations comes as Dr Natalegawa is trying to negotiate with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop a code of conduct governing spying between the two countries. He said Australia merely had to agree to Indonesia’s most recent draft, and sign “a commitment not to spy on each other”.
Co-operation between the two countries over anti-people smuggler activities and defence exercises was suspended late last year after the revelation that Australia had spied on the President and his wife. They cannot resume until the countries agree to the code of conduct.
A blanket suppression order prevents Fairfax Media and other Australian media outlets from reporting the contents of a Victorian Supreme Court case in which Dr Yudhoyono has been named, an affadavit in the case, or even the suppression order itself.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said last week the order was sought to protect the reputation of international leaders from “unwarranted innuendo” emerging from “information that could suggest the involvement in corruption of specific senior political figures in the region, whether in fact they were or not”.
But the tactic backfired badly after the suppression order was leaked to WikiLeaks and published online, forcing Australia to deny that Dr Yudhoyono was a subject of the proceedings involving the former Australian note-printing company Securency.
Asked if he accepted the Australian government response so far, Dr Natalegawa said Indonesia wanted “full transparency [in this case] so as to avoid innuendo and speculation”.
“We want to have this issue to be very clear, crystal clear so to avoid misperception,” he said.
Dr Natalegawa will be meeting Ms Bishop at an ASEAN meeting in Myanmar this weekend, and Dr Yudhoyono has set an August deadline for finalising the agreement between the two countries.
Dr Natalegawa said agreement would be made “as soon as possible”.
“Will it be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or by the end of the month? It will very much depend on the response of the Australian government over the last draft Indonesia sent to Australia … It is just simple, without revealing the content, at heart it's about a commitment not to spy on each other.”
However, despite the apparently regular speed bumps in the bilateral relationship, Dr Natalegawa said he thought it was “good, going in a positive direction”.
Dr Yudhoyono’s meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Batam Island in June was “very good, very positive”.
“However, we will continue our efforts to restore the relationship,” the Indonesian foreign minister said.
---------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.