1) Indonesian government to construct road in Papua`s middle mountain area

Kamis, 25 September 2014 19:08 WIB | 466 Views

Photo document of Baliem valley communities in Jayawijaya, Wamena, Papua. (ANTARA/M. Agung Rajasa)

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The Public Works Ministry is prioritizing the construction of a road in the middle mountain area of Papua Province giving the local people another option besides air transportation.

His institution is prioritizing the road development that connects several districts, Chief of the Tenth National Road Project Agency, Thomas Setiabudi, told ANTARA here Thursday.
The roads will connect districts that are located in the mountain area with areas located on the coast, Thomas said.
The ministry is developing a road that connects Wagete to Timika, and from there it will continue to Paniai, Nabire and Ilaga districts.
They will also develop a road from Wamena-Habema-Kenyam that will continue to the Dekai-Oksibil-Iwur-Tanah Merah areas, Thomas said.
The road will connect to other areas such as Yetti, Senggi, Usku and Mamberamo apart from Tenggon, Elelim and Wamena.
The Papuan people can use several roads that have been connected including Wamena to Mulia, Wamena to Tiom and Nabire to Enarotali.
"Even the road that connects Jayapura and Mamberamo can be used even though it is only connected by a bridge," Thomas said.
Additionally, the ministry will also develop several roads that connect the coastal areas such as Jayapura-Sarmi and Serui-Menawi-Saubeba.
"We hope none of the regions will be isolated after the increasing number of areas that will be connected through the roads," Thomas added.
(Uu.B019/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

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2) Statement by head of LP3BH for the President-elect

Statement by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive-Director of LP3BH

[Institute for Research, Study and Development of Legal Aid] issued on
22 September 2014

At this time as preparations are under way for Joko Widodo to take over as the President of Indonesia along with his deputy Yusuf
Kalla, we have heard that the president-elect intends to visit West Papua a number of times and intends to meet people there from all
walks of life.   This is indeed very interesting and welcome and we very much hope that Indonesia's forthcoming president will succeed in acting in
accordance with the Indonesian Constitution which means responding to the problems and sufferings of the people throughout Indonesia and in
particular the people living in the Land of Papua.  In this connection, it is our strong belief that the people of West Papua should submit their thoughts to the president-elect about
the priorities that need to be dealt with in the coming five years.

First and foremost, it is extremely important that the new president of Indonesia take steps to hold a dialogue between Papua and
Indonesia. as the way to achieve a peaceful Papua.  In this connection, we urge that the President and his
subordinates take action to resolve the many basic human rights violations that have occurred during the past decades (1963-1983) as
well as problems that have continued to occur up to and since 1998. All this would mean acting in accord with articles 44 and 45 of
Law/2001 on Special Autonomy for the Province of West Papua as well as Law 26/2000 on setting up a Court of Human Rights based on universal
rights and principles'

To set up a Commission on Truth and Reconciliation for the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

This would mean taking action against crimes perpetrated by members of the security forces especially in the Central Highlands as
well as in Puncak Jaya, Lanny Jaya and other places.  It is also necessary for a review to be conducted of the system of
security under the Indonesian Army and Police Force which should be dealt with in accordance with military laws as well as civil laws, in
accordance with the process of reformation which has been under way in Indonesia since 1998. In addition, one matter of extreme urgency is to conduct an evaluation of the implementation of Law 21/2001 on Special Autonomy
for West Papua, based on the stipulations in Article 77.

In all this, the role of the Provincial Governments of Papua and West Papua as well as administrators of the regions and
municipalities and such agencies as the DPRP, DPR, MRP and MRP-PB is of great importance. With all these achievements, it will be possible to conduct an evaluation of the special laws regarding Special Autonomy for the
Land of Papua.

Doing all this it will make it possible to conduct an evaluation of all those measures and actions that have been the source of conflict
between Papua and Jakarta for the past fifty years. If all this can be achieved, it will make a great contribution
towards constructive efforts to ensure that the Land of Papua is a Land of Peace, in accordance with the social-political,
social-cultural and social-economy reality for the people of Papua as an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia.

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Signed by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive-Director of the LP3BH-Manokwari, recipient of the Humphrey Freedom Award 2005 in
Canada, member of the Steering Committee of Foker LSM [Working Group of NGOs throughout the Land of Papua] and Secretary of the Human
Rights Commission working in collaboration with The Council of the Evangelical Churches on Manokwari.

Translated by Carmel Budiardjo

AWPA Sydney

Thursday, September 25, 2014