1) Malang students protest President Widodo's Papua Christmas visit

2) Students in Yogyakarta oppose sending military reinforcements to Papua

3) Answers Dutch Min. of FA on questions about shootings Paniai

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1) Malang students protest President Widodo's Papua Christmas visit

VIVA News - December 19, 2014

Mohammad Arief Hidayat, D.A. Pitaloka, Malang -- As many as 30 Papuan students from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) in the East Java city of Malang held a protest action in front of the Malang Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Friday December 19.

The protesters were opposing a planned visit to Papua by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to celebrate Christmas on December 27. This opposition follows the brutal actions by the military in Paniai regency on December 8 that resulted in the fatal shooting of civilians.

"We resolutely rejected Jokowi's visit to the land of Papua. This (the December 8 riot) was the Jokowi regime's worst Christmas gift", said action coordinator Yustus Yekusamon.

The students called on President Widodo to give the Papuan people the freedom to determine their own future. They also called for the withdrawal of the Indonesian military and police from Papua.

The demands were conveyed following the tragic and brutal actions by the military in Paniai that killed eight people and injured 13 others. "Many military actions have resulted in deaths. This is a reminder of the theft of our rights to be free to determine our own future", he said.

During the action they cited several human rights violations by the military since 1961 such as the murder of Papua national figure Arnold Clemens in 1984 and Thomas Wanggai in 1996.

Indeed Papua Presidium Council chairperson Theys Hiyo Eluay, was also murdered in 2001. There was also the shooting of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) military commissariat coordinator Hubertus Mabel in 2012. The group also opposed transmigration to Papua.

The action by the students was held to commemorate the Trikora that was declared by founding President Sukarno at the North Yogyakarta Square on December 19, 1961. This was despite the fact, they said, that Papua established the State of West Papua on December 1, 1961. Sukarno viewed the new country as a [Dutch] puppet state.

The protesters also demanded an end to all exploitation of natural resources in Papua such as the Freeport-McMoRan gold and copper mine and the Tangguh liquefied natural gas field in Bintuni and Santa Fe in Sorong. The students said that the exploitation of these natural resources was a crime against the Papuan people.

During the action the protesters sang the song Bintang Kejora (Morning Star). Several students also brought bags with pictures of the Morning Star flag on them. The action was monitored by police and Indonesian military officers who watched over the action until it was finished. (ase)

Notes

Trikora -- After the Dutch announced the formation of a Nieuw Guinea Raad on April 1961, with the intention of creating an independent Papuan state, Indonesia's founding President Sukarno declared military confrontation in his Tri Komando Rakjat (TRIKORA, Triple Commands of the People) speech in Yogyakarta on December 19, 1961.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Mahasiswa Papua Demo Tolak Kedatangan Jokowi".]

Source: http://nasional.news.viva.co.id/news/read/570353-mahasiswa-papua-demo-tolak-kedatangan-jokowi



INDOLEFT News service

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2) Students in Yogyakarta oppose sending military reinforcements to Papua
Tribune News - December 19, 2014

Yogya -- Papua students from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held a protest action to commemorate Trikora at the zero kilometre point intersection in front of the central post office on the afternoon of Friday December 19.

The action disrupted the flow of traffic in the area. Earlier, the protesters held a long march from Jl. Kusumanegara to the zero kilometre point.

Currently they are giving speeches and have formed a circle in the centre of the intersection. "Withdraw TNI [Indonesian military] from the Land of Papua! Investigate the human rights violations that have occurred in Papua", said one of the speakers.

The protesters also brought a variety of banners with messages such as, "Reject the integration of Papua through the 1969 Pepera" and "Reject the deployment of the TNI to Papua".

Notes

1. Trikora -- After the Dutch announced the formation of a Nieuw Guinea Raad on April 1961, with the intention of creating an independent Papuan state, Indonesia's founding President Sukarno declared military confrontation in his Tri Komando Rakjat (TRIKORA, Triple Commands of the People) speech in Yogyakarta on December 19, 1961.

2. Pepera -- The so-called "Act of Free Choice", the 1969 UN sponsored referendum that saw 1,025 hand-picked delegates vote in favor of West Papua's integration with Indonesia.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Mahasiswa Papua di Yogja Tolak Pengiriman TNI".]

Source: http://www.tribunnews.com/regional/2014/12/19/mahasiswa-papua-di-yogja-tolak-pengiriman-tni

INDOLEFT News service

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From regwestpapua list

3) Answers Dutch Min. of FA on questions about shootings Paniai

Answers of the Dutch Minister of FA, Bert Koenders, on  the written questions
about Paniai by Dutch Members of Parliament Van der Staaij (SGP Party),
Voordewind (CU Party), Knops (CDA Party), Ten Broeke (VVD Party), Van Bommel
(SP Party), Servaes (PvdA Party) and De Roon (PVV party) concerning the
shooting of five Papuans by the Indonesian police force.
Date : 19-12-2014
Translation Pro Papua.

Q. 1
Did you hear the message that at least five Papuans have been shot and
killed by the Indonesian police force or the military when they opened fire
into a crowd of protesting civilians?

A. 1
Yes.

Q. 2.
Can you inform us about the facts concerning this matter? How do you judge
this violent act?

A. 2
Although The Cabinet cannot provide an authoritative view on the origins of
the incident in the Paniai region as yet, The Cabinet deeply regrets the death
of the five Papuans. The Indonesian authorities immediately conducted an
investigation into the facts. The results will have to be awaited.

Q. 3
Are you willing to ask for an explanation with your Indonesian colleague
about these extremely bloody actions by the police force and the military?

A. 3
Yes.

Q. 4
Can you give an indication concerning the current trend as far as relations
between the Indonesian authorities and Papuans are concerned? Do you see any
progress?

A. 4
Even before he took office president Joko Widodo started consultations with
local religious, social and political leaders in order to standardize
relations between the Indonesian authorities and the Papuan people. Several
ecclesiastical and social representatives stated that the president actually
is willing to address the underlying problems. It stands to reason that we
will closely watch further developments.

Q. 5
During which occasions have you recently discussed the sensitive
relationship with your Indonesian colleague and what is the outcome of this?

A. 5
The situation in Papua has been discussed at several bilateral encounters,
most recently by my predecessor in the margin of NSS2014 (during the Nuclear
Security Summit in The Haque -  Pro  Papua)
During these talks the former Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Natelagawa promised that investigations will be made to give substance to the
autonomy of Papua.

Q. 6
Do you see new possibilities for The Netherlands in order to improve the
situation of the Papuan people and which multilateral channels do you think
useful for this purpose?

A. 6
The Netherlands contributes to the improvement of the situation in Papua and
West-Papua through collaboration with the Indonesian national police force and
the International Organisation for Migration. This community policing program
aims at improving the relation between the police force and the local
communities by means of dialogue and human rights training programs. The
Netherlands also contribute to the prevention of HIV/Aids in collaboration
with the Indonesian authorities and UNICEF.

Dutch text:
http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten-en-publicaties/kamerstukken/2014/12/19/beantwoording-kamervragen-over-doodschieten-papoea-s-door-indonesische-politie.html

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