2) For Decades, Freeport Dumped Millions Cubic of Tailing into Arafura Sea
3) Parliament’s Legislation Body: Special Regulation Required to Protect Papua Commodity Traders
4) Police Uncover Cockatoo Smuggling from Papua at Tanjung Perak Seaport
5) Islands in focus: Papua continues to woo smelter investors
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1) ICP Urge EU to Send Human Rights Fact Finding Mission to West Papua
Jayapura, Jubi – Church leaders, human rights defenders, academics and international observers, gathered in Brussels during May 4-7 for the International Consultation on Papua 2015 to discuss the situation of human rights in Papua. These participant of ICP meeting also met in the European Parliament on 5 May 2015 upon the invitation of Ms Ana Gomes, Member of European Parliament, to discuss the current situation in Papua, with the presence of Chargé D’affaires of the Indonesia to the European Union and Indonesian diplomats from Brussels and Jakarta.
“During his visit to Papua in December 2014, President Joko Widodo publicly stated that he was committed to listening to the voices of Papuans, the latest development in Papua suggests a different reality,” Norman Voss, Chair of ICP told Jubi today (7/5/2015)
ICP are concerned with the most recent developments in Papua that have been marked with increased violence committed by the Indonesian security forces against the indigenous Papuans.
The Chairperson of the Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua (GKI TP) Rev. Albert Yoku emphasised, “The situation in Papua deteriorated during the first six months since Joko Widodo assumed presidency.”
On 1 May 2015, 264 Papuans were arrested for commemorating the 52nd anniversary of the administrative transfer of Papua to Indonesia. There were reports of torture of demonstrators, with at least two remaining in detention. Two years ago, on 1 May 2013, at least 30 people were arrested for similar commemorative activities. The particularly repressive response this year represents a deterioration in the situation of freedom of expression and assembly in West Papua.
Until now, ICP concluded Papuans have experienced a demographic shift in which they have become a minority in their own land. This concern has been confirmed by the study of the West Papua Project at the University of Sydney. In the 1970s, the indigenous Papuans made up 70% of the population. But today, the indigenous Papuans only constitute 42% of the population. As a consequence of the demographic shift, the relationships between the indigenous and non-indigenous Papuans are more characterized by tensions, prejudice, discrimination and violence between the communities.
“Papuans also continue experiencing isolation from any engagement with the international community, including international human rights observers, journalists, researchers and humanitarian workers,” said Rev. Albert Yoku.
Having considered these concerns, ICP recommend the following.
To the Government of Indonesia:
– To end the excessive use of force by the Indonesian security forces and to review the security policy in Papua by involving broad participation of civil society at the local and national levels;
– To release all political prisoners without any condition;
– To ensure that impunity for human rights violation including torture does not persist;
– In the context of the demographic shift, to take concrete measures to protect the rights of the indigenous Papuans, including their customary rights over land and natural resources; and to prevent any attempt to promote conflict on the basis of ethnic differences;
– To implement the President’s commitment to neutrality mediated dialogue with Papuans by taking concrete actions, such as holding negotiations with the Papua Peace Negotiators;
– To end the excessive use of force by the Indonesian security forces and to review the security policy in Papua by involving broad participation of civil society at the local and national levels;
– To release all political prisoners without any condition;
– To ensure that impunity for human rights violation including torture does not persist;
– In the context of the demographic shift, to take concrete measures to protect the rights of the indigenous Papuans, including their customary rights over land and natural resources; and to prevent any attempt to promote conflict on the basis of ethnic differences;
– To implement the President’s commitment to neutrality mediated dialogue with Papuans by taking concrete actions, such as holding negotiations with the Papua Peace Negotiators;
To the European Union:
– To highlight the on-going and increasing human rights violations in Papua in the Human Rights Dialogue between EU and Indonesia by supporting the involvement and participation of civil society including Papuan groups;
– To send a human rights fact-finding mission to visit Papua in the near future;
– To urge the Government of Indonesia to end the restriction on practical access to Papua.
– To highlight the on-going and increasing human rights violations in Papua in the Human Rights Dialogue between EU and Indonesia by supporting the involvement and participation of civil society including Papuan groups;
– To send a human rights fact-finding mission to visit Papua in the near future;
– To urge the Government of Indonesia to end the restriction on practical access to Papua.
(Victor Mambor)
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2) For Decades, Freeport Dumped Millions Cubic of Tailing into Arafura Sea
Timika, Jubi – The Mimika government urged PT Freeport Indonesia to support the local government’s river restoration program at the coastal area due to sudden sedimentation that has interrupted the operation of public transportation.
The head of the Mimika Transportation and Communication Office, John Rettob, said in Timika on Tuesday (5/5/2015) that restoring the Mimika coastal area is very costly and the involvement of all parties, including the central government, provincial government, regional government and PT Freeport Indonesia is necessary.
“The budget allocation for this job is enormous, but it’s the price we have to pay in order to provide better services to the Papua indigenous people who live in the coastal villages to not let them being isolated from the outside world,” said Rettob. He further said the Mimika Regency has started the restoration at Mimika Barat region, in particular at Ipa River to Kokonao area that are very shallow especially during low tide.
Due to this condition, as the only mode of public transportation, the motor boats often strand for hours when taking passengers travel from Timika to Mimika coastal villages or vice versa. The river sedimentation at the Mimika coastal area is also the impact of PT Freeport’s mining activity, since it drops the mining waste from processing plant at Mile 74 to the Mimika lowland area through the Otomona River and continue to go to Arafura Sea in the southern Papua. During its operation for decades, the Freeport has thrown up to millions cubic of tailing to the Papua Southern sea everyday. These silk sands entered to the sea and swept away by the wave to the river lines triggering and accelerating the process of sedimentation.
“We highly expect it could be done together. We ask supports from both central and provincial government as well as from Freeport. If all agreed to provide supports, we just could share the task and responsibility among the parties,” said Rettob.
He added if all river lines at the Mimika coastal area could be restored, it could not only accommodate the access of transportation to the coastal villages, but also to improve the economic development for local community. “If the transportation was running well, the local economy would be grown and well developed. But if it wasn’t good, how could we improve the Human Development Index of Papua indigenous people? None of government’s officials would dare and want to be assigned in the remote and coastal areas if the transportation is still difficult and expensive,” he said.
He further said the Mimika Transportation and Communication Office strongly committed to complete this program. “We committed to revitalize the river transportation lines from Mimika Barat to Mimika Timur, Jita and Agimuga with continuing to pay attention to environment of local community who live in the river surrounding areas,” he said. (*/rom)
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3) Parliament’s Legislation Body: Special Regulation Required to Protect Papua Commodity Traders
Jayapura, Jubi – The Legislation Body of the Papua Legislative Council said a regulation is needed to protect Papuan indigenous people in solely selling local commodities such as betel nut, betel fruit, and buah merah (pandanus fruit).
The Legislation Body chairman Yan Ayomi said Papua indigenous people, in particular women traders who sell local commodities for their living have been demanding such protection.
He said if a Special Regional Regulation was later made, it should involve many related parties, including community, religious and customary leaders and so on, to provide input.
“I think the regulation on local commodity trade protection for Papua indigenous people need a legal reference. It’s also in accordance with the Papua Special Autonomy Law No. 21/2001,” Yan Ayomi told Jubi by phone on Tuesday (5/5/2015).
“I think the regulation on local commodity trade protection for Papua indigenous people need a legal reference. It’s also in accordance with the Papua Special Autonomy Law No. 21/2001,” Yan Ayomi told Jubi by phone on Tuesday (5/5/2015).
He said the indicator of Papua Special Autonomy’s achievement is not only the infrastructure development but also the welfare of indigenous Papuans.
“Though Papua is provided with a large amount of funds, it means nothing of indigenous
“Though Papua is provided with a large amount of funds, it means nothing of indigenous
Papuans are not living in prosperity but they will be if protected,” he said.
He further said of social gap between indigenous Papuans and non-Papuans is no longer existed, we can say the government or Papua Special Autonomy law was achieving its success.
Further he said despites the regulation to protect indigenous Papuans is existed, however, it would return to their personality how to improve their standard of living. “Regulation is only to protect the rights of indigenous Papuans, hereinafter it would up to their character to define their own destiny. The welfare issue is not only the responsibility of Papua Provincial Government, but both central and regional governments are also responsible to it,” he said.
Meanwhile, on one occasion, one of Papuan women traders, Yuliana Pigai told Jubi she expected the Provincial Government to establish a regulation to protect the Papuan traders. Further she said she was happy if the government and Papua Legislative Council are willing to fight for them. “We are happy if they are truly willing to fight for us. But we don’t like if they did it just for a position or take advantage of us. We just want to sell vegetables and so on. It’s enough for us, Papuan women. Papua officials also buy our commodities at Papua Women Traditional Market. It would increase our income,” said Yuliana Pigai at that time. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
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4) Police Uncover Cockatoo Smuggling from Papua at Tanjung Perak Seaport
Surabaya, Jubi – Police uncovered an attempt to smuggle rare parrots from Papua province at Tanjung Perak Seaport, Surabaya.
“We received information about the smuggling of protected species. We detained someone carrying parrots in Tidar Passenger Ship while it docked at the seaport,” Tanjung Perak Police Crime and Investigation Chief Adjunct Police Commissioner Aldy Sulaiman told reporters on Monday (4/5/2015).
He said police seized 22 cockatoos and a green parrot and brought the suspected smuggler to the police station for further questioning.
The police suspected a disembarked passenger, then searched him and found a yellow-crested cockatoo and a green parrot.
“We found these two birds in a box belonging to a passenger of Tidar Passenger Ship that shipping from Papua to Jakarta through Makassar and Surabaya,” he said accompanied with Tanjung Perak Seaport Police Spokesperson.
“We found these two birds in a box belonging to a passenger of Tidar Passenger Ship that shipping from Papua to Jakarta through Makassar and Surabaya,” he said accompanied with Tanjung Perak Seaport Police Spokesperson.
Feeling suspicious, the police entered the ship for searching several rooms and found twenty-one yellow-crested cockatoos hidden in two places at third deck. “These protected birds were put in the bottles of mineral water. In total we have secured twenty-two cockatoos and a green parrot,” he said.
A passenger identified with initial MY (37), Mojokerto resident, is currently being interrogated by the police and must undergo further investigation process. To the police, he admitted only carrying two birds whose he got from his fried in Makassar and didn’t know about the other twenty-one birds. “But we are still developing this case and now trying to figure out whether he has connection with dozens of birds founded at the ship’s third deck,” he said.
Later, the police make coordination with the Natural Resource Conservation Center of East Java related to this finding. If he was found guilty, he would be subjected to violate the article 21 and article 40 of Indonesian Law No. 5/1990 and Indonesian Regulation No.8/1999 about the Natural Resources Protection and Plants and Wildlife Reserved. He could be sentenced for five years in prison. (*/rom)
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5) Islands in focus: Papua continues to woo smelter investors
The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Archipelago | Thu, May 07 2015, 7:40 AM
“Papua is still looking for investors who are interested, and has provided land for the purpose,” said Papua Mining Office head Bangun Manurung in Jayapura on Wednesday.
He said the provincial administration had provided 142 hectares of land at Poumako Port in Mimika regency.
The smelter, with a capacity to process 900,00 tons of concentrate annually, would cost in the region of US$1 billion and be expected to start operating by 2020.
Two investors have expressed an interest in building the smelter and have conducted talks with the Papua provincial administration. They are NFC and Felix Gold Corporation, both from China.
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