2) Insight: Papuans must benefit from resource exploitation -
3) Legislator calls to probe Israeli presence in Tolikara
4) President Jokowi to Build Presidential Palace in Papua
5) Government Fails to Guarantee Religious Freedom, Rights Group Says
7) THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH WEST PAPUA
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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/99823/10-firearms-investigated-over-tolikara-incident
1) 10 firearms investigated over Tolikara incident
Kamis, 6 Agustus 2015 03:44 WIB | 313 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - Papua Provincial Police have seized 10 firearms from Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel questioned in connection with the July 17 attack in the Karubaga region of Tolikara District, Papua Province.
The questioning was held at the police forensic laboratory center in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Chief of the Papua Provincial Police Station Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said here on Wednesday.
The firearms were checked according to the mechanism. Some of the Brimob personnel carried firearms at that time, he said.
The 10 firearms belong to Brimob personnel assigned in Karubaga, Waterpqau said adding a total of 40 Brimob members have been questioned so far.
After all, the shooting which left 11 civilians injured with gunshot wounds on their feet and arms followed the standing procedure, he said.
The gunshot wounds were the result of bullet reflection as they directed their firearms to the ground and not to crowd.
A group of local Muslims were attacked while performing Eid al-Fitr prayers inside the yard of Karubaga district military precinct on July 17.
At least two people have been named suspects in the case. They admitted to have pelted stones at the Muslims.
The suspects, identified as AK and JW, were arrested on July 24 for their alleged involvement in the attack, spokesman of the Papua provincial police headquarters Senior Commissioner Patrige said.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla condemned the incident, which had resulted in the death of a local resident and injuries to several others during the local policemens efforts to control the chaotic situation.(*)
The questioning was held at the police forensic laboratory center in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Chief of the Papua Provincial Police Station Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said here on Wednesday.
The firearms were checked according to the mechanism. Some of the Brimob personnel carried firearms at that time, he said.
The 10 firearms belong to Brimob personnel assigned in Karubaga, Waterpqau said adding a total of 40 Brimob members have been questioned so far.
After all, the shooting which left 11 civilians injured with gunshot wounds on their feet and arms followed the standing procedure, he said.
The gunshot wounds were the result of bullet reflection as they directed their firearms to the ground and not to crowd.
A group of local Muslims were attacked while performing Eid al-Fitr prayers inside the yard of Karubaga district military precinct on July 17.
At least two people have been named suspects in the case. They admitted to have pelted stones at the Muslims.
The suspects, identified as AK and JW, were arrested on July 24 for their alleged involvement in the attack, spokesman of the Papua provincial police headquarters Senior Commissioner Patrige said.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla condemned the incident, which had resulted in the death of a local resident and injuries to several others during the local policemens efforts to control the chaotic situation.(*)
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2) Insight: Papuans must benefit from resource exploitation -
Medelina K. Hendytio, Jakarta | Insight | Wed, August 05 2015, 4:30 PM - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/05/insight-papuans-must-benefit-resource-exploitation.html#sthash.ruDyJnW1.dpuf
Once home to thick tropical forest, many parts of Papua seem to have been turned inside out and filled with holes as a result of overexploitation of natural resources. The rivers have changed color because of the accumulation of waste from mining operations for the last 50 years, including that of PT Freeport Indonesia (FI), which arrived in the mid-1960s.
Freeport alone has been held responsible for the damage of 30,000 hectares of rainforest, as well as the Ajkwa and Kopi rivers (Abrash and Kennedy, 2002). Other sources suggest that the mines have already released one billion tons of tailings into the local river system, resulting in copper concentrations in the river water double the tolerable limit (Indonesian Forum for the Environment, 2006) at the expense of indigenous people, primarily the Amungme and Kamoro tribes, who depend on nature for food, water and other basic needs and cultural practices.
Mining operations are also associated with conflict and violence. Labor and land disputes and human rights violations by companies as well as the military in suppressing labor unrest or protests have brought the state and society into conflict.
Mining operations that blatantly disregard the customary rights of the indigenous Papuan community have created structural injustice. Many Papuans feel that their natural riches have been stolen from them, their cultural and customary land rights neglected and their access to jobs denied.
This historical record needs to be reopened, especially now that the government is negotiating an extension of Freeport’s contract. The government has hinted its approval of the continuation of Freeport’s operation for the next 20 years, following the willingness of the US-based gold mining company to accelerate the regime change from contract of work (COW) into a special mining license (IUPK) before the contract expires in 2021.
However, there are still legal issues hampering this early negotiation process. Article 112B, paragraph (2) of Government Regulation No. 77/2014 states that a request for operation extension can only be submitted to the energy and mineral resources minister at the earliest two years and no later than six months before the expiry date, which in Freeport Indonesia’s case is 2019. This article will prevent the obtainment of an extension approval by Freeport from the government this year.
However, it seems that there will be tremendous efforts by Freeport and the government to resolve the issue before 2019. Nonetheless, there is still enough time for the government to formulate the terms and conditions to ensure that Indonesia maintains its sovereignty over the wealth of natural resources in Papua, as well as the freedom and authority to stop Freeport keeping all the wealth for itself.
The history of major liquid gas producer PT Arun NGL in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, should serve as a lesson. The company ended 36 years of operation on Oct. 15, 2014. Termination of the company’s operations raised fears of a rise in poverty in the area. Workers who were brought in from other areas to Lhokseumawe went back to their hometowns without transferring their knowledge and skills to the locals.
All this indicates that mining or resource-based companies have not made sufficient social and economic investment to ensure the sustainability of public welfare. Corporate social responsibility programs, as well as local governments, have failed to prepare local people to acquire skills and sustain economic activities.
PT Arun built good infrastructure and provided assistance to the local government, but without a sufficient maintenance budget, facilities degrade in no time. Lhokseumawe remains financially weak, educationally undeveloped and lacking in jobs. But a company’s exploitation of resources without an appropriate long-term exit strategy cannot improve the public welfare. This truth is borne out in regions across Indonesia.
If Freeport’s extension is granted, the company will operate until 2041, 26 more years of extracting gold and copper from Papua to send overseas. A huge amount of taxes and royalties will fill the government’s coffers, financial resources will flow to the Amungme and Komoro tribes for community development and education and health care will become available to surrounding communities. But the questions remain: Is the material reward proportional to the amount of natural resources and environmental damage caused? How will tax revenues and royalties, as well as corporate social responsibility, be utilized to develop human resources and sustain Papua’s future?
Papuans have never really benefited from their homeland’s incredible natural wealth. Discrimination against them in terms of employment remains unabated, as their skills remain poor. Conflicts and social tensions between residents and tribes persist, alongside the political conflicts that enflame longing for independence.
Negotiations within the framework of Freeport’s extension of operation have resulted in the agreement of a number of points, prompted both by the central government and partly by local administrations.
Of the 11 points raised by the Papua administrations, four especially need to be implemented, as they concern the future of Papua, especially after Freeport leaves. The four points in question concern the management of environmental impacts, the eventual closure of the mine, mining regulations and the role of local human resources.
Implementation of these four points will guarantee environmental protection and the dignity of the Papuan people. They need to be elaborated into concrete action plans, with implementation and progress open to public scrutiny or monitored by relevant civil society groups. Above all, Papuans must see improvements in living standards, welfare and dignity if Freeport is allowed to operate for the next 20 years.
_______________________
The writer is a senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta. -
Freeport alone has been held responsible for the damage of 30,000 hectares of rainforest, as well as the Ajkwa and Kopi rivers (Abrash and Kennedy, 2002). Other sources suggest that the mines have already released one billion tons of tailings into the local river system, resulting in copper concentrations in the river water double the tolerable limit (Indonesian Forum for the Environment, 2006) at the expense of indigenous people, primarily the Amungme and Kamoro tribes, who depend on nature for food, water and other basic needs and cultural practices.
Mining operations are also associated with conflict and violence. Labor and land disputes and human rights violations by companies as well as the military in suppressing labor unrest or protests have brought the state and society into conflict.
Mining operations that blatantly disregard the customary rights of the indigenous Papuan community have created structural injustice. Many Papuans feel that their natural riches have been stolen from them, their cultural and customary land rights neglected and their access to jobs denied.
This historical record needs to be reopened, especially now that the government is negotiating an extension of Freeport’s contract. The government has hinted its approval of the continuation of Freeport’s operation for the next 20 years, following the willingness of the US-based gold mining company to accelerate the regime change from contract of work (COW) into a special mining license (IUPK) before the contract expires in 2021.
However, there are still legal issues hampering this early negotiation process. Article 112B, paragraph (2) of Government Regulation No. 77/2014 states that a request for operation extension can only be submitted to the energy and mineral resources minister at the earliest two years and no later than six months before the expiry date, which in Freeport Indonesia’s case is 2019. This article will prevent the obtainment of an extension approval by Freeport from the government this year.
However, it seems that there will be tremendous efforts by Freeport and the government to resolve the issue before 2019. Nonetheless, there is still enough time for the government to formulate the terms and conditions to ensure that Indonesia maintains its sovereignty over the wealth of natural resources in Papua, as well as the freedom and authority to stop Freeport keeping all the wealth for itself.
The history of major liquid gas producer PT Arun NGL in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, should serve as a lesson. The company ended 36 years of operation on Oct. 15, 2014. Termination of the company’s operations raised fears of a rise in poverty in the area. Workers who were brought in from other areas to Lhokseumawe went back to their hometowns without transferring their knowledge and skills to the locals.
All this indicates that mining or resource-based companies have not made sufficient social and economic investment to ensure the sustainability of public welfare. Corporate social responsibility programs, as well as local governments, have failed to prepare local people to acquire skills and sustain economic activities.
PT Arun built good infrastructure and provided assistance to the local government, but without a sufficient maintenance budget, facilities degrade in no time. Lhokseumawe remains financially weak, educationally undeveloped and lacking in jobs. But a company’s exploitation of resources without an appropriate long-term exit strategy cannot improve the public welfare. This truth is borne out in regions across Indonesia.
If Freeport’s extension is granted, the company will operate until 2041, 26 more years of extracting gold and copper from Papua to send overseas. A huge amount of taxes and royalties will fill the government’s coffers, financial resources will flow to the Amungme and Komoro tribes for community development and education and health care will become available to surrounding communities. But the questions remain: Is the material reward proportional to the amount of natural resources and environmental damage caused? How will tax revenues and royalties, as well as corporate social responsibility, be utilized to develop human resources and sustain Papua’s future?
Papuans have never really benefited from their homeland’s incredible natural wealth. Discrimination against them in terms of employment remains unabated, as their skills remain poor. Conflicts and social tensions between residents and tribes persist, alongside the political conflicts that enflame longing for independence.
Negotiations within the framework of Freeport’s extension of operation have resulted in the agreement of a number of points, prompted both by the central government and partly by local administrations.
Of the 11 points raised by the Papua administrations, four especially need to be implemented, as they concern the future of Papua, especially after Freeport leaves. The four points in question concern the management of environmental impacts, the eventual closure of the mine, mining regulations and the role of local human resources.
Implementation of these four points will guarantee environmental protection and the dignity of the Papuan people. They need to be elaborated into concrete action plans, with implementation and progress open to public scrutiny or monitored by relevant civil society groups. Above all, Papuans must see improvements in living standards, welfare and dignity if Freeport is allowed to operate for the next 20 years.
_______________________
The writer is a senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta. -
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3) Legislator calls to probe Israeli presence in Tolikara
Rabu, 5 Agustus 2015 20:03 WIB | 409 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Chairman of the Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) Mahfudz Siddiq has called for a probe into the alleged presence of Israelis
and Zionist symbols in Tolikara, Papua.
Their motive would not be to spread their religion as Judaism is an exclusive religion, the lawmaker affirmed here on Wednesday.
"The presence of Israeli citizens in Papua and Israeli symbols in Tolikara as reported on the social media is not by accident," he stated.
He suspected that the Israelis are being used for a political operation in Papua, in general. Therefore, the security authorities must thoroughly investigate their presence in Papua.
"It is most likely that a certain party has used those people to conduct a political operation in Papua," he said.
Not only in Tolikara, but the government, through the National Police, the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and the foreign ministry, should also investigate
Their motive would not be to spread their religion as Judaism is an exclusive religion, the lawmaker affirmed here on Wednesday.
"The presence of Israeli citizens in Papua and Israeli symbols in Tolikara as reported on the social media is not by accident," he stated.
He suspected that the Israelis are being used for a political operation in Papua, in general. Therefore, the security authorities must thoroughly investigate their presence in Papua.
"It is most likely that a certain party has used those people to conduct a political operation in Papua," he said.
Not only in Tolikara, but the government, through the National Police, the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and the foreign ministry, should also investigate
the presence of Israeli passport holders, he added.
The Tolikara case could not be considered as a serious issue if it is not related to the Papuan separatist movement.
However, the case could become a serious issue if it is related to the separatist movement in Papua.
"They just need a trigger. We need to remember that maintaining peace in Papua is not only in the interest of Indonesia but also in the interests of several other countries," he added.
The Tolikara case is a warning for the government to comprehensively solve the Papua problem, he stated.
The Tolikara incident occurred on July 17 morning when hundreds of people attacked and pelted stones at the Muslims performing outdoor Eid al-Fitr prayers at the military offices
The Tolikara case could not be considered as a serious issue if it is not related to the Papuan separatist movement.
However, the case could become a serious issue if it is related to the separatist movement in Papua.
"They just need a trigger. We need to remember that maintaining peace in Papua is not only in the interest of Indonesia but also in the interests of several other countries," he added.
The Tolikara case is a warning for the government to comprehensively solve the Papua problem, he stated.
The Tolikara incident occurred on July 17 morning when hundreds of people attacked and pelted stones at the Muslims performing outdoor Eid al-Fitr prayers at the military offices
yard in Karubaga sub-district, Tolikara district, forcing the worshippers, who are Muslim minority in the area, to flee to a nearby local military office for protection.
The mob set fires that burnt down more than 50 kiosks and houses, as well as the Baitul Mutaqqin mosque.
The attack prompted security officers to open fire at them. Some 11 perpetrators, who are members of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI), were injured, while one was killed in the shooting.
The Tolikara GIDI had earlier issued a circular banning Muslims from performing Eid al-Fitr prayers in the district, as it had coincided with an international Evangelical Churches meeting on July 13-19, which was attended by 2.5 thousand participants, including representatives from the Netherlands, the United States, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Israel.(*)
The mob set fires that burnt down more than 50 kiosks and houses, as well as the Baitul Mutaqqin mosque.
The attack prompted security officers to open fire at them. Some 11 perpetrators, who are members of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI), were injured, while one was killed in the shooting.
The Tolikara GIDI had earlier issued a circular banning Muslims from performing Eid al-Fitr prayers in the district, as it had coincided with an international Evangelical Churches meeting on July 13-19, which was attended by 2.5 thousand participants, including representatives from the Netherlands, the United States, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Israel.(*)
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4) President Jokowi to Build Presidential Palace in Papua
TEMPO.CO, Kembu - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo plans to build a presidential palace in Papua, according to Presidential Chief of Staff Luhut Binsar Panjaitan during his visit to a school in Kembu, Tolikara, Papua, on Tuesday, August 4, 2015.
"This year, the president will build a presidential palace in Jayapura," said Luhut as quoted by Derwes Jigwa, spokesman for the Tolikara regional government on Wednesday, August 5, 2015.
According to Derwes, Luhut was observing the development in Kembu district together with Tolikara Regent Usman G. Wanimbo, several Tolikara officials and presidential staffs. Derwes said that Luhut did not provide details on the location of the presidential palace.
Luhut said that Tolikara must take full responsibility of the development of education in the region and urged everyone to prevent future conflicts similar to the incident that occurred on July 17, 2015.
Luhut added that President Jokowi has promised to improve fundamental development in all sectors in Papua. Luhut underlined that there are three important sectors that will be prioritized, namely education infrastructure, and corruption eradication.
MARIA RITA
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5) Government Fails to Guarantee Religious Freedom, Rights Group Says
Yogyakarta, Jubi – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) deplored the incident in which a mosque was burned in Tolikara, Papua.
The incident on July 17 was allegedly triggered by the shooting of civilians, triggering panic among local people. After the incident, some religious leaders and public officials have fueled the tensions by giving provocative comments in media.
KontraS said following Tolikara incident, at least there are three incidents of vandalism and burning over the house of worship in Palu (Sulawesi Tengah), Purworejo (Jawa Tengah) and Bantul (DI Yogyakarta).
“We assumed those incidents were a vengeance related to the last incident at Tolikara that triggered by provocative comments,” KontraS stated in Press Conference published in KontraS official website on last month.
“We assumed those incidents were a vengeance related to the last incident at Tolikara that triggered by provocative comments,” KontraS stated in Press Conference published in KontraS official website on last month.
For not being anticipated and letting the provocative sentiments related to race and religious issue that raised in some Indonesian’s regions indicated that the State is frequently absence in every efforts to guarantee a protection towards it citizens in freedom of faith, especially the right to do a worship.
Instead of provide a protection to its citizens; it has an impression that the State did a negligence and discrimination. Though the freedom of worship is guaranteed in the Constitution 1945, namely Article 28 E paragraph 1 and 2 and Article 29 paragraph 2 which says ‘Each person is free to have a religion and do a worship according to their belief. Law No. 39/1999 about Human Rights said,” Each person has a right to have a belief, states their thought and act according to their compassion; State guarantee the freedom of its citizens to have their belief and do worship according to their religion and belief”.
The Law No 12 2005 about International Covenant Endorsement about Civil and Politic Rights Article 18 said “everyone has a right of freedom of thought, faith and religion as well as the protection of those rights, and Article 27 said “and the act to protect the ethnic group, religion and minority language might be a responsible of State,”.
Referring to several laws and Tolikara incident, KontraS considered the State has failed in providing a guarantee to protect the freedom of belief. The State has conducted a humanity crime due to its negligence when it acted permissively over many violation incidents on religious base.
Therefore, KontraS condemned all forms of violence in the name of religious and destruction of house of worship both in Tolikara or any regions in Indonesia. In addition, KontraS urged the government to conduct an evaluation on regional regulation related to religion, which actually create a discrimination against minority religious community. We shall remind that Indonesia is not the State of Religion; therefore it is not justified to make Religious Law into State Law.
KontraS also urged the Indonesian Police taking action against perpetrators of violence and vandalism over the house of worship both in Tolikara or other regions, including those who spread the provocative messages or calls. “We also remind and believe that all religions/beliefs are created to eliminate any type of violence and avoid the hatred or prejudice,” stated KontraS. (Arnold Belau/rom)
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6) AMPTPI Urges Police to Question Shooters of Tolikara Incident
Jayapura, Jubi – The Students Association of Central Mountains urged Papua Police to stop summoning GIDI leaders and the two people detained by Papua regional police related to Tolikara case on July 17.
“Police should end the examination of the TRC committee and GIDI board because both parties have agreed to peace,” the chairman of Executive Board of Eastern Indonesia, AMPTI said in Waena,Jayapura, on last week.
Andy then urged police to examine police officers and members of security who did the shooting that killed one person and injured 10 young men that led to the burning of kiosks owned by residents.
“If police keep forcing, people will get angry. AMPTPI will do mobilization. Police must focus on the shooting case instead “said Gobay.
“If police keep forcing, people will get angry. AMPTPI will do mobilization. Police must focus on the shooting case instead “said Gobay.
Previously, Ustad Ali Mukhtar who represents Muslims in Karubaga, Tolikara requested that the legal proceedings ongoing as a result of the incident in Karubaga was stopped.
“We agree that the prisoners to be immediately released so that this problem is not prolonged. We apologize if we’ve done mistakes, “said Ustad Ali.
“We agree that the prisoners to be immediately released so that this problem is not prolonged. We apologize if we’ve done mistakes, “said Ustad Ali.
While President GIDI, Rev. Dorman Wandikbo hoped that all GIDI church throughout Indonesia to be freed worship. As according to him, there are several churches of GIDI in some areas Indonesia are closed due to Tolikara incident.
“Some GIDI churches are closed. GIDI congregation also experience intimidation and violence. Therefore we want to solve the problem peacefully for now and forever. We want resolve our problem today, so that our people can worship as usual,” Rev. Dorman said (Mawel Benny/Tina)
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Surfing Life (blog)
7) THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH WEST PAPUA
5 August
Words Wade Davis
An excerpt from our current special edition, Aftermath. See what else is inside over here, otherwise, just look out for the Mick and Julian cuddle on the cover.
With waves like this, Indonesia's northern coasts should definitely be on our minds. But let's not forget about the locals' plight when we're daydreaming about drainers. Photo: Stu Gibson
During the course of your internets you may have stumbled across social media posts supporting the Free West Papua movement. West Papua is the Indonesian half of Papua New Guinea. It is the Indonesian half of Papua New Guinea and not the western half of Papua New Guinea because West Papua was colonially Dutch while PNG was German. When the Dutch were forced out of the region, the west half went to the newly formed nation of Indonesia, or something like that.
Or something kinda not really like that at all. After World War II, when the Dutch left the rest of Indonesia, they stayed in West Papua. The newly formed Indonesia was going, Oy, give us West Papua like you gave us everything else, and the Dutch were like, Nahhh, we want to stay here, or at least we’ll give West Papua to the Papuans.
The colour of this water isn't deceiving. It actually looks like this. Photo: Brad Masters
But the Indonesians weren’t having it, and they insisted that the Dutch hand over the territory. After a while the Americans and the United Nations were like, Maybe you should let the Papuans decide, and so in 1969 Indonesia organised a vote, called The Act of Free Choice, and invited 1000 handpicked Papuans and forced them to vote in favour of becoming a part of Indonesia. How do we know this? Because the United Nations watched it all happen.
Since then the Indonesians haven’t been very nice to the Papuans, with over 500,000 being killed by Indonesian security forces, with many more raped, tortured or imprisoned. They’ve been denied access to even the most basic human rights and have had any opposition to Indonesian control of their land violently quashed. The Indonesians have showed that they are adamant that West Papua is a part of Indonesia.
Photo: Stu Gibson
This is because West Papua is a very resource-rich region and it spins a lot of money for the Indonesian government. There are vast swathes of rainforest being cut down by the military, and the world’s biggest goldmine is in West Papua – the American owned Freeport mine in Grasberg. The rights to this mine were drawn up between Indonesia and the Americans in 1965 – four years before West Papua even became Indonesian. There’s a very feasible theory that it was this mine that greatly influenced America into supporting Indonesian control over West Papua.
As for the Indonesians, well they honestly see West Papua as being a part of their country, and they have international law to back them up. They view Papuan claims of separatism as undermining their sovereignty and use what they see as appropriate force to protect what is theirs. They will not give us West Papua – they’d be crazy to – but there is hope that they can make moves to grant the Papuan people greater autonomy.
The bird of paradise comes from around here. So does the beachie of paradise, aka this place. Cooper Chapman getting his slice. Photo: Brad Masters
As surfers we’ve been exploring West Papua for a while now: its northern coasts are exposed to northern hemisphere winter swells (Hawaii season). The people of West Papua are lovely and generous; their land is some of the most breathtaking in the world. We recommend that you do some of your own research on West Papua and the Free West Papua movement, as there are some pretty full-on things happening not only in a surf zone, but a surf zone that is just north of Australia.
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