Monday, September 28, 2015

1) Native Affairs – Inside West Papua – Part 1


2) Native Affairs trumps mainstream media in exclusive West Papua TV report
3) Task Force Patrol RI-PNG Border
4) Equipment at Dok II Hospital Broken, Patients Have to be Referred to Outside Papua
5) Health Minister Assigns Papua Health Chief to Tackle Leprosy in Mumugu
6) Papua Train Project Set for 2016
7) From Sumatera, Haze Shift to Manokwari
8) Central Koya is Filariasis Endemic

9) PIF decision on human rights in West Papua

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http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/politics/native-affairs--inside-west-papua--part-1

1) Native Affairs – Inside West Papua – Part 1

By Adrian Stevanon 

While this country agonises over whether or not it should change its flag, spare a thought for those who have a real problem with theirs. 
In the Indonesian province of West Papua, indigenous Papuans have been arrested and killed for raising their flag the Morning Star, seen by some a symbol of independence.
However Native Affairs producer and cameraman Adrian Stevanon along with journalist Karen Abplanap recently travelled to West Papua to speak to the indigenous people about their lives.
It's the first time in 50 years a New Zealand television crew has been allowed into the province.  Here is part one of their special report. A warning some of the images in this report you may find disturbing.
The Native Affairs team travelled to West Papua with the assistance of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. 

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http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2015/09/native-affairs-trumps-mainstream-media-in-exclusive-west-papua-tv-report/
11:46 September 28, 2015 0 comments

Preview of producer Adrian Stevanon’s groundbreaking report on West Papua. Image: MTS Native Affairs
“We were among the first media people allowed in in decades. The challenge now is to see if other media outlets in New Zealand will take the opportunity to try and apply.” Asia-Pacific Journalism reports on the West Papua mission by Adrian Stevanon.
Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Latifa Daud
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo lifting the foreign media ban in West Papua is a promising step, says Māori Television Native Affairs producer Adrian Stevanon.

Stevanon has recently returned from West Papua, saying the experience was “interesting” and his programme is being broadcast tonight.
“Going in you’re not so sure how things are going to play out on the ground. I felt pretty safe the whole time,” he says.

Native Affairs producer Adrian Stevanon … mainstream media should care about West Papua. Image: MTS
“For all the things I’ve read about the region, what videos I’ve watched online – my own experience was quite different.
“I was worried about my safety and it turned out I really had nothing to worry about as long as you use your common sense.”
However, Stevanon says because permits are still hard to get, it makes reporting about the region difficult.
“I think mainstream media should care and should take an interest in what is happening in West Papua.
“On the flipside if it’s so hard to get in it makes it extremely hard for New Zealand journalists to send their own people in.
“We were among the first media people allowed in in decades. The challenge now is to see if other media outlets in New Zealand will take the opportunity to try and apply [for permits].”

Mainstream media reportingRadio NZ International journalist Johnny Blades has received his media permit to visit the region.
He says Papua generally does not feature on most mainstream media outlets in New Zealand.
“Most mainstream media have other fish to fry, insular issues such as housing prices, injuries to All Blacks …. Coverage of foreign stories falls into a fairly narrow category here.
“I would venture to say many media outlets are used to their foreign news being dished on a plate for them, without actively going out to learn about the complexities of our wider region.”
Accessing verifiable information is the challenge, which is why gaining a permit is a step forward for Blades.
“Previously I was declined a visa, but this year – since President Jokowi’s announcement that foreign media restrictions were lifted – a few of us have got journalist visas.
“It can be very difficult to contact people in Papua region due to the remoteness of the place, its patchy telecommunications and language barriers.
“Yet the telecommunications scene does seem to be improving and there are now frequent reports filtering out from various actors on the ground. These reports however are often not easy to verify.”

Local reporters still sceptical
A report by Stephen Hill at the University of Wollongong, Papuans and Jokowi are hostage to Indonesian politics, mentions the scepticism of local reporters regarding the lifting of the media ban.
His decision was announced in May 2015 on a visit to Papua, one of three scheduled for the year.
“Jokowi announced the lifting of the ban on foreign media and released five political prisoners who he then met personally.
“However, between 20 and 30 people remain incarcerated and local journalists are sceptical about the lifting of the media ban, which they regard as window dressing that will still exclude reports of human rights abuse.
“On this visit, Jokowi also announced a slate of new infrastructure investments in energy, tourism, manufacturing and communications.”
He also argues that the fabric of Indonesian politics would ultimately hinder potential progress in Papua.
“Jokowi is in a bind of his own making. He is a man of vision and integrity frozen by the politics of his time.”
“Papua awaits escape from being held hostage to wider Indonesian politics. But escape for the Papuans first requires Jokowi to escape his political shackles in order to deal with human rights abuses in Papua.”

‘Do more’ plea
Leilani Salesa, spokeswoman for Oceania Interrupted, says part of the reason why the New Zealand media has not shown much interest in the region is because of our relationship with Papua.
Oceania Interrupted is a collective of Māori and Pasifika women who use art to raise awareness about West Papua.
“It’s largely to do with our contemporary relationship with West Papua. We don’t have a direct relationship like we do with Samoa.”
She also argues that the situation calls for the New Zealand media to step up in what she describes as “the world’s forgotten decolonisation struggle’.
“This is a situation whereby people can exercise their own power and we know that can happen through social media and citizen journalism. That is one way to spread the message.
“They have the responsibility to do their job.”
The same can also be said for the New Zealand government, according to Salesa.
“We have a Prime Minister who is willing to mobilise and send troops to other parts of the world because the rights of other people are threatened and put at risk and yet on the issue of West Papua his lips are almost sealed.”

More campaigning
Green MP Catherine Delahunty says the New Zealand public should continue to campaign for West Papua.
“We need to campaign hard, we need to keep making it visible, we need to keep telling the stories, we need to keep hosting West Papuan guests and we need to keep opening it up for public understanding.”
Delahunty says the difficulty imposed on local reporters puts the responsibility on the international community.
“They are dependent on us. Because they don’t have freedom they need us to speak out because that’s the job of all concerned citizens no matter what country we come from.”
“The more secrecy, the less people know about it and the more vulnerable the people of that country become.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully rejected Delahunty’s call to apply pressure to Indonesia at the 2015 Pacific Islands Forum to allow for an investigation into human rights abuses in West Papua.
“They are absolutely bound up in keeping good with Indonesia. They want to make sure they can continue their trade relationship and they don’t do anything that could imply support for West Papua.
“They have bought the line that West Papua is part of Indonesia.”
The Pacific Media Watch freedom project at AUT’s Pacific Media Centre has been reporting West Papua for the past two decades. Watch for Alistar Kata’s video report later today.

Political prisoners freed by President Joko Widodo in West Papua earlier this year. Image: Pacific Scoop
 
Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Centre | Te Amokura
D-87 School of Communication Studies
WG1027
Communications Precinct
2 Governor Fitzroy Place
AUT University
Private Bag 92006
AUCKLAND 1142
Aotearoa/New Zealand
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

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3) Task Force Patrol RI-PNG Border
POSTED BY: ADMIN SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
A security task force under at Indonesia and Papua New Guinea border conducted a patrol for the border markers – Jubi


Merauke, Jubi- A security task force under at Indonesia and Papua New Guinea border conducted a patrol for the border markers.
During a day- patrolling, there were no stakes shifting from the borders.
Brigade commander 15 / Kujang II, Colonel Infantry Bagus Suryadi Tayo told reporters on last week that patrolling border markers are routine tasks involving 10 soldiers each week.
He further said there are approximately 33 border markers in the southern region of Papua that become a priority in territorial security. “Yes, patrolling is conducted in order to convince that the stakes are always in place and after conducting routine patrol, we find no shifting,” he said.
Besides patrolling soldiers also conduct an examination of the traditional border crosser, both PNG and Indonesia citizen.
“We also ensure border crosser, either from PNG or Indonesian citizens can carry out these activities according to the rules,” he added.


Meanwhile, district chief Michael Walinaulik some time ago said, the border crosser from PNG, just come and buy some basic necessities and then immediately return either by bicycle or on foot. (Frans L Kobun/ Tina)

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4) Equipment at Dok II Hospital Broken, Patients Have to be Referred to Outside Papua
POSTED BY: ADMIN SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
Jayapura, Jubi – Many chemotherapy patients were very disappointed after knowing that a CT Scan machine or also known as a “CAT” scan owned by provincial hospital is broken.
Papua Provincial Health Director, Aloysius Giay, told Jubi on last week that the current medical device Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan in the Regional General Hospital (Hospital) Dok II , Jayapura, Papua has been out of service since the beginning of this year 2015.
As a result, many patients who need CT scans have to be referred to hospitals outside Papua, he said.
“At the moment, we can not serve them. My secretary of UP2KP has checked the CT scan directly and found it broken,” Giay said.
He added that the CT scan had been repaired some time ago, but was broken again.
“We have asked the management of Dok II Hospital to immediately fix it so that the patients can be served well,” he said.
He continued, if the scan is not repaired by the end of 2015, it means the patients can not be served.
He added, in order to overcome these problems, provincial government will equip several hospitals in Papua with the CT scan tool in 2016. So that people can have few alternatives when the damage occurred in hospitals Dok II Jayapura, Papua such as Biak hospital, Abepura hospital, Timika hospital and Yowari hospital,
He admitted that the CT Scan in Papua is now very urgent and important especially hospital referral hospital status.
Earlier, Director of the Dian Harapan Hospital (RSDH), Jayapura, Papua, Dr. Jon Calvin Frans Paat, said that Papua is very urgent, because up to now in Jayapura and Papua generally there is only hospital Dok II Jayapura that has a CT scan.
“There is always a problem with the CT scan, so we hope the provincial government of Papua can see it and can perform a CT scan on procurement,” he said some time ago.
Previously, there was a lack of oxygen at Wamena Hospital which resulted a number of patients treated in the emergency room (ER) into the victim. On Monday (09.21.2015) in the emergency room, there were almost four patients who did not get oxygen. Actually these patients desperately needed help for breathing as needed by a three and a half month old child who suffered respiratory problems but the kid did not get any oxygen for breathing.
As reported earlier by Jubi, chemotherapy patients at the General Hospital (Hospital) Dok II Jayapura, Papua, was worried after hearing the rumors that one other chemotherapy patients died as a result of the availability of drugs for chemotherapy patients empty.
A chemotherapy patient, a residen, Esye Karubuy when met at Dok II Hospital, Monday (14/09/2015) said, she received chemotherapy services for drug stocks run out.
She continued, Chemotherapy service for her was supposed to do on 8 August and by the hospital planned subsequent chemotherapy on September 8, but until Monday (14/09/2015), it was cancelled.
“I have to wait one more week but there was no treatment,” she said. (Munir/ Tina)
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5) Health Minister Assigns Papua Health Chief to Tackle Leprosy in Mumugu

POSTED BY: ADMIN SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

Jayapura, Jubi – Health Minister Nila F Moeloek has assigned the head of Papua Provincial Health Department drg Aloysius Giyai to monitor the condition of the lepers in Mumugu village, Sawaerma district, Asmat.
“Health Minister Nila F Moeloek assigned me to see the condition of the lepers in the area,” said Aloysius in Jayapura on last week.
“We checked the condition of lepers in Mumugu village, Asmat, during a working visit on Thursday (17/9). And I will report the results to the Minister,” he said.
In addition to the assignment, the governor Lukas Enembe also asked him to monitor the needs of each district in the province of Papua, especially in the health field.
He said that he had twice visited Mumugu village, the first visit was with former Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi in 2013 ago.
“I’ve visited Mumugu twice. Last year I came with the former Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi. We used helicopters from Timika,” he said.
According to him, there are quite significant changes that occur in Mumugu to the treatment of leprosy patients.
“I see there are some changes. We are happy because there are eight medical officers at health center. ,” he said.
Earlier, chief of Asmat Medical Officer dr. Pieter Pajala said, leprosy in Mumugu has been increased lately from about 140 to 166 people.
“Early August, was found 140 people with leprosy and then friends who work in Controlling Health Problems (PMK) did sweeping across Sawaerma district at the end of August and found about 20 lepers, so all amounts to 166 lepers,” he stated.
Pastor Hendrik Kada Pr who serve in Sawaerma district said the number of leprosy patients in Mumugu increase of about 150 people at the end of 2014, is now 165 people. (*)
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6) Papua Train Project Set for 2016
POSTED BY: ADMIN SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
Jakarta, Jubi – The head of the National Development Planning Agency, Sofyan Djalil, said fast train projects linking Jakarta and Bandung and Jakarta and Surabaya are not the government priorities within the next five years.
Sofyan said on last week that these projects were not included in the National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) from 2015 to 2019, as well as projects funded from foreign debt plan or government Blue Book (Blue Book 2015-2019).
He said connectivity projects estimated to be worth tens of trillions can only be done by the private financing “business to business”, without government guarantees or funding, as well as the state capital participation (PMN) in the State Budget (APBN).
“We should be selective how we inject to the areas most in need of basic infrastructure,” said former Coordinating Minister for the Economy.
He said for the Jakarta-Bandung route, the infrastructure connectivity is already adequate. According to him, Cipularang highway, railroad, and also plans to build a toll of Sentul, Bogor has been able to serve the connectivity of citizens or goods that cross the two cities.
“But there are still bogged down there, so if you want to make the private sector yes please. But the government would not put money on it, we would select the priority, “he said.
Sofyan said that the government was never put fast train projects Jakarta-Bandung through offering scheme Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the past few years. However, he said, the PPP scheme was only for the feasibility study alone, not to the physical construction of the project.
Secretary of the National Development Planning Agency Imron Bulkin adding PPP scheme fast train is only to facilitate the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to conduct a feasibility study. He further said the government prefers to allocate the budget for the construction of a train in areas that do not have rail transport mode and Papua Trains are more priority with the current economic conditions.
He then said the government already incorporate rail projects of Papua and Kalimantan into the 2016 Government Work Plan. Currently, feasibility studies of Papua train is still going on. Meanwhile, the railway project in Kalimantan, one of which is the railway in East Kalimantan.
Director of Transport from Bappenas Bambang Prihartono previously said the first train service will be Sorong-Manokwari Papua. Papua rail construction costs will be taken from the state budget. (*)
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7) From Sumatera, Haze Shift to Manokwari


POSTED BY: ADMIN SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
Manokwari, Jubi – Haze has blanketed the city of Manokwari, West Papua province, since Thursday (23/09/2015).
The head of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of Rendani Station, Deni Putiray said smog that blanketed Manokwari was apparently due to fires that occurred in forest in Moluccas, Papua and Papua West.
“From the pictures taken from BMKG satellite, there are some hotspots in the province of Maluku, West Papua and Papua. Fog is probably derived from the fire, “he said in Manokwari, on last week.
He added, it appears there are some hotspots in Southeast Moluccas, Fak-Fak regency and Bintuni Bay, West Papua province; as well as in Merauke, Papua province.
“In Fak-Fak, approximately there are five hotspots, in Bintuni Bay, there are two points. Most are in Merauke, “he said again.
He explained that since the past few days, the wind moved from the southeast and south, so that the haze was predicted come from two directions.
According to him, this haze did not just blanket Manokwari but also other areas both in Papua and West Papua.
“I do not know, what is the impact to human. Definitely, the haze interferes with visibility, both vertically and horizontally,” he added. (*)
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8) Central Koya is Filariasis Endemic
POSTED BY: ADMIN SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

Jayapura, Jubi – The head of the Jayapura City Health Department, Arif Dwi Darmanto, said his office’s data shows that the number of filariasis patients has increased in Koya Tengah village.
“From the latest data, there were 21 cases, but now it’s growing again. Jayapura city and various other districts are becoming endemic areas,” Arif told Jubi, on last week.
He revealed a Filariasis Elimination Program will be launched symbolically in Jayapura city, next October 5th by the governor of Papua, Lukas Enembe.
“We will be assisted by the Papua Provincial Health Office. We will also involve health centers and sub-health centers to combat it,” he said.
Meanwhile, quoting from media Jakarta, said October 1 will mark the start of nationwide mass drug administration for lymphatic filariaris. This program is in collaboration with the Ministry of Health as part of a government campaign to urge people taking anti-elephantiasis medicine once a year in each of those dates, for five years in order to prevent the disease.
“This is a government program, because based on the study, it is proved that drugs can eliminate cases of elephantiasis disease as much as 1 percent per year,” said Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) of the Ministry of Health, Muhammad Subuh.
He also explained that cases of elephantiasis patients diminishing every year. Starting from the year 1980 the number of patients with this disease as much as 19.5 percent, while in 2014 the number of patients was reduced by 4.6 percent.
While in 2020, the government expects the number of sufferers back down minimum of one percent. (Sindung Sukoco/ Tina)
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9) PIF decision on human rights in West Papua
Statement by the Executive-Director of LP3BH
(The Institute of Research, Analysing and Development for Legal Aid)

  As a lawyer and human rights defender in the Land of Papua, I wish to express my appreciation to the leaders of the countries in the
Pacific Islands Forum for including in their Communique published on 11 September in Papua New Guinea a comment about human rights
violations  in West Papua.  In the Communique published at the end of their meeting, they announced the decision taken by the PIF leaders, headed by the Prime
Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill to send a fact-finding mission to the Land of Papua. However, this decision must first be
discussed with the government of Indonesia, under the leadership of President, Ir. H Joko Widodo. This would take place in order to find
out whether the Indonesian Government would agree to permit such a fact-finding mission from the PIF to visit West Papua.

  It is possible that the Indonesian government will not allow a fact-finding mission to visit West Papua because they regard matters
in West Papua as being an internal matter for Indonesia. This would be very unfortunate because, were the Indonesian
government to refuse to allow such a visit to take place, it would only strengthen the PIF Communique  which states that human rights
violations have been happening in West Papua for more than fifty years. It would moreover lead to yet more victims in West Papua, the
number of which has been rising from year to year according to research findings of a number of institutions.

  In such a situation, the LP3BH-Manokwari, as one of the  civil society NGOs in the Land of Papua, would then call upon the chairman
of the PIF and the PNG Prime Minister to act more decisively on this matter, together with other agencies in the Land of Papua (the
Province of Papua and the Province of West Papua) the Catholic Church and religious bodies such as the GKI Synode, the KINGMI Church, the
Baptist Church  as well as the Evangelical Church in Indonesia.  It is also essential for the leaders of the PIF to receive
information from and hear the views of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP)  as the representative agency that would raise
the issue of human rights violations in West Papua.

  Both the ULMWP and the PIF need to be informed about human rights violations in West Papua for the past fifty years as is acknowledged
in the Communique recently issued by the Melanesian Spearhead Group.  I call upon the Indonesian Government and PIF as well as the LP3BH
to give their full attention to the 50-year-long history of human rights violations in West Papua. and call upon them to ensure that
these matters are dealt with in accordance with the laws in force.  They also need to ensure that these matters are dealt with in
accordance with national laws in Indonesia as well as International Law.

   These human rights problems should be dealt with not only as something to strengthen one’s bargaining position but also a matter
that needs to be handled in accordance with the law, brought before a court of justice and dealt with fairly and independently.

  The LP3BH herewith declares that it will continue to scrutinise the legal measures that may be taken by  the chairman of the PIF, Peter
O’Neill and his colleagues as well as by the Indonesian government in order to ensure that enforcement of  the law and protection of the
people's rights is handled in the Land of Papua as widely as possible.
Peace.
[Translated by Carmel Budiardjo, Recipient of the Right Livelihood Award 1995.]
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