\2) Governor Warns Native Papuans Could Disappear in 10 – 20 Years
3) Papua Parliament Support Lawsuit Against Freeport
4) West Papua Declares Itself ‘First Conservation Province’ in Indonesia, World
5) A Freeport IPO would benefit capital market: OJK
6) Decree to boost TNI’s civilian role
7) Papua fires send haze to Micronesia; Indonesia elections commission hints at environment debate
———————————————————————————————————————-
Uria Hans Joweni, passed away on 16 October – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – The people of Papua, especially the West Papua Liberation Army (TPN) has mourned the death of a charismatic figure in Brigadier General Richard Joweni.
The man whose real name was Uria Hans Joweni, passed away on 16 October at 23:00 Papua time at 72.
Joweni had been taken to the Vanimo Hospital to get medical treatment for gastrointestinal problems and physical weakness related to old age, after spending half of his life or 48 years as a guerilla fighter in the jungles of Papua.
His death is a great loss particularly for his three children because his wife had earlier passed away on 22 September 2014 due to illness. The late General Joweni who was the Supreme Commander of West Papua Revolutionary Liberation Army (TRP PB) Liberation Army was born on 3 December 1943 at a village located in Teluk Wondama Regency, West Papua Province.
As the TRP PB Supreme Commander, he headed 9 Papua Regional Command and 10 Military Command that partially covered the Papua Highland areas. General Joweni also the Chairman of West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) that incorporated with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to fight for West Papua through diplomacy at the MSG (Melanesian Spearhead Group) Forum and PIF (Pacific Islands Forum).
Besides leading the guerilla, he was also known as a diplomat who lobbied a number of leaders of Melanesian countries at South Pacific to support West Papua for independence. For his services to Papua and as the Supreme Commander of West Papua Revolutionary Liberation army, he was awarded the tittle of the General of Guerilla (Posthumous) during his funeral procession at Endokisi Yokari Village, Tanah Merah, Jayapura Region.
According to Jonah Wenda, the TRP PB Military Council spokesperson, in addition to be known as a persistent guerilla soldier in the jungle, Richard Joweni was also known as a charismatic figure in leading the struggle to the national liberation of West Papua nation. “He has taught ways to fight in dignity, peaceful and respect to others,” recalled Wenda.
Further he said, in order to continue the leadership at TRP PB, the Colonel Amos Serondanya is appointed to temporarily replace the late General Joweni until the next determination of the Supreme Commander. The determination would be held after fourteen days of mourning that is marked by rising the Morning-Star flag at half-mash in both military and Papua regional commands under TRP PB.
The funeral ceremony of the late Richard Joweni was held peacefully with the worship and military procession to honor him. The late Richard Joweni joined the West Papua Liberation Army in 1968 when he was 25 years old. Previously he had worked as a clerk in the Government of Netherlands in Papua. When the guerilla was led by Seth Rumkorem, he got several strategic positions until he was later appointed as the Supreme Commander of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) until his death. (J. Howay/rom)
—————————————————————————————————
2) Governor Warns Native Papuans Could Disappear in 10 – 20 Years
Jayapura, Jubi – The planed transmigration program in Papua proposed by Minister of Rural, Remote Development Area and Transmigration, Marwan Jafar, is a demographic threat to indigenous Papuans, warned Papua Governor Lukas Enembe.
“We have rejected this Central Government’s program. If they are still put it into their agenda, it should be the local transmigration instead of sending people from Java or other regions to Papua,” Enembe said on last week.
“Replacing poor people to Papua means to bring problems to Papua. It would not only bring the economic, employment of social problems, but I am worried that the transmigration would demolish the population of indigenous Papuans. I am afraid that within ten to twenty years the indigenous Papuans would disappear from this land,” Enembe told Jubi at the Governor’s Official Resident in Jayapura on Saturday evening (17/10/2015).
The governor said until now no party has the accurate data about the number of indigenous Papuans in Papua. So how to protect the indigenous Papuans of the transmigration program is still continued without any data on the population of indigenous Papuans?
“We are still struggling with some issues of education, health, infrastructure and empowerment of indigenous Papuans. The transmigration would add the problem faced by the local government. Moreover if those who brought in are people without expertise thus it would not give benefit to the development in this land,” said Enembe.
“We are still struggling with some issues of education, health, infrastructure and empowerment of indigenous Papuans. The transmigration would add the problem faced by the local government. Moreover if those who brought in are people without expertise thus it would not give benefit to the development in this land,” said Enembe.
In the early September, the Minister Marwan Jafar demonstrated his attitude to opposite the statement of the President Indonesia, Joko Widodo about to stop the transmigration program in Papua. Instead of support the president’s statement; he made his statement to expand the transmigration program in Papua. He said the program of sending poor people from the crowd area to less population area who also provided with cash and land has been proven to be “success” in Merauke.
“Merauke could be regarded as the border area that has been successful in implementing the transmigration and agricultural development program in the eastern Indonesia,” Marwan told reporters in Jakarta. He added Merauke is “the heaven for transmigrants”. He predicted that 275 thousand people have been moved to Merauke since Indonesia’s annexation towards West Papua in 1969.
“Merauke could be regarded as the border area that has been successful in implementing the transmigration and agricultural development program in the eastern Indonesia,” Marwan told reporters in Jakarta. He added Merauke is “the heaven for transmigrants”. He predicted that 275 thousand people have been moved to Merauke since Indonesia’s annexation towards West Papua in 1969.
He said the transmigration program would increase the production as well as support the government’s plan to develop 1.2 million hectares of paddy fields in Merauke under the Merauke Integrated Rice Estate (MIRE) Project. (Victor Mambor/rom)
————————————————————————
3) Papua Parliament Support Lawsuit Against Freeport
Jayapura, Jubi – Members of the Papua Legislative Council have voiced their support for plans by land tenure owners of PT. Freeport’s mining area to file a lawsuit against the giant mining company.
The Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, Yunus Wonda, said the parliament backed the step.
“The copy of lawsuit has sent to the countries whose hold the Freeport’s share. People demanded the payment of the tenure right. If conversed in rupiah, it worth 600 trillion rupiahs excluding the royalty. Since it started the operation since 1967, Freeport never paid the tenure right to the community,” Yunus Wonda told last week.
“The copy of lawsuit has sent to the countries whose hold the Freeport’s share. People demanded the payment of the tenure right. If conversed in rupiah, it worth 600 trillion rupiahs excluding the royalty. Since it started the operation since 1967, Freeport never paid the tenure right to the community,” Yunus Wonda told last week.
Further he said what Freeport had done is not outstanding. Papuan people are still poor. No need to talk about the overall Papuans but those who live at the surrounding of Freeport’s mining are, namely Amungme, Kamoro, Damal and other indigenous tribes, are still living in poverty.
“The Central Government and the President of Freeport in Jakarta must be aware that the landowners are indigenous Papuans. Do not let the greedy behavior closes their eyes. People in Jakarta are busy talking about Freeport, they are not aware that the mining area is settled in Papua, it operates in the tenure land of indigenous Papuans,” he said.
“The Central Government and the President of Freeport in Jakarta must be aware that the landowners are indigenous Papuans. Do not let the greedy behavior closes their eyes. People in Jakarta are busy talking about Freeport, they are not aware that the mining area is settled in Papua, it operates in the tenure land of indigenous Papuans,” he said.
Further, he said the Central Government should be aware about it, it’s like if someone wants to visit to someone else’s house, he should respect the host. Greed shouldn’t close the eyes of the Central Government.
“There’s land tenure owners, the local government, why should the greedy Central Officials talk about Freeport? They are not being ashamed or aware that the mining area is located in Papua. Is it Papua is no man’s land? Don’t be greed. Please involved the Papuans, the Papua Government, because the Freeport’s mining area is belong to them,” he said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
“There’s land tenure owners, the local government, why should the greedy Central Officials talk about Freeport? They are not being ashamed or aware that the mining area is located in Papua. Is it Papua is no man’s land? Don’t be greed. Please involved the Papuans, the Papua Government, because the Freeport’s mining area is belong to them,” he said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
———————————————————————
4) West Papua Declares Itself ‘First Conservation Province’ in Indonesia, World
By : Robert Isidorus | on 6:37 PM October 19, 2015
Jayapura, Papua. West Papua has declared itself as the world's "first conservation province" in a signed declaration on Monday, in an bid to formally dedicate its efforts to conservation purposes.
The signing of a declaration by West Papua governor Abraham Ataruri took place at the gubernatorial office in the provincial capital of Manokwari, and was attended by Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo and West Papua district heads.
The West Papua governor admits to being the brainchild of the idea, which is intended on protecting and managing the province's natural resources in a collective effort by its residents.
“This declaration [of transforming West Papua into a conservation site] will help us maintain and manage our natural resources wisely and continuously so that [...] the future generation can enjoy them,” Abraham said.
In order to support West Papua's to function as a conservation province, the local government has created a working group (Pokja), members of which include the People's Assembly of West Papua, the West Papua legislative council, Papua State University, and international NGOs such as WWF Indonesia, Conservation International (CI) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Together, they are in the process of preparing regional bills (Ranperdasus) to govern the conservation site.
West Papua is world famous for its rich marine ecosystem and diverse flora and fauna
——————————————————————-
5) A Freeport IPO would benefit capital market: OJK
Ayomi Amindoni, Thejakartapost.com, Jakarta | Business | Mon, October 19 2015, 8:43 PM -
PT Freeport Indonesia will benefit local capital market if permitted to conduct its obligatory share divestment through an initial public offering (IPO), a Financial Services Authority (OJK) executive believes.
The commissioner for capital market supervisor at OJK, Nurhaida, said that the IPO would be a good opportunity for Indonesians to own shares of the US-based mining company.
"A company with great value in the capital market would increase its market capitalization significantly," said Nurhaida in Jakarta on Monday.
By conducting an IPO, Nurhaida said, Freeport would be listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), and as a listed company, the giant gold and copper miner would have to adhere to good governance.
"As a public company, the performance of Freeport Indonesia would be being monitored and supervised by the OJK,” she asserted.
She added that the government had not yet decided how to set up the divestment scheme.
According to Nurhaida, if the divestment is done through an IPO, the government would have to revise Government Regulation (PP) No. 77/2014.
Earlier, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro claimed to have talked with the Energy and Natural Resources Minister Sudirman Said on this issue.
Under PP No. 77/2014 on mineral and coal-mining business activity, Freeport must divest 10.64 percent of its shares to the government by Oct. 14. After accepting the offer, the government has 90 days to negotiate with Freeport.
Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of US-based giant Freeport McMoRan Inc., intends to meet the government’s requirement that it divest 30 percent of its shares to Indonesian parties. The share divestment is part of a deal between the company and the government as they re-negotiate Freeport’s contract of work (CoW) as mandated by the 2009 Mining Law.
Freeport Indonesia is currently 90.64 percent owned by Freeport McMoran and 9.36 percent owned by the Indonesian government. To meet the government’s requirement, the company must offer another 20.64 percent of its shares to Indonesian shareholders. (dan)
The commissioner for capital market supervisor at OJK, Nurhaida, said that the IPO would be a good opportunity for Indonesians to own shares of the US-based mining company.
"A company with great value in the capital market would increase its market capitalization significantly," said Nurhaida in Jakarta on Monday.
By conducting an IPO, Nurhaida said, Freeport would be listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), and as a listed company, the giant gold and copper miner would have to adhere to good governance.
"As a public company, the performance of Freeport Indonesia would be being monitored and supervised by the OJK,” she asserted.
She added that the government had not yet decided how to set up the divestment scheme.
According to Nurhaida, if the divestment is done through an IPO, the government would have to revise Government Regulation (PP) No. 77/2014.
Earlier, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro claimed to have talked with the Energy and Natural Resources Minister Sudirman Said on this issue.
Under PP No. 77/2014 on mineral and coal-mining business activity, Freeport must divest 10.64 percent of its shares to the government by Oct. 14. After accepting the offer, the government has 90 days to negotiate with Freeport.
Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of US-based giant Freeport McMoRan Inc., intends to meet the government’s requirement that it divest 30 percent of its shares to Indonesian parties. The share divestment is part of a deal between the company and the government as they re-negotiate Freeport’s contract of work (CoW) as mandated by the 2009 Mining Law.
Freeport Indonesia is currently 90.64 percent owned by Freeport McMoran and 9.36 percent owned by the Indonesian government. To meet the government’s requirement, the company must offer another 20.64 percent of its shares to Indonesian shareholders. (dan)
——————————————————————-
6) Decree to boost TNI’s civilian role
Margareth S. Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Mon, October 19 2015, 6:07 PM -
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has demanded overwhelming authority in a planned presidential decree (Perpres) that would not only position it directly under the President but would also give it more authority in dealing with security affairs.
Amid the already increasing role of the military in carrying out civilian functions, such as guarding prisons, helping farmers plant rice, as well as securing railway networks and public transportation, the decree would only strengthen the TNI’s role in non-combat operations.
A draft of the decree, a copy of which was recently obtained by The Jakarta Post, would give the TNI a legal basis on which to use weapons to impose security on non-military threats.
Article 7, for example, would grant the TNI authority to deal with crimes that are supposedly handled by the National Police. This includes terrorism, smuggling and cracking down on narcotics.
The TNI would also have authority to help the operation of local governments and provide protections to Indonesian citizens overseas.
In a bid to cement its legality in the civilian sphere, Article 4 of the draft stipulates that the “TNI is an instrument of the state for defense and security affairs that is equal to a ministry and is under the President”.
Such a clause is apparently in contradiction to the 2004 Law on the TNI that prohibits the institution from handling security affairs unless requested by the National Police, or by the order of the President.
Former TNI chief Gen. (ret) Moeldoko told the Post that the draft was formulated by the TNI during his leadership, aiming to “adjust the TNI with the current situation”.
“The Perpres is basically expected to increase the role of the TNI in non-military operations,” Moeldoko said.
As the draft decree was submitted in July to the State Palace, the TNI is now awaiting President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s approval.
Since 2013, the TNI has been seeking numerous civilian jobs because most of its 450,000 active personnel stood idle following the end of the separatist movement in Aceh in 2005 and the abating similar threat in Indonesia’s most remote province of Papua. Incursions by foreign militaries are deemed a far-fetched notion.
Unlike during former president Soeharto’s dictatorship, which ended in the reform movement of 1998 after he ruled for more than three decades, the military’s clout in politics and civilian affairs has been dramatically reduced over fears that strong military roles in non-combat operations will bring back the trauma of authoritarian rule.
In 2000, the TNI’s authority in security affairs was stripped as part of a democratic reform movement with the National Police, which was granted with the sole authority to handle security and was removed from the TNI command structure.
Military expert Mufti Makarim argued that involving military in domestic security affairs would not only overlap the job carried out by the police but also set precedents and legal justifications for the TNI to further aspire in political, social and economic affairs.
“A number of memorandums of understanding [MoUs] the TNI sealed with non-military institutions are already worrying enough as they will allow the military to deeply meddle with public life,” Mufti said, adding that approving the proposed decree would only make things worse.
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman refused to comment on the matter, saying only: “I don’t know anything about it. I have never been involved in any meetings to discuss it.,”
If the decree is approved, the TNI will no longer be under the auspices of the Defense Ministry and will have equal footing with the National Police and other ministries, which are directly under the President.
The draft decree commands the TNI to coordinate with the Defense Ministry in formulating policies and strategies related to defense, including in the matter of budgeting.
Such stipulations also contradict the 2004 Law on the TNI that does not set TNI’s position as equal to a ministry.
“Granting the TNI an equal position to a ministry is a setback because it is against efforts to reform the military, particularly in upholding the supremacy of civil society over the military,” said Poengky Indarti of human rights watchdog Imparsial.
Moeldoko, the chief architect of the proposed decree, played down concerns over the TNI’s role in civilian affairs, ensuring that the TNI would only be engaged in a limited scope of civilian jobs.
However, he emphasized the importance of placing the TNI independently under the President’s direct control.
“The President holds control over the military. This is why we refer to the President as the highest commander of the TNI. Thus, the TNI is supposed to be under him not a minister,” Moeldoko said. -
Amid the already increasing role of the military in carrying out civilian functions, such as guarding prisons, helping farmers plant rice, as well as securing railway networks and public transportation, the decree would only strengthen the TNI’s role in non-combat operations.
A draft of the decree, a copy of which was recently obtained by The Jakarta Post, would give the TNI a legal basis on which to use weapons to impose security on non-military threats.
Article 7, for example, would grant the TNI authority to deal with crimes that are supposedly handled by the National Police. This includes terrorism, smuggling and cracking down on narcotics.
The TNI would also have authority to help the operation of local governments and provide protections to Indonesian citizens overseas.
In a bid to cement its legality in the civilian sphere, Article 4 of the draft stipulates that the “TNI is an instrument of the state for defense and security affairs that is equal to a ministry and is under the President”.
Such a clause is apparently in contradiction to the 2004 Law on the TNI that prohibits the institution from handling security affairs unless requested by the National Police, or by the order of the President.
Former TNI chief Gen. (ret) Moeldoko told the Post that the draft was formulated by the TNI during his leadership, aiming to “adjust the TNI with the current situation”.
“The Perpres is basically expected to increase the role of the TNI in non-military operations,” Moeldoko said.
As the draft decree was submitted in July to the State Palace, the TNI is now awaiting President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s approval.
Since 2013, the TNI has been seeking numerous civilian jobs because most of its 450,000 active personnel stood idle following the end of the separatist movement in Aceh in 2005 and the abating similar threat in Indonesia’s most remote province of Papua. Incursions by foreign militaries are deemed a far-fetched notion.
Unlike during former president Soeharto’s dictatorship, which ended in the reform movement of 1998 after he ruled for more than three decades, the military’s clout in politics and civilian affairs has been dramatically reduced over fears that strong military roles in non-combat operations will bring back the trauma of authoritarian rule.
In 2000, the TNI’s authority in security affairs was stripped as part of a democratic reform movement with the National Police, which was granted with the sole authority to handle security and was removed from the TNI command structure.
Military expert Mufti Makarim argued that involving military in domestic security affairs would not only overlap the job carried out by the police but also set precedents and legal justifications for the TNI to further aspire in political, social and economic affairs.
“A number of memorandums of understanding [MoUs] the TNI sealed with non-military institutions are already worrying enough as they will allow the military to deeply meddle with public life,” Mufti said, adding that approving the proposed decree would only make things worse.
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman refused to comment on the matter, saying only: “I don’t know anything about it. I have never been involved in any meetings to discuss it.,”
If the decree is approved, the TNI will no longer be under the auspices of the Defense Ministry and will have equal footing with the National Police and other ministries, which are directly under the President.
The draft decree commands the TNI to coordinate with the Defense Ministry in formulating policies and strategies related to defense, including in the matter of budgeting.
Such stipulations also contradict the 2004 Law on the TNI that does not set TNI’s position as equal to a ministry.
“Granting the TNI an equal position to a ministry is a setback because it is against efforts to reform the military, particularly in upholding the supremacy of civil society over the military,” said Poengky Indarti of human rights watchdog Imparsial.
Moeldoko, the chief architect of the proposed decree, played down concerns over the TNI’s role in civilian affairs, ensuring that the TNI would only be engaged in a limited scope of civilian jobs.
However, he emphasized the importance of placing the TNI independently under the President’s direct control.
“The President holds control over the military. This is why we refer to the President as the highest commander of the TNI. Thus, the TNI is supposed to be under him not a minister,” Moeldoko said. -
———————————————————————————-
7) Papua fires send haze to Micronesia; Indonesia elections commission hints at environment debate
19th October 2015 / Mongabay Haze Beat
Fires in Papua are torching parts of the region as voices in the archipelago begin to call for the environment to be included as a topic of debate ahead of vital local elections on December 9.
The Guam Department for Homeland Security released a health warning after smog reached western Micronesia.
Indonesia's elections commission is facing calls to increase the prominence of the environment in election debates and prepare more information on candidates' environmental credentials.
Schools in Malaysia will remain closed on Tuesday while breathing air in Singapore remained in the "unhealthy" range Monday.
Focus on potentially fatal smog from Indonesia’s wildfires shifted eastward on Monday as meteorologists registered light haze reaching as far as Micronesia. Burning in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost region, has become increasingly fierce in recent days, canceling flights, damaging air quality for the local population and pushing light pollution into the Pacific.
“Multiple wildfires across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and southwest winds across western Micronesia have pushed diffuse haze into the Marianas,” the Guam Department for Homeland Security said in a statement on Monday. “As a precaution, those with respiratory issues should limit their time outdoors.”
Flights in several parts of West Papua and Papua provinces, including in Jayapura, Manokwari and Timika, were canceledafter visibility dropped to as little as 150 meters in places.
“Almost 80 percent of the smog in Manokwari is coming from fires in Merauke,” Yulson Sinery at the local office of Indonesia’s meterology agency told Mongabay.
Yulson said local pilots had spotted several fires burning in the Arfak mountains.
Sem Padamma, the meteorology agency’s chief in the provincial capital, said smoke was easily visible in Bintuni, the Gulf of Berauw, Manokwari and South Sorong on Sunday.
As fires in Papua brought greater scrutiny on the region, a petition against a vast agricultural development spanning 1.2 million hectares reached more than 122,000 signatures.
“The Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE), an industrial-scale agricultural project, has been taking shape since 2010,” the petition reads. “In only four to five years, more than one million hectares – a quarter of [Merauke] district – fell into the hands of agricultural corporations that are clearing the land for oil palms, sugarcane and eucalyptus.”
Smoke emerges from a slope on the Wondama Bay in West Papua on October 12. Photo by Duma Sanda
Meanwhile the chairman of Indonesia’s elections commission said environmental issues could play a greater role in debates ahead of the archipelago’s local elections on December 9.
“I think it could be interesting because the momentum is there right now,” Husni Kamil Malik said.
The national director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), a prominent environmental pressure group, said the elections commission should look to provide data on a candidate’s relationship with companies involved in forestry or agriculture.
Haze in Palangkaraya, which has seen the worst air quality of this year’s disaster, closed schools again on Monday. The local pollutant standards index was in the “dangerous” range again on Monday morning, forcing the city’s mayor to announce all schools would be shut for three days, the sixth time authorities have been forced to shut schools in the Central Kalimantan capital.
Meteorologists in Singapore said Monday that haze in the city state should ease in the coming weeks as seasonal wind direction begins to shift. Schools in several Malaysian states will remain closed again on Tuesday as smog continued to blanket several parts of the country.
A burned forest in Wamena, a town in West Papua, is shown in August. Photo by Asrida Elisabeth
Article published by Mongabay Haze Beat on October 19, 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.