2) 25 FISHERMEN FROM SURIGAO, PHILIPPINE, JAILED IN SORONG
3) Railway Train in Papua to Reduce Cost of Goods: Official
4) Brothers in arms forge lifelong international bonds
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1) PRESS RELEASE : WHEN IT COMES TO WEST PAPUA, WHO ARE THE REAL LIARS?
Jan 06, 2016
Benny Wenda – bennywenda.org
Dear everyone,
Last week I was wrongly accused by the Head of the Indonesian Police, Badrodin Haiti of organising an attack of Indonesian policemen in West Papua. I was also threatened by Sutiyoso, the Head of the Indonesian Intelligence Agency (BIN) that they would use ‘other methods’ if I ‘refused to cooperate’ with them.
Following these warnings, I published a Press Release rejecting the ridiculous accusation and questioning what sorts of secret “other methods” the Indonesian Intelligence Agency would use to try and stop me.
Following the publication of this Press Release, the Head of the Indonesian Police has at last shamefully admitted that I am not responsible for the attack of Indonesian policemen in West Papua. In fact, he claimed that he had ‘never mentioned the name of Benny Wenda’, despite the fact that CNN reported the exact time and place where he accused me. (On 28th December 2015, at the House of the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara in Kupang, the Police Chief said of the police shooting in Sinak “It is still done by the same group, namely Benny Wenda’s group,“).
Now the world can see that when confronted with the truth and with facts, the Indonesian police cannot defend their stance on West Papua. If the Head of the Indonesian Police blame me for this attack in Sinak then he isan outright liar. Why did he accuse me for something I did not do and then later claim he never mentioned my name? If the Head of the Indonesian Police is allowed to lie like this in public, what are the other hundreds of police officers in West Papua allowed to get away with? We West Papuans continue to witness the brutal murder of our people at the hands of the Indonesian police and military, just because we stand up for our rights to self-‐determination and Independence.
The Human Rights Commission Komnas HAM found that in 2015 more than 700 West Papuans were been persecuted through being arrested, beaten, and tortured. How many Indonesian officers were brought to justice for the human rights abuses against these more than 700 West Papuans?
Once again I question, why is it that after more than one year the Indonesian authorities are still unable to find any perpetrators of the massacre of West Papuan school children in Paniai, yet within 24 hours they immediately placed the blame on myself for deaths of Indonesian policemen?
The Head of the Indonesian Intelligence Agency, Sutiyoso also responded to my Press Release and suggested once again that dark methods were going to be implemented against me. When questioned by CNN about what other methods would be used if the ‘soft approach’ fails, he laughed and said ‘you already know’.
I know that the Indonesian Intelligence and the Indonesian Security Forces are responsible for the assassination and murder of many West Papuan leaders. So is the Head of the Indonesian Intelligence confirming that he is going to try and kill me too? I am not scared of any methods the Indonesian intelligence will use against me. They cannot stop me campaigning for my people’s fundamental right to self-‐determination and Independence.
My life is for this struggle and I will continue to campaign for my people’s freedom until West Papua is finally Independent. I feel that the Head of the Indonesian Intelligence, Sutiyoso is very childish and behaving in a very ignorant and immature manner. He should be ashamed of laughing and making light of the situation in occupied West Papua where over 500,000 innocent West Papuans have been killed by the Indonesian Security Forces.
In fact the Indonesian military has just announced that it plans to fill the Headquarters of its new Military Command in West, Papua with 5000 Indonesian soldiers.
West Papua is the most militarised zone in the South Pacific with about 50,000 Indonesian soldiers already stationed in West Papua. Last year The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill called on Indonesia to fulfil the promise of its former president to reduce troops stationed in West Papua. What kind of promise is this if more troops keep coming and 5000 more are now expected to fill up the new military command?
Therefore I question, when it comes to West Papua who are the real liars? Neither the Indonesian Police, the Indonesian Intelligence, nor the Indonesian government can hide from the truth about West Papua. West Papua was supposed to be a free Melanesian nation but is now under illegal Indonesian occupation, and has been ever since the illegal Act of No Choice in 1969. Rather than being a free and fair Independence referendum for all West Papuans as promised by the United Nations, the Act of No Choice involved just 1,026 handpicked West Papuans forced to vote for integration with Indonesia.
They were told that if they did not vote for Indonesia, their lounges would be torn out and they would be killed. Therefore my people still have the right to our UN promised Independence referendum and no Indonesian government will ever be democratic in the eyes of the world until they let the people of West Papua to freely determine their own future in an Independence referendum.
We, West Papuans are not animals to be butchered by the Indonesian security forces. We are human beings and proud to be Melanesian West Papuans. We will keep up our struggle until our motherland of West Papua is finally free and Independentfor us and for our children and grandchildren.
Benny Wenda
West Papuan Independence Leader
Spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)
www.bennywenda.org
www.freewestpapua.org
West Papuan Independence Leader
Spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)
www.bennywenda.org
www.freewestpapua.org
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2) 25 FISHERMEN FROM SURIGAO, PHILIPPINE, JAILED IN SORONG
Jan 06, 2016
Surigao City, Jubi/MindaNews – Twenty-five fishermen from this city are now languishing in jail in Indonesia due to illegal fishing, according to two barangay chairmen.
Josselyn Mantilla, of Barangay Sabang, said Tuesday that 15 of the 25 are her constituents. The remaining 10 are from Barangay San Juan, said barangay chairman Monina Caluna.
Mantilla said the fishermen, all aboard MB RGJ Fishing, left Surigao on Nov. 25. The boat’s operator, listed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)-Caraga as Gemma V. Navarro of Barangay Togbongon here, reportedly has no permit to fish in Indonesian waters.
Mantilla said she was informed of the fishermen’s condition by the wives, who sought any help they could get to sustain their daily needs. She said the fishermen were caught Dec. 7 by patrolling coast guards off Indonesia. A
uthorities reportedly detained the fishermen, who also lacked travel documents, in Sorong City of West Papua province.
The fishermen, who are now detained at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in Sorong, are Rodrigo T. Puno, captain of the boat; Jarewel R. Perjesa, machinist; and crew members Cristobal T. Ilagan, Romeo A. Edradan, Edgar T. Gecozo, Ronald D. Buniel, Richard T. Cabero, Ruel C. Astronomo, Junnie A. Calundre, Joseph A. Calundre, Teresito S. Macabasag, Ronel J. Escultor, Roel D. Cabating, Alan B. Gucela, Jaime M. Govalanie, Homer C. Etac, Mansueto M. Abrao, Teodoro C. Dayagro Jr., Rolly D. Cabating, Rolando D. Bornea, Leopoldo C. Dadivas Jr., Efren C. Escultor, Nelson A. Arsaga, Jose R. Perjes and Max B. Gucela.
Mantilla said the boat captain and machinist are in shackles to ensure they could not escape.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the region, PNP-Maritime 13, the Philippine Coast Guard and MARINA-13 have no reports yet on the incident which checked by MindaNews as of press time. Geoffrey Gervo, station commander of the Coast Guard here, said they are still checking the documents of the boat.
“We are checking documents if they sought clearance to us before they sailed,” he said.
Caluna said they got wind of the fishermen’s plight after several of their relatives sought her office’s assistance. She said she referred the case to Rep. Guillermo A. Romarate Jr., who shelled out money for the fishermen’s fare on their way home. Caluna said Romarate sought the intervention of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through its consulate in Indonesia, for the repatriation of the jailed fishermen.
She said she issued certificates that the fishermen were indigents so their families could get help from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. MindaNews sent an email inquiry to Charles C. Jose, spokesperson of the DFA, as well as to the Philippine Consulate in Manado, Indonesia on Wednesday morning, but there was nor response yet as of this writing. (*)
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3) Railway Train in Papua to Reduce Cost of Goods: Official
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The development of Indonesia's railway network and the Trans Papua land road will help bring down the price of goods in the country's eastern region by up to 50 percent, an official has stated.
Director of transportation affairs of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Bambang Prihartono made the remarks here on Tuesday, adding that the planned development of land transport network would reduce logistic costs amounting to three percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In the meantime, the development of sea transportation will reduce logistic costs amounting to four percent of the GDP.
Prihartono further said that the Ministry of Transportation is trying to complete a feasibility study for the Papua railway train project.
In addition to the ongoing feasibility study, the Ministry of Transportation has decided upon the first route, the Sorong-Manokwari stretch.
"We are awaiting another feasibility study which will be handled by the Public Works Ministry," Prihartono noted.
According to the director of the transportation ministry, Papua has the highest logistic costs.
"Once the railway line and the Trans Papua land road are built, we estimate that the price of cement will decrease from Rp1 million to Rp500,000 per sack," he added.
ANTARA
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4) Brothers in arms forge lifelong international bonds
THE AUSTRALIANJANUARY 5, 2016 12:00AM
Brendan Nicholson Defence Editor Canberra
John Sanderson well remembers trudging through the jungle in northern Cambodia in 1993 with a young Indonesian battalion commander trying to find feared Khmer Rouge fighters.
At the time, Lieutenant General Sanderson was the Australian officer in command of 16,000 peacekeepers from 34 countries sent to rescue Cambodia from the carnage of the Pol Pot years as the military component of the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia.
The then Lieutenant Colonel Ryamizard Ryacudu commanded an Indonesian battalion that was a key part of that force.
They were tough and dangerous times long remembered by both officers.
The shared experience was also crucial to the establishment of a network of professional relationships which have, in times of tension, provided Australia with effective channels into regional capitals as geographically diverse as Jakarta and Beijing.
Sanderson went on to become chief of the Australian Army and later governor of Western Australia and Ryamizard rose to the rank of general and became Indonesia’s Defence Minister.
When Ryamizard and his colleague, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, came to Sydney for talks with their Australian counterparts, Marise Payne and Julie Bishop just before Christmas, the Indonesia Defence Minister said he wanted to catch up with the retired Sanderson and another former army commander, retired Lieutenant General Peter Leahy.
They had dinner in Sydney and discussed at length Cambodia and the current relationship between their two nations.
Payne noted the importance in international relations of what she called the people-to-people links — close friendships that grew out of professional relationships.
The three men are part of a largely below-the-radar process of military diplomacy.
Members of alumni groups made up mainly of former military and police personnel and diplomats who have kept in close contact since working or studying together as young officers have provided a highly effective back channel to keep open communications between Canberra and Jakarta at times of tension between the two governments.
That was the case during the row over claims that an Australian spy agency had monitored the phone calls of senior Indonesians including then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife, tensions over asylum-seeker policies and anger over the executions of Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
At one point, the now Professor Leahy was chosen by Tony Abbott to carry a letter to the Indonesian government.
It’s part of a very effective exercise in military diplomacy that runs separate to but in parallel with more formal links between intelligence agencies.
The Australian reported a year ago that despite tensions between Jakarta and Canberra, a decision had been made that Australia would inform Indonesia immediately if its intelligence agencies uncovered evidence of terrorist threats in that country.
Tensions at the top would not interfere when lives were at stake.
Australian agencies have provided crucial intelligence to their Indonesian counterparts since the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. That information has led to the arrests of significant numbers of terrorist suspects.
Much of that intelligence has come from comprehensive surveillance carried out for decades by the Australian Signals Directorate, formerly the Defence Signals Directorate, over a vast part of the region using a network of bases shared with the US and from the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing network involving the US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Indonesian officials have told Australian counterparts that given the heightened security tensions in the region, they were keen to become a “sixth pair of eyes”.
A key alumni group is Ikahan Alumni Pertahanan Indonesia-Australia, which has many hundreds of members.
Close and confidential contact is maintained by a “senior advisory group’’ of former generals and their equivalents in the two nations’ navies and air forces.
Members of the group meet regularly in Australia and Indonesia to talk on matters of mutual concern. They can pass on messages to Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin or his equivalent, the Panglima, commanding general of the Indonesian armed forces, the TNI.
This process has created throughout the region and far beyond it links that can be crucial in providing help quickly in an emergency or defusing a crisis.
In March 2011, when Japan was devastated by a tsunami that killed thousands and devastated a huge area that included the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the then Air Marshal Binskin sent a text to his counterpart there asking if the ADF could help.
Over many years, Binskin had built up a strong personal contact with Shigeru Iwasaki, who now heads the Japan Self Defence Forces. General Iwasaki had replied that help would indeed be appreciated, and two RAAF C-17 transport aircraft were dispatched. They flew in a search-and-rescue team, and rushed a water cannon to Fukushima to help cool reactors.
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