2) FMJPTP to Stage Coffee Drinking Protest Seeking Local Parliament’s Respond
3) Papua New Guinea resettling hundreds of West Papuan asylum seekers
4) SKP HAM Fear Paniai Case Will be Forgotten
5) Minister’s Visit Should Meet the People’s Need
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1) Indonesia stresses Papua development despite attacks
By Mustafa Pazarlı - Mar 18, 2016
President Widodo says 40-kilometer road project to continue, after separatist group claims attack that killed 4 construction workers
By Ainur Rohmah
TUBAN, Indonesia – Indonesia’s president stressed Friday the government’s commitment to development projects in troubled Papua province, following the killing of four construction workers in an attack claimed by an armed separatist group. President Joko Widodo — popularly known as “Jokowi” — said that while authorities found Tuesday’s violence “regrettable”, construction on the 40-kilometer road project to connect Sinak district to Mulia district would continue. “We are not afraid of the obstacle,” Kompas.com quoted him saying as he stressed that the conflict-ridden region was in serious need of infrastructure. The government of Widodo — who took office in Oct. 2014 following a populist campaign — is aiming to have all districts of Papua connected by roads by 2018. Papua has been home to a low-level insurgency ever since the former Dutch colony was transferred to Indonesian rule in 1963. Despite its wealth of resources, the province is among the most impoverished and has witnessed the arrest of political prisoners and alleged abuses by security forces over the decades.
Last year, the government allocated $460 million for infrastructure projects in Papua focusing on roads, bridges, irrigation and sanitation. Widow announced Friday that he had instructed security forces to tighten measures at the road construction site. The slain workers were reportedly killed by an armed group blamed for an earlier attack on military personnel patrolling the area. National Police Chief Badrodin Haiti said Thursday that authorities had identified the assailants as members of the same group that killed three police officers in an attack in Sinak last December, according to Detik.com. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, the West Papua National Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the March attacks. “We hope that with this action, the Indonesian government can open up channels of dialogue to discuss the independence of Papua,” Kompas.com quoted Sebby Sambom as saying Friday. “If officials and citizens become victims, it is the fault of the government that does not give us freedom,” he insisted, describing the actions as part of a gradual revolution. Earlier this year, President Widodo instructed that the government deal with separatism through a “soft approach” involving dialogue and the possible granting of clemency and unconditional release to political prisoners, according to The Jakarta Post. He, however, underlined that any resistance would be handled through a “hard approach”. After the January cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung had said the government would implement a similar strategy as that used in dealing with a separatist group in conservative northern Aceh province. In 2005, the secular government and the Free Aceh Movement signed a peace deal ensuring that the region would be allowed to enforce a form of Sharia law. During a visit to Papua in May 2015, Widodo pardoned five political prisoners in Papua and announced that foreign journalists would no longer need special permission for visits — which had also been restricted to human rights activists, aid workers and researchers. The president has expressed hope that Indonesia’s past repressive security approach would be replaced with an approach prioritizing development and welfare.
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2) FMJPTP to Stage Coffee Drinking Protest Seeking Local Parliament’s Respond
17 March 2016
Jayawijaya Community Forum of Papua Central Highland (FMJPTP) staged a ‘coffee drinking’ protest in front of Jayawijaya Parliament Office – Jubi
Wamena, Jubi – Jayawijaya Community Forum of Papua Central Highland (FMJPTP) staged a ‘coffee drinking’ protest in front of Jayawijaya Parliament Office for three days, 14 to 16 March to urge the local parliament (DPRD) to respond to people’s aspirations.
“DPRD is not taking our aspirations seriously,” FMJPTP Chairman Mully Wetipo told Jubi in Wamena on Wednesday (16/3/2016).
He said the complaints included poor healthcare at Wamena Public Hospital, high basic commodities’ prices, and the plans to build the Mobile Brigade Headquarters in Wamena; but there had been no response.
He promised to hold the coffee drinking protest until getting the answers.
Local development observer Yance Tenoye asked DPRD Jayawijaya no listen to popular demands.
“DPRD must be brave. It should be independent and establish a good working system. It should not look to who deliver the aspirations but the message is more important, especially regarding to the public service,” said Tenoye.
Activist Alius Asso appealed all stakeholders in Wamena to not considering FMJPTP as an enemy of DPRP. “Do not judge the persons but what they convey,” said Asso.
Operations Unit Head of Jayawijaya Police Commissionaire Tofan and his officers came to Jayawijaya Parliament Office to ask FMJPTP to leave the building. (Wesai H/rom)
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3) Papua New Guinea resettling hundreds of West Papuan asylum seekers
Posted
Papua New Guinea is resettling hundreds of asylum seekers from neighbouring West Papua as part of its deal with Australia to host the Manus Island detention centre.
As part of that arrangement, the PNG Government was required to resolve the plight of West Papuan asylum seekers — people who fled the lengthy conflict over the Indonesian border.
Now those people — who have waited up to 30 years for recognition — have said they are getting a raw deal compared to asylum seekers from the Middle East.
West Papuan Simon Auri has spent the past 20 years sleeping in his car in PNG.
"I am a man, not an animal, but I have to live in a car," he said.
Martha Horota, another West Papuan, lives in a house in Port Moresby with about 50 other people.
"It's filthy around here, it's not healthy to have 50 people living in a place like this," she said.
Two of the people living in the house have jobs, while the others support their families by selling vegetables and fish in street markets.
West Papuans want help with basic services
The PNG Government estimates about 10,000 West Papuans live in Papua New Guinea.
More than 1,000 of them have applied for PNG citizenship. Most of those are living in camps on the PNG-Indonesia border, but some are in the capital Port Moresby.
The PNG Government said it would issue those who have applied with citizenship certificates by the middle of the year.
West Papuans who have applied for citizenship do not expect their lives to change significantly, but they think the Australian Government could help with some basic services.
One of the asylum seekers, Matthew Akari, said West Papuans in PNG were not getting the same treatment as those at the Manus Island detention centre.
"They treat asylum seekers in Manus better than asylum seekers from West Papua," he said, adding that the West Papuans needed help with the basics: "Land, housing, water, light, education, health."
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4) SKP HAM Fear Paniai Case Will be Forgotten
17 March 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – SKP-HAM Papua (Solidarity for the Victims of Human Rights Violation) expressed fears that the government has shelved investigations into the shooting dead of four students in Paniai on 8 December 2014.
“So many have been missing since the beginning. So many teams to investigate but the result remains unclear,” SKP-HAM Coordinator Peneas Lokbere conveyed in the hearing with the Indonesian Human Rights Commission Papua Representative Frits Ramandey in Komnas HAM Papua Office on Wednesday (16/3/2016) in Jayapura.
According to Lokbere, the security forces’ team, and both teams of the Indonesian Human Rights Commission and NGOs who conducted investigation couldn’t provide clarity on the case. Each was insisted on their own argument and conclusion. Papua Police was not able to reveal the case since the Military personnel were allegedly involved, while no sufficient evidence for the Indonesian Military to question its personnel. Further, it grows harder since the Police/Military former chiefs have been moved.
“Replacing the responsible persons reflected the State’s resistance. It has no intention or commitment to solve this case,” said Lokbere.
And the expected Indonesian Human Rights Commission has no clear commitment either, further said Lokbere. It announced the lack of budget over Paniai case; thus it couldn’t publish the name of Ad Hoc team members to the public.
“When would it last? Should we wait until 2017?” said Lokbere.
He said the commissionaires’ active period would be ended in 2017 and would be replaced with new elected commissionaires. And it would not certain if new commissionaires want to resume the Paniai case. Therefore, he said, the current commissionaires have a moral obligation to solve this case.
“Since the beginning, the four commissionaires are always conflicting, not united. Another concern is the case would be terminated due to this replacement,” said Lokbere.
The Indonesian Human Rights Commission Papua Chief Representative Frits Ramandey said he was optimistic in Paniai case resolution. He said his office was optimistic to take this case to the Court, since it contained the human rights violation. “I am very optimistic. It was stagnant because the Police could not investigate the Military personnel, while the Military had lack of witness,” he told to the meeting attendees in his office.
He said all stakeholders must commit to solve this case seriously, in particular the government. Because, Paniai case settlement is actually the entry to build a trust of Papuans who already distrust the government with previous cases.
“Paniai case could become an entry for government to resume the Papuans’ trusts towards the government,” he told reporter after receiving SKP HAM representatives. (Mawel Benny/rom)
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5) Minister’s Visit Should Meet the People’s Need
Jayapura, Jubi – A member of the Papua Legislative Council, Laurenzus Kadepa, criticized plans by Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Human Rights Affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan to visit to the Cenderawasih University.
“Doesn’t he remember his threat, comments, and insults against Papua people?” Kadepa told Jubi on Wednesday (16/3/2016) in Jayapura. Moreover, he said, Cenderawasih University is not proper place to visit.
“Referring to his position as Minister of Political, Legal and Human Rights Affairs, it is not proper if he came to the campus of Cenderawasih University,” said Kadepa. As an honored guest, according to him, the minister should meet the government officials such as Papua Governor.
“In my opinion, he should go to Provincial Government instead of Cenderawasih University, because his visit would be considered a political visit,” he said.
Related to the last shooting incident in Puncak Jaya Regency that killed four construction workers as released in some online media, the government, in responding, said it would conduct a security operation in Papua, as being executed in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
“We will take action like what we’ve done in Poso. The operation is running well in Poso,” said Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan at Presidential Place, Central Jakarta on Tuesday (15/3/2016).
The government would not concern a dialogue with the insurgents in Papua. And Minister Luhut, based on President Widodo’s instruction, would visit the Cenderawasih University to do presentation on the government’s program for development of Papua.
“I will go to Cenderawasih University on 29 March 2016. The problem is simple. Papua is obviously not managed well. It has budget, opportunity as well as the authority. Why is it not well managed?” he said. (Abeth You/rom)
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