2) Doubts Cast Team’s Prospects of Resolving Human Rights Cases in Papua
3) EU Ambassador Visits Wasur One-roof School
4) Papuan rights issues will be solved without deception: Luhut
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1) Papuans and Indonesians at the same table in MSG
3:24 pm today
The chairman of this week's Melanesian Spearhead Group Foreign Ministers meeting in Fiji has lauded the occasion of having West Papuan and Indonesian delegates at the same table.
However, Milner Tozaka, who is the Solomon Islands Foreign Minister, has admitted that this was not the way Indonesia initially wanted it to be.
Mr Tozaka claimed it was the first time in the MSG history that Indonesia and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua were seated with the rest of the group's full membership at the meeting in Lautoka.
The Liberation Movement, which has observer status in the MSG, and Indonesia, with associate member status, are both vying for full membership in the group.
An upcoming MSG leaders summit in July in Honiara is expected to deliberate on this.
However Jakarta has lobbied intensely in the region to counter efforts to include the Liberation Movement in the MSG, saying its own involvement in the group already covers representation of West Papuans.
But grassroots support in Melanesian states for West Papuan self-determination aspirations is strong and international diplomatic activity over the matter is growing.
The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement have signalled support for West Papuan full membership, while the other two full members, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, appear likely to sie with Indonesia.
In Lautoka, Mr Tozaka said Indonesia expressed objections to accommodate the Papuans at the senior officials meetings prior to the Foreign Ministers meeting.
But he said he stood his grounds and stressed the need for both parties to participate.
Meanwhile, Solomon Islands' special West Papua envoy, Rex Horoi, described it as the start of a long awaited process the MSG has been pushing for.
He said the MSG wanted to provide a platform for both Indonesia and the ULMWP to conduct open and transparent dialogue on ongoing human rights violations and issues facing the indigenous Melanesians of Indonesia's Papua region.
The MSG Foreign Ministers also discussed the recently concluded negotiations for the new MSG Trade Agreement - the Melanesian Free Trade Agreement (MFTA) which was endorsed at the recent Trade Ministers Meeting convened in May in Port Vila.
Mr Tozaka admitted that there is a dire need to convene the meetings to ensure that the life-blood of the MSG is maintained and, if need be. revamped.
"Today we have important issues to consider, most notably the critical financial situation of our Secretariat," he said.
"The Secretariat needs adequate financial support to deliver a number of important mandates and decisions of our leaders."
He said despite the challenges faced by members on the resourcing issues and differing views on how to best address these challenges, it was good to see the exploring of various cost-cutting measures.
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2) Doubts Cast Team’s Prospects of Resolving Human Rights Cases in Papua
17 June 2016
Jayapura, Jubi – Some Papuans expressed doubts that an investigation team from the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs will be able to resolve cases of human rights violations in Papua.
Yunus Wonda, Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, told reporter on Thursday (16/6/2016) in Jayapura that he was pessimistic the Indonesian Government could resolve such cases in Papua.
“The team would not able resolving such cases though by involving some human rights observers, since the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs is not an independent institution,” he said.
He said although the government’s team had some data, he believed it would not gain trust from other countries.
“The Government can give anything in funding for Papua, but still it wouldn’t solve the problem because it didn’t reveal the root [of the problem]. We hope a resolution for Papua could be found through dialogue,” he said.
He said he totally agreed if the human rights issue could be resolved collectively by involving the National Human Rights Commission. If so, Indonesia would be recognized in the international community as being capable in solving the cases of human rights violations.
As an example, he pointed if he murdered someone, and then personally pointed himself to resolve the problem, it’s just not right.
“Therefore, the team that consisting of Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs, General Attorney and National Human Rights Commission and some human right observers would be useless, because the world would not recognize their work,” said Wonda.
Earlier, Papua legislator Laurenzus Kadepa said he was pessimistic if the Government would resolve the cases of human rights violations in the past and present, though President Joko Widodo has asked the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs and other institution for tacking it. Papuans shouldn’t have expectations to the State.
“I am not sure if the Government had good intention to resolve the human rights violations in Papua properly. Despite finding resolution, it refused to admit that human rights violations were truly occurred. I am not sure the Government would recognize the human rights violations whether it was occurred in the past or present,” Kadepa told reporter on April.
Meanwhile, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe expressed his disappointment after holding a closed meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs to discuss about the alleged human rights violations in Papua at the minister’s office in Jakarta. Attended in the meeting were including Papua Police Chief, the Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, Cenderawasih Military Commander, the Chairman of Papua People’s Assembly, National Human Rights Commission Papua Representative, Coalition for Human Rights Violations in Papua.
This meeting was to follow up the Focus Group Discussion on Documentation of Alleged Human Rights Violations from 15, 18 and 10 April that was held in Jayapura City and attended by the civil society groups concerned to human rights violations issues. Papua Police and National Human Rights Commission Papua Representative Office facilitated the FGD.
“The Central Government couldn’t resolve the human rights issues in Papua. It must be handed over to Papuans to solve it through the customary law. It’s still need to be discussed,” said Governor Enembe on April.
He disappointed with this meeting and considered the Government is not capable in solving the human right issues in Papua. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
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3) EU Ambassador Visits Wasur One-roof School
17 June 2016
Merauke, Jubi – The EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam Vincent Guerend visited Wasur One-Roof School accompanied by Regent Frederikus Gebze on Wednesday (15/6/2016).
Wasur One-Roof Headmaster Sergius Womsiwor accepted the ambassador and delegates, while the pupils performed a welcome dance, before taking the ambassador into a room for talks.
In his speech, Guerend asked the pupils to not waste their opportunities and urged them to study well. Because the future is on their hands. If you are going to school and study hard, you’ll be success.
“The purpose of my visit is also a form of friendship representing 28 countries. It is our commitment to promote a peace in Indonesia,” he said.
Womsiwor said hundreds of pupils studied at the school are indigenous Papuans in general.
Almost 90 percent are Papuans and coming from disadvantage families. However, Womsiwor said, it has become his commitment to give the widest opportunity to the children to get education in this school. Even, most of them were boarded at the school dorm. On this occasion, he also revealed about lacking of facilities to support the learning activities, including fence, school laboratory and equipment at the doom.
“We hope the EU Ambassador could pay attention by visiting to this school,” he said. (Ans K/rom)
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4) Papuan rights issues will be solved without deception: Luhut
Marguerite Afra Sapiie The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Thu, June 16 2016 | 04:46 pm
Indonesia is committed to taking a holistic approach in its push for an immediate settlement of human rights cases in Papua, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Thursday.
Luhut, who flew to Papua on Wednesday night and will be in the province until Saturday, plans to meet with all stakeholders, including religious leaders, students, military and police personnel, and NGOs to prove the country's commitment to settling the issue.
"The government wants to show the world that we are serious and accountable and [will resolve these cases] without any deception," Luhut said in a statement.
An integrated team responsible for investigating and analyzing alleged rights abuse cases in Papua, formed in May by Luhut, has concluded that from the 22 cases that were investigated, three constitute human rights violations and those three are currently in the process of being settled, Luhut said.
The three are the 2014 Paniai shooting, the 2001 Wamena incident and the 2003 Wasior incidents.
Confirming a statement made by National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Nur Kholis, Luhut said a plenary meeting of the commission had agreed to create a task force that included Komnas HAM commissioners that would assist the government in resolving the cases.
New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia Trevor Matheson, Solomon Islands Ambassador to Indonesia Salana Kalu, Fijian Ambassador S.T. Cavuilati and Papua New Guinean Ambassador Peter Ilau also presented as witnesses of Indonesia's efforts in Papua, Luhut said.
The results of the investigation carried out by the integrated team will be submitted to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. (bbn)
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