2) Don’t forget issue of customary lands and West Papua
3) Rupert Murdoch’s Aussie papers linked to deforestation in Indonesia
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1) West Papua petition vote to go to UN
08 September 2017
PACNEWS: WEST Papuan independence campaigners are set to petition the United Nations, with signatures of people inside the Indonesian province, when the General Assembly sits later this month.
They've said obtaining the endorsements came at great risk to all involved.
The journey to New York went via Geneva in late August when a British team swam with a symbolic version of the petition across the lake to the UN's Geneva office.
The 72 kilometre swim drew attention to the petition and to the hurdles ahead in getting it to the UN General Assembly.
The exiled West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda has said he'll present the document to the Secretary General and the C24, the special committee on decolonisation.
He said there was a rigorous process underway to verify the thousands of signatures received so far from within Indonesia's Papua region.
"Indonesia's always saying it's just a handful of people that are talking about independence, it's just a dream and fantasy, but now we show that all the minorities are wanting independence," Wenda said.
"That means Indonesia's presence in West Papua is illegal."
Swimming across Lake Geneva has not been the only obstacle in getting the petition to New York.
Free West Papua campaigners have drawn attention to the 42 people they've said have been tortured and the two people who had been arrested in the Indonesian province as a direct consequence of the petition.
Campaigners said one of them was a member of the pro-independence National Committee for West Papua, the KNPB.
Yanto Awerkion was arrested on 23 June, according to Free West Papua campaigners, at a rally which promoted the petition.
They said he was still in custody after being charged with treason, a crime which can carry a life sentence in Indonesia.
The harsh treatment has driven many West Papuans into exile.
A representative from the Free West Papua Campaign in the Netherlands, Oridek Ap, said he fled the Indonesian occupied territory 34 years ago.
"I've never been back to Papua since Indonesia killed my father in 1984," said Ap.
"His death is my motivation to stand up for my people."
His father, the musician and anthropologist Arnold Ap, died in prison where he was being held without charges.
He was killed by a gunshot to the back.
Human rights groups and academics have estimated that more than 150,000 Papuans have died since the Indonesian occupation began in the 1960s.
Oridek Ap was among a group of exiled West Papuans in Geneva for the swim across the lake.
"We want to represent our people, the West Papuan people by singing and dancing to welcome the swimmers. That's why we're here, to support them."
Ap said his support represented those at home in West Papua and the 1500 living in exile in the Netherlands.
Another supporter was 21-year-old Harry Jenkinson from the UK.
The veteran campaigner had been involved since he was 14 and was in Geneva to organise the itinerary around the petition's swim team.
Jenkinson said it was a very emotional experience.
"The people of West Papua have been totally inspired by the swim, and last night we got information in photos that people were watching us on big screens in West Papua, live."
The spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, said he was confident the petition would open the eyes of the world to the need for an internationally supervised vote on independence for West Papua.
"Our voice has been hidden under the carpet nearly 50 years so this is an historical moment and we need to make sure that the petition will be handed over right."
The plebiscite by which Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 was sanctioned by the UN.
But, with just 1025 people, around 0.2 percent of the population at the time, participating under duress, the so-called Act of Free Choice was regarded by Papuans as illegitimate.
According to Wenda, there is an onus on the UN to correct this historical injustice and facilitate a legitimate self-determination process.
The journey to New York went via Geneva in late August when a British team swam with a symbolic version of the petition across the lake to the UN's Geneva office.
The 72 kilometre swim drew attention to the petition and to the hurdles ahead in getting it to the UN General Assembly.
The exiled West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda has said he'll present the document to the Secretary General and the C24, the special committee on decolonisation.
He said there was a rigorous process underway to verify the thousands of signatures received so far from within Indonesia's Papua region.
"Indonesia's always saying it's just a handful of people that are talking about independence, it's just a dream and fantasy, but now we show that all the minorities are wanting independence," Wenda said.
"That means Indonesia's presence in West Papua is illegal."
Swimming across Lake Geneva has not been the only obstacle in getting the petition to New York.
Free West Papua campaigners have drawn attention to the 42 people they've said have been tortured and the two people who had been arrested in the Indonesian province as a direct consequence of the petition.
Campaigners said one of them was a member of the pro-independence National Committee for West Papua, the KNPB.
Yanto Awerkion was arrested on 23 June, according to Free West Papua campaigners, at a rally which promoted the petition.
They said he was still in custody after being charged with treason, a crime which can carry a life sentence in Indonesia.
The harsh treatment has driven many West Papuans into exile.
A representative from the Free West Papua Campaign in the Netherlands, Oridek Ap, said he fled the Indonesian occupied territory 34 years ago.
"I've never been back to Papua since Indonesia killed my father in 1984," said Ap.
"His death is my motivation to stand up for my people."
His father, the musician and anthropologist Arnold Ap, died in prison where he was being held without charges.
He was killed by a gunshot to the back.
Human rights groups and academics have estimated that more than 150,000 Papuans have died since the Indonesian occupation began in the 1960s.
Oridek Ap was among a group of exiled West Papuans in Geneva for the swim across the lake.
"We want to represent our people, the West Papuan people by singing and dancing to welcome the swimmers. That's why we're here, to support them."
Ap said his support represented those at home in West Papua and the 1500 living in exile in the Netherlands.
Another supporter was 21-year-old Harry Jenkinson from the UK.
The veteran campaigner had been involved since he was 14 and was in Geneva to organise the itinerary around the petition's swim team.
Jenkinson said it was a very emotional experience.
"The people of West Papua have been totally inspired by the swim, and last night we got information in photos that people were watching us on big screens in West Papua, live."
The spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, said he was confident the petition would open the eyes of the world to the need for an internationally supervised vote on independence for West Papua.
"Our voice has been hidden under the carpet nearly 50 years so this is an historical moment and we need to make sure that the petition will be handed over right."
The plebiscite by which Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 was sanctioned by the UN.
But, with just 1025 people, around 0.2 percent of the population at the time, participating under duress, the so-called Act of Free Choice was regarded by Papuans as illegitimate.
According to Wenda, there is an onus on the UN to correct this historical injustice and facilitate a legitimate self-determination process.
– Source: PACNEWS
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2) Don’t forget issue of customary lands and West Papua
07 September 2017
Mata'afa Keni Lesa
Today, the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting -- and all other related meetings -- come to an end. With the Leaders Retreat and the closing ceremony at Taumeasina Island Resort tonight, we can safely say all is well that ends well.
Come to think of, it’s been wonderful to have everyone in Samoa -- even if its for only a brief period. We certainly hope everyone will have good memories to take home to share with their families and friends.
And if there is anything that might have offended anyone, or perhaps fallen short of expectations, as we do in this part of the Blue Pacific, we apologise and pray that you can forgive and forget.
Keep in mind that with these big events, nothing is ever perfect. But then nothing in the world is perfect or if it were the case, we wouldn’t be having such gatherings.
It is in the acknowledgement that we’ve got gigantic problems to solve, which will take some time to do, that unites us today. And as we are about to part ways, we take a moment to pause and reflect on what has been discussed during the past few days.
A lot has been said and written about the issues. All these arguments for and against are constructive in terms of moving forward. We have one goal and that is to find a united voice in the pursuit of a better future for our region. It’s not easy and there are many challenges.
But there is hope. We always have to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.
That said, we want to revisit a couple of interesting issues raised on the pages of this newspaper this week, which we believe warrant serious attention by our leaders. First is the issue of customary lands. In a column titled “Colonial dictates on Customary Lands is too much for Samoa and Pacific governments,” advocate Fiu Mataese Elisara made some pertinent points.
Said Fiu, “The push to take over our customary lands in Samoa and the Pacific are a deliberate ploy of neo-colonialism by developed countries to defend their economic interests, reneging on commitments to assist developing countries.
“For the Pacific, customary lands are alienated, related human rights principles violated, daily livelihood of indigenous communities and traditional practices undermined, climate crisis worsened, profits dictate.
“The danger is all the more pernicious because shifting goal posts and insincere partnerships the culprits that engage the Pacific in their colonial dictates do not always confront us or governments directly. It becomes enmeshed in the institutional machinery that infiltrates the State apparatus and in many cases gain the complicity of government officials.
“As a simple chief from Sili, I again ask the Leaders of the Pacific Countries gathered in Apia this week, Is this the Future We Want? Will this ensure ‘No One in the Pacific is left behind’?
“I urge our Prime Minister, the Government of Samoa, Indeed the Leaders of the Pacific gathered in Samoa this week -- in your collective, integrated political and economic pursuit for genuine and durable partnership, for sustainable human development, for climate justice, and protection of customary lands.”
The second issue was the subject of peaceful protest on Beach Road, earlier this week -- West Papua.
Led by Jerome Mika and Unasa Iuni Sapolu, the group brought West Papua to the fore -- a country that has been occupied by the Indonesian government since 1963 and whose people have experienced brutal abuse by its military police.
Mika explained that it was important for Samoa, a nation who understands the path of struggle for independence, to add their voice in demanding the de-colonisation of West Papua.
“We enjoy our independence but we should also be standing up for our Pacific brothers and sisters of West Papua,” he said.
“We are calling on Samoa to add their voice to the decolonisation of West Papua. We think it’s important that there are some issues around the world to deal with, but we should be looking after our Pacific cousins in our background.”
For Unasa, it was about raising the issue with the leaders.
“They are the ones who are at the height of discussions of these sorts of issues. Don’t just talk about money; don’t just talk about jobs, let’s talk about the freedom of all Pacific islands,” she said.
“For Melanesians and for the Micronesians who have been battered by the military and obviously, Korea with Guam. Lets just stand up collectively as the people of the Pacific, don’t just sit back and relax and have a holiday in Samoa. There are deeper issues at hand, the issues of Indigenous freedom and we’ve got to fight for those freedoms.”
Well we couldn’t agree more. Indeed, the issue of customary land ownership and a right to be free are critical issues that our leaders must not ignore.
What do you think?
Have a wonderful Friday, God bless!
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3) Rupert Murdoch’s Aussie papers linked to deforestation in Indonesia
By Vaidehi Shah Friday 8 September 2017
Read all about it: Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers The Australian and Courier Mail are printed on paper sourced from a subsidiary of Korindo, the industrial giant that destroyed thousands of hectares of pristine Indonesian forest.
In a campaign launched on September 1, Tasmania-based advocacy group Markets for Change and Washington DC-headquartered Mighty Earth said that the owning company of the two publications, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, buys paper from Indonesian paper manufacturer Aspex.
Aspex is a wholly owned subsidiary of Korean-Indonesian agribusiness conglomerate The Korindo Group, which has businesses ranging from palm oil and paper to construction, to real estate, financial services, and building wind towers.
An investigation by Mighty Earth last year revealed that Korindo’s palm oil arm was burning ecologically precious tracts of forest in Indonesia’s remote Papua province, as well as violating the rights of local indigenous communities by grabbing land without their consent, and destroying their forest livelihoods.
While the company has committed to a moratorium on forest clearing until an independent assessment—though it did briefly break this ban in February—has identified areas that have a high carbon stock and high conservation value, it has yet to make progress on implementing more stringent environmental and social impact policies.
Measures that environmentalists are calling for include the institution of a no deforestation policy, restoring forests to compensate for the land they cleared after issuing a moratorium on deforestation, resolving conflicts with communities, and being transparent about its concession boundaries, suppliers, and sustainability practices.
The Australian connection
Deborah Lapidus, campaign director, Mighty Earth, told Eco-Business that the investigation was sparked by a reference to Aspex on the website of Australia-based paper products company Oceanic Multitrading; the firm says it imports Aspex newsprint—that is, the cheap paper used to make newspapers—into Australia.
Through further research, trade data analysis and collaboration with a paper supply chain expert, investigators determined that Aspex newsprint was used to produce The Australian and Courier Mail in regional Queensland. News Corp has confirmed that it sources some newsprint from the firm.
Lapidus explained that this was not an active decision by News Corp, but rather a “holdover issue” from the media giant’s acquisition of APN News and Media’s regional Queensland publications last December.
APN had an existing trade relationship with Aspex in the regional Queesland market, which News Corp inherited, Lapidus said. For the rest of its print publications, News Corp sources sustainable newsprint from the Norwegian pulp and paper firm Norse Skog’s Australian business.
News Corp’s head of environment Tony Wilkins told Mighty Earth and Markets for Change in a letter dated July 19 that “the only paper we procure from Aspex is 100 per cent recycled fibre content newsprint and this is Forest Stewardship Council certified”.
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