1) US Discloses Documents on Papua Independence Struggle
Photo: Johannes P. Christo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States has disclosed documents on Papua independence struggle. The documents say that Papuans asked for U.S. funding and armed them to fight Indonesian military in mid-1960.
The documents also recorded Papuan grievances about clashes with Indonesian security forces. Papuan nationalists have caught the attention of the United Nations (UN).
Researchers are currently trying to serve the documents online. AP reported that the dossier contains thousands of diplomatic telegrams between the U.S. State Department and Embassy in Jakarta. The documents recorded history from 1960 and were declassified early this year. Thirty-seven boxes of telegrams are stored at the National Archives and Records Administration in Maryland.
The documents say that around 1,000 Papuans were cheated out of their rights as citizens to vote to strengthen Indonesia’s foothold in 1969. Before the annexation, the Netherlands had said that it would allow Papuans to prepare for their own government. In 1967, the U.S. government assisted mining company Freeport to exploit rich mining and gold deposit in Papua.
In April 1966, the documents transmitted by telegraph cable between the State Department and the U.S. Embassy recorded the “eloquence and intensity” of Markus Kaisiepo, an exiled Papuan leader. Kaisiepo talked with U.S. senior official on the plight of Papuans under the Indonesian rule.
Kaisiepo said that Papuans were striving for independence, but they lack financial resources and military equipment to fight the Indonesian government. He asked whether the U.S. government could lend a hand.
The request was rejected just like a similar request from another Papuan leader Nicolaas Jouwe. His request for funding and firearms to the U.S. and Australia was denied.
The documents also show how Indonesian government officials looted Papua after Indonesia seized the region in 1962. It has left the region with a collapse in living standards, sparking anger that boiled over into outright rebellion.
But the most notable issue to the international community is the Indonesian government’s reluctance to uphold a settlement signed with the Netherlands brokered by the U.S. and the UN. The settlement holds that West Papuan holds the right to self-determination.
Victor Yeimo, leader of pro-independence West Papua National Committee, said that the documents are ‘very important’ because they provide evidence of crimes against Papuans by Indonesian military and the United States’ role in denying their rights to self-determination.
Victor said that the U.S. economic and political interests played a major role in West Papua colonization. Information gained from these documents shows the world and today's generation that the U.S. and Indonesia have been hand-in-hand in hiding the truth all along,” Yeimo was quoted as saying by AP.
RIANI SANUSI PUTRI
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2) West Papuans pleaded for US help in 1960s amid Indonesia takeover
6:47 am today
Declassified US files have revealed that West Papuans pleaded for Washington in the mid-1960s to help them fight Indonesia's takeover of their territory.
AP reported that Papuan leaders sought money and arms, according to cables between the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta from the 1960s.
An April 1966 cable recorded the "eloquence and intensity" of Markus Kaisiepo, an exiled Papuan leader, who spoke with a senior US official about the "desperate plight of the Papua people under Indonesian rule."
Mr Kaisiepo said Papuans were determined to have independence but were completely without financial resources or the military equipment needed to "rise against the Indonesian oppressors".
He was rebuffed, as was another Papuan leader, Nicolaas Jouwe, who made a similar request to the US in 1965 and also to Australia.
The US facilitated 1962's controversial New York Agreement whch paved the way for Indonesia's takeover of the former Dutch New Guinea.
Papuans, who were not consulted in the Agreement, began in pockets to resist Indonesian rule in the ensuing several years.
In response, Indonesian security forces launched a series of brutal crackdowns on Papuans.
Some cables described 'slaughter' of Papuans, and noted thousands of Papuan deaths in Indonesian bombing raids.
This occurred in the years leading up to the controversial Act of Free Choice, the 1969 referendum which sealed Papua's incorporation into Indonesia.
However less than 0.2 percent of Papuans participated in the referendum which is widely regarded as having been stage-managed
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3) PAPUA WILL GET 10 PERCENT OF FREEPORT SHARES
Dec 11, 2017
Jayapura, Jubi – The Government of Papua will get 10 percent share in PT Freeport Indonesia. The value of shares is included in the master divestment agreement of PT Freeport Indonesia’s divestment, as much as 7 percent of which will be submitted to Mimika Regency.
“So the shares which is managed by Papua provincial government as much as 3 percent,” said Papua Governor, Lukas Enembe, in a press release to Jubi, in Jayapura, Wednesday (December 6).
Enembe said the divestment of these shares should not fall to just anyone, but government property that is not sold to anyone. “In this case PT Inalum (Persero) has been appointed as a holding company to manage the divestment of shares,” Enembe added.
It is noted that Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe with Mimika Regent Eltinus Omaleng officially signed the master divestment agreement of PT Freeport Indonesia divestment, at the Office of the Ministry of Finance Jakarta on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.
The draft agreement prepared by the Central Government has been discussed and studied, so if anything needs to be improved will be done immediately, it said.
According to Enembe, the contents of the main agreement mention government of Indonesia to get 51 percent of the divestment of freeport shares in which there is also the Government of Papua Province which gets 10 percent.
“Later on December 15, 2017, the agreement will be signed between PT Freeport Indonesia, the Central Government, the Government of Papua Province, and the Government of Mimika Regency,” he said.
Mimika Regent Eltinus Omaleng explained that the allocation of 7 percent to Mimika Regency will be divided for the community as much as 3 percent, and 3 percent for Mimika Regency, while 1 percent will be managed by the BUMD in addition to the income.
“We will form a special regional company that manages these shares,” said Eltinus.
Three percent of the community’s shares will be given to two existing tribes in the mine area in the form of a foundation to be managed.
Rp2 million needed to pay for illegal mining in Banti
Separetely, Papuan Legislator from Mimika and surrounding districts, Wilhelmus Pigai, said that from the information he collected, every citizen who wants to engage in a traditional mining activity in PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) mine’s area in Tembagapura District, Mimika Regency, need to pay as much as Rp1-RP2 million.
“I heard from the people who go up (the area of PT Freeport), they pay from Rp1 to Rp2 million to the officers,” said Wilhalmus Pigai to Jubi, Wednesday (December 6).
Himself supported the position of Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Boy Rafli Amarby forbidding non-Papuans from engaging such activities and reminding their members not to bring non-Papuans into Tembagapura District.
“There must be action to prevent people from re-entering and doing the activities in Tembagapura. I think the secutiries knows what action to take,” he said.
He said the local district government should also be more active, since there is already a signal from the police.
In addition, if any security officers are caught bringing people in to get pitch, it should be dealt with according to the applicable laws.
“The area of repatriation is a forbidden area, exactly where the Freeport waste is dumped – there is no activity there. It has always been forbidden for people to get there. How come they can get in? Who’s behind this? ”
He said that, in plain view, PTFI also has a number of sophisticated equipment and exceptional levels of security, to detect anyone coming in and out of the mining area.
Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar said, he would take firm action against people who bring non-Papuans to the area of repatriation in Freeport Indonesia area.
He said, perhaps during this time there are unscrupulous members who bring non-Papuans into the area. But he promised after what it was called ‘evacuation” of the non Papuans out of Banti, there is no more mining activities.
“All this time there is no mining activity because it is illegal, if any of my members bring them in, I will take action, do not try me,” Boy Rafli said last week.(tabloidjubi.com/Zely)
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4) STUDENTS’ MOVEMENT HELD SILENT PROTEST REMEMBERING ‘PANIAI BERDARAH’
Dec 11, 2017
Jayapura, Jubi – Commemorates the Bloody Paniai tragedy on December 8, 2014, four students and youth organizations: Papuan Youth and Student Movement (GEMPAR), Student Independent Forum (FIM), West Papua Student and Youth Solidarity (Sonamappa) and Papuan Student Alliance (AMP), staged a silent action by walking from Perumnas III Waena to Imbi Jayapura City, on Friday (December 8),in Jayapura.
Representative of Gempar Papua, Nelius Wenda, said that the case should not be forgotten, and that their movement is part of “refuse to forget” movement. Therefore, the action continues to be done as a sense of grief. “We commemorate it by doing silent action and walking,” he said.
He continued, the people of Papua are still grieving as perceived by the families of the victims. “Today the judicial process to unveil the perpetrators, has not worked, and even the promise of Indonesian President on Christmas 2014 in Mandala field is not well realized,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman I of Sonamappa, Pilipus Robaha, said the action they held is aimed for those in office to not forget the case.
“We want the legislators, law enforcement agencies in Papua, not to forget the Paniai case it is a very heartbreaking for Papuans, since it happens when Papuans are preparing themselves to welcome Christmas. ”
FIM Secretary General, Alex Mujijau, demand for more democratic space for Papuans. “Let us deliver the cases of human rights violations to be known internationally,” he said.(*)
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5) JUFFA WANTS TO GIVE ORO LAND TO WEST PAPUANS
Dec 11, 2017
Oro, Jubi – Northern Governor Gary Juffa says he would allocate land for West Papua people with PNG citizenship to settle in his province.
“Some are now residing in Northern and I also urge other provinces to allow West Papuans who are now PNG citizens to settle in their provinces,” Juffa said.
During the 53rd West Papuan flag-raising ceremony in Port Moresby on Friday, Juffa also committed K5000 for next year’s anniversary.
The event held at the Jack Pidik Park was to commemorate West Papuans’ independence from their Dutch colonisers in 1964 before their annexing as an Indonesian province. The annexing did not go down well, with some being forced to flee across border to live in PNG.
Meanwhile Jean Parkop, wife of National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, has urged Papua New Guineans to help the West Papuans to get their citizenship and National Identification Cards.
Parkop, who is also a West Papuan Freedom activist, said: “The government has done its part to allow West Papuans to get their citizenships freely.
“So let’s help and allow them to settle on our land. That is the only way we can help them. Let them stay and take part in our political issues. Let them stay and contribute to our economy until they return to their homes.”(The National/Jubi)
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6) OPM AND POLICE SHOOTOUT IN LANNY JAYA
Dec 11, 2017
Jayapura, Jubi – The self-proclaimed Free Papua Movement (OPM) led by Purom Okiman Wenda, based in Lanny Jaya, Papua, claimed to be the perpetrator of the shooting at Lanny Jaya Police Station in Tiom while police officers were held a morning routine brief on Wednesday (December 6).
“We did the shootings when we happened to be passing by and the Lanny Jaya Police apparatus was held a brief, then we fired in. There were two police officers were hit,” said the claiming party as Purom Okiman Wenda to Jubi on Wednesday.
According to him, that was only the spontaneous action when they have to pass near Lanny Jaya Police Station.
Lanny Jaya Police Chief, AKBP Tony Ananda Swadaya through his phone justified the action of shootings.
“(but) The situation is safe, we happened to be shot from the bottom of the river, but they have gone,” said AKBP Tony Ananda.
According to him, the armed contact occurred for approximately three hours. But he made sure there were no casualties in the incident, and now the situation is safe. Vehicles from Wamena, Jayawijaya to Lanny Jaya can pass, also from Tiom to Wamena.
“We are constantly wary of anticipating the next attack, which we are worried about, we are prepared to be assisted by the TNI, the Purom Wenda group who carried out the attack, started from December 1, they are also shooting of our patrol car,” he said.(tabloidjubi.com/Zely)
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