Monday, June 25, 2018

1) Indonesia military: 3 dead in gun attack on airport in Papua



2) Three civilians in Papua shot dead by criminals
3) World’s largest palm oil trader linked to rainforest destruction twice the size of Paris
4) The Kamwolker River drying up
5) Kosapa promotes the born of young Papuan authors
6) Hungarian student attracted to traditional Papuan food
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1) Indonesia military: 3 dead in gun attack on airport in Papua
Published: 
JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Gunmen killed three people in an attack Monday at an airport in Indonesia's easternmost Papua that targeted a light plane transporting paramilitary police, the military said.
Col. Muhammad Aidi, the army's spokesman in Papua province, said three civilians were killed and two people, including the pilot, were injured in the attack, which occurred after the plane landed at Kenyam airport in remote Nduga district.
The dead civilians were migrant traders from South Sulawesi province, including a husband and wife, who were shot and stabbed as the attackers fled the airport, Aidi said.
A pro-independence insurgency has simmered in the formerly Dutch-controlled Papua region since it was annexed by Indonesia in 1963.
Under Indonesian rule, indigenous Papuans have been largely shut out of their region's economic activity, which is dominated by extraction of natural resources by Indonesian and foreign companies including the giant U.S.-owned Grasberg gold and copper mine.
Aidi said the chartered Twin Otter plane was transporting paramilitary police from the highlands town of Wamena to Nduga to provide security during regional elections on Wednesday.
He said the assailants were members of the "Armed Civilians Criminal Group" that had previously shot dead a worker on the trans-Papua highway project. Indonesia's police and military frequently blame attacks in Papua on criminals rather than admitting an insurgency.

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/116298/three-civilians-in-papua-shot-dead-by-criminals

2) Three civilians in Papua shot dead by criminals
Reporter:  
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - Three out of five residents of Papua were shot dead by members of a criminal group (KKB) near the Kenyam Airport, Nduga District.

Ahmad Kamal, spokesman of the Papua Police, confirmed the killings of the civilians.

Bodies of the three civilians were taken to the local police, but information on the two injured residents was not available.

"There is a problem in the communication network, so latest developments in the area are not as yet known," he revealed.

The civilians, who were attacked by the separatists, lived near the Kenyam airport area.

Earlier, on Monday, at 9:30 a.m. local time, a Twin-Otter aircraft owned by Trigana, was shot at and its pilot, Kamil, was injured by bullet shrapnel.

The aircraft, with flight code PK-RYU, carried 18 personnel deployed to secure the upcoming gubernatorial election, or pilkada, to be held simultaneously across Indonesia on June 27, 2018.

(f001/INE)
(T.SYS/C/KR-BSR/F001) 


Editor: Heru Purwanto
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3) World’s largest palm oil trader linked to rainforest destruction twice the size of Paris
 
Jakarta, Indonesia – A new Greenpeace International investigation has revealed that Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm oil trader, is still linked to forest destruction for palm oil almost five years after committing to end deforestation.[1] 
An area twice the size of Paris has been destroyed by Gama, a palm oil business run by senior Wilmar executives and members of their family. Photos and video taken by Greenpeace International on a recent flyover show active deforestation in two Gama concessions in Papua, Indonesia.[2] 
“Our investigation has exposed Wilmar’s dirty secret. For years, Wilmar and Gama have worked together, with Gama doing the dirty work so Wilmar’s hands stay clean. But now the truth is out, and Wilmar CEO Kuok Khoon Hong must act now to save his reputation. Wilmar must immediately cut off all palm oil suppliers that can’t prove they aren’t destroying rainforests,” said Kiki Taufik, the global head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s Indonesian forests campaign.
Gama, one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil plantation companies, was set up by Wilmar’s co-founder, Martua Sitorus and his brother Ganda in 2011.[3] Gama’s concessions are owned and managed by members of Ganda’s and Martua Sitorus’s family, which includes Wilmar’s Country Head and Deputy Country Head for Indonesia.
In December 2013, Wilmar became the first palm oil trader to publish a ‘no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation’ (NDPE) policy that applied in its own plantations and those of its suppliers. Mapping and satellite analysis shows that Gama destroyed 21,500ha of rainforest or peatland since Wilmar made its commitment [see report]. 
Wilmar also has a history of evading responsibility for environmental and human rights abuses by selling off its most controversial concessions to Gama.[4]
Wilmar’s General Manager with responsibility for trading within Indonesia, Darwin Indigo, is the son of Gama co-founder, Ganda, and also manages at least one Gama company. Darwin’s brother Andy Indigo manages Gama’s other concessions. 
Analysis of trade data shows that Wilmar continues to trade palm oil from Gama to many of the world’s biggest brands, despite being aware that Gama was violating Wilmar’s NDPE policy by clearing rainforest. 
“Wilmar has been trading Gama’s oil all over the world, including to brands like P&G, NestlĂ© and Unilever. Brands cannot let this deception pass unchallenged, and have no choice but to suspend all business with Wilmar until it can prove it only trades clean palm oil from responsible producers,” said Kiki Taufik.
Wilmar denies having any influence over Gama, although it admitted in a fax to Greenpeace International that Gama is run by Wilmar senior executives and members of their family.[5] 
Southeast Asia’s plantation sector is notorious for using shell companies run by managers or family members to hide deforestation. Just last month, Greenpeace broke ties with Asia Pulp and Paper, Indonesia’s largest paper company, after detecting deforestation in two concessions linked to APP and its parent company the Sinar Mas Group.
Wilmar is on the board of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), whose bi-annual conference kicks off on Monday in Paris. At least one Gama company, S&G Biofuel Ltd, is also an RSPO member. Under RSPO membership rules, companies that share management or control should be treated as one group. This makes Wilmar responsible for what happens in Gama’s concessions.
Greenpeace is calling on the RSPO to enforce its rules by requiring Wilmar and Gama to register as one group and suspending Wilmar until the rainforest Gama destroyed is restored.
ENDS
Photos
Notes:
[2] Much of this deforestation has occured in just three of the concessions examined in Greenpeace’s report:
PT Graha Agro Nusantara (PT GAN), West Kalimantan, Kubu Raya district – 7,000ha of forest or peatland cleared since 2014
  • PT Agriprima Cipta Persada (PT ACP), Papua, Merauke district – at least 3,190ha of forest cleared since 2015
  • PT Agrinusa Persada Mulia (PT APM), Papua, Merauke district – at least 2,500ha of forest cleared since January 2016.
[3]  Like many family-owned companies in Southeast Asia, Gama does not have a formal structure; instead, it is a network of plantations and palm oil companies owned, managed or controlled by Ganda and Martua Sitorus, and members of their family. 
Martua Sitorus is the co-founder of Wilmar and remains a board member. He is also CEO of Gama
Ganda’s and Martua Sitorus’s brother-in-law, Hendri Saksti is Wilmar’s Country Head, Indonesia. He also owns or manages Gama plantations.
Sitorus and Saksti’s nephew / Ganda’s son Darwin Indigo is Wilmar’s Deputy Country Head, Indonesia. He also manages S&G Biofuel, a Gama joint venture.
In 2004, Wilmar sold PT Jatimjaya Perkasa to Gama (then known as Ganda Group) following accusations of deforestation in the concession from Friends of the Earth. 
In 2013, Wilmar sold PT Asiatic Persada to Gama (then known as Ganda Group) following accusations of social conflict with local communities. 
In 2014, Wilmar sold PT Citra Riau Sirana to Gama, following accusations from Eyes on the Forest / WWF of receiving fresh fruit bunches of oil palm from illegal plantations within Tesso Nilo national park.
Contacts:
Sol Gosetti, International Communications Coordinator, Indonesia Forest, sol.gosetti@greenpeace.org, +44 (0) 7807352020
Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470, pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org (available 24 hours)

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4) The Kamwolker River drying up
Published
 
on
 


Jayapura, Jubi – Water debit of the Kampwolker River, one of the largest water reservoirs for Waena and Entrop areas of Jayapura city, has started to decline.
A geography lecturer at the University of Cenderawasih Eka Kristina Yeimo said the lack of government control on natural reserved areas driven the drought of springs. “If this issue has not immediately addressed, I am afraid the clean water crisis will happen in the next few years. The government must take a firm action to maintain the water resources, especially some springs in the city of Jayapura,” Yeimo told Jubi on Friday (22/6/2018).

She said that several years ago, water is not a problem. However, it changes. The water springs around Perumnas III and Kamwolker began to dry as a consequence of land clearing. “People build houses at the river bank until the mountain foot, which cut down all the trees around it,” she said.
Therefore, she continued, the government needs to establish a clear regulation and legal basis to protect the water resource area by controlling the development around the springs. On the other hand, it is also necessary for the community to play an active role to maintain the water resources and forest. (*)
Reporter: Agus Pabika
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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5) Kosapa promotes the born of young Papuan authors
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on
 


Jayapura, Jubi – Benediktus Tigi told Jubi he was glad to participate in a series of writing skills training held by Papuan Literature Community (Kosapa) in Papua.
“I am happy to participate in a training on poetry writing, because of that, some of my wirings published in the Kosapa media. I also hope Kosapa can continue to conduct a training for Papuan youth to keep them update,” he said.

The Papuan Literature Community, known as Kosapa, was established in June 2009 following a discussion of two founders Gusti Masan Raya and Andi Tagihuma on Facebook. Later they initiated to form a Facebook group.
“It was born following to our concern on the literature development in Papua that has been stagnant at that moment while we knew that Papuans live in the midst of the richness of literature,” Tagihuma told Jubi at the Kosapa Library on Sunday (17/6/2018).
In the same year, he continued, Kosapa not only conducted a discussion on Facebook but also held various activities including the book review, film screenings, journalistic training and essays writing training for students. It even created a website www.sastrapapua.com.
In October 2012, Kosapa collaborated with Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati to conduct Event Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in Jayapura and then with Jubi to manage with the literature section that published every Friday.
In 2017, Kosapa published three books of short story anthology, poetry, and wise words. The publication of these books was aimed to encourage the literature development in Papua and appreciated the Papuan authors who wrote those books.
“Currently there are eight drafts of books that ready to publish,” said Tagihuma who was the coordinator of Kosapa until 2016. He also hopes Papuan authors not only get recognition locally but also internationally.
Since 2016, Kosapa has a new board, Hengky Yeimo as the coordinator and Aleks Giay as the secretary. It continues with a series of activities including literacy campaign, training on both fiction and non-fiction writing skills for both students and public, reading poetry, consolidation of literature activists in Papua and public gathering to watch documentary films related to science, weekly and monthly discussion session involving the literature and cultural activists in Jayapura City.
The secretary of Kosapa Alex Giyai said Kosapa established to promote the local culture and Papuan literature that closely related to oral culture. “We must save the oral culture in the form of writing, if not Papuan generation will lose their identity,” he said.
Kosapa, he continued, dreams for the born of more Papuan authors because there are still many historical stories and issues in the past that have not yet revealed. It is an opportunity for Papuans to tell their own stories rather than the outsiders.
Meanwhile, Alfrida Yomanop, author of the book “Lembahayung Senja” said the role of Kosapa in promoting the local wisdom and Papuan literature as well as to promote literacy in Papua is very important.
“I appreciate my friends in Kosapa who continue to support the literature development in Papua through various activities. They have encouraged the younger generation of Papua to be able to write the native stories from their respective areas,” she said. (*)
 Reporter: Hengky Yeimo
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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6) Hungarian student attracted to traditional Papuan food

Published
 on  




Jayapura, Jubi – Papua is always an attractive place for international tourists to visit every year, and a Hungarian student Regina Laurents, who said coming to Papua because interested in studying the Papuan culture including its culinary method such as how to process sago traditionally, is just an example of it.
“I observe the traditional sago processing method is very good. I had eaten sago in Sulawesi once but never knew how to prepare it. I am happy that I can see its process here directly,” said Regina while attending the Sago Festival II in Kwadeware, Jayapura District on Thursday (21/06/2018).
Laurents is a culinary student who is undergoing an exchange program in Indonesia. For two years, she has been in various Indonesia regions, in particular, Papua to learn the traditional food processing method. Therefore, she felt lucky attending the Sago Festival. “I am pleased that I can learn a lot here, and I will certainly tell my friends about Papua.”
Moreover, She hopes this festival would continue to promote the Papuan traditional culinary as well as to attract more international tourists to come.
Sago Festival II was held in Kwadeware Village of Waibhu Sub-district, Jayapura District on Thursday (21/06/2018). Despite a variety of processed and traditional foods made from sago exhibited at the festival, visitors can also observe how to process raw sago before it becomes a delicious food. (*)
Reporter: Engel Wally
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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