1) Concern for villages amid conflict in Papuan Highlands
2) Revenue increase forecast from West Papua mine
3) Indonesian students protest Papua military action
4) Attorney says Skrypski forced to attend the trial
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1) Concern for villages amid conflict in Papuan Highlands
From Dateline Pacific, 5:03 am today
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says it's deeply concerned about the welfare of innocent civilians in Papua's central Highlands.
Since late last year, a large military operation has been underway around Nduga regency in pursuit of the West Papua Liberation Army the armed wing of the OPM Free Papua Movement
The Liberation Army killed at least 16 Indonesian road construction workers and a soldier in early December.
The Liberation Movement's deputy secretary-general Octo Mote says the attack angered the Indonesian president.
Audio 3.24
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2) Revenue increase forecast from West Papua mine
11:06 am on 19 January 2019
The Indonesian state owned mining company, Inalum, says its revenue will jump ten fold by 2022.
Inalum now holds 51.23 percent of the mine company PT Freeport Indonesia after the Indonesian government paid $US3.85 billion dollars to increase its shareholding from 9.36 percent.
The Jakarta Post reported revenue last year was $US180 million but this is forecast to increase to $US1.8 billion in 2022.
There will be no revenue through 2019 and 2020 as the company transitions from open pit mining to underground mining.
The newspaper said the company's Papua mine had potential gold and copper reserves worth $US170 billion.
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3) Indonesian students protest Papua military action
about 1 hour ago
Dozens of students have turned out across Indonesia to protest military action in Papua's Nduga regency.
Since late last year, a large joint military and police operation has been underway in the Highlands region in pursuit of the West Papua Liberation Army.
The crackdown is a response to the killings of at least 16 Indonesian road construction workers and a soldier in early December, which the Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for.
The armed group accused the workers of being Indonesian military spies, a claim rejected by Indonesia's military (TNI).
On Friday, university students turned to the streets in Jakarta, Bali, Salatiga in Central Java and Ambon in Maluku.
Photos posted on social media showed demonstrators holding placards saying "Save Nduga".
Other people displayed a widely shared image published by Australia's Saturday Paper, which is reported to be of a Papuan villager in Nduga, who sustained burns from white phosphorus weapons used by the TNI. Indonesia has rejected the report.
Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman said that in Jakarta, Papuan student protestors burned a fake coffin as an "expression of anger".
This week, TNI spokesperson Colonel Muhammed Aidi said one "separatist" had been killed this year during the Nduga operations, which also extend to the central Highlands regencies of Puncak, Puncak Jaya and Lanny Jaya.
Concerned for the welfare of those villagers who fled to the bush, Papua's provincial governor Lukas Enembe last month urged security forces to withdraw from the region.
But Mr Aidi said residents were afraid to return without military escorts, which were being provided along with social and humanitarian services.
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4) Attorney says Skrypski forced to attend the trial
20 January 2019
Wamena, Jubi – The trial against the Polish man Jakub Fabian Skrzypski and Simon Magal accused of treason finally be held at Wamena District Court on Monday (1/14/2019).
Chief Judge Yajis, SH, MH accompanied by member judges Roberto Naibaho SH and Ottow W.T.G.P Siagian, SH read the 14 pages charges for both defendants.
Earlier, the Polish Jakub Fabian Skrzypski went on a hunger strike and declined to attend the trial on 8 January 2019 as he preferred to continue the hearing in Jayapura. His act consequently caused a delay.
For the recent trial, however, as Skrzypski still denied the trial, his attorney Yance Tenoye said the prosecutor came to the police custody to force his client attending the hearing.
Furthermore, Tenoye said the attorney team has tried to persuade his client to pursue the trial, but he remained to refuse. However, they thought he has the right to do so.
“However, the prosecutor said that he would take Jakub to the trial after coordinating with the security forces. So Jakub was forced to attend the trial. Even the prosecutor said inappropriate words against him,” Tenoye told reporters after the trial.
Moreover, Tenoye said the trial run smoothly. However, the defendant’s application to have a Polish interpreter was denied by the court, as English was considered enough by the judges.
“I think it’s defendant’s right to ask for the Polish interpreter and the court should consider it,” said Tenoye.
By contrast, the prosecutor Ricarda Arsenius, who’s also the Head of the General Crime Department of Jayawijaya Prosecutor Office, said no intimidation occurred regarding the attending of the defendant at trial.
He further claimed what he did was only to prompt the order of the panel of judges to bring the defendant to the court. “Jakub initially objected to coming to the hearing, but after we talked and convinced him, he changed his mind. The next session will be held on 21 January 2019 to hear the exceptions by defendants’ attorney team,” Arsenius said.
Meanwhile, Latifa Anum Siregar from Skrzypski’s attorney team admitted that in the next trial, her team would present their exceptions from two aspects. First, the chapters of law applied by the prosecutor to charge her client. The prosecutor uses the alternative chapters 1 or 3 or 4, which show the hesitant of the prosecutor which sections should he presents at the hearing. Moreover, according to her, these articles are weak to apply in the court.
“The second aspect is we will observe the clearance and the compliance of the charges. We will prepare our exceptions for the next 21 January,” she said. (*)
Reporter: Islami Adisubrata
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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