2) Benny Mawel The Jakarta Post Jayapura /
3) ‘Take action on Indonesia’: PNG Opposition
4) DPR Commission I's 10 members visit Papua for first-hand accounts
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1) Don't Break Up Papua
8 November 2019 06:35 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The plan to divide the province of Papua by establishing a new province in the southern part proves the inability of the central government to understand the roots of the problem there. This policy might satisfy a small number of the elite in Papua, but it will clearly do nothing to address the grievances felt by most of the people of Papua for years.
During his first administration, President Joko Widodo tried to resolve the problems of Papua through an economic approach. It was hoped that the building of infrastructure, especially the Trans Papuan Highway, would reduce income inequality and spark growth. But the violence that broke out in a number of places in Papua between August and October proved that this approach was not effective.
Therefore, it would be truly surprising if the government did not evaluate this policy and seek better alternative solutions. Usually, provinces are divided in order to improve the quality of public services and bring the government structure closer to the people. Dividing Papua means that the government once again has chosen the politics of redistributing prosperity. However, what the people of Papua actually want is the politics of recognizing that their esteem and dignity as original inhabitants and owners of the communal right of disposal have been disdained for years.
There is no denying that most of the division of regions that have happened since the 1998 reformasi has been triggered by political demands. But this mistake was later corrected after the ministry of home affairs and the National Development Planning Agency found that 80 percent of the 223 autonomous regions failed to improve the quality of public services. Because of that, since 2014 there has been a moratorium on establishing new regions. Without a thorough study and proper preparations, the establishment of the province of South Papua will only be a repeat of the story of failure in other regions.
The results of existing research do not make happy reading. A number of investigations have shown that regions resulting from these divisions have burdened state finances. The establishment of new provinces and regions needs new buildings such as government offices and additional police officers and military personnel. As a result, the only people who would benefit from dividing Papua would be a small number of the elite who would have the opportunity to try for the job of governor, or for official positions or seats in the Regional Representatives Council.
Not only that, it could trigger conflict. Just look at the establishment of Polewali Mamasa Regency in South Sulawesi, which ended in violence. The establishment of Central Luwu Regency in 2013 led to demonstrations and clashes that killed one person. In a region that has smoldering discontent like Papua, the potential for violence as a result of dividing the region is far higher. The government must take this into consideration.
Once again, the resolution of the protracted conflict in Papua must start from the roots. The results of a joint investigation by the Indonesian National Institute of Sciences (2019 and 2017) that mapped the roots of the conflict in Papua could be used as the basis. As well as the problem of history and the controversial integration of Papua, there is the problem of human rights abuses and violence by the security forces that have yet to be resolved fairly. Marginalization and discrimination against original Papuan people and the failure of development in Papua were also highlighted.
The best way to solve the problem of Papua can only be achieved through dialogue. Although this will be tiring and difficult, it must begin and be implemented consistently.
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2) Benny Mawel The Jakarta Post Jayapura /
Fri, November 8, 2019 / 03:26 pm
It's 'the murder of Papuans': Local council rejects plan to establish new provinces
Papuan People’s Assembly chairman Timotius Murib said on Wednesday that the assembly had rejected the government’s plan to create two more provinces in the country's easternmost region.
Previously, Home Minister Tito Karnavian said that he already received proposals from local figures regarding the establishment of two new provinces, namely South Papua and Pegunungan Tengah Papua. If the plan is approved, the new provinces would take territory from the region's two existing provinces: Papua and West Papua.
Even though the government is still imposing an overall moratorium on the establishment of new provinces and districts, Tito said that the government would consider the Papuan proposal.
However, it turned out that the Papuan People’s Assembly, a state-sanctioned representative council consisting of Papuans, did not agree with the plan.
“To this day, [the assembly] will never approve recommendation for the new provinces as stipulated in Article 76 of [Law No. 21/2001 on] Papua Special Autonomy Law,” Timotius said.
He said that according to the article new provinces can only be created after receiving approval from the assembly and the provincial legislative councils. He said the two institutions would only give their approval after assessing social conditions, human resources, financial capability and possible development in the future.
After examining the aforementioned determining factors, he said the assembly has concluded that it is not the right time to form new provinces. The assembly also noted that the previous establishment of West Papua province, as well as a new regency, did not make a positive impact for the locals from political, economic and cultural perspectives.
He added that the condition of areas that would be used for the new provinces is concerning because of the prolonged conflict and the lack of commitment from the Jakarta elite to develop them. In some conflict areas like Nduga and Puncak, locals are moving away so there are currently no Papuans residing in them.
“There are no people there. Everyone has escaped from the area, so Nduga should be reunited with Wamena, as well as Puncak with Paniai,” Timotius said.
“The ones who fight for new provinces to be established are government officials [who do it] in the name of Papuans; so we reject, reject and reject,” he said.
If the Jakarta and Papua elites ignore the assembly’s disapproval, Timotius said they would be speeding up "the murder of Papuans".
“If [they] want to force new provincial formation, Jakarta should prepare as many coffins as possible. Don’t bury them in Papua, bury them in Jakarta,” he said.
Similar to Timotius, the chairman of the Sentani Tribe Council, Demas Tokoro, said new provinces would not be positive for the Papuans.
Demas said that the lack of human resources has become a problem for native Papuans, since the Papuans are in need of experts in every discipline.
“If there are no doctors or experts, then who would want to work? If they want to open new jobs for migrants then go ahead,” he told The Jakarta Post.
The secretary of the Lapago Tribe Council, Engelbertus Surabut, is also questioning the establishment of new provinces and challenging the elites to think about its positive and negative impacts.
“Who will take benefit from this? Is it the Papuans or the non-Papuans? The Papuan elites or the people?” he asked. (dpk)
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3) ‘Take action on Indonesia’: PNG Opposition
| 10:10 pm GMT+12, 07/11/2019, Papua New Guinea |
Papua New Guinea Opposition leader Belden Namah has called on Prime Minister James Marape to take Indonesian atrocities in Papua and repeated border violations to the United Nations and make them international incidents requiring international conflict resolution mechanisms.
Namah said in a statement that Indonesia’s “secret war” was no longer secret. “Melanesians across the border are being harassed and killed next door to us,” he said.
“Their human rights, including the right to self-determination, are being trampled underfoot while our international border is violated repeatedly by Indonesian security forces in hot pursuit of Papuans.
“A Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) initiative for a fact-finding mission to the Indonesian Province has been denied by Indonesia.
“Meanwhile, there is an ongoing 6pm to 6am curfew in force throughout West Papua and a new province of South Pacific has been created necessitating increased troops movement and presence in the south close to Daru, as well as troops in the north on the border near Vanimo. Now they have West Papua, Papua and South Papua provinces on the other half of the island of New Guinea.
“It is time to take serious stock of what is going on out there. It is not just a matter of human rights violations. It is a matter of grave national interest for PNG.
“When I asked the prime minister questions in Parliament in relation to this, he was evasive but he did agree that what is happening is grave. The prime minister told Parliament that what was happening on the border was a sovereign issue for the sovereign state of Indonesia. I disagree. Border violations into PNG is not an internal matter of Indonesia. It is an international incident. Extra-judicial killing of innocent Papuans is not an internal issue but an international one.
“It is time now to make this an international issue by sponsoring it as such at the United Nations.
“Our citizens on the border are daily living in fear. We have duty to protect them. If it cannot be done on a bi-lateral or regional level, then it is time to sponsor this matter as an international issue at the United Nations,” he said.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS
Namah said in a statement that Indonesia’s “secret war” was no longer secret. “Melanesians across the border are being harassed and killed next door to us,” he said.
“Their human rights, including the right to self-determination, are being trampled underfoot while our international border is violated repeatedly by Indonesian security forces in hot pursuit of Papuans.
“A Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) initiative for a fact-finding mission to the Indonesian Province has been denied by Indonesia.
“Meanwhile, there is an ongoing 6pm to 6am curfew in force throughout West Papua and a new province of South Pacific has been created necessitating increased troops movement and presence in the south close to Daru, as well as troops in the north on the border near Vanimo. Now they have West Papua, Papua and South Papua provinces on the other half of the island of New Guinea.
“It is time to take serious stock of what is going on out there. It is not just a matter of human rights violations. It is a matter of grave national interest for PNG.
“When I asked the prime minister questions in Parliament in relation to this, he was evasive but he did agree that what is happening is grave. The prime minister told Parliament that what was happening on the border was a sovereign issue for the sovereign state of Indonesia. I disagree. Border violations into PNG is not an internal matter of Indonesia. It is an international incident. Extra-judicial killing of innocent Papuans is not an internal issue but an international one.
“It is time now to make this an international issue by sponsoring it as such at the United Nations.
“Our citizens on the border are daily living in fear. We have duty to protect them. If it cannot be done on a bi-lateral or regional level, then it is time to sponsor this matter as an international issue at the United Nations,” he said.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS
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4) DPR Commission I's 10 members visit Papua for first-hand accounts
8 hours ago
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Some 10 members of the House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission I, overseeing defense and foreign affairs, visited Jayapura on Friday to meet with representatives of the Papua provincial administration in order to obtain first-hand accounts.
Deputy Papua Governor Klemen Tinal received the 10 members in the company of several representatives of the Papua provincial government's regional apparatus organization (OPD).
Meanwhile, the House delegation, headed by Meutya Viada Hafid, comprised Rudianto Tjen, Sturman Panjaitan, Hi Lodewijk Paulus, Nurur Arifin, Sugiono, Yan Permenas Mandenas, Taufiq R. Abdullah, Jazuli Juwaeini, and Syaifullah Tamliha.
Tinal told the visiting legislators that the Commission I's visit was expected to make the House pay greater attention to Papua's dynamic condition and help produce more pro-Papuan people policies.
Head of the House's Commission I Meutya Viada Hafid affirmed that it was her commission's first trip to Papua since their official inauguration as members of parliament on Oct 1, 2019.
"This visit is part of our supervisory functions to gather inputs from first-hand sources on the current situation in Papua," Hafid stated.
Related news: Tembagapura's security intensified as measure against rebels' terror
Papua and West Papua have come under the radar of both Indonesian and foreign media after a spate of violence broke out in several parts of these two Indonesian provinces in August and September 2019.
On August 28, violence erupted in Deiyai District, some 500 kilometers away from Jayapura, resulting in the deaths of an army soldier and two civilians.
The indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura again held protests on August 29, as they vented their ire over the alleged racist behavior against their Papuan compatriots in Surabaya, but their rally then turned violent.
On September 23, a deadly riot had erupted in Wamena, the capital city of Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, killing 33 civilians, including a senior medical doctor, who had served the native Papuans for 15 years.
Security challenges in the provinces of Papua and West Papua have become tougher, with the armed Papuan separatists' ongoing campaigns of killing innocent people, especially non-native Papuans, over the past years.
Two days after the rioting in Wamena erupted, a notorious group of armed Papuan criminals brutally killed three motorcycle taxi (Ojek) drivers in Sugapa Sub-district, Intan Jaya District, Papua Province.
With the incident occurring on Oct 25, the number of innocent civilians killed by these armed Papuan criminals has increased.
On September 26, they also executed two Ojek drivers, Alwi and Midung, near the Muara suspension bridge in Amnunggi Village, Ilaga Sub-district, Puncak District.
Related news: Papua police probe killing of three Ojek drivers
Related news: Notorious Papuan rebels kill three Ojek drivers
Deputy Papua Governor Klemen Tinal received the 10 members in the company of several representatives of the Papua provincial government's regional apparatus organization (OPD).
Meanwhile, the House delegation, headed by Meutya Viada Hafid, comprised Rudianto Tjen, Sturman Panjaitan, Hi Lodewijk Paulus, Nurur Arifin, Sugiono, Yan Permenas Mandenas, Taufiq R. Abdullah, Jazuli Juwaeini, and Syaifullah Tamliha.
Tinal told the visiting legislators that the Commission I's visit was expected to make the House pay greater attention to Papua's dynamic condition and help produce more pro-Papuan people policies.
Head of the House's Commission I Meutya Viada Hafid affirmed that it was her commission's first trip to Papua since their official inauguration as members of parliament on Oct 1, 2019.
"This visit is part of our supervisory functions to gather inputs from first-hand sources on the current situation in Papua," Hafid stated.
Related news: Tembagapura's security intensified as measure against rebels' terror
Papua and West Papua have come under the radar of both Indonesian and foreign media after a spate of violence broke out in several parts of these two Indonesian provinces in August and September 2019.
On August 28, violence erupted in Deiyai District, some 500 kilometers away from Jayapura, resulting in the deaths of an army soldier and two civilians.
The indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura again held protests on August 29, as they vented their ire over the alleged racist behavior against their Papuan compatriots in Surabaya, but their rally then turned violent.
On September 23, a deadly riot had erupted in Wamena, the capital city of Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, killing 33 civilians, including a senior medical doctor, who had served the native Papuans for 15 years.
Security challenges in the provinces of Papua and West Papua have become tougher, with the armed Papuan separatists' ongoing campaigns of killing innocent people, especially non-native Papuans, over the past years.
Two days after the rioting in Wamena erupted, a notorious group of armed Papuan criminals brutally killed three motorcycle taxi (Ojek) drivers in Sugapa Sub-district, Intan Jaya District, Papua Province.
With the incident occurring on Oct 25, the number of innocent civilians killed by these armed Papuan criminals has increased.
On September 26, they also executed two Ojek drivers, Alwi and Midung, near the Muara suspension bridge in Amnunggi Village, Ilaga Sub-district, Puncak District.
Related news: Papua police probe killing of three Ojek drivers
Related news: Notorious Papuan rebels kill three Ojek drivers
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