2) Respect native Papuans' cultural norms, traditions: military officer
3) Indonesian president given details of civilian deaths in Papua
4) Amnesty calls for Indonesia to release Papuan political prisoners
5) Rights activists says security chief's 'garbage' remark will deepen Papua's wounds
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1) Indonesian Army Deploys 700 Additional Soldiers to West Papua
Translator: Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor: Petir Garda Bhwana
12 February 2020 12:07 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Army (TNI AD) has officially deployed 700 military personnel to fill a number of ‘preparation military commands’ (Koramil) freshly established across the West Papua region.
This was announced by the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Tatang Sulaiman in his visit to the XVIII/Kasuari military district command (Kodam) in Manokwari. His presence at the location was also to brief the soldiers who were freshly deployed to the region.
In his speech to the soldiers present; “You are all now in Indonesia’s most-eastern region. Strengthen your willingness to commit to the task. You will find many experiences here. First and foremost, understand the local Papuan customs and meet local people,” said Tatang.
Tatang also encouraged the soldiers in the Manokwari Koramil, which is at its third year of operation, by accentuating the country’s appreciation toward the 700 under operational control (BKO) soldiers tasked at the new military commands from promotions up to assignment pay.
Prior to the additional troops, the 3-year old military command’s personnel fulfillment was at 39 percent capacity. These Indonesian Army soldiers will spend one year in West Papua.
ANTARA
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Army (TNI AD) has officially deployed 700 military personnel to fill a number of ‘preparation military commands’ (Koramil) freshly established across the West Papua region.
This was announced by the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Tatang Sulaiman in his visit to the XVIII/Kasuari military district command (Kodam) in Manokwari. His presence at the location was also to brief the soldiers who were freshly deployed to the region.
In his speech to the soldiers present; “You are all now in Indonesia’s most-eastern region. Strengthen your willingness to commit to the task. You will find many experiences here. First and foremost, understand the local Papuan customs and meet local people,” said Tatang.
Tatang also encouraged the soldiers in the Manokwari Koramil, which is at its third year of operation, by accentuating the country’s appreciation toward the 700 under operational control (BKO) soldiers tasked at the new military commands from promotions up to assignment pay.
Prior to the additional troops, the 3-year old military command’s personnel fulfillment was at 39 percent capacity. These Indonesian Army soldiers will spend one year in West Papua.
ANTARA
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2) Respect native Papuans' cultural norms, traditions: military officer
12 hours ago
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command Commander Major General Herman Asaribab reminded soldiers joining the task force of territorial duties in Papua and West Papua provinces to respect native Papuans' cultural norms and traditions and avoid wrongdoing.
"I hope all personnel, who will conduct territorial duties at the district military commands within the administrative areas of the XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command, will always uphold the local communities' cultural norms and traditions," he told the Indonesian army personnel.
Addressing the roll call here on Tuesday to observe the preparedness of army personnel for territorial duties, Asaribab expressed keenness to find out about the real condition of his men, who would join the task forces under the operational control of the district military commands.
"As the commander, I must know the condition of all soldiers and various hurdles that they may face before their deployment," he remarked while urging them not to stay quiet about their problems that may hinder their career and main duties as soldiers.
Related news: Police, military hunt armed group on Indonesia-PNG border
Related news: Police confirms security situation safe across Papua
The security situation in Papua remains vulnerable to acts of deadly violence by notorious armed Papuan separatists.
The rebels were engaged in repeated exchanges of fire with the Indonesian military and police personnel. They also launched deadly attacks on civilians over the past years and killed several of them.
The Papua Police recorded that from early January to December 28, 2019, a total of 23 shooting and criminal cases involving the armed Papuan groups had claimed the lives of 10 members of the Indonesian police and military as well as 10 civilians.
The armed Papuan criminals committed such criminal acts in the administrative areas of the districts of Puncak Jaya, Jayawijaya, Mimika, and Paniai in 2019, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw had remarked on December 28, 2019.
In this situation, Mimika Police Chief I Gusti Era Adhinata revealed recently that some 60 bullets and two active grenade launcher modules (GLMs) were found at a dumpsite in Iwaka Sub-district.
The ammunition and GLMs that were discovered on December 31, 2019, and January 1, 2020, along with household garbage at the dumpsite belonged to the military and police, Adhinata revealed.
In response to this case, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw warned his men against getting involved in arms trafficking activities with the armed criminal groups in Papua Province and vouched to act sternly against them.
"No pardon will be given to those getting involved in arms trafficking activities. We are definitely sacking them. They will also be brought to court," he had stated last January.
He believes that most police officers, posted in the Indonesian province of Papua, are highly dedicated, loyal, and reliable. However, there would likely be one or two, who misbehave, Waterpauw stated.
Investigators from the Indonesian police and military in Mimika District, Papua Province, are yet probing the mystery behind 60 bullets and two active grenade launcher modules (GLMs) found at a dumpsite in Iwaka Sub-district.
The joint team of investigators attempted to trace the origins of the ammunition and GLMs and uncover the identity of the person or persons, who could have taken them out of the weapon storage facility.
Related news: Timika police probing case of bullets, GLMs found at a dumpsite
Related news: Indonesian soldier in Papua loses life in shoot-out
"I hope all personnel, who will conduct territorial duties at the district military commands within the administrative areas of the XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command, will always uphold the local communities' cultural norms and traditions," he told the Indonesian army personnel.
Addressing the roll call here on Tuesday to observe the preparedness of army personnel for territorial duties, Asaribab expressed keenness to find out about the real condition of his men, who would join the task forces under the operational control of the district military commands.
"As the commander, I must know the condition of all soldiers and various hurdles that they may face before their deployment," he remarked while urging them not to stay quiet about their problems that may hinder their career and main duties as soldiers.
Related news: Police, military hunt armed group on Indonesia-PNG border
Related news: Police confirms security situation safe across Papua
The security situation in Papua remains vulnerable to acts of deadly violence by notorious armed Papuan separatists.
The rebels were engaged in repeated exchanges of fire with the Indonesian military and police personnel. They also launched deadly attacks on civilians over the past years and killed several of them.
The Papua Police recorded that from early January to December 28, 2019, a total of 23 shooting and criminal cases involving the armed Papuan groups had claimed the lives of 10 members of the Indonesian police and military as well as 10 civilians.
The armed Papuan criminals committed such criminal acts in the administrative areas of the districts of Puncak Jaya, Jayawijaya, Mimika, and Paniai in 2019, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw had remarked on December 28, 2019.
In this situation, Mimika Police Chief I Gusti Era Adhinata revealed recently that some 60 bullets and two active grenade launcher modules (GLMs) were found at a dumpsite in Iwaka Sub-district.
The ammunition and GLMs that were discovered on December 31, 2019, and January 1, 2020, along with household garbage at the dumpsite belonged to the military and police, Adhinata revealed.
In response to this case, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw warned his men against getting involved in arms trafficking activities with the armed criminal groups in Papua Province and vouched to act sternly against them.
"No pardon will be given to those getting involved in arms trafficking activities. We are definitely sacking them. They will also be brought to court," he had stated last January.
He believes that most police officers, posted in the Indonesian province of Papua, are highly dedicated, loyal, and reliable. However, there would likely be one or two, who misbehave, Waterpauw stated.
Investigators from the Indonesian police and military in Mimika District, Papua Province, are yet probing the mystery behind 60 bullets and two active grenade launcher modules (GLMs) found at a dumpsite in Iwaka Sub-district.
The joint team of investigators attempted to trace the origins of the ammunition and GLMs and uncover the identity of the person or persons, who could have taken them out of the weapon storage facility.
Related news: Timika police probing case of bullets, GLMs found at a dumpsite
Related news: Indonesian soldier in Papua loses life in shoot-out
-------------------------------
3) Indonesian president given details of civilian deaths in Papua
2:36 pm on 12 February 2020
A team of human rights activists has handed a report on civilian deaths in West Papua to Indonesia's president while he was in Australia.
President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, has been on a state visit to Australia where he addressed the parliament in Canberra.
While in the Australian capital, Jokowi was handed details on political prisoners and civilian deaths in Papua.
Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman said her team managed to hand over letters directly to the president.
One featured a list of 243 civilians, including 110 children, who have died during military operations in Papua's Nduga regency since December 2018.
The other letter includes names of 57 people detained in the last few months of 2019 and facing treason charges.
They were arrested amid widespread anti-racism and pro-independence protests by Papuans.
Ms Koman said there had been widespread calls in Papua for Jokowi to scale back Indonesia's military operations in the region.
She said calls from the governor of Papua province, regents, church leaders, customary leaders, academics, activists and students, had been ignored.
Ms Koman said she hoped Jokowi, now furnished with the data, would halt the humanitarian crisis in the region.
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4) Amnesty calls for Indonesia to release Papuan political prisoners
6:25 am today
Amnesty International is calling on Indonesia to release West Papuan political prisoners
The number of Papuans detained and facing treason charges more than doubled in late 2019.
Fifty-seven people were arrested between 30 August and 1 December, amid widespread anti-racism and pro-independence protests by Papuans.
While most are awaiting trial in Papuan cities or towns, six are on trial in Jakarta.
Amnesty International Indonesia's executive director Usman Hamid said people were being criminalised for peacefully expressing their opinion, as was their right.
"We are calling on Indonesian authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally.
"So, we are hoping that as one of the largest democratic countries, Indonesia remains committed to not prosecute anyone expressing political opinion, including political solutions such as right to self-determination."
Indonesian authorities are also being urged to investigate the plight of West Papuan highlanders displaced by ongoing conflict.
The highlands regency of Nduga remains a focus of Indonesian military operations against the West Papua Liberation Army.
Operations intensified since the Liberation Army massacred at least 17 Indonesian road construction workers in December 2018.
Amnesty International Indonesia said that as a result of the operations, about 5000 villagers had been displaced.
That's according to data compiled by Papuan church representatives and researchers with the Foundation for Justice and Integrity of the Papuan People.
Mr Hamid said that as of the end of last month, over 240 Nduga residents had died - many from deprivations caused by displacement.
"We call on Indonesian authorities to launch an impartial and effective investigation into the allegations of deaths of IDPs (internally displaced people) in Nduga because of military operations or because of the lack of access to foods, water and sanitation for example."
Mr Hamid said the death toll and number of displaced people presented by the researchers might not neccessarily reflect the full extent of the problem.
Due to Papua's rugged terrain and the restrictions on access to the territory for outside humanitarian agencies and journalists, it remained as difficult to gauge the number of victims of conflict as it was for the number of troops being sent there.
"Unfortunately, there is no official source of information that can explain the number of the military being deployed in Papua," Mr Hamid said.
He has also called on Indonesia's government to allow an invitation for the UN Human Right's Commissioner's office to visit Papua to materialise.
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5) Rights activists says security chief's 'garbage' remark will deepen Papua's wounds
Kompas.com - February 11, 2020
Devina Halim, Jakarta -- Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman says that today's statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD will only deepen the Papuan people's wounds.
Earlier, Mahfud referred to data on Papuan political prisoners and civilians killed in Nduga, which were handed over to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during his visit to Canberra on Sunday, as "garbage".
The document contained data on 57 political prisoners as well as 243 civilian victims who have been killed in Nduga regency, Papua, since December 2018.
"However I'm still very disappointed, bearing in mind this will deepen the wounds of the Papuan people", Koman told Kompas.com on Tuesday February 11.
She claimed however not to be surprised by Mahfud's statement.
Koman recalled a statement by Mahfud last year when he said there have been no cases of human rights (HAM) crimes during Widodo's first five years in office. According to Koman, Mahfud's statement also hurt the ordinary's people's feelings.
"Remember that before he once issued a statement which hurt the ordinary people's feelings, namely that there has not been one HAM violation during Jokowi's era, so actually it's not too surprising when statements such as come out of his mouth", she said.
Koman is of the view that is difficult for victims to obtain justice because human rights violations are not acknowledged by the government. This, she said, show that the human rights situations is becoming worse.
"Never mind obtaining justice, they won't even admit there has been a single violation. This statement indicates the increasingly bleak human rights situation under [Widodo]", she said.
Moreover, following Mahfud's statement, Koman admitted to being pessimistic that the government will withdraw security forces from Papua. She feels this way even though data on alleged victims of the military operations in Papua has already been given to Widodo.
"I'm not indeed too optimistic, but at last now we know, that the military operations in Nduga will continue but not because President Jokowi doesn't know there are a growing number of victims", said Koman.
"The supreme military command of this country already knows, but the operations will continue, will then the Papuan people still be asked to put their hopes in Pak [Mr] Jokowi?", she asked.
As has been reported, Mahfud made a statement earlier in response to the documents handed over to Widodo in Canberra by Koman and other activists, which he referred to as "garbage".
"It's, what do you say, if indeed they exist there's just garbage", said Mahfud at the Presidential Palace in Bogor on Tuesday afternoon.
Mahfud, who accompanied Widodo to the Land of the Kangaroo, also said he did not know if the documents had really been handed over directly to the head of state.
Mahfud said this is because there were many people competing with each other to greet him and hand over letters and documents to Widodo.
Earlier, Koman said that the documents were handed over to Widodo when he visited Canberra, Australia, on Monday February 10.
"Our team in Canberra succeeded in handing the documents over directly to President Jokowi. The documents contained the names and locations of 57 Papuan political prisoners who have been charged with makar (treason, subversion, rebellion), who are currently incarcerated in seven cities across Indonesia", said Koman in a press release received by Kompas.com on Tuesday February 11.
"We also handed over the names and ages of 243 civilians who have died during the military operations in Nduga [district, West Papua] since December 2018, both those killed by security forces as well as that died of illness and starvation in refugee camps", she said.
Koman also noted a previous decision by Widodo to release five Papuan political prisoners during his first term in office in 2015.
But in the start of his second term in office, there are 57 people who have been charged with makar who are currently awaiting trial. This will only worsen the conflict in Papua, said Koman.
Koman also questioned what Widodo will do in response to requests for troops to be withdrawn from Nduga.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Dokumennya Disebut Sampah oleh Mahfud MD, Veronica Koman: Ini Memperdalam Luka".]
Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/02/11/20593871/dokumennya-disebut-sampah-oleh-mahfud-md-veronica-koman-ini-memperdalam-luka
Kompas.com - February 11, 2020
Devina Halim, Jakarta -- Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman says that today's statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD will only deepen the Papuan people's wounds.
Earlier, Mahfud referred to data on Papuan political prisoners and civilians killed in Nduga, which were handed over to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during his visit to Canberra on Sunday, as "garbage".
The document contained data on 57 political prisoners as well as 243 civilian victims who have been killed in Nduga regency, Papua, since December 2018.
"However I'm still very disappointed, bearing in mind this will deepen the wounds of the Papuan people", Koman told Kompas.com on Tuesday February 11.
She claimed however not to be surprised by Mahfud's statement.
Koman recalled a statement by Mahfud last year when he said there have been no cases of human rights (HAM) crimes during Widodo's first five years in office. According to Koman, Mahfud's statement also hurt the ordinary's people's feelings.
"Remember that before he once issued a statement which hurt the ordinary people's feelings, namely that there has not been one HAM violation during Jokowi's era, so actually it's not too surprising when statements such as come out of his mouth", she said.
Koman is of the view that is difficult for victims to obtain justice because human rights violations are not acknowledged by the government. This, she said, show that the human rights situations is becoming worse.
"Never mind obtaining justice, they won't even admit there has been a single violation. This statement indicates the increasingly bleak human rights situation under [Widodo]", she said.
Moreover, following Mahfud's statement, Koman admitted to being pessimistic that the government will withdraw security forces from Papua. She feels this way even though data on alleged victims of the military operations in Papua has already been given to Widodo.
"I'm not indeed too optimistic, but at last now we know, that the military operations in Nduga will continue but not because President Jokowi doesn't know there are a growing number of victims", said Koman.
"The supreme military command of this country already knows, but the operations will continue, will then the Papuan people still be asked to put their hopes in Pak [Mr] Jokowi?", she asked.
As has been reported, Mahfud made a statement earlier in response to the documents handed over to Widodo in Canberra by Koman and other activists, which he referred to as "garbage".
"It's, what do you say, if indeed they exist there's just garbage", said Mahfud at the Presidential Palace in Bogor on Tuesday afternoon.
Mahfud, who accompanied Widodo to the Land of the Kangaroo, also said he did not know if the documents had really been handed over directly to the head of state.
Mahfud said this is because there were many people competing with each other to greet him and hand over letters and documents to Widodo.
Earlier, Koman said that the documents were handed over to Widodo when he visited Canberra, Australia, on Monday February 10.
"Our team in Canberra succeeded in handing the documents over directly to President Jokowi. The documents contained the names and locations of 57 Papuan political prisoners who have been charged with makar (treason, subversion, rebellion), who are currently incarcerated in seven cities across Indonesia", said Koman in a press release received by Kompas.com on Tuesday February 11.
"We also handed over the names and ages of 243 civilians who have died during the military operations in Nduga [district, West Papua] since December 2018, both those killed by security forces as well as that died of illness and starvation in refugee camps", she said.
Koman also noted a previous decision by Widodo to release five Papuan political prisoners during his first term in office in 2015.
But in the start of his second term in office, there are 57 people who have been charged with makar who are currently awaiting trial. This will only worsen the conflict in Papua, said Koman.
Koman also questioned what Widodo will do in response to requests for troops to be withdrawn from Nduga.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Dokumennya Disebut Sampah oleh Mahfud MD, Veronica Koman: Ini Memperdalam Luka".]
Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/02/11/20593871/dokumennya-disebut-sampah-oleh-mahfud-md-veronica-koman-ini-memperdalam-luka
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INDOLEFT News service
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