2) Company accused of cultivating palm without permits in Boven Digoel
3) Policeman probed for alleged ammo smuggling for armed group in Intan Jaya
4) West Papua Covid-19 Task Force to Limit Mobility Ahead of Eid
5) Papua remains conducive before PON national games in October: police
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1) Indonesia’s ministry claims they try to limit palm plantation expansions in West Papua
News Desk April 20, 2021 5:27 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said that the Ministry had done efforts to reduce the palm plantation expansions in Papua Land by cutting 38.2 percent from the total area proposed by governors, regents, and mayors for oil palm expansions from 2015 to 2019.
Papua Land, or internationally known as West Papua, is comprised of two Indonesian provinces: Papua and West Papua. Each province is led by a governor.
“The 38.2 percent figure accounts for 106,619 hectares of land not approved for expansions. The total area that is approved is 172,430 hectares, compared to the 279,049 originally proposed by the two provincial administrations,” Nurbaya explained at the ministry office two weeks ago.
She further said that from 2015 to 2019, of the 10 units of state forest released to the palm companies, she only granted permission to one unit while the other nine units – covering an area of 143,613 hectares – had received approval from the previous minister and the permits continued after Nurbaya took over. The permits, signed by the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), are based on a recommendation letter from the governor and a location permit from the regent or mayor.
“The only state forest unit released for oil palm plantation during my tenure is 28,817 hectares or 2.5 percent of the total state forest area released for oil palm expansion from 2004 to 2019,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, during the reign of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, from 2005 to 2014, the total area of palm plantation expansion proposed by the regents, mayors, and governors of Papua and West Papua reached nearly 1.2 million hectares. Of the proposed area, 18.5 percent or 220,998 hectares were not approved. In other words, 974,576 hectares got approval, the equivalent of 13 times the size of Singapore.
Nurbaya said Indonesia continues its effort to reduce emissions by reducing the country’s deforestation rate. Indonesia’s deforestation rate from 2018 to 2020 was the lowest in the country’s history. During the same period, Papua and West Papua contributed to only 7.4 percent of 115,000 hectares of national deforestation.
Read also: ‘No one asked for our consent’: Indigenous people in Bintuni Bay reject logging in their forests
The deforestation in Papua occurred mostly in state forest areas liberated prior to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s presidency, Foreshints.news reported on February 17, 2021. In 2018, Jokowi imposes a moratorium on oil palm plantations.
“Thanks to President Jokowi’s oil palm moratorium order. Regents, mayors, and governors are not allowed to issue new location permits and recommendations to oil palm companies for areas with good forest cover, particularly in Papua and West Papua Provinces,” Nurbaya said.
“It is very clear that the oil palm moratorium order has a real impact in the two provinces, wherein new location permits from the regent or mayor and recommendation letters from the governor have been terminated,” she added.
Editor: Victor Mambor
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2) Company accused of cultivating palm without permits in Boven Digoel
News Desk April 20, 2021 8:22 am
West Papua No. 1 News Portal | Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Based on satellite image monitoring between January and March 2021, a nongovernmental group, Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation, found more than 194 hectares of forest area cleared in the region near Getentiri, on the edge of Digoel River, Jari District in Boven Digoel Regency in Papua Land. Previously in 2019, forest monitoring in the same region found 160 hectares of forest loss.
The forest loss is allegedly caused by land clearing and deforestation to develop palm oil plantation businesses by PT Bovendigoel Budidaya Sentosa and PT Perkebunan Bovendigoel Sejahtera, both owned by PT Digoel Agri Group, a release from Pusaka foundation made available to Jubi on April 19, 2021, said.
Digoel Agri Group is a foreign company with majority shares owned by an investor named Neville Christoper from New Zealand. Other investors include Jones R.M. Rumangkang, a family relative to the late Democrat Party politician Vence Rumangkang, Pusaka foundation reported.
In March 2021, Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation requested a clarification from PT Jenggala Hijau Sertifikasi (JHS), a company that issues timber legality certificates, about the land clearing activity of PT. Bovendigoel Budidaya Sentosa and PT. Perkebunan Bovendigoel Sejahtera.
In JHS’s response, it stated that the two companies have Plantation Business Permits (Izin Usaha Perkebunan) issued in 2018, Land Clearing Permits (Izin Pembukaan Lahan) issued in 2018, and Land Conversion Permits (Izin Pemanfaatan Kayu) issued in 2019 and extended in 2020. These permits were issued by the Investment and One-Stop Service Center Office in Papua Province.
Through a letter that was signed by JHS’s President Director Joko Isworo dated March 22, 2021, they also clarified that the Cultivation Rights Title (Hak Guna Usaha/HGU) based on their clarification with PT Bovendigoel Budidaya Sentosa and PT Perkebunan Bovendigoel Sejahtera that: “at the time of verification, [both companies] have not yet obtained HGU permits and in the last confirmation with company management, the permit has not been issued yet and will just begin to be processed.”
Based on this information, the two subsidiary companies of PT Digoel Agri Group allegedly operated to clear and fell forests in 2019 and 2021 against the law without HGU permits. The company is potentially violating Minister of Agriculture Regulation (Permentan) Number 05 Year 2019 on Agriculture Sector Business Licensing Procedures Article 9 paragraph (1) letter (f) that requires every plantation business company to be obligated to fulfill its commitment to present and own a HGU permit.
Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation views the need for pro active steps and actions by the national government, Agriculture Ministry, Governor and Bupati all have the obligation to oversee companies’ fulfilment of its commitment and compliance with standards, certification, as well as their business conduct.
Advocacy Staff of Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation, Tigor G. Hutapea, explained “We ask the local government to take action against violations and not hesitate to impose sanctions to revoke company permits, enforce environmental criminal law and other sanctions if the company is proven to violate the law. It appears that since 2019, the government has made no effort to enforce the law,” said Tigor G. Hutapea.
Law enforcement must be done, including sanctions to the officials that issued permits and were negligent in carrying out their oversight function. Justice, people’s prosperity and environmental sustainability will only be achieved with the genuine support of the state in enforcing the law.
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3) Policeman probed for alleged ammo smuggling for armed group in Intan Jaya
News Desk April 20, 2021 1:42 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Mathius Fakhiri has confirmed that the Nabire Police’s internal affairs division (Propam) is questioning Chief Brig. HW, a police member detained for allegedly smuggling ammunition to Intan Jaya Regency to supply the armed group.
“It is true, the Propam is conducting an examination related to the findings of 21 rounds of ammunition carried by Chief Brig. HW,” Fakhiri told news agency Antara on Monday, April 19, 2021.
According to Fakhiri, HW was formerly a member of Biak Numfor Police and recently got posted at the Intan Jaya Police.
Fakhiri said his party was still waiting for the investigation result, hoping that it was not a case of desertion of a police member to Papuan armed groups.
Earlier this year, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has named soldier First Pvt. Lukius Y. Matuan a fugitive for desertion. Lukius, previously a member of Yonif Raider 400, was stationed in Intan Jaya from August 2020 to March 2021. He left his squad on Feb. 12, 2021 and allegedly joined the National Liberation Army for West Papua (TPNPB).
TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Achmad Riad said the military was still chasing Lukius, Kompas reported. “We’re still hunting him. [Lukius] has been officially named a fugitive by [Papua] Regional Military Command,” he said on Monday.
TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom said that desertion of military and police members was not a new thing. “This is not the first time. Many [member of military and police] have joined the TPNPB in the 1970s and 1980s,” Sebby said on Friday, April 16, 2021.
Among the deserter, Sambom said, were Seth Jafet Rumkorem, Elieser Awom, and Surabut. Rumkorem was a West Papuan military officer who chose to defect from the TNI to the Free Papua Movement after witnessing election fraud and human rights abuse conducted by the former, Sambom claimed. He later became the proclamator of the Republic of West Papua on July 1, 1971. Meanwhile, Awom was a police member of Kotaraja’s Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) who joined the Papuan group in the 1980s. Surabut from Batalyon 753 Arfai Manokwari followed the step in the 1990s.
Editor: Victor Mambor
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4) West Papua Covid-19 Task Force to Limit Mobility Ahead of Eid
Translator: Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor: Laila Afifa
20 April 2021 23:58 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The West Papua Covid-19 task force (Satgas) announced that it plans to temporarily close the public access to sea, air, and land transportation ahead of the Islamic national holiday Eid al Fitr.
Head of the West Papua task force Derek Ampnir on Tuesday said that the lockdown plan will be designed with the help of the local transportation agency.
“The lockdown of accesses follows up the Transportation Minister’s Regulation No.13/2021 on transportation control during the 1442 H Eid al Fitr to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” said Ampnir in Manokwari on Tuesday, April 20.
This regulation will align with the Eid homecoming or ‘mudik’ ban that will be effective from May 6 to 17, 2021.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has not ended yet. The access restrictions will soon be implemented to prevent case surge during a religious holiday,” said Ampnir.
Related coverage:
7,160 Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine Land in West Papua
ANTARA
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5) Papua remains conducive before PON national games in October: police
11 hours ago
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Top brass of Indonesia's National Police highlighted that Papua remains conducive ahead of the province's PON National Games to be convened in October this year.
"The national games will be held as scheduled," National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rusdi Hartono stated in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Hartono noted that armed Papuan criminals continue to disrupt law and security in several areas, but the police and army personnel had ably handled their acts of violence.
The security personnel stationed in Papua, including those from the Nemangkawi Task Force, strive to maintain security to ensure that conditions in the province remain conducive, he remarked.
The Indonesian Defence Forces and National Police are readying a security plan to ensure that the Papua PON National Games are held as scheduled from Oct 2 to Oct 15, 2021.
Selected athletes and officials from across Indonesian provinces will participate in the national sporting event.
Over the past two weeks, Papua has borne the brunt of a string of violent attacks by armed groups targeting civilians and security personnel in the districts of Puncak and Intan Jaya.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, at about 9:30 a.m. local time.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school.
On April 9, 2021, armed rebels reportedly shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, on the chest.
Several villagers attempted to save the junior high school teacher and rushed him to the Beoga public health center, but he succumbed to his injuries.
On April 11, 2021, armed criminals reportedly set ablaze nine classrooms at the Beoga public junior high school.
Papua Police chief Fakhiri has vowed to trace those responsible for the deaths of the two teachers.
"The TNI (Indonesian military) and police personnel will never retreat even a single step in enforcing the law against the killers," Fakhiri asserted in Timika last week.
Related news: Govt guarantees vaccine stocks for Papua before PON National Games
Related news: Two held for attacking soup vendor in Papua's Intan Jaya
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"The national games will be held as scheduled," National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rusdi Hartono stated in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Hartono noted that armed Papuan criminals continue to disrupt law and security in several areas, but the police and army personnel had ably handled their acts of violence.
The security personnel stationed in Papua, including those from the Nemangkawi Task Force, strive to maintain security to ensure that conditions in the province remain conducive, he remarked.
The Indonesian Defence Forces and National Police are readying a security plan to ensure that the Papua PON National Games are held as scheduled from Oct 2 to Oct 15, 2021.
Selected athletes and officials from across Indonesian provinces will participate in the national sporting event.
Over the past two weeks, Papua has borne the brunt of a string of violent attacks by armed groups targeting civilians and security personnel in the districts of Puncak and Intan Jaya.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, at about 9:30 a.m. local time.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school.
On April 9, 2021, armed rebels reportedly shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, on the chest.
Several villagers attempted to save the junior high school teacher and rushed him to the Beoga public health center, but he succumbed to his injuries.
On April 11, 2021, armed criminals reportedly set ablaze nine classrooms at the Beoga public junior high school.
Papua Police chief Fakhiri has vowed to trace those responsible for the deaths of the two teachers.
"The TNI (Indonesian military) and police personnel will never retreat even a single step in enforcing the law against the killers," Fakhiri asserted in Timika last week.
Related news: Govt guarantees vaccine stocks for Papua before PON National Games
Related news: Two held for attacking soup vendor in Papua's Intan Jaya
Close
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