3) Indonesian Catholics donate blood for remote areas of Papua
Intan Jaya, bordered by red line, is located in the middle of West Papua within the region called Pegunungan Tengah, or Middle Mountains.
3) Indonesian Catholics donate blood for remote areas of Papua
Simon, a member of Christ the King parish in Pejompongan (Central Jakarta), is behind the initiative. During
Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of
fasting and prayer, donations drop creating supply shortages. Veronica and Simon of Cyrene in the Way of the Cross
are the inspiration for the
initiative to benefit the Diocese of Agats, one of the country’s poorest areas.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – An Indonesian Christian from Christ the King Parish in Pejompongan (Central Jakarta) has
launched a campaign to collect
blood donations for remote and distressed areas of Papua, particularly the Diocese of Agats.
This is a particularly urgent during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer, since blood supplies and
donations to the Indonesian
Red Cross Society (Palang Merah Indonesia) tend to drastically drop, creating shortages.
The Diocese of Agats is located in one of the remotest parts of the country, an area characterised by muddy soil,
which does not allow farming,
except for a few mangrove trees and saltwater trees.
Reaching it from Jakarta requires a long trip by various means of transportation, including large planes, ultralight
aircrafts and speedboats.
Given such difficulties, Simon (the Christian promoter of the initiative) launched the project “Blood donation for
the Diocese of Agats”.
His inspiration comes from the Way of the Cross and the actions of Simone di Cyrene and Veronica at stations
5 and 6. He chose the diocese
because it is “among the most unfortunate territories” of the country where it is difficult to find natural resources.
Donating blood during Ramadan is one of the most important ways to “exercise the spirit of compassion.”
Simon will donate 10,000 Indonesian rupees (about a dollar) of his own money to those who join the initiative,
set between 4 and 22 May.
Already some 50 people have donated blood in exchange for the symbolic fee, a gesture that is very meaningful
with huge value.
Recently Simon pitched his project to young people and the media linked to the Archdiocese of Jakarta in order to
reach a wider pool of possible
donors, but this elicited no positive response.
Nevertheless, after the initiative was featured last night on the Sesawi Catholic news portal interest increased and
the first anonymous benefactors arrived.
“Donating blood,” Simon points out to AsiaNews, “is an act of deep humanity, which goes beyond social status and
race.” It “is a humanitarian
response to emergency situations that transcend borders and allows other lives to be saved”.
During Ramadan, when blood supplies “run low,” this is especially important. “For non-Muslims, it is a good time to act”.
Lastly, Simon notes: “As Catholics, we are all Veronica and Simon in contemplation in the face of Jesus' sufferings.”
AJI trade union advocacy division head Erick Tanjung said that at the beginning of Widodo's first term in office he
pledged to allow foreign and
domestic journalists to freely report in Papua.
"But the fact is that to this day this promise has never been fulfilled by President Jokowi. So we have consistently
called on the president to open
access to foreign journalists to report in Papua. Including domestic journalists and journalists from Papua", said
Tanjung during an event launching an
AJI report titled The Press Freedom Situation in Indonesia in 2021 on Monday May 3.
Based on AJI's records, between 2012 and 2015 there were at least 77 cases where journalists were prevented
from carrying out their work in the
Land of the Bird of Paradise as Papua is known.
In addition to this, AJI also recorded 74 cases of journalists having to obtain prior permission to report in Papua and
56 cases of permits being refused.
Meanwhile out of the scores of applications for permits to report in Papua, only 18 permits were issued. "There were
six cases of deportations”,
said Tanjung.
In addition to the issue of access, freedom of information in Papua also faces obstacles due to the high level of
violence against journalists in Papua.
Tanjung said that there were at least 114 cases of violence against journalists in Papua over the last 20 years or
between 2000 and 2021.
"Based on data we gathered through the AJI Papua sub-division, the number of cases of violence against
journalists and the media in Papua
over the last 20 years or between 2000 and 2021 was 141 cases of violence", said Tanjung.
Thirty-six out of these 114 cases were against journalists from Papua while 40 were against non-Papuan journalists.
Finally, there were 38 cases
of intimidation against media companies and the media in general.
When he visited Wapeko Village in the Kurik sub-district of Merauke regency, Papua, on Sunday May 10, 2015
President Widodo said that foreign
journalists from any country are allowed to arrive and report in all parts of Indonesia, including Papua and
West Papua provinces.
Up until then, the two provinces were closed to foreign journalist on the grounds that conflicts and violence in
Indonesia's two eastern-most
provinces was still frequent, such as actions by armed groups wanting to separate from the Unitary State of the
Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
"Starting today, foreign journalists are allowed to and are free to come to Papua, just the same (as they can
come and report) in other parts of
the country", said Widodo.
According to Widodo at the time, the situation in Papua and West Papua provinces was different than in the past.
"We have to think positive and trust each other on all issues", said the President when asked what would happen if
foreign journalists began reporting
more on armed groups in the highlands.
Widodo asserted that the decision must be implemented. "This decision must be implemented. Enough, don't ask
negative questions about this
issue any more", said Widodo.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "AJI Tagih Janji Jokowi soal Akses bagi Jurnalis
Asing ke Papua".]
Source:
Jakarta – The Free Papua Organisation (OPM) has spoken out in response to the Indonesian government's move
to pin the terrorist label on
armed groups in Papua – which officials usually refers to as armed criminal groups (KKB).
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD declared that the designation of
the terrorist status for armed groups
in Papua was because they have become increasingly brutal in their attacks and violence. Mahfud even said that
his has resulted in civilian victims.
Given this situation, said Mahfud, the movement has been categorised as terrorists in accordance with the
stipulations of Law number 5/2018 on
the Eradication of Terrorism.
In response to this, the OPM has countered by stating that it is in fact the Indonesian military forces that
have been attacking civilians.
"Unlike the Indonesian military, no matter what, TPNPB (West Papua National Liberation Army) freedom fighters
have never attacked the
Indonesian civilian population", wrote OPM regional diplomatic representative Akouboo Amatus Douw in a
statement on Sunday May 2.
If the Indonesian government is determined to pursue this program then he threatened that TPNPB troops will
not hesitate to conduct similar
attacks against civilians.
"If Indonesia pursues a program of terror and genocide against the West Papuan civilian population
(as has been happening for almost 60 years) and
the international community does not intervene", said Douw.
"The TPNPB/OPM freedom fighters will announce a campaign to kill not only the Indonesian military which is
occupying (Papua) illegally, but
also Javanese and other illegal Indonesian residents who are increasingly stealing the holy land and resources o
the West Papuan
people", he continued.
Douw suspects that humanitarian crimes committed by the Indonesian military such as the bombing civilian
populations in the West Papuan
highlands is because of the Indonesian military's ineptitude and fear of confronting the TPNPB.
In the statement Douw said that Indonesia's alleged program of genocide against the Papuan people has been
cited in a number of reports
by legal scholars, academics, international human rights organisations and the United Nations.
Because of this he slammed the UN's move to return West Papua to Indonesia in 1963. According to Douw, this was a
violation of international
law as regulated under the UN charter with Indonesia, the United States, Australian and other countries.
Douw also believes that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was also responsible for the rise of the
pro-US Suharto dictatorship in
Indonesia and the illegal transfer of West Papua in the interests of exploiting gold in West Papua through the t
hen US company PT Freeport.
Based on all of this, he declared that the OPM is inviting Indonesia to ratify agreements which regulate the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
The OPM is also proposing that the crimes against humanity and genocide in West Papua as well as allegations
that the OPM has committed
acts of terrorism be decided through the ICC.
Then, he added, the OPM is also inviting Indonesia to ask the ICC to decide whether or not Indonesia's
occupation of Papua is legal or not.
"The OPM also invites Indonesia to provide access for the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights,
foreign diplomats and journalists to [visit]
West Papua as promised by President (Joko) Widodo in 2015, but have failed [to be fulfilled] to this day",
continued Douw.
Douw said that the OPM is gathering support for military intervention by UN peacekeeping troops and is asking
for moral and material support
from the European Union, African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and all UN members states who advocated
UN General Assembly
Resolution 2625 (XXV) on a Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations
and Co-Operation.
"An action program to fully implement the Declaration of Granting of Independence for Colonial Countries and
Peoples".
On Friday April 29, Security Minister Mahfud announced that the government has officially included armed
criminal groups in Papua as
terrorist organisation based on the anti-terrorism law.
"What is being done by the KKBs and all of the organisations and people affiliated with them are acts of
terrorism", said Mahfud.
A day before Mahfud announced the decision, Joint Regional Defense Command spokesperson Colonel Czi
IGN Suriastawa stated that
it is appropriate to destroy the OPM and armed groups in Papua. The statement was made after the fatal
shooting of Papua Regional
Intelligence Agency Chief Brigadier General I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha by TPNPB fighters.
"Root them out completely, exterminate them down to the roots", said Suriastawa when speaking to CNN
Indonesia on Wednesday April 29.
If the OPM do not want to be exterminated by the Indonesian military, then Suriastawa appealed to
members of the organisation
to surrender. (fey/nma)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "OPM Buka Suara soal KKB Dilabeli Teroris".]
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