2) Treason trial of West Papua's Victor Yeimo begins, calls for his release persist
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1) NGO study shows economic interest behind illegal military operations in Intan Jaya
News Desk August 24, 2021 4:26 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – The past three years have seen an unending illegal deployment of Indonesian military forces in the central highlands of Papua, internationally known as West Papua, which has triggered an escalated armed conflict between the military and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), as well as violence against civilians. Spatial analysis reveals how military and police posts are located around the mining areas, whose concessions are identified as connected with the generals.
A group of NGOs comprising the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), WALHI Papua, Pusaka Bentala Rakyat, the Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Papua), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Greenpeace Indonesia, the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM), and Trend Asia has recently launched their study which shows the relationship between mining companies and military deployment in Intan Jaya Regency.
The illegal operation in Intan Jaya has added to the series of state violence in West Papua. At least ten percent of the population of Intan Jaya’s capital district of Sugapa were displaced in early 2021, including 331 women and children. In April, the Indonesian government labeled the TPNPB, the Free Papua Organization (OPM), and any armed group affiliated with the TPNPB and OPM as terrorists, adding even more troops to Papua under the pretext of combating terrorism.
“The unclear status of the security situation in Papua continues to provide an opening for the state to build military posts and deploy more forces. While in fact, it is clear that the security approach never solves systemic problems in Papua, which is lack of access to primary needs, damage to natural resources, and violation of civil liberties,” said KontraS researcher Rivanlee Anandar.
Intan Jaya is one of four districts in the central highlands of Papua where the new Military District Command (Kodim) has been established. The Intan Jaya Kodim is located in Sugapa. It is not known how many military personnel, both organic and non-organic, are in Papua, particularly in the central highlands.
The Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) even said that it was difficult for them to obtain data and information regarding the number of non-organic troops sent to Papua every year. According to the DPRP, even Papua Governor Lukas Enembe did not know the number.
Asfinawati of the YLBHI said that according to Article 7 (2) b and (3) of Law No.34/2004 on the Indonesian Military, military operations other than war, including overcoming armed separatist movements, overcoming armed rebellions, securing borders, and securing national vital objects, must be based on state policies and political decisions. So far, no political decisions have been made by the state to conduct military operations in Papua. That being said, the current operations are unlawful.
Activist Made Supriatma stated in his study that the ratio between population and security personnel per capita in Papua is 97:1. This means that there is one police or soldier for every 97 Papuan citizens. Such ratio shows that the concentration of security forces in Papua is much higher than in other areas with a ratio of 296:1, meaning one security personnel for every 296 citizens.
“The deployment of troops has led to a higher escalation of armed conflict. As a result, people in several districts of Puncak Jaya, Nduga, and Intan Jaya fled from their ancestral lands. Meanwhile, the government’s assistance to these displaced people was minimal. They even tend to ignore the displaced people’s condition,” said Tigor Hutapea of the Bentala Rakyat Heritage Foundation.
Meanwhile, there are four companies in Intan Jaya identified in the NGO report, namely PT Freeport Indonesia, PT Madinah Qurrata’Ain (PTMQ), PT Nusapati Satria, and PT Kotabara Miratama. Two of the four companies, Freeport and Madinah Qurrata’Ain, are gold mining affiliated to the military including the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment himself, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
At least three officers are affiliated with Madinah Qurrata’Ain: retired police general Rudiard Tampubolon, retired military general Paulus Prananto, and retired military general Luhut Binsar Panjaitan. Tampubolon is a commissioner of Madinah Qurrata’Ain, whose leadership was acknowledged as successful by West Wits Mining, a shareholder of Madinah Qurrata’Ain. In addition to sitting as a commissioner, the company led by Tampubolon, PT Intan Angkasa Aviation, also got a 20 percent share ownership in PT Madinah Qurrata’ain.
In one of their projects, the Darewo River Gold project, West Wits Mining also distributed a 30 percent stake to PT Tobacom Del Mandiri (TDM), whose president director is Paulus Prananto. In a publication, West Wits Mining clearly states that TDM is responsible for forestry permits and permits related to security access to project sites. TDM is part of PT Toba Sejahtera Group, where Luhut Binsar Panjaitan is a minority shareholder. Both Paulus Prananto and Luhut Binsar Panjaitan were members of the volunteer team (Bravo Lima) who tried to win President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in both the 2014 and 2019 elections.
In the case of the planned gold mine in the Wabu Block, the NGO study noted five military personnel in three different corporates under the same holding company, MIND ID. Retired military general Hinsa Siburian is the commissioner of Freeport, the company holding the previous concession in the Wabu Block. He previously served as XVII/Cenderawasih military commander from 2015 to 2017 and was also listed as a member of the volunteer team (Cakra 19) that won Jokowi in 2019.
The company appointed to work on the Freeport concession land (Wabu Block) returned to the government is PT ANTAM. At ANTAM, retired military general Agus Surya Bakti is the president commissioner, while police general Bambang Sunarwibowo is the commissioner. Sunarwibowo is still actively serving as the main secretary of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).
Moreover, in MIND ID, there is also retired military general Doni Monardo serving as president commissioner and retired military general Muhammad Munir as independent commissioner. Until now, Muhammad Munir is also listed as the chairman of the Strategic Analysis Board of BIN.
These findings indicate economic interests behind a series of illegal military operations in Intan Jaya. Some of the names that appeared in the study are ex-military generals who were part of the Kopassus, an elite unit of the military. Some have a background or experience in the State Intelligence Agency. There are also those who, after completing their duties, becoming the winning team for the current president, Joko Widodo.
Asfinawati said that according to Police Regulation No. 3/2019 on the provision of security assistance on national vital objects, the provision of security assistance is carried out based on the request of the object managers. Therefore, she said, the involvement of military generals in these mining companies strengthens the indications of a conflict of interest in the deployment of troops in Intan Jaya.
Tigor added that such conflict of interest had violated the rights of Indigenous Papuans as customary landowners. “Lands are controlled without the approval of the indigenous people. In many cases, the people who would not give their lands are stigmatized and labeled as anti-development or even separatist. The deployment of military forces aims to create fear among indigenous people so that they would leave their lands,” he said.
Reporter: Victor Mambor
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2) Treason trial of West Papua's Victor Yeimo begins, calls for his release persist
3:56 pm today
Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific Journalist
The trial of West Papuan political prisoner Victor Yeimo has begun in an Indonesian court in Jayapura.
Yeimo, who is a spokesman for the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB), is charged with treason and incitement over his alleged role in anti-racism protests that turned into riots in 2019.
Amnesty International Indonesia's Usman Hami said Yeimo was a peaceful pro-independence activist who had not committed a crime.
He said Indonesian authorities were using the criminal code provisions to prosecute several peaceful pro-independence political activists in Papua simply for peacefully exercising their human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
Riots and unrest arose from some of the 2019 protests, resulting in buildings being destroyed and dozens of people killed, although the role of militia groups in inflaming the situation has yet to be brought to account.
However, Yeimo has denied he was involved in the protests in question.
Hamid said it appeared that authorities targetted Yeimo because he had significant influence as a spokesman for the KNPB which had persistently called for an independence referendum for West Papua.
According to him, Indonesia's government had failed to differentiate between peaceful expression and violent expression.
"As long as it's related to a political call for independence, self-determination or referendum, the government had never tolerated this. Although it is actually allowed by Indonesian special autonomy law," Hamid said.
"So I see no reason to lock him up in prison, especially in what we call solitary confinement in the prison of the Mobile Brigade of the special force of the police."
If convicted, Victor Yeimo faces a maximum range of sentences from twenty years to life in prison.
The 39-year-old was the latest Papuan detained for treason allegations following widespread protests in August and September 2019, including the so-called "Balikpapan Seven".
The Seven, who include KNPB members, received jail terms of between 10 and 11 months in a trial carried out in East Kalimantan province.
The protests two years ago began in response to racist harassment of Papuan university students in Java, and spread across several cities and towns in Papua, including a smaller number of protests which lapsed into deadly rioting in Jayapura, Manokwari and Wamena.
Concerns for Yeimo's health
Amnesty and others including the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor have voiced concern about Yeimo health after over three months in custody.
"He has been held in solitary confinement in a cramped and poorly ventilated cell which has further worsened his pre-existing medical condition," Amnesty noted.
"With a record of lung and gastric diseases and having recently suffered from hemoptysis (coughing up blood) and heightened risk of COVID-19, we are concerned about his deteriorating health."
Lack of faith in system
In the provinces of West Papua and Papua, Indonesian security forces routinely clamp down on Papuan protests, while military forces are also engaged in ongoing armed conflict with guerilla fighters of the West Papua Papua Liberation Army in the highlands region.
Hamid described the rule of law in Papua as weak, and said grassroots Papuans had increasingly lost faith in the ability of the Indonesian justice system to address the many abuses their communities have experienced.
"If Indonesia wants them to be part of Indonesia, stop the natural resources exploitation, over-exploitation, stop the over-presence of the military, stop the killing, and bring those responsible for the killings, for the torture, for any crimes against Papuans to justice."
In recent weeks, peaceful protests by Papuans calling for Yeimo's release have been forcibly stopped by Indonesian police who say the risk of Covid-19 means such public events aren't allowed.
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