Monday, January 31, 2022

1) ‘A SAFE AND PEACEFUL LIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US’: STORY OF CHILDREN OF PAPUA INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS (PART 1)


2) Volunteers school Papua's marginalized children


3) Indonesia denies claims by Papuan students over education setback 

4) Security chief says rights violations prior to 2000 not government's responsibility
5) Yohana Yembise: Portrait of a true Papuan lady

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https://en.jubi.co.id/a-safe-and-peaceful-life-is-impossible-for-us-story-of-children-of-papua-independence-fighters-part-1/

1) ‘A SAFE AND PEACEFUL LIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US’: STORY OF CHILDREN OF PAPUA INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS (PART 1)

News Desk January 31, 2022 2:39 pm


Some residents of Intan Jaya who fled to Nabire, Wednesday (10/3/2021). - Jubi/Abeth You


Jayapura, Jubi – “From east to east”, a phrase that pretty much describes the struggle of the children of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Free Papua Organization (OPM) members who choose to continue their parents’ battle. For them, the wish to liberate Papua has always been there. And it is the same with the children of victims of human rights violations in Papua.

Demianus Magai Yogi, the son of Tadeus Yogi, a member of the TPNPB in Paniai Regency, chose to follow in his father’s footsteps to take up arms. He is now a TPNPB combatant because he witnessed his family being victims of violence by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police.

“My father, Tadeus Magai Yogi, led the Papuan independence movement since the early 1970s, until his last breath on January 9, 2009,” said Demianus. “A safe and peaceful life is impossible for us children TPNPB soldiers,” he added. He accepted it as a consequence of his parents’ struggle.

“Our lives cannot be separated from the terror and intimidation toward Tadeus Yogi, his wife, and their children. Even Tadeus Yogi died from being poisoned. While my mother died due to illness, the police often chased after her, of course, she was tired and her health deteriorated because of that,” said Demianus.

Even after his father died, Demianus said that he, his brothers, and his sisters continued to experience intimidation, terror, and being targeted by the security forces. Seven of his siblings had died during the long conflict that occurred in Paniai.

“Kristianus Yogi was shot by the Cassowary Team in Ugapuga in 1997. Paul Yogi died at the TPNPB Eduda Headquarters in 2002. Debora Yogi died at Eduda Headquarters in 2005. Salmon Yogi was shot by the TNI/police at the Eduda Headquarters in 2013. Leo Yogi was shot by the TNI/police in Nabire in 2015. Antonius Yogi was drugged by the TNI/police around Ugi, East Paniai District, in 2017. Yosina Yogi was shot by the TNI/police in Pugo, Paniai,” he said.

Demianus said that the people involved in killing his brothers and sisters were never tried and punished, just as the perpetrators of human rights violations in Papua were never tried and punished. “It’s not just us, almost all OPM children always get this kind of treatment. Either they are tortured, or they are killed,” he said.

Demianus said the Indonesian government continued to show a colonial character and had never enforced the laws that they made themselves. “There will never be justice for us, for all the suffering we went through,” he said.

Unlike Demianus, Jimy Hilsom Hiluka—the son of former political convict Linus Hiluka, who was found guilty of being involved in the burglary of the 1702/Jayawijaya Military District Command’s weapons warehouse in Wamena on April 3, 2003—chose not to take up arms. However, he did not deny that he had dreamed of a free Papua.

Jimy was 16 years old when he witnessed his father being arrested by the security forces. He also saw his grandfather shot dead by the security forces. “I witnessed the security forces arrest my father and shot my grandfather. At that time, my father did not run into the forest and was arrested at our house in the Muliama District, Jayawijaya Regency on May 27, 2003,” he said.

After Linus Hiluka was arrested, Jimy and his siblings lost a father figure. Jimy was disappointed because the government ignored them and did not fulfill their basic rights as victims of the armed conflict in Papua. “When my father was arrested, I felt sad and disappointed with the Indonesian government. Who will take care of us? What will our future be? But God is good, we can finish college,” he said.

Jimy said that the government should have paid attention to the children of political prisoners, as well as families of victims of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings by security forces. According to Jimy, the government did not even see the children of TPNPB soldiers as citizens with basic rights that must be guaranteed and met by the State. In fact, the government has never provided restitution, rehabilitation, or trauma healing for TPNPB children.

“The government has taken lives, amputated parental custody of their children. Even though the parents are detained, the rights of the victims must still be fulfilled. If there is omission like what my brothers and I have experienced, if children victims of human rights violations are abandoned by the State, it will only backfire for Indonesia,” he said.

Jimy said the Indonesian government seemed to view the children of TPNPB soldiers or OPM figures as enemies. “But as a child of former political prisoner and OPM leader, I realize that this is a consequence that must be accepted. I have no option but to carry on with this life path,” he said.

Reporter: Hengky Yeimo
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G


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https://www.ucanews.com/news/volunteers-school-papuas-marginalized-children/95902 

2) Volunteers school Papua's marginalized children

 

Teaching Papua Movement seeks to raise the education standards of Indonesia's easternmost province

 

Ryan DagurRyan Dagur, JakartaPublished: January 31, 2022 03:58 AM GMT



Stories from Jayapura street vendors who didn’t have time to tend to their children's education inspired Agustinus Kadepa and his colleagues to think about taking concrete steps to help those children in the capital of Indonesia's Papua province.

"Because those mothers are busy making a living, they barely have time to take good care of their children," he said.

Many of these children fall behind in school compared to other children of their age.

 

 

"Even though they have reached the final grade of elementary school, many cannot read, write and count," the 31-year-old lay Catholic said. "Besides that, there are also those who then quit school and wander the streets." 

This sorry situation moved him and his colleagues — students, activists and civil servants — to discuss solutions.

"In the course of time, we finally agreed to take concrete steps by pioneering what we call the Teaching Papua Movement," Kadepa said.

There is no special place that is used as a learning location. Some use the churchyard, some use people's homes

The movement, which was launched in Jayapura in 2013, started by opening a reading park iwhere they invited children to gather to be taught how to read, write and count.

The children were divided into three groups, ranging from those who could not read at all, those who had a little more understanding and those who were fluent.

They also provide a wide selection of reading materials obtained from donors including volunteers, NGOs and the local church.

“We do a lot of activities every afternoon after formal schooling. Initially, only 24 children attended, but gradually it continued to grow,” Kadepa said.

 

The movement has reached five districts in Papua province — Jayapura, Nabire, Paniai, Dogiyai and Deiyai — with 24 learning centers managed by 72 volunteers.

“There is no special place that is used as a learning location. Some use the churchyard, some use people's homes,” said Kadepa, who graduated from Jayapura’s Cenderawasih University.

Aleks Giyai, 31, one of the volunteers who is now working in Jayapura, said they not only reached out to children but also to parents and community leaders.

"We consider that attention to education must be a shared concern," he said.

“Therefore, in places where we are present, we always approach traditional leaders and church leaders first. We give them an understanding that what we are doing is not in our interests but for the future of the Papuan children.”

Meanwhile, they always emphasize to parents that education is the key to Papua's progress.

Giay said their goal is to spread this movement throughout Papua. "We can't just rely on the government, as well as formal schools, even though the government budget for education is very large," he said.

Each year, about 20 percent of Papua’s special autonomy fund goes to education. During 2020, funds for education reached 2.09 trillion rupiah (US$145 million) of the 6.99 trillion in special autonomy funds for two provinces — Papua and West Papua.

However, the easternmost region is still consistently ranked the lowest in the human development index of 34 provinces, one of which is the level of education.

If this change is not followed by a movement to raise awareness about the importance of education, then we Papuans will continue to be marginalized in our land

The Central Bureau of Statistics also shows that 476,534 (34.58 percent) of the school-age population in Papua have no education. The area is also experiencing a shortage of 20,147 teachers from elementary to high school levels.

Giay said from the start they had been operating on the basis of voluntarism without any financial support from the government. "If we get help, it's because there are donors who spontaneously help," he said.

Kadepa said the thing that strengthened them to keep moving was that many children wanted to continue their schooling. Some who were assisted by them have now become volunteers.

He hopes that their small steps can bear fruit with the emergence of intellectuals fighting for Papua.

"We hope there will be a successor generation for figures like Father Neles Kebadabi Tebay and Reverend Benny Giay," he said, citing two highly respected Papuan Church leaders.

Father Tebay was a lecturer, writer and head of the Papua Peace Network who died in 2019, while Reverend Giay was a prominent figure and chairman of the Synod of the Kemah Injili Church.

Kadepa said Papua is facing many problems such as human rights violations and marginalization accompanied by expansion in various sectors by outsiders.

"If this change is not followed by a movement to raise awareness about the importance of education, then we Papuans will continue to be marginalized in our land,” he said.




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3) Indonesia denies claims by Papuan students over education setback 
By APR editor -  January 31, 2022 





How Asia Pacific Report carried the Papuan students' protest report last week. Image: Asia Pacific Report


Asia Pacific Report newsdesk

The Indonesian government has denied claims by an umbrella group representing Papuan students on scholarships abroad that it is “assassinating” the provincial programme supporting studies in New Zealand and several other countries.

An open letter last week signed by the presidents of the International Alliance of Papuan Student Associations Overseas (IAPSAO) headed “Do not disturb and hinder [us] — leave us [to] study in peace” declared that funding policy changes created under the controversial new autonomy statute would impact on their education.

The IAPSAO open letter was also signed by the presidents of five affiliated Papuan student associations around the world.

Student sources said that at least 125 Papuan students — 41 of them studying in New Zealand — had been ordered home under a new policy reallocating education funds.

Some Papuan students studying in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the United Sates were also affected, the alliance said.

But the recently appointed Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand and the Pacific, Fientje Maritje Suebu, said in a letter to Asia Pacific Report today that the repatriation of students was based on a “thorough assessment” begun in 2017 by the provincial government of Papua over their achievements at their respective educational institutions.


“On 5 January 2022, the provincial government of Papua informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the planned repatriation of 98 students – 51 students in the US, 5 students in the Philippines, 3 students in Canada and 39 students in New Zealand,” she said.

593 students on Papua scholarship

The recalled students were part of a total of 593 students receiving the “Papua Autonomy Scholarship”.


The Indonesian Embassy letter to Asia Pacific Report today. Image: APR screenshot




The ambassador said the repatriation decision did not impact on students who remained “on-track” with their studies abroad.

The assessment was also conducted to “ensure that other eligible students from Papua province” would have the same opportunity to study.

Ambassador Suebu said there were no budget cuts for Papuan autonomy funds, including for education.

She said the government was “committed to ensuring the fulfilment of the right to education and capacity building for all Indonesian citizens, including through the provision of scholarships to pursue academic degrees overseas”.

She criticised “those elements who shamelessly manipulate the situation of Papuan students abroad for their own deceitful political agenda”.

The ambassador also criticised Asia Pacific Report over publishing the “baseless account” by the students, a criticism rejected by the APR editors who said the news website was one of the very few news portals that consistently gave comprehensive and fair coverage on West Papuan and human rights affairs in the region.

The editors also pointed out that the ambassador failed to acknowledge either the students’ open letter or their concerns.

The IAPSAO open letter was signed by the presidents of the Papuan Students Association in Oceania, Papuan Students Association in the United States of America and Canada, Papuan Students Association in Russia, Papua Students Association in Germany and the Papua Students Association in Japan.

Papuan students with the Papuan provincial Governor Lukas Enembe in Palmerston North during his visit to New Zealand in 2019. Image: APR File

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4) Security chief says rights violations prior to 2000 not government's responsibility
CNN Indonesia – January 27, 2022

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD is asking people to stop urging the government to resolve nine cases of gross human rights violations which occurred before 2000.

Mahfud said that cases which occurred before 2000 are not under the authority of the government, but rather the House of Representatives (DPR). This refers to Article 43 of Law number 26/2000 on a Human Rights Court.

"Sisters and brothers, the resolution [of cases] which occurred before Law Number 26/2000 was issued are now under the DPR's jurisdiction. So don't pressure the government any more to resolve human rights violations before 2000", said Mahfud in giving greetings to an online discussion on Thursday January 27.

Mahfud cited the nine cases of gross human rights violations before 2000 as being the September 30 Movement (the 1965 mass killings), the mysterious shootings of petty criminals (1983-1985), the Talangsari massacre in East Lampung (1989), the forced disappearance of activists (1997-1998), the May riots in Jakarta (1998) and the Trisakti student shootings (1998).

Then the Dewantara incident or Krueng Geukueh tragedy, the torture of 65 witnesses during the incident at the Rumoh Geudong in Aceh and the killing of black magic practitioners in Banyuwangi, Jember and Malang (1998-1999).

Mahfud said in order to resolve human rights violations which occurred before 2000 the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) must hand the case files over to the DPR. Then the DPR can decide whether or not the president should form an DPR can say it can human rights court.

"Komnas HAM will hand them over, then the DPR will discuss the evidence and the possibility [of trying the case] from various angles. Then the DPR can say it can then the president will be instructed to form an ad hoc human rights court", he said.

"That is what must be done if you want to hold a trial involving human rights violations before 2000", he said.

Nevertheless, Mahfud conceded that there are four cases of gross human rights violations which occurred after 2000 which are the government's responsibility.

The four case are the Bloody Waisor incident in Papua (June 13, 2001), the Jambo Keupok Tragedy in South Aceh (2003), and the Wamena (2003) and Paniai cases (2014) in Papua.

"So the problems which occurred after [2000] are indeed the responsibility of the current government. The National Human Rights Commission submits them to the government, then the government follows up on it", he said.

As has been reported, out of the four gross human rights violations which occurred after 2000 only one has reached the criminal investigation stage at the Attorney General's Office, namely the Bloody Paniai incident.

Bloody Paniai was an incident which occurred on December 8, 2014. At the time, local people were holding a protest action over an assault by TNI (Indonesian military) members against a youth at the Karel Gobai Square in Enarotali, Paniai. (yla/DAL)

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Mahfud soal HAM Berat Sebelum Tahun 2000: Jangan Desak Pemerintah Lagi".]

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20220127130947-12-751967/mahfud-soal-ham-berat-sebelum-tahun-2000-jangan-desak-pemerintah-lagi


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5) Yohana Yembise: Portrait of a true Papuan lady


Rob Goodfellow Sydney   ●  
 Sat, January 29, 2022 


Coming home: Then-women’s empowerment and child protection minister Yohana Yembise (second left), a native Papuan, opens the annual Baliem Valley Festival in Walesi district, Jayawijaya regency in Papua on Aug. 7, 2019. (Courtesy of /Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry)


The story of Prof. Yohana Susana Yembise’s life provides the human context for understanding Indonesia’s predicted emergence as the world’s fourth largest economy by the year 2045 (right behind the People’s Republic of China, India, and the United States). Notably, Yembise was the first female Papuan national cabinet minister (Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection portfolio 2014-2019) as well as the first female professor from Papua (Cendrawasih University, Faculty of Education—syllabus design and material development). 

But, more importantly, she has emerged as an exemplar of what makes Indonesia truly great: Human capital, that extraordinary balance of diversity and social cohesion that presents the real possibility of a solution to every problem.

Indonesia faces challenges: A “flawed” (but persistently robust) democracy, endemic corruption, stubbornly high levels of national income disparity and poverty, with many of Indonesia’s 70 million poor or near poor further disadvantaged by grossly inadequate per capita health outcomes. 

(According to the Lowy Institute, even Indonesia’s poorer neighbor Timor-Leste ranks lower than Indonesia in maternal mortality.) When combined with unsustainably low domestic tax revenues of less than 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) – the second lowest in Southeast Asia after strife-torn Myanmar, it appears that Indonesia simply does not have the fiscal means of reaching its economic potential. But what Indonesia does have is an extraordinary trove of human potential. And this greatest of all nation state advantages is epitomized by Yembise. 

The 21st century is emerging as the era of decentralized “social enterprise”. (And this has been accelerated by the upheaval associated with the COVID-19 pandemic which is imposing adaptation and reinvention on human societies everywhere.) 

There are two parts to social enterprise: Human capital and community capital. Human capital is broadly related to education (in the sense of learning how to think.) This produces increased capacity, namely creative problem-solving abilities, and invention. Community capital on the other hand is the product of connections between families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers — or broadly speaking, citizens. It is related to how things best work to enrich the human experience—in good times and bad. And both are illustrated in the life of Yembise.


Yembise was born in Manokwari in 1958, then part of Netherlands New Guinea. She is the second child in a family of 11 siblings. Her father was a civil servant working for Nabire regency. After completing high school in Jayapura and Nabire (including a student exchange to the picturesque Rocky Mountain community of Summerland, British Colombia, Canada), Yembise studied English education at Papua’s Cendrawasih University, later earning a post-graduate diploma from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization—Regional English Language Center in Singapore. 

This was followed by a master’s degree in education from Canada’s Simon Fraser University and then a PhD from Australia’s University of Newcastle. As a cabinet minister in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s first term of government, Yembise established her credentials as someone who was willing to challenge the status quo. 

She coined her signature program “Three Ends”—which included ending domestic violence and human trafficking in addition to ending inequality of economic access for women and girls—not only in her home province of Papua—but in the rest of Indonesia too. 

As a researcher, her current project reveals deep thinking about what it means to be “an Indonesian”. As Yembise says, “Most Indonesians can easily identify value sets such as ‘Javanese values’ and ‘Batik values’ and ‘Balinese values,’ but significantly not ‘Papuan values.’ Or alternately, they cannot readily explain what Papuan values have been adopted by non-Papuan Indonesians or its corollary, which national values have been adopted by Papuans. My hope is that this research will reveal to all Indonesians that Papuans also respect consensus, social harmony, and community cohesion. 

But, most importantly, I believe that better understanding these questions will help all of us appreciate the enormous human possibilities of ‘Unity in Diversity.’”

As a writer, Yembise’s current commission is to contribute a chapter to an important international publication on regional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic with special reference to the resilience of Indonesian communities. As Yembise says, “The Indonesian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by a fundamental shift in state policy from deep denial to broad effective action.” In her contribution, Yembise explains the challenging cultural, economic, and political contexts in which Indonesia’s transition in thinking and policy has occurred. As she adds, “This includes explaining the difficulties, limitations and restrictions that faced the Indonesian Government as our President moved rapidly towards a more centralized and coordinated science-based public health approach to the pandemic.” 

The story of Yembise’s life clearly paints a personal portrait brightly colored by achievement, but also, it promises many, as yet, unrealized possibilities for Indonesia. According to the eminent Australian cultural consultant Peter O’Neill OAM, “Papua presents Indonesia with a new prospect—in fact, a fresh beginning—namely, ‘Opportunity in Diversity.’” According to O’Neill, the contribution of Papuans like Prof. Yembise is not so much about, “How can Indonesia build Papua anew,” but rather, “How can the human potential of the Papuan people build Indonesia anew?” In her typically optimistic way, Yembise is fond of saying, “Every morning, here in this far corner of Eastern Indonesia, Papuans, just like me, are the first people in the nation to welcome the new day. 

This reminds me that there is always hope for a better future. For this reason, I like to think of Papua as ‘the sunrise Province.’” Prof. Yembise’s life clearly shows the qualities that distinguish countless successful women around the world: fair-mindedness, a disinclination to hostility, compassion, and sincere optimism. And this, according to many, is the measure of a true Papuan lady.  

*** The writer is a researcher with the Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI) Western Sydney University.

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

1) Press Council categorizes Papua press freedom as 'rather free’


2) Bodies of three fallen soldiers flown home  
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1) Press Council categorizes Papua press freedom as 'rather free’  
4 hours ago

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Press freedom in Papua was categorized as "rather free," with the province scoring 68.87 on the 2021 Press Freedom Index (IKP) to rank 33rd out of 34 provinces, the Indonesian Press Council has informed.

"The IKP placed Papua Province 33rd out of 34 provinces, a declined of 1.16 points compared to 2020 (when its score was recorded) at 70.04," Indonesian Press Council member M Agung Darmajaya remarked during a public discussion on the future of press freedom, in Jayapura, Papua, on Saturday.

In 2020, the Press Freedom Index of Papua Province, for the first time, was in the category of "fairly free," he added.

"One of the factors that affected the score was low coordination between local government and journalists," he said. The local government did not provide a place allocated for journalists, he explained.

Information distribution was not transparent and there were some incidents of violence against journalists, including physical violence, intimidation, terror, and destruction of reporting equipment, he said.

Factors that affected the score included intimidation and criminalization of journalists, Darmajaya added.

Related news: Minister Plate reviews telecommunications services at Papua PON XX

"For instance, there was a case of a journalist who was expelled while covering news. On the other hand, there were errors in news reporting due to weak media professionalism," he explained.

As a result, there were 27 cyber media persons who were reported to the Press Council over complaints of false reporting, he informed.

"The good side is, there is more training for journalists this year, organized by journalist organizations in collaboration with local NGOs," Darmajaya said.

The public discussions on the future of press freedom in Papua also received a positive response from the Indonesian Journalist Association, the Presidential Staff Office, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Military Resort Command 172/PWY, Papua Police, religious figures, and media representatives, he added. 

Related news: Papua PON: Ministry, local govt prepare facilities for media persons

Reporter: Muhsidin, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution


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2) Bodies of three fallen soldiers flown home  
7 hours ago

Timika, Papua (ANTARA) - The coffins of three soldiers who were killed in an ambush in Gome sub-district, Puncak district, on Thursday, were flown by Batik Air to their respective hometowns from Timika, Mimika district, on Friday.

 

The military procession for the departure of the caskets was led by Commander of the 1710/Mimika District Military Command, Lt.Col. Yoga Cahya Prasetya, according to a press release that ANTARA received here on Saturday.

 

The fallen soldiers, identified as Second Sergeant M. Rizal Maulana Arifin, First Private Tuppal Halomoan Baresa, and First Private Rahman Tomilawa, belonged to the YR 408/SBH District Military Command's Task Force, according to the press release.

 

Arifin's casket was flown to Bandung city, West Java province, while the coffins of Baresa and Tomilawa were taken to Jambi city, Jambi province, and Central Maluku district, Maluku province, respectively, it said.



Related news: Bodies of 3 fallen military personnel taken to Timika, Papua
 

To honor the fallen soldiers' dedication, service, and sacrifice, they were promoted by one rank posthumously, it informed.

 

On Saturday, Army Chief of Staff, General Dudung Abdurachman, led a military funeral procession for First Sergeant Rizal Maulana Arifin (24) who was laid to rest at Bandung city's Cikutra Heroes Cemetery.

 

Arifin was laid to rest at the heroes cemetery to honor his services for the nation and state, General Abdurachman said.

 

He expressed his deepest condolences over the passing of the three soldiers and donated Rp50 million to Arifin's family.


Related news: Normalcy has returned in Eastern Indonesia, Security Minister affirms

 

The fallen hero's coffin arrived at the mourning house in Dayeuhkolot sub-district, Bandung district, West Java province, on Friday evening, from Timika, Papua province.

 

Taking note of the deadly ambush on the military post in Bukit Tepuk, Jenggernok village, Gome sub-district, on Thursday morning, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin urged the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) to coordinate with the Papua provincial government and local social figures to ensure security.

 

"The Vice President has coordinated with TNI commander (General Andika Perkasa) to handle (the case) properly in coordination with stakeholders, security agencies, and local governments," spokesperson for the Vice President, Masduki Baidlowi, said on Friday.


Related news: Fallen soldier buried at Bandung City's Cikutra Heroes Cemetery


Related news: VP asks TNI to intensify coordination after Papua post ambush


Reporter: Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf

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1) VP asks TNI to intensify coordination after Papua post ambush



2) KNPB calls on OPM, Jakarta to halt armed conflict in Papua, pursue path of peace 
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1) VP asks TNI to intensify coordination after Papua post ambush  
6 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Following the attack on a military (TNI) post in Puncak district by separatist terrorists, the Vice President has urged the defence forces to coordinate with the Papua provincial government and local social figures to ensure security.

 

"The Vice President has coordinated with TNI chief (General Andika Perkasa) to handle (the case) properly in coordination with stakeholders, security agencies, and local governments," spokesperson for the Vice President, Masduki Baidlowi said in a written statement released on Friday.

 

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin received representatives from the Papua provincial government, led by provincial secretary Ridwan Rumasukun, at his residence in Jakarta earlier the same day, he informed.

 

During the meeting, Amin condoled the death of three TNI soldiers in the ambush on the TNI post, he said.

Related news: Normalcy has returned in Eastern Indonesia, Security Minister affirms

 

"In this regard, the Vice President expressed condolences and hoped the TNI ranks and files in Papua would stay alert, not be emotional so as not to cause legal violations," he added.

 

Three soldiers were killed after armed separatists ambushed a TNI post in Bukit Tepuk, Jenggernok village, Gome sub-district, Puncak district on Thursday morning.

 

Their bodies were evacuated to Timika, Mimika district, a military commander informed here on Thursday.


Related news: Bodies of 3 fallen military personnel taken to Timika, Papua

 

"The three bodies were evacuated using a Caracal helicopter belonging to the Indonesian Air Force and have arrived in Timika," Brigadier General Taufan Gestoro, commander of the Regional Military Command 173/PVB, said.

 

The bodies were taken to Timika regional hospital, he added.

 

The fallen personnel belonged to Battalion 408/SBH and have been identified as Second Sergeant Rizal, Second Private Baraza, and First Private Rahman.

 

Another personnel, identified as First Private Syaiful, was injured in the ambush and is currently being treated at the Ilaga Health Center, Gestoro informed adding, his condition is stable.

 

The group that carried out the ambush has not yet been identified, he said.



Related news: Bank credit to grow 5.1--8.9%, forecasts LPS

Related news: Indonesia braces for hydro-meteorological disasters

Reporter: Fransiska Ninditya, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf


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2) KNPB calls on OPM, Jakarta to halt armed conflict in Papua, pursue path of peace

Suara Papua – January 22, 2022

Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has declared that it rejects the violent approach which continues to be applied by Indonesia in the land of Papua.

"We have been consistent in the demand to resolve the political conflict in Papua peacefully. We reject a violent approach which has already claimed many victims since [Papua] was annexed [by Indonesia] in 1962. We are aware that weapons will not resolve the Papua problem", said KNPB spokesperson Ones Suhuniap in a press release dated January 21.

The KNPB is therefore asking the Free Papua Movement-West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB OPM) and the Indonesian government to halt the armed conflict. "Immediately open up peaceful democratic space for dialogue and to find a find a peaceful solution", the group said.

According to Suhuniap, the KNPB is asking Indonesia to stop sending troops to the land of Papua.

"We are asking Jakarta to withdraw the troops which have been dropped [in Papua] in huge numbers because this has impacted on humanitarian crimes since 1962. Immediately pursue a political  solution. Don't sacrifice people for the sake of the economic and political interests of the oligarchy in Jakarta. Members of the TNI [Indonesian military] and Polri [Indonesian police] are also human beings. Likewise the TPNPB are also human beings", the group said.

As an organisation, the KNPB rejects the use of arms as a solution.

"All KNPB members adhere to the KNPB's principles of struggling peacefully without violence. We need to remind all rouge individuals (oknum) and other parties to stop treating the KNPB as criminals. If there are such rogue individuals they must be held accountable for their actions. We will not tolerate it anymore", asserted Suhuniap.

Suhuniap believes that the bloody conflict which is continuing in the land of Papua is a consequence of Jakarta's reluctance to resolve the conflict peacefully.

"All the Papuan people want is their political right to be respected as a nation. So, right from the start the KNPB has demanded a referendum as a peaceful solution for the Papuan people. So far this has not happened, because Jakarta has intentionally cultivated and maintained crimes against humanity in the land of Papua", he explained.

Suhuniap continued, "Papua's problems are very clear. Indonesia and the world also understands this. Our political history and the current reality proves that the Papuan people have, are and will continue to be the victims. All of the scientific research proves this. So as human beings we need a peaceful solution".

In heading towards the peaceful solution that is yearned for, said Suhuniap, both parties need to speak at an respectable location. "And speak honestly and openly, then agree on a solution for the Papuan people."

Because of this, the KNPB as a media for the Papuan people is continuing to urge Jakarta and all other parties to pursue a peaceful solution.

KNPB Diplomatic Secretary Omikson Balingga meanwhile said that the lives of the Papuan people in Indonesia have been without hope because of the unfolding threat of violence over the last 60 years.

"The Papuan nation does not have any hope living with a colonial country. Aside from its people, the natural resources of the land of Papua also continue to be exhausted by Indonesia. The only solution is independence as a sovereign country", he said.

Earlier, KNPB General Chairperson Warpo Sampari Wetipo declared that the KNPB as a media of the West Papuan people has been consistent in its civilian mission in the cities.

"The KNPB will never retreat a single step. The KNPB has been constant in the agenda of self-determination which along with the Papuan people it has continued to struggle for", said Wetipo.

As long as the Papuan people are still not given the democratic space to determine their own future (self determination), he asserted that the KNPB will continue to exist throughout the land of Papua.

"To this day the struggle of the Papuan nation has been to demand political independence. This is no longer a secret. All of the Papuan people already know and understand our political history and what is best for the future".

Wetipo stated that Indonesia must understand that it has to stop using colonialist policies and actions against the Papuan people.

"The best solution is to immediately give the democratic right to the Papuan nation to determine their own future", he asserted.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Hentikan Konflik Bersenjata di Tanah Papua, KNPB: Tempuhlah Jalan Damai!".]

Source: https://suarapapua.com/2022/01/22/hentikan-konflik-bersenjata-di-tanah-papua-knpb-tempuhlah-jalan-damai/

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Friday, January 28, 2022

1) Papua Liberation Group Speaks about Recent Attack on TNI Post


2) West Papua Interim President Benny Wenda: ‘Indonesia Must End This’
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1) Papua Liberation Group Speaks about Recent Attack on TNI Post

Translator: Ricky Mohammad Nugraha  
 Editor: Markus Wisnu Murti 
28 January 2022 19:48 WIB

                                                      Sebby Sambom. phaul-heger.blogspot.com

TEMPO.COJakarta - A spokesperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and the Free Papua Movement (OPM), Sebby Sambom, on Friday said they are prepared to face possible retaliation from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) after the two opposing parties engaged in a shootout on Thursday. 

Sebby said he represented the local people, who are the rightful owners of customary lands. In an interview with Tempo, Sembom insisted that the Indonesian military and police were only stationed in the region to terrorize the indegenious people of Papua. 

“They even murdered the owner [of the customary land] who is an indegenous Papuan,” said Sembom on January 28.

He argued that local customs dictate that thieves do not have a legal basis in war, which seemingly signaled that he sees Indonesian law enforcers and military in Papua as thieves. 

“We believe that many thieves will perish as they do not have a legal basis to wage war against Papuan people. We, the people of Papua, are the rightful owners of our land,” Sembom asserted. 

The conflict in the early morning of Thursday happened after local liberation groups attacked a military personnel at a TNI post in the YR 480/Sbh Military District Command (Kodim). A follow-up took place again later that day, which prompted the military to return the attack. 

This incident killed three TNI soldiers identified as 2nd Sergeant M. Rizal Maulana Arifin, Private Tupel Alomoan Baraza, and Private Rahman Tomilawa. 

Cendrawasih Regional Military Command spokesman Col. M Aqsha Erlangga said no instructions had been issued from the TNI Commander on any follow-up actions. Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Dudung Abdurachman at the House of Representatives on Thursday offered his condolences for soldiers who died in the attack and said that any follow-up action will come from the instructions of the TNI Commander. 

Read: One Soldier Killed in Yet Another Shootout  with TPNPB in Papua

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI 


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2) West Papua Interim President Benny Wenda: ‘Indonesia Must End This’

Adrianne Ramirez January 28, 2022 

In his December 7 statement, ULMWP Interim President Benny Wenda called for the immediate release of the eight peaceful student demonstrators, and one elderly woman, that Indonesian police arrested, tortured, and charged with ‘treason’ for waving the Morning Star flag in Jayapura on West Papua’s Independence Day (December 1). Wenda also iterated that West Papua has notified Indonesia that they will be commemorating their national day with peaceful gatherings and called for Indonesia to ‘respect our independence day as we have yours.’  

The arrests happened when scores of people gathered at a stadium in Jayapura to celebrate West Papua’s independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1961 before Indonesia annexed West Papua under the farcical ‘Act of Free Choice.’ Ahmad Musthofa Kamal, a Papua police spokesman, said that the students were charged with ‘organizing and attending an outlawed event as well as producing materials promoting Papuan independence.’ Indonesian police also harassed other Papuan students peacefully protesting in Bali and Ambon city, lawyer Michael Hilman confirmed. The arrested students have been charged with treason and may face 25 years in prison if found guilty under Articles 106 and 110 of Indonesia’s criminal code. 

Additionally, Wenda condemned the Indonesian government’s attacks on the West Papuan people which they then blamed on the West Papuan Army, despite the Indonesian organizations themselves having attested to the military’s involvement. ‘All Indonesian troops must be immediately withdrawn to put an end to the bloodshed, particularly in Intan Jaya, Puncak, Yahukimo, and Nduga. Stop bombing villages, stop firing upon civilians from helicopters, stop burning hospitals, and occupying schools. These actions are violations of international law,’ stated Wenda. 

At least 50 (known) Papuan activists faced treason charges in recent years, and rights groups have affirmed that Jakarta is increasingly resorting to treason accusations as a tool to trump pro-independence sentiments in Papua. Since the Indonesian colonial takeover in 1963, the Indonesian government has ensured that West Papuans have had nearly zero media presence and voice through means not limited to the following: repetitive media blackouts, restrictions on the freedom of speech and assembly, crackdowns on scholars and human rights activists, heavily-restricted movement in most of West Papua’s regions, barring scholars and journalists, arbitrary detention and extra-judicial killings of anyone deemed supportive of the West Papua secessionist sentiment. This state-sanctioned crackdown comes with racism as well – during an incident in August of 2019, Indonesian soldiers stormed West Papuan students’ dormitories in East Java, tear-gassed and arrested them, and called them ‘dogs’ and ‘monkeys’ under a poorly-substantiated accusation that the students damaged a flag pole flying the Indonesian flag.  

While the chair of the Vanuatu West Papuan Association, Job Dalesa, said that they ‘will appeal to Indonesia to stop such actions,’ there has been no support from other governments or politicians. Powerful countries such as the U.S. continue to ignore Indonesia’s gross human rights violations to protect Freeport, the world’s largest gold mine and the de facto administrator of West Papua. Even New Zealand, which has a strong stance and relationship with its Pacific family, has refused time and time again to criticize the Indonesian government, even making sure that Indonesia knows that New Zealand recognizes Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty over Papua.  

As Tracey Banivanua-Mar said, ‘…it is not only the consent of settlers on the scene that needs manufacturing for genocide to occur. The globalized consumption of the spectacles and discourses of savagery which accompany colonialism’s racial violence means that modern genocides are sold to, and allowed to happen, by all of us.’ Despite their awareness of Indonesia’s human rights abuses, the international community remains silent – such conduct equates to complicity. Governments and politicians do not consider the Papuan peoples by keeping diplomatic relations with Indonesia. This highlights a concerning trend of epistemic violence that has come to be normalized, as smaller countries like New Zealand follow patterns of more influential states such as the US and Canada. The denial of the West Papuans’ voices enables this genocide to continue – and the international community must educate and act accordingly to dismantle this complex conflict. 


Adrianne Ramirez Adrianne has been involved with the OWP since 2019 – first as a correspondent and currently as an advocate as well. Adrianne believes strongly in pushing for human rights and social equity, and has a particular interest in international relations, indigenous rights, and feminist security.

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