2) Activists demand Indonesia release 8 Papuan students
3) TNI and police in Papua urged to not turn public facilities into military posts
4) Police accused of intimidation after Timika KNPB chair arbitrarily arrested
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1) Simplifying the complexity of Papuan conflict could be fatal
Vidhyandika D Perkasa (The Jakarta Post) PREMIUM Jakarta ● Tue, February 8, 2022
One set of actions alone cannot solve the crisis in Papua, whether it manifests itself in conflict or socio-economic deprivation. There is a need to initiate intervention to overcome conflict and promote development and peace as one integrated action. This is the underlying meaning of nexus, defined as a series of connections linking two or more things, persons or events in the same way.However, in such a case, the government tends to undermine the nexus necessary to solve the complexity of Papua. Ironically, the complexity of Papua can be dealt with by means of simplification.
Despite its controversy, the government finally extended the implementation of special autonomy for another 19 years (2022-2041) through Law No. 2/2021. Through this, it is clear that economic development is seen as an ultimate panacea to solve the complexity of Papua. Articles in the new Special Autonomy Law mandate economic development and investment, besides regulating other essential issues such as Papuan political and cultural representation. It is basically “economic determination” heavy, which emphasizes the development aspect of the nexus.
More funds will be transferred to increase education, health services and indigenous people's economic empowerment in Papua and West Papua, according to the new law. With these increased funds, attention will be directed to improved public services, improving the welfare of indigenous Papuan and infrastructure development. This law also regulates the regional expansion mechanism, which is again intended to enhance economic growth and public services in Papua.
The developmental approach in Papua through Special Autonomy first enacted in 2021 confirmed the government's standing that the alarming issues in Papua, including conflict, is all about economic (mal)-development that should be corrected. Thus, it is assumed that conflict will subside when economic development is achieved, and peace will be manifest.
This by no means simplifies the complexity of the issues in Papua. Despite serious efforts to promote development, there is minimal effort to develop mechanisms to de-escalate conflict and promote peace.
Conflict-resolution mechanisms are seemingly about restoring order by sending more troops to the country’s easternmost territory with the ultimate mission of capturing members of armed criminal groups. There are, however, still no signs of a de-escalation of the conflict that has claimed lives among the security forces, armed criminal groups and civilians. Late last month three soldiers were killed in a gunfight in the highland regency of Puncak.
Without special attention to initiating programs to reduce conflict and promoting peace, the development element of the nexus is in jeopardy. In other words, Special Autonomy could lose its effectiveness if the causes of conflict remain unaddressed.
Many studies have shown the connection between conflict and development and economic growth. The consequences of the conflict for development are profound. Conflict hinders the achievement of most development goals. Conflict is thus development in reverse. Research has shown that many economic conditions (low income, slow growth and severe economic downturns) correlate with the outbreak of conflict.
In addition, the relationship between conflict and human development can be conceptualized in the framework of a low human development-conflict trap. Papua ranks the lowest in Indonesia's Human Development Index (HDI).
A low HDI is usually associated with political instability, as in the case of Papua. Unresolved conflict in Papua will destroy human capital and physical infrastructure, lead to the displacement of skilled labor, a disruption of social order and weaker institutions and a rise in economic and political uncertainty that could prompt investors to delay long-term investments. Conflicts also destroy education and health outcomes. In general, conflict in Papua could have a negative impact on the country's per capita gross domestic product, however small its contribution to the national economy.
With the underlying threat that conflict could bring to the implementation of special autonomy, the government should put a special effort into assessing how the prevalence and intensity of conflict has evolved over time in Papua. In this case, we are talking about the multidimensional aspect of conflict sparked by armed criminal groups and other actors.
The implementation of special autonomy itself bears the risk of conflict if it results in injustice or marginalization of indigenous Papuans, since conflict could be an outcome of improvement (e.g. benefiting non-indigenous Papuan) and not necessarily impoverishment.
Observation should also be made of the impact of conflict in Papua on development, productivity and economic growth both directly and indirectly through spillover effects. This assessment would also assist the monitoring and evaluation aspect of special autonomy later on, which is currently still challenged by the effort to promote good governance.
Conflict-resolution mechanisms are urgently needed in the conflict and peace nexus. Referring to a life-cycle model of conflict, sadly, we have only seen rising tension, confrontation, intermittent violence and sustained violence. There should be an effort to promote a cease-fire and agreement implementation, which is central to peace enforcement and peacekeeping, leading to decreasing tension and post-conflict operations. However difficult it is, we also need to bring the armed criminal groups into a dialogue and the mediation process. In this case, we must also avoid treating peacemaking as something ceremonial and procedural. Peacemaking is a comprehensive range of short, medium and long-term actions that can prevent conflict and build, create and sustain peace.
This includes efforts to combat racism and discrimination, investigate human rights violations, promote trauma healing for the victims, and stressing the importance of political recognition for indigenous Papuans.
With those attempts, the nexus linking conflict, development and peace will hopefully find its true meaning for the betterment of Papua.
*** The writer is a senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta.
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https://www.ucanews.com/news/activists-demand-indonesia-release-8-papuan-students/96012#
2) Activists demand Indonesia release 8 Papuan students
All remain in custody three months after being arrested for attending pro-independence rally
Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta
Published: February 07, 2022 09:20 AM GMT
The Church in Indonesia has joined civil and rights groups in demanding the unconditional release of eight Papuan university students, who have been held without trial for more than three months accused of treason.
The students were arrested and charged after staging a pro-independence rally on Dec. 1 in Jayapura, capital of Papua province.
During the rally, they waved the Papuan Morning Star flag banned by Indonesian authorities for being a pro-independence symbol and displaying posters proclaiming self-determination for West Papua.
The rally was held to mark the 60th anniversary of what many Papuans regard as West Papua's proclamation of independence before it was incorporated into Indonesia.
The event also marked the birth of the Free Papua Movement.
All eight students have remained in custody ever since, pending further investigations, according to police.
“It has been three months since they were detained ... and their detention has been extended until March 1,” Emanuel Gobay, coordinator of the Coalition of Papuan Law and Human Rights Enforcement, said in a statement received by UCA News on Feb. 6.
The coalition includes the Franciscan Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation.
Suspects, according to the Indonesian Criminal Code, can be detained for up to 60 days while investigations are being carried out.
Gobay, who is also director of the Legal Aid Institute in Papua, said waving the Papuan Morning Star flag was simply the exercising of freedom of expression guaranteed by the 1945 constitution and existing laws.
As such it was illogical for the students to be named treason suspects.
“We call on the National Police chief to immediately order the unconditional release of the eight Papuan university students and to end the arbitrary use of the treason law,” he said.
“Never make it a tool to silence freedom of expression in this democratic country,” he added.
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3) TNI and police in Papua urged to not turn public facilities into military posts
News Desk February 7, 2022 1:16 pm
Sentani, Jubi – A member of the Papuan People’s Assembly’s (MRP) Customary Working Group, Engelbertus Kasipmabin, said the deployment of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police troops to Papua was not well prepared that many public facilities were turned to security posts by the TNI and police.
Kasipmabin criticized the security forces for occupying a number of schools, community health centers, and civil service offices and disrupting the Papuan people’s activities. “[The soldiers] don’t even have a place to live, such as a dormitory, let alone security posts,” said Kasipmabin on Friday, February 4, 2022.
Kasipmabin also said that efforts to make the TNI and police as teaching staff or medical personnel had not received a positive response from residents. Basically, the people were afraid of the presence of the TNI and police in schools or other public facilities, Kasipmabin said.
“The people were afraid but they have no other option than accepting [the security forces], even the teachers were afraid. They fled because they were constantly asked about the West Papua National Liberation Army or TPNPB. The TNI and police always ask about the matter to people who don’t know about anything,” he explained.
Kasipmabin suggested the central government take another strategy instead of sending additional troops to Papua as the impact of sending more troops had only worsened the situation in Papua. “Call the TPNPB, then sit down for a dialogue,” he said.
He further asked the TNI and police troops not to occupy land, gardens, and houses of the people. The use of public facilities such as schools and health centers around residential areas as military posts actually endangers the civilians in those locations, scares them, and makes them leave their villages and become internally displaced people.
Previously on January 21, the Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) asked the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) troops occupying three school buildings in Yahukimo Regency to leave the school buildings. LBH Papua director Emanuel Gobay said the Brimob had occupied NINIA
High School, Anggruk High School, and Yahukimo 2 Vocational School since October 3, 2021.
“As a result, the students cannot go to school and the teaching and learning process has come to a complete halt,” Gobay said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, director of the General Criminal Investigation of the Papua Police Sr. Comr. Faizal Ramadhani said his party would evaluate a number of security units that had occupied public facilities such as schools.
“The troops should not stay in schools. We realized that some time ago [there were troops occupying public facilities], as reported by the media. This is evaluation material for us, police. We have built barracks in some areas such as Nduga, Bintang Mountains, and several other areas,” he said. (*)
Reporter: Yance Wenda
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G
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4) Police accused of intimidation after Timika KNPB chair arbitrarily arrested
Suara Papua – February 5, 2022
Arnold Belau, Jayapura – The Timika regional chairperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Steven Itlay, who was reportedly arrested by police was released at 12 midnight local time on February 4.
KNPB national spokesperson Ones Suhuniap told Suara Papua that Itlay was arrested along with seven other youths at their residence in Sentani on the outskirts of Jayapura. Itlay along with six others have now been released.
According to Suhuniap, Itlay and the seven others were arrested for alleged motorcycle theft. Suhuniap said Itlay's arbitrarily arrest by police was a form of intimidation and terror against civil society activists.
"Police must sort through the alleged perpetrators and not just arrest people arbitrarily", he asserted.
KNPB Chairperson Warpo Sampari Wetipo has confirmed that Itlay and the six others have been released. One other person is still being held by the police.
The six arrested along with Itlay (31) who were later released were Yemue Itlay (17), Kalvin Haluk (19), Apner Haluk (17), Ongko Haluk (16), Otto Walilo (22) and Amrosius Haluk (20). Pais Nasia (24) meanwhile is still being detained..
According to Wetipo, Itlay and the other six were released because police were unable to prove the charges.
"They were released at 12 midnight. They're now back home. Police released them because the police's charges could not be proven. Meanwhile one person is still being detained", added Wetipo.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Satu Orang Ditahan, Steven Itlay dan Enam Orang Lainnya Sudah Dibebaskan".]
Source: https://suarapapua.com/2022/02/05/satu-orang-ditahan-steven-itlay-dan-enam-orang-lainnya-sudah-dibebaskan/
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