3) Ancient song of the Amungme Tribe calls for respect for nature
Jayapura, Jubi – The Jayapura District Court on Thursday, July 21, 2022, continued the trial of the alleged treason case involving seven Papuans who raised the Morning Star flag at Cenderawasih Sports Center and marched carrying banners with the Morning Star on December 1, 2021.
The seven people being tried are Melvin Yobe (29), Melvin Fernando Waine (25), Devion Tekege (23), Yosep Ernesto Matuan (19), Maksimus Simon Petrus You (18), Lukas Kitok Uropmabin (21), and Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere (21).
The trial was held at the Abepura Penitentiary, Jayapura City. The Public Prosecutor presented two police officers who arrested Melvin Yobe and his friends, namely Barnabas Ferdinand Simbiak and Juliant Prasetya Rachman.
In his testimony, Barnabas Ferdinand Simbiak said he arrested Melvin Yobe and his friends when they marched in front of the Papua Police Headquarters on December 1, 2021. “I saw seven people. They were carrying the Morning Star flag and banners,” Simbiak said, answering judges’ questions.
Simbiak told that at that time he was at the Integrated Police Service Center (SPKT) Post, which is about 50 meters from the location where the seven people were arrested. Simbiak admitted he did not hear any of the seven defendants shouting. He also said he did not know why they were marching. He and several other police arrested them because they allegedly caused traffic jams and marched without having a permit. “They lined up in the middle of the road, disturbing road users and causing traffic,” he said.
Simbiak and several police officers then took Melvin Yobe and his friends to the SPKT Post. “I headed straight for it and followed by other police members,” he said. Simbiak said the seven people did not resist and obeyed the directions of the police who arrested them. “There was no resistance, and they followed to the SPKT Post. They are very respectful,” he said.
According to Simbiak, the police who arrested Melin Yobe and his friends did not interrogate them. He said that Melvin Yobe and his friends were questioned by higher officers, not by the police who arrested them. “After they were arrested, we did not communicate with them,” said Simbiak.
Simbiak said the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation of the Papua Police came to the SPKT Post, took Melvin Yobe and his friends, and questioned them. “I was not there when they were questioned,” said Simbiak.
Lawyer of the defendants then asked if Simbiak thought Papua would immediately become independent after they raised the Morning Star and marched on December 1, 2021. Simbiak replied that such actions would not instantly free Papua. “No, it doesn’t work like that,” he said.
The lawyer also asked whether this case could be resolved through a restorative justice mechanism. Simbiak said that he was tasked with ensuring that Melvin Yobe and his friends did not reach the center of the city. The procedure actually says Yobe and his friends should have been examined and questioned by the SPKT Post. “If we handled it at that time, maybe it would turn out different,” he said.
The Public Prosecutor also presented Juliant Prasetya Rachman, another police officer who arrested Melvin Yobe and his friends. Juliant is a police member assigned to the Security Intelligence of Papua Police.
Juliant said he saw Melvin Yobe and his friends marching while on his way in public transportation from his house in the Klofkamp Police Dormitory to the Papua Police Headquarters. He went because he would be on guard duty on December 1, 2021. He said that every December 1, the police tried to secure the city because the date is celebrated by Papuan people as independence day. “Every December 1, we are on guard,” he said.
He said he heard the seven defendants shout “Free Papua” and chanted “We are not Red and White [Indonesian Flag], we are the Morning Star”. “I was inside the taxi and I heard them,” Juliant told the jury.
Juliant then got out of the taxi, immediately snatched the Morning Star flag, and handed the flag to one of the policemen who arrested Melvin Yobe and his friends. Juliant said that he did not see Barnabas Ferdinand Simbiak while securing the Morning Star flag. “I saw Simbiak only when he brought the defendants to the SPKT Post. When I snatched the Morning Star flag, there was no Simbiak,” he said.
Juliant said that he took the initiative without an order from anyone to arrest Melvin Yobe and his friends because he saw them carrying the Morning Star flag. Juliant said Melvin Yobe and his friends fought back when he tried to snatch the flag. Juliant said the Morning Star symbolized treason as it was a symbol of an independent Papua or the desire to separate from Indonesia.
However, Juliant did not know the rules prohibiting against flying the Morning Star. “I know the Morning Star symbol is against the state. But I didn’t know there was a rule that prohibits raising the Morning Star,” he said.
Juliant also said he later learned that Melvin Yobe and his friends raised the Morning Star at Cenderawasih Sports Center only from social media posts, such as on Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram. He only found out about it after capturing Melvin Yobe and his friends.
The defendants’ lawyer again asked whether Juliant thought Papua would immediately become independent after they raised the Morning Star and marched on December 1, 2021. Similar to Simbiak, he answered that Papua would not necessarily become independent because of the actions of the seven defendants.
The panel of judges also gave the opportunity for the seven defendants to question the witnesses of the Public Prosecutor. Maksimus Simon Petrus You denied that their march caused traffic jams. Petrus You asserted that he and his companions marched by the side of the road. Another defendant, Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere, also denied the witness’ statement that he and his friends resisted. Elopere said they followed the directions of the police who arrested them and entered the Papua Police Headquarters on good terms.
The trial on Thursday was initially scheduled to hear statements from eight witnesses from the Public Prosecutor. However, until 12.48 p.m. local time, there were only two witnesses present. Chairman of the panel of judges RF Tampubolon then closed the trial and stated the trial was postponed until Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The next trial will also take place at the Abepura Penitentiary, with the agenda of hearing the statements of the witnesses from the Public Prosecutor. (*)
Kompas.com – July 19, 2022
Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid is calling for an end to the cycle of violence in Papua following the killing of 11 civilians in Nduga regency on Saturday July 16.
"It's time for the state to end the cycle of violence in Papua", said Hamid in a press release on Monday July 18.
"Currently a human rights crisis is occurring in Papua where almost every day violence occurs with casualties and perpetrators from various groups", said Hamid.
The killing of the 11 civilians occurred in Nogolait Village, Kenyam district, Nduga regency, Papua province. They were allegedly killed by an armed criminal group (KKB).
Hamid said that various parties from Papua activist groups, academics and students have urged the government to reevaluate the security approach being applied in Papua.
"The policy, which for decades has been applied in Papua has not in fact succeeded in ending human rights violations there and has instead caused even more civilian causalities", said Hamid.
Aside from reevaluating the security approach, Hamid believes that the government must correct its policies in Papua in their entirety.
"Starting from labeling them separatists and terrorists to centralistic policies such as [creating] new autonomous regions (DOB) and the Special Autonomy [Law on Papua] which was enacted without meaningful participation by indigenous Papuans", said Hamid.
"The state must avoid escalating conflicts which end with casualties and human rights violations, including reconsidering all policies which could give rise to this situation", said Hamid.
Speaking separately, Presidential Staff Deputy Chief (KSP) Jaleswari Pramodhawardani condemned the attack carried out by the KKB in Nduga.
"The government condemns it and shares in the sorrow of those injured and killed as a consequence of the criminal actions committed by the KKB", said Pramodhawardani in a press release on Saturday.
"The incident in Nduga regency is currently being handled by the police and the perpetrators will be prosecuted", continued Pramodhawardani.
The victims who died are Yulius Watu, Hubertus Goti, Daeng Marannu, Taufan Amir, Johan, Alex, Yuda Nurusingga, Nasjen, Mahmut Ismain and Eliaser Baner.
Baner, one of those who died, was a priest. Their bodies have already been evacuated to Timika, Mimika regency.
Meanwhile the two people who were injured were Sudirman and Hasdin.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "KKB Bantai 11 Warga Sipil di Nduga, Amnesty: Negara Harus Hentikan Siklus Kekerasan".]
3) Ancient song of the Amungme Tribe calls for respect for nature
Indigenous People’s Respect For Nature - News Desk 22 July 2022
Jayapura, Jubi – Angaye-angaye no emki untaye, angaye bao, aa, hao, angaye, angaye wagana nikavo, morae banago, hao, aa hao antok anu ae anago, hao, hao, jilka untae bawano, hao, hao.
(I love the majestic and glorious mountains and the clouds that float around their peaks. I love the jungles that protect my land, I love to wander under your shade)
“This piece of lyrics in Amungme language shows the Amungme’s appreciation for the creator and protection of the universe as the source of life. Singing and dancing is a form of gratitude for God’s grace for the universe given to them,” said History Lecturer at Cenderawasih University Albert Rumbekwan at a discussion in Kota Raja, reviewing the book “The sin and the future of Our Planet” on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Other than the Amungme Tribe, Rumbekwan said, the Byak Tribe also views the universe and themselves as a single entity that has a master or creator. Therefore, the means of communication to connect with their creator are Wor or dances and songs dedicated to God and the sky.
“It’s called Wor Fa Nanggi, the ceremony of giving offerings to the sky and Mansren Nanggi (God of the Sky). Wor Fa Nanggi is carried out both in times of abundance and shortages, by giving the produce of the gardens and the sea obtained by the Byak people,” he said.
Wor Fa Nanggi was led by a Mon as an intermediary or a shaman. “Wor aims to feed the Sky God Mansren Nanggi so that he will bless and protect all the Byak people’s activity, be it when gardening, fishing, sailing for trade, and so on,” he said.
Rumbekwan further said that today, the exploitation of Papua’s nature is contrary to the meaning of lyrics contained in the songs of indigenous peoples. “The exploration of gold, silver, and copper mines carried out through an agreement between Indonesia and an American company in 1967 was unethical because it did not involve the Amungme people at that time,” he said. (*)
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is warning in a new report that mass killings of civilians could occur in Indonesia’s restive Papua region in the next year to 18 months if current conditions deteriorate to a worst-case scenario.
Although large-scale violence against civilians is not occurring yet in Papua, early warning signs are visible and warrant attention, says the report, titled “Don’t Abandon us: Preventing Mass Atrocities in Papua.”
The museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide published the 45-page report this month authored by an Indonesian, Made Supriatma, who conducted field research in the region at the far-eastern end of Indonesia.
“Indonesia ranks 27th on the list of countries with risks of mass atrocities. This report should be considered as an early warning,” Supriatma told BenarNews.
A combination of factors – increasing rebel attacks, better coordination and organization of pro-independence civilian groups, and the ease of communication – makes it plausible that the unrest could reach a new level in the next 12-18 months, the report said.
“If political and social unrest persist, and if it were to spread across the region, it is possible that the Indonesian government could determine that the scale or persistence of the protests would justify a more severe response, which could lead to large-scale killing of civilians,” it said.
The risks are rooted in factors such as past mass atrocities in Indonesia, the exclusion of indigenous Papuans from political decision-making, Jakarta’s failure to address their grievances and conflicts over the exploitation of the region’s resources, according to the report.
Other factors include Papuans’ resentment over Jakarta’s failure to hold accountable security personnel implicated in human rights abuses and conflict between indigenous Papuans and migrants from other parts of Indonesia over economic, political, religious, and ideological issues, it said.
Under one scenario that the report envisions, pro-Jakarta Papuan militia, backed by the military and police, commit mass atrocities against pro-independence Papuans.
But such a scenario depends on indigenous Papuan groups remaining divided into pro-Jakarta and pro-independence groups, it said. The other scenario involves Indonesian migrants and Indonesian security forces committing atrocities against indigenous Papuans, the study said.
The report recommends that the government improve freedom of information and monitoring atrocity risks, manage conflicts through nonviolent means, and address local grievances and drivers of conflict.
Supriatma said indigenous Papuans he spoke to as part of his research confirmed that real and perceived discrimination had fueled an “us-against-them” mentality between indigenous Papuans and Indonesians.
Papua, on the western side of New Guinea Island, has been the scene of a low-level separatist insurgency since the mainly Melanesian region was incorporated into Indonesia in a United Nations-administered ballot in the late 1960s.
In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua – like Indonesia, a former Dutch colony – and annexed the region.
Only about 1,000 people voted in the U.N.-sponsored referendum in 1969 that locals and activists said was a sham, but the United Nations accepted the result, essentially endorsing Jakarta’s rule.
‘Not based on facts’
An expert at the Indonesian presidential staff office, Theofransus Litaay, questioned the study’s validity.
“There’s something wrong in the identification of research questions. The author extrapolated events in East Timor to his research,” he said, referring to violence by pro-Jakarta militias before and after East Timor’s vote for independence from Indonesia in 1999.
“It’s not based on the facts on the ground,” he said, without elaborating.
Gabriel Lele, a senior researcher with the Papuan Task Force at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said the report was based on limited data.
“It is true that there has been an escalation of violence, but the main perpetrators are the OPM [Free Papua Movement] and the victims have been civilians, soldiers and police,” Gabriel told BenarNews.
He said rebels had also attacked indigenous Papuans who did not support the pro-independence movement.
Violence has intensified in Papua since 2018, when separatist rebels attacked workers who were building roads and bridges in Nduga regency, killing 20 people, including an Indonesian soldier.
In the latest violence, suspected rebels gunned down 10 civilians, mostly non-indigenous Papuans, and wounded two others on July 16.
A local rebel commander from the OPM’s armed wing, Egianus Kogoya, claimed responsibility.
“We suspect they were spies, so we shot them dead on the spot,” the Media Indonesia newspaper quoted him as saying on Monday.
The attack in Nduga regency came a little more than two weeks after legislators voted to create three new provinces in Papua amid opposition from indigenous people and rebel groups.
In March this year, insurgents killed eight workers who were repairing a telecommunications tower in Beoga, a district of Puncak regency.
Arms trade
Benny Giay, a member of the Papua Church Council, said Jakarta had not shown a desire to address racism against Papuans, who are ethnically Melanesian, and instead branded pro-independence groups terrorists.
“Authorities allow arms trade between armed groups and members of the TNI [military] and police, which perpetuates the violence and in the end can have fatal consequences for the indigenous people,” Giay told BenarNews.
The influx of migrants from other parts of Indonesia has created inter-communal tensions and conflicts over regional governance, analysts said.
Indigenous people are concerned that a massive project to build a trans-Papua highway, as part of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s drive to boost infrastructure, could lead to economic domination by outsiders and the presence of more troops, said Cahyo Pamungkas, a researcher from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
“The road will mainly benefit non-Papuans, and indigenous people will benefit little economically because they are not ready to be involved in the economic system that the government wants to build,” Cahyo told
BenarNews.
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