2) May Day in Bali marred by clash between Papuan students and nationalist groups
Ali Mustofa, Denpasar – An International Labour Day demonstration in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar, which fell on Monday May 1, ended in chaos after a clash between Papuan students and several social organisations.
The demonstration today was not only joined by labour groups, but also the Bali Papua Student Alliance (AMP). The Papuan students had planned to hold a protest action at the Hang Tuah Renon traffic circle at 9 am.
But the arrival of the AMP protesters had no relationship with Labour Day. They took to the streets to commemorate 60 years since the forced incorporation of the West Papua nation into the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
Moreover it is said that the annexation on May 1, 1963, was illegal and legally flawed. During the action, the AMP Bali demanded independence for the West Papuan nation.
However the 30 or so AMP protesters were intercepted at the East Renon parking area by several ormas (social or mass organisations) such as the Nusantara Garuda Patriots (PGN), the PGN Melanesia, the Sandi Murti College, the Bali Kolonk Children and the Bali for the sake of the Generations Children (DAG).
A confrontation between the groups broke out in front of the Denpasar city Regional Disaster Relief Agency (BPBD) offices, with the groups exchanging blows with each other.
Fortunately police officers from the Denpasar municipal police assisted by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers were able to bring the situation under control and separated the groups involved in the clash.
"The PGN along with all Balinese social organisations and the traditional village council is ready to uphold the sovereignty of the NKRI from groups that disturb security, peace and order such as the AMP", said PGN Bali Chairperson Daniar Tri Sasongko in an official statement.
According to Sasongko, this had to be done because the AMP opposes the concept of the NKRI.
"In the framework of national defense actions mandated by Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution, the PGN Bali firmly opposes AMP demonstrations that undermine the sovereignty of the NKRI", said Sasongko.
Sandi Murti College Deputy Chairperson Ngurah Harta said they were ready to stop actions by the AMP. "Whatever it is, if it disturbs Indonesia's peace, we will take to the streets", he said.
Harta also asked the police to take immediate action by arresting the AMP protesters because they have clearly tried to undermine the NKRI. (lia/JPNN)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Hari Buruh di Bali Ricuh, Massa AMP dan PGN Bentrok, Polisi Bergerak".]
Makassar – A demonstration commemorating International Labour Day on May 1 by a group of Papuan students from the Democratic Struggle Alliance has been broken up by police. Five people were arrested because they were suspected of being provocateurs.
During the protest action, which was held on Jalan AP Pettarani in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar, the scores of demonstrators unfurled a banner with the message "Revoke the Ciptaker [Job Creation] Law, Golput [boycott] the 2024 elections and build a political alternative".
However because the protesters we considered not to have informed the police of the action beforehand, it was immediately broken up.
"They held (the action) without a notification. Then of course we asked them to disperse in a persuasive manner. There were five people that were arrested", said Makassar metropolitan district police chief Senior Commissioner Mokhamad Ngajib on Monday May 1.
Ngajib accused the five who were arrested of being part of a group that caused a riot.
"There were several that we took away but not from their group. There were clearly several anarchists that we proved spray painted graffiti (on a wall). They were the ones we arrested", he explained.
The five were immediately taken to the Makassar metropolitan district police headquarters for further questioning.
"Later we will see from the results of the examination, of course if there is a crime we will immediately take firm action against the anarchists", he said.
However, said Ngajib, they are currently still conducting an investigation and collecting evidence.
"Up until now there has been no (crime), we will check first. We just secured several people earlier who we reasonably suspect of being anarchists, because they were not part of the group of our sisters and brothers from Papua", he said. (mir/pmg)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Aksi Hari Buruh di Makassar Dibubarkan Polisi, 5 Orang Ditangkap".]
Timika, Jubi – The Timika City District Court on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, for the third time postponed the reading of the charges against four defendants in the murder and mutilation of four Nduga residents in Mimika Regency. The public prosecutor was reportedly not ready to read out the charges.
The four defendants are Roy Marten Howay, Andre Pudjianto Lee, Dul Umam, and Rafles Lakasa. The trial was led by chief judge Putu Mahendra and member judges M Khusnul F Zainal and Riyan Ardy Pratama.
In Tuesday’s hearing, public prosecutor Apry Silaban said the charges file was still in discussion with his superior. Silaban then asked the panel of judges to give him additional time.
Previously, the plan to read out the charges on April 14 and 18 also failed due to the same reason. Chief judge Putu Mahendra reprimanded the prosecutor and demanded him not to delay the reading of the charges.
Putu said the first detention extension period would end on May 12 while the second extension period would end on June 19. The panel of judges decided to adjourn the hearing until May 4.
The legal representative of the victim’s family, Gustaf Kawer of the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Human Rights for Papua criticized the prosecutor. According to him, delaying the reading of charges three times was not in line with the principle of an immediate and cost-effective trial.
According to Kawer, the prosecution agenda should not have been complicated as the case had also been tried at the Surabaya High Military Court III and Jayapura Military Court III-19. The two military courts tried six soldiers of the Raider 20/Ima Jaya Keramo Infantry Brigadewho were also involved in the murder.
Kawer said the facts of the trial were sufficient to charge Roy Marten Howay, Andre Pudjianto Lee, Dul Umam, and Rafles Lakasa with joint premeditated murder as stipulated in Article 340 Jo Article 55 Paragraph (1) to the Criminal Code. He hoped the prosecutor would charge with the maximum penalty as the victim’s family wished.
“Why is it postponed three times? If the prosecutor is still coordinating with the AGO, I think it is taking too long,” he said.
Kawer is also concerned about the detention status of the four defendants. If the trial continues to be postponed, Kawer is worried that there will be no extension of the detention period, which means the four defendants can be released.
“That will hurt the justice of the victims’ families. We hope that Thursday will eventually be the day of reading charges. This is the last chance for the prosecutor to prove their seriousness in representing the victims,” Kawer said.
Another advocate of the Coalition for Law Enforcement and Human Rights for Papua, Helmi, is also worried that the postponement of the trial could end up leaving the defendants unpunished. “The prosecutor handling this case must be serious and professional in representing the interests of victims,” he said.
Helmi further asked the AGO’s Supervisory Commission to oversee the performance of the prosecutor in this case. The coalition also asked the Judicial Commission to oversee the panel of judges.
A member of the victim’s family, Pale Gwijangge, said that until now, the victim’s family had been patiently waiting for the trial process. Therefore, he said, the prosecutor should seriously handle the case.
“Please don’t drag out this trial. We are already victims, now revictimized with the prolonged trial. This is certainly detrimental to us victims’ family,” Gwijangge said, adding that he hoped the four defendants were charged with the maximum penalty for premeditated murder.
Military court decision
The murder and mutilation of four Nduga residents occurred in Settlement Unit 1, Mimika Regency on August 22, 2022. The four victims were Arnold Lokbere, Irian Nirigi, Lemaniel Nirigi, and Atis Tini.
The case involved six soldiers of the Raider 20/Ima Jaya Keramo Infantry Brigade who were tried separately at the Surabaya High Military Court III and the Jayapura Military Court III-19.
On January 24, 2023, Maj. Inf Helmanto Fransiskus Dakhi was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to life and dismissed from the Army. Then on February 16, 2023, four other soldiers, First Pvt. Rahman Amin Sese, First Pvt. Rizky Oktaf Muliawan, First Pvt. Robertus Putra Clinsman, and Chief Pvt. Pargo Rumbouw were also found guilty of the same crime. Meanwhile, Capt. Inf Dominggus Kainama was not tried because he died on December 24 last year due to heart disease.
Sese and Muliawan were punished with life imprisonment, while Clinsman was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Rumbouw 15 years. All four were dismissed from the Army. (*)
Jayapura, Jubi – Here is one unpopular fact: the reggae music in Indonesia was first popularized by Papuan musicians. Papuan musician Ian Chris Gebze, frontman and guitarist of Airmood, founded Kasuari Enterprise to perform reggae music every three months dubbed “Reggae Night” at Ancol Beach, Jakarta.
“We were the first to start reggae music, especially on the prestigious stages in the capital of Jakarta in the early 1980s,” Gebze told Jubi in a WhatsApp message on Monday, May 1, 2023.
Gebze specifically said he brought reggae music to Papua in the early 1990s.
Indonesian Reggae musician Tony Waluyo Sukmoasih, popularly known as Tony Q Rastfara, also admitted that reggae music was performed by Papuan bands Abresso and Black Company. Abresso had debuted before the Asian Roots.
At that time, Abresso played reggae, jazz, and blues at Night Club or Café Chicago in Blok M, South Jakarta. Abresso’s vocalist and bassist, the late Akon Bonay, was familiar with reggae and jazz. Akon Bonay and another Papuan reggae figure, Sandy Betay, often duetted in Chicago Pub in South Jakarta at that time.
Similar sentiment was told by Edi Mangun Mardjuki, former vocalist of Emergency, a student band from Bandung in the 1990s, who also performed at Reggae Night in the 1990s to 2000. Also performing during that period were the Delta Lima-Lima led by Paulus Gebze, Abresso with the frontman of Airmood, Rio Grime VG and Asian Roots led by Seno Sugiarto.
“Yes, in the early days we helped to promote reggae music,” Mardjuki wrote in a short message to Jubi on Monday.
Seno Sugiarto founded Abresso in 1985 with Akon Bonay (bass player), Boyke Phu (drummer), Dicky Mamoribo (keyboard), Ian Gebze (guitar), Robby Wambrauw (keyboard), and Sandy Betay (vocals). The word Abresso itself comes from the language of the Atam (Arfak) tribe in Manokwari Regency, which means greeting. The band has a unique feature of reggae pop mixed with beats with Papuan characteristics.
After Abresso, Seno formed the Asian Roots and Black Company groups, which also had reggae nuances in the 1987. At that time, Asian Roots members were Iskandar (Drummer), Morgan Sigarlaki (Guitar), Ade Hamsah (Bass), Robby Maste (Keyboard), Hendro (Trumpet), Ahir (Trombone), and Jimmy Ignatio (Vocal). Their popular album titled Reggae Top Pop in 1990.
Interestingly, Jimmy Ignatio, the vocalist from Jamaica was given the Randongkir clan name so in every gig, he was always called Jimmy Ignatio Randongkir.
To Jubi, Asia Roots’ former manager Seno Sugiarto admitted lately he was hanging out with Ian Gebze and Dicky Mamoribo, talking about reggae music.
“We are currently gathering with the remaining musicians. Some are former Abresso members like Ian Gebze, Dicky Mamoribo, as well as Asian Roots members. We are reuniting and for that we are preparing a new song from Asian Roots,” said Seno.
He hopes that their music is still accepted by reggae music lovers in Indonesia. (*)
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