Wednesday, June 21, 2023

1) Internally displaced Papuans traumatized as military presence hinders return to hometowns


2) Almost One Month Since OPM Threatened to Shoot NZ Pilot; TNI Ensures Rescue Ops Going as Planned
3) Security, order is conducive in Papua: Police Chief 

4) President Wenda: More arrests in West Papua as military escalation continues

5) President Wenda: ULMWP welcomes Vanuatu Deputy PM’s comments during Indonesia visit
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1) Internally displaced Papuans traumatized as military presence hinders return to hometowns
News Desk - Indigenous Papuan Refugees 
21 June 2023

Presenters, who are also direct victims of armed conflict, share their stories during the commemoration of World Refugee Day, June 20, 2023 at STT Walter Post, Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua. - Doc Committee for Jubi

Jayapura, Jubi – The presence of Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police in conflict-ridden areas of Papua has allegedly caused trauma among internally displaced Indigenous Papuans.

The displaced people urge the government to immediately cease military operations and restore their communities to normalcy. These concerns were expressed during a discussion attended by displaced women on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, as part of World Refugee Day commemoration.

Raga Kogoya, a displaced woman from Nduga Regency, is currently residing in a camp in Jayawijaya Regency with her four children. Raga, along with thousands of Nduga residents, fled to the forest and eventually sought refuge in Wamena City in December 2018.

She longs to return to her hometown, a sentiment shared by other displaced families. However, their hopes of returning to Nduga have not been fulfilled.

“If I could go back home, I would,” said Raga, who hasn’t been able to return since December 2018.

“But I have nowhere to live because they burned my house five years ago. Moreover, there are still TNI posts in the area,” she added.

Raga admitted that she still carries traumatic memories. The acts of violence committed by TNI soldiers against pregnant women and minors remain vivid in her mind.

These memories, according to Raga, deter them from returning to their hometowns despite the government’s assurance of safety and invitation to return.

“We, the Nduga displaced people, will only go back home if the state withdraws the security forces. They are still here today, especially in the Nduga area. They must be withdrawn first. Only then will the people of Nduga feel safe to return home,” she said.

Lamberti Faan shares a similar story to Raga’s. The mother of four expressed the immense difficulty she faces in meeting her children’s daily needs.

Following the attack on Kisor Military Post in Maybrat Regency in September 2021, which was succeeded by military operations in five districts of Maybrat, Lamberti has been living with several others in a relative’s house in Sorong Regency.

“This situation makes our lives very challenging. We struggle to find food, drink, and even a place to sleep. We have to bear with these difficult conditions,” Lamberti explained.

If it were possible for her family to return to their house in Faan Kahrio Village, she would gladly take her children back. Unfortunately, her hopes remain uncertain and unfulfilled.

“For now, I am compelled to stay in the evacuation site in Sorong because my house, village, church, and school have been occupied by the TNI as military posts. It is impossible for me to go home as long as soldiers and police still reside in our house, school, and church,” she lamented.

Since December 2018, over 5,000 indigenous Papuans have been displaced, seeking refuge in forests and other areas within Papua. Many residents have even sought safety near the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border to avoid the armed conflicts between the TNI-Police and the TPNPB.

Internal displacement of Papuan residents is observed in conflict-affected regions such as Nduga, Intan Jaya, Puncak, Yahukimo, Bintang Mountains, and Maybrat. (*)

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2) Almost One Month Since OPM Threatened to Shoot NZ Pilot; TNI Ensures Rescue Ops Going as Planned
Translator Ririe Ranggasari 
Editor Laila Afifa
 21 June 2023 21:43 WIB  

TEMPO.COJakarta - The joint forces of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police are still on a mission to rescue Susi Air pilot Captain Philips Mehrtens from threats by the Free Papua Organization (OPM) before the deadline given by the armed group up.

In May, the OPM threatened to shoot Mehrtens, a New Zealand national, within two months if the Indonesian government did not comply with their demands, which is Papuan independence.

Head of the TNI Information Center (Kapuspen) Rear Admiral (Laksda) Julius Widjojono said the operation was still proceeding according to plan. "The operation is continuing as planned. All methods are implemented, smart approach and combat alert," said Julius when contacted by Tempo, Wednesday, June 21.

Julius did not specify the operation in question.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army for the Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom, said they had not decided whether they would actually shoot the captain once the time is up.

He said they are still waiting for the government's response but have yet to determine what to do if they don’t get a response because they are still waiting for the situation on the field.

On May 27, the OPM released a video with a threat conveyed by Philips Mehrtens. "The Papua military here have given two more months for the countries outside of Indonesia to engage in dialogue with Indonesia and Papua for Papua independence,” Mehrtens said in the video as he sits surrounded by the armed group's members.

Philips was taken hostage on February 7 this year when the Susi Air PK-BVY aircraft he piloted was hijacked after landing at Paro Airport, in Nduga, Papua. The hijackers, led by Egianus Kogoya, set fire to the aircraft. Five passengers of the aircraft were released.

Eka Yudha Saputra

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3) Security, order is conducive in Papua: Police Chief 
 9 hours ago
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Chief of the Papua Regional Police Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri confirmed that the current situation of public security and order in Papua is at a relatively conducive level."It is true that the security and order (situation) in society within the jurisdiction of the Papua regional police is relatively conducive, including at a number of highland resort police areas that often face security interferences," Fakhiri told ANTARA in Jayapura City on Wednesday.However, he urged all police personnel to remain vigilant and alert while noting that several resort police in highland areas had earlier experienced security threats that resulted in casualties.Bearing that in mind, the inspector general called on his personnel to stay vigilant and not be easily provoked by any movements carried out by the Papuan armed criminal group (KKB) and its sympathizers."I have instructed my personnel to stay alert and continue to maintain readiness to keep the conducive situation," he remarked.The Papua police chief also outlined several regions in Papua that are prone to security threats, especially from the KKB, namely Pegunungan Bintang, Nduga, and Yahukimo districts in Papua Pegunungan Province, as well as Puncak and Intan Jaya districts in Central Papua Province.Fakhiri also instructed his ranks to continue to conduct comprehensive investigations into cases of security disturbances that occurred in Yahukimo and Pegunungan Bintang.In this context, he noted that the regional police plans to use several video footages showing the events of the incidents circulated in society as the initial data to be followed up."I have asked regional police heads to arrest all the perpetrators recorded in the widely circulated video footage. They will be assisted by the Cartenz Peace Task Force," Fakhiri stated.Related news: Papua security op will not spin out of control: TNIRelated news: Papua police seeks to tighten control at Indonesia-PNG borderRelated news: Governor asks local government to pay attention to indigenous peoples

Reporter: Evarukdijati, Tegar NurfitraEditor: Sri Haryati

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https://www.ulmwp.org/president-wenda-more-arrests-in-west-papua-as-military-escalation-continues

4) President Wenda: More arrests in West Papua as military escalation continues

June 20, 2023 in Statement

As the Melanesian Spearhead Group prepares for its Leaders’ Meeting, Indonesia is once again ramping up its military occupation of Melanesian West Papua.

Nineteen members of the non-violent pro-independence group the KNPB (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, National Committee for West Papua) were taken into custody on June 9th, after holding a peaceful coffee meeting in Tambrauw Regency. Three have now been charged with treason, becoming the latest victims of Indonesia’s Papuan prison state. Their arrests are entirely politically motivated and they must be immediately released.

Indonesia is already an outlaw in the Pacific region – it has already disregarded the will of the Pacific Islands Forum, the Organisation of African, Pacific, and Carribean States, along with many other major world powers, by refusing to allow the UN Commissioner for Human Rights access to West Papua. Now they are using the kidnapping of pilot Phillip Merhtens to increase their military presence across our land.

West Papuans have suffered greatly over the past few months due to this military escalation. Civilians in Intan Jaya, Puncak Jaya, and other rural areas are living under martial law, with roaming bands of Indonesian soldiers acting with total impunity. Life in West Papua is now defined by surveillance, torture, and arbitrary arrest.

The arrest of these KNPB members is yet another example of what Indonesia’s military ‘combat alert’ means for West Papua. We are still mourning Tarina Murib, a 35-year-old mother who was murdered and beheaded in Puncak in March. Ms Murib’s family, along with a group of West Papuan lawyers, are demanding justice for this heinous and evil crime.

Ms Murib’s cold-blooded killing prompted a flurry of forced displacement in West Papua, as Puncak residents fled in panic to neighbouring Regencies. News from on the ground in West Papua is that more Indonesian military operations are also being conducted on Yapen Island, following the forced displacement of nearly 100 Papuan civilians there last December. Sadly, these displacements are merely a grain of sand in a storm of Indonesian brutality: around 100,000 West Papuans have been forcibly displaced since 2018.

The people of Yapen Island are isolated and peaceful. Yet they are again being violently terrorised by an army famed for its brutality, enforcing an illegal military occupation.

Indonesia realises that the West Papuan issue is not going away – that every political arrest or crackdown only strengthens our resolve. But instead of defusing the situation by withdrawing their military, Indonesia is intensifying their repression. With this new crackdown, Indonesia is once again demonstrating that anyone who peacefully stands up for West Papua is a target.

As President of the ULMWP, I am again calling on Indonesia to allow the UN High Commissioner access to West Papua, along with all foreign journalists and NGOs – also currently barred from entering the territory. I demand the immediate release the three KNPB activists, as well as the West Papuan students arrested in November. I also call for the release of Victor Yeimo, another KNPB leader who has now been imprisoned for close to two years on trumped-up treason charges.

My people are crying out for international help. The world must take notice of this Indonesian escalation and intervene.

Benny WendaInterim PresidentULMWP Provisional Government

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https://www.ulmwp.org/president-wenda-ulmwp-welcomes-vanuatu-deputy-pms-comments-during-indonesia-visit
5) President Wenda: ULMWP welcomes Vanuatu Deputy PM’s comments during Indonesia visit

June 21, 2023 in Statement

On behalf of the ULMWP, I welcome Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s comments on West Papua during his recent diplomatic visit to Indonesia.

In a joint press conference with Indonesian Deputy Prime Minister Ma’ruf Amin, Napat reinstated his commitment to the ‘Melanesian way’. Hearing these words, I was reminded of Vanuatu’s founding father Walter Lini, who said that ‘Vanuatu will not be entirely free until all Melanesia is free from colonial rule’, West Papua and Kanaky included.

The Melanesian way has been shown in full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) being extended to the FLNKS, despite them representing a Melanesian people rather than a Melanesian state. It has also been demonstrated in Papua New Guinea’s approach to Bougainville, where Prime Minister Marape showed true moral courage by offering a referendum and respecting their right to self-determination. Vanuatu have always shown the same courage in supporting West Papuan freedom. By referencing the Melanesian way in the joint press conference, Deputy Napat was conveying to Indonesia the message Moses gave to Phaoroah: ‘let my people go’.

As West Papuans we are also committed to Melanesian values. This is why we have turned to our Melanesian family in seeking full membership of the MSG. In their role as Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Vanuatu has been steadfast in supporting ULMWP full membership. At this crucial hour, we need all Melanesian leaders to show the same commitment, and help bring West Papua home to its Melanesian family. Indonesia must respect Vanuatu and other Melanesian nations by allowing the fulfillment of this decades-long dream.

Resolving the West Papuan issue in the Melanesian way first requires admitting the ULMWP as a full member of the MSG. Only then can we represent ourselves as Melanesians, as Papuans, and as equals with Indonesia.

This is the first step along the path towards a peaceful solution.

Benny WendaInterim PresidentULMWP Provisional Government

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