Wednesday, August 9, 2023

1) Indonesian military: Working with Papuan community leaders for release of NZ hostage



2) Aid distribution to drought-hit Papua running smoothly: BNPB  
3) Six residents in drought-hit Papua died of hunger: minister 
4) 967 arrested in 2022-23 for exercising their right to freedom of speech: Kontras


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https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/papua-nz-pilot-7-months-hostage-08092023093358.html

1) Indonesian military: Working with Papuan community leaders for release of NZ hostage

Pizaro Gozali Idrus and Dandy Koswaraputra
 2023.08.09 Jakarta

As a New Zealander’s kidnapping by Papuan separatists enters its seventh month – the longest the rebels have held anyone captive – Indonesia’s military said on Wednesday it still was prioritizing working with community leaders to free the hostage taken in February. 

The longer that pilot Philip Mehrtens remains in captivity, the more his life is at risk, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said in Auckland on Wednesday as he urged the rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region to free the 37-year-old father-of-one.

The Indonesian armed forces (TNI) stands ready to carry out military operations if necessary, spokesman Rear Admiral Julius Widjojono told BenarNews on Wednesday, although earlier he had said that would be a last resort to minimize civilian casualties.

“The TNI has decided to prioritize coordination with community and religious leaders as an effort to free the pilot,” Julius told BenarNews.

“Don’t doubt the TNI’s performance, they have risked their lives in totality trying to free the hostage.”

Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri, the chief of police in Papua, told BenarNews they were facilitating measures for community leaders to approach rebel commander Egianus Kogoya.

The Liberation Army has been seeking independence from Indonesia since 1963, when Papua, a former Dutch colony, was annexed by Jakarta. The Free Papua Movement has waged a low-level guerrilla war against Indonesian rule ever since.

Mehrtens, a pilot for domestic airline Susi Air, was taken hostage on Feb. 7 after rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) burned his plane on the tarmac at the Paro district airport in Nduga, a regency in the Highland Papua province.

Back then, Egianus, the local commander of the Liberation Army, said in a statement that they would not release the pilot unless Indonesia freed Papua from “colonization.”



On April 24, when there was last news about the hostage, a Liberation Army spokesman said Mehrtens was safe and unharmed.

On Wednesday, BenarNews contacted a Liberation Army spokesman, Sebby Sambom, for comment and to find out about Mehrtens current status.

“I’m in a public area so I can’t respond yet,” Sambom told BenarNews.

In a similar incident in 2021, Papuan rebels held hostage another Susi Air pilot from New Zealand, and his passengers, but later released them unharmed. And in 1996, rebels kidnapped a group of 26 Indonesian and foreign nationals and held them captive for 130 days. 

Since Mehrtens was kidnapped, the Indonesian military has made efforts to search for him but has been unsuccessful.

Four Indonesian soldiers were killed in April when rebels ambushed security forces who were conducting an operation to rescue the pilot, the military had said. 

At the time, a separatist spokesman warned that the rebels controlled the territory and that the TNI would not succeed. They also demanded that Indonesian security forces be withdrawn from Papua and that the international community be involved in peace talks with them.


In Auckland on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hipkins said the six-month milestone this week of Mehrtens’ kidnapping would be a difficult time for the pilot’s family, Radio New Zealand reported.

“I want to urge once again those who are holding Phillip to release him immediately. There is absolutely no justification for taking hostages,” RNZ quoted Hipkins as saying.

“The longer Phillip is held the more risk there is to his well being and the harder this becomes for him and for his family.”

When contacted in Jakarta, a spokesman for Indonesia’s foreign ministry also said that they were in constant touch with New Zealand’s government.

“Until now, communication between the government [of Indonesia] and New Zealand continues,” Teuku Faizasyah told BenarNews.

Violence and tensions in Papua, a region that makes up the western half of New Guinea island, have intensified in recent years.

The region has a history of human rights violations by Indonesian security forces and police. Papuan separatist rebels also have been accused of attacking civilians.

In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua, a former Dutch colony like Indonesia, and annexed it. In 1969, the United Nations sponsored a referendum where only about 1,000 people voted.

Despite accusations that the vote was a farce, the U.N. recognized the outcome, effectively endorsing Indonesia’s control over Papua.


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2) Aid distribution to drought-hit Papua running smoothly: BNPB  
4 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto has assured that aid distribution to remote areas in Puncak regency of Central Papua, where thousands are facing hunger caused by drought-induced crop failure, is running smoothly.

"It is safe. We have so far sent 8 thousand tons of logistics to Agandugume airport," he informed in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Agandugume Airport is the nearest to the three sub-districts in Puncak regency that are experiencing famine: Agandugume, Lambewi, and Oneri.

Six people have died in Puncak district since June due to hunger caused by drought and extreme cold weather, which has affected food production.

Suharyanto said no significant obstacles were faced in the aid distribution process, even though he received a report from the pilot, who had earlier delivered supplies, about shots being fired.

He said that the essential needs aid is currently being stored at Sinak Airport. The distance from Sinak Airport to Agandugume Airport takes two days and one night to complete on foot.

The government is also planning to build a security post in Agandugume district to ensure the aid distribution runs smoothly.

"We will begin (to construct a security post) starting in early September," he said.

Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said that the government has prepared a scheme as an effort to anticipate famine in three sub-districts in Puncak District.

The scheme includes constructing a food storage facility in Agandugume and a road from Sinak to Agandugume.

Related news: Six residents in drought-hit Papua died of hunger: minister
Related news: Transportation Ministry aids drought victims in Central Papua's Puncak


 

Reporter: Shofi Ayudiana
Editor: Azis Kurmala


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3) Six residents in drought-hit Papua died of hunger: minister 
 5 hours ago


Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said on Wednesday that six residents in Puncak District in Central Papua died of diarrhea caused by hunger, which had led them to consume spoiled tubers.

Residents in the sub-districts of Agandugume, Lambewi, and Oneri in Puncak District, Central Papua, are facing hunger brought on by a drought that has led to crop failures.

The drought and cold weather have caused the region's key crop yam to rot, forcing locals to eat spoiled tubers, Effendy informed.

The minister said he was angered by the statement that the six residents in Central Papua died of diarrhea. However, the reality on the ground was that they died of diarrhea because they had no other choice than to eat spoiled tubers.

Effendy said that the government is looking for a solution to identify the types of tubers that can survive extreme weather so that food availability in Puncak regency can be maintained in all conditions.

Indonesia is expecting a severe dry season due to the impact of the El Nino phenomenon this year, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said.

The agency predicted that the peak of the dry season in Indonesia will occur from August to September, with some regions facing extreme drought due to the El Nino weather pattern.

Puncak is located near the highest mountain in Indonesia, Puncak Jaya, one of the only places where snow falls in the country.

The drought has affected the lives of around four thousand families across Puncak regency. The government has distributed aid in stages to the three affected sub-districts.

The government is also planning to build a logistics warehouse in Agandugume Sub-district, Puncak District, Central Papua, to anticipate food shortages caused by drought. 

Related news: Transportation Ministry aids drought victims in Central Papua's Puncak
Related news: BNPB delivers aid to drought-hit Puncak in Central Papua

 

Reporter: Shofi Ayudiana, Asep Firmansyah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution


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4) 967 arrested in 2022-23 for exercising their right to freedom of speech: Kontras

CNN Indonesia – August 8, 2023

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has recorded that as many as 967 people have been arrested for articulating their views in the public domain.

Kontras said that this data was obtained between January 2022 and June 2023 and covered a total of 183 cases related to violations against freedom of opinion.

"The variety of incident that occurred resulted in 967 people being arrested", said Kontras Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya at the Kontras offices in Jakarta on Tuesday August 8.

Arya said that these incidents resulted in at least 272 people being injured and three people killed. They also said that the police were the principle actor in incidents related to violations against the right to freedom of expression.

"Meanwhile these incidents resulted in at least 272 people being injured and three others being killed", he said.

"According to our records, the police were the dominant perpetrator and were involved in 128 incidents, followed by other government agencies with 27 incidents and the private sector (companies, employers) with 24 incidents", he said.

Kontras also highlighted several specific cases of violations against the right to freedom of expression. Such as the criminalisation of farmers from the Karawang Farmers Trade Union (SEPETAK) in West Java, allegedly committed by the Karawang district police, because they articulated their right to land.

Then there is the criminalisation of the founder of the Lokataru Human Rights Foundation Haris Azhar and former Kontras coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti in the "Lord Luhut" case, which is currently being heard in the East Jakarta District Court. Kontras says they were criminalised for alleged defamation against Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Kontras also highlighted the criminalisation of three farmers from Pakel in Banyuwangi, East Java, who were arrested and charged for crimes subject to 10 years imprisonment for annexing corporate land.

Then there was the criminalisation of workers from the company PT Gunbuster Nickel Industries (GNI), which is currently being heard in the Poso District Court in Central Sulawesi. The workers were arrested during a strike action last February.

The group also highlighted the police reports submitted by volunteer groups supporting President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo against academic Rocky Gerung after he criticised Widodo over the new capital city (IKN) being built in East Kalimantan.

Kontras said that this situation will continue in concert with the quality of Indonesian democracy, which is tending to stagnate. Kontras is asking President Widodo to ensure that people's right to freedom of opinion is guaranteed.

They are also asking the Indonesian police to stop repressive actions against demonstrations related to public expression. In addition to this, they are also urging the House of Representatives (DPR) to carry out supervision of government regulations that restrict public criticism.

"That the president of the Republic of Indonesia ensure that officials under his control stop all forms of efforts to silence critics through violence, criminalisation, and guarantee citizen's civil freedoms", he said in conclusion. (pan/isn)

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "KontraS: 967 Orang Ditangkap Akibat Menyuarakan Pendapat".]

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20230808140130-12-983410/kontras-967-orang-ditangkap-akibat-menyuarakan-pendapat


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