Jayapura, Jubi – Frits Ramandey, the Head of the Papua Office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM Papua), emphasized that mining activities in the Wabu Block in Intan Jaya should obtain permission from the indigenous landowners.
On January 18, 2024, members of the Solidarity of Students and People of Papua conducted a peaceful protest rejecting the Wabu Block, which is set to operate in Intan Jaya. They believe that mining in a former area of PT Freeport Indonesia‘s mining in Intan Jaya Regency will adversely affect the indigenous people there.
“Obtaining consent from the landowners are crucial to avoiding potential conflicts and to provide space for the participation of indigenous communities in the Wabu Block,” Ramandey said on Thursday (25/1/2024).
He expressed concern that unilateral recommendations issued by the government would only escalate conflicts in Intan Jaya.
“The management of the Wabu Block should not only receive recommendations from the government but also from the indigenous landowners. The Wabu Block serves as a trigger for conflicts. The people of Intan Jaya have learned from Freeport as well as traumatized,” he said.
Acting Regent of Intan Jaya Apolos Bagau, on Thursday, mentioned that he would convey the aspirations of the Solidarity of Students and People of Papua rejecting the Wabu Block to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
“We will convey them to the central government, especially to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The results will be communicated to the public,” he stated.
Bagau clarified that the news about the Acting Governor of Central Papua issuing a mining permit for the Wabu Block is false and spread by irresponsible parties. He also emphasized that the Intan Jaya Regency Administration has never issued a mining permit for the Wabu Block. (*)
Vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka made his debut visit to Papua as he campaigned in Jayapura on Friday, declaring his commitment to continue development in the region if elected. “This is the first time I’ve visited Papua and the welcome has been incredible and warm. I wish you all good fortune,” he said when meeting local leaders at Kampung Sereh, as quoted by Antara News.
Gibran added that if he and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto win their election bid, the pair will shift away from a Java-centric development and pay more attention to other regions, especially Papua.
"In addition to continuously improving connectivity through roads in Papua, we will also draft a bill for customary law communities to protect customary land and forests," he said.
According to Eluay, the indigenous people of Papua have yet to receive the justice they seek. Therefore, they hoped for fairness to be extended to the Papuan people, who coexist openly with their fellow citizens from outside Papua.
Police Adjunct Chief Commissioner Fredrickus W. Maclarimboen, chief of the Jayapura Resort Police, said that local police officers have been working hand in hand with people to ensure that Jayapura district remains safe and ready for the upcoming elections.
He said that the security situation in a disruption-prone zone in Bumi Besum village has improved, enabling locals to participate in the upcoming elections.
On January 1, there was a clash between villagers, which resulted in several houses burning down in Bumi Besum.
"However, we can confirm that the situation in the village has gradually improved. The village is safe," he said.
He added that the security apparatus also managed to ease rising tensions between the people of two villages in Demta sub-district and make the situation conducive again.
"Traditional figures and people in that region had agreed to make peace and help police and military officers create a safe and peaceful condition. We hope that this situation will sustain itself so the elections can be held here," he said.
He also highlighted that the district is home to several regions, such as Airu, Ravenirara, Yokari, Kaureh, and Yapsi, whose terrains can make the distribution of election logistics challenging.
Officials will need to cross rivers and other types of difficult terrain to distribute election logistics to the regions, Maclarimboen said.
"We will pay close attention to this matter in order to ensure the smooth running of the distribution of logistics for the election to polling stations in such regions," he said.
Related news: Election logistics delivery to Tambrauw remote areas priority: KPU
Related news: Papua Police ready to help KPU in distributing election logistics
Translator: Yudhi E, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
The decision was made after KPU officers met with representatives of local communities to discuss matters related to the upcoming elections, Andarias Kambu from the KPU-Southwest Papua Office said here on Monday.
The participants of the meeting agreed to relocate the polling stations to Yayapa because the five sub-districts in Maybrat are vulnerable to security disturbances caused by armed Papuan groups operating in the district, he explained.
"Therefore, the voting and vote counting will take place in Yayapa," he informed, adding that local police officers, assisted by their counterparts from the military, will secure the polling stations.
Through the measure, voting on election day, scheduled on February 14, 2024, is expected to run peacefully and voter participation is likely to remain high, he said.
As per the KPU-Southwest Papua Office's records, on election day, 440,826 registered voters will visit polling stations set up in the districts of Sorong, Sorong Selatan, Maybrat, Tambrauw, and Raja Ampat, as well as Sorong city.
According to the KPU, there are 2,156 polling stations across the province.
ANTARA has earlier reported that over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to stoke fear among the people.
The targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and even civilian aircraft.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan separatists brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya who were engaged in the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi sub-district, Nduga district.
On March 2, 2022, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga sub-district, Puncak district, killed eight Palaparing Timur Telematika (PTT) workers, who were repairing a base transceiver station (BTS) tower belonging to state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.
On February 7, 2023, New Zealander pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens was taken hostage by the Egianus Kogoya-led armed group. He was piloting an aircraft belonging to Indonesian airline Susi Air when he was captured by the armed group. The members of the group set his aircraft on fire shortly after it landed in Nduga district.
On October 16, 2023, Papuan separatists attacked several traditional gold miners in Yahukimo district, Papua Pegunungan province, killing seven of them.
On November 25, 2023, four soldiers were killed in a gunfight with Papuan rebels in Paro sub-district, Nduga district, Papua province.
Then, on January 19, 2024, a gunfight broke out between Indonesian security personnel and members of an armed separatist group operating in Intan Jaya district, Central Papua.
A Brimob ranger named Alfando Steve Karamoy sustained gunshot wounds in the gunfight. He succumbed to his injuries at Intan Jaya Public Hospital.
Karamoy was a National Police elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) ranger assigned to the Operation Peace Cartenz Task Force in Central Papua province.
Related news: Papua Police ready to help KPU in distributing election logistics
Related news: Election organizers must map vulnerable areas in C Papua: governor
Related news: Almost 400 cops secure election logistics distribution in West Papua
Translator: Yuvensius LB, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Current Presbyterian Church Elder Freddy Waromi of Paton Memorial Church (PMC) in Port Vila is from Ambae Island in West Papua.
He is also an active Deputy Commander in Chief of the National Liberation Army of West Papua, which continues to remain a headache for the Indonesian soldiers who have been following the evasive Melanesian hit and run soldiers for over 60 years.
Representing his country in Vanuatu, his current position in the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) is as Head of Foreign Mission and is in charge of the ULMWP in Port Vila.
While admiring the calm blue waters of the Seafront of Port Vila Harbour over his cup of Lipton tea, the 70+-year-old whom I refer to as “my wantok” since I come from Ambae Island in PENAMA Province, this time I asked him to comment on a rumour about a “Freedom Tree” he was supposed to have planted outside the Avunatari Church House on Malo Island to mark the Assembly hosted by the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) last year.
Waromi confirmed he was asked to plant the tree seedling and our story became interesting, I switched on my digital recorder and the following is the rest of the story.
“I was privileged to have become one of the delegates of more than 700 from throughout the country as well as delegates from partner churches and especially invited guests from within Vanuatu,” he shared.
“The Assembly was launched on June 18{sup}th{/sup}, 2023 and the Assembly Business proceeded the next day.
“I was part of the introduction programme after the Clerk of PCV, Pastor Colin Keleb asked me to briefly introduce the Melanesian Struggle on West Papua for the delegates to hear.
“I introduced myself as an indigenous West Papuan who was born and raised on Ambae Island on the coast of West Papua. I thanked God for His goodness to guide me through the challenges of life all the way across the Pacific Ocean to arrive in Vanuatu, which also has another island also called Ambae.
“I thanked the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Pastor Simon Bani and Pastor Colin Keleb the Chairman of the Vanuatu Christian Council, as well as the two first born sons of Malo Island who are the Head of State, President Nikenike Vurobaravu and Member of Parliament (MP) Wesley Rasu.
“Immediately after my address, President Vurobaravu who was following the programme on television, called the organisers to convey his gratitude to me for recognising him as an indigenous son of Malo in my remarks. I felt very honoured to receive his words of gratitude.
“I also touched on the roadmap that ULMWP has endorsed for us to follow to achieve our eventual Freedom. I explained that on the road map we are to lobby the Melanesian Spearhead Group of countries to accept ULMWP which represents approximately 3, 000, 000 people to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
“Under this roadmap we are trying to convince MSG to accept our application to become a full member, as well as the members 18 member countries of Pacific Island Forum (PIF) to also accept us to become a full member of PIF.
“Next we are also trying convince those countries which endorsed the Nauru Resolution of 2019, which demanded the United Nations (UN) to send a UN Fact Finding Mission Commissioner to West Papua, to gather firsthand information or reports of human rights atrocities including rapes and killings of Melanesians on the ground.
“And finally ULMWP challenges the UN General Assembly to recognise the Independence Struggle of West Papua.
“In my appeal, I requested the Moderator to allow my humble request for the Assembly to allow a specific Prayer for the Independence Struggle of the people of West Papua.
“The Moderator accepted my request. After lunch I was asked to plant a seedling of a tree outside the Avunatari Presbyterian Church. The Council of Chief of Malo named the tree ‘Freedom Tree of West Papua’ and asked me to plant it.
“At 8 o’clock that night, they asked me to tell them the full story about the struggle for freedom of West Papua which started in 1960.
“I also explained the meaning of the West Papua Flag.
• The star on the flag represents God who is worshipped by all Christian people as the only Sovereign God of West Papua.
• The seven stripes on the flag are the seven different Regions throughout West Papua.
• The white colour represents the peaceful, generous people of West Papua.
• The red colour represents blood and tears which have been flowing from the eyes of the people of West Papua since raising the West Papua Flag for the first time on December 1st of 1960.
“As part of the evening programme, I presented a West Papua flag to the Moderator Pastor Simon Wani and another to the Paramount Chief of Malo Island.”
In the latest development, the Head of Foreign Mission has confirmed that the ULMWP President, Mr. Benny Wenda, who was elected by over 5,000 delegates in Jayapura ULMWP Congress last November, will be present at the European Commission to observe the current request for a UN Human Rights Commissioner to visit West Papua.
In conclusion, he said Mr. Wenda will be paying a courtesy call to Port Vila next month in his present capacity as the newly elected President of ULMWP.
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