Thursday, February 29, 2024

1) Hadi Tjahjanto meets Nduga leaders to discuss New Zealand pilot release


2) Hearing in Dutch Parliament calls for UN visit to West Papua | ULMWP
3) Noken’s world heritage status at risk, Indonesia urged for timely reporting to UNESCO   
4) Missing election officer in Mimika found alive 
5) Deal done after 14 years: Papua New Guinea & Indonesia finalise defence pact
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1) Hadi Tjahjanto meets Nduga leaders to discuss New Zealand pilot release 

 Jakarta is preparing a religious-based approach to release Philip Mark Mehrtens who has been held hostage for more than a year by a rebel group in Nduga, Papua Highlands. 

  News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 29, 2024 

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Hadi Tjahjanto has met with three prominent figures from Nduga regency, Papua Highlands, to discuss the release of the New Zealand hostage and Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens. 

Hadi said the three figures expressed their willingness to aid the government in releasing Mehrtens through a religious approach. "I spoke with three figures from Nduga, and they are eager to assist, particularly through a church-based approach that could expedite Philip Mehrtens' immediate release," he said on Wednesday, refusing to elaborate further on the approach. 

"Hopefully, they can take further actions on the field, coordinating with — I don’t like to call them ‘hostage takers’ — the local residents." On the same occasion, Abdul Mu'ti, secretary-general of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the country, agreed that Mehrtens' release should move beyond militaristic endeavors. 

He advocated for the involvement of various stakeholders, including religious leaders.

"We agree with the suggestion, and [we agree with] all peaceful approaches,” he said. According to Mu'ti, a peace-oriented approach to Mehrtens' release would resonate more with the Papuan community.


Separately, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto has established the Habema Operations Command to streamline the operational strategies of the TNI and National Police in managing conflicts in various areas of Papua. The integration of operational patterns between both forces is expected to optimize conflict management efforts in the region.
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2) Hearing in Dutch Parliament calls for UN visit to West Papua | ULMWP
 Free West Papua Campaign Nederland 

A Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the urgency of a UN visit to West Papua was held in the Dutch Parliament yesterday (28th February). Held in the Parliament of West Papua’s former coloniser, the hearing is the third in a series of ULMWP and IPWP meetings demanding that Indonesia facilitate a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights fact-finding mission immediately. International pressure is mounting on Indonesia to grant the UN access to West Papua. The Brussels Declaration, a new statement calling for a visit and accusing Indonesia of deliberately blocking international oversight, has now been signed by over 55 Parliamentarians from around the world. Over 100 countries have demanded a UN visit, including all member states of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), the European Commission, and individual nations including the UK, Spain, and the Netherlands. At the 2023 annual meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), Melanesian leaders demanded that a UN visit take place before the next MSG meeting, scheduled for April 2024. The meeting was addressed by ULMWP President Benny Wenda, ULMWP Prime Minister Edison Waromi (through video link), Honorary Consul of the Vanuatu Embassy Elisabeth van Vliet, ex-MEP and current-MEP candidate Pernando Barrena, and head of the ULMWP EU Mission Oridek Ap. Demonstrations took place across various West Papuan regions in support of the meeting. - UK Parliament meeting in London, October 2023 - EU Parliament meeting in Brussels, January 2024, launching the Brussels Declaration. Any Parliamentarians or diplomats who wish to sign the declaration should contact office@ipwp.org.


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3) Noken’s world heritage status at risk, Indonesia urged for timely reporting to UNESCO   
News Desk - World Heritage 29 February 2024

Sentani, Jubi – The traditional Papuan woven bag noken was officially recognized as a world heritage item on December 4, 2012, by UNESCO. The Indonesian government, along with various cultural observers and stakeholders in the creative economy sector is required to periodically report every four years to UNESCO on all programs, preservation efforts, and developments concerning Noken.

Marshal Suebu, a cultural activist in Papua, emphasized that if periodic reports on Noken are not submitted, UNESCO may revoke its status as a world heritage item. Therefore, Marshall stated that as a member of the Central Government team responsible for Periodic Reporting on Noken to UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, Research, and Technology, the Cultural Preservation Center of Papua Region XXII, the Papua Noken Community (KONOPA), and Reymai Art Studio among others had held an online meeting on February 19 in Jayapura.

“The Indonesian government must submit a periodic report every four years regarding the work programs, preservation, and development of noken to UNESCO, with the next deadline being December 15, 2024,” said Marshall in Sentani on Monday (2/26/2024).

Marshall mentioned that these four-year reports have been conducted since 2012, 2016, 2020, and now in 2024. The main priorities of these reports include five essential aspects namely cultivation and breeding of raw material plants for noken making, socialization of the significant and noble values of noken through activities like weaving noken, socialization for scouts, and noken’s inclusion in schools (Nomase).

“We develop katanopi forests, which provide raw material plants for making Noken, even though their distribution and quantity are still limited,” he said.

He hoped that all parties could fully participate in the preservation, nurturing, and extensive development of Noken Papua in all fields. As well as maintaining the availability of its raw materials, fostering creative economic development among communities, and improving their livelihoods by weaving noken as a valuable economic product.

“There must be a serious commitment regarding efforts to protect and preserve noken as a world cultural heritage. This involves the central government, local governments, customary councils, Indigenous Community institutions, and the entire community,” said Suebu. (*)




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4) Missing election officer in Mimika found alive 
 February 29, 2024 16:25 GMT+700

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Central Papua's Mimika District Police confirmed that the election monitoring officer reportedly missing since February 11, 2024, was found alive in Mimika forest on Wednesday (February 28).

Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner I Gede Putra stated that the missing officer was identified as Daud Kudiai, who was reportedly last seen abruptly leaving a pre-election meeting with local officials and walking towards a jungle on February 11.

"The missing person was found 500 metres from the spot where witnesses reported seeing him for the last time," Putra noted in a written statement received here on Thursday.

He explained that the joint search team dispatched to locate Kudiai comprised military and police officers, Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) officers, and SAR officers.

Putra stated that the missing person was found wandering the forest without clothes. Lacerations were visible on some parts of his body, he added.

After being found, the search team immediately brought the victim to the Potowai Buru Public Health Centre for health checks, he remarked.

Related news: Bawaslu involves local officials to trace missing officer in Mimika

The police chief said that the victim was found in a frail health condition with anaemia, hyperthermia with a body temperature reaching 39 degrees Celsius, blood pressure of 127/89 mmHg, and heart rate of 139 beats per minute.

"The victim will be brought to Timika for further health checks," Putra stated.

On Tuesday (February 27), General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) chief Rahmat Bagja stated that the election recapitulation process is still underway in Mimika District, while the search operation for the missing officer is ongoing.

Commissioner Herwyn J. H. Malonda also remarked that the district's Bawaslu office had coordinated with local officials to search for the missing officer.

The family of the missing official had joined the search team on February 18-22, 2024. However, the search at that time had yielded no result, he stated.

Translator: Evarukdijati, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga


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5) Deal done after 14 years: Papua New Guinea & Indonesia finalise defence pact
FP Staff • February 29, 2024, 17:35:06 IST

Papua New Guinea and Indonesia first inked the defence cooperation deal in 2010 when they agreed to share military intelligence, give logistical support and coordinate security operations

After nearly 14 years of signing the defence cooperation deal, Papua New Guinea has finally ratified a defence pact with Indonesia, the government said in a statement.

In 2010, both nations inked the defence cooperation deal when they agreed to share military intelligence, give logistical support and coordinate security operations.

Though Indonesia ratified the document years ago, Papua New Guinea’s parliament only did so on February 14 this year, with the government formally bringing it into force a week later.


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