Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
AWPA -West Papua Update No 5 (10 August 2024)
There was no improvement in the human rights situation in the territory. Clashes continued between the TPNPB and the Indonesian security forces. The latest is the tragic death of New Zealand helicopter pilot Glen Malcolm Conning who was killed shortly after landing in the Alama district in Mimika regency. The security forces have tried to blame the TPNPB for the killing but the TPNPB have denied it and said the military were responsible. Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the incident.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/pacific/id-nz-pilot-murder-papua-08082024013820.html
A snapshot of events and by no means exhaustive.
Papuan human rights defender faces intimidation after delivering statement at the UN
Human Rights Monitor 26 July 2024
Mrs Lamberti Faan, a Papuan human rights defender and internally displaced woman from the Maybrat Regency, Papua Barat Daya Province, and her relatives have been subjected to a series of intimidations following her testimony at the 56th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The statement brought attention to the condition of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Maybrat Regency. Since delivering her statement, Mrs Faan and her family have experienced harassment and threats, creating a climate of fear and insecurity. This intimidation includes constant surveillance, direct threats, and attempts to gather personal information, affecting not only Mrs Faan but also her relatives in Sorong and Maybrat.
The intimidation began on 25 June 2024, when the Maybrat Police Chief contacted Mrs Faan’s brother, asking about her whereabouts. The following day, Mrs Faan’s sister received a similar call from the Maybrat military chief (Dandim), inquiring about Mrs Faan’s location. On 27 June 2024, an individual suspected to be an intelligence officer contacted Mrs Faan’s sister, seeking personal information about her, including her full name, nickname, religion, occupation, and residence. This surveillance pattern continued as, on 1 July 2024, Mrs Lamberti Faan noticed a familiar police officer from Maybrat on her flight, indicating she was being closely monitored.
The threats escalated in early July 2024, after Maybrat government officials took notice of the statement at the UNHRC. On 3 July 2024, Mrs Faan was advised by a friend to move away from Maybrat to a safe place for a month. Meanwhile, Mrs Faan’s relatives in Sorong and Maybrat reported visits from unknown individuals and ministry officials, attempting to gather information about her family under the pretext of offering housing and scholarships. On 5 July 2024, an intelligence officer contacted Mrs Faan’s sister again, asking detailed questions about her and her family. This was followed by an unknown man visiting Mrs Faan’s house in Sorong on 7 July 2024, under the guise of searching for vegetables.
The harassment reached a peak with multiple incidents in mid-July. On 13 July 2024, Mrs Faan’s sister received another call from an intelligence officer asking to meet and inquire about her children. On 15 July 2024, a close relative reported being approached by two men at a restaurant in the town of Kumurkek, who showed a video of Mrs Lamberti Faan’s UN statement while asking questions about her. On 16 July 2024, drones were spotted flying around Mrs Faan’s house in Sorong. on 17 July 2024, a vendor parked his vehicle suspiciously outside her house for an extended period, adding to the family’s distress.
In response to these events, Mrs Lamberti Faan and her children have relocated to a different town for safety. Despite the ongoing threats, she remains committed to her advocacy work and calls for the protection of human rights defenders. Mrs Faan urged international bodies and local authorities to investigate the acts of intimidation and ensure the safety of her and her family. The continuous harassment underscores the urgent need for greater protection for those speaking out against human rights abuses in West Papua.
Mrs Lamberti Faan, speaking during the 56th regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Video. https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/papuan-human-rights-defender-faces-intimidation-after-delivering-statement-at-the-un/
INDONESIA: SHOOTING OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER SHOWS INCREASING THREATS IN PAPUA
Amnesty International 19 July 2024
Responding to the shooting of Yan Christian Warinussy, a senior lawyer and human rights defender in the province of West Papua, Amnesty International Indonesia’s executive director Usman Hamid said:
“This heinous act is not only a violation of Yan Christian Warinussy’s right to bodily integrity but also an alarming attack on the principles of justice and human rights in Papua. “Yan Christian Warinussy has long been a steadfast defender of human rights in Papua, tirelessly working to ensure justice and equality for all. His advocacy has been instrumental in bringing to light numerous human rights violations and in providing legal assistance to those most vulnerable.
“This attack is a reprehensible attempt to silence a courageous voice and to instil fear in those who fight for justice. “We call on the authorities to promptly conduct an effective, thorough, and impartial investigation into this attack and to bring the perpetrators to justice in fair trials. “The government must take immediate and decisive action to protect human rights defenders and to ensure that perpetrators who have committed such acts of violence are brought to justice.”
Background
Yan Christian Warinussy, a senior lawyer and human rights activist in Papua, was shot by an unidentified person in Manokwari, West Papua province on Wednesday 17 July.
According to his driver, cited by some local media, the shooting occurred after Warinussy had just withdrawn money from an ATM kiosk on the roadside. Previously he attended a corruption trial involving some local state auditors at the Manokwari anti-corruption court.
He survived and was taken to hospital to get medical treatment. The doctor managed to remove an air rifle bullet projectile from his chest. Local police said they were investigating and attempting to find the suspected shooter.
Warinussy is known as a lawyer and human rights defender in Papua because of his dedication to advocating for the rights of the Papuan people. He leads the Research Institute for Legal Aid Assessment and Development (LP3BH) in Manokwari.
He has received various national and international awards for his human rights work, including the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 2005. This award recognized his efforts in exposing gross human rights violations in West Papua and defending the rights of the marginalized, despite facing repeated intimidation and threats.
Protest erupts after Indonesian military kills 3 suspected independence fighters in Papua Locals say the killed men were civilians, not West Papua National Liberation Army members.
Benar News Victor Mambor 2024.07.17 Jayapura, Indonesia
Dozens of Papuans protest in front of the Puncak Jaya police station in Central Papua province, Indonesia following the shooting deaths of three men by security forces, July 17, 2024.
Dozens of protesters took to the streets in Indonesia’s Papua region on Wednesday, a day after the military killed three people it claimed were armed pro-independence fighters. The military said its forces killed the three men on Tuesday in the Mulia district of Puncak Jaya regency. It identified them as members of the Free Papua Movement, which seeks Papuan independence from Indonesia, and said they were armed and had resisted capture. An insurgent group spokesman denied the men were members.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Candra Kurniawan said one of the men, Teranus Enumbi, had been hunted by Indonesian security forces since 2018 for “cruel and sadistic attacks,” including shootings and killings of civilians and security personnel.
“The Indonesian military and police will continue to maintain stability in the region by protecting and serving the community,” Kurniawan said. “Law will be enforced.”
Sebby Sambom, a spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army – the armed wing of the independence movement – said the information provided by the military was false and that the deceased were not members of the liberation army.
“The shooting of civilians is a violation of human rights,” Sambom told BenarNews.
Papuans protested at the hospital where the bodies of the victims were taken and the Puncak Jaya police station in Central Papua province, demanding an explanation for why the three were killed. “We don’t accept the military’s response to the community’s demands regarding the shooting of three civilians, allegedly by members of the [infantry battalion] Raider 753 Task Force,” said one resident who declined to be named for security concerns. Representatives of victims’ families have called for a transparent investigation into the shooting and for those responsible to be held accountable.
Papua police spokesman Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo declined to comment.
Insurgency
An insurgency has simmered in Papua since the early 1960s when Indonesian forces invaded the region, which had remained under a separate Dutch administration following Indonesia’s 1945 declaration of independence from the Netherlands.
Indonesia argues its incorporation of the mineral rich territory was rightful under international law, because it was part of the Dutch East Indies empire that is the basis for Indonesia’s modern borders.
Papuans, culturally and ethnically distinct from the rest of Indonesia, say they were denied the right to decide their own future and are marginalized in their own land. Indonesian control was formalized in 1969 under a United Nations-supervised referendum where a little more than 1,000 Papuans were allowed to vote.
Lawyer shot
In a separate development on Wednesday, a lawyer and human rights activist said he was being treated in a hospital after he was shot by an unknown assailant in Manokwari, a town in West Papua province. “Thank God, I’m all right. I’m undergoing an observation in the hospital,” Yan Christian Warinussy, a lawyer and spokesman for the Papua Peace Network, told BenarNews in a text message. Frits Ramandey, the head of the Papua branch of the National Commission on Human Rights, said Yan suffered a chest wound in the incident, which occurred as he was leaving a bank.
“He is in good condition,” Ramandey told BenarNews.
Amnesty International condemned the attack.
“The shooting was an act of terror against Yan personally and his lifelong work,” it said in a statement sent to BenarNews. “Amnesty urges the authorities to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice to be held accountable.” West Papua police chief Inspector Gen. Johnny Edison Isir said officers were investigating the shooting, local media reported.
Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to this report.
https://www.indoleft.org/news/2024-07-21/church-student-leaders-condemn-shooting-of-papuan-civilians-in-puncak-jaya.html
Church, student leaders condemn shooting of Papuan civilians in Puncak Jaya
Jubi Papua – July 21, 2024
Pes Yanengga, Jayapura – Leaders of the Papuan Baptist Church and the Tolikara Student Association have slammed a statement by the Cenderawasih XVII regional military commander (Pangdam) on the fatal shooting of three civilians by the 753 AVT Infantry Battalion Task Force in Pepera Village, Mulia district, Puncak Jaya regency on Tuesday July 16. Papua Baptist Church leader and lecturer at the Papua Baptist College of Theology, Reverand Stevanus Yan Wenda, stated that the 753 AVT Battalion must be immediately held to account for the shooting. He also demanded that the Cenderawasih XVII commander immediately clarify a statement carried by several media outlets and that he prosecute the perpetrators of the shooting in court. "We, from the church, need to convey that the brutal actions carried out by by rogue TNI[Indonesian military] members must be accounted for. The statement by the Cenderawasih XVII Pangdam carried by various media must be clarified immediately", said Wenda in Jayapura city, Papua, on Saturday July 20. Wenda explained that the three victims of the shooting were Morib, the head of the Porbalo Village in Dokome district, Dominus Enumbi, a resident of Karubate Village in Mulia, and Tonda Wanimbo, a resident of Temu Village in Ilamburawi district, Puncak Jaya. "As a Baptist church figure, I deeply regret the TNI's actions. The TNI should protect the community, not shoot the village head who is carrying out his state duties", he said.
Tolikara Student Association Chairperson Misoi Wanimbo meanwhile also condemned the statement by the Cenderawasih XVII commander Lieutenant Colonel Candra Kurniawan who said that the victims were members of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM).
According to Wanimbo, the three victims were civilians, and Kurniawan's statement is a public deceit. "The three people who were victims were civilians, not from an OPM group. We ask the TNI commander and Cenderawasih XVII commander to immediately take firm action against their members who carried out this shooting", said Wanimbo. Wanimbo also demanded that the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) immediately form an investigation team to investigate the facts on the ground and assist local media. He asserted that the state must stop sending non-organic troops to Papua and withdraw all existing troops. "The President of the Republic of Indonesia and the Papuan Regional Police must immediately order the TNI commander to pursue legal proceedings against the TNI perpetrators of the shooting of these three civilians", he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Tokoh Gereja Dan Pimpinan Mahasiswa Tolikara Kecam Pernyataan Pangdam XVII Cenderawasih".]
Fiji, PNG fail to secure UN human rights mission to Indonesia’s Papuan provinces
UN remains very concerned over increasing recent reports of violent incidents and civilian casualties involving security forces and pro-independence groups.
Stefan Armbruster, Harlyne Joku and Tria Dianti 2024.07.23 Brisbane/Port Moresby/Jakarta
Papuan activists display banners at a rally in the Indonesian capital Jakarta marking the 61st anniversary of failed efforts by tribal chiefs to declare independence from Dutch colonial rule, on Dec. 1, 2022. Tatan Syuflana/AP
No progress has been made in sending a U.N. human rights mission to Indonesia’s Papuan provinces despite the appointment of Fiji and Papua New Guinea’s prime ministers to negotiate the visit.
Pacific Island leaders have for more than a decade requested the U.N.’s involvement over reported abuses as the Indonesian military battles with the West Papua independence movement.
The latest U.N. Human Rights Committee report on Indonesia in March was highly critical and raised concerns about extrajudicial killing, excessive use of force and enforced disappearances involving indigenous Papuans. Fiji’s Sitiveni Rabuka and Papua New Guinea’s James Marape were appointed by the Melanesian Spearhead Group last year as special envoys to push for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights’ visit directly with Indonesia’s president but so far to no avail. “We have not been able to negotiate terms for an OHCHR visit to Papua,” Commissioner Volker Türk’s office in Geneva said in a statement to BenarNews.
“We remain very concerned about the situation in the region, with some reports indicating a significant increase in violent incidents and civilian casualties in 2023.
“We stress the importance of accountability for security forces and armed groups operating in Papua and the importance of addressing the underlying grievances and root causes of these conflicts.” Indonesia issued a formal invitation to the OHCHR in 2018 after Pacific leaders from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga and Marshall Islands for years repeatedly called out the human rights abuses at the U.N. General Assembly and other international fora.
The Pacific Islands Forum – the regional intergovernmental organization of 18 nations – has called on Indonesia since 2019 to allow the mission to go ahead.
“We continue establishing a constructive engagement with the U.N. on the progress of human rights improvement in Indonesia,” Siti Ruhaini, senior advisor to the Indonesian Office of the President told BenarNews, including in “cases of the gross violation of human rights in the past that earned the appreciation from U.N. Human Rights Council.”
Indonesia’s military offered a rare apology in March after video emerged of soldiers repeatedly slashing a Papuan man with a bayonet while he was forced to stand in a water-filled drum. The latest U.N. report highlights “systematic reports about the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or ill-treatment in places of detention, in particular on Indigenous Papuans” and limited access to information about investigations conducted, individuals prosecuted and sentences.
In recent months there have been several deadly clashes in the regionwith many thousands reportedly left displaced after fleeing the fighting.
In June Indonesia was accused of exploiting a visit to Papua by the MSG director general to portray the region as “stable and conducive”, undermining efforts to secure Türk’s visit. Siti told BenarNews the invitation to the U.N. “is still standing” while attempts are made to find the “best time (to) suit both sides.”
After years of delays the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) – whose members are Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia’s Kanak independence movement – appointed the two prime ministers last November to negotiate directly.
A state visit by Marape to Indonesia last week left confusion over what discussions there were over human rights in the Papuan provinces or if the U.N. visit was raised.
PNG’s prime minister said last Friday that, on behalf of the MSG and his Fijian counterpart, he spoke with incumbent Indonesian president Joko Widodo and president-elect Parbowo Subianto and they were “very much sensitive to the issues of West Papua.” “Basically we told him we’re concerned on human rights issues and (to) respect their culture, respect the people, respect their land rights,” Marape told a press conference on his return to Port Moresby in response to questions from BenarNews. He said Prabowo indicated he would continue Jokowi’s policies towards the Papuan provinces and had hinted at “a moratorium or there'll be an amnesty call out to those who still carry guns in West Papua.”
During Marape’s Indonesian visit, the neighbors acknowledged their respective sovereignty, celebrated the signing of several cross-border agreements and that the “relationship is standing in the right space.”
Siti from the Office of the President afterwards told BenarNews there were no discussions regarding the U.N. visit during the meeting between Marape and Jokowi and “human rights issues in Papua were not on the agenda.”
Further BenarNews enquiries with the President’s office about the conflicting accounts went unanswered.
Indonesia is an associate member of the MSG and the ULMWP has observer status. Neither have voting rights.“That is part of the mandate from the leaders, that is the moral obligation to raise whether it is publicly or face-to-face because there are Papuans dying under the eyes of the Pacific leaders over the past 60 years,” president of the pro-independence United Liberation Movement of West Papua, Benny Wenda, told BenarNews. “We are demanding full membership of the MSG so we can engage with Indonesia as equals and find solutions for peace.”
Decolonization in the Pacific has been placed very firmly back on the international agenda after protests in the French-territory of New Caledonia in May turned violent leaving 10 people dead.
Riots erupted after indigenous Kanaks accused France of trying to dilute their voting bloc in New Caledonia after a disputed independence referendum process ended in 2021 leaving them in French hands.
Meeting in Japan late last week, MSG leaders called for a new referendum and the PIF secured agreement from France for a fact-finding mission to New Caledonia.
While in Tokyo for the meeting, Rabuka was reported by Islands Business as saying he would also visit Indonesia’s president with Marape “to discuss further actions regarding the people of West Papua.” An insurgency has simmered in Papua since the early 1960s when Indonesian forces invaded the region, which had remained under separate Dutch administration after Indonesia’s 1945 declaration of independence.
Indonesia argues it incorporated the comparatively sparsely populated and mineral rich territory under international law, as it was part of the Dutch East Indies empire that forms the basis for its modern borders.
Indonesian control was formalized in 1969 with a U.N.-supervised referendum in which little more than 1,000 Papuans were allowed to vote. Papuans say they were denied the right to decide their own future and are now marginalized in their own land.
Indonesia in recent years has stepped up its efforts to neutralize Pacific support for the West Papuan independence movement, particularly among Melanesian nations that have ethnic and cultural links.
“Indonesia is increasingly engaging with the Pacific neighboring countries in a constructive way while respecting the sovereignty of each member,” Theofransus Litaay, senior advisor of the Executive Office of the President told BenarNews.
“Papua is always the priority and program for Indonesia in the attempt to strengthen its position as the Pacific ‘veranda’ of Indonesia.”
The Fiji and PNG leaders previously met Jokowi, whose second five-year term finishes in October, on the sidelines of a global summit in San Francisco in November.
The two are due to report back on their progress at the annual MSG meeting scheduled for next month. “If time permits, where we both can go back and see him on these issues, then we will go but I have many issues to attend to here,” Marape said in Port Moresby on Friday.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/pacific/un-papua-rights-visit-07232024030929.html
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MSG Director-General under fire for West Papua comments
ABC Pacific Broadcast Thu 25 Jul 2024
Audio
Play Duration: 4 minutes 55 seconds
There has been a backlash against the Director-General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Leonard Louma, after Indonesian media reports emerged of him saying the situation in West Papua was "stable and conducive" during a visit to the territory last month. The visit, which was unannounced, has been criticised for lack of transparency.
"Melanesian countries want to see how the MSG is dealing with the human rights issue in West Papua so they need to be transparent in any of the trips made to that place," said the President of the Vanuatu Free West Papua Association, Lai Sakita. "The population of West Papua are Melanesian ... and the entity called the MSG should be working for this population not for people who are outside."
Credits
Leah Lowonbu, Reporter Image Details Leonard Louma (Melanesian Spearhead Group
https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/msgwestpapua/104139636?utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&fbclid=IwY2xjawEQ5TtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdv4DuFiv2PjKKemLd6O4bpC-CxGV8lgWjzL0XKKZ6btHmU0OyWMQS1udA_aem_CeTIQzOJOx9yzCUJVEx5hA
AWPA Statement. MSG leaders call for a UN-MSG mission to New Caledonia, why not also West Papua?
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2024/07/awpa-statement-msg-leaders-call-for-un.html
Fiji, anchor of Indonesian diplomacy in the Pacific – a view from Jakarta
By Pacific Media Watch - July 14, 2024
Indonesia’s commitment to the Pacific continues to be strengthened. One of the strategies is through a commitment to resolving human rights cases in Papua, reports a Kompas correspondent who attended the Pacific International Media Conference in Suva earlier this month.
By Laraswati Ariadne Anwar in Suva
The Pacific Island countries are Indonesia’s neighbours. However, so far they are not very familiar to the ears of the Indonesian people.
One example is Fiji, the largest country in the Pacific Islands. This country, which consists of 330 islands and a population of 924,000 people, has actually had relations with Indonesia for 50 years.
In the context of regional geopolitics, Fiji is the anchor of Indonesian diplomacy in the Pacific.
READ MORE: When media freedom as the ‘oxygen of democracy’ and hypocrisy share the same Pacific arena — Pacific Media Watch Other Pacific Media Conference reports
Fiji is known as a gateway to the Pacific. This status has been held for centuries because, as the largest country and with the largest port, practically all commodities entering the Pacific Islands must go through Fiji. Along with Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) of New Caledonia, Fiji forms the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Indonesia now has the status of a associate member of the MSG, or one level higher than an observer. For Indonesia, this closeness to the MSG is important because it is related to affirming Indonesia’s sovereignty.
Human rights violations
The MSG is very critical in monitoring the handling of human rights violations that occur in Papua. In terms of sovereignty, the MSG acknowledges Indonesia’s sovereignty as recorded in the Charter of the United Nations. The academic community in Fiji is also highlighting human rights violations in Papua. As a Melanesian nation, the Fijian people sympathise with the Papuan community. In Fiji, some individuals hold anti-Indonesian sentiment and support pro-independence movements in Papua. In several civil society organisations in Suva, the capital of Fiji, the Morning Star flag of West Papuan independence is also raised in solidarity. Even so, Fijian academics realise that they lack context in examining Indonesian problems. This emerged in a talanoa or focused discussion with representatives of universities and Fiji’s mainstream media with a media delegation from Indonesia. The event was organised by the Indonesian Embassy in Suva.
Academics say that reading sources about Indonesia generally come from 50 years ago, causing them to have a limited understanding of developments in Indonesia. When examined, Indonesian journalists also found that they themselves lacked material about the Pacific Islands. Both the Fiji and Indonesian groups realise that the information they receive about each other mainly comes from Western media. In practice, there is scepticism about coverage crafted according to a Western perspective. “There must be open and meaningful dialogue between the people of Fiji and Indonesia in order to break down prejudices and provide space for contextual critical review into diplomatic relations between the two countries,” said Associate Professor Shailendra Singh, a former journalist who is now head of the journalism programme at the University of the South Pacific (USP). He was also chair of the 2024 Pacific International Media Conference Committee which was attended by the Indonesian delegation.
‘Prejudice’ towards Indonesia
According to experts in Fiji, the prejudice of the people in that country towards Indonesia is viewed as both a challenge and an opportunity to develop a more quality and substantive relationship.
In that international conference, representatives of mainstream media in the Pacific Islands criticised and expressed their dissatisfaction with donors.
The Pacific Islands are one of the most foreign aid-receiving regions in the world. Fiji is among the top five Pacific countries supported by donors.
Based on the Lowy Institute’s records from Australia as of October 31, 2023, there are 82 donor countries in the Pacific with a total contribution value of US$44 billion. Australia is the number one donor, followed by China.
The United States and New Zealand are also major donors. This situation has an impact on geopolitical competition issues in the region.
Indonesia is on the list of 82 countries, although in terms of the amount of funding contributed, it lags behind countries with advanced economies. Indonesia itself does not take the position to compete in terms of the amount of funds disbursed.
Thus, the Indonesian Ambassador to Fiji, Nauru, Kiribati, and Tuvalu, Dupito Simamora, said that Indonesia was present to bring a new colour.
“We are present to focus on community empowerment and exchange of experiences,” he said.
An example is the empowerment of maritime, capture fisheries, coffee farming, and training for immigration officers. This is more sustainable compared to the continuous provision of funds.
Maintaining ‘consistency’
Along with that, efforts to introduce Indonesia continue to be made, including through arts and culture scholarships, Dharmasiswa (a one-year non-degree scholarship programme offered to foreigners), and visits by journalists to Indonesia. This is done so that the participating Fiji community can experience for themselves the value of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika — the official motto of Indonesia, “Unity in diversity”.
Indonesia has also offered itself to Fiji and the Pacific Islands as a “gateway” to Southeast Asia. Fiji has the world’s best-selling mineral water product, Fiji Water. They are indeed targeting expanding their market to Southeast Asia, which has a population of 500 million people.
The Indonesian Embassy in Suva analysed the working pattern of the BIMP-EAGA, or the East ASEAN economic cooperation involving Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines. From there, a model that can be adopted which will be communicated to the MSG and developed according to the needs of the Pacific region.
In the ASEAN High-Level Conference of 2023, Indonesia initiated a development and empowerment cooperation with the South Pacific that was laid out in a memorandum of understanding between ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
At the World Water Forum (WWF) 2024 and the Island States Forum (AIS), the South Pacific region is one of the areas highlighted for cooperation. Climate crisis mitigation is a sector that is being developed, one of which is the cultivation of mangrove plants to prevent coastal erosion. For Indonesia, cooperation with the Pacific is not just diplomacy. Through ASEAN, Indonesia is pushing for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Essentially, the Indo-Pacific region is not an extension of any superpower.
All geopolitical and geo-economic competition in this region must be managed well in order to avoid conflict.
Indigenous perspectives
In the Indo-Pacific region, PIF and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) are important partners for ASEAN. Both are original intergovernmental organisations in the Indo-Pacific, making them vital in promoting a perception of the Indo-Pacific that aligns with the framework and perspective of indigenous populations.
On the other hand, Indonesia’s commitment to the principle of non-alignment was tested. Indonesia, which has a free-active foreign policy policy, emphasises that it is not looking for enemies. However, can Indonesia guarantee the Pacific Islands that the friendship offered is sincere and will not force them to form camps?
At the same time, the Pacific community is also observing Indonesia’s sincerity in resolving various cases of human rights violations, especially in Papua. An open dialogue on this issue could be evidence of Indonesia’s democratic maturity.
Republished from Kompas in partnership with The University of the South Pacific.
Security force members kill Papuan man during raid in Paniai Regency
Cases, Human Rights News / Indonesia, West Papua / 4 July 2024
On 14 June 2024, the Damai Cartenz 2024 Security Task Forces began raiding the Odiyai Village, Bibida District. Mr Pilemon Gobai, 42, was executed during the raid near the Odiyai Village. At the same time, Mr Melkias Yatipai, 47, sustained a bullet injury on the left heel as security force members opened fire at him.
Instead of following the other villagers to Madi, Mr Gobai, Mr Yatipai, and their families decided to stay with relatives in the Dogomo District, which they intended to reach by foot. The women and children started their walk ahead of Mr Gobai and Mr Yatipai because they could not walk as fast as the men. The women later testified that they were intercepted by a group of patrolling security force members at Onowogeugida Mountain. They were allowed to proceed to Dogomo after presenting identification documents (see sketch in Annexe).
Mr Gobai and Mr Yatipai stayed back in Odiyai to pack some more belongings and left the village later to catch up with their families on the way to Dogomo. Both men were ambushed by security force members at Idege Hill, with bullets coming from Onowogeugida Mountain (see sketch in annex). Mr Pilemon Gobai sustained a lethal gunshot wound because of the shooting. According to the information received, the projectile entered at the back of the body near the spine and exited at its front through the stomach. There was a larger bruise on the victim’s forehead. Mr Melkias Yatipai, sustained a bullet injury in the heel as a result of the shooting but was able to escape towards Dogomo. He was afraid to seek treatment at the hospital and used traditional forms of treatment instead of proper medical treatment.
On 17 June 2024, relatives found the body at Onowogeugida Hill, two days after the shooting. They carried the body down the hill. On the way down, the relatives encountered two police officers who organised a vehicle to bring the body to the General Hospital in Madi. The relatives were neither allowed to accompany the body nor to attend the examination of the body. Medical personnel conducted an external post-mortem examination, without performing a forensic examination of the body. The relatives received the body through the military on 18 June 2024. Mr Gobai was buried next to his house (see photos in Annexe).
Following the raid in Odiyai Village, the chief of the Damai Cartenz Unit, Commissioner Faizal Ramadhani, made public statements on 17 June 2024, according to which his men found the body which they believed to be a killed member of the TPNPB. Ramadhani added that the dead suspect did not carry a firearm but an 80 cm long machete which his men seized as evidence.
Security force raid in Paniai Regency
A security force raid in the Bibida District, Paniai, Regency, on 14 June 2024 caused the internal displacement of an estimated more than 5,000 persons in six districts (see table in Annex). Churches seized operations in the affected villages. Previously, joint police and military forces established checkpoints and controlled passing vehicles in Enarotali Town and the Madi Village on 12 June 2024.
Bibida and the surrounding districts are inhabited by the indigenous Moni and Me tribes. People fled their houses in fear of the security force operations and armed violence between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and Indonesian security forces. The raid was launched after TPNPB members shot dead a civilian Non-Papuan in the Kopo Village, Paniai Timur District, on 11 June 2024.
According to information from local sources, security forces entered the Bibida District from various directions, on land from water, and in the air around 7.00 am (see sketch below).
1. Damai Cartenz members took position on Ekaugida Mountain towards Bibida District (security force members of this unit are alleged to have executed Mr Pilemon Gobai).
2. About ten police trucks entered Bibida on the main road
3. Damai Cartenz members entered Bibida with boats on Weya River
4. Four helicopters circling over Bibida to support ground forces. One helicopter reportedly released shots toward the ground
The security force members announced that all civilians should immediately leave the district. Following the order, villagers in Bibida District, as well as people from villages in the East Paniai District, and the districts Agadide, Komopa, Duma-Dama, and Dogomo gathered at the courtyard of YPPK Bibida Elementary School and at Bibida Catholic Church from where security forces brought them to the Salib Suci Catholic Church in Madi. Many fled by food.
On 26 July 2024, the 302 Siliwangi Raider Task Force dropped building materials for a military and a police post in central Bibida District and the Ugidimi Village. The military post had been planned since 2020. Security forces have repeatedly approached the Moni community in Bibida to get their consent. However, all components of the Bibida District community refused the formation of new security posts in Bibida.
Photos of MR Pilemon Gobai’s body at the mortuary in Madi Hospital (left) and at the site of the crime (bottom right)
More details below including below including Sketch of the raiding area in Bibida
Human Rights Monitor
Papua Quarterly Report Q2 2024: Stagnation and Conflict: Land Rights and Military Presence Intensify
Human Rights News, Reports / Indonesia, West Papua / 17 July 2024
This comprehensive 9-page document lists cases and developments including human rights violations and their patterns; escalation of armed conflict and its impact on civilians; significant political shifts in Indonesia affecting West Papua; and international responses and initiatives. It covers the period from 1 April to 30 June 2024.
Full report
Jokowi Plants Sugarcane in Indonesia's Merauke Megaproject
Translator Najla Nur Fauziyah Editor Petir Garda Bhwana 24 July 2024
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi visited Sermayam Village, Tanah Miring District, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. During the visit, Jokowi stressed the government's commitment to supporting sustainable initiatives in the fields of agriculture and the environment. In Sermayam Village, Jokowi planted the first sugarcane at PT Global Papua Abadi (GPA). He also inspected several of the company’s existing facilities and infrastructure. These include tissue culture laboratories, sugarcane nurseries, sugarcane plantations, and conservation plant nurseries. The Sermayam Sugarcane Plantation was a National Strategic Project to support the acceleration of national sugar self-sufficiency and bioethanol as biofuel. The plantation managed by PT Global Papua Abadi covers 506 hectares of land with an investment value of Rp53.8 trillion.
The Presidential Secretariat, in a written statement, said that the food and energy sector will also be the focus of President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s administration.
Jokowi said sugarcane planting was a strategic step in responding to the global food crisis due to extreme climate change. "Food independence, food security, and food sovereignty must be prioritized," said Jokowi. The Sermayam Sugarcane Plantation Megaproject will build five sugar factories to process sugar cane. To support this, GPA built laboratory facilities at the nursery location, which supports research and tissue culture to produce sugarcane seeds and functions as a sugarcane research center.
The Sugarcane Seed Research and Laboratory Area in Sermayan research into the growth and development of sugarcane seed varieties from Australia. GPA collaborates with Sugar Research Australia and P3GI (Indonesian Sugar Plantation Research Center) to obtain suitable seeds for development in Merauke.
Selected seeds are grown and propagated in the main garden in the GPA Plantation area in the Jagebob area which is expected to start operating in 2027. DANIEL A. FAJRI
Papua's Awyu, Moi Sigin Tribes Deliver Petition of Support to Top Court over Customary Land Grabs
Translator Najla Nur Fauziyah Editor Petir Garda Bhwana 23 July 2024
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Representatives of the Awyu and Moi Sigin indigenous communities submitted a petition supporting the tribes’ struggle against palm oil companies to the Supreme Court on Monday, July 22, 2024, from South Papua and Southwest Papua. Their visit to the Supreme Court was also intended to question the progress of the Awyu and Moi Sigin tribes’ cassation filed respectively on Mack and early May. "To this day, we have not received any information about the registration number of the cassation appeal that we, Awyu and Moi Sigin indigenous communities, submitted to the Supreme Court," said the representative of the Awyu tribe, Hendrikus Woro in a written statement on Monday. "We came all the way from Papua twice because we were waiting for a decision that would save our customary forests," said Hendrikus. Hendrikus Woro's petition concerns the environmental permit issued by the Papua Provincial Government to PT Indo Asiana Lestari (IAL) for 36,094 hectares of the Woro clan’s customary forest.
Apart from PT IAL, several members of the Awyu Indigenous communities are also filing an appeal against PT Kartika Cipta Pratama and PT Megakarya Jaya Raya for 65,415 hectares of rainforest. In a separate case, the Moi Sigin sub-tribe is fighting against PT Sorong Agro Sawitindo (SAS) as the defendant intervenor. PT SAS sued the central government for revoking their permit on 18,160 hectares of customary forest.
“We received 253,823 signatures in the petition supporting the Awyu and Moi tribes, which today will be submitted directly to the Supreme Court. This petition and the recent #AllEyesOnPapua movement are proof of many people's concern for the tribes’ struggle," said a member of the Save Papua Forests’ Advocacy Team from the Bentala People's Heritage Foundation, Tigor Hutapea, on Monday.
Member of the Save Papua Forests’ Advocacy Team from Greenpeace Indonesia, Sekar Banjaran Aji, said customary forests are an ancestral heritage that has supported the Awyu and Moi Sigin indigenous
Police seize OPM flags after Papuan student dormitory besieged by nationalist group
CNN Indonesia – July 5, 2024
Police secure area in front of Papuan student dormitory in Makassar – July 5, 2024 (CNN)
Makassar – Police have admitted to seizing Free Papua Organisation (OPM) flags from a Papua student dormitory in Makassar, South Sulawesi. "We have conducted a seizure of Morning Star flags at the dormitory", said Makassar Metropolitan District Police Chief (Kapolrestabes) Senior Commissioner Mokhamad Ngajib when sought for confirmation on Friday July 5. Ngajib said that after a video of the flags being raised went viral, several people from the ormas (social or mass organisation) Nusantara National Defense Guard (GBNN) surrounded the Papuan student dormitory as the location of the alleged Morning Star flag raising. "Praise be to Allah the action by our friends from the ormas GBNN proceeded smoothly last night", he said. Nevertheless, said Ngajib, the police have asked students from Papua who are living in Makassar not to fly the OPM flag in order to maintain a conducive situation in Makassar.
"We have asked them not to act in a way that violates prevailing regulations where they live in Makassar city and Indonesia. They accepted this, right" he concluded.
Earlier on Thursday July 4, a group of Papuan students raised three Morning Star independence flags at the Papuan student dormitory on Jalan Lanto Daeng Pasewang in Makassar.
Based on CNN Indonesia's observations at the location, a number of people then surrounded the Papuan student dormitory at around 11 pm in order to find and remove the OPM flags. "Take the evidence, commander, it's inside, the OPM flag", said GBNN action coordinator Adhi. Adhi emphasised that anyone who flies the Morning Star flag must be fighting against the Indonesian people, because no flag is to be raised other than Indonesia's red-and-white national flag. "Three Morning Star flags were flying which went viral on TikTok and in the name of the [Free] Papuan Organisation (OPM) Makassar. If we don't find just one of the three flags, then we will spend the night here", he stressed. After surrounding the Papuan student dormitory for almost two hours, on Friday July 5 at around 1.20 am the crowd left the location but threatened to return until the students who flew the OPM flag are arrested. (mir/DAL)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Bendera OPM Disita Usai Asrama Mahasiswa Papua di Makassar Dikepung".]
https://www.indoleft.org/news/2024-07-02/rallies-in-papua-yogya-mark-53-years-since-papuan-independence-proclamation.html
Rallies in Papua, Yogya mark 53 years since Papuan independence proclamation
Jubi Papua – July 2, 2024
Hengky Yeimo, Nabire – A number of Papuan pro-independence organisations commemorated the 53rd anniversary of the proclamation of West Papuan independence at several locations inside and outside of Papua on Monday July 1.
From information gathered by Jubi.id, commemorations were held in at least six different locations, from morning through to the evening. In the land of Papua, West Papua independence proclamation commemorations were held by a number of West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) groups.
They included the Odiyai-Dogiyai TPNPB-OPM Defense Command Area (Kodap) IX, the Kempa Nipouda Paniai TPNPB-OPM Kodap XI, the Pemka 4 Paniai TPNPB-OPM Division II, the Uwaiyepa Ugapuga Battalion III and the Eastern Star Highlands TPNPB-OPM Kodap XIII.
Papua
Aside from the TPNPB-OPM, other organisations commemorating the proclamation of West Papuan independence included the Vanuatu sector West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Nabire and the West Papua Independent Student Forum (FIM-WIP) city leadership committee in Nabire. Outside the land of Papua meanwhile, commemorations were held in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta by the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP). In a public statement received by Jubi on July 1, Odiyai-Dogiyai Kodap IX commander Brigadier General Yonatan Makituma Pigai said that his unit held a commemoration at the Kodap headquarters on Monday. "We feel grateful that the commemoration the 53rd anniversary [Birthday] of the July 1 proclamation proceeded according to our expectations ... running safely and smoothly", he said. Pigai explained that the commemoration was organised together with Kodap staff, three regional defense commands (Kowip) and six other battalions including the Maakewapa Battalion I, the Bintang Fajar Timur Battalion II, the Degeianouda Battalion III, the Rimba Ribut Egaidimi Battalion IV, the Maagotadi Battalion V and the Idii Bou Battalion VI.
Pigai said that the West Papua nation is already independent in terms of international law. "We, the TPNPB Kodap XI National Committee declare that [Indonesia must] give [us] political freedom immediately, otherwise we will wage a revolution in stages this year so that the Papuan people and non-Papuan people [should] prepare themselves immediately", he said.
Pigai also conveyed a message to the TNI (Indonesian military) and the Polri (Indonesian police) not to arrest indigenous Papuans arbitrarily. "But look for the TPNPB-OPM when the pre-revolutionary stage occurs", he said.
During the commemoration, KNPB Chairperson Warpo Sampari Wetipo urged the people of the West Papuan nation not to lose the spirit to fight for the liberation of West Papua. "We hope that the ordinary people can organise this holiday of the Papuan nation, because it is part of the way we respect the Papuan nation", he said.
Wetipo said he appreciates the Papuan people who had been struggling to win independence and justice from the system that shackles them. "Because the sovereignty of the people is determined by the people, so it's the people that fight for it", he said.
Commemorations in Yogyakarta
In Yogyakarta, the AMP and the FRI-WP commemorated the proclamation of West Papuan independence with a march through the Jalan Malioboro shopping district in the centre of the city. Scores of indigenous Papuan youths were involved in the action, including two men who wore traditional Papuan clothing, namely the koteka (penis gourd), and their face pained with the Morning Star independence flag.
The protesters also paraded two banners through the streets, one of which was a white banner reading "Commemorating 53 years of the West Papuan proclamation of the Papuan nation, take back the sovereignty of the Papuan people from the hands of colonial Indonesia". Some of those involved in the action also brought posters with messages such as "Independence is the right of all nations, including West Papua", "Withdraw the TNI/Polri from the Land of Papua" and 'Stop violence against Papuan women!".
Action coordinator Paul Tekege said the history of the West Papuan people's struggle is inseparable from the West Papua guerrilla movement which was the foundation of the West Papuan nation's declaration of independence on December 1, 1961.
"The declaration of the West Papua state was a democratic revolution for the West Papuan people and is [part of] the history of struggle. The people of Papua will [continue] making demands of the Indonesian state until there is a recognition of Papuan independence", he said. Tekege said that in commemorating 53 years since the proclamation of the Papuan nation, the Yogyakarta AMP and the FRI-WP took up the theme "Rewinning the Sovereignty of the Papuan People from the Hands of Colonial Indonesian"
"This theme is a reading of the long history of the Papuan people", he said.
History records, said Tekege, that July 1 is a historic day for the West Papuan people that began in Victoria (now Jayapura) in 1971. At that time President Brigadier General Seth Jafeth Rumkorem along with his members in Victoria at the Waris Village near the Papua New Guinea border on 1 July, 1971, read out the text of the West Papuan People's Proclamation of Independence.
The West Papua proclamation of independence
The West Papua proclamation of independence was signed by Rumkorem on behalf of the people and the government of West Papua in Victoria on July 1, 1971. Titled Proclamation, the full text reads: "To all the Papuan people, from Numbay to Merauke, from Sorong to Baliem (Star Mountains) and from Biak to the isle of Adi.
With God's help and blessing, we take this opportunity today to announce to you all that, today, July 1st, 1971, the land and people of Papua have been declared to be free and independent (de facto and de jure). "May Go be with us, and let it be known to the world, that the sincere wish of the Papuan people to be free and independent in their own country is hereby fulfilled.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peringatan 53 Tahun Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Papua Barat Digelar Di Papua Dan Yogya".]
Not the military’s business
We must decline the TNI’s request to reenter the world of commerce, lest we allow thuggery to run rampant in the commercial sphere and the fear of military intervention to dictate Indonesia’s development path.
Editorial board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 22, 2024
Make no mistake, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s move to green-light a plan to revise the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law at the last opportunity before the transition of power is controversial in several ways. Civil society groups have flagged, for instance, a provision that would allow active TNI personnel to hold any position in government.
At the moment, the military brass is limited to serving in civilian positions at just 10 different state agencies and cabinet ministries. Critics have also highlighted the proposed expansion of the TNI’s non-war operations, which include aiding the government in mitigating cyberattacks and stamping out illicit drug circulation, potentially entrenching a military presence in civilian life.
That these and other proposed changes have occupied recent public discourse on lawmaking – including a proposal that would allow the TNI commander to serve indefinitely by presidential decree – is a testament to the influence that the military wields a quarter of a century after Reformasi. And yet the most insidious proposal comes in the form of a seemingly innocent request to do away with a ban on TNI personnel from participating in commercial activities, as stipulated in Article 39 of the TNI Law. At a recent discussion to test public opinion of the planned revisions, a TNI legal specialist suggested lifting the business ban on the argument that active soldiers should not have to face criminal charges for taking on part-time commercial activities, such as helping out with a spouse’s small business or becoming a part-time online taxi driver.
At first glance, the request seemed to take advantage of a recent controversial state decision to allow religious organizations to manage mining concessions. Perhaps the military also just wants to have its slice of the pie. But in this case, allowing the TNI to go back into business would undo 20 years’ worth of reforms that envisioned a professional, accountable and steadfast military force. Scholars seem to largely agree that military involvement in business is unprofessional and could threaten human security.
One of the hallmarks of the 2004 law was the requirement that the TNI relinquish all military businesses to the state by 2009. Yet despite concerted efforts to investigate such entities and a presidential decree designed to speed things up, a 2010 Human Rights Watch report found no actual progress. In 2019, an academic study not only offered proof that the Indonesian Army still operates its cooperatives businesses for profit with little regard for the steady rise of the state defense budget, researchers concluded that successive administrations had deemed it necessary to allow the military to secure its vested interests to maintain stability.
Our politicians, the study finds, have entered into a transactional dialogue with the military, leaving a cultural legacy of entrepreneurship among military leaders that has contributed to the formation of new elites and oligarchs. For one, president-elect Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, 72, is a retired Army lieutenant general, a businessman and the incumbent Defense Minister (2019-present). Due to his proximity to power throughout his military career, he entered politics in 2004 to pursue his dream of becoming the nation’s president. is a product of this generation of new military wealth.
Before him, there was president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Behind Jokowi stands Luhut Pandjaitan, who played the role of military man, business associate, diplomat and politician. However, the greater moral hazard lies in allowing the military’s shadier side to fester unchecked, whether as security for hire, influence peddlers through regional command structures or benefactors of illegal trade.
Recent years have borne witness to the drawbacks of khaki capital. Revelations of illicit online gambling rings run by “renegades” and a graft case involving TNI-run pension fund Asabri are enough indication of what could go wrong if the military runs for-profit businesses. We must decline the TNI’s request, lest we allow thuggery to run rampant in the commercial sphere and the fear of military intervention to dictate Indonesia’s development path.
A decade of true civilian rule under Jokowi is too brief a period of control in the military-civilian struggle. With a retired army general poised to once again take the reins of the country, we will need to keep our guard up to avoid making any further unnecessary concessions.
Opinion pieces/reports/media releases etc.
AWPA statement -26 years since the Biak massacre-Not forgotten
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2024/07/awpa-statement-26-years-since-biak.html
AWPA condemns latest military operation in West Papua. Over 5000 villagers flee
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2024/06/awpa-condemns-latest-military-operation.html
Koteka Wenda's unique position as an exiled-woman reimagines the Free West Papua movement
Explainer: How Indonesia's deforestation persists despite moratorium
Latest Puncak Jaya massacre reveals West Papua ‘is a time bomb’, claims Benny Wenda
Indonesia: Historic People’s Tribunal findings signal an alarming situation in Papua
CONTROL AND PARALYZATION OF PAPUA'S POLITICAL RESISTANCE 'THE QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WILL BE DEALT WITH LATER'
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2024/07/control-and-paralyzation-of-papuas.html
A few photos from the panel "The future in the Pacific and Australia’s role” at the Greens Reboot 24 Conference
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