2) TPNPB claims to have shot dead Brimob members in Tambrauw, West Papua Police deny fatalities
3) TPNPB Urges XXXVI Kodap to Celebrate Papua's Independence Day with Military Ceremony
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1) West Papua: Once was Papuan Independence Day, now deforested, population diluted
On Papuan Independence Day we discuss protests against Indonesia’s transmigration programme, environmental destruction, militarisation, and the struggle for self-determination.
On December 1, 1961, West Papua’s national flag, known as the Morning Star, was raised for the first time as a declaration of West Papua’s independence from the Netherlands.
Sixty-three years later, West Papua is claimed by and occupied by Indonesia, which has banned the flag, which still carries aspirations for self-determination and liberation.
The flag continues to be raised globally on December 1 each year on what is still called “Papuan Independence Day”.
Island-wide protests
This was announced a day after he came into power on October 21 and confirmed fears from West Papuans about Subianto’s rise to power.
This is because Subianto is a former general known for a trail of allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses in West Papua and East Timor to his name.
Transmigration’s role
The transmigration programme began before Indonesia gained Independence from the Dutch colonial government, intended to reduce “overcrowding” in Java and to provide a workforce for plantations in Sumatra.
After independence ended and under Indonesian rule, the programme expanded and in 1969 transmigration to West Papua was started.
This was also the year of the controversial “Act of Free Choice” where a small group of Papuans were coerced by Indonesia into a unanimous vote against their independence.
In 2001 the state-backed transmigration programme ended but, by then, over three-quarters of a million Indonesians had been relocated to West Papua. Although the official transmigration stopped, migration of Indonesians continued via agriculture and development projects.
Indonesia has also said transmigration helps with cultural exchange to unite the West Papuans so they are one nation: Indonesian.
West Papuan human rights activist Rosa Moiwend said in the 1980s Indonesians used the language of “humanising West Papuans” through erasing their indigenous identity.
“It’s a racist kind of thing because they think West Papuans were not fully human,” Moiwend said.
Pathway to environmental destruction
Papuans believe this was to dilute the Indigenous Melanesian population, and to secure the control of their natural resources, to conduct mining, oil and gas extraction and deforestation.
This is because in the past the transmigration programme was tied to agricultural settlements where, following the deforestation of conservation forests, Indonesian migrants worked on agricultural projects such as rice fields and palm oil plantations.
Octo Mote is the vice-president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). Earlier this year Te Ao Māori News interviewed Mote on the “ecocide and genocide” and the history of how Indonesia gained power over West Papua.
The ecology in West Papua was being damaged by mining, deforestation, and oil and gas extraction, he said. Mote said Indonesia wanted to “wipe them from the land and control their natural resources”.
He emphasised that defending West Papua meant defending the world, because New Guinea had the third-largest rainforest after the Amazon and Congo and was crucial for climate change mitigation as they sequester and store carbon.
Concerns grow over militarisation
Moiwend said the other concern right now was the National Strategic Project which developed projects to focus on Indonesian self-sufficiency in food and energy.
Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) started in 2011, so isn’t a new project, but it has failed to deliver many times and was described by Global Atlas of Environmental Justice as a “textbook land grab”.
The mega-project includes the deforestation of a million hectares for rice fields and an additional 600,000 hectares for sugar cane plantations that will be used to make bioethanol.
The project is managed by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Agriculture, and the private company, Jhonlin Group, owned by Haji Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad. Ironically, given the project has been promoted to address climate issues, Arsyad is a coal magnate, a primary industry responsible for man-made climate change.
Recently, the Indonesian government announced the deployment of five military battalions to the project site.
Conservation news website Mongabay reported that the villages in the project site had a population of 3000 people whereas a battalion consisted of usually 1000 soldiers, which meant there would be more soldiers than locals and the villagers said it felt as if their home would be turned into a “war zone”.
Merauke is where Moiwend’s village is and many of her cousins and family are protesting and, although there haven’t been any incidents yet, with increased militarisation she feared for the lives of her family as the Indonesian military had killed civilians in the past.
Destruction of spiritual ancestors
The destruction of the environment was also the killing of their dema {spiritual ancestors}, she said.
The dema represented and protected different components of nature, with a dema for fish, the sago palm, and the coconut tree.
Traditionally when planting taro, kumara or yam, they chanted and sang for the dema of those plants to ensure an abundant harvest.
Moiwend said they connected to their identity through calling on the name of the dema that was their totem.
She said her totem was the coconut and when she needed healing she would find a coconut tree, drink coconut water, and call to the dema for help.
There were places where the dema lived that humans were not meant to enter but many sacred forests had been deforested.
She said the Indonesians had destroyed their food sources, their connection to their spirituality as well destroying their humanity.
“Anim Ha means the great human being,” she said, “to become a great human being you have to have a certain quality of life, and one quality of life is the connection to your dema, your spiritual realm.”
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A Google translate.
Originan Bahasa link
2) TPNPB claims to have shot dead Brimob members in Tambrauw, West Papua Police deny fatalities
Last updated: November 30, 2024 10:28 pm
Author: Adlu Rahusun
Editor: Edho Sinaga
Manokwari, Jubi – The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed responsibility for the attack on a Brimob patrol vehicle of the West Papua Police in Bamusbama District, Tambrauw Regency, Southwest Papua, Saturday (11/30/2024). This statement was conveyed by the TPNPB Spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, through a press release received by Jubi.
Sebby Sambom stated that the attack was carried out by the Tambrauw Defense Area Command 33 and succeeded in killing three Brimob members, and injuring one other.
"TPNPB OPM Kodap 33 RuMana Tambrauw troops attacked a Hilux type Police patrol car that was patrolling from Fef to Sausapor District," said Sambom.
According to him, the attack was led by First Lieutenant Marthen Faan, on the orders of the TPNPB Regional Commander of Kodap 33 RuMana, Brigadier General Finsen Frabuku, together with Deputy Commander Leonardo Syufi. Sambom said the action was a form of resistance against the presence of the Indonesian military in West Papua.
"We will continue to fight for the right to independence of West Papua until the goal of being free from Indonesian colonialism is achieved," said Sambom.
In addition, Sambom asked for the attention of the international community to the violations allegedly committed by the Indonesian military in the West Papua region.
Head of Public Relations of the West Papua Police, Senior Commissioner Ongky Isgunawan, denied the claim. According to him, the shooting incident did occur, but there were no fatalities.
“BKO Brimob personnel from Tambrauw Police were conducting a routine patrol from Fef to Bamusbama Village. Approximately 342 meters from the Bamusbama District Office, a shooting occurred by an unknown person (OTK). The personnel returned fire and conducted a search, but the perpetrator fled towards the forest,” explained Senior Commissioner Ongky in his press statement.
He added that the bullet only hit the back of the Brimob patrol car.
“We will continue to pursue groups that try to disrupt security stability in the Tambrauw jurisdiction,” said Ongky.
Senior Commissioner Ongky appealed to the public to remain calm and not easily believe conflicting information regarding the incident.
“Let us maintain a conducive security and public order (kamtibmas) situation. If there is any suspicious activity, report it to us immediately,” he appealed.
The West Papua Police confirmed that they will continue to increase patrols and sweeps to ensure security in the area. (*)
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A Google translate.
Originan Bahasa link
3) TPNPB Urges XXXVI Kodap to Celebrate Papua's Independence Day with Military Ceremony
Penulis Suara Papua - 1 Dec 2024, 2:09 WP
JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com— The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) appealed to the TPNPB in the XXXVI Regional Defense Command (Kodap) throughout Papua, the Papuan people, diplomats and all Free Papua fighters to celebrate Independence Day as the embryo of the Papuan nation on December 1, 2024.
The statement was conveyed by Sebby Sambom, TPNPB Spokesperson on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the TPNPB - Free Papua Organization (OPM), General Goliat Tabuni in his statement on November 30, 2024.
"December 1 is the independence day of the Papuan nation through the fulfillment of all the requirements for establishing a country. So we, on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the TPNPB Free Papua Organization, appeal to all of us to continue to celebrate our independence day of the Papuan nation.”
So without reducing the enthusiasm, this year we will still celebrate as usual in every command headquarters with an official military ceremony," explained Sebby Sambom, TPNPB Spokesperson in his statement on November 30, 2024.
Meanwhile, Sambom said, the celebration of the Papuan nation's anniversary in other places can be carried out in any form that is mutually agreed upon by all components of the Papuan people.
"We have an obligation to respect our right to independence. We will continue to realize independence.”
On this occasion, we convey that Indonesia's occupation of Papua is still illegal, because the establishment of Papuan independence on December 1 is based on the UN charter to grant independence to colonized nations throughout the world. Therefore, it is legal and guaranteed by international law," said Sambom.
He called on the Papuan people and fighters to remain enthusiastic and continue to celebrate December 1 as independence day.
"The question of when it will be recognized will be realized through the struggle of all of us, both through lobbying, campaigning and through struggles in the field," he said.
On that occasion, Sambom also emphasized that the party firmly rejected Jakarta's program to bring transmigration to Papua.
"We also reject the transmigration program to Papua. The Papuan people should stop submitting to Jakarta's policies, but are ready to continue to resist. Papuan youth should prepare themselves to carry out a total revolution in the near future," he said.
Sambom said this because Indonesia's occupation of Papua is illegal, so they must fight and remove Indonesia from the illegally annexed Papua," he concluded.
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