2) PM HOU SUPPORTS WEST PAPUA
3) PTFI closing demo, colored rejection of aspiration submission
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1) West Papuans call for closure of Freeport gold mine
Thousands of West Papuans have demonstrated in Jayapura, calling for the closure of the massive Freeport gold mine in Mimika regency
They're also demanding Indonesian security forces withdraw from the area around the mine where a standoff continues with the West Papua National Liberation Army, or TPN.
utube footage
An estimated two thousand Papuans took to the streets of Papua's provincial capital to demand the closure of a mine they see as a symbol of oppression.
Freeport is Indonesia's single largest source of revenue but Papuans say they see no benefit from it.
Recently, Jakarta has been negotiating for Freeport's US parent company to divest from the mine, but West Papuans say they are not consulted over the matter.
Now, tensions in the region around the mine have been escalating amid intensified movements of security forces. Reports from Mimika indicate the Indonesian military launched rockets into the TPN stronghold earlier this week, killing two of their members.
Police and military blame the TPN for shootings on the road to the mine last month which left two policeman dead and others injured. Reports not yet confirmed by police say a Papuan was also shot dead in the past month on the road.
Freeport security personnel looking on at the Freeport McMoRan's Grasberg mining complex, one of the world's biggest gold and copper mines, located in Indonesia's remote eastern Papua province. Photo: AFP PHOTO / OLIVIA RONDONUWU
The road between Timika city and the Freeport mine, which is about 125 kilometres long, is guarded by an estimated three thousand Indonesian security forces.
According to Indonesian human rights researcher Andreas Harsono, 50 people - including Freeport workers, civillians, police and military officers - have been killed and over five hundred injured in shootings along the road in the past fifteen years.
With the recent spate of unrest along the road have come signs of an Indonesian military sweep operation of the kind that have caused many Papuan villagers to flee into the bush in the past.
Earlier this week Indonesian police said they were evacuating residents from several villages in the Tembagapura area. But villagers said they were terrified by the presence of these forces, and that the military were obstructing their ability to access food.
It contrasts with claims by Indonesian police earlier this month that the TPN was holding people in Kimberley and Banti villages hostage.
Demonstrators in Timika seek answers from Indonesian security forces over the disappearance of local Papuan Martinus Beanal. Photo: Supplied
A demonstration was held in Timika yesterday by a group of local civillians protesting against what they described as "hoax reports" in Indonesian media regarding the hostage claims.
The demonstrators also sought answers about the reasons for the recent disappearance of a local Papuan, Martinus Beanal, whose family has now been told by police that their son is buried. The family said they had not seen his body since and were given no reasons for his reported death.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Justice and Peace Secretariat in Mimika's capital Timika, Saul Paulo Wanimbo, said the TPN had relayed a message to local villagers that they were not targetting them.
The TPN said its conflict was strictly with the Indonesian military and police, and that one of their main goals was to close the Freeport mine.
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2) PM HOU SUPPORTS WEST PAPUA
PM Hou and Secretary General of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Octovanius Mote
THE Prime Minister Hon. Rick Hounipwela MP has stated that he will continue to support the plight of the West Papuans.
He was responding to a call by the Secretary General of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Octovanius Mote during a courtesy visit made to the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.
In his briefing with the Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Mote congratulates Hon. Hounipwela for his new role as the Prime Minister and for settling recent political difference and for maintaining stability in the country.
Mr. Mote then stated that his people are grateful for the support that the Solomon Islands have rendered towards West Papuans.
He further reiterates, “We really hope that your government will continue to support us because it is already a very historical momentum already built by Solomon Islands Governments on the West Papua issue.”
Mote also expresses that without the support from countries like Solomon Islands it is predicted that by year 2020 according to academic reports, there will be as less than 23 percent West Papuans left in their land due to the increase of migration by Indonesians into West Papua.
The ULMWP Secretary General further mentioned an update about a recent meeting held between Pope and Pacific Islands Leaders in which the the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai representing the Melanesia and the Vatican’s Secretary of State on lobbying towards next year’s UN General Assembly in September.
Mr. Mote stated that one of the outcomes of the meeting was that the Vatican has made a suggestion to the Vanuatu Prime Minister was for Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to open diplomatic relations with the Vatican and adding that Solomon Islands might give mandate to its Ambassador in Brussels to extend also to including the Vatican.
He said that by doing so, the Prime Minister of both countries can communicate directly to the Holy See to ask the Holy See to support to pull numbers towards the next year’s UN resolution.
In his response, the Prime Minister Hon. Hounipwela thanked the ULMWP Secretary General for taking the time to visit his office and further stated his support for the plight of the West Papuans;
“In terms of the matters that you raised,” the Prime Minister says, “Solomon Islands has been a astound supporter of the cause of West Papua.”
“I believe we have had a number of opportunities to press on with what can be done but also as a gesture there are lots of hurdles to go over but we will continue to hope for the best.” Says Hon. Hounipwela.
“We will continue to play our role as much as we can.” The Prime Minister says.
The Prime Minister also thanked the Secretary General Mote for his kind words in congratulating him and acknowledging his role in bringing stability in the country.
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A google translate. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa link at
3) PTFI closing demo, colored rejection of aspiration submission
Papua No. 1 News Portal | Jubi
Demo Front Persatuan Rakyat (FPR) at the House of Representatives of Papua, urged the closure of PT Freeport Indonesia - Jubi / Arjuna
Jayapura, Jubi - At least thousands of Papuan students and youth joined in the People's Union (FPR) Front held a peaceful demonstration demanding PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) closed on Thursday (23/11/2017), at the front yard of the Papua parliament.
The demonstration was colored by a committed mass action unwilling to submit a statement of their attitudes to the local parliament, unsure of the council body.
"Our aspiration will not be handed over because it will only be stored and burned at the end of the year," said FPR General Coordinator Samuel Womsiwor in his speech before Papuan House Speaker Yunus Wonda together with several Papuan legislators.
Several points are the demands of the masses, asking for the closure of PTFI which is considered the root cause of problems in Mimika, and Papua generally, in order to prevent long-standing humanitarian conflict in Timika.
Demonstrators also requested the opening of access for journalists and the international media for the objectivity of the Tembagapura issue, and asked the TNI-Polri to respect the journalist's ethical code for the balance of information related to the situation of Tembagapura
"We came here bare-chested, as a form of injustice to us in our own land, no hostage taking place in Tembagapura, 334 people evacuated, not being held hostage by indigenous Papuans, but because the country failed to prosper them," he said.
According to him, now the original people of Papua mourn, hurt. Indonesia and Freeport are fighting over stocks, and indigenous Papuans are just spectators.
"We have been the victims.This is not the first and the last act, we will do preconditions to reverse the growing opinion if there is a hostage and etc. We are victims, non-Papuan victims, the TNI-Polri officers are also victims of the prolonged conflict in the Freeport area, "he said.
Chairman of Student Executive Board (BEM) Uncen Jayapura, Paskalis Boma in his oration said, the issues reported by various national media confusing and make it ask, what is actually in Mimika.
"This is because it does not fit the facts: Victims are not only civilians, but also security forces, because the system forces them to be on guard at the Freeport mine area," Boma said.
He said that tens of years of indigenous Papuans were being bullied, depressed, and not benefiting from Freeport's existence.
"Immediately close Freeport, we can not remain silent, when we are intimidated and oppressed, if we do not take care of it, free us," he said.
Said Paskalis Boma, it requested international media, because indigenous Papuans no longer believe the national media
"We will only submit a statement of our attitude, because we believe it will not be realized." We know the DPRP is also under pressure, "he said.
Representative of KNPI Kota Jayapura, Benyamin Gurik in his oration said the same thing.
"We all know the history, we want the House of Representatives to form a special committee next week, we will ask whether the committee has been formed, who is the chairman, what the agenda is, and when closing Freeport We will not talk about divestment 51 or 52 percent," said Gurik .
Speaker of the Papua House, Yunus Wonda who was accompanied by a number of members of the House of Papua in front of the masses promised his side will follow up the aspirations by forming a special committee.
Although initially the demonstrators refused to submit their aspirations to the Papuan People's Representative Council, but ultimately the statement was handed over as evidence and guidance of the Papuan People's Legislative Assembly to follow up with the formation of a special committee. (*)
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