2) THE 18TH CONGRESS OF PAPUA BAPTIST CHURCH; TEN THOUSAND CONGREGATIONS WELCOMED THREE PAPUANS CHURCH LEADERS
3) Papuans want justice, not infrastructure
4) GOVERNOR OF PAPUA: WHO SELLS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES?
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1) HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS RALLIED TO MERAUKE PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE
A number of banners were taken during a demonstration at the Merauke DPRD Office – Jubi / Frans L Kobun
Merauke, Jubi – Hundreds of students and youth who are members of the Alliance of Students of the South Papua ‘invaded’ Regional
Representative Office (DPRD) of Merauke Regency. The demonstration was to commemorate the World Day of Human Rights (human rights) every December 10.
On Monday (December 11), before heading to the office of the council, hundreds of students held speech in the Brawijaya Circle (Libra). They
then rallied headed to Merauke parliament.
Various banners were carried contained condemnation to the TNI/Polri who committed acts of persecution against Papuan people, also
the indigenous land grabbed for investment activities.
At the office yard, alternately a number of students made speech. They demanded the completion of number of human rights cases that occurred in Merauke Regency.
In their statement, there are number of important points read out by Frans Wanima, the rally coordinator. Some of these issues urging the government to restore the sovereignty of the land and forests of the people of South Papua.
Another thing is to close PT Korindo Group, since after 25 years of their operation, did not bring development impact and prosperity for people in the South Papua.
“We also demand to stop the custom of money penalty to the victims which despises law and make the TNI/ Police officers become accustomed
and legal to conduct violence and killing in South Papua,” said Frans.
The Student Alliance of South Papua also strongly rejected the efforts of Menkopolhukam, Wiranto, which encouraged the settlement of various
human rights cases in the Council of National Harmony (DKN). Because, they said, it will not provide justice to indigenous Papuans who were the victims.
In response to a number of statements, Chairman at Commission A of Merauke Regency House of Representatives, Moses Kaibu, said they would follow up various aspirations in consultation with the chairman of the board.
“I cannot make decision now. Of course, the aspirations set forth in the demands will be submitted to the speaker of Merauke Parliament,
Francis Sirfefa, and we will have to discuss for scheduled hearing together,” he said.
On MIFEE Program in Merauke
At the same occasion, MRP member, John Wob, when speaking in front of the rally at Merauke DPRD Office claimed that he once
submitted a letter of rejection to the Secretary General of the United Nations related to Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE)
program in Merauke Regency since 2010.
He was also written to the then President of the Republic of Indonesia (RI), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
He said at the time, the impact of MIFEE program will make Marind people extinct, especially because it increasingly cleared community
forest for investment activities.
“Frankly, there is no positive impact that Marind people can feel with the existence of MIFEE in Merauke,” he said. John Wob promised to continue to speak loudly at the MRP and urged the central government to immediately revoke the MIFEE program, as it would gradually ‘wipe out’ the indigenous Marind-Papuans.
Three districts in South Papua are cautioned to limit investment
Separately, in the same day, three Regency in South Papua, such as Merauke, Boven Digoel and Mappi, are reminded to limit investments
leading to large-scale forest clearance.
This was conveyed by Director of the Secretariat of Justice and Peace (SKP) Archdiocese of Merauke, Father Anselmus Amo, to Jubi.
At least, he said, the governments of the three regencies should oversee the implementation of investment so as not to create conflicts
among indigenous peoples and environmental degradation on a wide scale.
Father Anselmus also asks government to develop local food that ensures the cultural sustainability of indigenous peoples.
In addition, he said, it is necessary to mapping customary territory of the clan boundaries so there would be certainty and protection of administration of customary territory among the people themselves.
Father Anselmus added that the three regencies need to have firm stance to ensure access to education and health for communities in
their respective villages.
Previously, Pastor Pius Manu also highlighted investments made in Merauke Regency, where most indigenous peoples’ forests are cleared
only for palm oil development.
As more forest is cleared for the sake of investment, the habitats within it are gradually extinct, he said.
(tabloidjubi.com/Zely)
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2) THE 18TH CONGRESS OF PAPUA BAPTIST CHURCH; TEN THOUSAND CONGREGATIONS WELCOMED THREE PAPUANS CHURCH LEADERS
Thousands of congregations attended the opening of Papua Baptist Church – Jubi/IST
Wamena, Jubi – Ten thousands of Papuan church congregations welcomed the Chairman of the Papua Church Synods, Rev. Dr. Socratez Sofyan Yoman, Chairman of the KINGMI Synod, Rev. Dr. Benny Giay, and President of GIDI, Rev. Dorman Wandikbo S.Th, in Wamena , Monday (December 11).
Three Papuan church leaders, known as trio of herds of the oppressed, were present at Wamena for opening of the 18th Congress of the Baptist Churches of Papua that took place in the Yematsi Sinakma Church in Wamena, Monday (11/12/2017).
The congress will be held until December 14.
The three leaders were with the entourage of Central Board of Churches of Papuan Baptist Church, from the lodge of Sinakma Bahtera Church to Yomaima, venue for the opening of the congress.
Thousands of congregations flooded the streets, mostly barefoot, accompanying the ‘three leaders of the people’ to the congress while dancing Papuan traditional mountainous dance.
“Congress participants are from 27 regions and 313 congregations,” said Chairman of the Congress Committee, Denius Kogoya, in his speech.
The 1st Congress, that was December 1966, was attended by only 276 delegates and 78 congregations. But today thousands are present, as quoted from the 18th Congressional handbook.
The President of GIDI, Rev. Dorman, who brings meditation in the opening of the congress, invites church leaders in Papua, in particular the Baptist church, for not too busy organizing the organization but taking care of congregation.
“Churches should not be busy with taking care of organization. We shall take care of the sheep instead. The shepherd takes care of the sheep,” he said in a sermon.
He conveys the point on how the shepherd keeps their sheep, and according to Wandikbo, there are three tasks related to that.
The first task of the shepherd is to feed. The sheep should get spiritual nutrition, because, those who do not get spiritual food will plunge into the path that is away from God and not be afraid of Him.
The second task of the shepherd is keeping the sheep. The shepherd keeps the sheep so the sheep know the voice of the shepherd.
After you feed and nurture, the last shepherd’s job is to keep the sheep, he said. Sheep are kept so as not to become the object of the ferocity of wild animals.
“Keep them out from the wolves come in,” he said, ending it with truly inspiring musings.
Rev. Benny Giay in his speech representing the Papuan church association said the Baptist church has proved its independence. The Baptist Church does not depend on anyone as the Baptist leader’s voice ‘we drink water from our own well’.
“Today you have proved that you can. You’re great, you can do it,” said Giyai, greeted with applause from thousands of congregation.
He also said, the greatness of the Baptist church is actually the greatness of Papuans who are trampled by the ruler. The greatness of Papuans has actually been recognized scientifically through research civilization of Papuans.
“I just got back from Switzerland. Researchers have proved that agricultural civilization begins in Papua, only the world is hiding it,” he said.
Giay also said the study proves that all bananas and sugar cane that exist all over the world come from Papua.
“(Those are all) cultural potential that we can develop, if only we look at education. Therefore, I order, we note the rights of our children to get a good education,” he said.
Chairman of the Papuan Baptist Church Synod in his speech before opening the congress said that the Baptist church is there to protect the people of God.
Therefore, he hopes that the congress will proceed well to evaluate and plan the future programs to run.
Through the congress, he said, whoever will be elected would be invites to support. However, if he is elected, it is clear to him that he will continue the previous tasks.
“I will take care of God’s people. There should be no murder in the name of NKRI on this land,” he said.
(tabloidjubi.com/Zely)
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3) Papuans want justice, not infrastructure
Separatists renew independence call, accuse Widodo of tightening Indonesian control over Papua with development projects
Hundreds of Papuan students and activists held a protest in Jakarta on Dec. 1 to demand that that the Indonesian military and police be withdrawn from Papua and West Papua provinces and a fresh referendum be organized there to resolve the independence issue once and for all.
More than 5,300km east of Jakarta, thousands of Papuans joined a prayer service organized by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province.
A source in Jayapura said similar prayer services were held in cities and towns in both Papua and West Papua provinces.
Papuans have openly celebrated Dec. 1 as their Independence Day, the day when their independence flag Bintang Kejora, or Morning Star, was hoisted for the first time along side the Dutch flag in the Netherlands in 1961.
The calls for a plebiscite came nearly 50 years after 1,025 Papuan elders chose to integrate with Indonesia in a flawed referendum in July and August 1969.
Their independence demand came despite the central government granting special autonomy to Papua and West Papua in 2001.
Since taking office in October 2014, President Joko Widodo has invested heavily in West Papua (now Papua and West Papua provinces), building, among others, new airports, seaports, power plants, and roads, including the Trans Papua that links almost every town there.
To demonstrate his determination to win the hearts of Papuans, Widodo also freed some political detainees in 2015 and visits the provinces almost every other month.
However, Jakarta’s seeming reluctance to bring to justice military and police officers believed to have been involved in violence and killings in West Papua, however, has raised suspicions among Papuans that the new infrastructure is part of a grand design to exert more military suppression against Papuans.
"Without human rights trials, Papuans will not only see the president as protecting suspected rights violators but also consider his infrastructure projects as being aimed at aiding the military and police to arrest, torture, or even to kill Papuans," said Laurenzus Kadepa, a member of the Papua House of Representatives (DPR Papua).
Violence and killings have gripped West Papua since it was handed to Indonesia in May 1963. Human rights activists believe tens of thousands of people have been killed since then, but the real number is difficult to gauge.
Papuans and rights activists have been pushing the government to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for past human rights violations in West Papua, including, but not limited to, the Paniai shooting in December 2014, Wamena tragedy in 2003, and the Wasior incident in 2001.
Military and police personnel opened fire on a group of protesters in Enarotali town, Pania regency on Dec. 8, 2014, barely two months after Widodo was sworn in as president, killing four youths, including three high school students.
In 2003, members of the army’s feared Special Force Command (Kopassus) and Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) went after a group of armed civilians in Wamena who had stormed into an army warehouse and made off with 29 firearms and 3,500 bullets.
During the chase, they rounded up dozens of civilians and tortured them, resulting in several deaths. They also burned down local people’s houses, churches, polyclinics, and school buildings, forcing thousands to flee.
In the Wasior incident, Manokwari police rounded up, detained, and tortured dozens of civilians suspected of killing five members of the elite Mobile Brigade police in 2001.
Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights said the military and police committed gross human rights violations in those three incidents and recommended that ad-hoc human rights tribunals be set up to try those involved.
Papuans had hoped that Widodo, a civilian with no ties to the previous regimes, would finally give them justice, but a joint team tasked with investigating several shooting incidents in West Papua has missed several deadlines.
In the meantime, violence continues. Nabire Police in Papua arrested KNPB activists Melkisedek Yeimo, Kris Mote, and Yulianus Boma on Dec 1.
On Nov. 29, Christian Albertho Claus Pepuho, chairman of the National Solidarity for Papua Youth and Students (Sonamappa), was beaten up by a mob in Jayapura.
Six days earlier, Sonamappa activist Riki Karel Yakarmilena was arrested for allegedly inciting people to raise the Morning Star flag during a protest in Jayapura calling for an end to American mining company PT Freeport Indonesia’s operations in Papua.
In mid-November, the military claimed more than 1,200 people in three villages around Freeport’s mining site were held hostage by the Free Papua Movement (OPM). The villagers were eventually evacuated but a source in Papua said some 200 Papuans opted to stay put.
"These 200 people are harassed and intimidated by the military almost every day because they don’t want to leave their villages and that raises questions over the whole hostage story," a source said.
Trying members of the military and police for human rights violations in West Papua would not put an end to independence calls among Papuans but it could provide a perfect setting for the government to hold a dialogue with them.
To start with, the trials of military and police personnel responsible for human rights violations in West Papua would give justice to the victims and their families and put an end to military and police impunity.
For Papuans, the military and police in West Papua are occupation forces that treat Papuan people like state enemies that have to be subjugated.
Human rights trials would also reassure Papuans that they are legitimate citizens of the country and their fundamental rights, including rights to life and to live without fear, are protected by the state and that any violation would be dealt with firmly.
Several pro-independence Papuans and their international supporters submitted a petition to the United Nations last September. A copy of the petition, signed by 1.8 million Papuans, was also submitted to the UN Decolonization Committee in a bid to put West Papua back on their agenda.
While both the UN and its Decolonization Committee rejected the petition, it clearly shows the extent of efforts by Papuans and their supporters to achieve independence for West Papua.
Some countries in the Pacific region have also thrown their support behind pro-independence Papuans and have publicly called for international teams to investigation human rights violations in West Papua.
Bringing military and police members to justice for human rights abuses is not an easy task but risking the country’s unity to save some rogue officers is not an act of statesmanship either.
Kanis Dursin is a freelance journalist based in Jakarta
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4) GOVERNOR OF PAPUA: WHO SELLS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES?
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Provincial Government highlights elements of security forces in Papua who allegedly masterminded the sale of liquor
(alcohol), although there are regulations that prohibit the circulation or sale of alcoholic beverages (minol).
“Both the regional head and the TNI/Polri officers, have agreed to sign the integrity pact of the ban on sales and circulation of minol,” said Papua Governor Lukas Enembe in his speech during the inauguration of the Regent of Puncak Jaya, 7 December, in Mulia, Puncak Jaya.
Governor Enembe said recently there was a Hercules aircraft belonging to the Air Force which brought in minol of type vodka to Jayawijaya
Regency. “They do not seem to agree with the regulations set for banning minol, so who sells theminol: TNI, Police or businessman?” remarked Governor Enembe in his speech in front of the inaugurating attendees, including representatives of the police and TNI.
On the occasion, Governor Enembe asked the regent and deputy regent to tighten security at a number of entrances such as airports, to the
districts and villages to prevent people from circulated minol.
He asked the security forces in charge onthe Land of Papua to not make money by selling minol which potentially killing the indigenous Papuans.
“Therefore, I ask Pak Dandim Puncak Jaya for helping to supervise. If there are members who sell alcohol, do not (assigned) them here,” said
Governor Enembe.
Governor reminded that there had been a plane that fell for carrying minol. “We still remember the incidents of Polri’s plane crash at Gunung
Kembu, it brought with them alcohol, so this should not happen again,” he said.
Merauke Air Force Commander: we have checked the buckets
Separately, Merauke Air Force Commander, Colonel (PNB) Awang Kurniawan, confirmed that his members have been working maximally while 32 bucket of paint containing 900 bottles of vodka alcoholic beverage (minol) packed into Hercules aircraft at Mopah Airport on 29 November
2017.
“Before the paints being ship in, they were first quarantined and checked. So, we are basically did not miss anything. Next, we will use electronic detection tool to track. Our members have worked optimally,” said Danlanud, on Friday (December 8).
It is said, electronic devices are difficult to detect dozens of paint cans because they were packed very neat. Where, the label of the paint
is arranged as such to prevent damage. So all of them passed and managed to ride in Hercules and flight to Wamena Jayawijaya Regency.
Danlanud also denied the involvement of its members in smuggling hundreds of vodka bottles to Wamena. “We have checked our members who served at Mopah Airport at the time and they did not involve,” he said.
He admitted that this was the first incident where Hercules hauls hundreds of vodka alcoholic drinks. “It was the first time. It has never been happen before,” he said.
He admitted that dozens of those buckets were taken in by some people and deposited at the airport before boarding the plane. “We took the identity of the sender as well as stated,” he said.
Previously, Merauke Police Criminal Cops, Adjunct Police Commissioner (AKP) Muchsit Sefian, said that three smugglers of hundreds of bottles
of vodka to Wamena with initials ST, ER, and SE have been detained by the Air Force.
(tabloidjbi.com/Zely)
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