1) News: Basque Parliament passes resolution in support of West Papua
On October 8, 2021, the Basque Parliament passed a motion of support with the West Papuan struggle. The resolution notes that, ‘over 500,000 people have died in a genocide against the indigenous population,’ denounces human rights violations against West Papuans, and calls for a UN visit to the territory.
The motion was proposed by member of the Basque Parliament, Oihana Etxebarrieta, and Senator Gorka Elejabarrieta. The resolution was passed with unanimous support from EH Bildu and the Spanish Socialist Party, the major party in Spain’s ruling coalition.
The resolution follows a motion passed by the Spanish Senate earlier in the year calling for an urgent visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Benny Wenda, Interim President of the ULMWP Provisional Government, said: ‘This is an example of true solidarity with those who are made voiceless by geopolitical interests. The people of West Papua have been suffering for so long under Indonesian colonial rule, but this motion gives my people a lot of confidence. The people of the Basque understand democracy and human rights, and we appreciate their support and solidarity.’
The full text of the agreement reads as follows:
Over 500,000 people have died in a genocide against the indigenous population. Thousands have suffered rape, torture, prison or have been “disappeared” after being detained. Basic human rights, such as freedom of expression, are denied, and West Papuans live in a constant state of fear and intimidation. The IPWP was created, with the involvement of exiled West Papua independence leader Benny Wenda, to defend the rights of West Papua. A network of parliamentarians from around the world who support self-determination for the people of West Papua through a free and fair referendum, and to denounce the illegality of the 1969 Act. EH Bildu is part of the network through our Senator Gorka Elejabarrieta, and based on our commitment to this cause, we brought this motion to the Committee and we have reached this unanimous agreement in which, amongst other points we:
– underline the demand for the State of Indonesia to allow the UN OHCHR
to visit west Papua and produce an independent report
– encourage the involved parties to seek a space for talks and dialogue,
which we believe is the best way to overcome conflict
– also denounce the serious violations of human rights taking place in
West Papua, leading the population into a situation of fear and
isolation that must end
Jayapura, Jubi – Lawmaker of Papua Legislative Council John NR Gobai said that forest products and other natural resources in Papua were mostly controlled by investors, who have permits from the central government, instead of Indigenous People. To date, Indigenous Papuans are still marginalized in natural resource management.
“Indigenous People work on natural resources with simple tools and their activities were considered illegal,” Gobai said during a webinar on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.
According to Gobai, investors often prioritize profits over establishing equal relationships with Indigenous People and other stakeholders. Investors, Gobai said, also grabbed land belonging to Indigenous People, pitting Indigenous People against each other, which resulted in polarization in society.
“Investors also use security forces in land grabbing practices, which sometimes results in violence and human rights violations,” he said.
Gobai said that natural resource management models that ignore the existence of Indigenous People often make them lose their customary forests, which are their source of livelihood. This is presumably due to the weak supervision by the government, says Gobay.
“Even in law enforcement, injustice occurs. People who are said to be managing natural resources illegally are criminalized. While on the other hand, companies that violate the rules are often exempted from punishment,” he said.
The representative of the Indigenous People of Wembi Village in Manam District, Keerom Regency, Kosmas Boryam, said in the discussion that most of the customary forest in Wembi had been turned to oil palm plantations. However, the Indigenous People do not get any economic benefits from the plantations.
“Most of our forest has been converted into oil palm plantations. But do we enjoy the profit? Absolutely not,” Boryam said.
Boryam believed that forest sustainability was very important for Indigenous People in Papua, including in Keerom Regency. “We Indigenous People hunt in the forest because our income is not enough to pay for our children’s tuition. If we get prey, such as deer, we can sell it for school fees,” he said.
However, as the customary forests are getting depleted, Boryam said he did not know how the next generation of Keerom Indigenous People would thrive in life. Currently, the Indigenous People of Wembi are trying to grow cassava, vegetables, vanilla, and cocoa on the remaining land to support their livelihood. “We only live from farming. We hope that the government will pay attention to us, the Indigenous People in the village,” he said. (*)
Reporter: Arjuna Pademme
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G
Jayapura, Jubi – September and October have been busy months for the Indonesian and Australian Army. Three joint exercises have been held in both countries. A senior officer in the Australian Army, Maj. Gen. Justin Frederick Ellwood, commonly known as Jake Ellwood, also paid a visit to Indonesia.
“We have resumed bilateral military training which marks an important milestone in our defense and security partnership,” said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams in a written statement received by Jubi on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.10.25
According to Williams, Indonesia was an important strategic partner. “The recent visits and joint training prove the importance of the relationship between Indonesia and Australia while we are seeking a way out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
Williams revealed that on Sept. 9, Ministers of Defense and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries met up to discuss bilateral strategic and security interests. The meeting was soon followed by a visit by Maj. Gen. Jake Ellwood, the commander of the Australian Army’s Division 1, to Jakarta.
In his visit, Ellwood met with senior officers of the Indonesian Army, as well as discussed with the Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Andika Perkasa, the opportunities and initiatives to increase the level and complexity of joint training.
“It is a pleasure to be back in Indonesia as we begin to strengthen our Army’s bilateral relationship with Indonesia,” Ellwood said, as quoted in the press release.
On Sept. 24, Ellwood trained 165 members of the Indonesian and Australian Army in a two-week Junior Officer Combat Instructor Training (JOCIT) in Bandung, West Java.
“As our cooperation increases, the complexity of the operations we have to perform also increases. Activities like JOCIT are very important for both Australian and Indonesian Army,” said Ellwood.
Meanwhile, on Sept. 27, Indonesia’s Special Forces Units (Kopassus) and Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) joined a counterterrorism training called the Dawn Komodo, in Sewang, West Java. The training is designed for participants to exchange counterterrorism skills, knowledge, and experience. Dawn Komodo remains one of the longest joint exercises conducted by special forces of the two countries.
In October, Australia also hosted training in Darwin, dubbed the Wirra Jaya exercise, for 200 Indonesian Army personnel. This year’s exercise, sponsored by the Australian Army, is the largest iteration of the exercise since it was initiated. Wirra Jaya is an annual three-week joint exercise between Australia and Indonesia to improve the infantry skills of soldiers of both countries and strengthen shared values and commitments to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (*)
Reporter: Dominggus Mampioper
