Wednesday, February 5, 2020

1) Court hears Red-and-White Militia leader reported Papua treason case to police


2) Cop testifies at Jakarta Six trial, says defendants flew Morning Star flag
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1) Court hears Red-and-White Militia leader reported Papua treason case to police

Tempo – February 4, 2020
M Yusuf Manurung, Jakarta – The name of the person who reported a case of treason to police following a Papuan demonstration in Central Jakarta on August 28, 2019 was revealed during a court hearing yesterday. The person was the Red-and-White Militia (LMP) General Chairperson Adek Erfil Manurung.
“I made a report with the Metro Jaya Polda [Jakarta regional police] while it was still August 28”, said Manurung when testifying at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday February 3.
Manurung said that he made the report after he was informed by a friend that there was a flag raising action at the State Palace. Manurung then watched a video of the action on a YouTube channel belonging to the internet media group Surara.com. After watching the video he claimed to have felt compelled to report it to police.
“For us [raising] the Morning Star is an act of separatism”, he testified.
According to Manurung, he also saw the demonstrators in the video calling for a referendum. In addition to this, there were requests for the withdrawal of the TNI (Indonesian military) from Papua. According to Manurung, the action in front of the State Palace was a movement to separate Papua from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
“We cannot accept those things. Because we love the NKRI”, he said.
Nevertheless, the leader of the group which once besieged the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) offices in Central Jakarta in September 2017 claimed that he could not identify any of the individual defendants in the Papua treason case from the Suara.com video he watched. “It’s just we couldn’t see the people clearly”, said Manurung.

The six defendants in the treason case are Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Charles Kossay, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Anes Tabuni and Arina Elopere. They have been indicted on two alternative articles, namely Article 106 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1(1) of the KUHP on makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) and Article 110 Paragraph 1 of the KUHP on criminal conspiracy.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Pimpinan Ormas Ini Lapor Kasus Makar Papua Setelah Nonton Youtube”.]

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2) Cop testifies at Jakarta Six trial, says defendants flew Morning Star flag
Tempo – February 4, 2020
M Yusuf Manurung, Jakarta – East Jakarta Metropolitan District Police Chief Senior Commissioner Ardian Rishadi was presented as a witness by the prosecution at the trial of six Papua activists charged with treason at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday February 3.
Rishadi gave testimony about when he was watching over a protest action in the vicinity of the State Palace in Central Jakarta that was held on August 28, 2019.

At the time, Rishadi still held the post of Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief. He claimed to have seen the demonstrators singing songs or shouting things which went against the principal of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia or NKRI.
“Papua is not the red-and-white, Papua is the Morning Star, I apologise, but that’s what I heard”, said Rishadi singing the verses that he heard being sung by the demonstrators at the rally when testifying in front of the panel of judges on Monday.
Rishadi also stated that the demonstrators brought Morning Star flags to the protest and that the symbol of the Morning Star was painted on several of the demonstrator’s faces. The symbol was also painted on the road.
Rishadi claimed that he heard the defendants singing and shouting these things. He also said that the defendants made problematic speeches.

“They [said they] wanted to separate from the unitary state, and declared that Papua is not part of Indonesia. Then a referendum was also discussed”, he said.
On the question of the Morning Star symbols, one of the defendants’ lawyers took the opportunity to ask Rishadi which regulation prohibits the Morning Star flag from being flown. Rishadi however expressed the view that the lawyer was testing him and refused to answer the question.
“What’s clear is that the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia only has one flag, the red-and-white, there are no other flags”, said Rishadi, who at the time of the demonstration still held the rank of assistant superintendent of police.
The six defendants in the treason case are Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Charles Kossay, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Anes Tabuni and Arina Elopere. They have been indicted on two alternative articles, namely Article 106 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1(1) of the KUHP on makar(treason, subversion, rebellion) and Article 110 Paragraph 1 of the KUHP on criminal conspiracy.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Saat Eks Wakapolres Jakarta Pusat Bersaksi di Sidang Makar Papua”.]
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1) Light sentence for racism sparked defendant Mak Susi shows racism in the courtroom


2) BIN Guarantees Safety for PON 2020 Papua

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1) Light sentence for racism sparked defendant Mak Susi shows racism in the courtroom

Published 1 day ago on 4 February 2020 By Admin1


Gustaf Kawer, the Chairman of the association of Papua human rights advocates (PAHAM), said through her racism taunts, Mak Susi has caused public clashes in both provinces of Papua and West Papua. -Jubi

Jayapura, Jubi – Tri Susanti a.k.a Mak Susi gets twelve months sentence on Wednesday (29/1/2019). The public prosecutor from Surabaya District Prosecutors Office charges her with Article 14 verse (1) and (2) in conjunction with Article 15 Law No.1 of 1946 of the Criminal Law Code.

Gustaf Kawer, the Chairman of the association of Papua human rights advocates (PAHAM), said through her racism taunts, Mak Susi has caused public clashes in both provinces of Papua and West Papua. Although Mak Susi is legally and convincedly proven to commit a crime as covered in those relevant articles of the Criminal Law Code, the prosecutor Mohamad Nizar only accuses her of twelve months punishment from the maximum sentence that she might get.
Article 14 Verse 1 says a maximum sentence for defendants is ten years, whereas Verse 2 says three years. Meanwhile, Article 15 says defendants could get a maximum of 2 years in prison. However, the prosecutor only charges her for twelve months.
“He charges for the minimum. Indeed, it is the minimum punishment. In my opinion, it does not fair referring to she has done and its impact on the public. The prosecutor should charge her with the maximum punishment,” said Kawer.
According to him, the application of Law No. 1 of 1946 is very much outdated, despite it can also show how ignorant the prosecutor towards justice. “This law has established since the colonialization era with some adjustment to the current situation. Why does it still be used? It is an easy option for them to use,” said Kawer.
Moreover, Kawer argues that because of the widespread impact of her taunts, it caused demonstrations and mass riot, dead victims as well as dozens of indigenous Papuans get arrested in Balik Papan, Jakarta and other towns in Papua. The sentence over Mak Susi, according to him, should be the maximum to bring a sense of justice to the victims. Kawer also assumes Mak Susi will have a light sentence for less than twelve months.
In the case of another defendant Syamsul Arifin, a civil servant who shouted racism expression in the incident occurred at Papuan Student Dormitory in Surabaya in last August, he sentenced 5 months in prison on Thursday (30/1/2020). His sentence is lighter than the prosecutor’s charge of 8 months. Syamsul charged with Article 16 of Law No. 40/2008 on the Elimination of Discrimination, Race and Ethnic.
“From this process, we should be aware that racism has not happened in public. But on the last 16 August, we can see that racism also occurred in law enforcement. From the police, prosecutors to judges in the court, they do it through such articles,” said Kawer.
By contrast, he saw different treatment occurred in Papua. For example, the police arrested the perpetrators in Papua only one day after the incident happened, but they got Mak Susi two months later.
Related to this issue, Kawer asks all political elites and civil authorities in Papua to aware of the racism issue. It is time for all parties to fight racism, especially when it happens in law enforcement institutions.
“If not, it would turn to human rights violation because it occurs in massive and structured ways. While we focus on its impacts, the perpetrator who triggered the incident can go easily. Furthermore, we do not have support from law enforcement,” he said.
For him, the racism incident that occurred in mid-August 2019 should be a momentum for Indonesia to change, to ensure that there would not be racism acts towards Papuans or others in this country.
“Unfortunately, we just wasted this momentum. As a result, racism will continue. We should pay attention to it and must We must agree that it is time to stop racism. People, law enforcement officers, the government must stop racial discrimination against indigenous Papuans or anyone in this country.” (*)
 
Reporter: Angela Flassy
Editor: Pipit Maizier

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2) BIN Guarantees Safety for PON 2020 Papua

Translator: 
 
Editor: 

Ririe Ranggasari


TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) has conducted early detection and mapped out potential vulnerabilities and threats for the National Sports Week or PON 2020, which will be held in Papua. BIN chief Budi Gunawan said he carried out a joint-operation for eliminating said potentials—preventing them from becoming actual disturbances and ensuring everyone's safety.
These precautions are taken because the national sports event will be attended by heads of state as well as ambassadors, "in addition to athletes and officials," Budi Gunawan said in Jakarta, Tuesday, February 4.
PON 2020 will take place in four major areas in Papua: Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Mimika Regency, and Merauke Regency. The sports week is scheduled to take place from October 20 to November 2.
BIN, said Budi Gunawan, is collaborating with the TNI and Polri to roll out intelligence operations, security restorations, and maintaining stability. The involvement of intelligence, he remarked, is to guarantee the safety of country leaders, especially those from neighboring Asia Pacific nations.
In January, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali stated that the Papua Provincial government has ensured the readiness for hosting PON 2020, both in terms of infrastructure and security.  
Irsyan Hasyim (Contributor) | Galuh Kurnia Ramadhani (Intern Translator)
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Monday, February 3, 2020

1) Jokowi urged to withdraw troops from Papua’s Nduga


2) Papuan People's Assembly entrusts safety of Papuan students to Jember regent
3) Thousands of children in Papua are allegedly glue-sniffing addicted

4) Papua High Prosecutors Office investigates corruption allegation in Bank Papua

5) Citilink launches service to Papua from Denpasar
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https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/03/jokowi-urged-withdraw-troops-papua-s-nduga.html

1) Jokowi urged to withdraw troops from Papua’s Nduga

The Jakarta Post  Jakarta   /   Mon, February 3 2020   /  01:02 am

Activists are calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to withdraw troops from the conflict-prone Nduga, Papua, and take a humanitarian approach instead.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has maintained a strong presence in the regency since December 2018, following the killing of more than 30 workers of state-owned company Istaka Karya in the regency by an armed group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
The construction workers were assigned to build a 275-kilometer section of road to connect Wamena and Mamugu as part of President Jokowi’s flagship trans-Papua road project.
The killings led to a protracted security crisis in Nduga, forcing civilians to hide in forests or to seek refuge in the neighboring regency of Wamena.
As many as 139 refugees had died from starvation and illness caused by poor living conditions in the shelters, as reported by the Nduga Solidarity Civil Society Coalition in July last year. The government vehemently rejected the figure and claimed that only 53 displaced people had died.
The executive director of Amnesty International, Usman Hamid, recently said that the death toll has risen to 263.
“We’re not saying that the security threat was absent, but we demand a proportional approach,” Usman said at a press conference in Jakarta marking the first anniversary of the Nduga conflict on Jan. 21.
“The TNI can’t just be deployed as it is. Also, a softer approach is needed to take care of the refugees who need humanitarian help.”
“Remember that during the Abdurrahman ['Gus Dur'] Wahid presidency, the approach toward Papua was softer. The people were given welfare through proportional economic development. Without deploying any troops, peace was there and Papuan society respected Gus Dur a lot because he listened to them,” he added.
The Papua Justice and Welfare Foundation chairman, Theo Hesegem, particularly directed his attention to the deployment of nonlocal soldiers who came from outside Papua.
“These nonlocal troops didn’t know anything about Nduga’s mountainous terrain; as a result their operations are ineffective. It’s better for them to retreat since their ineffectiveness only worsened the conflict,” he said.
The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) also criticized Jokowi’s militaristic approach to Nduga.
“The current militaristic and security approach in Papua is not working well. Jokowi’s cultural approach campaign is nowhere to be seen in Papua,” PGI head Gomar Gultom said at the press conference.
He encouraged the government to partner with the local administration, communities and civilians to bring stability to the regency.
“The government needs to involve church and local leaders using the cultural approach. Like it or not, the church has a special place in society in Papua,” he added.
In August 2019, then-House of Representatives speaker Bambang Soesatyo also voiced his concern over the military presence in the region.
“The tension over security measures in Nduga must be lowered so the residents don’t feel scared anymore,” he said, as quoted on the House’s official website.
The situation in Nduga remained unstable until Dec. 20, 2019 when Hendrik Lokbere, the close aide of Nduga deputy regent Wentius Nimiangge, was shot dead by an unidentified perpetrator on a road in Kenyam district.
Days after Hendrik’s death, Wentius publicly declared his resignation in front of locals at the regency’s Kenyam Airport.
“I don’t have a position anymore. I am done. My duty is finished, along with Hendrik’s life,” he said in his speech, a video of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post.
Wentius also said he had asked the central government a year ago to withdraw military and police personnel from Nduga so people could return to their villages and resume their normal lives. However, he claimed he had received no response.
“We are an extension [of the central government] in the region, but we have no dignity; we are not respected,” he said, “The central government has never responded to our request.”
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sisriadi defended the military presence in Nduga, saying that the soldiers had been professionally trained to protect civilians in the conflict situation.
“Our Army won’t hurt civilians. The demand to retreat the Army from Nduga will further endanger the residents’ safety. There is no functional government running and the OPM is still there,” he told the Post, while declining to reveal the number of soldiers deployed in the region. (trn)
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2) Papuan People's Assembly entrusts safety of Papuan students to Jember regent
Benny Mawel The Jakarta Post
 Jayapura   /   Mon, February 3, 2020   /   04:01 pm


Papua's People's Assembly members greet 146 students who return to Papua amid security concerns in the cities where they were studying. (JP/Benny Mawel)

During a meeting about the fate of Papuan migrant students after last year’s racial abuse incidents in East Java, the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) asked Jember Regent Faida to ensure the safety of the Papuan students in her regency.
MRP chairman Timotius Murib said during the meeting that took place at the office of the special representatives for indigenous Papuans on Jan. 27 he had asked the regent to take care of the Papuan student community currently in Jember.
“We left a message [for Faida] to protect the Papuan people, especially the 200 students who are studying in Jember,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Timotius said that he relayed the message on behalf of the students’ parents, with the hope that there would be security guarantees for students in Jember.
“We communicated the message so that [the students] can be [treated] like the regent’s children, as well as the Forkopimda’s [Regional Leadership Communication Forum] children and the people of Jember’s children,” he said.
The meeting with the regent was a follow-up to a discussion with Papuan migrant students the week before, during which the students asked the MRP, the Papuan Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) and the Papua Governor to pay more attention to their future, Timotius said.
He said that many Papuan students who were studying in different cities outside the region have returned to Papua because they felt unsafe in their cities of study.
“We are victims of racism. The government must talk about it seriously. We want a solution,” Eko Pilipus Kogoya, one of the migrant students who moved back to Papua, told the Post.
In response to the message, Jember Regent Faida said she promised to take care of the Papuan people in her regency.
“We promise to protect the bright generation who will develop Papua in the future,” she said in a statement released by the MRP.
Last year, racial abuse incidents against Papuan students living in Malang and Surabaya, East Java, triggered widespread and prolonged protests, some turning violent, in Papua and West Papua. 


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3) Thousands of children in Papua are allegedly glue-sniffing addicted
Published 17 hours ago on 3 February 2020 By Admin

Merauke, Jubi – Papua Education Office is focussing on drafting a regional regulation on education. This education bill plans to cover the rights of teachers and students.
“One of our priorities is (the education for) children of glue-sniffing addicted. They are mostly indigenous Papuans. In Merauke, they are quite significant in number,” told the Head of Papua Education Office Christian Sohilait on Saturday (1/2/2020).

Based on his staff’s report, Christian said that at least around ten thousand children assumed in Papua has addicted to glue-sniffing. This situation is very alarming,and need to address immediately.
“With this huge number (of glue-sniffers), how can we ignore and not pay attention to them? It will turn to be a special case to address urgently,” said Sohilait.
Concerning this behaviour among children, he thinks it links with the lack of support from family and parenting responsibility.
“Once they were born, parents should take care of and raise their children as well as provide education for them.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chair of Merauke local parliament Dominikus Ulukyanan admits the case of glue-sniffing addiction among children in the region.
“It is the responsibility of all parties to embrace as well as to provide ongoing assistance (to glue sniffing addicts).” (*)

Reporter: Ans K
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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4) Papua High Prosecutors Office investigates corruption allegation in Bank Papua
Published 17 hours ago on 3 February 2020 By Admin1
Jayapura, Friday – Papua High Prosecutors Office and Nabire District Prosecutors Office are currently investigating corruption allegation in Bank Papua Branch Paniai in Enarotali, the capital of Paniai Regency, Papua. This allegation associated with the prior case of loan distribution of IDR 281 billion for creditors.
This investigation was confirmed by the Assistant of Special Crime of the Papua High Prosecutors Office Alexander Sinuraya to Antara News Agency in Jayapura on Friday (31/1/2020).
“This case is currently under the investigation of Nabire District Prosecutors Office who in charge for Paniai Regency and prosecutors from Papua High Prosecutors Office will assist the investigation,” he said.
According to him, so far there is no suspect named in this allegation. “Hopefully the investigation becomes more in-depth shortly,” he said.
Separately, the Business Director of Bank Papua Sadar Sebayang admits the bad loan case of IDR 281 billion in Bank Papua.
“The case that happened in 2016 is currently under the investigation of Papua High Prosecutors Office,” Sebayang confirmed.
According to him, Bank Papua had penalised the employees involved in this case, including dismissal. Sebayang also said that non-performing loan creditors had paid their instalments up to IDR 185 billion including bank interest. However, he said Bank Papua is supportive of this legal conduct by these two prosecutors offices.
“BPD Papua fully supports the current legal process conducted by Papua High Prosecutors Office,” said Sebayang. (*)
 
Reporter: Aryo Wisanggeni G
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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5) Citilink launches service to Papua from Denpasar

By Coconuts Bali 

For those of us planning to visit Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua any time soon, there is now an option to fly direct from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, as low cost carrier Citilink just operated its inaugural flight to the city of Timika on Friday. 
This is Citilink’s second service to Papua, after first launching a flight to Jayapura from Jakarta in 2017. According to a statement received by Coconuts Bali, the Denpasar-Timika service is a non-stop flight that utilizes the Airbus A320 fleet and will be available four times a week on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 
The flights will depart Ngurah Rai at 9.55am and arrive at Mozes Kilangin International Airport in Timika at 2.25pm, while the return journey takes off from Timika at 3.10pm and arrives in Bali at 5.40pm, all in local times. 
“We hope this flight will increase access to Papua, which will later contribute to better welfare in Papua,” said Juliandra, Citilink Indonesia President Director, as quoted in the statement. 
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Sunday, February 2, 2020

2020: A year of meaningful diplomacy over Papua?

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/03/2020-a-year-meaningful-diplomacy-over-papua.html



2020: A year of meaningful diplomacy over Papua?

Jakarta Post

Ronny Kareni
Canberra   /   Mon, February 3 2020   /  01:24 am 

The year 2020 dawns with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s continued blatant avoidance of human rights violations and willful ignorance of West Papuans’ right to self-determination. But with Papuans’ increasing commitment to realizing peace with justice in their homeland, the time has come for Indonesia to act swiftly and decisively over the issues that are important to Papuans.
The next 12 months will determine whether Jokowi’s multi-party coalition is capable of finalizing the timing of the visit of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights (currently Michelle Bachelet), which aims to address the Nduga humanitarian situation, and of entering into a third-party mediation with Papuan independence leaders for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in the territory.
These events are pivotal as they will make or break Jakarta’s diplomacy over West Papua in the coming decade.
Indonesia has in principle committed to granting the UN Human Rights Office access to Papua. But little progress toward this end is apparent. Despite issuing an invitation to the office in February 2018 to visit the territory, the government flounders when it comes to setting an actual date. Invitations mean nothing until genuine action is taken. Jakarta still maintains, contra to the evidence, that economic development in Papua is the solution to the human rights crisis. It is a stalemate.
Overcoming the requires courage, and courage requires action from Jokowi, rather than the willful blindness toward Papua that he has so far shown during his presidency, which is flailing under the influence of nationalist heavyweights — Indonesia’s oligarchs, political elites, and the national security apparatus.
But if a date is set during Jokowi’s presidency for the UN visit, this will soften decades worth of persistent criticism of human right violations in Papua, violations that include suppression of political dissent, torture, extrajudicial killings and systemic police and military violence.
It will also go some way toward improving Indonesia’s global standing. Pacific leaders, including those in Australia and New Zealand, have urged Jakarta to set a clear timeframe for the UN visit to Papua to address allegations of human rights violations and the root causes of the conflict.
Since Jokowi took on the presidency, nothing has been achieved toward resolving human rights cases and nothing has changed in the pattern of violations by the Indonesian armed forces. Foreign journalists seeking to report on Papua are restricted with specific regulations.
Even worse is Jokowi’s deliberate negligence toward ending the 13-month old conflict in Nduga. Jokowi must pull his head out of the sand: The Nduga crisis will not fade away if he only improves infrastructural development in the region.
Although economic development is a state obligation, it is not the solution for Papuans’ outcry. Neither is deploying thousands of troops in the name of stability and security. 
If Jakarta is serious about human security, it needs to demilitarize Nduga and engage the local government and rights groups to help Nduga residents return home safely to rebuild their lives. 
It must also invest in the future of Papuan students. Following the racial slurs and harassment of Papuan students in Surabaya by out-of-control military officers in mid-August 2019, an exodus of Papuan students fled home, their right to education in limbo. These are future leaders of a nation. 
Political imprisonment must cease. Many of Papua’s brightest citizens are behind bars. A record number of arrests between August and December 2019 has landed 84 prominent leaders with suspected treason charges. 
It’s self-evident that Jokowi must do everything in his power to resolve the Nduga crisis and respond to the Papuan provincial government and Pacific regional leadership, including the urgent call of the 79 member states of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. 
Third-party mediation is the best way forward, not the tried and failed methods of dialogue and special autonomy. 
Jokowi has met Papuan public figures numerous times, visited the region more often than any of his predecessors and received countless recommendations from ministerial authorities who have put forward solutions to the problems in the territory. 
Why then has Jokowi failed to defuse Papuan grievances? Whether Jakarta recognizes it or not, at some point in the near future, as West Papuan activism builds toward a crescendo, Indonesia will have to enter into negotiations about West Papua’s future. Jokowi could be the president that takes the negotiations forward. 
The time is ripe for meaningful engagement without pre-conditions over Papua. Should Jokowi turn his attention to setting a date for the UN visit, resolving the Nduga humanitarian situation and arranging third-party negotiation, this would be a win-win solution for Jakarta and Papua. 
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Papuan musician and activist, and has worked as a fixer and programmer in Australia for the past 10 years. He graduated in diplomacy studies at Australian National University, and is cofounder of Rize of the Morning Star, a musical and cultural movement, and consults the Pacific Mission of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

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NZ has stuck up for the rights of the small before. Today, West Papua needs us


NZ has stuck up for the rights of the small before. Today, West Papua needs us
FEBRUARY 3, 2020 
Cat MacLennan | Guest writer Opinion   

In 1994, New Zealand sent a cross-party delegation of five MPs to Timor-Leste on a fact-finding mission. It made a real difference, and could do again for West Papuans, writes Cat McLennan.



A UNAMET ELECTION OFFICAL LEADS THE FIRST MAN INTO THE POLLING STATION IN EAST TIMOR ON VOTING DAY, 1999. PHOTO: BRONSTEIN/GETTY IMAGES


When France refused to halt nuclear testing in the South Pacific and continued to detonate bombs at Moruroa Atoll, New Zealand sent a frigate to bear witness to the explosions.
The Otago was dispatched to Moruroa in July 1973 on the orders of then-prime minister Norman Kirk, who said its voyage would publicise France’s actions “so as to stimulate world opinion further and attract wider support for the rights of small nations”. Cabinet minister Fraser Coleman sailed as a high-level government representative on board the vessel.
In 2020, the New Zealand government could again stick up for the rights of the small and powerless – if it chose to act.
In another part of our region, West Papua has been occupied by Indonesia since 1963. Hundreds of thousands of West Papuans have been killed, while others have suffered torture, beatings and intimidation.
There is a striking parallel between what is happening in West Papua and what occurred earlier in Timor-Leste: both in the actions of Indonesia, and in New Zealand’s silence and acquiescence.
Indonesia invaded Timor-Leste in 1975 and annexed it in 1976. Amnesty International estimated that up to 200,000 people died on the island prior to, during and in the aftermath of the invasion.
Our government offered up no protest or condemnation of Indonesia’s actions, and abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning the Indonesian invasion. New Zealand also continued its links with the Indonesian military, including training pilots.
This country accepted the Indonesian position that Timor-Leste was the 27th province of Indonesia, with then-prime minister David Lange saying in a 1984 media interview that the situation in Timor was a good deal better than Indonesian critics painted it as being, and it was not for this country to interfere in Indonesia’s internal affairs.
Indonesia adopted a policy of “transmigration” in Timor, flooding the country with new residents from different parts of the archipelago.  The same policy is currently being followed in West Papua, with the indigenous population being swamped by new arrivals.
The Indonesians believed that Timorese resistance to their rule would gradually diminish, and that building infrastructure such as roads and schools would win the hearts and minds of the occupied. That proved to be completely wrong. The Timorese never stopped fighting for their country to be free from Indonesian rule.
The Santa Cruz massacre in 1991, in which at least 250 Timorese independence demonstrators were killed, stoked further international concern about the situation in Timor. One of those killed in the cemetery was New Zealander Kamal Bamadhaj, a political science student and human rights activist based in Australia.
Undercover footage of the massacre was filmed and smuggled out of Timor and later used in the 1992 documentary In Cold Blood: The Massacre of East Timor. John Pilger’s documentary, Death of a Nation, was also filmed undercover and aired in 1994.

And, also in 1994, New Zealand sent a cross-party delegation of five MPs to Timor-Leste on a fact-finding mission. The visit was arranged following talks between then-Indonesian President Suharto and then-Prime Minister Jim Bolger, during which the president invited New Zealand MPs to travel to Timor and observe the human rights situation for themselves.
The group was led by National MP Roger McClay and also comprised National MP Nick Smith, Labour MPs Phil Goff and Jim Sutton, and then-New Zealand First MP Tau Henare.
I was one of the journalists who accompanied the delegation, at a time when reporters were barred from visiting Timor. Indonesia at first refused to grant visas for journalists to travel with the parliamentarians, but relented at the last minute.
The delegation travelled first to Jakarta for high-level Indonesian government meetings, including with Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, members of the House of Representatives and the chair of the National Commission on Human Rights.
We then flew to Dili, where the MPs had talks with the Governor of East Timor, the Speaker of the East Timor Provincial Legislative Assembly, the Rector of the East Timor State University, the Chief of the Wira Dharma military command, and the head of the Roman Catholic community, Bishop Belo.
The delegation also visited the Becora correctional institute and New Zealand-funded development projects in Lautem.
The MPs and journalists were given a hard sell by the Indonesians about how material conditions were improving in Timor. The East Timor provincial military commander, Colonel Syahnakri, told us there were 348 underprivileged villages in Timor and “the one single important role of the armed forces over here is to try and improve the living standards of human beings.”
A New Zealand diplomat backed up the positive picture presented by Indonesia. The official consistently put to the MPs the Indonesian view on any issue on which they received contrary information. Persistent efforts were made to discourage journalists from accompanying the delegation on the more sensitive calls. The official also tried to dissuade delegation members from visiting Santa Cruz, warning that it would provoke a diplomatic backlash from Indonesia. Eventually, it was agreed that the MPs would make a discreet visit by themselves.
Despite the propaganda exercise, it did not take long to see another side to the positive picture being sold. Belo said there were between 10,000 and 20,000 Indonesian troops stationed in Timor – the Indonesians gave a figure of 5000. We constantly saw truckloads of soldiers driving around, including commandos in dark blue berets.
One military barracks was located directly across the road from the university. When we visited the university, we spoke to some students, who were keen to follow up further with us.
We reluctantly decided not to meet with them again, concerned about the repercussions for them as we were certain all of our movements were monitored. We assumed that the drivers who transported us also reported back on our activities.

The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) had well-established channels for communicating with visitors. A message smuggled down to us said there were still 1680 people in the hills carrying on resistance. A go-between tried to bring one of them down to meet with us at night, but the attempt was abandoned because of the heavy Indonesian presence.
Belo said that the Timorese did not care about the infrastructure being developed by Indonesia.
“For the East Timor people, it doesn’t matter if you have big buildings and streets – the people are not happy. They feel they are not at home.”
At the end of the trip, McClay said that development of Timor was much better than he had expected. The picture presented of life and development tended to be blurred and negative, but “after seeing them on the spot they are in fact quite good”. Another MP said he was satisfied torture was no longer occurring in Timor.
I was less sanguine and wondered how he could be sure.
Of course, a tightly-controlled three-day trip to Timor did not enable the delegation to reach an accurate picture of what was occurring there.
But the visit and the reporting kept attention on the situation in Timor, and the fact that a parliamentary delegation had made the trip enhanced both New Zealanders’ and the New Zealand Parliament’s interest in, and concern for, Timor.
Ongoing international pressure on Indonesia about Timor led to a United Nations’-sponsored referendum in 1999. When the Timorese voted for independence, the Indonesian military destroyed half of the country’s infrastructure, killed 1500 people and displaced more than 300,000.
Timor-Leste became independent on 20 May 2002.
A visit by a delegation of New Zealand MPs to West Papua in 2020 would similarly draw attention to the situation there, and focus a public, political and media spotlight on what should be done in future.
The 1994 parliamentary delegation to Timor provides a clear model for New Zealand’s MPs in 2020: all that is required is the will to make it happen.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018 told Indonesian President Joko Widodo during his state visit to this country that New Zealand supported Indonesian control of Papua.
She was wrong then, just as our government was earlier wrong over Timor.
Parliament could act in 2020 to ensure that it is on the right side of history over West Papua.
Cat MacLennan is a barrister and former political journalist.
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Saturday, February 1, 2020

1) Man carrying bullets in Biak gets four years sentence


2) Victim questions light sentence in racism case that sparked Papua riots
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1) Man carrying bullets in Biak gets four years sentence

Published 1 day ago on 31 January 2020 By Admin1

Jayapura, Jubi – The panel of judges at the Biak District Court, Papua, convict thirty years old defendant Imanuel Wayeni who carried sixty-four pieces of 5.65-millimetre ammunition from Jayapura to Biak with four years in prison.
The judges read the verdict against Wayeni in a hearing trial held on Monday (27/1/2020). His sentence is lighter than previously charged by the prosecutor to five years sentence.
The defendant’s lawyer Imanuel Rumayom said the panel of judges give his client seven days to consider whether he will accept or summon the sentence to the High Court in Jayapura. However, Rumayom said he would challenge it after discussing it with his client.
“In our point of view, the Emergency Law no. 12 of 1951 about the ownership of ammunition and sharp weapon as accused by the prosecutor is a rubber article which commonly used to arrest indigenous Papuans,” Rumayom told Jubi via his cellphone on Monday (27/1/2020).
According to him, his client repeatedly stated to the judges that someone set him a trap. “From the start, from the investigation by police to the Court’s trial, we have asked (the authorities) to investigate the owner of these bullets,” he said.
Regarding this, he explained that when his client was at Jayapura Port to Biak, someone gave him a package to carry. His client did not know if it contained ammunition. Moreover, he said the defendant’s statement already proven in the Court.
“The prosecutor also has not been able to prove where did the ammunition come. But, due to a relevant article in the Emergency Law about the bullet’s carrier, it is so relatable to the defendant, although we are sure it did not belong to him,” he said.
Imanuel Wayeni was arrested by Biak Numfor Police at Biak Port on 4 September 2019 while en route from Jayapura City to Serui, Yapen Islands Regency on the passenger ship KM Ciremai.
At that time, the Police Chief of Biak Numfor Mada Indra Laksanta said that beside dozens of bullets, the police also seized a bayonet, camouflage pants, a camouflage shirt with Star-Flag emblem, a camouflage jacket, a camouflage hat and a pair of black shoes.
“He was arrested in the police raid at Biak Port when passengers of KM Ciremai arrived from Jayapura at around 06.30 a.m. Papua time on Wednesday (4/9),” said Police Chief Laksanta. (*)
 
Reporter: Arjuna Pademme
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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2) Victim questions light sentence in racism case that sparked Papua riots
CNN Indonesia – January 31, 2020

Surabaya – One of the Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya who was the target of racist abuse last year believes that the five month jail sentence handed down against the defendant Syamsul Arifin was too light.
This was revealed by Yoab Orlando, one of the residents of the Papua student dormitory on Jl Kalasan Surabaya. In August last year the dormitory was besieged by hundreds of people from nationalist mass or social organisations (ormas) and security personnel.

“The sentence was too light, yet the impact of this racist and hate speech was far greater than the sentence. This is very worrying”, Orlando told CNN Indonesia on Friday January 31.
Orlando believes that the five-month sentence is too short especially since Arifin can expect to be released soon because most of the sentence will be deducted by the time he spent in detention during the legal process.
The sentence, said Orlando, is the opposite of the heavy sentences which threaten activists and Papuan people who protested the racist actions against the Papuan students.
“It’s only five months, right, very soon he’ll be released because the defendant has already served a part of it in detention. Meanwhile the demonstrators who protested the racism in Papua face far heavier jail terms that the perpetrator [Arifin]”, he said.

Orlando also asked why only Arifin has been prosecuted. He clearly remembers that there were members of the security forces who were involved in the racist abuse against the Papuan students. This, he said, was clearly captured in video recordings circulating on social media.
Orlando is pessimistic that members of the security forces will be prosecuted saying this is the same as cases of human rights (HAM) violations in Papua which to this day have never been resolved.
“On the question of the security personnel who made the racist remarks, I don’t see it as very different from the cases of HAM violations in Papua which are mostly committed by security forces who’s legal cases stagnate, so it’s not very different”, he said.
Earlier, Syamsul Arifin, a state civil servant charged over racism during the incident at the Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya was sentenced to five months jail.
“[We hereby] hand down a sentence against the defendant Syamsul Arifin of five months jail. We order that the defendant pay a fine of 1 million rupiah or serve an additional one month’s incarceration”, said the judge.

The panel of judges said that Arifin had been found guilty of violating Article 16 of Law Number 40/2008 on the Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination.
“The defendant Syamsul Arifin has legally and convincingly found to have committed a crime by intentionally demonstrating hatred or feelings of hatred towards another person based on racial discrimination”, said the judge.
The judges said that there were mitigating circumstances, namely the defendants admitted to his deed and had never been jailed before or involved in a crime prior to this case. Meanwhile the incriminating factor was than Arifin had created anxiety among the public.
The verdict was lighter than the sentence demanded by the public prosecutor of eight months in jail.
With this sentence and the deductions for time he has already served in jail, Arifin will leave the Surabaya Class I Penitentiary in Medaeng Sidoarjo today. (frd/pmg)
[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Penghuni Asrama Papua: Vonis ASN Kasus Rasisme Terlalu Ringan”.]
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