Police move in on protesters for West Papua outside the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, ACT, on Friday. Image: AWPA
About 20 protesters in support of West Papuan self-determination were defiant in the face of Indonesian nationalism “blasted at them from the embassy” and a police response in Canberra at the weekend.
“It is an immature and childish response from the Indonesian embassy,” said Anthony Rumbiak, one of the rally organisers.
With speeches underway, West Papuans and supporters blocked the entrance to the Indonesian Embassy by staging a “massacre” in protest against continuing human rights abuses in West Papua.
The West Papua human rights protest at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra on Friday. Image: AWPA
Australian police responded immediately to protect Indonesia’s “sensitivity” and to avoid further pressure from their officials who stood among them.
One supporter was arrested and taken into custody for failure to provide a name and address. The activist was refused bail.
The Australian police reaction showed continuous protection of the Indonesian government and bowing to its pressure rather than question their treatment of West Papua’s indigenous people, protest organisers said.
The West Papuan struggle continues to gain momentum at the international level and remains a thorn in the side of the Indonesian state.
“The support for a Free West Papua shall not be silenced in Australia and it’s about time the Indonesian government must engage with West Papua’s legitimate body,” said Lewis Prai Wellip, one of the West Papuan activist leaders who travelled from Melbourne to Canberra.
Indonesia will await the outcome of Australia's investigation into the training material behind this month's defence suspension before making a decision about further cooperation.
It has also called for Australia to ensure the "trespassers" who climbed onto the roof of Indonesia's consulate in Melbourne "immediately" face the law.
Indonesia's Chief of military General Gatot Nurmantyo, joined the country's defence and foreign ministers, as well the head of intelligence at parliament for the closed-door meet that ran for more than six hours on Thursday.
When it was finished, General Nurmantyo told reporters, Australia's chief of army Angus Campbell will come to Indonesia next month to convey the result of their investigation into the material which sparked the Indonesian general's announcement this month that defence cooperation was suspended.
"They (Australia) have apologised and they have evaluated the curriculum and they are investigating," General Nurmantyo said on Thursday.
"Whether or not we continue to cooperate will depend on that."
In a shock-move, General Nurmantyo announced the suspension earlier this month, saying an Indonesian officer discovered the material while on a language training course at a Perth base in Australia late last year.
General Nurmantyo said it poked fun at Indonesia's founding principles - Pancasila - and also suggested its province of Papua should be independent.
Initially it was reported the suspension would apply to all military ties, however, the government later said it was only in relation to language training.
"Australia is one of our most important partners, I think as a close neighbour we need each other," she told reporters after the parliamentary briefing," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.
With such a "high intensity relationship" it was no surprise that every now and then there would be "problems".
She said the parliament was also keen to see Australia bring those protesters who "trespassed" on the Indonesian consulate-general in Melbourne this month and displayed a West Papuan flag.
"Why up to now those people haven't been arrested? It has been more than 20 days," Ms Marsudi said.
"(We want Australia) to immediately solve this case and bring this case before the legal process."
Parliamentary member T. B. Hasanuddin asked: "How come they (Australia) have the capability to hunt terrorists so fast, and then when looking just for these two 'bums' they cannot (catch them)?"
2) Global petition for freedom in West Papua launched in London
1:16 am today
A global petition calling on the United Nations to put West Papua back on its decolonisation list has been launched in Britain.
(L to R) Tim, Tom and Joel from Swim for West Papua, Maria Wenda, Benny Wenda, Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, Peter Tatchell, Lord Harries. Photo: International Parliamentarians for West Papua
The petition is open to people all around the World up until August, when a team of British swimmers plan to swim it 69 kilometres across Lake Geneva to present it to UN Secretary General António Guterres.
A spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, said the swim would highlight the West Papuan struggle as a humanitarian issue rather than just a Pacific or a Melanesian one.
Along with the Swim for West Papua event, the petition was launched this week by the Free West Papua Campaign.
It calls on the UN to appoint a special representative to investigate the human rights situation in West Papua and for an internationally supervised vote on self determination.
Free West Papua said the aim of the petition was to demonstrate the growing international support for West Papuans to have the opportunity to decide their own future.
It said this would also build on growing diplomatic backing for a supervised vote.
Such a vote was described as being in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 1541 [XV].
While Jakarta said human rights problems in Papua are largely confined to the past, indigenous Melanesians of this region have claim there was a slow motion genocide being perpetrated in their homeland by Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, co-founder of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, shared a message of support from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu which decried the lack of international media attention on West Papua.
He also commended the Swim Team and called for solidarity with the West Papuan people saying 'we may live in different regions of the world, but we are one family'.
3) Govt Targets to Finish Trans Papua by 2018-2019
Friday, 27 January 2017 | 15:39 WIB
JAKARTA, NETRALNEWS.COM- The government via the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing keeps speeding development project of Trans Papua road and expects to connect all sections by 2018-2019.
“Trans Papua road has a total length of 4,330.07 kilometers. As of 2016-end, it has exceeded 3,851.93 km. It is targeted by 2017-end to add to more or less 3,963.87 km hence by year-end only 366.20 km left,” Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in a release in Jakarta, Friday (1/27/2017).
Development of new section for Trans Papua last year, Basuki continued, reached 231.27 km for this year there will be new section addition of 143.55 km.
One of sections which become the ministry’s focus is the road which connects mountainous area of Wamena-Habema-Kenyam-Mamugu along 278.6 km which is expected to connect this year.
The road existence is highly important to suppress premium cost experienced by people living around Wamena mountain, Papua.
According to plan by the end of January 2017 or early February 2017 the President of Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo will visit the road section.
Papua border road with a total length of 1,098.2 km as of 2016 has been constructed 884.3 km long. Meanwhile by 2017 new road of 8 km will be built hence by the end of 2017, it is expected to exceed 892.3 km.
Minister Basuki said infrastructure construction during the period has given positive impact on increase of Indonesia’s competitiveness in the global arena. Data from Global Competitiveness Index in 2016 reported Indonesia ranked 64th, rising from 2015’s 72nd.
“Not only is to spur economic development in cities, but constructing infrastructure in the border also to reduce gaps. Road construction basically is for [logistics] to be faster, safer and cheaper,” the minister explained.
A protester arrested outside the Indonesian Embassy has beenfined andreleased from police custody after being held for almost 24 hours, under what his defence lawyer has described as unusual circumstances.
Adrian 'AJ' Van Tonder, 25, was arrested on Friday morning at the rally in Canberra, where he and his fellow protesters lay in the embassy driveway covered in sheets and fake blood.
Van Tonder, a Melbourne student, was with about 30 people protesting alleged human rights abuses by the Indonesian Government in West Papua.
The group blocked vehicles from entering and exiting by lying across the driveway.
This morning Van Tonder pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to obstructing the embassy, refusing to provide a name and address and failing to comply with an order to move on.
He was fined $750 and released.
The combined offences carry a maximum penalty of up to $3,800.
The court heard the other protesters gave their details when asked by police to move on, but Van Tonder remained silent.
Van Tonder's defence said being held in custody overnight on offences that carry fine-only punishments was "not something that would normally happen" and it was not clear why it had.
Magistrate Robert Cook told Van Tonder the right to protest peacefully should be protected.
"You should engage in it and that's your right," he said.
But he warned against ignoring police instructions.
"Ultimately then you leave police with no choice than to remove you physically," he said.
Claims police trying to appease Indonesian Government
A group of fellow protesters supported Van Tonder in court.
Outside, they said his time in custody was unfair and stressful.
"The last 24 hours have been horrible," Kiah Dennersterin said.
The protesters claim police are being pressured by Indonesia to arrest activists like themselves.
"Police are trying to appease the Indonesian Government and show they're being strong against West Papuan activists," another protester Rebecca Langley said.
"Recently there's been a bit of tension between Indonesia and Australia regarding their military cooperation and it means eyes are on."
Member of the West Papuan community Ronny Kareni said the arrest would not silence their message to free West Papua.
"It's evident that the Australian Government is bowing down to Indonesia's pressure," he said.
"[The arrest] will only create more fire and fuel more support from people in the streets."
The group said they travelled to Canberra from Melbourne to take part in this protest and Invasion Day protests.
The friends of a man fined for refusing to cooperate with police during a protest outside the Indonesian Embassy expressed concern that he was kept in custody for almost 24 hours.
Adrian van Tonder, 25, pleaded guilty to obstruction, failing to comply with police directions and failing to provide his name or address to officers in the ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday morning.
The Melbourne student was among a group of activists that donned white sheets with red ink and lay on the road outside the Yarralumla embassy during a protest in support of West Papuan independence on Friday morning.
The road was outside two authorised protest zones, and all protesters obstructing the embassy's driveway except van Tonder complied with police orders to move.
The court heard van Tonder refused to move or stand up and did not provide his name or address, requiring "several officers" to lift him off the road.
During questioning at the police station, van Tonder allegedly told police he was "not subject to Australian law".
van Tonder's defence lawyer told the court his client acknowledged the consequences of his actions, but had "limited scope" to pay a fine as he was on the Newstart allowance.
The defence asked that the almost 24 hours spent in custody be taken in account when the magistrate considered the scale of the fine.
Officers did not have the ability to place van Tonder in Friday's court lists before deadline.
The prosecution made no submissions beyond the police documents and criminal history tendered to the court.
van Tonder had previously been charged for protest-related offences in Victoria and Queensland.
In handing down his decision, Magistrate Robert Cook acknowledged the right to peaceful protest was a fundamental aspect of Australian democratic society.
"There needs to be at least a recognition... that you understand you went too far on this occasion," he said.
He fined van Tonder $250 each for the three offences.
A group of the protesters supported van Tonder in court, including his partner Kiah Dennerstein.
"The last 24 hours have been horrible," she said.
Fellow protester Rebecca Langley said she was concerned that van Tonder had been held in custody for almost a day.
"The pressure's on because recently there's been a lot of tension between Indonesia and Australia regarding military cooperation."
This week Indonesia asked why Australia had yet to arrest people who "trespassed" and waved the West Papuan separatist flag outside the country's Consulate-General in Melbourne.
1) Freeport Indonesia ‘adjusting’ to new regulation
Fedina S. Sundaryani The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Fri, January 27, 2017| 04:45 pm
Major gold and copper miner Freeport Indonesia is currently reviewing the government’s newest set of regulations that allow the continued exportation of certain minerals in exchange for a contract conversion and a commitment to build a smelter.
Freeport Indonesia president director Chappy Hakim guaranteed that the firm, a subsidiary of US giant Freeport McMoRan, would comply with the fourth revision of Government Regulation No. 23/2010 on the management of mineral and coal businesses, and other relevant regulations.
“Since the government regulation has just been issued, Freeport Indonesia is currently trying to reposition itself to see how it can continue to survive. However, this means we cannot give anymore explanations [about the issue] as the process has not been completed,” he said during a seminar on the firm’s business strategies at the University of Indonesia (UI) in Depok, West Java, on Friday.
Under the latest government regulation and subsequent energy and mineral resources ministerial decrees, Freeport Indonesia is obligated to agree to have its contract of work (CoW) converted into a special mining permit (IUPK) if it wants to continue exporting copper concentrate for the next five years.
Furthermore, the regulation stipulates that the firm must also build a smelter by the end of the five years, and the progress will be evaluated by the government every six months.
Moreover, Freeport Indonesia must immediately divest 51 percent of its shares to the state, or other relevant institutions and enterprises, instead of the 30 percent it was originally obligated to divest. (hwa)
Papua urges US miner to pay $376M in taxes, penalties
U
pdated 1:57 am, Friday, January 27, 2017
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The governor of Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua is urging Freeport to immediately pay $376 million in taxes and penalties after a court ruled against the U.S. mining giant in a water use case.
Lukas Enembe said Friday that the Tax Court ruled Jan. 17 that Freeport should pay much higher taxes on water the company drew from two Papua rivers between January 2011 and July 2015 to suspend tailings from its mining operations.
The Grasberg mine operated by Freeport is the world's largest gold mine by reserves and one of the biggest copper mines.
Under Indonesian law, payment is required about 30 days after receipt of the ruling. Freeport Indonesia, a unit of Phoenix, Arizona-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Enembe said the province was claiming taxes based on a 2011 local government decree. Freeport had argued it should pay a lower rate based on a decades old contract with Indonesia’s government.
2) Here is Freeport Indonesia Strategy When Its Contract Ends by 2021
Friday, 27 January 2017 | 20:14 WIB
JAKARTA, NETRALNEWS.COM - President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) Chappy Hakim reveals the company already reported its strategy to Freeport McMoRan in the US if the contract which is going to expire by 2021 is extended.
Among others, he will take measures to develop air transport around Papua mines.
The former Air Forces Chief of Staff of Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) explained if Freeport exploration continued, the construction of air transport infrastructure may become something strategic. It is because the sole most effective access in East Indonesia is by air.
“The strategy if PTFI can continue; the next explorations I made strategies and have been submitted to US, McMoRan. There are some, among others, what is important is to develop air transport communication,” he said in Jakarta, Friday (1/27/2017).
Chappy said land and sea transport have many limitations. Hence, development of air transport infrastructure makes company’s operations and economy in Papua increase.
“In Papua, when talking about maritime axes, it stops at beaches. Speaking about Indonesia actually maritime infrastructure is inadequate, [it] must be with air transport. In islands area, this becomes primary transportation system, in East Indonesia and several regions which do not have infrastructure,” he explained.
He said geologically, sky conditions in Papua are considered good with many passages of aircraft. Freeport is going to ask TNI Air Forces to utilize several unused airbases.
“Flight infrastructure in Papua is outstanding. Air passage, with limited field becomes major transportation mainstay. I proposed in Biak, airbases which are no longer used, whether Freeport can cultivate to develop N-219 aircraft. It would become air transport backbone there, because it is actually suitable,” he concluded. (*)
Indonesia's Foreign Minister has complained about the lack of action in Australia against a protester who broke into its Melbourne consulate earlier this month and held up the West Papua flag.
Retno Marsudi said the protester who climbed onto the roof of the consulate to display a West Papua flag violated international law and should be prosecuted quickly.
She said Australia needs to "solve" the legal process around the January 6 protest at the consulate.
"The problem is the person who trespassed is shown in the picture, there is a photo, we already know his name," Ms Marsudi said.
"The question is why until now the person is still free."
The complaint, in November last year, prompted Australian Defence leaders to launch furious efforts to try to smooth relations with their counterparts in Jakarta.
Rally outside Indonesian Embassy Canberra 27 Jan 2017
Press release and SMH and ABC reports on rally below.
----------
From Facebook
PRESS RELEASE
Indonesian Embassy Fails to Silence the People’s Voice
Today, around 20 people's voices failed to be silenced by Indonesian nationalism, that was blasted at them from the embassy. "It is an immature and childish response from Indonesian embassy," said Anthon Rumbiak, one of the rally organisers.
With speeches underway, West Papuans and supporters blocked the entrance to the Indonesian embassy by staging a massacre in protest of the continuing human rights abuses in West Papua.
The Australian police immediately respond to protect Indonesia's sensitivity and avoid further pressure from their officials who stood amongst them. One supporter was arrested and taken into custody for failure to provide a name and address. The activist was refused bail.
The Australian police reaction shows continuous protection of the Indonesian government and bow to its pressure rather than question their treatment of West Papua's indigenous people.
The west papuan struggle continues to gain momentum at the international level and remains a thorn in the side of the Indonesian state. "The support for a Free West Papua shall not be silenced in Australia and it's about time the Indonesian government must engaged with West Papua's legitimate body," stated Lewis Prai Wellip, one of the West Papuan activist leader who travelled from Melbourne to Canberra.
Media Contact
Lewis Prai Wellip 0431305979
Anthony Rumbiak 0401503052
Student fined for West Papua protest outside Indonesian embassy in Canberra
