Thursday, May 27, 2021

1) Editorial The Papua question

2) West Papua is on the verge of another bloody crackdown

3) Maire Leadbeater: NZ should cut military ties with Indonesia over West Papua

4) AWPA Letter to Foreign Minster

5) Terror sanctions in Papua not just limited to individuals: BNPT

6) Five Papuan separatist leaders put on BNPT most-wanted list

7) Papua's security personnel tasked with safeguarding development agenda

---------------------

https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2021/05/27/the-papua-question.html

1) Editorial The Papua question

Editorial board

Jakarta ● Fri, May 28, 2021

Papuan students grouped under Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) hold a protest in front of Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, "Aug. 28. 2019. In the protests they reject racial abuse and demand the government to retract the internet blackout in West Papua and Papua. JP/Donny Fernando

Amid the deepening trust deficit between the Papuan people and the government, many in the country’s easternmost territory suspect that the disruption to the local internet service in April was actually a deliberate move to silence anti-government critics and activists.

When it comes to Papua, anti-government voices reportedly dominate social media chatter, so it makes sense that the government might opt to cut digital access as an easy way to censor them.

The cause of the disruption could be purely technical as the government has claimed, but it is also probable that political and security considerations played a part. Overwhelmed by the noise on social media, the government could certainly take a shortcut by shutting down the telecommunications network. Such a tactic would only worsen the situation, however, as it would prompt rumors and fake news to spiral out of control.

Believe it or not, state-owned telecommunications giant PT Telkom needed one whole month just to start fixing the undersea fiber optic cable, located about 700 kilometers off Sarmi regency, which broke on April 30 to cause the disruption. But it’s not clear when the repairs will finish and access restored.

Papua administration secretary Dance Yulian Flassy has called force majeure on the network outage and asked the public not to believe the rumors. But then again, since an internet shutdown in Papua is not unprecedented, many are skeptical that a technical issue is really behind the current outage.

It is a fact that the government has been cutting off Papua from the outside world for decades by measures that included restricting foreign visitors, especially foreign journalists. Jakarta remains stubbornly insistent on maintaining its isolation policy for Papua, although it has become increasingly irrelevant amid the rapid growth in social media use and internet penetration, which has allowed the world to keep an eye on the region.

In the meantime, the local elite are alleged of misusing the Papua special autonomy funds to enrich themselves and their cronies. As the 20-year autonomy status is to end this November, political maneuvering has intensified to pressure the central government to extend the privileged status.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said she agrees to extend the funding provision to Papua and West Papua on the condition of tighter and more transparent accountability of spending. In continuing to isolate Papua, the government has not learned from its failures in East Timor. Rampant human rights abuse, uncontrolled corruption and blatant abuse of power, as well as closing off the region from the outside world, were among key factors that led to the former Indonesian territory to claim independence as Timor Leste in 1999.

At the same time, there is no quick fix to the Papua issue, which is very complex. Many Papuans feel they are treated unfairly as Indonesian citizens, and this needs proper and prompt addressing.

The social and economic gap between Papua and the rest of the country is also growing, especially with Java. And ethnically and culturally, many Papuans feel much closer to Pacific islanders for their Melanesian heritage than other Indonesians, the majority of who do not share this ancestry.

In the meantime, the government should push to fix the undersea cable and restore full access.

Any and all efforts to silence people must end in this era of digital democracy, especially those that resort to means stemming from a primitive mindset.

---------------------

https://theconversation.com/west-papua-is-on-the-verge-of-another-bloody-crackdown-161272

2) West Papua is on the verge of another bloody crackdown

May 27, 2021 2.34pm AEST

Authors

Jim Elmslie Honorary Fellow, University of Wollongong

Camellia Webb-Gannon Lecturer, University of Wollongong

“Destroy them first. We will discuss human rights matters later.” These are the reported words of Bambang Soesatyo, chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly to the Indonesian military (TNI), last month.

He was talking about the Indigenous people of the contested territory of West Papua, who are seeking independence from Indonesia. This has sparked concerns West Papua may again be on the brink of a violent crackdown — or worse — executed by Indonesia’s elite security forces, including the notorious Kopassus.

These have occurred before, for example, the well-documented massacres in the Baliem Valley in 1977-78 and on Biak Island in 1998.

The world said nothing about these events when they were happening — they were conducted out of public sight. If violence is committed again, the world cannot in clear conscience turn away.

——

Veronica Koman 許愛茜 @VeronicaKoman Journey of West Papuan civilians from Paluga and Akobanak villages, displaced by armed conflict, to the town of Ilaga. Puncak, West Papua, 17 May 2021

Video

------------

Months of building tensions

The immediate catalyst for this latest military intervention was the fatal shootingof Brigadier General Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, head of Indonesian intelligence in Papua, on April 25. The act was claimed by members of the West Papua National Liberation Army, the TPN-PB.

Danny had been in the highlands region investigating the killing of two school teachers and a youth, who were accused by the TPN-PB of being Indonesian spies.

After the killing, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo ordered state security forces “to chase and arrest” all armed militants and Bambang issued his threat to “crush” the rebels.

We know, from recent accounts, what such revenge can look like.

In February, an Indonesian soldier was shot and killed by separatist fighters in the central highlands of Papua, and security forces went on the hunt for his killer. During their interrogation of residents of a village, they shot a young man, Janius Bagau, in the arm, shattering his bone.

His brothers accompanied him to a health clinic to seek medical attention. While there, the three men were allegedly tortured and killed, according to Janius’s wife, who was interviewed by Reuters.

——

Veronica Koman 許愛茜 @VeronicaKoman The burial of Janius Bagau, Soni Bagau, and Justinus Bagau in Tambabuga of Bilogai Village in Intan Jaya yesterday afternoon (16/2/21). They were tortured to death by Indonesian soldiers inside a health clinic where Janius was seeking medical help accompanied by his two brothers

--------

The military claimed the men were members of TPN-PB — the armed wing of the broader separatist group called the Free Papua Movement (OPM) — and had tried to take the soldiers’ weapons and escape. However, a spokesman for the group said none of the men were members.

The killing of Danny, the head of Indonesian intelligence in Papua, is certain to result in similar retribution. In the wake of the shooting, the government formally declared Papuan separatists “terrorists”, which human rights groups warned could lead to more abuses.

The military also deployed 400 elite soldiers known as “Satan’s forces” to the region, who had previously taken part in operations in Timor-Leste and Aceh.

And a leading independence figure, Victor Yeimo, was arrested for alleged treason, sparking widespread protests across the restive region. At least two cities have been without internet service for weeks.

——————

Andreas Harsono @andreasharsono Human Rights Watch: Indonesian authorities should drop politically motivated treason charges and unconditionally release Victor Yeimo, an activist detained for peacefully advocating Papuan independence

#PapuanLivesMatter https://hrw.org/news/2021/05/12/indonesia-drop-charges-release-peaceful-papuan-activist

--------------

Displacement in the guise of development

In 1971, Papuans comprised over 96% of the population in the two provinces of Papua and West Papua, on the western side of the island they share with Papua New Guinea. Now, Papuans in urban centres and coastal regions make up less than half the population due to the inward migration of non-Papuan settlers in recent years.

Many Papuans believe they are facing a slow-motion genocide as they are progressively marginalised and their lands are forcibly expropriated for military-backed logging, oil palm and mining operations.

One major reason for the escalation of the conflict in recent years has been the policies pursued by Jokowi. He believes economic development will trump Papuan nationalism and has pushed accelerated development as a cure for the conflict.

Chief among these projects is the construction of a highway through the highlands region to the coast that will “open up” the interior of Papua. These are the very regions where Papuans remain in the majority and retain some degree of control over their lives.

Where Jokowi sees economic development flowing from the road, the Papuans see more soldiers, logging and mining companies, and more Indonesian settlers. Three years ago, TPN-PB forces killed at least 24 Indonesian road workers whom they claimed to be Indonesian army spies in a bid to stop the construction of the road.

——

The Jakarta Globe @thejakartaglobe Show must go on: despite killing of 24 construction workers, #Jokowi said development on #TransPapua Highway will continue apace. #Papua https://bit.ly/2SyiLud

---------

The area has been heavily occupied by the military ever since, resulting in the expulsion of some 45,000 people from their homes.

The Papuan fighters see the conflict as a legitimate war of national liberationagainst foreign invaders. The TPN-PB has reportedly signalled it may start targeting non-Papuan settlers if Papuan civilians are killed or injured in the military crackdown, which seems highly likely.

This opens up the horrifying possibility of inter-ethnic conflict between settlers and Papuans, which to date has been largely avoided.

Indonesia successfully, albeit with great difficulty, resolved the other two armed conflicts that had troubled the nation for decades: Aceh (which remains as part of Indonesia) and Timor-Leste (which became independent). Through dialogue and foreign involvement, however, peace was finally achieved.

There has been no substantial dialogue between leaders in Jakarta and independence advocates in West Papua to date. The UN has been ineffectual in resolving the conflict, and the world, with the exception of some of the Pacific nations, has turned a blind eye.

While global attention has been riveted on Palestine, Myanmar and the plight of the Uyghurs in China in recent months, it is time to speak out against the atrocities unfolding on Australia’s door step.

Ronny Kareni, a West Papua Project expert advisor at the University of Wollongong, contributed to this report.

—————————————

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/maire-leadbeater-nz-should-cut-military-ties-with-indonesia-over-west-papua/JDQIQDFLGTVBBXYBAHDDFJCCTE/

3) Maire Leadbeater: NZ should cut military ties with Indonesia over West Papua

27 May, 2021 05:00 AM 4 minutes to read

A Papuan woman wearing a Morning Star flag as a symbol of independence for West Papua. Photo / Getty Images, File

NZ Herald

By: Maire Leadbeater

OPINION

Smoke rising from burning homes, a church destroyed, villagers trekking miles on foot seeking safety, soldiers patrolling the jungle and military helicopters buzzing aloft. Ilaga in the highlands of West Papua is the war zone in our region.

This is the Indonesian military's Operation Nemangkawi, rapidly looking like the most intense offensive the territory has seen in decades. The latest new troop deployment was a 400-strong detachment from the battle-hardened 315/Garuda Battalion, given the name "Satan troops", for their former role in East Timor.

New Zealand is more than a bystander - our Government repeatedly endorses Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua and has defence ties with Indonesia.

On April 26 an Indonesian intelligence chief, Brigadier General Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, was killed and the Free West Papua Movement or TNPB-OPM claimed responsibility. President Joko Widodo promptly gave orders to the military and police to hunt down every member of the group responsible. Then the Government announced that the armed movement would be designated as "terrorists".

As always it is the civilian population who bear the brunt, and reports describe a new wave of displaced people seeking shelter in the forest, in churches or neighbouring towns. The estimate of those displaced in the highland over the past two years is in the tens of thousands and NGOs reported some 400 deaths from health impacts. Facts are hard to verify as Indonesia excludes most journalists and outside humanitarian agencies and even limits the internet at crucial moments.

The broad definition of terrorism under the Indonesian counter-terrorism law gives the security forces wide powers to detain suspects without charge and hold them for lengthy periods with no trial. In a region where pro-independence sentiment and passive support for the armed resistance runs deep, the "terrorist" label is a new tool for repression.

The May 9 arrest of Victor Yeimo, international spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee or KNPB is ominous. KNPB is committed to peaceful dissent and its campaigns for a new self-determination referendum rely on petitions and "parliament of the streets".

Yeimo's organising role has landed him in prison previously but this time the Police Chief's rhetoric includes the threat that he will "grow old in jail". He faces a multitude of charges including treason related to his role in organising and addressing a 2019 anti-racism demonstration in Jayapura. Apparently he was on the police wanted list for releasing "information that could give rise to public unrest" and speaking about independence. There may be additional charges as interrogations continue.

Indonesian lawyer Veronica Koman ,in exile for her outspoken support for Papuan rights, has referred Yeimo's case to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Ever since it took over the Melanesian territory in 1963, Indonesia has faced a determined but poorly armed guerrilla resistance. In the past couple of decades, Indonesia has also been challenged by a peaceful movement for change involving students, church people and tribal leaders.

As was the case when Indonesia occupied East Timor, there is also a strong solidarity movement, notably in the Pacific, which works to expose Indonesia's colonial occupation of West Papua and the way in which Western nations, including New Zealand, facilitated its takeover.

Once a Dutch colony, West Papua should have become independent like its neighbour Papua New Guinea. But deals in New York and a fraudulent 1969 referendum put paid to that.

In 2019, large scale Papuan anti-racism protests broke out across Indonesia and West Papua in response to egregious racial taunts and threats directed at Papuan students studying in Indonesia. The "Papuan lives matter" theme struck a chord around the world and among ordinary Indonesians. But hope was short-lived as Indonesia arrested dozens of the leaders of the anti-racism demonstrations and the pandemic took centre stage.

Maire Leadbeater. Photo / Greg Bowker, File

I was happy to hear Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta speak out publicly about human rights abuses against the Uighurs in China and also to state that New Zealand would approach human rights in a "consistent country-agnostic manner".

Now is the moment for her to speak out in support of the rights of the tormented indigenous West Papuan people and insist that Indonesia honour its undertaking to facilitate a UN fact-finding mission.

It should also be the moment to at least suspend our defence ties to Indonesia – the regular officer training exchanges and the export of arms including military aircraft parts, rifles, pistols and silencers.

• Maire Leadbeater is a member of West Papua Action Auckland.

—————————————————

4) AWPA Letter to Foreign Minster

https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2021/05/awpa-letter-to-foreign-minster.html

Australian West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28 Spit Junction NSW 2088

Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6100
Senate, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

27 May 2021

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney, concerning the jailing of West Papuan activist Victor Yeimo, who is the international spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and the Papuan People’s Petition.

He was arrested on the 9 May and faces a number of charges including treason because of his peaceful role in the anti-racism protests on the 19 August in 2019.

The demonstrators at the time were protesting against the arrest and racial abuse against West Papuan students in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Victor Yeimo has denied any involvement in another follow up anti-racism rally on the 29 August which led to clashes between the security forces and protesters,

Victor has been arrested because he is a member of the KNPB, a peaceful civil society organisation which can bring large numbers of demonstrators to the streets bringing the world’s attention to the injustices the West Papuan people suffer under Indonesian rule.

It has been reported that the Indonesian authorities have prevented lawyers from accompanying Victor during a number of his interrogations and also making it difficult for family members to pay him a visit.

Over 30 civil society groups, including Amnesty International Indonesia and Human Rights Watch have issued a joint statement on May 18 calling for Victor Yeimo’s release

The jailing of peaceful activists, simply because they took part in a demonstration is against their rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states,

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek receive and impart information and ideas though any media and regardless of frontiers (Article 19).

(Article 20)

1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

We urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Victor Yeimo and all political prisoners.

Yours sincerely

Joe Collins
AWPA (Sydney)

———————————

https://en.antaranews.com/news/175342/terror-sanctions-in-papua-not-just-limited-to-individuals-bnpt

5) Terror sanctions in Papua not just limited to individuals: BNPT

6 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government’s decision to declare armed Papuan groups, or “KKB”, as "terrorists" entails comprehensive legal sanctions under the Terrorism Law not only against individuals, but also organizations and corporations, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has said.

"In our opinion, the 'KKB' represents those belonging to the Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM) and those synergizing with Benny Wenda-led United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)," the agency's chief, Coms.Gen.Boy Rafli Amar, said.

The Papuan terrorist groups are using local organizations to reach their goals,.Amar told members of the House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing legal affairs at a hearing session here on Thursday.

The provisions of Law Number 5 of 2018 on Terrorism allow the authorities to track down the funding sources of Papuan separatist terrorist groups, which enable them to purchase firearms and ammunition, he informed.

Efforts to trace and block the funding sources of terrorist groups operating in Papua and West Papua could be made by enforcing Law No. 9/2013 on Prevention and Eradication of Anti-Terrorist Financing, he added.

Five days after the fatal shooting of senior intelligence official, Maj. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, the Indonesian government had formally declared armed Papuan groups as “terrorists”.

The decision was announced by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, at an online press conference in Jakarta on April 29, 2021.

In declaring the armed groups as "terrorists", the government has referred to the provisions of Law Number 5 of 2018 on Amendments to Law Number 15 of 2003 on Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2002 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Terrorism.

The law defines terrorists as people who plan, instigate, and organize terrorism, and terrorism as any act motivated by ideology, politics, or security that involves violence or threats of violence, creates a sense of terror or widespread fear, and causes mass casualties or damage or destruction to vital strategic objects, the environment, and public or international facilities.

"Now, based on the definition stated in Law Number 5 of 2018, acts of the KKB and all the names of its organizations and people affiliated with it are related to terrorism," Mahfud announced.

The Indonesian government's decision is justifiable as it takes cognizance of a string of violent attacks on unarmed civilians by KKB members in districts such as Puncak and Intan Jaya over the past few years, he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the BNPT disclosed that five leaders heading armed terrorist groups operating in Papua and West Papua have been put on its most-wanted list. They are Lekagak Telenggen, Egianus Kogoya, Militer Murib, Germanius Elobo, and Sabinus Waker. (INE)

Related news: Five Papuan separatist leaders put on BNPT most-wanted list

Related news: Papua's security personnel tasked with safeguarding development agenda

EDITED BY INE

AWPA Letter to Foreign Minster

Australian West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28 Spit Junction NSW 2088

Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6100
Senate, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

27 May 2021

Dear Foreign Minister,

He was arrested on the 9 May and faces a number of charges including treason because of his peaceful role in the anti-racism protests on the 19 August in 2019.

The demonstrators at the time were protesting against the arrest and racial abuse against West Papuan students in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Victor Yeimo has denied any involvement in another follow up anti-racism rally on the 29 August which led to clashes between the security forces and protesters,

Over 30 civil society groups, including Amnesty International Indonesia and Human Rights Watch have issued a joint statement on May 18 calling for Victor Yeimo’s release

The jailing of peaceful activists, simply because they took part in a demonstration is against their rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states,

(Article 20)

1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

We urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Victor Yeimo and all political prisoners.

Yours sincerely

Joe Collins
AWPA (Sydney)

Photos -West Papuan supporters rally in Canberra

West Papuan supporters rally in Canberra

27 May 2021 Organised by the Free West Papuan Movement Australia

-----------------------

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

1) Indonesian police crack down on West Papuan protests

2) PNG can’t turn a blind eye to the conflict next door

3) Freeport should actively support government for Papua's development

----------------------------------------------

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443349/indonesian-police-crack-down-on-west-papuan-protests

1) Indonesian police crack down on West Papuan protests

8:43 pm on 25 May 2021

Indonesian police have forcefully dispersed a number of West Papuan protests around the region today.

Indonesian police drew rapidly to disperse West Papuan protestors in Manokwari. Photo: Supplied

The protestors were calling for the release of pro-independence activist Victor Yeimo who was taken into police custody over two weeks ago.

They were also calling for the release of other Papuan political prisoners, and rejecting Jakarta's plans for special autonomy in Papua.

Reports from the capital of West Papua province, Manokwari, indicate that as many as 130 protestors were arrested.

Dozens of armed police converged on the mobilisations by Papuan students and civil society members to disperse their attempts to hold protests on several occasions around Manokwari.

Reports from Papua region say authorities ensured those being arrested underwent Covid-19 rapid anti-gen testing before being processed by police.

Several deaths linked to the coronavirus have been reported in the province over the last few days.

Protests were also held in the cities of Sorong and Jayapura, the latter of which has entered a fouth week of internet outage.

Indonesian police crack down on West Papuan protests

Yeimo, the foreign spokesman for the West Papua National Committee, had been on a police wanted list for treason suspects related to his alleged role in the widespread anti-racism protests in August and September 2019.

Those protests in a number of cities and towns in the region followed highly publicised racist attacks on Papuan students in Java.

They were met with a crackdown by Indonesian security forces, and interference by militia groups, and spiralled into unrest which caused dozens of deaths.

Protestors in today's mobilisations in Manokwari were also demonstrating against the Indonesian government's recent decision to label the West Papua Liberation Army as terrorists.

Guerilla fighters with the Liberation Army, which is a small and fractured force, have been locked in an ongoing armed conflict with Indonesian military forces in the rugged central highlands of West Papua for months.

The conflict escalated in recent weeks after the Papuan force killed an Indonesian intelligence chief and - according to authorities - two teachers last month.

—————————————

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/png-can-t-turn-blind-eye-conflict-next-door

2) PNG can’t turn a blind eye to the conflict next door

LEANNE JORARI

As popular support for West Papua grows more vocal, PNG officials walk a diplomatic tightrope.

A video recently surfaced on social media in Papua New Guinea, featuring a group of about 20 men, gathered around their apparent leader, declaring war on Indonesia.

“People of East Sepik,” the leader says, referring to one of the two provinces which stretch along PNG’s northern coastline towards the border with Indonesia, “on behalf of the citizens of Papua New Guinea, we are now standing here to declare that we are ready to go and fight against Indonesian soldiers, for helping our people of West Papua.”

Indonesia, he goes on, is a “thief” for illegally occupying indigenous land and plundering resources.

Our government does not have an initiative to support our people of West Papua, therefore we the people of East Sepik, we are ready to go and support.

It’s a call to arms and an appeal to common ties of identity. West Papua has long been an overlooked conflict internationally, whether for reasons of ignorance, prejudice or malice. But for neighbouring PNG, proximity has its own complication.

The video and the apparent guerrilla group clearly won’t make the Indonesian military quake in their boots, but there are fears such cross-border displays of support may lead to distrust in Indonesia-PNG relations.

The location where the video was filmed remains anyone’s guess, with the men in camouflage standing in what looks to be a typical village, with palm trees at their backs. But the footage was enough to spark a media stir and clearly raises questions for governments, national and provincial. Neither PNG James Marape nor East Sepik Governor Allan Bird have commented publicly, but that doesn’t mean diplomatic talks haven’t been held in private. Indonesia has a consulate in the major PNG border town, Vanimo, in West Sepik Province, as well as its embassy in Port Moresby. It would not be a surprise if a call went through straight to the top. Indonesia’s ambassador Andriana Supandy has blamed the video on a “lack of balanced information”, while PNG Defence Force chief Major-General Gilbert Toropo has said “PNG citizens should not involve themselves with the Indonesians and their internal issues”.

-----

Tweet from Veronica Koman

Video

-----

Successive governments in Port Moresby have worked hard not to sour relationships with Jakarta, almost to the point that there appears to be a standard operating procedure on “how to handle diplomatic relations with Indonesia in issues relating to West Papua” written for all new Prime Ministers entering the office.

From the outset of his term, Prime Minister James Marape has said PNG would respect “Indonesian sovereignty and their borders”. But he also acknowledged the delicacy involved, saying that such respect “must come in the context of human rights”. A diplomatic statement, for sure, but if Marape’s position was challenged by events, who knows what the result might be.

Meanwhile, authorities in the East Sepik province insist the video is really a non-issue. This seems unlikely to end the matter.

-------

Efforts to draw attention to the plight of people in West Papua end up

being merely hashtags that gain popularity when social media algorithms

allow them to trend, only then disappearing.

PNG and West Papua share a border, yet without the line on a map the people living on either side would be wantoks – people bound by kinship, language and community ties. Silence in the face of persistent evidence of abuses and crackdowns is not feasible. PNG should hold Indonesia accountable for rights violations.

West Papuans have been fighting for the right to self-govern for years, citing racial oppression and suppression of their black-Melanesian race as key factors, all while watching fellow Melanesian neighbours Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu having gained their independence decades before.

Underground advocacy groups and social movements have been formed in Asia-Pacific countries to draw attention to the plight of people in West Papua. But without the backing of governments, in modern times these efforts end up being merely hashtags that gain popularity when social media algorithms allow them to trend, only then disappearing into oblivion, waiting for the next story or batch of depressing photos leaked.

Some key PNG parliamentarians have been vocal about the record of violence and atrocities in West Papua.

In 2019, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop was reported to have said that European colonisers split up the island of New Guinea and gave the West Papuans to the Indonesians. “I call on Papua New Guineans to repent for neglecting West Papuans since becoming independent in 1975,” Parkop said, adding that people in PNG needed to speak up for their fellow Melanesians across the border.

Oro Governor Gary Juffa has also spoken out on many occations, saying PNG cannot be considered free as long as West Papuans are striving for freedom. He accused his own people of forgetting their brothers and sisters. “Our Melanesian people are suppressed and oppressed,” Juffa said during a Free West Papua music campaign in 2019. “We cannot be Christians, Melanesians and humans and pretend that what is happening is not happening.”

With the widening reach of technology, it has become difficult to turn a blind eye. But like the episode with the latest video, the response is often a fleeting blink. People in PNG, like others across the region and across the globe who are privy to West Papua’s plight, empathise with their neighbours and send prayers or thoughts on social media. Only then, too often, they wait for the next social media post to distract them.

-----------------------------------

https://en.antaranews.com/news/175182/freeport-should-actively-support-government-for-papuas-development

3) Freeport should actively support government for Papua's development

10 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has sought active support from the PT Freeport Indonesia management for the government's endeavors to intensify Papua's development to boost the welfare of all Papuan communities.

Prabowo echoed his appeal while receiving this gold and copper mining company's president director, Tony Wenas, who paid a courtesy call at the National Police's headquarters here, Monday.

At the meeting, Prabowo echoed the government’s genuine concern for improving the Papuans' quality of life by bolstering developments in health, education, infrastructure, people-oriented economy, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Papuan communities are expected to enjoy the positive impacts of the government's development programs, according to Prabowo.

In enhancing community development programs, PT Freeport Indonesia is expected to be able to collaborate with the police that has a community-based program called "Binmas Noken", Prabowo stated.

"All elements can participate in developing Papua, including PT Freeport," he remarked.

In response to Prabowo's appeal, Wenas expressed his company’s support to the government's development programs in Papua through its corporate social responsibility programs in sectors, including health, culture, infrastructure, and people-based economy.

Prabowo also extended his gratitude and appreciation for the National Police's contribution to safeguarding Papua, including the gold and copper mining.

ANTARA noted that Papua and West Papua had struggled to improve the quality of their human capital, as their scores in Indonesia's 2020 Human Development Index remained under the national average recorded at 71.94.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua, which received special autonomy funds worth Rp126.99 trillion since 2012, had recently scored 60.44 and 65.09 respectively on the 2020 Human Development Index.

Their scores remained lower than that achieved by Aceh Province that stood at 71.94.

Amid the government's endeavors to improve the human capital of Papua and West Papua, armed Papuan separatist terrorist groups still pose security threats to the provinces.

Over the past few years, armed groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in several districts in Papua, including Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak, to instill a sense of fear among people.

The recent targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and also civilian aircraft.

On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya engaged in the construction of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District.

Such acts of violence have continued this year. On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatist terrorists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.

On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man, identified by his initials as RNR, was shot at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district.

In a separate incident on February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver. A motorcycle taxi driver was shot dead by an unknown gunman in Papua.

On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District.

The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.

After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school. Related news: Papua needs people who can work outside the box: official
Related news: W Papua governor meets VP to discuss accelerated development

EDITED BY INE