Australia West Papua Association Nov 2008

abetterworldthanthis4 Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088

West Papua update.

November

2008

Summary of 1st December events in West Papua The West Papuan people have come out in their thousands to celebrate their National Flag Day. The 1st of December is West Papuan National Day or National flag day . Forty seven years ago on the 1st of December 1961, in the then Dutch colony of West New Guinea, The West Papuan flag, called the Morning Star was flown for the first time officially beside the Dutch Tricolor. At that ceremony, as the Morning Star flag was raised, Dutch and Papuan military and police saluted and accompanied by a marine band playing the national anthem, “My Land Papua”. The Dutch were finally about to give the West Papuan people their freedom. However it is one of the great tragedies that at their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically handed over to Indonesia in 1963. After 6 years administration of the province, Indonesia held a sham referendum called the “Act of Free Choice” under UN supervision. Only 1022 handpicked voters, one representative for approximately every 700 West Papuans were allowed vote, and under coercion, voted to "remain with Indonesia. The Papuans call this the “act of no choice”.

In West Papua (where the security forces were out in a show of force) celebrations and rallies took place in Jayapura, Manokwari, Nabire , Sorong and the Mimika district to celebrate the 1st December. In Nabire up to 2500 held a rally and prayer meeting in the heroes cemetery watched by up to 1000 military and police. In Manokwari 2000 people marched through the centre of town carrying banners and calling for independence from Indonesia. The Media reported that one man was arrested and struck repeatedly by police after being caught carrying the banned Morning Star flag. The police also questioned protesters who were carrying bags or wearing T shirts with the Morning Star symbol on them. In the highlands outside Wamena the OPM raised the Morning Star flag in celebration and in the town of Wamena itself, West Papuans dressed in their best clothes or covered themselves in mud as a symbol of mourning and walked about town. In Jakarta West Papuans also protested demanding independence for Papua The Demonstration in Jakarta was led by students some dressed in traditional attire. They gathered in Central Jakarta, then marched on to the State Palace. They chanted, “Free West Papua,” “independent West Papua,” “red and white (Indonesian flag) no, “Morning Star” ,yes,” In their speeches they stated that they wanted independence and accused Indonesia of colonizing West Papua and of committing serious human right abuses against the Papuan people. (Other actions are reported to have taken place in major centers in Java, Bali and Sulawesi). Page 1

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In Australia solidarity groups came out in support of the West Papuan people. In Sydney the West Papuan flag was raised on 3 local town Halls. AWPA (Sydney ) thanks the Marrickville and Leichhardt Council for their support for the West Papuan people. The flag was raised by Rex Rumakiek, Patianus Kogoya , Councillor Max Phillips of Marrickville Council and Mayor Jamie Parker of Leichhardt Council. A representative of AWPA (Sydney) and IPAHR also attended. AWPA (Newcastle) also arranged for the Newcastle Council to fly the Morning Star on their town hall. This is the third year that Newcastle Council has flown the flag. In Melbourne a protest took place outside the Indonesian Consulate where West Papuan community member Richard Rumbiak spoke . (Apologises if anybody left out)

Other News Papuans facing subversion charges: journalists warned not to report the case From Tapol Jayapura, Monday Jawa Pos, 27 October 2008 According to a report in Jawa Pos, the local deputy police chief in Jayapura has prohibited journalists from reporting anything about investigations into a subversion case. The police officer warned that if journalists persist in pursuing this case, they could be the victims of an accident on their way home (bisa mengalami kecelakaan saat pulang). The warning came as TV journalists were in the office of the director of criminal investigation of the Papua police. The journalists were intending to follow the questioning of several persons as witnesses in the case of the head of the Dewan Adat Papua, Forkorus Yoboisembut, the general secretary of the Dewan Adat, Leonard Imbiri, and the chairman of the committee for International Parliamentarians for West Papua, Buchtar Tabuni. 'Dont investigate this question in the area of Polda (local police force). Your motorcycle could end up having a crash.' said Borent, the deputy director. The journalists have been seen sitting together, trying to decide how they should respond to this threat. The head of public relations of the police, Agus Rianto has expressed his apologies if anything untoward happens to any journalists. -----------We have also seen the heading of a report in Jawa Pos as follows: Two persons are declared suspects on charges of subversion in Papua, but have not be able to access the full reports.

Papua's foreign trade is dominated by FreeportFrom Tapol Monday 3 November 2008 Abridged in translation Kompas The value of exports from Papua in the month of July 2008 was $306.75 million, which was 44.24 percent higher than in June 2008. These exports are exclusive of oil or gas. Page 2

abetterworldthanthis4 Imports in July this year amounted to $99.72 million, a decline of 8.28 percent as compared to the month of June. These exports and imports were virtually all traded by Freeport. [This means a monthly trade surplus of more than $200 million.] The head of the Papuan Board of Statistics, Djoko Santoso, said that 70 percent of imports were for Freeport, the copper-and-gold company, while 97 percent of the exports came from Freeport. The imports included mainly machinery and vehicles (40.95%), plastic, iron and steel, rubber and rubber products. Most of the exports went to five countries: Japan, the Philippines,Spain, South Korea and Singapore. The cumulative figure for exports for the period January - July 2008 to the five countries mentioned above was $1,182 million, consisting almost entirely of copper and concentrates, which amounted to $1,424 million.[Comment: These figures show that as a result of Freeport operations, West Papua's trade balance with the rest of the world produces a huge surplus as well as massive revenues for the Indonesian government. Even so, the vast majority of Papuans do not enjoy the benefits of this trade, all of which accrue to Freeport and the Indonesian state, while they continue to live in poverty.]

Call for end to militarism in Papua From Tapol Cenderawasih Pos, 4 November 2008 Abridged Scores of Papuans from the Coalition for Human Rights in Papua demonstrated in Jayapura to reject the presence of the Indonesian military in Papua. The demonstrators consisted mainly of youths as well as students from several universities in Jayapura. They carried a single banner with the slogan: 'Stop Praktek Militerisme di Papua: No space for Democracy in Papua.' When they arrived in the capital, they encircled the fountain, shouting slogan and holding up their banner. They then said prayers and listened to speeches. They call for space for democracy in Papua and protested in particular against the actions taken by the military and police against their action on 20 October. They were concerned about the arrival of yet more troops in Papua, and went to the DPRP office (regional assembly) to ask whether this was a policy taken by the regional council. 'We want to know whether the DPRP is in agreement with the arrival of an unlimited number of troops.' 'There are not that many of us here today because we were blocked by the troops and the police on 16 October.' One speaker said that the presence of all these troops did not make people feel calm. 'We reject the arrival of troops in Papua. Why are so many of them coming here? Is there a war going on here?' asked Buchtar Tabuni, one of the speakers. They were very concerned about the repressive activities of the security forces on 16 October. [This was a demonstration welcoming the launch of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, which was held in London on 15 October.] The Chairman of the DPRP, John Ibo spoke to the crowd and said that it was his intention to hold a forum for a heart-to-heart talk with the people about this question of the troops now in Papua. He was not able to say when this forum would be held as it depended on the ability of the commander of the XVII Military Command in Jayapura to attend. Buchtar Tabuni initially questioned the decision to hold a forum but in the end he agreed with the idea. A statement that was read out during the demonstration made the following six points: 1.Put an end to the arrests and repressive actions of the security forces against peaceful actions by the Papuan people2. Stop armed forces intervention into the university campus.3. Take action against those responsible for the shooting of Opinus Tabuni on 9 August last and the beatings of Buchtar and his colleagues on 20 October.4. Stop the legal processes now under way against the chairman of the Dewan Page 3

abetterworldthanthis4 Adat Papua, Forkorus Yaboisembut and other members of the board of the Dewan Adat.5. Immediately halt the sending of both organic and non-organic troops to Papua.6. Call for international intervention from a peace-keeping force from the UN, to help solve the conflict in Papua.

Government Criticized Over Deterioration in Papua Jakarta Globe November 28, 2008. Febriamy Hutapea A lawmaker called on the government on Thursday to pay greater attention to the implementation of special autonomy for Papua Province, claiming it had not been effectively applied since being promised in 2001. “The problems which have occurred in Papua are no longer about separatism or religious discrimination, but about the fact that Papua has been given no additional assistance since the country’s independence,” said Ali Mochtar Ngabalin, a member of the House of Representatives’ defense and foreign affairs commission. He was speaking after a meeting in Jakarta with the former leader of the Papua Separatist Movement, Nicholas Meset. The special autonomy law issued in 2001 mandates at least seven government regulations that deal with issues important to reconciliation in Papua, including the resolution of human rights abuses, natural resources exploration and protection of local cultures. Many social issues had been marked with conflict because the government used soldiers, leading to human rights abuse as a way of solving the problems, Ali said. The government should change its security approach, which had been one of dominance and intimidation and resulted in a feeling of insecurity among the people in the region, he said. “There are many issues, like budget allocation, special autonomy and welfare which should be addressed by the government,” Ali said. Papuans, he said, have the same rights as other Indonesian citizens to enjoy equity in education, health and welfare. Many Papuans live in poverty and are largely uneducated, despite the mining and forestry boom in the region which has included the US-based PT Freeport Indonesia

Papuans voice discontent with govt Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta 12/11/08 Anyone who thinks the discussion on Papuan independence is over should listen to Hans Gebze and other young Papuans. "We're not feeling like free people. We are still poor and alienated while many of us experience injustice on our home soil. "So how can we rule out trying for independence?" Hans, a member of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), said on the sidelines of a seminar on Papua here Tuesday. More than 100 Papuans attended the seminar, which quickly turned into a forum for the Papuans to express their disappointment with Jakarta's policies. The purpose of the seminar was to discuss the situation in Papua since the establishment of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP), a caucus that aims to gather support for Papua from the international community. The group's ultimate aim is a self-determination referendum for Papua. The Indonesian government has dismissed the organization, established in London on Oct. 15, as nothing more than a tiny collection of Papuans who lack international support. Papuan member of the Regional Consultative Council (DPD), Ferdinanda Ibo Yatipai, said she could understand the animosity as Jakarta had treated Papua unfairly. She was referring to alleged human rights violations against Papuans and exploitation of Papua's natural resources for the enrichment of Jakarta. "We must unite to support the IPWP. Where's the money the government said had been given to the Papuans? We must find the embezzlers of the funds," she told the seminar. Rights activist Syamsudin Radjab talked about the failure of the special autonomy for Papua since Page 4

abetterworldthanthis4 its inception in 2001."We estimate Rp 26 trillion in special autonomy funding has been given to Papua since 2001. But many Papuans aren't enjoying it. The government must explain where the money has gone," he said. Syamsudin urged the government to initiate a comprehensive program that involved all stakeholders, such as NGOs and Papuan leaders, while opening a national dialogue to address Papua's problems. "Indonesia must learn from the Timor Leste lesson. We can't pretend that everything is OK down there in Papua," he said.Ibo said the IPWP had been established because Papuans were no longer able to make themselves heard by the government. "We established a special committee for Papua at the DPD. But when we wanted to hold a dialogue with the President, the DPD chairman simply told us he did not want to attend the event. What can we do?" Ibo said. University of Indonesia international relations expert Hariyadi Wirawan said the threat of disintegration was real. He said Papua today looked like Timor Leste before the 1999 referendum when the government believed the province would remain with Indonesia."That's why the government can't solve the problems in Papua with military might or by sending more and more soldiers to the provinces. Instead, the government must gather sociologists, anthropologists and NGOs to help them find the root causes of the problems," he said.

Teachers shortage looming: Govt Extract fron the Jakarta Post November 20, 2008 The country is facing a looming shortage of teachers with more than one-third of its 2.7 million educators planning retirement in the next few years, unless recruitment programs are successful Giri Suryatmana, Secretary to the National Education Ministry's Directorate General for the improvement of educators said the uneven distribution of teachers, particularly in remote and rural areas, had plagued the country for years. With the majority of teachers working in urban areas, and a much higher number in west Indonesia in general, shortages in the eastern part of the country are becoming widespread. There have even been reports of schools in Papua operating in the absence of teachers.

Papuan women's groups call for dialogue to end decades of clout The Jakarta Post 26/11/08 The Papuan Women Working Committee has demanded the central government to open a dialogue with them on underlying problems facing Papuans including human rights violations, corruption and regional autonomy. Committee member Frederika Korayn said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com Wednesday, Papua had been integrated with Indonesia for 42 years but the living standards of Papuans had not improved, with more than 80 percent of women on the island poorly educated, in poor health and living in absolute poverty. "If the government is willing to talk with the government of Aceh, then why not with the people of Papua?" she said during a seminar in Jakarta which heralded the theme "Fostering Constituency and National Support for the Rights of Papuan Women". Further evidence of the low quality of life in Papua was shown by population growth figures. Last year only saw 1.5 percent growth, far lower from the 10 percent growth recorded in 1971. She also questioned the benefit of regional autonomy since no clear results had been felt directly by the majority of the population. Another committee member, Hanna S. Hikoyabi, said bridging the gap by engaging in Page 5

abetterworldthanthis4 more intense dialogue would serve everyone's interests better than passing ineffective legislation on regional autonomy. "Don't let our feeling of trusts and hope toward Indonesia diminish. That's why we're asking for dialogue," said Hanna, who is also vice chair of the NGO Papuan People's Assembly. Another seminar speaker, Yenny Rosa Damayanti of the Association of Indonesian Legal and Human Rights Aid (PBHI) said problems Papuans face could not be detached from how the rest of Indonesia regards Papuans. "Because we have different skin color and hair, we feel they are 'the others', not brothers," she said. Such a view, she said, was clearly manifested in how the army was operating in Papua. The majority of Indonesians oppose military measures to solve conflicts, but they somehow applied a different standard when it comes to matters involving Papuans. She proposed Indonesians redefine what constitutes Indonesianness. "Is it only the Malay race? Is it only Muslims?"

Special autonomy fails to help native Papuans: Seminar November 27, 2008 Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The special autonomy law has been in force for seven years in resource-rich Papua, but has made little difference to the socio-economic and political conditions of its indigenous people, a seminar concluded here Wednesday. The forum cited the influx of migrants from outside the country's most eastern province as a factor which keeps the indigenous people marginalized. Quoting a 2007 study by an Australian researcher, Lea Kanisia Mekiuw, of the Merauke Archbishop's Justice and Peace Secretariat, said the growth of the native Papuan population has fallen compared to that of the newcomers, sparking concerns that the indigenous people could lose their homeland to the latter. The study, conducted by Sydney University's Center for Peace and Conflict studies research fellow Jim Elmslie, said that the annual growth rate of native Papuans is only 1.67 percent, much slower than that of the non-native Papuans, which is 10.5 percent. In 1971, the indigenous Papuans constituted 96 percent of the province's total population of 923,000 people. But in 2005, the proportion changed significantly to 59 percent of 2.65 million people. If the growth rates of the two groups continue at the same pace, Elmslie projected that in 2020, the ratio of native to non-native Papuans would stand at 30:70, and in 2030 the gap could be at 15:85. Frederika Korain of Jayapura Bishopric's Justice and Peace Secretariat, speaking at the same event, said there was no official data on the proportion of native to non-native Papuans. This could be an attempt by the local and central governments to conceal the real conditions of the native Papuans, she added. She said the special autonomy law, enacted in 2001, also had failed to improve the social and cultural lives of indigenous Papuans. Eighty percent of native Papuans are living below the poverty line, with most local jobs granted to migrants instead of the typically poorly educated indigenous people, Frederika said. "Freeport (the U.S.-based copper and gold mine company operating in Papua) has been the country's biggest taxpayer since 1967, but 80 percent of native Papuans still live in absolute poverty. Poverty pockets are evenly spread throughout almost all Papua regencies," she said at the seminar, which was titled, Building a National Support Constituency for the Fulfillment of Papuan Women's Rights, and organized by the National Commission on Violence Against Women. Lea warned that millions of hectares of forests have been and more would soon be destroyed due to the operations of large mining, forestry and plantation firms. She also said that the 2007 split of the region had brought more negative impacts than benefits locals being forced to compete with one another sharing an area. Other speakers in the seminar, Page 6

into Papua and West Papua provinces to the native Papuans, with many to find food to eat instead of all who came from Papua, also spoke

abetterworldthanthis4 of the poor education and health services in the province, as well as the conditions of the local women. Many cases of physical and sexual abuses were reported against native Papuan women, they added. They urged both the central and local governments to be serious in implementing the 2001 specialautonomy law on Papua, including giving the indigenous people the right to earn a better living.

From Tapol Kompas, 21 November 2008 The mortality rate of mothers and babies is very high in the provinces of Papua and West Papua because of a serious shortage of midwives, according to the director of the Mothers' Health Department of the Indonesian Department of Health, Bagus Sukasuara. According to the Bureau of Statistics, in 2006 the death rate of mothers who had given birth to live babies was 396 of 100,000, while 52 babies had died. The reason is the lack of midwives and other trained personnel. In order to provide an adequate service in the various villages, there is a need for 300 up to 1,500 people. And moreover, he said, in Papua, these people need to wear good shoes and have strong legs. He said that he had made provision for a budget for 200 midwives for the area but no midwives wanted to go there because conditions there are very different from other parts of Indonesia.'The number of midwives has been declining from year to year, because they have to move to other places with their husbands most of whom are working for the police or the army. Without the provision of midwives who originate from the area, things will continue to be very difficult. Something needs to be done to deal with this problem,' he Another health worker said that one major factor was the low level of access by key professionals. 'In Indonesia, the mortality rate for mothers and babies is below 75%, which means that many mothers give birth with the help of traditional practitioners. Although these practitioners are very experienced, they are not trained to handle situations where complications may occur. Professionals can be of assistance to the women's husbands and other members of the family in planning for the moment of birth and dealing with complications to ensure that both mother and child come through safely. ----------The availability of primary and secondary school education is very fragile indeed in Papua because of the absence of teachers in the kampungs, according to Governor Barnabas Suebu. 'Teachers are all concentrated in the towns and cities. Whereas in a town, there may be twenty teachers working in each school, the number goes down to one per school in the kampungs. This is why education is so poor. He said that it was not an easy thing to ensure an even spread of educational workers throughout Papua, even though everyone says they want to see the availability of good quality, cheap educational facilities. Many district chiefs are very enthusiastic about opening universities but they pay little attention to primary and secondary education, he said.

BHP writes off Gag Island laterite resource Matt Chambers | November 14, 2008 Page 7

abetterworldthanthis4 Article from: The Australian After more than a decade, BHP Billiton is walking away from the controversial Gag Island nickel project off West Papua despite spending $US75 million. BHP said yesterday it would end a study of joint development of Gag and another laterite nickel resource because it could not identify an operation that would support an investment. The move comes just five months after BHP confirmed it had a conditional agreement with Indonesia's PT Antam Tbk to study developing Gag and the Buli resource on the nearby Indonesian island, Halmahera. The decision also comes after BHP repeatedly said it was not reviewing expansion plans in light of the current global economic crisis and demand slowdown. Rio Tinto, the subject of a $US90 billion BHP takeover bid, has suggested BHP is being gun*g-ho in not reviewing plans. BHP's critics say it is holding back on a broad revision of expansion because it wants to assure European Union regulators a combined Rio-BHP would not crimp global supply. The nickel study has cost BHP $US75 million ($116 million). It had terminated the agreement with Antam and would not pursue a standalone development on Gag Island, it said. BHP's walkout follows noise in June from the Indonesia Investment Co-ordinating Board that an investment deal, including a $US4.8 billion smelter, was about to be announced. Since June, nickel prices have continued to slide to levels that make the Ravensthorpe laterite nickel operation in Western Australia unprofitable, while global financial woes have worsened substantially. The Gag development has been opposed by environmental groups due to the island's diverse marine life. In 2003, television identity Andrew Denton attended BHP's annual general meeting in Melbourne to protest against the company's proposed development on the island. BHP first looked at mining on Gag in 1996, but the project stalled in 2000 when the Government introduced forest protection legislatio

West Papuan refugee group in PNG claims Indonesia is hunting them RNZI November, 208 A group of West Papuan refugees in Papua New Guinea say they are being persecuted by Indonesian agents in PNG. The group of 148 refugees, which has links to the Free Papua Movement or OPM in Indonesia’s Papua province, has been calling for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, to resettle them in a third country. However the UNHCR says these refugees do not fit their criteria for resettlement.. But the group has been evicted from a series of public areas, since being forced to leave PNG’s 8-mile refugee zone a year ago. A spokesman for the group, Sam Inggamer says they have no place to go in PNG.“We are being hunted by Indonesian government. Indonesian government has penetrated our settlement with no proper protocol arrangement. And when they come in, they were not only ordinary people, they were national intelligence of Indonesia, and military, coming to our settlement and asking names of former political prisoners and former combatants of OPM.” Sam Inggamer

Press releases/ reports etc. Papuan government proposes human HIV chip Page 8

abetterworldthanthis4 Produced by Michelle Watts The local Government in the Indonesian province of West Papua has announced a bill that would require some HIV patients to be micro-chipped. The Papuan Legislative Council is proposing a new bylaw, targeting what they call "sexually aggressive" people with HIV. Under attack from human rights groups, the council defended the bill, saying it could help curb the viruses rapid increase. It's estimated that 2 percent of the population in West Papua suffer from the disease. Joe Collins is the Secretary of the Australian West Papua association, and he condemns the use of micro-chipping. Featured in story: Joe Collins: Secretary of the Australian West Papua Association and Anne Noonan: NSW coordinator for the Medical Association for the Prevention of War. http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2008-11-25

Youtube of Marrickville Council flag raising Marrickville Council in Sydney raised the Morning Star Flag on both the Marrickville Town hall and the Petersham Town Hall. Link below shows Rex Rumakiek raising the flag on Petersham Town Hall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GuwWh5QOaM

Fears for returned West Papuan refugees Produced by Shevonne Hunt Raising a flag can be a dangerous business, especially if you’re a West Papuan celebrating independence in Papua today. West Papua became a part of Indonesia in the controversial “free choice” referendum in 1969, that critics say sidelined most of the Papuan population in favour of Indonesian control. But before the referendum there were hopes of true independence, and in 1961 the morning star flag was born. With renewed warnings from Indonesian authorities not to fly the flag today, two West Papuan refugees have disappeared from Australia, many from the pro independence movement are concerned they have been coerced into returning to Papua. Featured in story: Peter King - Convenor of the West Papua Project at the Center of Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University, Richard Rumbiak- member of the Melbourne West Papuan Community and Dino Kusnadi- spokesperson for the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra. http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2008-12-01

Calls for govt to address West Papua at ministerial forum An Australia - Indonesia Ministerial Forum kicked off today in Canberra. It will cement an action plan for The Lombock Treaty – a security agreement between us and our closest neighbor. But the wording of the treaty effectively makes Australia an ally of Indonesia - that’s involved in military conflict and human rights abuse in West Papua. Features: Dr Jim Elmsley, co-convenor of the West Papua project and Jim Collins, secretary of the Sydney Free West Papua Association http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2008-11-11

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abetterworldthanthis4 Latest issue of the "Down to Earth" newsletter The full graphics PDF file will is on the website at http://dte.gn.apc.org/79.pdf Contents:

Climate change: The pressure for REDD. Women and climate change

Plantations/economy:

Palm oil no longer ‘golden crop’

Forests: Protect adat rights to reduce deforestation Mining: Indigenous community reject Lembata mine. BHP Billiton pulls out of Gag

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