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IRIAN JAYA (WEST PAPUA, NEW GUINEA): THE QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE-February 1, 2001 TO ----------------

THE RECORD
February 1, 2000 TO ------------

Date: 2/14/01 4:05:56 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

Indonesian Observer
February 14, 2001

Autonomy law review to curb secession: Minister

JAKARTA (IO) - The government will review the regional autonomy law to
prevent the possible breakaway of certain regions from Indonesian rule, a
senior minister said yesterday.

Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Minister Surjadi Soedirdja said
amendments will be made because the law contains some articles that could
threaten the country's territorial integrity.

He said his office is now compiling planned revisions for Law No.22 on
Regional Autonomy, which was enacted in 1999.

"We are gathering input and information for the revisions," Soedirdja told
journalists on the sidelines of a hearing with the House of
Representatives' commission dealing with home and legal affairs.

On Monday, at least 25 provincial governors met in the South Sumatra
capital of Palembang and called for some changes to the regional autonomy
law. The governors cited some flaws in the law, which they said pose
dangers to national integrity.

Soedirdja welcomed the criticism from the governors. "I am quite
responsive to the governors' aspirations," he said.

The minister said the law is flawed because it does not include any
stipulations regulating hierarchical relations between municipal, district
or provincial administrations.

He said the government will soon hold in-depth discussions to prepare for
the revisions of the law, which partially came into effect early last
month.

The minister acknowledged that perhaps insufficient forethought had been
given to the original law. "Existing social and political conditions
certainly had their bearing when the bill was being deliberated in the
House," he said.

The House commission on home and legal affairs agreed with the plan to
revise the autonomy law, urging the minister to submit a new bill by June
at the latest.

Amin Aryoso, head of the parliamentary commission, said the
House "supports and appreciates any steps" by the Home Affairs Ministry to
implement the autonomy law.

However, the law should take national cohesion into consideration, he
added. "Regional autonomy should support the Unitary State of the Republic
of Indonesia."

Aryoso said his commission feels the revisions should include articles on
the financial balance between the central and regional governments.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/13/01 6:48:50 PM Central Standard Time
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Tempo Magazine
National NO. 50/XXIX/February 13 - 19, 2001
End of the Nikita Bar Drama
-- William Onde has freed all his hostages. It turns out that it
all started with an unpaid bar bill.

Gunfire shattered the silence of the jungle in Asiki, Merauke, as
Willem Onde's men fired their weapons. But there was no battle-it
was just to mark their arrival, along with three hostages they
were about to release. Last Wednesday, Col. Onde kept his promise.
The commander of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) troops handed
over PT Korindo director Lee Jong Yong, Kwok Eduk and Kamelius
Mayu to the head of the negotiating team.

The three-week-long kidnap drama was over. It started on January
16 when Onde's troops took 17 employees of Korean plywood company
Korindo hostage. The firm manages 1 million hectares of forests in
Irian Jaya. Three of the hostages, including Jong Yong, were
Korean nationals. The others had been released 10 days previously.

"Praise God, I have been allowed to see my family again," Kwok
Eduk told TEMPO. Although they were frightened, they were treated
well, he said. Onde even ordered his men not to snap at the
hostages as they shuffled along the swampy jungle.

While in there, they slept on leaves spread on the ground. Even
food was "not lacking." Every day, they ate rice, canned sardines
and whatever vegetables they could find. Messengers from Korindo
periodically delivered food and medicine. But their movements were
closely watched by 50 of Onde's men, most of whom were armed with
just bows and arrows-only five had automatic weapons and pistols.

The successful outcome, according to chief of the Irian Jaya
Police Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika, was the result of pressure
from the negotiators, who ignored Onde's demands. The security
forces, says Mangku Pastika, surrounded Onde's secret base. Onde
did not have enough supplies to allow him to hide out in the
jungle forever. If he had tried to flee across the border, there
was a high risk that the Papua New Guinea Police would arrest
him-as they recently did with Mathias Wenda, another OPM leader.

Finding himself in this difficult situation, Onde made further
demands: he asked for a guarantee for his safety and to meet with
President Abdurrahman Wahid. The negotiators seized the
opportunity, and brought the drama to a successful conclusion.

As for the rest of his demands, Onde will have to live with the
disappointment. For example, he had asked for a US$2 million
ransom payment from Korindo, a withdrawal of all Mobile Police
Brigade (Brimob) personnel from Papua, a retraction of a
declaration of OPM as a banned organization and recognition of the
sovereignty of Papua. Intriguingly, he had also asked for his
Rp2.4 million bar tab at the Nikita Bar to be paid.

Onde claims to have strong reasons for his criminal act. The
kidnapping, he says, was a protest. "It's been a year since we
conveyed our aspirations to the vice president, but there has been
no reply."

As it turns out, though, 39 year old's motives are not that
genuine. He is no Che Guevera. Although he became a guerilla at
the age of 13, he has is also a 'favorite son' of the military.
"Onde's group can be hard-line one minute but are then ready to
talk," the late Maj. Gen. Tonny Rompis, commander of the Trikora
Military Command (which includes Papua) told TEMPO last December.

This close relationship has existed since 1997, when Onde signed a
peace agreement with Maj. Gen. Johny Lumintang, the then Trikora
commander. Last July, the military even took Onde to Jakarta to
meet Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Six months after later,
he came close to meeting the president, but the meeting was
suddenly cancelled. Onde arrived in Jayapura too late and then
stayed at the Kopassus (special forces) Tribuana Taskforce
Headquarters in Hamadi. The guerilla colonel was even able to
invite reporters to attend a news conference at the military base.

TEMPO's investigations and the explanation from Gen. Pastika have
revealed that the chaotic series of events began with a drunken
night in the Nikita Bar in Merauke on January 9. That night, a man
with untidy hair looked at his bar bill and his eyes nearly popped
out of his head when he saw the total: Rp2.4 million. He certainly
didn't have that kind of money in his pocket.

As usual, he called Korindo boss Lee Hun (one of the hostages) and
asked him to pay it-Onde had been working for the Korean company
as a security guard since 1999. Korindo even paid for Onde's
headquarters to be built. However, fed up with the same thing
happening over and over again, the firm refused to foot the bill.
Not content with money for the tab, Onde also asked for automatic
weapons and ammunition and for another debt to be settled: a Rp1.5
million hotel bill. When this request was also turned down, the
elementary school dropout lost his temper.

And so the half-hearted hostage drama took place.
-- Karaniya Dharmasaputra, Edy Budiyarso (Jakarta) and Kristian
Ansaka (West Papua)/DB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Kabar-Irian

Subject: Re: Papua Council Presidium Media statement
MEDIA STATEMENT 13 February 2001
West Papuans willing to go to war if forced, say leaders

West Papuan leaders have expressed extreme satisfaction with their
Port Vila meetings. They have just concluded a series of
high-level consultations with Prime Minister Barak Sope and his
government. They discussed, among others, the need to step up
diplomatic efforts and persuade Indonesia to accept international
dialogue as the most humane and sensible way out in addressing the
West Papua conflict.

The visiting two-man delegation has also conveyed to Prime
Minister Sope the fraternal greetings of the West Papuan people to
the government and the people of Vanuatu, especially expressing
their appreciation for Vanuatu's historic and long-standing
support in aid of the Melanesian independence issue.

However, it is feared that further atrocities, torture,
intimidation, and suppression of basic human rights in West Papua
will leave its largely unarmed Melanesian inhabitants with no
option, but to resort to physical retaliation in self-defense.
This is according to the Papua Council Presidium's international
relations moderator, Mr Franzalbert Joku, and its Vanuatu-based
resident representative to Pacific countries, Mr Andy Ayamiseba.

The pair who represent the pro-independence Papua Council
Presidium (Presidium Dewan Papua) leaders have warned that the
disputed province could become a major war zone, if Indonesian
military brutalities persisted and the Council's pleas for urgent
external help continued to fall on deaf ears.

"This vicious and inhuman death machine has to be stopped at all
cost. What else can you do, if you are pushed against the wall, or
barely hanging over the cliff edge," they said in a media
statement issued in Port Vila today at the conclusion of their
meeting with the government here.

Joku was recently appointed and authorised to act on behalf of the
Papua Council Presidium to explore and secure all forms of
external assistance, following the mass arrest and jailing of key
independence leaders and other Council members.

They maintained that the peace path they had embarked on was
consistent with the Papua Congress resolution of mid last year and
the broad concern the Pacific Islands Forum leaders had expressed
in the official Forum communique adopted at the Tarawa (Kiribati)
summit last October.

In their statement, the pair strongly urged all sovereign
governments in the region to collectively assume a leading role in
seeking a peaceful solution to end what they described as "one of
the biggest human abbatoirs in the recent history of Melanesia".

"That is precisely what is happening to our people. Peace is our
preference, but what use is it when death stares you in the face.
How much longer must our people go on tolerating this," Joku and
Ayamiseba said.

The West Papuan leaders said continuing inaction by regional gover
nments, in particular the troubled province's near neighbours, and
the international community at large would only serve to encourage
the Papuans to resort to less peaceful means to defend themselves
and reassert control over their native homeland.

"It's a grave mistake to assume that Papuans of today are the same
as those of yesteryears, therefore, incapable of physical
retaliation or inflicting damage.

"Seriously, the Indonesia government must now be placed on notice.
If our pleas for speedy end to atrocities, rape, torture, murder
and all forms of intimidation go unheeded, the Papua Council will
have no choice but to step aside and allow shock therapies to be
administered on the perpetrators," Joku and Ayamiseba said, in
concluding their statement. They would not elaborate.

Franzalbert Joku
International Relations Moderator & Interim Papua Council Mandate
Holder

Andy Ayamiseba
Resident Representative in Vanuatu & International Rel. Pacific
Coordinator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Received from Joyo Indonesian News

South China Morning Post
February 10, 2001
Irian Jaya students fear fresh violence
By David Cohen

An academic at Cenderawasih University in Jayapura, the capital of
the disputed Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, has warned of
escalating violence in the wake of sectarian unrest which swept
the city in December and in which at least three students died.

Police officers raided three dormitories at Irian Jaya's only
university in search of "terrorists" who they claimed had
earlier killed at least two of their colleagues. One of the
students died at the scene of the raid, while two others died
after being taken into police custody, according to the
regional-based Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy.

At least 50 other students were arrested, according to the
institute. Irian Jaya, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea, is
home to a native Melanesian population of 1.8 million, most of
them Christians, as well as 700,000 settlers from other parts of
Indonesia. It was ceded to Indonesia by the United Nations in
1963.

Virtually all of the students affected by the recent violence come
from the mountain hill tribes of the province, where a
29-year-old separatist movement against Indonesian rule draws its
most militant support.

The police raids occurred shortly after the anniversary of the
separatists' 1961 declaration of independence, commemorating the
time when, they say, their homeland was stolen from them by
Indonesia, which comprises about 7,000 inhabited islands.

Speaking by telephone from the city of Yogyakarta on the island of
Java, Sem Karoba, an English language teacher at Cenderawasih
University, warned that the disputed province seemed likely to
become "a war zone" as "the cycle of retribution gathers pace".

For the institution's 4,000 students, he said, "campus life right
now is a matter of being more and more alert to the reality of
violence. Many of the students no longer even dress like students,
but rather as street workers," he said, for fear of what could
happen to them at the hands of security-force officers.

An additional 1,000 officers were recently sent by the Indonesian
government to restore order in the city.

But faculty members also remain at risk in the wake of the
disorder, said Mr Karoba.

"English language instructors - some of whom, like me, have been
intimidated by the police, and others who have been assaulted or
killed - are being especially targeted, both because we read more
widely and can communicate more widely to the outside world about
what's really happening here."

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center For Pacific Islands Studies/University Of
Hawai'I

Church, Governments Talk On West Papua Border Strife
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
(February 12, 2001 - Post-Courier/PINA Nius Online)

Government officials from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are
meeting this week in Jayapura at a time when problems are
occurring on the common border.

PNG officials, including representatives from the police, PNG
Defense Force, Foreign Affairs and other institutions, were
expected to cross the border to Jayapura yesterday for the Border
Liaison Officers Meeting.

The situation on the border has been contentious since December
when troubles erupted in Indonesian-ruled West Papua. Hundreds of
West Papuans have fled across the border from the province, called
Irian Jaya by the Indonesians.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Jayapura will also meet this
week and has invited the bishops of Vanimo and Kiunga from across
the border in Papua New Guinea to join them. Catholic Bishop of
Vanimo Cesare Bonivento, accompanied by Father Saverio Taffary,
Michael Kalili and a representative from Kiunga, will lead the PNG
group.

The Catholic Bishops Conferences in PNG and Jayapura have been
vocal on alleged human rights abuses by the Indonesian police and
army against West Papuans.

Last month, Lawrence Stephens, of the Catholic Bishops Conference
in PNG, wrote to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human
Rights based in Switzerland, Mary Robinson. He expressed concern
for the "serious human rights violations in West Papua."

Mr. Stephens said five foremost leaders of the West Papuans'
political arm, the Papua Presidium Council, have been charged with
subversion /treason, which carries a penalty of life sentence.

"We regard these persons as political prisoners, who should be
released immediately," he said.

"They had all been advocates of non-violence and had sought
throughout the past year to negotiate a settlement with the
Indonesian President, Mr. Wahid, on the withstanding regional
issues, including past abuses by the military, land rights and the
right of self-determination accorded by the New York Agreement in
1962."

The Catholic Bishops Conference wants withdrawal of thousands of
extra Indonesian troops and police sent to the resource-rich
province in recent months.

There have been bloody clashes in West Papua following the
Indonesian police arrest of the Melanesian West Papuan
pro-independence leaders.

Human rights activists say thousands of people have died in years
of fighting between Indonesian security forces and West Papuans
seeking independence. Many of the province's two million people
still live a traditional life in the mountainous interior.

The province was officially taken over by Indonesia following a
controversial referendum after the departure of the Dutch, who had
ruled the territory. The West Papuans call the referendum a sham
and said only a small and intimidated number of people were
allowed to take part.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of
Hawai'i

PNG Bishops Disturbed At West Papua Reports
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
(February 12, 2001 - The National/ Independent/PINA Nius Online)

Catholic bishops have described as "disturbing" reports that West
Papuan border crossers fleeing violence will be forcibly sent back
to Indonesian-ruled Irian Jaya.

Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon
Islands president Bishop Steven Reichert said rumors of efforts by
officials to return border crossers to the Indonesian officials
are disturbing.

"Suggestions that PNG will forcibly remove the border crossers
send very sad messages to the world," Bishop Reichert said in a
statement released over the weekend.

"We have reports of shocking, barbaric treatment of prisoners in
Irian Jaya (the name the Indonesians use for West Papua). We have
reports of families and associates being intimidated by officials
in Irian Jaya. We have more than 400 people who fled to Vanimo
apparently because they held reasonable fears about their safety."

He said the Catholic Bishops Conference strongly supports the
position of "our Council of Churches" on the matter.

The Roman Catholic Church in Vanimo has provided the border
crossers with two meals a day, a canvas for the construction of
temporary housing and water tanks. The church is paying the
Department of Works to truck in drinking water from a nearby
river. Two hundred mosquito nets have also been distributed.

The Papua New Guinea government is reported to be unwilling to
help the border crossers because of concern over Indonesian
sensitivities and a lack of resources. If the border crossers are
given refugee status they will become eligible to receive
international assistance.

Reports circulating in Vanimo say that Papua New Guinea can expect
more border crossers as the Indonesian military mount operations
against the Biak settlers living around Jayapura, the provincial
capital.

Sandaun provincial health authorities also acknowledge that in the
coming week they are expecting more people to try and cross the
border.

This follows the killing of four Indonesian special forces
soldiers by OPM (Free Papua Movement) pro-independence fighters
and a major Indonesian military operation in retaliation.

Residents in Vanimo have also reported an increase in Papua New
Guinea military activity in border areas.

In recent months there have been bloody clashes in West Papua
following the Indonesian police arrest of Melanesian West Papuan
pro-independence leaders.

Human rights activists say thousands of people have died in years
of fighting between Indonesian security forces and West Papuans
seeking independence. Many of the province's two million people
still live a traditional life in the mountainous interior.

The province was officially taken over by Indonesia following a
controversial referendum after the departure of the Dutch, who had
ruled the territory. The West Papuans call the referendum a sham
and said only a small and intimidated number of people were
allowed to take part.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of
Hawai'i

Worries Over Health Of West Papuan Refugees
By Adam Elliot
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
(January 11, 2001 - The Independent/PINA Nius Online/Abridged)

Papua New Guinea government health workers will screen 220 West
Papuan border crossers currently in Vanimo as efforts to monitor
their health continue.

Health officers will be checking for Tuberculosis (TB) after a
confirmed case was admitted to Vanimo hospital. A Dutch doctor
based in Vanimo, Martyn Pannekoek, says a person was admitted to
hospital with the infectious form of TB.

An aid post located in the camp and staffed by nurses and
community health workers treats around 25 people a day. There has
been a total of around 20 admissions at the Vanimo hospital.

An aid post worker, Helen Sebatles, said: "We are treating simple
illnesses like coughs, malaria and skin diseases like grille. Last
month people were coming in with dysentery but had now improved
and we only had one case yesterday."

The Roman Catholic Church in Vanimo has provided the people with
two meals a day, a canvas for the construction of temporary
housing and water tanks. The church is paying the Department of
Works to truck in drinking water from a nearby river. Two hundred
mosquito nets have also been distributed.

Dr. Pannekoek says the Papua New Guinea government will not help
the border crossers because of concern over Indonesian
sensitivities and a lack of resources. If the border crossers are
given refugee status they will become eligible to receive
international assistance.

The people are occupying government land at the transmitter
station in Vanimo. The border crossers are all from the Wamina
settlement around Jayapura. Wamina is located in the highlands
along the border with PNG.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Wednesday, February 14 - 2001
Autonomy law review to curb secession: Minister

JAKARTA (IO) - The government will review the regional autonomy
law to prevent the possible breakaway of certain regions from
Indonesian rule, a senior minister said yesterday.

Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Minister Surjadi Soedirdja said
amendments will be made because the law contains some articles
that could threaten the country's territorial integrity.

He said his office is now compiling planned revisions for Law
No.22 on Regional Autonomy, which was enacted in 1999.

"We are gathering input and information for the revisions,"
Soedirdja told journalists on the sidelines of a hearing with the
House of Representatives' commission dealing with home and legal
affairs.

On Monday, at least 25 provincial governors met in the South
Sumatra capital of Palembang and called for some changes to the
regional autonomy law. The governors cited some flaws in the law,
which they said pose dangers to national integrity.

Soedirdja welcomed the criticism from the governors. "I am quite
responsive to the governors' aspirations," he said.

The minister said the law is flawed because it does not include
any stipulations regulating hierarchical relations between
municipal, district or provincial administrations.

He said the government will soon hold in-depth discussions to
prepare for the revisions of the law, which partially came into
effect early last month.

The minister acknowledged that perhaps insufficient forethought
had been given to the original law. "Existing social and political
conditions certainly had their bearing when the bill was being
deliberated in the House," he said.

The House commission on home and legal affairs agreed with the
plan to revise the autonomy law, urging the minister to submit a
new bill by June at the latest.

Amin Aryoso, head of the parliamentary commission, said the House
"supports and appreciates any steps" by the Home Affairs Ministry
to implement the autonomy law.

However, the law should take national cohesion into consideration,
he added. "Regional autonomy should support the Unitary State of
the Republic of Indonesia."

Aryoso said his commission feels the revisions should include
articles on the financial balance between the central and regional
governments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Wednesday, February 14 - 2001
Editorial
Rethinking national interests

A number of provinces blessed with abundant natural resources are
now busy with their agendas to strengthen their financial
performance as the nation shifts from central to regional
management. Over the past few days, reports from Kalimantan and
Irian Jaya have suggested that officials of the provincial
governments have invited Malaysian loggers to exploit their
resources by granting them small-scale forest concessions. Local
governments, having been empowered by the new autonomy laws, have
the right to issue licenses.

On one hand, the news is a relief since the Malaysians will be
able to realise the potential of our forests, but we won't have to
buy the expensive capital loggers need. The news also implies that
foreign investors are beginning to have more confidence that their
businesses will not be disturbed by locals.

On the other hand, there is concern among national forest
concession holders because the presence of Malaysian logers, who
are better equipped, are expected to cut trees outside licensed
concessions.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Forest Concession
Holders, Adiwarsita Adinegoro, was quoted by Bisnis Indonesia,
January 12, 2001 as saying that the threat to businesses owned by
concession holders is serious. Aside from facing stiff competition
from foreign investors, they also have to deal with illegal
logging, which has been intensifying over the last three years.

National forest concession holders cannot profit when illegal
logging is pushing the price of a square metre of wood down to Rp
350.000 while concession holders have to stay at Rp 500.000. This
unfair pricing policy has forced concession holders to delay
paying tax to the government.

The decision of concession holders not to pay tax is a sign that
national interests are being abandoned. Concession holders believe
that the government is not protecting them.

They cite unclear tax policies, illegal retribution and allowing
illegal loggers to operate with impunity as evidence. Illegal
loggers have their own motivations, too. They see big concession
holders cutting trees outside of licensed forest areas and want to
get in on the action. It appears that granting local governments
more power will subvert national interests. Remember the national
Timor car project? It did not exactly help the average Indonesian
to buy a car.

This leaves us with a number of questions: are officials capable
of drafting forest affair policies in the context of autonomy but
still intact in the frame of national integrity? Was it because he
was too busy politicking that the Minister of Forestry Nur Mahmudi
Ismail forgot to deal with technical forestry matters? And is that
the reason the National Awakening Party (PKB) wants him to resign?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National News
Japan Sends Tools For Irian Jaya's Agri'l Dev't
Monday, February 12, 2001/1:20:29 PM
Jayapura, Irian Jaya, Feb 12 (ANTARA)

The Japanese government, through its Overseas Economic Cooperation
Fund (OECF), has provided Indonesia's Irian Jaya province some
agricultural implements.

"The assistance is for regions with vast and fertile lands but
whose people are living in poor conditions," head of the
provincial agriculture office, Idrus Muhammad D, said here Monday.

The assistance, which consisted of hand tractors and water pumps,
was extended in October last year to four districts -- Merauke,
Nabire, Jayapura and Manokwari.

"These districts were chosen because their potentials are better
than those of other areas in the province," he said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National News
RI, PNG Decide To Review Basic Agreements
Monday, February 12, 2001/1:20:06 PM
Jayapura, Irian Jaya, Feb 12 (ANTARA)

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have decided to review some
of their basic agreements which ended last year, an Indonesian
diplomat said Monday.

The review aims to accommodate recent developments and future
needs, head of the Indonesian delegation to the talks on the basic
agreements, Sinyo Sarundayang, told ANTARA here.

Among those to be reviewed are the two countries' agreement on
border affairs, Sarundayang said, noting that the two governments
have signed 10 memoranda of understanding (MOUs).

He said the meeting will not discuss extradition as the two
neighboring countries have not signed any treaty on this.

Meanwhile, Irian Jaya's secretary for border affairs, FX Suryanto,
said there is a need to review several agreements on border
problems because they could no longer address recent developments.

Besides, the Indonesian and Papuan governments have agreed to
review their agreements every 10 years, he added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Wednesday, February 14 - 2001
Indonesia, PNG to review agreements

JAKARTA (IO) - Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have decided
to review some of their basic agreements that ended last year,
says an Indonesian diplomat.

The review aims to accommodate recent developments and future
needs, head of an Indonesian delegation holding talks with PNG
officials, Sinyo Sarundayang, told Antara on Monday.

Among the agreements being reviewed are those on border affairs.
Thousands of Irian Jaya residents have reportedly claimed they
will seek sanctuary in PNG if the Indonesian military launches a
crackdown on separatist rebels.

Although Irian residents in the past have easily been able to
cross the border and stay there, authorities in PNG recently
arrested a group of rebels from the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and
put them on trial for raising an illegal army.

Sinyo said the bilateral talks, being held in the Irian Jaya
capital of Jayapura, will not discuss extradition as Indonesia and
PNG have not signed any pact on this.

Irian Jaya administration's border affairs spokesman, F.X.
Suryanto, said some agreements relating to border crossers must be
rewritten because they cannot address recent developments.

The Indonesian and Papuan governments have agreed to review their
agreements every 10 years, he added.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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Date: 2/13/01 3:12:56 AM Central Standard Time
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Subject: Re: Papua Council Presidium Media statement

MEDIA STATEMENT 13 February 2001

West Papuans willing to go to war if forced, say leaders

West Papuan leaders have expressed extreme satisfaction with their Port Vila
meetings. They have just concluded a series of high-level consultations with
Prime Minister Barak Sope and his government. They discussed, among others,
the need to step up diplomatic efforts and persuade Indonesia to accept
international dialogue as the most humane and sensible way out in addressing
the West Papua conflict.

The visiting two-man delegation has also conveyed to Prime Minister Sope the
fraternal greetings of the West Papuan people to the government and the
people of Vanuatu, especially expressing their appreciation for Vanuatu's
historic and long-standing support in aid of the Melanesian independence
issue.

However, it is feared that further atrocities, torture, intimidation, and
suppression of basic human rights in West Papua will leave its largely
unarmed Melanesian inhabitants with no option, but to resort to physical
retaliation in self-defense. This is according to the Papua Council
Presidium's international relations moderator, Mr Franzalbert Joku, and its
Vanuatu-based resident representative to Pacific countries, Mr Andy
Ayamiseba.

The pair who represent the pro-independence Papua Council Presidium
(Presidium Dewan Papua) leaders have warned that the disputed province could
become a major war zone, if Indonesian military brutalities persisted and
the Council's pleas for urgent external help continued to fall on deaf ears.

"This vicious and inhuman death machine has to be stopped at all cost. What
else can you do, if you are pushed against the wall, or barely hanging over
the cliff edge," they said in a media statement issued in Port Vila today at
the conclusion of their meeting with the government here.

Joku was recently appointed and authorised to act on behalf of the Papua
Council Presidium to explore and secure all forms of external assistance,
following the mass arrest and jailing of key independence leaders and other
Council members.

They maintained that the peace path they had embarked on was consistent with
the Papua Congress resolution of mid last year and the broad concern the
Pacific Islands Forum leaders had expressed in the official Forum communique
adopted at the Tarawa (Kiribati) summit last October.

In their statement, the pair strongly urged all sovereign governments in the
region to collectively assume a leading role in seeking a peaceful solution
to end what they described as "one of the biggest human abbatoirs in the
recent history of Melanesia".

"That is precisely what is happening to our people. Peace is our preference,
but what use is it when death stares you in the face. How much longer must
our people go on tolerating this," Joku and Ayamiseba said.

The West Papuan leaders said continuing inaction by regional governments, in
particular the troubled province's near neighbours, and the international
community at large would only serve to encourage the Papuans to resort to
less peaceful means to defend themselves and reassert control over their
native homeland.

"It's a grave mistake to assume that Papuans of today are the same as those
of yesteryears, therefore, incapable of physical retaliation or inflicting
damage.

"Seriously, the Indonesia government must now be placed on notice. If our
pleas for speedy end to atrocities, rape, torture, murder and all forms of
intimidation go unheeded, the Papua Council will have no choice but to step
aside and allow shock therapies to be administered on the perpetrators,"
Joku and Ayamiseba said, in concluding their statement. They would not
elaborate.

Franzalbert Joku
International Relations Moderator & Interim Papua Council Mandate Holder

Andy Ayamiseba
Resident Representative in Vanuatu & International Rel. Pacific Coordinator

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

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=======================================================

Date: 2/11/01 5:56:16 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
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To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org
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Sydney Morning Herald
Monday, February 12, 2001
A problem that's too close for comfort
We must actively seek a central role in settling the unrest in West
Papua, writes Bruce Haigh .

The upheaval in Indonesia over allegations of corruption against
president Wahid has swept the problems of West Papua from the news
just as they appeared to be getting something like the attention
they deserve.

Whatever the fate of Wahid, West Papua will be an abiding problem
for both Jakarta and Canberra. Indeed, if the military increase
their influence over the parliament because of the current problems,
there will be an even more pressing need to address the issue of
West Papua and its hopes for autonomy.

It was discouraging to hear the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer,
recently respond to the legitimate aspirations of the people of West
Papua with the line that the territorial integrity of the Javanese
empire should be respected. That was in spite of all that has
occurred over the past three years regarding East Timor.

West Papua's grievances will remain for as long as the indigenous
people are subject to the arbitrary rule of the Indonesian army (the
TNI).

The problems in the Indonesian archipelago have been made by the
Javanese elite. Australia did not cause the bloodshed and
destruction in East Timor, (the TNI) did. The forces at play in West
Papua (and Aceh) are the result of historical imperatives. (And will
play themselves out no matter what level of encouragement is given
by Australians seeking an end to oppression in the archipelago.)

Downer and his department need a reality check and an end to the
policy of appeasement towards Indonesia. Rather they should be
actively developing an Australian role in bringing about a
reasonable and negotiated outcome in West Papua.

More than at any other time there is an opportunity for creative and
forward-looking diplomacy with Jakarta. Australia should clearly
state to both Indonesian politicians and the TNI leadership that a
change in the status of West Papua is inevitable. It should be put
that we do not want a repeat of East Timor where we were left
to pick up the pieces.

Australia should consider an intensive round of diplomatic
negotiations with Indonesia and the United Nations with the aim of
autonomy for West Papua within 10 years. Australia could offer to be
part of the process by providing aid, training, technical assistance
and expert advice to the West Papuans.

It would need to be made clear to Indonesia that failure to
negotiate a diplomatic outcome for West Papua will see violence
intensify between activists and the TNI to the point that
intervention from States with a vested interest in the stability of
the region will become inevitable.

As part of a diplomatic initiative, Australia would need to enlist
the support of PNG which is a significant stakeholder in a peaceful
transition of power in West Papua.

Australia would also need to gain the support of the US mining
company Freeport, the major economic player in West Papua and, too,
the support of the US government and of other Pacific countries and
ASEAN.

Australia might use a negotiated settlement in West Papua to engage
regional stakeholders and the UN in resolving similar problems in
other parts of the archipelago.

Any diplomatic initiative should see the World Bank and IMF
encouraged to enforce strict conditions on all future loans to
central and regional authorities in the archipelago.

In common with other lending institutions, the World Bank ought to
ensure that funds are properly allocated and then spent according to
that allocation. This might be achieved by insisting on having World
Bank staff in local institutions as a condition of any loan. World
Bank money has been - and probably still is - finding its way to the
TNI which, as we are now well aware, controls the archipelago with a
comprehensive disregard of human rights.

Australia should also impose stricter conditions on its own aid to
Jakarta or, better still, make that aid conditional on a negotiated
settlement in West Papua.

Whether or not Australia engages in active and creative diplomacy,
West Papua will inevitably move toward substantial autonomy or
separation from the present Indonesian Republic. Australia has an
interest in preventing conflict. It should therefore seek to take a
lead in managing the process of change in West Papua. That would
save many lives and gain regional and international respect.

Effective Australian diplomacy would lessen the prospect of
Australia's future military involvement in a difficult physical and
political environment.

The forces of dissent in the archipelago, which gained momentum
under former president Habibi, will be bolstered by the announcement
from Jakarta last month that the ailing Wahid administration intends
to grant greater autonomy to the restive provinces. Rather than halt
the fracturing of the Javanese empire, it is likely to speed the
process.

By all accounts the initiative has not been thought through.
Planning is said to be rudimentary and devolution of authority is
likely to lead to increased corruption among local officials. In
addition, the economic downturn in the United States will affect
Asian economies, particularly Indonesia. This will put further
pressure on an enfeebled elite.

Popular dissent against poorly performing and corrupt officials,
made worse by economic hardship, is likely to find expression
through increased lawlessness by local activists.

A collapse in provincial law and order will invite intervention by
the TNI which sees maintenance of the status quo in the archipelago
as its duty. Elements within the TNI no doubt view the devolution
proposal with a degree of optimism seeing in it the potential to use
local unrest to advantage.
Indications from Colin Powell that America may be stepping back from
future conflicts the region are all the more reason for Australia
look for diplomatic solutions.
-- Former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh was a director of the
Department of Foreign Affairs' Indonesia section from 1984 to 1986.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

=======================================================

Date: 2/12/01 5:35:28 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org
Received from Joyo Indonesian News

South China Morning Post
February 10, 2001

Irian Jaya students fear fresh violence

By David Cohen

An academic at Cenderawasih University in Jayapura, the capital of the
disputed Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, has warned of escalating violence
in
the wake of sectarian unrest which swept the city in December and in which at
least three students died.

Police officers raided three dormitories at Irian Jaya's only university
in
search of "terrorists" who they claimed had earlier killed at least two of
their
colleagues. One of the students died at the scene of the raid, while two
others
died after being taken into police custody, according to the regional-based
Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy.

At least 50 other students were arrested, according to the institute.
Irian
Jaya, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea, is home to a native Melanesian
population of 1.8 million, most of them Christians, as well as 700,000
settlers
from other parts of Indonesia. It was ceded to Indonesia by the United
Nations in 1963.

Virtually all of the students affected by the recent violence come from
the
mountain hill tribes of the province, where a 29-year-old separatist movement
against Indonesian rule draws its most militant support.

The police raids occurred shortly after the anniversary of the
separatists'
1961 declaration of independence, commemorating the time when, they say, their
homeland was stolen from them by Indonesia, which comprises about 7,000
inhabited islands.

Speaking by telephone from the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java,
Sem
Karoba, an English language teacher at Cenderawasih University, warned that
the
disputed province seemed likely to become "a war zone" as "the cycle of
retribution gathers pace".

For the institution's 4,000 students, he said, "campus life right now is a
matter of being more and more alert to the reality of violence. Many of the
students no longer even dress like students, but rather as street workers," he
said, for fear of what could happen to them at the hands of security-force
officers.

An additional 1,000 officers were recently sent by the Indonesian
government
to restore order in the city.

But faculty members also remain at risk in the wake of the disorder, said
Mr
Karoba.

"English language instructors - some of whom, like me, have been
intimidated
by the police, and others who have been assaulted or killed - are being
especially targeted, both because we read more widely and can communicate more
widely to the outside world about what's really happening here."

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000

========================================================

=======================================================

Date: 2/12/01 5:35:45 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
Reply-to: plovers@gn.apc.org
To: WestPapua@topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, taylorjb@vax.sbu.ac.uk
The Jakarta Post
February 10, 2001

Thousands of Irianese threaten to migrate to Papua New Guinea

JAKARTA (JP): Some 62,000 Papuans living in the mountainous areas of Bintang
in Jayawijaya district have threatened to migrate to Papua New Guinea (PNG)
if the government fails to step up development in their area.

The threat was conveyed by 12 representatives of the community to the
secretary of Irian Jaya's provincial legislative assembly, I Nyoman Sudha, in
the provincial capital of Jayapura on Friday.

Spokesman of the delegation, Hironimus Kasikmabin, pointed out that the
people at the province's border with PNG have not enjoyed the fruits of
integrating with Indonesia for more than 35 years.

"If the government fails to pay serious attention (to the problem of
development in the area), the people might migrate to PNG," Hironimus said.

Hironimus urged the government to split Jayawijaya district into two, by
declaring Bintang a separate district.

"The area has rich natural resources and it is the most densely populated
area in Jayawijaya district," he said.

Hironimus disclosed that people in Bintang had submitted a proposal on the
forming of the new district to the Jayawijaya legislative assembly two years
ago, but had so far received no response.

The thousands of Papuans living at the border occupy six subdistricts --
Borme, Okbibab, Oksibil, Kiwirok, Batom and Iwur.

The six subdistricts in Bintang are only accessible by small planes, Twin
Otters and Cessnas, which are used by AMA Aviation, Trigana and PT Merpati
Nusantara Airlines.

People in the area have benefited from the work of missionaries who have set
up health centers and elementary and junior high schools.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

=======================================================

Date: 2/11/01 5:56:16 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org

To leave this list follow the instructions at the bottom of this email or
visit the above link. As a matter of policy we DO NOT handle u n s u b s c
r i b e requests except in emergencies.

Sydney Morning Herald
Monday, February 12, 2001
A problem that's too close for comfort
We must actively seek a central role in settling the unrest in West
Papua, writes Bruce Haigh .

The upheaval in Indonesia over allegations of corruption against
president Wahid has swept the problems of West Papua from the news
just as they appeared to be getting something like the attention
they deserve.

Whatever the fate of Wahid, West Papua will be an abiding problem
for both Jakarta and Canberra. Indeed, if the military increase
their influence over the parliament because of the current problems,
there will be an even more pressing need to address the issue of
West Papua and its hopes for autonomy.

It was discouraging to hear the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer,
recently respond to the legitimate aspirations of the people of West
Papua with the line that the territorial integrity of the Javanese
empire should be respected. That was in spite of all that has
occurred over the past three years regarding East Timor.

West Papua's grievances will remain for as long as the indigenous
people are subject to the arbitrary rule of the Indonesian army (the
TNI).

The problems in the Indonesian archipelago have been made by the
Javanese elite. Australia did not cause the bloodshed and
destruction in East Timor, (the TNI) did. The forces at play in West
Papua (and Aceh) are the result of historical imperatives. (And will
play themselves out no matter what level of encouragement is given
by Australians seeking an end to oppression in the archipelago.)

Downer and his department need a reality check and an end to the
policy of appeasement towards Indonesia. Rather they should be
actively developing an Australian role in bringing about a
reasonable and negotiated outcome in West Papua.

More than at any other time there is an opportunity for creative and
forward-looking diplomacy with Jakarta. Australia should clearly
state to both Indonesian politicians and the TNI leadership that a
change in the status of West Papua is inevitable. It should be put
firmly that we do not want a repeat of East Timor where we were left
to pick up the pieces.

Australia should consider an intensive round of diplomatic
negotiations with Indonesia and the United Nations with the aim of
autonomy for West Papua within 10 years. Australia could offer to be
part of the process by providing aid, training, technical assistance
and expert advice to the West Papuans.

It would need to be made clear to Indonesia that failure to
negotiate a diplomatic outcome for West Papua will see violence
intensify between activists and the TNI to the point that
intervention from States with a vested interest in the stability of
the region will become inevitable.

As part of a diplomatic initiative, Australia would need to enlist
the support of PNG which is a significant stakeholder in a peaceful
transition of power in West Papua.

Australia would also need to gain the support of the US mining
company Freeport, the major economic player in West Papua and, too,
the support of the US government and of other Pacific countries and
ASEAN.

Australia might use a negotiated settlement in West Papua to engage
regional stakeholders and the UN in resolving similar problems in
other parts of the archipelago.

Any diplomatic initiative should see the World Bank and IMF
encouraged to enforce strict conditions on all future loans to
central and regional authorities in the archipelago.

In common with other lending institutions, the World Bank ought to
ensure that funds are properly allocated and then spent according to
that allocation. This might be achieved by insisting on having World
Bank staff in local institutions as a condition of any loan. World
Bank money has been - and probably still is - finding its way to the
TNI which, as we are now well aware, controls the archipelago with a
comprehensive disregard of human rights.

Australia should also impose stricter conditions on its own aid to
Jakarta or, better still, make that aid conditional on a negotiated
settlement in West Papua.

Whether or not Australia engages in active and creative diplomacy,
West Papua will inevitably move toward substantial autonomy or
separation from the present Indonesian Republic. Australia has an
interest in preventing conflict. It should therefore seek to take a
lead in managing the process of change in West Papua. That would
save many lives and gain regional and international respect.

Effective Australian diplomacy would lessen the prospect of
Australia's future military involvement in a difficult physical and
political environment.

The forces of dissent in the archipelago, which gained momentum
under former president Habibi, will be bolstered by the announcement
from Jakarta last month that the ailing Wahid administration intends
to grant greater autonomy to the restive provinces. Rather than halt
the fracturing of the Javanese empire, it is likely to speed the
process.

By all accounts the initiative has not been thought through.
Planning is said to be rudimentary and devolution of authority is
likely to lead to increased corruption among local officials. In
addition, the economic downturn in the United States will affect
Asian economies, particularly Indonesia. This will put further
pressure on an enfeebled elite.

Popular dissent against poorly performing and corrupt officials,
made worse by economic hardship, is likely to find expression
through increased lawlessness by local activists.

A collapse in provincial law and order will invite intervention by
the TNI which sees maintenance of the status quo in the archipelago
as its duty. Elements within the TNI no doubt view the devolution
proposal with a degree of optimism seeing in it the potential to use
local unrest to advantage.
Indications from Colin Powell that America may be stepping back from
future conflicts the region are all the more reason for Australia
look for diplomatic solutions.
-- Former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh was a director of the
Department of Foreign Affairs' Indonesia section from 1984 to 1986.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

=======================================================

Date: 2/12/01 5:35:28 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

South China Morning Post
February 10, 2001

Irian Jaya students fear fresh violence

By David Cohen

An academic at Cenderawasih University in Jayapura, the capital of the
disputed Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, has warned of escalating violence
in
the wake of sectarian unrest which swept the city in December and in which at
least three students died.

Police officers raided three dormitories at Irian Jaya's only university
in
search of "terrorists" who they claimed had earlier killed at least two of
their
colleagues. One of the students died at the scene of the raid, while two
others
died after being taken into police custody, according to the regional-based
Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy.

At least 50 other students were arrested, according to the institute.
Irian
Jaya, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea, is home to a native Melanesian
population of 1.8 million, most of them Christians, as well as 700,000
settlers
from other parts of Indonesia. It was ceded to Indonesia by the United
Nations in 1963.

Virtually all of the students affected by the recent violence come from
the
mountain hill tribes of the province, where a 29-year-old separatist movement
against Indonesian rule draws its most militant support.

The police raids occurred shortly after the anniversary of the
separatists'
1961 declaration of independence, commemorating the time when, they say, their
homeland was stolen from them by Indonesia, which comprises about 7,000
inhabited islands.

Speaking by telephone from the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java,
Sem
Karoba, an English language teacher at Cenderawasih University, warned that
the
disputed province seemed likely to become "a war zone" as "the cycle of
retribution gathers pace".

For the institution's 4,000 students, he said, "campus life right now is a
matter of being more and more alert to the reality of violence. Many of the
students no longer even dress like students, but rather as street workers," he
said, for fear of what could happen to them at the hands of security-force
officers.

An additional 1,000 officers were recently sent by the Indonesian
government
to restore order in the city.

But faculty members also remain at risk in the wake of the disorder, said
Mr
Karoba.

"English language instructors - some of whom, like me, have been
intimidated
by the police, and others who have been assaulted or killed - are being
especially targeted, both because we read more widely and can communicate more
widely to the outside world about what's really happening here."

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/10/01 8:41:34 PM Central Standard Time
From: admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: kabar-irian@irja.org
Too much mail? Try our digest version. Info available at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

To leave this list follow the instructions at the bottom of this email or
visit the above link. As a matter of policy we DO NOT handle u n s u b s c
r i b e requests except in emergencies.

This is Freeport's response to the original news item. The original item
was based on testimony/complaints recieved from Papuans Freeport Employees
and others.

We thank freeport for taking the time to clarify. However, we stand by
three points:

1. We were told several times that staff were NOT able to go see the
journalist of their own choice.

2. By mamangement we refere to Dept. heads or higher. It is misleading to
talk about "Senior Papuan Staff" because that is a general term

3. While hiring goals may have been met, it is not actually bringing Hired
Papuans to the level sought. After all, people, quit, retire or get
fired. Papuans don't just want "X" amount hired, they want "x" number
maintained - and rightly so.

Admin

On February 09, 2001, FMS_Communications replied:

From: FMS_Communiations@fmi.com

It was unfortunate that the planned visit of a reporter from The New York
Times to Freeport's operations had to be postponed. Freeport had made
numerous preparations for the visit of the reporter and his entourage, all
from Jakarta. Unfortunately, due to their concerns about the security
situation, the local and provincial police asked Freeport to temporarily
suspend such visits in the interest of safety. Freeport sought to postpone
the reporter's visit, but he traveled to Timika anyway. Freeport was unable
to accommodate his visit at that time, because of the request of the local
authorities and because, as the reporter had been told, company
representatives had been released from the previously scheduled meetings when
the schedule was postponed.

Any attempt to imply, due to this incident, that Freeport is a "closed"
company or has something to hide, is ridiculous. In the past several years
alone, 700 reporters from around the world have visited the company's
operations in Irian Jaya (Papua) under Freeport's open door policy.

The suggestion that the company was trying to keep the reporter from meeting
with Papuans is also baseless. Freeport had scheduled the reporter to meet
with a number of Papuan employees and their families. With regards to
Freeport's 10-year Papuan hiring commitments made in 1996, these have all
already been surpassed. At the end of 2000, Freeport had 1,522 Papuan
employees, compared to 600 in 1996; and 113 Papuan staff, or managerial,
employees, compared to 48 in 1996. These efforts to educate, train, employ
and promote Papuans continue.

Freeport has apologized to the reporter for the inconvenience and sincerely
hopes to be able to reschedule his visit in the near future.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

==================================

Date: 2/9/01 7:48:51 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

Received from Joyo Indonesian News

The Jakarta Post
February 8, 2001

Last three hostages freed by leader of Free Papua Movement

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Willem Onde, the leader of the Free Papua Movement
(OPM), released on Wednesday afternoon three hostages, including two Koreans,
who had been held for 23 days.

"Three PT Korindo Merauke employees, including two Korean nationals, were
released this afternoon at about 2:45 p.m. local time after being held
hostage since January 16," Chung Mulia Wijaya, vice president of PT Korindo
logging and plywood company, told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Chung said the three released hostages, identified as Lee Jong Myung, Kuon O
Deok and Emerikue Kamelius, "were in good condition and only lost few
kilograms".

"Thank God the two Koreans are surveyors who have been living in Indonesia
for 20 years ... so they are used to mosquito bites and raw food," he said.

The kidnappers, who are from a faction of OPM, seized 16 employees of the
South Korean-owned plywood firm based in Asiki district, some 360 kilometers
from Merauke.

Thirteen of the hostages were released on Jan. 28 following negotiations with
the rebels at their camp in Asiki district. The rebels then demanded a US$1
million ransom, a halt to logging in the area and the withdrawal of police
from the timber-cutting area for the release of the remaining three hostages.

"I met with Onde during the previous negotiations. Onde released the hostages
on the grounds that President Abdurrahman Wahid agreed to meet with him in
Jakarta. Basically he (Onde) was only trying to channel his aspirations for
Papua freedom and it had nothing to do with Korindo," Chung said.

Merauke Regent Johanes Gluba Gebse was in Jakarta on Wednesday reportedly to
confirm the planned meeting between the President and Onde. Presidential
spokesman Wimar Witoelar said earlier that the President had agreed to meet
with Onde.

Both Chung and Korindo director Eugenius Simon Lestuny said no ransom had
been paid for the release of the hostages.

"No ransom was paid. Logging is continuing as usual and as for the withdrawal
of troops, that is up to the government," Lestuny said.

The three hostages left Onde's camp in the Asiki district near Digul River
with negotiators, who included Merauke Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohanis
Agus Mulyono, the chief of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) in Tribuana,
Lt. Col. Nus Rasia, and two Koreans officials from PT Korindo.

"We are glad that all hostages are safe and sound and no rescue operation was
necessary," Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon and Irian
Jaya Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said.

"We thank Mgr. J. Duivenvoorde, Rev. Kees de Roy, (local residents) Marius
Marip, Vitalis and Linus, and Nor Bertha (Onde's sister), who played
wonderful roles as negotiators, along with the government, the security
forces and all related parties that have helped us in peacefully securing the
release of the hostages," Kim Dong Hwan, the vice chairman of PT Korindo,
said in a statement.

The company, however, urged the government to be more sensitive in
understanding the situation in the regions.

PT Korindo has been operating in Indonesia for 30 years. The company has
4,000 employees in Irian Jaya. (edt/35)

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/9/01 4:02:13 PM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

also: Lawyer urges Papua New Guinea not to extradite Irian separatist to
Indonesia

BBC Worldwide Monitoring
February 8, 2001

Source: Papua New Guinea Post-Courier web site, Port Moresby, in English 8
Feb 01

Papua New Guinea churches are alarmed at reports more than 400 refugees
from
West Papua Irian Jaya are to be sent back over the border to Indonesia.
Hundreds of West Papuan families have been living in jungle camps just inside
the PNG border since 1997, when the Indonesian military and police began
cracking down on nationalists among its Melanesian people. Hundreds have fled
to
PNG between October and December last year, when independence demonstrations
flared up.

PNG Council of Churches General Secretary Sophia Gegeyo said she was
concerned about a Radio New Zealand report that West Sepik Governor Robert
Sakias expected that more than 400 border-crossers near Vanimo would be
"forced" across the border. She said this was not an accurate representation
of
the intentions of either the PNG government or the United Nations.

Mrs Gegeyo said, during a recent visit by a UN representative to Vanimo,
the
border-crossers were assured that both the UN and the PNG government hoped
they
would "soon feel free" to return home.

"At the same time, three assurances were given to the people," she said.
"Firstly, that none of them would be forced to go back unwillingly. Secondly,
that there would be no effort made to return any of them until it was
established that life in West Papua had returned to normal, following the
disturbances there late last year. Finally, the people were promised that when
any of them were returned home, careful measures would be taken to monitor
their
safety and ensure they were not in any way threatened with harm."

Governor Sakias could not be reached for comment.

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

Summary of World Broadcasts
February 09, 2001
Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 1005 gmt 7 Feb 01

[Presenter Peter Mares] A West Papuan guerrilla leader appeared in a Papua
New Guinea Court today charged with raising an illegal army. Mathias Wenda is
described as the supreme commander of the OPM [Organisasi Papua Merdeka], the
rebel movement fighting for a separate state in the Indonesian province of
West
Papua, or Irian Jaya. He was arrested last month near the border town of
Vanimo
in Papua New Guinea [PNG].

Mr Wenda's lawyer has accused Port Moresby and Canberra of collaborating
with
Jakarta over his arrest. And Powes Parkop says PNG must resist calls for Mr
Wenda to be handed over to Indonesian authorities. Tricia Fitzgerald reports:

[Fitzgerald] Mathias Wenda and 12 of his followers were picked up in a
surprise police raid on an alleged rebel camp inside PNG in late January.
Eleven
of those detained have already been sentenced to six months hard labour for
being illegally in PNG. But Mr Wenda and his deputy, James Kogoiya, are facing
more serious charges. Both leaders appeared in Wewak District Court today, and
are likely to be referred on to a national court later this month. Mr Wenda is
in his 60s and reportedly in bad health.

Human rights worker (?Paul Katmau) was at Wewak prison this week, but was
refused permission to talk to the West Papuan prisoners...

[Parkop] It is a well-known fact in PNG that Wenda has been operating in
West
Sepik for all these years. I think the last 15 to 20 years, he has been living
in West Sepik around Bewani area, and also around Vanimo area, operating out
of
PNG. And government officials have spoken to him in the past. [The] military
have also spoken to him in the past, and they know that he has been operating
in
PNG.

Australia, PNG and Indonesia have probably agreed to a policy as to what
will happen in West Papua and that is to stop all the autonomy. They probably
would not want to see people like Wenda around, who is for independence...

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/9/01 7:18:05 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 05:00:08 -0800
Received from Joyo Indonesian News

The Jakarta Post
February 8, 2001

Last three hostages freed by leader of Free Papua Movement

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Willem Onde, the leader of the Free Papua Movement
(OPM), released on Wednesday afternoon three hostages, including two Koreans,
who had been held for 23 days.

"Three PT Korindo Merauke employees, including two Korean nationals, were
released this afternoon at about 2:45 p.m. local time after being held
hostage since January 16," Chung Mulia Wijaya, vice president of PT Korindo
logging and plywood company, told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Chung said the three released hostages, identified as Lee Jong Myung, Kuon O
Deok and Emerikue Kamelius, "were in good condition and only lost few
kilograms".

"Thank God the two Koreans are surveyors who have been living in Indonesia
for 20 years ... so they are used to mosquito bites and raw food," he said.

The kidnappers, who are from a faction of OPM, seized 16 employees of the
South Korean-owned plywood firm based in Asiki district, some 360 kilometers
from Merauke.

Thirteen of the hostages were released on Jan. 28 following negotiations with
the rebels at their camp in Asiki district. The rebels then demanded a US$1
million ransom, a halt to logging in the area and the withdrawal of police
from the timber-cutting area for the release of the remaining three hostages.

"I met with Onde during the previous negotiations. Onde released the hostages
on the grounds that President Abdurrahman Wahid agreed to meet with him in
Jakarta. Basically he (Onde) was only trying to channel his aspirations for
Papua freedom and it had nothing to do with Korindo," Chung said.

Merauke Regent Johanes Gluba Gebse was in Jakarta on Wednesday reportedly to
confirm the planned meeting between the President and Onde. Presidential
spokesman Wimar Witoelar said earlier that the President had agreed to meet
with Onde.

Both Chung and Korindo director Eugenius Simon Lestuny said no ransom had
been paid for the release of the hostages.

"No ransom was paid. Logging is continuing as usual and as for the withdrawal
of troops, that is up to the government," Lestuny said.

The three hostages left Onde's camp in the Asiki district near Digul River
with negotiators, who included Merauke Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohanis
Agus Mulyono, the chief of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) in Tribuana,
Lt. Col. Nus Rasia, and two Koreans officials from PT Korindo.

"We are glad that all hostages are safe and sound and no rescue operation was
necessary," Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon and Irian
Jaya Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said.

"We thank Mgr. J. Duivenvoorde, Rev. Kees de Roy, (local residents) Marius
Marip, Vitalis and Linus, and Nor Bertha (Onde's sister), who played
wonderful roles as negotiators, along with the government, the security
forces and all related parties that have helped us in peacefully securing the
release of the hostages," Kim Dong Hwan, the vice chairman of PT Korindo,
said in a statement.

The company, however, urged the government to be more sensitive in
understanding the situation in the regions.

PT Korindo has been operating in Indonesia for 30 years. The company has
4,000 employees in Irian Jaya. (edt/35)

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

____________________________________________________________
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Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

=======================================================

Date: 2/8/01 6:10:39 AM Central Standard Time
From: admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: kabar-irian@irja.org
Too much mail? Try our digest version. Info available at
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Thursday feb 8 2001

On the tuesday of this week a journalist from the New York Times arrived
in Timika doing a story on West Papua. He requested an interview with
Freeport employees, in particular Papuan employees.

However Freeport categorically refused any such interviews and forbade all
staff to meet him. They even took security measures to make sure no one
spoke with him.

This is somewhat disturbing when one considers the current disatisfaction
between Papuan Freeport employees and Freeport as well as the usual
problems between Freeport and the local people. The implication, justly or
not, is that Freeport has something to hide from the world - in particular
where its Papuan employee's are concerned.

There have been a recent spate of articles in the Timika Pos (A paper
local to Timika but read throughout Irian) by a Papuan Freeport employee
criticising Freeport for their lack of support for Papuans in the freeport
workforce. A point of note was that five years ago Freeport made promises
in writing as to how many more Papuans they would hire and how many would
be directed to managment.

These promises have not been met. This is not a matter of opinion but of
numbers. Currently with the exception of one token Vice President and two
managers there are no Papuan employees of significant seniority. Papuans
are angered by this.

When we have copies of those articles translated we will post them

Kabar-Irian

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

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Date: 2/8/01 7:37:27 PM Central Standard Time
From: admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: kabar-irian@irja.org
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The OPM in Indonesia
John R. G. Djopari, Pemberontakan Organisasi Papua Merdeka (Revolt of the
OPM), Jakarta: Gramedia, 1993. 180pp. RRP: Rp 7,000 (approx. AU$4.00 in
Indonesian bookstores).
Maj.-Gen. Samsudin, Pergolakan di Perbatasan - operasi pembebasan sandera
tanpa pertumpahan darah (Border Troubles - bloodless operations to free
hostages), Jakarta: Gramedia, 1995, 463 pp. RRP: Rp 15,000 (AU$8.50).

Reviewed by Gerry van Klinken

After four and half months, the hostage crisis in Irian Jaya was resolved
with military action. Two hostages died, as did more than two dozen
combatants on both sides through accidents or battle. It is important to
grasp the longevity of the political problems in the territory, which cry
out for fundamental change. These two timely books, in their own way, do
something to make us think there are Indonesians who realise this.

Samsudin's book is written in the genre of memoirs of heroic deeds. It
recounts in detail his own role (with the rank of colonel in the Indonesian
army) in resolving a series of hostage crises between 1978 and 1982.
Besides illustrating that hostage-taking is almost a traditional OPM
strategy, the story is remarkable because it takes pride in the fact that
all the crises were resolved without shedding blood (except for the death
of a helicopter crew in a crash).

The five different events ranged from the taking of the Abepura Military
Region Commander to the taking of a large group of junior government
officials and local workers. Some took as long as 8 months to resolve, by
means of trusted civilian mediators. There are many fascinating photos.

OPM

Djopari's book is thinner, yet more substantial. It is only the second full
study on the OPM to appear in Indonesia. The first was done by Nazaruddin
Sjamsuddin, who also supervised this one. Djopari comes from Irian Jaya and
teaches at the Interior Ministry's Institute of Government Studies. He
travelled widely for this study and is remarkably open about his
observations.

Both revolt and collaboration have always been matters for a small elite in
West Papua. The Dutch who ruled the territory till 1962 recognised this,
and so did the Indonesians. However, Indonesia's misfortune was that its
economy was in such a shambles in 1962 that it could offer the Papuan elite
nothing.

The Dutch had poured money into the territory in the late 'fifties and
early 'sixties, making the Papuan elite feel, Djopari says, 'as if they
were not being colonised'. In stark contrast, Indonesians stripped the
place bare, even taking to Java the aircraft steps from the Biak
International Airport. Attempts to socialise the notion of Indonesian-ness
failed dismally, Djopari notes, because the standard line that Dutch
colonialism impoverishes the people just did not ring true.

Crude

In the absence of a soft pillow for the elite, the government resorted to
crude intimidation by Ali Moertopo's Special Operations (Opsus). In the
process it created a unity in dissent that may never have existed before.

As so often, the coloniser provided a vocabulary for the colonised. The
name Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM, Free Papua Organisation) was first
coined by the Indonesian military. In reality, Djopari says, the OPM is
'not a single organisation for the liberation of Irian Jaya, but an
umbrella for a whole range of resistance organisations both in Irian Jaya
and overseas'.

Some will question the methods of this study - it is functionalist and thus
uses too much communications theory and not enough economics. But it
contains much valuable data, and deserves to be more widely quoted in
Indonesia today.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

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=======================================================

Date: 2/8/01 6:04:34 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
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From: Tapol
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 2:08 PM
Subject: [wp] Kopassus retaliate for killing of their men

Kopassus retaliate for the killing of four Kopassus soldiers

Hundreds of reinforcements, including two hundred Kopassus (army
special command) troops have been sent to an area west of Jayapura
in an operation to hunt down the commander of the TPN (National
Liberation Army) unit that killed four Kopassus soldiers on 3
February. The troops are spread out through Sarmi, Tor Atas, Betaf
and Bonggo, sub-districts in the district of Jayapura 90 - 135 kms
west of Jayapura.

The additional troops have been dispatched to the area by the
Trikora military command and include Kostrad, Brimob, territorial
troops as well as marines operating offshore.

According to a report issued on 8 February by ELS-HAM, the Institute
for Human Rights Study and Advocacy, the arrival of these troops has
caused consternation among the local population many of whom have
fled their villages to find sanctuary in nearby towns or farther
afield in Jayapura,

Security conditions throughout the area have been tightened on land
and also off shore. New army posts have been set up and restrictions
have been placed on freedom of movement.

According to a report leaked to an ELS-HAM source in the area, the
troops plan to attack and torch three villages in Tor Atas which are
suspected of being strongholds of the TPN.

Local people are fleeing out of fear that the troop reinforcements
will not differentiate between TPN members and ordinary civilians.
People still remember the military operations in the same region
that resulted in hundreds of deaths in the area several years.

Since December last year, there have been a number of actions by TPN
units. In one of these actions, a unit led by Max Rumbiak succeeded
in seizing two weapons from the police. Local Kopassus forces
managed to persuade the TPN unit to hand back the weapons and took
the TPN members to Jayapura for the handing over ceremony. This made
local police suspicious of the Kopassus, whom they accused of
collaborating with the TPN unit. Moreover, another TPN unit planned
an attack on a local Brimob post. This plan was foiled and three
members of the unit were taken into police custody. As a result the
TPN members came down from the hills and occupied Betaf town
demanding the release of their three comrades, threatening to attack
the police of this demand was not met.

The clash between the TPN members and the security forces led to the
killing on 3 February of the four Kopassus soldiers; during the
attack, one TPN member was also killed.

ELS-HAM sources in the area report that there have been a number of
operations by security forces throughout the region, particularly
involving Brimob forces. Activists have been taken into custody. In
Merauke, a number of people employed by a local plywood company were
kidnapped by a TPN unit which is known to be very close to Kopassus.
Two days after the killing of the Kopassus soldiers, there was an
attack in Nabire during which a member of Brimob was killed by
unidentified assailants.

The situation today is reminiscent of the situation in Papua in the
mid and late 1960s when the status of the territory was in dispute.
Terror and intimidation were widespread and grew to a climax in late
1969 when the so-called Act of Free Choice took place in August of
that year.

TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653 0322
tapol@gn.apc.org www.gn.apc.org/tapol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Too much mail? Try our digest version. Info available at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

Thursday Feb 8 2001

On the Tuesday of this week a journalist from the New York Times
arrived in Timika doing a story on West Papua. He requested an
interview with Freeport employees, in particular Papuan employees.

However Freeport categorically refused any such interviews and
forbade all staff to meet him. They even took security measures to
make sure no one spoke with him.

This is somewhat disturbing when one considers the current
dissatisfaction between Papuan Freeport employees and Freeport as
well as the usual problems between Freeport and the local people.
The implication, justly or not, is that Freeport has something to
hide from the world - in particular where its Papuan employee's are
concerned.

There have been a recent spate of articles in the Timika Pos (A
paper local to Timika but read throughout Irian) by a Papuan
Freeport employee criticising Freeport for their lack of support for
Papuans in the Freeport workforce. A point of note was that five
years ago Freeport made promises in writing as to how many more
Papuans they would hire and how many would be directed to managment.

These promises have not been met. This is not a matter of opinion
but of numbers. Currently with the exception of one token Vice
President and two managers there are no Papuan employees of
significant seniority. Papuans are angered by this.

When we have copies of those articles translated we will post them

Kabar-Irian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 01:26:30 +0800
From: MAL-development
Newsgroups: aus.politics
Subject: West Papua's "act of free choice"

West Papua's "act of free choice" ---------------------------------
by Malcolm Bradley [Draft at best]

West Papua is Indonesia's most distant and resource rich 'province',
located on the western half of the island of New Guinea, which is to
the north of Australia. The local indigenous people call it Papua,
but others may know it by its more commonly used Indonesian name,
Irian Jaya. The first peoples of Papua (comprising some 245 tribes
and languages) are culturally distinct from the Indonesian nation in
which they have been 'included'. Papuans are of similar Melanesian
origin to their neighbours in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

A long standing struggle for independence in the Papuan province
from Indonesia has been fed by military brutality and perceived
exploitation of Papua's huge oil, gas, timber and mineral resources.
The indigenous peoples of this former Dutch colony have grown
increasingly resentful and defiant toward the Indonesian occupation
of Papua and to its colonisation / transmigration policies which are
gradually making Papua culturally Javanese.

Over recent years the Papuan's have been increasingly vocally
demanding their independence from Indonesia (despite Indonesian
repression) through the acts of defiance such as the raising their
Morning Star flag (the Papuan symbol and rallying point for
independence) and through the various actions of OPM (themilitary
arm of Papua's independence movement) who have been waging a low
level guerilla war on and off since Indonesian occupation. The
situation in Papua is escalating dangerously as independence
activists face an increasing repressive Indonesian military / police
crackdown

Today, after almost 40 years later of Indonesian occupation, finally
the international community and Indonesia are seemingly starting
'listen' to the Papuans continued legitimate demands for
independence. For arguably Indonesia has no legitimate grounds, nor
right to sovereignty over Papua and its natural resources. Papua
'is' Indonesian by conquest alone, a conquest sanctioned by the then
international community and United Nations (UN).

Papua was not originally included in the Indonesian archipelago that
won independence from the Dutch following World War II, instead
remained under Dutch control in preparation for independence. Infact
Papua was 'incorporated' into Indonesia first by conquest in late
1961 (after Papua declared independence from the Dutch), then in
1963 when the UN 'transferred' Papuan sovereignty to Indonesia on
the condition that an "act of free choice" be permitted to ascertain
the views of the people.

In the place of an "act of free choice", a farcical UN endorsed
undemocratic vote was held in which the Papuans were cheated of
their right to independence. This validation of Indonesian rule of
Papua consisted of a vote of 1,025 hand picked delegates (selected
by Indonesia), many of whom were bribed / coerced into voting to
join Indonesia, and later rescinded their so called votes.
Subsequently it has been shown that Australia colluded with Holland,
the United States (US) and UN officials to rubber-stamp the
Indonesian 'takeover' of Papua. A truly democratic UN sanctioned act
of free choice is still required.

Despite this obvious historical travesty of justice and the
longstanding actions of the Papuan independence movement, it has
been only in the last year or so that Papuans have received any
visible moral political support - from the small Pacific Island
nations of Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu through the UN and from
solidarity groups in the West. The Dutch have spoken of pursuing a
reinvestigating through the UN of the so called "act of free choice"
(which underlies Indonesia's claim to sovereignty over Papua), but
that is a can or worms that many do not want to open as yet,
including and particularly the Australia government.

So far the Australian government has avoided addressing this central
grievance of the Papuans. Prime Minister 'little' Johny Howard, for
instance has sidestepped questions about the legitimacy of the
'vote' with statements like, "I don't express a view on it!", or
"there was a judgment made by the United Nations." Whilst Foreign
Affairs Minister Alexander 'THE GREAT' Downer has been quoted as
saying that, "We don't think there's any value in unravelling that
[vote] and exacerbating the situation in Irian Jaya." This is not
good enough, as Australia is already complicate in this messy
affair. Just like we were in the invasion of East Timor.

The Australian government has clearly expressed its acceptance of
Indonesia's 'sovereign right' of 'ownership' of Papua and its other
troublesome 'provinces', for now at least. Downer states that, "We
do not support independence movements in West Papua, _ Australia is
totally committed to the territorial integrity of Indonesia." Downer
hasn't given any real indication of what Australian policy actually
is, beyond appeasing Indonesia and implying that the argument over
Papua begins and ends with 'our' recognition of Indonesian
sovereignty of Papua. Hopefully this will change before things get
much more bloodier and out of hand in Papua.

Within the mostly artificial climate of fear over the potential for
the breakup of the Republic of Indonesia since East Timor's
independence, and the mounting secessionist pressures in a number of
Indonesian provinces, Australia's reluctance to take any real
position on independence is somewhat understandable. Yet, clearly it
doesn't follow that independence for Papua, or other provinces,
would necessarily lead to the breakup of Indonesia. Indonesia has
flatly refused to consider granting independence to the resource
rich province of Papua, citing and fanning such fears of a breakup,
and attempting to carm the situation by promising 'broader'
provincial autonomy. But is that enough?

The escalating mood for independence in Papua, has lead to an
ongoing Indonesian military / police crackdown over the recent
months, in which a ban has been instituted on foreign journalists
entering Papua. It is clear that there has been a of large troop /
police build up in Papua, including regular displays of Indonesian
military power. There have been reports of : Indonesian training and
arming of pro-Indonesian militias, the arbitrary detention and
torture of Papuans and their leaders, as well as numerous other
human rights abuses including killings for the raising the Morning
Star flag. To quote a Papuan friend, "I think we are living in a
jail!"

Papuan refugees have been trickling over the boarder to PNG for some
time now, but as yet the UN has yet to recognised these mostly women
and children as the refugees that they are. Their men folk are
joining the OPM, and are training in large numbers for guerilla war
in the jungles of Papua. The OPM have been retaliating against the
Indonesian crackdown, which has resulted in the deaths of Indonesian
civilians and police, as well as hostage taking. The OPM have stated
and proven that they are willing to die for their independence
(despite their primitive weaponry), they do not and will not accept
Indonesian sovereignty of their lands.

It seems the international community is afraid of confronting the
policy implications of the profound Papuan disenchantment with
Indonesian rule and of the regrettable historical failure of the UN
that led to it. The people of Florida and the US recently found
themselves in political limbo for only a few weeks, whilst the
people of Papua have been in limbo for at least 31 long years.
Something must be done and soon, write to your politicians and urge
them to help Papua.

The Murdoch Guild of Student is deeply concerned by what is
happening in Papua and has expressed its solidarity with student
activists fighting for Papuan independence from Indonesia.

SOME LINKS TO SITES

http://westpapuaaction.buz.org A good site for background info on
Papua independence

http://www.koteka.net An excellent general site on Papua
independence

www.kabar-irian.com An excellent Papuan independence news site /
email list

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm
=======================================================

Date: 2/8/01 3:53:47 PM Central Standard Time
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (Tapol)
To: westpapua@topica.com, indonesia-act@igc.topica.com

Hundreds of reinforcements, including two hundred Kopassus (army special
command) troops have been sent to an area west of Jayapura in an operation
to hunt down the commander of the TPN (National Liberation Army) unit that
killed four Kopassus soldiers on 3 February. The troops are spread out
through Sarmi, Tor Atas, Betaf and Bonggo, sub-districts in the district of
Jayapura 90 - 135 kms west of Jayapura.

The additional troops have been dispatched to the area by the Trikora
military command and include Kostrad, Brimob, territorial troops as well as
marines operating offshore.

According to a report issued on 8 February by ELS-HAM, the Institute for
Human Rights Study and Advocacy, the arrival of these troops has caused
consternation among the local population many of whom have fled their
villages to find sanctuary in nearby towns or farther afield in Jayapura,

Security conditions throughout the area have been tightened on land and
also off shore. New army posts have been set up and restrictions have been
placed on freedom of movement.

According to a report leaked to an ELS-HAM source in the area, the troops
plan to attack and torch three villages in Tor Atas which are suspected of
being strongholds of the TPN.

Local people are fleeing out of fear that the troop reinforcements will not
differentiate between TPN members and ordinary civilians. People still
remember the military operations in the same region that resulted in
hundreds of deaths in the area several years.

Since December last year, there have been a number of actions by TPN units.
In one of these actions, a unit led by Max Rumbiak succeeded in seizing two
weapons from the police. Local Kopassus forces managed to persuade the TPN
unit to hand back the weapons and took the TPN members to Jayapura for the
handing over ceremony. This made local police suspicious of the Kopassus,
whom they accused of collaborating with the TPN unit. Moreover, another TPN
unit planned an attack on a local Brimob post. This plan was foiled and
three members of the unit were taken into police custody. As a result the
TPN members came down from the hills and occupied Betaf town demanding the
release of their three comrades, threatening to attack the police of this
demand was not met.

The clash between the TPN members and the security forces led to the
killing on 3 February of the four Kopassus soldiers; during the attack, one
TPN member was also killed.

ELS-HAM sources in the area report that there have been a number of
operations by security forces throughout the region, particularly involving
Brimob forces. Activists have been taken into custody. In Merauke, a number
of people employed by a local plywood company were kidnapped by a TPN unit
which is known to be very close to Kopassus. Two days after the killing of
the Kopassus soldiers, there was an attack in Nabire during which a member
of Brimob was killed by unidentified assailants.

The situation today is reminiscent of the situation in Papua in the mid and
late 1960s when the status of the territory was in dispute. Terror and
intimidation were widespread and grew to a climax in late 1969 when the
so-called Act of Free Choice took place in August of that year.

TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653 0322
tapol@gn.apc.org www.gn.apc.org/tapol

=======================================================

Date: 2/7/01 3:30:45 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: westpapua@topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, taylorjb@vax.sbu.ac.uk

Indonesia hopes Irian hostages free on Wednesday

JAKARTA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Indonesian police said on Tuesday they hoped
separatist rebels in remote Irian Jaya province would release their three
remaining hostages, including two South Koreans, on Wednesday.

"The rebels have hinted they may release the hostages tomorrow. But we can
not guarantee that the hostages will be freed tomorrow," Irian Jaya chief
detective Tukarno told Reuters from the provincial capital, Jayapura, 3,700
km (2,300 miles) east of Jakarta.

Indonesia resumed negotiations with the rebels on Tuesday after losing
contact for a week. The rebels last week released 14 of the 17 timber workers
they had captured three weeks ago in the jungled Asiki district.

They have refused to hand over the last three hostages -- two South Koreans
and an Indonesian -- until President Abdurrahman Wahid agrees to meet them.

They have also demanded a $1 million ransom, a halt to logging and the
removal of police from the timber cutting area.

Tukarno reiterated any rescue operation would be a last resort.

"As long as we can still sit together and talk, we won't launch any
operation. It's for the safety of the hostages," he added.

In recent months, separatists in Irian Jaya have stepped up their fight for
independence from Indonesia for the resource-rich province covering the
western half of New Guinea island.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/7/01 3:30:57 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

Received from Joyo Indonesian News

The Jakarta Post
February 7, 2001

One arrested over killing of soldiers in Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): A military team set up following Saturday's
killing of four soldiers in Betav, Jayapura regency, Irian Jaya, apprehended
on Tuesday a man believed to be a member of the separatist group that killed
the soldiers.

A military source, who asked for anonymity, said here on Tuesday that the
man, identified as Torius Intora, was caught when trying to escape into a
forest in Betav village, where four soldiers of the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) were slain.

"The 20-year-old man claimed to be a member of the Papuan Liberation Front
Army (TPN Papua) and was caught with 19 metal arrows, 36 bullets for an FN
handgun, a holster for an M-16 rifle and documents and photos of the TPN
Papua," the officer said. "He also claimed to be one of the attackers of the
Kopassus soldiers."

The officer said Torius was still being questioned.

Betav is a remote hilly land about 600 kilometers from the capital of
Jayapura. It is a one-hour helicopter trip to the village from Jayapura.

The terrain apparently prevented reporters based in Jayapura from traveling
there to cover the arrest.

The area has been open since timber company PT Somalindo started operations
there several years ago.

On Saturday, Second Sgt. Zulkarnain, Second Sgt. Wani, Chief Sgt. Nandang and
Pvt. Sudirman were tortured to death, allegedly by members of TPN Papua. One
Kopassus soldier, Pvt. Paulinus, survived the attack.

One of the rebels, Mesak Dawin, was shot dead in the assault.

The attackers also stole guns and other military equipment from the soldiers.
However, later on Sunday, the rebels returned most of the military equipment,
including five rifles, to Indonesian Military personnel in Betav.

Militant groups of indigenous Irianese have tried to obtain separation from
the Republic of Indonesia ever since the mineral-rich land became an
Indonesian province in the 1960s.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon has accused Hans Ore
Yuweni, leader of rebels in the Bonggo district in the Jayawijaya hinterland,
of plotting the killing of the four Kopassus members.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said that members of the Free Papua Movement
operating in the Merauke regency area planned to release on Wednesday the
remaining three people taken hostage last month. Thirteen of the hostages
have already been released.

The rebels, led by Willem Onde, abducted 16 people, including three South
Koreans, who work for timber company PT Korindo in the district of Asiki in
January.

They demanded, among other things, US$1 million in compensation for
environmental damage, the withdrawal of the police's Mobile Brigade from the
regency of Asiki and a total halt to logging. (35/sur)

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/7/01 6:07:02 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

S.Korea says Indonesian rebels release 3 hostages

SEOUL, Feb 7 (Reuters) - South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday
Indonesian separatist rebels had released three hostages, including two
Koreans, they had held since mid-January.

"Three PT Korindo Merauke workers, including two Korean nationals were
released this morning after being held hostage from January 16," the ministry
said in a statement.

The kidnappers, from a faction of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), had seized
16 workers from the South Korean-owned plywood firm located in Indonesia's
eastern Irian Jaya province.

Thirteen were later released, but the rebels held three as hostages,
demanding a $1 million ransom, a halt to logging and the withdrawal of police
from the timber-cutting area, a Korean government official told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear if any ransom had been paid.

-end-

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/7/01 3:30:57 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

The Jakarta Post
February 7, 2001

One arrested over killing of soldiers in Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): A military team set up following Saturday's
killing of four soldiers in Betav, Jayapura regency, Irian Jaya, apprehended
on Tuesday a man believed to be a member of the separatist group that killed
the soldiers.

A military source, who asked for anonymity, said here on Tuesday that the
man, identified as Torius Intora, was caught when trying to escape into a
forest in Betav village, where four soldiers of the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) were slain.

"The 20-year-old man claimed to be a member of the Papuan Liberation Front
Army (TPN Papua) and was caught with 19 metal arrows, 36 bullets for an FN
handgun, a holster for an M-16 rifle and documents and photos of the TPN
Papua," the officer said. "He also claimed to be one of the attackers of the
Kopassus soldiers."

The officer said Torius was still being questioned.

Betav is a remote hilly land about 600 kilometers from the capital of
Jayapura. It is a one-hour helicopter trip to the village from Jayapura.

The terrain apparently prevented reporters based in Jayapura from traveling
there to cover the arrest.

The area has been open since timber company PT Somalindo started operations
there several years ago.

On Saturday, Second Sgt. Zulkarnain, Second Sgt. Wani, Chief Sgt. Nandang and
Pvt. Sudirman were tortured to death, allegedly by members of TPN Papua. One
Kopassus soldier, Pvt. Paulinus, survived the attack.

One of the rebels, Mesak Dawin, was shot dead in the assault.

The attackers also stole guns and other military equipment from the soldiers.
However, later on Sunday, the rebels returned most of the military equipment,
including five rifles, to Indonesian Military personnel in Betav.

Militant groups of indigenous Irianese have tried to obtain separation from
the Republic of Indonesia ever since the mineral-rich land became an
Indonesian province in the 1960s.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon has accused Hans Ore
Yuweni, leader of rebels in the Bonggo district in the Jayawijaya hinterland,
of plotting the killing of the four Kopassus members.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said that members of the Free Papua Movement
operating in the Merauke regency area planned to release on Wednesday the
remaining three people taken hostage last month. Thirteen of the hostages
have already been released.

The rebels, led by Willem Onde, abducted 16 people, including three South
Koreans, who work for timber company PT Korindo in the district of Asiki in
January.

They demanded, among other things, US$1 million in compensation for
environmental damage, the withdrawal of the police's Mobile Brigade from the
regency of Asiki and a total halt to logging. (35/sur)

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

======================

Date: 2/7/01 6:18:13 PM Central Standard Time
From: m.bradley@student.murdoch.edu.au (MAL-development)
Reply-to: m.bradley@student.murdoch.edu.au
To: free-papua@yahoogroups.com, WestPapua@topica.com
Just a quick though, that I dont have time to expand on, yet...

When Powell was just coming to the position of SoS, he made mention of
relying on a greater degree on Australian on matters concerning Indonesia.

Here in Australia that rang alarm bells of a revamp of the supposedly
defunct Howard doctrine (ie Australia as US deputy to the region, and a
US withdrawal or sorts), our foreign Minister / government seemed to agree
with this revamp...

Anyway it seemed to me that the US was in away trying to wash its hands of
the Indonesian 'problem', by placing a great deal of responsibility on the
clearly gutless and bootlicking (US and Indonesian) Australian government...

Considering the Australian position on Papua (ie that it recognises the UN
act of free choice and that Indonesian sovereignty is the start and finish
of the issue, beyond band aid support), it seems that the gutless
Australian government has been burdened further (even thought is like the
Dutch, US and the UN were complicit on the so called act of free choice)
with an issue that it would rather have nothing to do with but will likely
be force to act upon by circumstance (much like East Timor)...

Anyway I would be please to hear other opinions of these matters...

Cheers
MAL

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

======================================================

Date: 2/7/01 8:03:34 PM Central Standard Time
From: m.bradley@student.murdoch.edu.au (MAL-development)
Reply-to: m.bradley@student.murdoch.edu.au
To: free-papua@yahoogroups.com, WestPapua@topica.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 01:26:30 +0800
From: MAL-development
Newsgroups: aus.politics
Subject: West Papua's "act of free choice"

I could have gone on about the Howard doctrine...

;)

West Papua's "act of free choice"
---------------------------------
by Malcolm Bradley [Draft at best]

West Papua is Indonesia's most distant and resource rich 'province',
located on the western half of the island of New Guinea, which is to the
north of Australia. The local indigenous people call it Papua, but others
may know it by its more commonly used Indonesian name, Irian Jaya. The
first peoples of Papua (comprising some 245 tribes and languages) are
culturally distinct from the Indonesian nation in which they have been
'included'. Papuans are of similar Melanesian origin to their neighbours
in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

A long standing struggle for independence in the Papuan province from
Indonesia has been fed by military brutality and perceived exploitation of
Papua's huge oil, gas, timber and mineral resources. The indigenous
peoples of this former Dutch colony have grown increasingly resentful and
defiant toward the Indonesian occupation of Papua and to its colonisation
/ transmigration policies which are gradually making Papua culturally
Javanese.

Over recent years the Papuan's have been increasingly vocally demanding
their independence from Indonesia (despite Indonesian repression) through
the acts of defiance such as the raising their Morning Star flag (the
Papuan symbol and rallying point for independence) and through the various
actions of OPM (themilitary arm of Papua's independence movement) who have
been waging a low level guerilla war on and off since Indonesian
occupation. The situation in Papua is escalating dangerously as
independence activists face an increasing repressive Indonesian military /
police crackdown

Today, after almost 40 years later of Indonesian occupation, finally the
international community and Indonesia are seemingly starting 'listen' to
the Papuans continued legitimate demands for independence. For arguably
Indonesia has no legitimate grounds, nor right to sovereignty over Papua
and its natural resources. Papua 'is' Indonesian by conquest alone, a
conquest sanctioned by the then international community and United Nations
(UN).

Papua was not originally included in the Indonesian archipelago that won
independence from the Dutch following World War II, instead remained under
Dutch control in preparation for independence. Infact Papua was
'incorporated' into Indonesia first by conquest in late 1961 (after Papua
declared independence from the Dutch), then in 1963 when the UN
'transferred' Papuan sovereignty to Indonesia on the condition that an
"act of free choice" be permitted to ascertain the views of the people.

In the place of an "act of free choice", a farcical UN endorsed
undemocratic vote was held in which the Papuans were cheated of their
right to independence. This validation of Indonesian rule of Papua
consisted of a vote of 1,025 hand picked delegates (selected by
Indonesia), many of whom were bribed / coerced into voting to join
Indonesia, and later rescinded their so called votes. Subsequently it has
been shown that Australia colluded with Holland, the United States (US)
and UN officials to rubber-stamp the Indonesian 'takeover' of Papua. A
truly democratic UN sanctioned act of free choice is still required.

Despite this obvious historical travesty of justice and the longstanding
actions of the Papuan independence movement, it has been only in the last
year or so that Papuans have received any visible moral political support
- from the small Pacific Island nations of Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu
through the UN and from solidarity groups in the West. The Dutch have
spoken of pursuing a reinvestigating through the UN of the so called "act
of free choice" (which underlies Indonesia's claim to sovereignty over
Papua), but that is a can or worms that many do not want to open as yet,
including and particularly the Australia government.

So far the Australian government has avoided addressing this central
grievance of the Papuans. Prime Minister 'little' Johny Howard, for
instance has sidestepped questions about the legitimacy of the 'vote' with
statements like, "I don't express a view on it!", or "there was a judgment
made by the United Nations." Whilst Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander
'THE GREAT' Downer has been quoted as saying that, "We don't think there's
any value in unravelling that [vote] and exacerbating the situation in
Irian Jaya." This is not good enough, as Australia is already complicate
in this messy affair. Just like we were in the invasion of East Timor.

The Australian government has clearly expressed its acceptance of
Indonesia's 'sovereign right' of 'ownership' of Papua and its other
troublesome 'provinces', for now at least. Downer states that, "We do not
support independence movements in West Papua, _ Australia is totally
committed to the territorial integrity of Indonesia." Downer hasn't given
any real indication of what Australian policy actually is, beyond
appeasing Indonesia and implying that the argument over Papua begins and
ends with 'our' recognition of Indonesian sovereignty of Papua.
Hopefully this will change before things get much more bloodier and out of
hand in Papua.

Within the mostly artificial climate of fear over the potential for the
breakup of the Republic of Indonesia since East Timor's independence, and
the mounting secessionist pressures in a number of Indonesian provinces,
Australia's reluctance to take any real position on independence is
somewhat understandable. Yet, clearly it doesn't follow that independence
for Papua, or other provinces, would necessarily lead to the breakup of
Indonesia. Indonesia has flatly refused to consider granting independence
to the resource rich province of Papua, citing and fanning such fears of a
breakup, and attempting to carm the situation by promising 'broader'
provincial autonomy. But is that enough?

The escalating mood for independence in Papua, has lead to an ongoing
Indonesian military / police crackdown over the recent months, in which a
ban has been instituted on foreign journalists entering Papua. It is
clear that there has been a of large troop / police build up in Papua,
including regular displays of Indonesian military power. There have been
reports of : Indonesian training and arming of pro-Indonesian militias,
the arbitrary detention and torture of Papuans and their leaders, as well
as numerous other human rights abuses including killings for the raising
the Morning Star flag. To quote a Papuan friend, "I think we are living in
a jail!"

Papuan refugees have been trickling over the boarder to PNG for some time
now, but as yet the UN has yet to recognised these mostly women and
children as the refugees that they are. Their men folk are joining the
OPM, and are training in large numbers for guerilla war in the jungles of
Papua. The OPM have been retaliating against the Indonesian crackdown,
which has resulted in the deaths of Indonesian civilians and police, as
well as hostage taking. The OPM have stated and proven that they are
willing to die for their independence (despite their primitive weaponry),
they do not and will not accept Indonesian sovereignty of their lands.

It seems the international community is afraid of confronting the policy
implications of the profound Papuan disenchantment with Indonesian rule
and of the regrettable historical failure of the UN that led to it. The
people of Florida and the US recently found themselves in political limbo
for only a few weeks, whilst the people of Papua have been in limbo for at
least 31 long years. Something must be done and soon, write to your
politicians and urge them to help Papua.

The Murdoch Guild of Student is deeply concerned by what is happening in
Papua and has expressed its solidarity with student activists fighting for
Papuan independence from Indonesia.

SOME LINKS TO SITES

http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
A good site for background info on Papua independence

http://www.koteka.net
An excellent general site on Papua independence

www.kabar-irian.com
An excellent Papuan independence news site / email list

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

=======================================================

Date: 2/7/01 8:12:40 AM Central Standard Time
From: wpaction@iol.ie (West Papua Action)
Reply-to: wpaction@iol.ie
To: WestPapua@topica.com, kabar-irian@irja.org

******

To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has been contacted on the ongoing human rights crisis in West Papua; and the Government's attitude in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Ruair� Quinn. (Nominated by: Michael D. Higgins)

For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 30 January, 2001.

Ref No: 2233/01 Lottery: 6

REPLY

The Government is deeply concerned about the human rights situation in a number of regions of Indonesia, especially Irian Jaya, or "West Papua" as it is sometimes known, and also Aceh and the Moluccas. In all of these, there are religious and ethnic conflicts and secessionist tendencies. The situation is further compounded by the wide range of challenges facing the Indonesian Government in the period of consolidation of democracy and reforms in the wake of the thirty years of the Suharto dictatorship.

I am following closely developments in Indonesia, including Irian Jaya. I am glad to receive information, which comes from many sources, and my officials meet concerned parties to discuss such matters.

Ireland and our EU Partners have repeatedly made our concerns known to the Indonesian authorities. Last November, the EU publicly expressed its concern at the climate of violence prevailing in a number of Indonesian provinces, including Irian Jaya. The most recent outbreak of violence in Irian Jaya at the beginning of last December claimed many lives and this issue was subsequently raised by the EU with Indonesia at the EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting in Laos later that month.

In this context, the EU reiterated our readiness to support the efforts of the Indonesian Government towards political, economic and military reform, including moves towards decentralisation as a way of addressing secessionist demands in parts of the country, without affecting Indonesia's territorial integrity. The EU will continue to encourage the Indonesian Government to resolve regional conflicts through dialogue and peaceful means.

The EU has also initiated a political dialogue with Indonesia in which human rights issues are raised, and we will utilise every opportunity to encourage the Indonesian Government to respect human rights and the rule of law. Ireland further welcomes, as a positive step, the establishment of an Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights, which has started to work in cooperation with Mrs. Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

************************
West Papua Action,
c/o AfrI,
Grand Canal House,
Lwr. Rathmines Rd.,
Dublin 6,
Ireland.
Tel. *353 1 496 8595.
Tel. *353 87 2969742.
Fax. *353 1 496 8592.
E-mail. wpaction@iol.ie
Website: http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
************************************************

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

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

(Note: Michael D. Higgins is the Labour Party
Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs; Ruair� Quinn is the Leader of the Labour
Party. WPA)

******

To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has
been contacted on the ongoing human rights crisis in West Papua; and the
Government's attitude in this regard; and if he will make a statement on
the matter.

- Ruair� Quinn. (Nominated by: Michael D.
Higgins)

For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 30 January, 2001.

Ref No: 2233/01 Lottery: 6

The Government is deeply concerned about the human rights
situation in a number of regions of Indonesia, especially Irian Jaya, or "West
Papua" as it is sometimes known, and also Aceh and the Moluccas. In all of
these, there are religious and ethnic conflicts and secessionist tendencies. The
situation is further compounded by the wide range of challenges facing the
Indonesian Government in the period of consolidation of democracy and reforms in
the wake of the thirty years of the Suharto dictatorship.

I am following closely developments in Indonesia, including
Irian Jaya. I am glad to receive information, which comes from many
sources, and my officials meet concerned parties to discuss such
matters.

Ireland and our EU Partners have repeatedly made our concerns
known to the Indonesian authorities. Last November, the EU publicly
expressed its concern at the climate of violence prevailing in a number of
Indonesian provinces, including Irian Jaya. The most recent outbreak of
violence in Irian Jaya at the beginning of last December claimed many lives and
this issue was subsequently raised by the EU with Indonesia at the EU-ASEAN
Ministerial meeting in Laos later that month.

In this context, the EU reiterated our readiness to support
the efforts of the Indonesian Government towards political, economic and
military reform, including moves towards decentralisation as a way of addressing
secessionist demands in parts of the country, without affecting Indonesia's
territorial integrity. The EU will continue to encourage the Indonesian
Government to resolve regional conflicts through dialogue and peaceful
means.

The EU has also initiated a political dialogue with Indonesia
in which human rights issues are raised, and we will utilise every opportunity
to encourage the Indonesian Government to respect human rights and the rule of
law. Ireland further welcomes, as a positive step, the establishment of an
Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights, which has started to work in
cooperation with Mrs. Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights.

************************
West Papua Action,
c/o AfrI,
Grand Canal House,
Lwr. Rathmines Rd.,
Dublin 6,
Ireland.
Tel. *353 1 496 8595.
Tel. *353 87 2969742.
Fax. *353 1 496 8592.
E-mail. wpaction@iol.ie
Website: http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
************************************************

____________________________________________________________
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Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
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======================================================

Date: 2/4/01 4:49:44 PM Central Standard Time
From: admin@irja.org
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 03:19:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Elisabeth Bromley
To: admin@irja.org
Subject: Re: Australia Day: Reconciliation and Regional Affairs

Dear Kabar Irian,

The following was written as a personal interest piece for Australia Day.
It is not a "news item," but some of the ideas and sentiments may be of
interest to your readers.

IMPLICATIONS

"But why Australia," my plaintive but accommodating husband asks when I
assert my Mother-right, the ancient nesting right, to choose what
continent will be our family's home. He is American. My father is
American. But Mum is from here�Victoria. All the way back to my great
great grandfather, whose picture still hangs in our living room�the
Reverend Joseph Teague, who came to this land from Cornwall. Can this be
why Australia has come to resonate as 'home' for me? Amid the gum trees
and sunburnt hills, I sense the presence of my ancestors.

Certainly, I feel implicated in Australia's story. I was born and raised
in Irian Jaya (Papua), Indonesia, where my parents worked for an
American-run mission. As a product of an international age, I have lived
in a potpourri of cultures and lands, and national identity has always
been an illusive, ephemeral sentiment. But in the three years that have
passed since moving my family here, I can feel myself sending down
taproots. The brief history of Australia as a nation, her valiant
undertakings towards fairness and justice�albeit with so much desperate
injustice in our wake�claim my conscience and my intelligence. I care. I
learn about the past, I try to 'do my bit.' At night, sometimes, I lie
awake and wonder how the parallels between the land of my birth and the
land that is now my home could create a deeper level of understanding, and
a stronger voice in regional affairs.

My parents worked in a highlands valley, where the outside world and
external government were swiftly changing the fabric of life. The cultures
of Irian Jaya aren't far removed from the cultures of the Indigenous
peoples of Australia. When my grandfather was a boy, Wurundjeri people
camped in Eltham, now an eastern suburb of Melbourne. Yet less than a
century later, that all-pervasive way of life seems like a distant memory.
As my sister said, when we visited Galeena Beek Cultural Centre in near-by
Healesville, "That's scary�you can see how fast a culture can be
destroyed. It's like going back to Irian and finding almost all
transmigrant people living there." So it was as natural as breathing�or
caring for one's own�to become involved in grass roots Reconciliation.

The recent Melbourne Walk for Reconciliation was a source of pride and
hope for me, as we flowed through Melbourne like a quiet tide�all ages,
colours, and walks of life�showing that we care. I know that caring is an
essential quality in the quest for healing and maturity, in the
acknowledgment of buried wounds�as much for a nation as for a person. The
reasons we care are as diverse as the faces and gaits in a crowd of
thousands. And as I watch current events unfold in Irian Jaya, I see
regional awareness as an opportunity for Australians to make our
understanding and concern for the past more immediate, more real.
Sometimes it's easier to feel the impact of pain and tragedy
elsewhere�then consciously fill in the dotted line. The current struggles
of our troubled, aspiring neighbour, Indonesia, are a chance to make this
emotional connection. When we read about the ongoing military repression
and brutal treatment of people in custody, the marginalised position that
Indigenous Irianese are in due to transmigration, and the lack of official
credence granted to Irianese conviction of their right to traditional
lands and identity, we can recognise that what is happening there now,
happened here. This is the pain, the injustice, that we march to amend.
This is why we lobby our government to take the all-important symbolic
step of acknowledging responsibility, saying sorry.

And what more powerful asset could Australia possibly have in regional
affairs, than her conscious embrace of responsibility and accountability
for the past? The moral high-ground assumed by Australia in relation to
East Timor angered and alienated Indonesian leaders and citizens. As a
result, Australian officials now tiptoe around sentiments that Indonesia
might find upsetting, and take any chance to reassert our respect for her
sovereignty. We will have a much more mature political presence , and
viable chance to make a difference, if we speak out as a nation emerging
from a past that involved enormous injustice towards Indigenous peoples.
We know from experience what kind of wounds this can perpetrate in a
nation's conscience. We know what kinds of liabilities are incurred. In
fact, who better to address Jakarta on behalf of all concerned
Australians, than Indigenous spokespersons of Australia who can say in no
uncertain terms what the legacy of repression, violence, and disregard for
Indigenous cultures will be? Who better to suggest positive strategies for
preserving the rights and dignity of Indigenous citizens within the
imminent framework of broad autonomy?

I am proud to be Australian. I am grateful. This land has served as a
refuge for many people�and I am no exception. In a very confusing
childhood, caught between enormously different cultures, and raised in
mission-run boarding schools, a stereotyped version of American culture
was imposed on us as our identity. It was a framework that didn't give
much room for making sense of our experience. But I was lucky. My mother
was Australian. She spoke differently, spelled things differently, had a
uniquely different sense of humour. I was allowed�by Mother-right�to
belong to more than one culture. I claimed a unique voice. Now that I have
moved to Australia permanently, I still feel this right to a voice. And I
feel that this is a place where�as in the ancient family clan�one
individual voice still matters.

And despite his complaints, my husband does like it here. He's made good
mates, he loves the strength of community. It is just�as he tells me�that
he doesn't know the rules as he knows them in America, where everyone can
understand him, and he doesn't have to second-guess himself. He wonders if
I feel a similar sense of ease in Australia. But I make no such claims. 'I
don't know the rules anywhere,' I tell him. 'I'm eternally lost.' 'Oh
great,' he groans, 'In another episode of The Lost leading the Lost, our
family sets up house in Eltham.' But maybe, in a world as jeopardised as
ours seems to be, it's not such a bad thing to know you're lost�and do
your damnedest to find paths that makes sense.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

======================================================= ======================================================= Date: 2/6/01 3:14:51 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

Indonesian Observer
February 6, 2001

Inquiry team to investigate Irian human rights abuses

JAKARTA (IO) - The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has
established a team to investigate human rights abuses in Irian Jaya (West
Papua).

Officially known as the Commission of Inquiry into Rights Abuses in
Papua/Irian Jaya (KPP HAM Papua/Irian Jaya), the team will commence its
work by investigating the so-called Abepura incident.

On December 7, an unidentified group attacked a market and a police
station in the Irian Jaya town of Abepura, killing three people and
wounding four others.

Komnas HAM Secretary General Asmara Nababan yesterday said the team will
only investigate recent cases of alleged human rights abuses.

The formation of the team was called for during a meeting of Komnas HAM on
January 9 to comply with demands for greater justice in the remote
province.

"Before establishing the team, we had to wait until a law that regulates
human rights trials was officiated," said Asmara, referring to a law that
was enacted last November.

He said KPP HAM will only be able to investigate cases of human rights
violations that occurred after the enactment of the law.

The cases will be resolved by an ad hoc human rights court and a National
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he said.

Asmara said the new team will led by Komnas HAM member Albert Hasibuan,
who led the independent fact-finding team that probed human rights
violations that took place in East Timor before and after the UN-sponsored
referendum of August 30, 1999.

He said the results of the investigation into the Abepura incident will
probably be handed over to the Supreme Court, and a trial at a yet to be
established human rights court should be underway by April 5.

In addition to Hasibuan, the team will also contain women's rights
activist Sita Aripurnami and Irian Jaya human rights activist Albert
Rumbekwan, who was nominated by a church group in the province.

Irian Jaya, also known as West Papua, is located on the western half of
New Guinea island. Rebels of the Free Papua Movement have been waging a
war of independence since Indonesia occupied the former Dutch colony in
1963.

Indonesia formally took control of the region in 1969 after a UN-
sanctioned "Act of Free Choice".

in which about 1,000 tribal leaders supposedly expressed their desire for
integration. Analysts have dismissed the process as a devious sham.

Since then, repeated offensives by heavily armed government forces have
failed to destroy the insurgents, but have resulted in thousands of
civilian deaths. The rebels, armed with their bows, arrows and spears,
have managed to evade punitive expeditions by seeking refuge in Irian
Jaya's jungle-covered mountain ranges.

Last month, a group of the rebels abducted 16 people, including three
South Korean employees of a logging company, also near border area. They
have since released 13 captives and demanded direct talks with President
Abdurrahman Wahid.

Jakarta has ruled out allowing Irian Jaya to secede but has promised broad
autonomy sometime this year.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/6/01 5:57:02 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

To leave this list follow the instructions at the bottom of this email or
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Background note from TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign

Notorious Timor veteran takes command in West Papua

At the end of January, the TNI central command announced the
appointment of Major-General Mahidin Simbolon as the commander of
the Trikora military command in Jayapura. His appointment followed
the death in an air crash of the previous commander.

Simbolon, a member of Kopassus, the army's elite commandos, has had
no fewer than six tours of duty in East Timor, starting with Operasi
Seroja, the invasion of the territory in December 1975. Like all
Kopassus officers serving in East Timor, Simbolon played an active
role in SGI, the special Kopassus unit designed for
counter-insurgency, whose local command posts were used to torture
captured East Timorese.

He graduated from the military academy in 1974. He and many of his
class-mates have distinguished themselves as 'East Timor veterans'
whose military careers have been greatly enhance by their many
operational tours of duty in East Timor.

He led the unit which arrested resistance leader, Xanana Gusmao, in
1992, for which he was given a special promotion from major to
colonel. The climax of his East Timor experience came in 1995 when
he served for two years as commander of the Wira Dharma Korem in
charge of East Timor. Then, until 1999, he was chief of staff at the
Udayana military command based in Bali, the command in overall
control of East Timor. The Udayana commander at that time was the
notorious Major-General Adam Damiri. It was during the commandership
of these two generals in Bali that Operasi Sapu Jagad, was launched,
an operation whose main purpose was to create, recruit and finance
the many militia units that spearheaded the army's campaign of
violence before, during and after the UN-supervised ballot. This
operation was responsible for the widespread destruction and
killings that climaxed in September 1999, after the ballot result
was announced on 4 September. One of the militia units, Mahidi, an
acronym meaning 'dead or alive with integration', was actually named
after him.

His appointment to take command in West Papua can be expected to
result in an intensification of the use of intelligence operations
which he practised during his many years of service in East Timor.
Militia gangs,Satgas Merah-Putih (red-and-white militias) are
already known to be active in the territory. The new commander is
likely to further refine this strategy. The killing by an OPM unit
earlier this week of four Kopassus officers is bound to spur this
hawk commander into pursuing a new strategy aimed at destroying the
OPM. As we know from the military operations currently underway in
Aceh, such operations also have a serious impact on civilians not
involved in the armed struggle.

TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653 0322
tapol@gn.apc.org www.gn.apc.org/tapol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
San Francisco Chronicle
WARRIORS' FREEDOM FIGHT
Remote tribe leads Irian Jaya's efforts to split from Indonesia
Lily Anh, Chronicle Foreign Service
Tuesday, February 6, 2001

By dusk, Cpl. Sahrudin was dead, hunted to exhaustion and pierced
with three long arrows.

Next to him, his lower jaw ripped away and the back of his head
blown off by the Indonesian soldier's dying shot, lay Bambier Wenda,
35, a West Papuan guerrilla fighter and Dani tribesman.

The Dec. 15 jungle skirmish was yet another bloody episode in one of
the world's most unnoticed wars -- the struggle for independence by
the indigenous inhabitants of Irian Jaya, a California-size province
of Indonesia that occupies the western half of the island of New
Guinea.

The Irian Jaya insurrection, along with a secessionist revolt in the
northwest province of Aceh and religious violence in the Malukus
archipelago, has the Indonesian government worrying about a breakup
of the world's fourth most populous nation -- something it vows to
prevent.

Dani warriors from the central highlands have come violently to the
forefront of the 39-year-old conflict over the fate of this remote,
resource- rich region, also known as West Papua.

Irian Jaya is home to a large native Melanesian population, mostly
Christians, who share no ethnic, cultural or religious ties to the
rest of overwhelmingly Muslim Indonesia.

Tensions rose sharply last year after a pro-independence congress
set a Dec. 1 deadline for Indonesia to recognize a 1961 declaration
of independence by the people of Irian Jaya. Jakarta responded by
reimposing in October a ban on the West Papuans' "Morning Star"
independence flag and mounting a violent crackdown on rebel
fighters.

The flag was at the center of the Dec. 15 clash in the western
Baliem Valley.

At dawn, Sahrudin and four fellow soldiers hiked a high hill where
Dani from the villages of Tiom and Pirime had hoisted the banned
flag. The Indonesian soldiers cut down the flagpole with bursts of
their automatic rifles.

"We asked them, 'Why did you take down our flag?' " recalled Wenas
Tabuni, 30, a Dani warrior and a guerrilla of the Free Papua
Organization, or OPM, which has been fighting for independence for
nearly four decades.

Tabuni and four dozen guerrillas, armed only with bows and machetes,
surrounded the soldiers. "I told them, 'This is not a game,' "
Tabuni recalled.

"They began shooting."

In the nine-hour exchange of bullets and bamboo arrows, Sahrudin and
four Dani fell dead.

The increase in hostilities stems partly from expectations raised
last year by the Papua Presidium, the independence movement's
distant urban civilian leadership, which held its unprecedented
congress in faraway Jayapura, Irian Jaya's capital.

"We believed we were going to get independence on Dec. 1 because the
presidium said so," said Sobye Wenda, the head of Pirime village.
"Now it's Kelly's turn. War is our tradition."

Kelly is Kelly Kwalik, the commander of all OPM highland fighters.
In 1996, Kwalik came to international notice when Dani warriors
under his command took several European research scientists hostage
for three months.

In the densely forested highlands, a boy's defining act is to make
his first bow. Although Christian missionaries and the Indonesian
government have ended traditional warfare between Papuan tribes, a
man is rarely without his 6- foot bow and half-dozen arrows.

It was not until the 1930s that outsiders discovered hundreds of
thousands of Dani and other Stone Age farmer warriors were living in
the rainy mile-high valleys running along the province's mountainous
spine.

Even after many years of Indonesian rule, most highlanders speak no
more than a few words of Indonesian. There is no electricity outside
a few towns and the men still wear little more than the traditional
"penis gourd." Indigenous groups account for 62 percent of Irian
Jaya's 1.8 million population.

In the roadless Kuyawage Valley, west of Baliem, the Dani live in
small, scattered villages of circular thatched huts set amid an
unforgiving, 100-mile muddy savanna of long grass, countless
rivulets and islands of forest.

Yet even in Kuyawage, political organizing has taken root. At weekly
collective pit cookouts of sweet potatoes and chard-like greens,
village leaders analyze events in Jayapura and gather money to buy
the guns that the OPM has always been short of.

Defiant rallies combine mock bow-and-arrow battles with independence
agitation and OPM fund raising. At a Dec. 1 flag-raising in Ilaga,
villagers pledged $5,000, most of it in the form of little vials of
long-hoarded gold.

Couriers carry news on foot to the thousands of guerrillas and their
families eking out a living in the highlands. They can do so easily
because Indonesian police and soldiers rarely venture out of the
towns and the military posts in the largest villages.

The Dani were at the center of the most violent recent incident in
the Irian Jaya insurrection.

On Oct. 6, Indonesian police in Wamena, the principal highland town,
forcibly lowered independence flags and shot and killed as many as
four dozen Dani, according to an American observer. That day and the
next, tribesmen fought police and killed dozens of Indonesian
migrants, who dominate the economy despite their own poverty.

Two months later, with the presidium's Dec. 1 promise unrealized,
Dani guerrillas killed two police officers in Abepura, near
Jayapura.

The ferocity of which the Dani are capable is fueled by memories of
what occurred in 1977. Human rights groups estimate that tens of
thousands of highlanders were killed when the Indonesians put down
an uprising then, and local OPM leaders have kept lists of the
victims. Indonesia claims there were fewer than 900 deaths.

"They killed everything here -- babies, pigs, women," said Minus
Wanimbo, a Pirime farmer. "We keep the experience in our hearts. The
names we keep to tell the world after independence."

Despite the Dani's passion, sovereignty seems less likely than it
did seven months ago after the Papua Presidium's congress.

From October to December, the Indonesian government more than
doubled security forces in the province, to an estimated 30,000
soldiers and police. In December, five key pro-independence leaders
were arrested. They remain jailed, awaiting trial for separatist
activity.

Since then, the civilian movement has almost totally collapsed, a
victim of its strategic and organizational weaknesses.

The rebels have the same problem, failing to unite behind a single
command structure. Moreover, isolated Dani guerrilla actions have
resulted in increased repression, which has produced little gain for
the independence movement.

After the Dani attack in Abepura, police officers beat three Dani
university students to death and shot a fourth in the back. The
local police chief accused highland students of terrorism and
declared war on them.

The intimidation has been effective. Members of DEMAK, a highland
activist organization in the Jayapura area, are in hiding.

"Every night, they stop us and arrest us," said Tim Ngurick, 23, a
Dani activist who escaped to Papua New Guinea. "It is like under
(former Indonesian dictator) Suharto. All highlanders around
Jayapura are afraid."

They are also isolated. Friendship and political cooperation are
rare between people from the coast and the tens of thousands of
highlanders who have migrated to the coastal cities. Coastal people
dominate the presidium.

"Highlanders have always been on the bottom, and there is lots of
prejudice against them among the coastal people," said Jacob
Rumbiak, a former lecturer at Cendrawasih University who now lives
in exile in Australia.

Pirimum Wanimbo, a veteran guerrilla, contemplated the difficult
situation as he sat with a dozen warriors, traditional leaders and
ministers in a smoke- filled hut in western Baliem.

"We wanted our independence in December as promised, and so we
raised our flag," he said. "Now our men are dead, and we don't know
what to do."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 07, 2001
One arrested over killing of soldiers in Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): A military team set up following
Saturday's killing of four soldiers in Betav, Jayapura regency,
Irian Jaya, apprehended on Tuesday a man believed to be a member of
the separatist group that killed the soldiers.

A military source, who asked for anonymity, said here on Tuesday
that the man, identified as Torius Intora, was caught when trying to
escape into a forest in Betav village, where four soldiers of the
Army's Special Force (Kopassus) were slain.

"The 20-year-old man claimed to be a member of the Papuan Liberation
Front Army (TPN Papua) and was caught with 19 metal arrows, 36
bullets for an FN handgun, a holster for an M-16 rifle and documents
and photos of the TPN Papua," the officer said. "He also claimed to
be one of the attackers of the Kopassus soldiers."

The officer said Torius was still being questioned.

Betav is a remote hilly land about 600 kilometers from the capital
of Jayapura. It is a one-hour helicopter trip to the village from
Jayapura.

The terrain apparently prevented reporters based in Jayapura from
traveling there to cover the arrest.

The area has been open since timber company PT Somalindo started
operations there several years ago.

On Saturday, Second Sgt. Zulkarnain, Second Sgt. Wani, Chief Sgt.
Nandang and Pvt. Sudirman were tortured to death, allegedly by
members of TPN Papua. One Kopassus soldier, Pvt. Paulinus, survived
the attack.

One of the rebels, Mesak Dawin, was shot dead in the assault.

The attackers also stole guns and other military equipment from the
soldiers. However, later on Sunday, the rebels returned most of the
military equipment, including five rifles, to Indonesian Military
personnel in Betav.

Militant groups of indigenous Irianese have tried to obtain
separation from the Republic of Indonesia ever since the
mineral-rich land became an Indonesian province in the 1960s.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon has accused
Hans Ore Yuweni, leader of rebels in the Bonggo district in the
Jayawijaya hinterland, of plotting the killing of the four Kopassus
members.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said that members of the Free Papua
Movement operating in the Merauke regency area planned to release on
Wednesday the remaining three people taken hostage last month.
Thirteen of the hostages have already been released.

The rebels, led by Willem Onde, abducted 16 people, including three
South Koreans, who work for timber company PT Korindo in the
district of Asiki in January.

They demanded, among other things, US$1 million in compensation for
environmental damage, the withdrawal of the police's Mobile Brigade
from the regency of Asiki and a total halt to logging. (35/sur)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Wednesday, February 07 - 2001
Last three hostages may be freed

JAKARTA (IO) - Separatist rebels in troubled Irian Jaya province are
expected today to release their three remaining hostages, including
two South Koreans, police said yesterday.

"The rebels have hinted that they may release the hostages tomorrow
[today]. But we can not guarantee that the hostages will be freed at
all," Irian Jaya Police Chief Detective Tukarno told Reuters from
the province's capital of Jayapura.

President Abdurrahman Wahid has agreed to receive the kidnappers,
who belong to a faction of the rebel Free Aceh Movement (OPM), only
after they free all their hostages.

The rebels last week released 14 of the 17 timber workers they had
captured three weeks ago in the deep jungles of Asiki district, but
kept the remaining three.

The captors have refused to hand over the last three hostages until
the president agrees to meet them to discuss independence for Irian
Jaya.

They have also demanded a US$1 million ransom, a halt to logging and
the removal of a police unit from the timber cutting area.

National Police Chief General Suroyo Bimantoro has rejected the
rebels' demands for his personnel to leave the area, arguing that
their presence is to maintain security there.

Negotiations with the rebels resumed yesterday after petering out
for a week. No official statement was made on the results of the
talks.

Tukarno reiterated that any rescue operation would be a last resort.
"As long as we can still sit together and talk, we won't launch any
military operations. It's for the safety of the hostages," he added.

Separatists in resource-rich Irian Jaya have stepped up their fight
for independence from Indonesia. Papua Guinea forces from the other
side of the island recently arrested OPM leader William Onde and
charged him with forming an illegal army.

Several of his colleagues, who were held along with him, have been
sentenced to six months in jail.

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

=======================================================

Date: 2/5/01 10:05:29 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
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Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org
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Indonesian Observer
Tuesday, February 06 - 2001
Inquiry team to investigate Irian human rights abuses

JAKARTA (IO) - The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)
has established a team to investigate human rights abuses in Irian
Jaya (West Papua).

Officially known as the Commission of Inquiry into Rights Abuses in
Papua/Irian Jaya (KPP HAM Papua/Irian Jaya), the team will commence
its work by investigating the so-called Abepura incident.

On December 7, an unidentified group attacked a market and a police
station in the Irian Jaya town of Abepura, killing three people and
wounding four others.

Komnas HAM Secretary General Asmara Nababan yesterday said the team
will only investigate recent cases of alleged human rights abuses.

The formation of the team was called for during a meeting of Komnas
HAM on January 9 to comply with demands for greater justice in the
remote province.

"Before establishing the team, we had to wait until a law that
regulates human rights trials was officiated," said Asmara,
referring to a law that was enacted last November.

He said KPP HAM will only be able to investigate cases of human
rights violations that occurred after the enactment of the law.

The cases will be resolved by an ad hoc human rights court and a
National Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he said.

Asmara said the new team will led by Komnas HAM member Albert
Hasibuan, who led the independent fact-finding team that probed
human rights violations that took place in East Timor before and
after the UN-sponsored referendum of August 30, 1999.

He said the results of the investigation into the Abepura incident
will probably be handed over to the Supreme Court, and a trial at a
yet to be established human rights court should be underway by April
5.

In addition to Hasibuan, the team will also contain women's rights
activist Sita Aripurnami and Irian Jaya human rights activist Albert
Rumbekwan, who was nominated by a church group in the province.

Irian Jaya, also known as West Papua, is located on the western half
of New Guinea island. Rebels of the Free Papua Movement have been
waging a war of independence since Indonesia occupied the former
Dutch colony in 1963.

Indonesia formally took control of the region in 1969 after a
UN-sanctioned "Act of Free Choice".

in which about 1,000 tribal leaders supposedly expressed their
desire for integration. Analysts have dismissed the process as a
devious sham.

Since then, repeated offensives by heavily armed government forces
have failed to destroy the insurgents, but have resulted in
thousands of civilian deaths. The rebels, armed with their bows,
arrows and spears, have managed to evade punitive expeditions by
seeking refuge in Irian Jaya's jungle-covered mountain ranges.

Last month, a group of the rebels abducted 16 people, including
three South Korean employees of a logging company, also near border
area. They have since released 13 captives and demanded direct talks
with President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Jakarta has ruled out allowing Irian Jaya to secede but has promised
broad autonomy sometime this year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Editorial
Tuesday, February 06 - 2001
Fatal mistake

It was reported that four members of the Special Forces of Kopassus
were killed somewhere in Irian Jaya by a group of West Irian rebels
armed only with spears, arrows and makeshift weapons.

It is incredible that members of the infamous fighting unit trained
in jumble warfare and equipped with the most up-to-date weapons were
unable to defend themselves against an attack of the Papua freedom
fighters and found their death in the jungles of Irian Jaya so far
from home.

Because the news on this incident was so curt we have to make our
own assessment of the situation and it appears that the Kopassus
servicemen were caught in a surprise attack.

It may be that the four men were resting after a tough patrol, had
fallen asleep and completely forgotten to post a guard in a hostile
area.

In view of this the rebels could have approached the resting place
without any hindrance and were able to start hacking them to death
before the Kopassus soldiers knew what was happening. All of them
died, and only one managed to escape.

We must admit that this tragedy took place as a result of their own
negligence. A well-armed member of Kopassus can easily deal with 10
bloodthirsty savages.

They are mostly equipped with sub machine guns whose apocalyptic
sound alone would drive the primitive rebels away. It could have
been unknown to them they had been followed by specially trained
seekers who pinpointed their hiding place to liquidate them later
on.

This has revealed something of the dangerous lives led by our forces
who bravely storm into regions over which Jakarta has questionable
jurisdiction and where the population has had enough of Indonesian
rule and systematic human rights abuses anyway.

The killing of the Kopassus personnel has revealed flaws in its
security that makes them an easy prey to the guerrillas. From now on
it is hoped that new instructions will ensure personnel take every
precaution to protect their own lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Tuesday, February 06 - 2001
Separatists give up stolen weapons

JAKARTA (IO) - Separatist rebels in Irian Jaya have returned weapons
that were stolen on Saturday when they attacked a military outpost
and killed four members of the Army's elite Special Forces
(Kopassus), an official said yesterday.

Kopassus spokesman Captain Farid Makruf said the guns were
surrendered to the Army at 10:35 p.m. on Sunday through a
"persuasive approach" made by local community figures and tribal
leaders.

The weapons included five SS-1 firearms, one GLM gun and one P-1
pistol, said Makruf, adding the attackers also gave back two GLM
bullets that had been taken from the troops.

On Saturday, four Kopassus members were killed in a surprise attack
launched by hundreds of members of the separatist Free Papua
Organization (OPM), equipped with machetes and bows and arrows, at
Kuefa village, Betaf subdistrict.

The attackers tortured and then killed the four solders of Kopassus,
the US-trained special force widely accused of human rights abuses
in Irian Jaya and several other troubled provinces.

One of the guerrillas was also killed in the attack led by Mesak
Kawir, a rebel chief operating near the border with Papua New
Guinea.

Speaking to journalists at the Kopassus headquarters in Cijantung,
East Jakarta, Makruf said his office would not launch an operation
in retaliation to Saturday's deadly ambush, but will instead take
"persuasive action" to deal with the problem.

He said the attack was not connected to the ongoing hostage drama
involving another OPM faction. "This incident is not related to
other cases, like the hostage-taking," Makruf said.

He said Kopassus Commander Major General Amirul Isnaini has vowed
not to take revenge for the killings of his four troops: Chief
Sergeant Nandang Zainuddin, Second Sergeant Wani, Second Sergeant
Zulkarnain Is and First Private Sudirman.

"There should be no element of revenge or anger," Makruf quoted
Isnaini as saying when the remains of three of the slain soldiers
arrived in Jakarta.

OPM rebels last month kidnapped 17 plywood workers from PT Korindo,
including three Koreans. The captors later released 14 of the
hostages after two weeks but are still holding the remaining three,
including two Koreans.

Kopassus troops have been involved in efforts to release the three
hostages.

Makruf said the military were investigating the motive behind the
attack.

The remains of the four Kopassus members have been sent to their
local military units.

Trikora Military Commander Major General Mahadi Simbolon was
yesterday quoted by Antara as saying the remains of Sudirman were
sent to Makassar, South Sulawesi province. The bodies of the other
victims were flown to Jakarta.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 06, 2001
Three injured in gunfight in Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Three Indonesian troops were injured in a
gunfight on Monday with unknown gunmen close to Betav village.

Monday's incident followed the slaying of four Army Special Forces
(Kopassus) soldiers by separatist rebels in Jayapura regency on
Saturday.

Trikora Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon told
reporters on Monday that the gunfight took place when members of the
special military team set up to hunt the killers of the Kopassus
troops were intercepted by unknown gunmen who opened fire on them.

Three members of the special team, consisting of Kopassus and Army
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) troops, were slightly wounded,
he said.

The gunfight took place hours after fifteen people, including
members of the Papua separatist movement and local figures, had
returned on Sunday the rifles seized by the group who killed the
four Kopassus soldiers.

Mahidin said that the handover of the rifles took place shortly
after 10 p.m. local time on Sunday.

"Maj. Sokir, chief of the military operation, received the people,
and none of the 15 were apprehended," Mahidin said.

Meanwhile, Kopassus headquarters in Jakarta said in a press briefing
on Monday that the rebels returned five SS-1 rifles, one handgun,
five mortar launchers and two mortar rounds.

Capt. Farid Makruf, Kopassus spokesman, said that his corps would
adopt non-repressive measures to approach the rebels so as to avoid
tension and fear among the Irian Jaya people.

The four Kopassus soldiers killed were Second Sgt. Zulkarnain,
Second Sgt. Wani, Chief Sgt. Nandang and Pvt. Sudirman.

The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has been engaged in a low level
insurgency in what they call the effort to obtain independence from
the Republic of Indonesia.

They brand the Indonesian government, especially the military, as
human rights violators.

As part of the effort to deal with human rights violations, the
National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) established a team
of inquiry in Jakarta on Monday to investigate rights violations in
Indonesia's easternmost province.

The six members of the investigating team, which is to be called KPP
HAM Papua/Irian Jaya, are led by Albert Hasibuan, who is assisted by
deputy Sita Aripurnami from the National Commission for Women's
Human Rights (Komnas Perempuan).

The commission has said that the inquiry would continue for two
months from Feb. 5, 2001 through April 5. A 30-day extension would
be allowed only once.

Albert said that the inquiry's findings would be submitted to the
Attorney General's Office for further legal processing. (35/bby/sur)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian Observer
Tuesday, February 06 - 2001
Talks resuming with rebel kidnappers

JAKARTA - Police yesterday said they had reestablished contact with
separatist rebels holding three hostages, including two South
Koreans, in Irian Jaya province and would resume negotiations today.

Irian Jaya Police Detective Chief Tukarno said contact with the
rebels had been lost last week after they had released 14 of the 17
timber workers they had captured three weeks ago in jungled Asiki
district.

"We will begin negotiations with them again tomorrow," Tukarno said
in the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura.

The kidnappers have refused to hand over the last three hostages -
two Koreans and an Indonesian - until President Abdurrahman Wahid
agrees to a meeting. They have also demanded a US$1 million ransom,
a halt to logging and the removal of police from the timber cutting
area.

Tukarno ruled out any rescue operation while negotiations continued.
"Operations to free the hostages will still be our last resort.

We are focusing on negotiations because we don't want to endanger
the lives of the hostages," he added.

In recent months, separatists in Irian Jaya have stepped up their
fight for independence from Indonesia for the resource-rich province
covering the western half of New Guinea island.
-- Reuters

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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=======================================================

Date: 2/5/01 2:25:50 PM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org
Received from Joyo Indonesian News

Indonesia resuming talks with Irian rebel kidnappers

JAKARTA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Indonesian police said they had reestablished
contact with separatist rebels holding three hostages, including two South
Koreans, in the giant Irian Jaya province and would resume negotiations on
Tuesday.

Irian Jaya chief detective Tukarno said on Monday that contact with the
rebels had been lost last week after they had released 14 of the 17 timber
workers they had captured three weeks ago in the jungled Asiki district.

"We will begin negotiations with them (the rebels) again tomorrow," Tukarno
told Reuters from the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura, 3,700 km (2,300 miles)
east of Jakarta.

The kidnappers have refused to hand over the last three hostages -- two
Koreans and an Indonesian -- until President Abdurrahman Wahid agrees to a
meeting.

They have also demanded a $1 million ransom, a halt to logging and the
removal of police from the timber cutting area.

Tukarno ruled out any rescue operation while negotiations continued.

"Operations to free the hostages will still be our last resort. We are
focusing on negotiations because we don't want to endanger the lives of the
hostages," he added.

In recent months, separatists in Irian Jaya have stepped up their fight for
independence from Indonesia for the resource-rich province covering the
western half of New Guinea island.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

=======================================================

Date: 2/6/01 1:31:27 AM Central Standard Time
From: kurtbiddle@earthlink.net (Kurt Biddle)
Reply-to: kurtbiddle@earthlink.net
To: WestPapua@topica.com (West Papua List)

Join us for the
Indonesia Human Rights Network
Kick-Off Conference

Indonesia:
a human rights agenda

George Washington University
Washington, DC
February 23-25

featured speakers
Hendardi, Indonesian Legal Aid &
Human Rights Association
Sidney Jones, Human Rights Watch
Liem Soei Liong, Tapol
Allan Nairn, The Nation
Jeffrey Winters, author of Power in Motion (invited)

Join Indonesian activists, Indonesia-focused human rights advocates,
and experts from around the world for lectures, panel discussions
and strategy sessions on the state of democracy in
Indonesia and changing U.S. foreign policy.

Panels and Speakers on:
West Papua � Aceh � Maluku � West Timor � Indonesian Judicial System �
Police & Military � NGOs in Indonesia � Labor Rights � Women�s Rights �
Environmental Justice � Refugees & Internally Displaced Persons �
U.S. Foreign Policy � Grassroots Organizing � and more . . .

Begins Friday, February 23
Registration begins at 5:30 pm
Conference starts at 6 pm

Ends Sunday, February 25 at 5pm

We encourage attendees to stay through Monday and Tuesday (Feb 26 & 27)
to meet with Congressional and State Department offices
to advocate for justice and human rights in Indonesia.

register now!
register now!

Send $35 registration by February 21
(includes light Friday dinner, as
well as Saturday &
Sunday breakfast),
all contact information,
and 2-3 line bio to:

Indonesia Human Rights Network
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003

Please make checks out to �Indonesia Human Rights Network.�
Free housing is available. Please indicate special (dietary and other)
needs.
Late (walk-in) registration will be $50.

ihrn@etan.org � 202-546-0044 � www.indonesianetwork.org

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

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

Register Today for IHRN Conference, Indonesia: A Human Rights Agenda, February 23 -25

Join us for the
Indonesia Human Rights Network
Kick-Off Conference

Indonesia:
a human rights agenda

George Washington University
Washington, DC
February 23-25

featured speakers
Hendardi, Indonesian Legal Aid &
Human Rights Association
Sidney Jones, Human Rights Watch
Liem Soei Liong, Tapol
Allan Nairn, The Nation
Jeffrey Winters, author of Power in Motion (invited)

Join Indonesian activists, Indonesia-focused human rights advocates,
and experts from around the world for lectures, panel discussions
and strategy sessions on the state of democracy in
Indonesia and changing U.S. foreign policy.

Panels and Speakers on:

West Papua � Aceh � Maluku � West Timor � Indonesian Judicial System �
Police & Military � NGOs in Indonesia � Labor Rights � Women�s Rights �
Environmental Justice � Refugees & Internally Displaced Persons �
U.S. Foreign Policy � Grassroots Organizing � and more . . .

Begins Friday, February 23
Registration begins at 5:30 pm
Conference starts at 6 pm

Ends Sunday, February 25 at 5pm

We encourage attendees to stay through Monday and Tuesday (Feb 26 & 27)
to meet with Congressional and State Department offices
to advocate for justice and human rights in Indonesia.

register now!

register now!

Send $35 registration by February 21
(includes light Friday dinner, as
well as Saturday &
Sunday breakfast),
all contact information,
and 2-3 line bio to:

Indonesia Human Rights Network
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003

Please make checks out to �Indonesia Human Rights Network.�
Free housing is available. Please indicate special (dietary and other) needs.
Late (walk-in) registration will be $50.

ihrn@etan.org � 202-546-0044 � www.indonesianetwork.org

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

========================================================

Date: 2/6/01 5:43:21 AM Central Standard Time
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (Tapol)
To: westpapua@topica.com
CC: slliem@xs4all.nl, plovers@gn.apc.org
Background note from TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign

Notorious Timor veteran takes command in West Papua

At the end of January, the TNI central command announced the appointment of
Major-General Mahidin Simbolon as the commander of the Trikora military
command
in Jayapura. His appointment followed the death in an air crash of the
previous
commander.
Simbolon, a member of Kopassus, the army's elite commandos, has had no fewer
than six tours of duty in East Timor, starting with Operasi Seroja, the
invasion
of the territory in December 1975. Like all Kopassus officers serving in East
Timor, Simbolon played an active role in SGI, the special Kopassus unit
designed
for counter-insurgency, whose local command posts were used to torture
captured
East Timorese.
He graduated from the military academy in 1974. He and many of his class-mates
have distinguished themselves as 'East Timor veterans' whose military careers
have been greatly enhance by their many operational tours of duty in East
Timor.
He led the unit which arrested resistance leader, Xanana Gusmao, in 1992, for
which he was given a special promotion from major to colonel. The climax of
his
East Timor experience came in 1995 when he served for two years as
commander of
the Wira Dharma Korem in charge of East Timor. Then, until 1999, he was
chief of
staff at the Udayana military command based in Bali, the command in overall
control of East Timor. The Udayana commander at that time was the notorious
Major-General Adam Damiri. It was during the commandership of these two
generals in Bali that Operasi Sapu Jagad, was launched, an operation whose
main
purpose was to create, recruit and finance the many militia units that
spearheaded the army's campaign of violence before, during and after the
UN-supervised ballot. This operation was responsible for the widespread
destruction and killings that climaxed in September 1999, after the ballot
result was announced on 4 September. One of the militia units, Mahidi, an
acronym meaning 'dead or alive with integration', was actually named after
him.
His appointment to take command in West Papua can be expected to result in an
intensification of the use of intelligence operations which he practised
during
his many years of service in East Timor. Militia gangs,Satgas Merah-Putih
(red-and-white militias) are already known to be active in the territory. The
new commander is likely to further refine this strategy.
The killing by an OPM unit earlier this week of four Kopassus officers is
bound
to spur this hawk commander into pursuing a new strategy aimed at destroying
the OPM. As we know from the military operations currently underway in Aceh,
such operations also have a serious impact on civilians not involved in the
armed struggle.

TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653 0322
tapol@gn.apc.org www.gn.apc.org/tapol

=======================================================

Date: 2/3/01 6:33:24 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org
http://www.irja.org/conf.htm

To leave this list follow the instructions at the bottom of this email or
visit the above link. As a matter of policy we DO NOT handle u n s u b s c
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The Jakarta Post.com
Latest News
2/3/2001 10:37:20 PM
Rebels kill four Kopassus soldiers in Jayapura

JAKARTA (JP): Irian Jaya's rebels killed four members of the Army's
Elite Forces, Kopassus, in an attack on a security post in Betaf
area, Jayapura regency.

Members of the National Liberation Army of the Free Papua Movement,
led by Mesak Kawir, attacked the post at around 5:15 p.m., armed
with traditional weapons, including long knives, spears and arrows,
Antara reported.

The attackers slashed and pierced the bodies of the four soldiers
with their weapons. A member of the Kopassus team managed to escape.
An OPM men was also killed in the clash.

The bodies of the four Kopassus soldiers will be flown to Jakarta on
Sunday morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Koridor.com
If President Falls, Papua to Free Itself
Elite Must Show Wisdom:Theys
koridor.com [3 Feb, 22:16]

A serious threats was voiced by Papua Council Presidium
(PDP)chairman, Theys Eluay. "If Abdurrahman Wahid is toppled the
Papuan people will sooner secede from the Unitary State of
Indonesia," he stressed.

This attitude was made by Theys to reporters in Jakarta on Friday
(2/2) as reported in Suara Pembaruan, a local newspaper on Saturday
(3/2).

More explicitly, said Theys, PDP and the Papua people hoped that the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and House of
Representatives(DPR) would show wisdom in following up the
memorandum issued to President Abdurrahman Wahid. This was important
so as not to cause prolonged social conflict.

The Papua community, said Theys, asked that priority be shown to the
public's interest, brotherhood, peace and love. "This is more
important than political interests that strain community relations,"
said the PDP chairman, presently hospitalized in Jakarta.

He explained that if the memorandum was used as a tool to depose the
President, the Papuan people would declare a separation from the
Unitary State of Indonesia.

Because, Theys reminded, it is not certain yet that his successor
would demonstrate a humane spirit, or could unify the nation and
would be able to hear the people's conscience crying out,
particularly those of Papua.

Theys, still being treated at the Emergency Room of Cikini Hospital,
Jakarta, also expressed support for Abdurrahman Wahid on the basis
of brotherhood, because the president listened to the voices of the
diverse communities in this country.

"The Papuan people strongly believe that President Wahid was
appointed by the Almighty God to save this country from
disintegration," he said, adding that Wahid was the answer for
Indonesia now and in the future.

For, President Wahid listened to the cries of the common people,
mainly orphans, widows and widowers, and people who had suffered in
the hands of past governments, in Aceh and also Papua.

"He places humanity above all else, something that has been
forgotten in the New Order era," Theys went on.

When asked, why he had to express his hopes to MPR and DPR even
though he was being treated at the emergency section, Theys said ,
because President Wahid tried to unify the diverse elements in the
country.

"He gives a proper place to every national component. President
Wahid is noble, in that he has placed the foundation for a democracy
which will lead to a democratic Indonesia. If he is ousted we
haven't yet seen any other figure who is able to bridge and
selflessly listen to the hearts of the people including the Papua
community," said Theys.

Abdurrahman Wahid raised Papuan self-respect and dignity, as well as
their humanitarian , economic , social- cultural and political
rights which for 38 years have been trampled on and even neglected,
said Theys.

Besides Papua, Theys continued, President Wahid placed importance on
a humanitarian approach to the social conflict in Aceh. "He opened
the door to democracy, where people can speak of their rights which
have been buried all this time. Through a family approach,
brotherhood, and love he is able to resolve social conflicts in many
regions," he added. (soetomo / edl)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Received from Joyo Indonesian News

BBC Summary of World Broadcasts February 01, 2001
Source: Yonhap news agency, Seoul, in English 0139 gmt 31 Jan 01
Ministry fears solution of Indonesian hostage case to take longer

Seoul, 31 January: The ongoing Indonesian hostage situation
involving Korean nationals could drag on as talks between captors
and the Indonesian government have not even begun, a Foreign
Ministry official said Wednesday [31 January].

The official said two ethnic Koreans and one Indonesian national
from Korindo Timber Company are still being held. Other employees,
one ethnic Korean and 12 Indonesians, were released Sunday (local
time), 12 days after their seizure on 16 January," the official
said.

Korindo is a Korean-owned firm.

The captors Free Papua Organization (OPM) earlier announced it will
release the remaining hostages after talks with Indonesian President
Abdurrahman Wahid, but the schedule of the meeting has yet to be
finalized.

"Wahid has been preoccupied with the scandals over alleged
corruption surrounding him," the official said. "So, talks between
the president and the OPM leader William Onde have not opened yet."

The three hostages are reportedly being kept in a relatively free
atmosphere, he said.

The rebels are demanding Jakarta drop its request that the OPM
disarm. The group has long sought independence from Indonesia.

The OPM took the hostages 16 January in Irian Jaya, the easternmost
part of Indonesia.

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

BBC Monitoring February 1, 2001
Papua New Guinea not to forcibly return Irian Jaya border crossers -
UN official

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR have
contradicted claims by the governor of Papua New Guinea's West
Sepik Province that hundreds of civilians who have crossed from
Indonesia will be forcibly repatriated. The governor, Robert Sakias,
said Papuans from Irian Jaya who wanted to escape a crackdown on
separatists would be returned to meet a request by Indonesia. A
spokesperson for the UNHCR in Canberra, Ellen Hanson, says it has
been assured by the PNG authorities in Port Moresby that no Papuan
at risk of persecution will be sent back to Indonesia.

Hanson We have received assurances that border crossers can stay in
Papua New Guinea until such time as they can return in safety and we
have received a categorical denial that in fact the border crossers
(?per se) will be forcibly returned at this stage. end of recording
...

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

IRIANESE SHOULD ABANDON ITS OBSESSION FOR SECESSION, GOVERNOR SAYS
Wamena, Irian Jaya, Jan 30 (ANTARA)

The Irianese should abandon their obsession to secede from Indonesia
and welcome the government's offer for special autonomy, Irian Jaya
Governor JP Solosa said here Tuesday.

Solosa made the statement after installing Budiman Kogoya as
Jayawijaya's deputy district head for 2000 to 2003.

He said the incessant campaign for secession waged by a certain
group might become dangerous and put the Irianese in great
suffering.

"The existence of Irian Jaya as part of the Republic of Indonesia
has been recognized by the United Nations since 1969, following an
act of free choice," he said.

"So, if a group seeks to impose its own will (against the reality of
Irian Jaya being part of Indonesia) , that will amount to defying
the Indonesian government and people," the governor observed.

Solosa reminded that such defiance would claim many victims and make
the Irianese suffer.

He thus called on all Irianese to consider the problem objectively
so that efforts to promote the people's welfare could be pursued the
right way.

Solosa asked all district heads of Irian Jaya, who are natives to
the island, to communicate the objective condition to all layers of
society, so that they may not be provoked to escape to other
countries.

According to him, the promotion of people's welfare would only be
made possible if a region could manage its own household affairs.

"Managing its own household affairs is called 'regional autonomy'.
And Irian Jaya will be able to carry out a special management
through its special autonomy," Solosa said.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and East Timor,
1973-2000
**************************************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian News Network
Wahid will hold power: Downer
04feb01

FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer yesterday downplayed the political
trouble faced by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, saying he
was likely to remain in charge in Jakarta for some time to come.

"I don't think it's inevitable that there will be impeachment
proceedings against President Wahid which would lead to his
overthrow," Mr Downer said after talks with European Union
officials.

"I think there's a good measure of support for President Wahid [in
Indonesia].

"We think that he's certainly likely to remain there for some period
of time."

Mr Downer's remarks came amid mounting calls for Mr Wahid to step
down after he was hit with a politically damaging censure by
Parliament over two financial scandals.

Mr Wahid has rejected resigning the presidency.

"No, I will not resign," Mr Wahid said in Jakarta.

"I'm here as a president and I will remain a president until my term
ends" in 2004, the 60-year-old Wahid said.

Mr Downer reiterated Australian support for Indonesia's territorial
integrity.

He said even an appearance of support from foreign governments for
any Indonesian secessionist movements would have bloody consequences
for the Indonesia people.

"If the international community were to give more support to the
secessionist movements ... the international community would be
responsible for a very serious deterioration in the security
situation, which is code for `an awful lot of people would get
killed'," he said.

"I don't think we should be going down that path at all."

EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten and Swedish
Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, whose country holds the rotating EU
presidency, agreed with Mr Downer.

"We've made clear our support for the territorial integrity of
Indonesia," Mr Patten said.

Mr Patten noted the EU had counselled the Indonesian Government to
"operate with diplomatic dexterity" in dealing with separatist
movements in the provinces of Aceh, Irian Jaya and elsewhere.

"We've expressed our concern" about developments in some of these
areas, Mr Patten said. "There are limits to what we can do."

Mr Downer dismissed speculation that political uncertainty in
Jakarta could heighten tensions in East Timor, where Australia has
between 1600 and 2000 troops deployed in support of the provinces's
United Nations administration.

"I don't think it will have any bearing on East Timor. My assessment
is that the security situation in East Timor has stabilised," he
said.

"The militia threat from West Timor is still there, and it would be
complacent to say that threat no longer exists.

"But it is also true to say that that threat is somewhat less now
than it was a few months ago. I think the Indonesians have made a
genuine effort to try to bring a lot of militias under control."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Received from Joyo Indonesian News

The International Crisis Group (Brussels)
February 2, 2001

Indonesia: Impunity Versus Accountability For Gross Human Rights
Violations

This report reviews Indonesia's unimpressive record in bringing to
justice those responsible for gross human rights violations. Since
May 1998 only four major cases have resulted in convictions. In
three of those cases there are significant reservations about the
process. While there have been high level inquiries for other major
cases, and additional trials may result, other instances of blatant
violations from the distant past to the present have not been
touched.

One reason for slow judicial progress has been the inadequacy of the
legal system. The need for new procedures to deal with gross
violations was treated with urgency only after huge international
protest over the murder and destruction that followed East Timor's
vote for independence. A number of new laws and mechanisms -
examined in detail in the report - have now been created, raising
the possibility that Indonesia will make further progress at a
faster rate. The stakes are high. If Indonesia does not use those
laws vigorously, and against some senior military and civilian
officials, not merely subordinates, it will convince many that they
enjoy impunity to continue human rights abuses. And it will convince
victims, particularly in Aceh, Papua and Maluku where rising
tensions threaten Indonesia's stability, that the state will not
protect them.

This report confirms the experience of other countries in transition
that bringing perpetrators of gross human rights abuses in Indonesia
to justice will remain as much a political issue as a judicial one
and that only a handful are likely to be held to account either by
judicial means or other formal processes such as a Truth Commission.
This is the direct result of the inability of the civilian
government to exercise full authority over the armed forces. But the
report also demonstrates the bona fides of some Indonesian
government leaders in pursuit of both judicial and political
accountability, just as it documents an overwhelming array of
obstacles to their efforts.

Time alone will tell whether Indonesia is making the right choices
about priorities and tactics in response to those obstacles. But as
much as the government and key constituencies want to be left to
themselves to decide, other domestic constituencies and the
international community cannot readily accommodate the delays and
uncertainties of the process. To be a cohesive nation, Indonesia's
institutions must deliver protection and justice to all citizens.
The continuation of serious human rights abuses in parts of
Indonesia is fuelling separatist tensions, making accountability for
past abuses both harder and more important and leading many to
question the capacity of the Abdurrahman government.

The international community has a particular obligation to ensure
accountability for Indonesian perpetrators of serious crimes
committed in East Timor in 1999. It has a more general concern for
accountability because of its stake in democratisation and stability
in an important country. This

requires a higher degree of international engagement in Indonesian
processes than might otherwise be normal or tolerable.

The prospect of an international tribunal to adjudicate serious
crimes committed in East Timor was first raised within the UN in
1999, and judicial processes have been set in train by the UN
administration in East Timor for the investigation of such crimes.
This international interest and activity will continue to put
pressure on Indonesia to set its own house in order. If handled
judiciously, it will strengthen those in Indonesia advancing the
cause of accountability, but the international community can not
expect a quick, neat or comprehensive pay-off.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To the Indonesian Government

1. Amend the constitution to resolve uncertainties about retroactive
prosecution for crimes of omission involving cases of gross
violation of human rights.

2. Accede to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.

3. Transfer authority to establish ad hoc human rights courts from
the parliament and the president to the Supreme Court or another
respected non-political body.

4. Avoid premature prosecution of the most senior military officers
until the effectiveness of the new human rights laws has been
established, but do not delay prosecutions in general.

5. Use prosecution of subordinate personnel to develop evidence for
the prosecution of more senior officers and officials, in some cases
offering immunity in exchange for testimony.

6. Utilise the ordinary criminal code as much as possible, in
particular if uncertainties about the constitutionality of
retroactive prosecution for crimes of omission are not resolved.

7. Adopt legislation as quickly as possible to make military
personnel subject to civilian courts in criminal cases.

8. Co-operate fully with UNTAET in prosecuting human rights cases.

9. Investigate and, if appropriate, bring to trial in Indonesia
military personnel and militia members living in Indonesia who are
charged in East Timor.

10. Establish an effective witness protection program.

11. Give the National Human Rights Commission more resources to
enable it to carry out its expanded role effectively.

12. Provide additional training in international human rights law to
judges and prosecutors.

13. Ensure that the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission
offers the victims of human rights abuse wide scope to have their
voices heard.

To the International Community

14. Monitor and report regularly on Indonesia's efforts to try
suspected perpetrators of gross human rights abuses.

15. Monitor closely the movements of suspected perpetrators of gross
human rights violations.

16. Devote significantly greater donor resources to judicial reform
in order to assist the Indonesian agencies most vigorously involved
in pursuing accountability for gross human rights violations.

17. Use both contacts with the military and carefully targeted
restrictions on co-operation with it to sensitise senior officers to
the broader implications of the accountability issue for Indonesia's
national interests.

18. Assist Indonesian groups that participate vigorously in the
domestic debates on accountability to gain more access to
information, including by releasing currently classified accounts of
human rights abuses where these can be sanitised to protect sources.

19. Hold Indonesia to a timetable and criteria for continued
progress in prosecuting those responsible for violence in East Timor
and take up again the issue of an international tribunal if these
are not maintained.

20. Pay particular attention to what is done about the most senior
personalities named in the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry into the
crimes in East Timor and, where credible evidence is available, help
Indonesia flesh out the evidentiary record.

21. Deliver a clear message to Indonesia that if it fails to bring
those responsible for gross violations of human rights in East Timor
in 1999 to trial, pressures from domestic constituencies are likely
to make it impossible for donors to provide the developmental
assistance Indonesia needs, well before the last resort of an
international tribunal again became an active issue.

22. Give more money to UNTAET's Special Crimes Unit, upgrade the
priority of its mission, and provide additional highly qualified
personnel to staff its functions.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and East Timor,
1973-2000
**************************************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Features
February 04, 2001
A challenging trip to the isolated mountain tops
By Neles Tebay

MULIA, Irian Jaya (JP): Puncak Jaya, in the central highlands of
Irian Jaya is well-known as an exotic remote place popular for its
snow-covered mountain peaks.

The spectacular mountains and valleys, the cool weather, and virgin
forests are an enormous tourist attraction for the adventurous with
the time and money to spend their holidays in this isolated natural
resort with few modern amenities such as hotels.

When Paniai regency was divided into three new regencies on Oct. 8,
1996, Puncak Jaya became a separate regency with Mulia as its
capital. The other two regencies are Paniai and Nabire.

Like other regencies in the vast but sparsely-populated territory,
Puncak Jaya is an isolated paradise. There is no road linking it to
other regencies.

The mountainous regency has a population of about 70,000 people
scattered throughout the valleys.

According to Henoch Ibo, a government official who has been working
in the region for more than 16 years, the main challenge in the
regency's development is transportation.

The regency can only be reached by light aircraft, like Cessna,
mostly owned by the Protestant Church's Missionary Aviation
Fellowship (MAF) and the Catholic Church's Association Mission
Aviation (AMA). It takes about 90 minutes by plane from Jayapura to
Mulia.

The majority of the 70,000 population embraces Christianity and are
Protestants, which was introduced to them by American missionaries
more than 20 years ago.

Not all the airstrips in Puncak Jaya are paved. Pilots must have the
skill and courage to land the aircraft on a grassy field.

The small plane can carry a maximum of 400-kg per flight. If the
local government wants to drop more than 20 sacks of cement with a
total weight of 1,000 kilogram from Jayapura, it needs three
sorties.

This means that the government should charter three flights from
Jayapura. Each flight costs Rp 4 million. So it would cost Rp 12
million to have 20 sacks of cement from Jayapura.

Foodstuffs like rice, sugar, and other basic commodities like
kerosene will also have to be brought in by plane.

Another challenge is the cold weather. In Mulia, the weather ranges
between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius during the day and it drops to 5
to 6 degrees at night.

People from other low-lying areas accustomed to hot weather often
find it difficult to adjust themselves to this weather.

"During my first days here, I did not dare take a bath," recalled
Jules Rumakewi, a government employee. "I did not even touch water
... it was just too cold, like ice."

Telephone lines do not exist. "There are no phones, so we are very
isolated from other parts of the world," Ibo said. Therefore the
postal service is vital.

Puncak Jaya was introduced to formal education only in the 1970s
when the Indonesian government built INPRES primary schools there.
Since then every village has an elementary school.

Puncak Jaya regent Andreas Philipus Coem said although there are
school buildings, education is in a sorry state. Teachers are
lacking and textbooks are something of a rarity.

"Don't talk about the quality of education because the schools are
lacking books and other basic facilities as well as teachers," Coem
said.

The government has built junior high schools in every subdistrict
(kecamatan) but few students attend because they do not want to live
apart from their parents in the village.

Those who want to purse their studies at senior high school have to
move to Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya regency, or to Jayapura,
the capital of Irian Jaya, or Nabire, the capital of Nabire.

Few parents can afford the money to send their children to senior
high school because the airfare is already very expensive.

In 199?, the government set up a senior high school in Mulia, but,
again, there is only one teacher there. Like other schools, it lacks
textbooks and other facilities. The government is just too poor to
transport them from Jayapura.

Health services are just as poor, according to Wirda Fakaubun,
another government official.

In fact every subdistrict already has a clinic (Puskesmas) but the
lack of medical personnel and medicines have made them ineffective.

"There is only one doctor serving the Ilaga district," Wirda told
The Jakarta Post.

Residents who are seriously ill or those in need of surgery have to
be admitted to a better equipped clinic in another regency by plane.
People living deep in the jungle practically receive no health
services at all.

Unlike regencies in Java or other better-off provinces, there is no
state-run hospital in Puncak Jaya. The problem of poor health
services explains why traditional healing remains popular.

Road and airstrip
In order to overcome its geographical isolation, the Puncak Jaya
administration is building a road linking Ilu, Mulia and Sinak
subdistricts.

"The road linking Mulia and the other subdistrict towns will enable
better public services because it will cut transportation costs. It
will also allow residents to market their produce," Coem said.

"The provincial and central government should support the effort of
the local government to build roads linking all districts in the
regency."

The regent is seeking to have a larger airstrip built in Puncak Jaya
for bigger planes, such as Hercules military transport aircraft
which can carry more commodities in a single flight.

"We need help from the central government," the regent said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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====================================================

Date: 2/3/01 6:33:55 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org

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Received from Joyo Indonesian News

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
31 JANUARY 2001
BRIEFING ON THE CURRENT HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN INDONESIA
1) Introduction: the human rights situation deteriorates as the
reform process stalls

The human rights situation in Aceh continued to worsen during late
2000 and early 2001. A similar deterioration was experienced in
Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), where the authorities have also taken
an increasingly hardline approach against both peaceful and armed
pro-independence activists. The situation in Maluku also continues
to be of serious concern where, despite the implementation of a
state of civil emergency in June 2000, the security forces have
failed to contain communal conflict or to prevent armed militia
groups from carrying out serious crimes, including widespread
killing and forced displacement of civilians.

While the nature of the situation in Maluku, where the conflict is
manifested in inter-religious fighting, is in many ways very
different from the situation in either Aceh or Papua, many of the
causes can be traced to similar roots. These include:

- the absence of legal protection and credible institutional
structures, including a competent and independent judiciary, through
which tensions can be mediated and by which perpetrators of human
rights violations can be held to account;

- the lack of an effective, well trained civilian police force to
enforce law and order;
- the continued reliance on the military or paramilitary-style
police units, particularly in areas of conflict or where there is
opposition to Indonesian rule;
- the failure of members of the security forces (both police and
military) to observe bas.

=============================================

Date: 2/3/01 11:48:09 AM Central Standard Time
From: plovers@gn.apc.org (Paul Barber)
To: indonesia-act@igc.topica.com, u.braun@xcc.de, slliem@xs4all.nl, jonathan.head@bbc.co.uk, tapol@gn.apc.org

The International Crisis Group (Brussels)
February 2, 2001

Indonesia: Impunity Versus Accountability For Gross Human Rights Violations

This report reviews Indonesia's unimpressive record in bringing to justice
those responsible for gross human rights violations. Since May 1998 only four
major cases have resulted in convictions. In three of those cases there are
significant reservations about the process. While there have been high level
inquiries for other major cases, and additional trials may result, other
instances of blatant violations from the distant past to the present have not
been touched.

One reason for slow judicial progress has been the inadequacy of the legal
system. The need for new procedures to deal with gross violations was treated
with urgency only after huge international protest over the murder and
destruction that followed East Timor's vote for independence. A number of new
laws and mechanisms - examined in detail in the report - have now been
created, raising the possibility that Indonesia will make further progress at
a faster rate. The stakes are high. If Indonesia does not use those laws
vigorously, and against some senior military and civilian officials, not
merely subordinates, it will convince many that they enjoy impunity to
continue human rights abuses. And it will convince victims, particularly in
Aceh, Papua and Maluku where rising tensions threaten Indonesia's stability,
that the state will not protect them.

This report confirms the experience of other countries in transition that
bringing perpetrators of gross human rights abuses in Indonesia to justice
will remain as much a political issue as a judicial one and that only a
handful are likely to be held to account either by judicial means or other
formal processes such as a Truth Commission. This is the direct result of the
inability of the civilian government to exercise full authority over the
armed forces. But the report also demonstrates the bona fides of some
Indonesian government leaders in pursuit of both judicial and political
accountability, just as it documents an overwhelming array of obstacles to
their efforts.

Time alone will tell whether Indonesia is making the right choices about
priorities and tactics in response to those obstacles. But as much as the
government and key constituencies want to be left to themselves to decide,
other domestic constituencies and the international community cannot readily
accommodate the delays and uncertainties of the process. To be a cohesive
nation, Indonesia's institutions must deliver protection and justice to all
citizens. The continuation of serious human rights abuses in parts of
Indonesia is fuelling separatist tensions, making accountability for past
abuses both harder and more important and leading many to question the
capacity of the Abdurrahman government.

The international community has a particular obligation to ensure
accountability for Indonesian perpetrators of serious crimes committed in
East Timor in 1999. It has a more general concern for accountability because
of its stake in democratisation and stability in an important country. This

requires a higher degree of international engagement in Indonesian processes
than might otherwise be normal or tolerable.

The prospect of an international tribunal to adjudicate serious crimes
committed in East Timor was first raised within the UN in 1999, and judicial
processes have been set in train by the UN administration in East Timor for
the investigation of such crimes. This international interest and activity
will continue to put pressure on Indonesia to set its own house in order. If
handled judiciously, it will strengthen those in Indonesia advancing the
cause of accountability, but the international community can not expect a
quick, neat or comprehensive pay-off.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To the Indonesian Government

1. Amend the constitution to resolve uncertainties about retroactive
prosecution for crimes of omission involving cases of gross violation of
human rights.

2. Accede to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

3. Transfer authority to establish ad hoc human rights courts from the
parliament and the president to the Supreme Court or another respected
non-political body.

4. Avoid premature prosecution of the most senior military officers until the
effectiveness of the new human rights laws has been established, but do not
delay prosecutions in general.

5. Use prosecution of subordinate personnel to develop evidence for the
prosecution of more senior officers and officials, in some cases offering
immunity in exchange for testimony.

6. Utilise the ordinary criminal code as much as possible, in particular if
uncertainties about the constitutionality of retroactive prosecution for
crimes of omission are not resolved.

7. Adopt legislation as quickly as possible to make military personnel
subject to civilian courts in criminal cases.

8. Co-operate fully with UNTAET in prosecuting human rights cases.

9. Investigate and, if appropriate, bring to trial in Indonesia military
personnel and militia members living in Indonesia who are charged in East
Timor.

10. Establish an effective witness protection program.

11. Give the National Human Rights Commission more resources to enable it to
carry out its expanded role effectively.

12. Provide additional training in international human rights law to judges
and prosecutors.

13. Ensure that the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission offers the
victims of human rights abuse wide scope to have their voices heard.

To the International Community

14. Monitor and report regularly on Indonesia's efforts to try suspected
perpetrators of gross human rights abuses.

15. Monitor closely the movements of suspected perpetrators of gross human
rights violations.

16. Devote significantly greater donor resources to judicial reform in order
to assist the Indonesian agencies most vigorously involved in pursuing
accountability for gross human rights violations.

17. Use both contacts with the military and carefully targeted restrictions
on co-operation with it to sensitise senior officers to the broader
implications of the accountability issue for Indonesia's national interests.

18. Assist Indonesian groups that participate vigorously in the domestic
debates on accountability to gain more access to information, including by
releasing currently classified accounts of human rights abuses where these
can be sanitised to protect sources.

19. Hold Indonesia to a timetable and criteria for continued progress in
prosecuting those responsible for violence in East Timor and take up again
the issue of an international tribunal if these are not maintained.

20. Pay particular attention to what is done about the most senior
personalities named in the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry into the crimes
in East Timor and, where credible evidence is available, help Indonesia flesh
out the evidentiary record.

21. Deliver a clear message to Indonesia that if it fails to bring those
responsible for gross violations of human rights in East Timor in 1999 to
trial, pressures from domestic constituencies are likely to make it
impossible for donors to provide the developmental assistance Indonesia
needs, well before the last resort of an international tribunal again became
an active issue.

22. Give more money to UNTAET's Special Crimes Unit, upgrade the priority of
its mission, and provide additional highly qualified personnel to staff its
functions.

**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia and
East Timor, 1973-2000
**************************************************

======================================================

Date: 2/3/01 6:11:44 PM Central Standard Time
From: admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
To: kabar-irian@irja.org
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 10:33:25 -0800
From: David E. Ortman
To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org, admin@irja.org
Subject: Re: Freeport

Greetings:

In March, one of Freeport's Vice Presidents will be visiting the Seattle
Mennonite Church, which has shares in the company and has submitted
shareholder resolutions to Freeport regarding Freeport's activities in West
Papua.

a) Are there any updates anyone could provide that would be helpful
regarding what is going on with Freeport's mining activities?

b) Does any have any copies of statements by Freeport denouncing human
rights abuses in West Papua?

c) Are there any questions we should be asking Freeport?

Thanks

David E. Ortman
Director
Northwest Corporate Accountability Project
Seattle, WA
http://www.scn.org/earth/wum/
deom@JPS.NET
===

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
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====================================================

Date: 2/3/01 6:43:49 PM Central Standard Time
From: Admin@irja.org
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To: Kabar-Irian@irja.org
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Annex I
RESOLUTION
AS AGREED ON BY THE MEMBERS OF THE PAPUA CONGRESS,
29 May - 4 June 2000

Based on

A. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations
in December 1948,
B. paragraph I in the Preface of the 1945 Constitution of the
Indonesian Republic
C. resolution no. 1514 (XV) approved by the General Assembly of the
United Nations on December 14th 1960 which guarantees the freedom of
people in all the colonial territories
D. the Political Manifest by the Papuan National Committee and
approved by the First Papuan National Congress on October 19th 1961,
E. the recognition by President Soekarno of the existence of the
Nation of West Papua, which further on he declared an object of
military operation, Tri Komando Rakyat, on December 19th 1961
F. the letter by some members of the Congress of the United States
of America to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, dated on
May 22nd 1998, requesting attention for a reopening of discussions
on the political status of East Timor and West Papua
G. the Declaration concerning the people's aspiration for
independence as expressed by the Team of 100 from West Papua in the
direct meeting with the President of Indonesia together with his
ministers on February 26th 1999, and
H. the results of the Second Papua Congress June 2000, especially
the clearly expressed aspiration by the whole Papuan Community to
separate themselves from the Unitarian Republic of Indonesia

herewith the Papuan People through its Second Papua Congress 2000
declares to Indonesia and to the peoples of the whole world, that:

A. the Papuan People already gained its sovereignty as a People and
as a Nation since December 1, 1961
B. the Papuan People through its Second Congress reject the New York
Agreement 1962 which is legally and morally flawed as it did not
involve representatives of the Papuan People
C. the Papuan People through its Second Congress reject the results
of the Act of Free Choice as it was executed under threat,
intimidation, sadistic killing, military violence and immoral acts
which are beyond any limit of human decency. Therefore the Papuan
People demands of the United Nations to revoke the UN Resolution,
No. 2504 dated December 19, 1969
D. Indonesia, The Netherlands, The United States of America and the
United Nations must recognise the political rights as well as the
sovereignty of the West Papuan People, as it is legitimate from
history, law as well as socio-cultural point of view.
E. crimes against humanity in West Papua which have occurred as a
consequence of international conspiracy which involved Indonesia,
The Netherlands, The United States of America, and the United
Nations have to be investigated thoroughly and those responsible
must be brought to trial at the International Court
F. The United Nations,The United States of America, and The
Netherlands have to re-evaluate their involvement in the process of
the annexation of West Papua into Indonesia, and have to make public
to the Papuan People their findings in a honest, just and truthful
way on December 1, 2000

The process of political negotiations towards a final solution of
the problems mentioned above has to be held in honesty, in peace and
in a democratic way based on the principles of justice and truth.
The Papuan People through its Second Congress gives a full mandate
to the Presidium of the Papua Council to:

A. make strong efforts to assure the recognition by the
international community/world of the sovereignty of West Papua, and
make strong efforts to obtain an investigation into the crimes
against humanity in West Papua and to get the persons responsible on
trial
B. form an independent team which will held peaceful negotiations
with Indonesia and The Netherlands under the supervision of the
United Nations towards the realisation of a referendum on the
recognition of the sovereignty of the Papua People
C. make an effort to get access to the available financial sources
in Tanah Papua without being bound to conditions in order to finance
the work ahead till the final result has been obtained

Through the Second Papua Congress the Papua People gives its full
support to the Presidium of the Papua Council, and demands the
Presidium to give a full account of the activities it has been given
responsibility for by December 1, 2000.

Negotiations on the political status of West Papua have to take
place in a just and democratic way and must be hold between
legitimate representatives of the Papua People and the Government of
Indonesia, The Netherlands, The United States of America and the
United Nations.

Based on what the Papua People has experienced over the 38 years of
living under oppression and violence by the Indonesian Government,
the Second Papua Congress 2000 appeals to the United Nations and the
international community to give legal protection and security to the
Papua People.

The Second Papua Congress appeals also to the Papuan Community to
respect and to guarantee the civil rights of any inhabitant of Tanah
Papua, including minority groups. Besides that the Second Papua
Congress also appeals to the Papuan Community to create a welcoming
situation and give support to investment initiatives in Tanah Papua
as long as the investment activities respect the traditional rights
of ownership, take respectful care of the environment, and
appreciate the culture of the Papuan Community.

This resolution is truthfully and authentically composed by the
Second Papua Congress 2000 which consists of 501 legitimate
representatives of the Papuan Community from all the districts in
West Papua, from abroad, and has been attended as well by 21.000
Papuans and Non-Papuans. This Congress is the highest forum for
democracy for the Papua People, and therefore the sole legitimate
institution with the authority to make political decisions on behalf
of the Papua People.

Based on renewed understanding of history the Papua Congress 2000
stresses once more in face of the whole world that the Papua People
already got its independency since December 1, 1961. Freedom!
Freedom! Freedom!

This resolution is officially and with respect handed to the
Government of the Republic of Indonesia, the Government of The
Netherlands, the Government of the United States of America, and to
the United Nations. At the same time it is meant to be known by all
the peoples and the international community.

Thanks to You Lord!

Port Numbay, June 4, 2000

Steering Committee of the Second Papua Congress

Thaha M. Almahid Tt. Aronggear, S.E. Pdt. Herman Awom, S.Th
Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary

Franzalbert Joku Decky Wanggin, B.A. Dra. Fera Kambu
Member Member Member

Sam Manami Satia Adolof Fonataba
Member Member

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Annex I
RESOLUTION
AS AGREED ON BY THE MEMBERS OF THE PAPUA CONGRESS,
29 May - 4 June 2000

Based on

A. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in
December 1948,
B. paragraph I in the Preface of the 1945 Constitution of the Indonesian
Republic
C. resolution no. 1514 (XV) approved by the General Assembly of the United
Nations on December 14th 1960 which guarantees the freedom of people in
all the colonial territories
D. the Political Manifest by the Papuan National Committee and approved by
the First Papuan National Congress on October 19th 1961,
E. the recognition by President Soekarno of the existence of the Nation of
West Papua, which further on he declared an object of military operation,
Tri Komando Rakyat, on December 19th 1961
F. the letter by some members of the Congress of the United States of
America to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, dated on May 22nd
1998, requesting attention for a reopening of discussions on the political
status of East Timor and West Papua
G. the Declaration concerning the people's aspiration for independence as
expressed by the Team of 100 from West Papua in the direct meeting with
the President of Indonesia together with his ministers on February 26th
1999, and
H. the results of the Second Papua Congress June 2000, especially the
clearly expressed aspiration by the whole Papuan Community to separate
themselves from the Unitarian Republic of Indonesia

herewith the Papuan People through its Second Papua Congress 2000 declares
to Indonesia and to the peoples of the whole world, that:

A. the Papuan People already gained its sovereignty as a People and as a
Nation since December 1, 1961
B. the Papuan People through its Second Congress reject the New York
Agreement 1962 which is legally and morally flawed as it did not involve
representatives of the Papuan People
C. the Papuan People through its Second Congress reject the results of the
Act of Free Choice as it was executed under threat, intimidation, sadistic
killing, military violence and immoral acts which are beyond any limit of
human decency. Therefore the Papuan People demands of the United Nations
to revoke the UN Resolution, No. 2504 dated December 19, 1969
D. Indonesia, The Netherlands, The United States of America and the United
Nations must recognise the political rights as well as the sovereignty of
the West Papuan People, as it is legitimate from history, law as well as
socio-cultural point of view.
E. crimes against humanity in West Papua which have occurred as a
consequence of international conspiracy which involved Indonesia, The
Netherlands, The United States of America, and the United Nations have to
be investigated thoroughly and those responsible must be brought to trial
at the International Court
F. The United Nations,The United States of America, and The Netherlands
have to re-evaluate their involvement in the process of the annexation of
West Papua into Indonesia, and have to make public to the Papuan People
their findings in a honest, just and truthful way on December 1, 2000

The process of political negotiations towards a final solution of the
problems mentioned above has to be held in honesty, in peace and in a
democratic way based on the principles of justice and truth.
The Papuan People through its Second Congress gives a full mandate to the
Presidium of the Papua Council to:

A. make strong efforts to assure the recognition by the international
community/world of the sovereignty of West Papua, and make strong efforts
to obtain an investigation into the crimes against humanity in West Papua
and to get the persons responsible on trial
B. form an independent team which will held peaceful negotiations with
Indonesia and The Netherlands under the supervision of the United Nations
towards the realisation of a referendum on the recognition of the
sovereignty of the Papua People
C. make an effort to get access to the available financial sources in
Tanah Papua without being bound to conditions in order to finance the work
ahead till the final result has been obtained

Through the Second Papua Congress the Papua People gives its full support
to the Presidium of the Papua Council, and demands the Presidium to give a
full account of the activities it has been given responsibility for by
December 1, 2000.

Negotiations on the political status of West Papua have to take place in a
just and democratic way and must be hold between legitimate
representatives of the Papua People and the Government of Indonesia, The
Netherlands, The United States of America and the United Nations.

Based on what the Papua People has experienced over the 38 years of living
under oppression and violence by the Indonesian Government, the Second
Papua Congress 2000 appeals to the United Nations and the international
community to give legal protection and security to the Papua People.

The Second Papua Congress appeals also to the Papuan Community to respect
and to guarantee the civil rights of any inhabitant of Tanah Papua,
including minority groups. Besides that the Second Papua Congress also
appeals to the Papuan Community to create a welcoming situation and give
support to investment initiatives in Tanah Papua as long as the investment
activities respect the traditional rights of ownership, take respectful
care of the environment, and appreciate the culture of the Papuan
Community.

This resolution is truthfully and authentically composed by the Second
Papua Congress 2000 which consists of 501 legitimate representatives of
the Papuan Community from all the districts in West Papua, from abroad,
and has been attended as well by 21.000 Papuans and Non-Papuans. This
Congress is the highest forum for democracy for the Papua People, and
therefore the sole legitimate institution with the authority to make
political decisions on behalf of the Papua People.

Based on renewed understanding of history the Papua Congress 2000 stresses
once more in face of the whole world that the Papua People already got its
independency since December 1, 1961. Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!

This resolution is officially and with respect handed to the Government of
the Republic of Indonesia, the Government of The Netherlands, the
Government of the United States of America, and to the United Nations. At
the same time it is meant to be known by all the peoples and the
international community.

Thanks to You Lord!

Port Numbay, June 4, 2000

Steering Committee of the Second Papua Congress

Thaha M. Almahid Tt. Aronggear, S.E. Pdt. Herman Awom,
S.Th
Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary

Franzalbert Joku Decky Wanggin, B.A. Dra. Fera Kambu
Member Member Member

Sam Manami Satia Adolof
Fonataba
Member Member

KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
NOTE: "All items are posted for their news/information content. They are
not necessarily the views of IRJA.org or subscribers. "

To unsubscribe send an email (leave subject blank) to majordomo@irja.org
that says: unsubscribe kabar-irian - or you can also un/subscribe at
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IRIAN JAYA (WEST PAPUA, NEW GUINEA): THE QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE-February 1, 2001 TO ----------------

THE RECORD February 1, 2000 TO ------------

THE RECORD
February 1, 2000 TO ------------