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Subj: OPM and Foreri resolve differences
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Subj: [wp] Why foreign pressure is needed now in Papua
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Subj: KABAR-IRIAN: [EN] Report from Foreri Office
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Subj: KABAR-IRIAN: [EN] Minister Kaisepo Asked to Increase Dev't Fund
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Subj: KABAR-IRIAN: [EN] PNG leader warns of conflict in West Papua
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Subj: [wp] Morauta fears spillover of Papua conflict Subj: KABAR-IRIAN: [EN] Biologist finds 115 frog species in Irian Jaya
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Subj: KABAR-IRIAN: [EN] WWF urges Irian Jaya to ensure development projects are environment-friendly
Date: 9/4/00 11:06:46 AM Central Daylight Time
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL)
To: westpapua@topica.com
CC: slliem@xs4all.nl
Reports about an action by members of the OPM to occupy the offices of the
Papuan President Council and Foreri have been circulating for several days.
In response to a request for clarification, the following information was
received from the Foreri office in Jayapura:
On 30 August a little before noon, five persons attached to KODAK III
Manangkawi of OPM/TPN and the Penis Gourd Assembly along with several
others from the National Liberation Army (TPN) visited the offices of
Foreri and the Presidium Council and put two questions to Foreri staff. The
first related to proposals which had been sent to Foreri in July and August
and the second related to the Memorandum of Understanding between the
Amungme-Komoro people and Freeport Indonesia signed in New Orleans in July.
Regarding the first problem, the proposal to Foreri was answered on 14
August when Simon Petrus of Foreri discussed the proposals contained in
July and August letters. They related to a request from the OPM/TPN
contained in a letter dated 6 July seeking Foreri's support for an event
which was being planned in advance of the third International Papuan
Congress (as a follow-up to the second congress held in May-June) and
proposing that the congress be held in a third country, ie not in
Indonesia. However, the letter was not received until 27 July. The proposal
was that the OPM/TPN would convene their own preparatory meeting before the
Congress to which OPM units from all the thirteen districts of West Papua
would be invited while the actual congress would be attended by the
Presidium Panel and leaders from the OPM/TPN. The second letter was not
received until 10 August only four days before the event (the pre-Cngress
meeting) which was scheduled to take place from 14 - 16 August. This letter
sought Foreri's assistance in arranging travel documents and financial
assistance for participants to travel to the pre-congress event.
In response, Foreri explained that it first needed to know the precise
purpose of the meeting before pledging support, while there had not been
sufficient time to response to the second request, namely for financial
assistance, because the (second) letter was not received until four days
before the event was due to take place, leaving no time for the
organisation to try to raise the money.
On the second matter, the MoU signed with Freeport - the persons signing
the MoU were Tom Beanal and Willy Mandowen, who were regarded as having
taken the people's struggle in the wrong direction, promoting the interests
of foreign investors and the personal interests of Tom and Willy.
The group who occupied the Foreri and Presidium offices also said they were
unhappy about a series of visits abroad being made by leading members of
the Presidium Council and the Council's failure to give guidance to the
people's aspirations. [Cendrawasih Pos, 31 August 2000]
These were the things that led the group of seven people from the highlands
to occupy and close down the offices of Foreri and the Presidium.
Press reports of the occupation provoked a wave of criticism from many
groups in Papua. The newspaper which reported the incident said that their
phone had not stoppped ringing, with calls from people criticising the
action and even accusing the newspaper of carrying a very provocative news
item. However, several highlanders held a meeting with these groups at
which agreement was reached for the office keys to be returned to Foreri
and the Presidium.
We understand further that Foreri staff have acknowledged that they did not
give serious enough attention to the earlier requests for assistance and
support from the OPM/TPN as contained in the two letters. This had led to
friction which resulted in the occupation of the two offices. The source of
the friction is now being handled and the two sides are on the way to
reaching a settlement of the problem.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Phone: 020 8771-2904 Fax: 020 8653-0322
email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Campaigning to expose human rights violations in
Indonesia, West Papua and Aceh
26 years - and still going strong
Date: 9/4/00 12:39:04 AM Central Daylight Time
From: iris@matra.com.au (Anne Noonan)
Reply-to: iris@matra.com.au
To: WestPapua@topica.com, iris@matra.com.au
>From AWPA
SMH 4/9/00
Why foreign pressure is needed now in Papua
New bloodshed looms in Indonesian West Papua but Peter King believes it
can be prevented - if the democratic world is prepared to act.
With army and police reinforcements deployed, militias forming, and
Kopassus (special forces) units up to familiar tactics, is another East
Timor-style holocaust looming in Papua? If so what can be done?
In Japan there is a saying among sceptics that, for serious reform, only
gaiatsu (foreign pressure) works. For Indonesia this was certainly the
lesson of East Timor last year, and the Papuans are very aware of it.
The Papua Congress issued its historic "declaration of non-integration"
on June 3, claiming that Papua was never rightfully part of the
Indonesian state. Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid roundly
rejected it, but he continued to allow the Morning Star flag to fly,
continued to acknowledge Papuan grievances and even allowed himself to
be briefed on the "treasonous" Congress by the Papuan leaders. (In
return a grateful Papua Presidium
Council and its leader, Chief Theys Eluay, quietly suspended their
historic declaration - for so long as Wahid is not removed from power.)
We can only expect much less and much worse than this from the likes of
Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri in her new role as surrogate
president (or whatever it turns out to be) and from the military leaders
who are making a comeback behind the scenes and behind her sarong.
Yes, the worst may indeed be coming around again in Papua: arrests and
crackdown on the independence leadership, bans and crackdown on
flag-flying (three deaths at a church already in Sorong last week), bans
on "socialising" the
results of the Papua Congress, bans on foreign travel by "Aspiration M"
(for Merdeka, or Freedom) intellectuals, and more.
And, again, the Papuans will not be deterred. Like the Timorese they are
certainly ready to die rather than give up the struggle. Chief Theys's
threat to wage all-out war, responding to a call by Jakarta's
legislators for strong action against secessionists, and the military
build-up should be taken seriously in this sense.
But should the Papuans have to go on dying?
The focus of their own struggle now is to win local and international
recognition for what they insist on calling the "straightening" of their
history which locked them up inside an alien, plundering and domineering
(as they see it) Indonesia via the debacle of the so-called Act of Free
Choice in 1969.
But who will listen to their version of this story when a still
notionally democratising Jakarta is closing its ears and eyes once
again? Whistling in the dark has begun, with the Papua Presidium Vice
President Tom Beanal just back from the States claiming that Bill
Clinton is on side. Ambassador Gelbard in Jakarta promptly heaped scorn
on Beanal, and joined up with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander
Downer, to declare undying opposition to Papuan
independence. (Downer, though, contrived to forget that Australia
vehemently supported self-determination for Papua until the late 1950s.)
However, Ambassador Gelbard does recognise that what he calls Papua's
legitimate grievances (unwanted annexation not being one of them) do
need to be resolved, but only "within the framework of a stable,
democratic and united Indonesia".
That sounds like wishful thinking. We have at the moment an unstable,
decreasingly democratic and increasingly disunited Indonesia. Is it
Papua's responsibility to fix up the Indonesian mess before having its
own grievances resolved?
Do we have to wait for thousands more to die in Papua out of respect for
the questionable sovereignty there of a state which has done less than
nothing to deserve it? We might bear in mind, too, that Indonesia's own
politics and governing processes and - dare one say it - territorial
integrity would be immensely strengthened, civilised and civilianised by
shedding, if not Papua and Aceh, then at least Papua. Ask General
Wiranto. No, we don't have to wait.
It's time for gaiatsu not only in Papua, but in East Timor itself
(again), where real pressure is overdue to stop the reinfiltrating
Kopassus-backed militias. Also in Maluku where (according to Wahid
himself) Soeharto's untouched moneybags have been deployed to foment and
aggravate the murderous communal conflicts.
So we do rather urgently need a policy to match the looming regional
problems, if only to avoid another Timor-size billion dollar bill for
peacekeeping and reconstruction in a ravaged Papua. And gaiatsu will
have to play a big part.
Well, then, what kind of gaiatsu? Let us put our minds to it, but think
IMF packages unstitched, think an international human rights tribunal
for the whole of Indonesia and for all the Soeharto years and beyond,
think new international peacekeeping forces in Eastern Indonesia, think
a referendum option for Papuans.
In any case think, and urge the Australian Government, which behaved so
splendidly at times last year, to cut out the parrot stuff and come up
with a policy.
Peter King is visiting professor at Kagoshima University Research Centre
for the Pacific Islands and Japan, and convener of the West Papua
Project in the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Sydney University.
________________________________
Australia West Papua Association, Sydney
PO BOX 65
Millers Point
Australia 2000
Tele/fax 61.2. 99601696
Date: 9/4/00 5:44:42 PM Central Daylight Time
From: admin@irja.org
Sender: owner-kabar-irian@irja.org
Reply-to: admin@irja.org
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From: TAPOL
Reports about an action by members of the OPM to occupy the offices
of the Papuan President Council and Foreri have been circulating for
several days. In response to a request for clarification, the
following information was received from the Foreri office in
Jayapura:
On 30 August a little before noon, five persons attached to KODAK
III Manangkawi of OPM/TPN and the Penis Gourd Assembly along with
several others from the National Liberation Army (TPN) visited the
offices of Foreri and the Presidium Council and put two questions to
Foreri staff. The first related to proposals which had been sent to
Foreri in July and August and the second related to the Memorandum
of Understanding between the Amungme-Komoro people and Freeport
Indonesia signed in New Orleans in July.
Regarding the first problem, the proposal to Foreri was answered on
14 August when Simon Petrus of Foreri discussed the proposals
contained in July and August letters. They related to a request from
the OPM/TPN contained in a letter dated 6 July seeking Foreri's
support for an event which was being planned in advance of the third
International Papuan Congress (as a follow-up to the second congress
held in May-June) and proposing that the congress be held in a third
country, ie not in Indonesia. However, the letter was not received
until 27 July. The proposal was that the OPM/TPN would convene their
own preparatory meeting before the Congress to which OPM units from
all the thirteen districts of West Papua would be invited while the
actual congress would be attended by the Presidium Panel and leaders
from the OPM/TPN. The second letter was not received until 10 August
only four days before the event (the pre-Cngress meeting) which was
scheduled to take place from 14 - 16 August. This letter sought
Foreri's assistance in arranging travel documents and financial
assistance for participants to travel to the pre-congress event.
In response, Foreri explained that it first needed to know the
precise purpose of the meeting before pledging support, while there
had not been sufficient time to response to the second request,
namely for financial assistance, because the (second) letter was not
received until four days before the event was due to take place,
leaving no time for the organisation to try to raise the money.
On the second matter, the MoU signed with Freeport - the persons
signing the MoU were Tom Beanal and Willy Mandowen, who were
regarded as having taken the people's struggle in the wrong
direction, promoting the interests of foreign investors and the
personal interests of Tom and Willy.
The group who occupied the Foreri and Presidium offices also said
they were unhappy about a series of visits abroad being made by
leading members of the Presidium Council and the Council's failure
to give guidance to the people's aspirations. [Cendrawasih Pos, 31
August 2000]
These were the things that led the group of seven people from the
highlands to occupy and close down the offices of Foreri and the
Presidium.
Press reports of the occupation provoked a wave of criticism from
many groups in Papua. The newspaper which reported the incident said
that their phone had not stopped ringing, with calls from people
criticising the action and even accusing the newspaper of carrying a
very provocative news item. However, several highlanders held a
meeting with these groups at which agreement was reached for the
office keys to be returned to Foreri and the Presidium.
We understand further that Foreri staff have acknowledged that they
did not give serious enough attention to the earlier requests for
assistance and support from the OPM/TPN as contained in the two
letters. This had led to friction which resulted in the occupation
of the two offices. The source of the friction is now being handled
and the two sides are on the way to reaching a settlement of the
problem.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Phone: 020 8771-2904 Fax: 020 8653-0322
email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Date: 9/4/00 6:10:43 PM Central Daylight Time
From: admin@irja.org
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National News
Minister Kaisepo Asked to Increase Dev't Fund for E. Indonesia
Monday, September 04, 2000/1:42:39 PM
Biak, Irian Jaya, Sept 4 (ANTARA)
Junior Minister for the Acceleration of Development in Eastern
Indonesia Manuel Kaisepo has been asked to focus more attention to
less-developed areas in Eastern Indonesia by increasing their share
of the development fund.
Irian Jaya is an underdeveloped province, thus it deserves to be
given more development funds to reduce the social gap between Irian
Jaya and other provinces, coordinator of the Independent People for
Development Awareness, Arnold Mandowen, said here Monday.
Irian Jaya`s districts badly need more development funds compared to
those of other provinces in Eastern Indonesia, he said.
"Irian Jaya is three times bigger than Java island but it receives
three or four times less than the development fund given to Java
annually," he said.
The central government`s treatment of Irian Jaya has disappointed
the Irianese, making them think that it would be better for them to
separate from Indonesia, Mandowen said.
Jakarta has flatly ruled out independence for the mineral-rich
province of 2.5 million people -- formerly called the Dutch New
Guinea -- which integrated with Indonesia with the help of the
United Nations in 1969.
People in Eastern Indonesia, he said, proudly support President
Abdurrahman Wahid`s policy to appoint Kaisepo as junior minister of
the acceleration of development in Eastern Indonesia.
The people have expressed hope that Kaisepo would be able to make
the country`s eastern region as developed as other regions in
Indonesia, Mandowen said.
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. "
Date: 9/4/00 6:10:29 PM Central Daylight Time
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The Age (Melbourne)
PNG leader warns of conflict in West Papua
By Paul Daley - Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Port Moresby
Monday 4 September 2000
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Mekere Morauta has expressed concern
that his country could be "reluctantly sucked into" a conflict
between the growing West Papuan separatist movement and the
Indonesian military.
In an exclusive interview with The Age, Sir Mekere said the PNG
government was watching the unfolding situation in West Papua - an
Indonesian province which shares a border with PNG - with increasing
concern but believed the looming conflict remained primarily an
Indonesian problem.
As Sir Mekere expressed his fears about the possibility of conflict,
a top secret PNG Government inquiry found that the PNG Defence Force
was ill-equipped to meet the challenges of an increasingly unstable
regional environment and contained a small number of senior members
who were "politically motivated".
The Australian Government, already concerned at the deteriorating
state of the PNGDF, is likely to be further rattled by Sir Mekere's
comments about West Papua. Any conflict between Indonesia, PNG and
the West Papua rebels would almost certainly draw in the Australian
Defence Force to support or advise PNG.
Sir Mekere said the successful independence movement in East Timor
and the growing separatist movement in Aceh province appeared to be
encouraging the West Papua Freedom Movement (OPM).
"What's happened in Timor and also Aceh seems to have given West
Papua (independence) leaders some reason to make some noises," Sir
Mekere said. "We are watching the situation fairly carefully.
"I am worried that ... should the freedom movement increase its
intensity we could be sucked in because, you know, people are moving
freely from side to side (of the border).
"But at the same time we have maintained the movement across by
citizens of the two countries and we have maintained that
interaction fairly peacefully.
"We do not want to get into what is basically an Indonesian problem
because we do not have the (military) resources or the will to do
that. While I am worried about what is happening there, my major
concern is being reluctantly sucked into it once the conflict takes
firm shape. But we do watch it fairly carefully."
The PNG government enjoys a much closer bilateral relationship with
Indonesia than Australia and does not question Indonesian
sovereignty over West Papua, where the majority of the population
shares PNG's Melanesian ethnicity. Hundreds of OPM fighters have
established their bases on the PNG side of the border.
The secret PNG government inquiry is scathing of the PNG Defence
Department, which it concludes has "appalling" record keeping and is
devoid of "transparency and accountability".
The department, it found, is self-serving and does not communicate
with - or have any insight into the logistical needs of - the
military.
The inquiry has also found that the defence force still contains a
small cell of senior, influential men who are politically motivated
and loyal to former PNG Prime Minister Bill Skate.
This raises a possibility that sections of the military could resist
Sir Mekere's attempts to reform the defence force.
But there are signs that Sir Mekere - who is gaining an
international reputation as PNG's most reformist leader - is
bringing the defence force back from the brink.
A pay rise, improvements to military housing and messing
arrangements for the defence force in Port Moresby - and the promise
of better conditions to come - have greatly improved morale, the
inquiry found.
Good morale "can be restored" and it is not too late to rebuild the
defence force into the well-trained, reliable military it was at
independence, the inquiry says.
But it says that urgent initiatives are required to put the military
back on track.
The full findings of the six-month inquiry, which is still
proceeding and has been conducted under strict secrecy on behalf of
Sir Mekere and a small number of senior cabinet ministers, are not
expected to be made public.
Date: 9/4/00 12:32:10 AM Central Daylight Time
From: iris@matra.com.au (Anne Noonan)
Reply-to: iris@matra.com.au
To: WestPapua@topica.com, iris@matra.com.au
>From AWPA
SMH 4/9/00
Morauta fears spillover of Papua conflict
Date: 04/09/2000
By PAUL DALEY in Port Moresby
The Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta, fears Papua New Guinea could be
sucked into a conflict between the
Papuan separatist movement and the Indonesian military.
In an interview with the Herald, Sir Mekere said Port Moresby was
watching the unfolding situation in Papua - the
Indonesian province formerly known as Irian Jaya that shares a border
with PNG - with increasing concern, although
he believed it was essentially an Indonesian problem.
Sir Mekere's comments came as a hitherto secret government inquiry found
that the country's defence force was
ill-equipped to meet the challenges of an increasingly unstable region
and was hampered by several politically
motivated senior members.
Canberra, already seriously concerned about the deteriorating state of
the defence force, is likely to be rattled by Sir
Mekere's fears because any conflict involving Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea and Papuan rebels could draw in the
Australian military in a support or advisory role for Port Moresby.
Sir Mekere said the successful independence movement in East Timor and
the growing separatist movement in Aceh
province appeared to be encouraging the West Papua Freedom Movement
(OPM), which is becoming increasingly
defiant of Jakarta.
"What's happened in Timor and also Aceh seems to have given West Papua
[independence] leaders some reason to
make some noises," Sir Mekere said.
"I'm aware of that, and we are watching the situation fairly carefully.
I am worried that ... should the freedom
movement increase its intensity we could be sucked in because, you know,
people are moving freely from side to side
[of the Papua-PNG border].
"We do not want to get into what is basically an Indonesian problem
because we do not have the [military] resources
or the will to do that. While I am worried what is happening there, my
major concern is being reluctantly sucked into
it once the conflict takes firm shape."
PNG, which enjoys a much closer relationship with Jakarta than does
Australia, does not question Indonesian
sovereignty over Papua.
One scenario is that Indonesia might ask the PNG military to help with
"hot pursuit" of OPM rebels over the border
and into PNG.
Hundreds of OPM fighters have set up their bases on the PNG side of the
border.
But, the secret government inquiry says, 25 years after independence
from Australia the military is poorly equipped
to meet such a challenge.
The inquiry is scathing about the defence department, which it says has
appalling record keeping and is devoid of
transparency and accountability. It said the department was self-serving
and did not communicate with, or have any
insight into the logistical needs of, the military.
The inquiry
found the defence force contained a small cell of senior, influential
men who were loyal to the former prime minister,
Bill Skate, raising the possibility that sections of the military could
resist attempts at reform.
________________________________
Australia West Papua Association, Sydney
PO BOX 65
Millers Point
Australia 2000
Tele/fax 61.2. 99601696
_________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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Date: 9/3/00 7:25:01 AM Central Daylight Time
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Indonesian Nature Conservation List
Biologist finds 115 frog species in Irian Jaya
Source: Antara, August 29, 2000
Jayapura
A biologist from New Zealand, David Price, said Tuesday that in his
research, he has found 115 species of frogs in Indonesia`s easternmost
province of Irian Jaya. Still there are more frog species that have yet to
be identified, Price told ANTARA on the sidelines of a workshop on
planning a survey of biological diversity in relation to natural
conservation, being held here. Most of the 115 frog species live in swamp
areas almost everywhere in the province, he said, adding that the best
species is the frog which lives under the ground, the microhyl idea. He
further noted that the microhylidea mostly live in highlands. Price said
he would continue his research on the life of frogs in the province
because
he believes there are more species that have not yet been identified. He
also pointed out that the more frog species are found in an area, the
healthier the living condition in that area is. Price said many people
think that the sound the frogs create is noise. But for me, that frog
noise is a kind of amusement as
I carry out my research," he smiled.
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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Date: 9/3/00 7:25:01 AM Central Daylight Time
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Indonesian Nature Conservation List
Source: Antara, August 30, 2000
Jayapura
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has urged Irian Jaya to ensure that
its development projects do not harm the environment. "WWF considers that
the development of some projects in the (Indonesian) province does not pay
much attention to the environmental aspect," director of the WWF`s
Bioregion Sahul Jayapura, August Ramansara, told reporters here
Tuesday. Citing an example, Ramansara noted
that the construction of an access road in the preservation forest of Mt
Cycloop, being handled by the provincial public works office, has damaged
the environment. Moreover, he said, the mountainous part of Irian Jaya is
the main source of fresh water of people living around Sentani
Lake. Ramansara further said that Yapen Waropen`s plywood industry has a
bad impact on the environment, particularly on the species of birds of
paradise. He warned that if there is no effort to prevent environmental
damage, the province would suffer from natural dissters in the future. He
said that the government and the people are largely res
ponsible for protecting the environment. However, he stressed, the
provincial administration should pay more attention in giving official
approval to development projects and forest management.
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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Subj: KABAR-IRIAN: [EN]Fwd: URGENT: Latest events in W Papua (fwd)
Date: 9/1/00 8:29:03 AM Central Daylight Time
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from: unknown (?)
There has been an increasing distrust by all Papuan people in the
Presidium Council as is outlined in a recent Press Release. For
these reasons West Papuans have taken the following actions:
1. The OPM have taken 5 Highland Regional Councillors (DPR's)
hostage. They are being held in Vannemou, Papua New Guinea by
the OPM Supreme Commander Mattheius Wendah.
2. The Penis Gourd People's Assembly Council (Dewan
Musyawarah Masyarakat Koteka) have locked the offices of both
the Presidium Council and FORERI and the keys are with
Mattheius Wendah in Papua New Guinea. To re-enter the office the
Presidium Council must go to PNG to explain their actions. If the
Council try to open the offices before explaining their actions they
will face a very high risk.
3. If the Council and FORERI leaders do not respond to these
demands then OPM and the Penis Gourd People's Assembly will
take over the leadership of diplomacy and lobby at an international
level to channel the voice of the people for a democratic self-
determination.
4. These statements were made public on the news in West Papua
on 30th August.
_________________________________________________________________________
