1) Relatives of Paniai victims need govt attention

2) In Pictures: Traditions under threat in Papua

3) Papuans Demand Independent Inquiry on Protest Killings

4) Jokowi urged to release  Papuan political prisoners
5) In New York, Papua I can’t  breathe 6) Papua Remains a Killing Field Even Under New Indonesian President Jokowi

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/relatives-paniai-victims-need-govt-attention.html

1) Relatives of Paniai victims  need govt attention

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Archipelago | Fri, December 12 2014, 6:37 PM

The relatives of those who were shot at in the city of Enarotali, Paniai regency, Papua, are not only awaiting a lawful solution to the incident, but are also in need of counseling, especially the women whose children and husbands were killed, say activists.

At least five people died and 21 others were injured after a group of residents blockaded a road, disrupting traffic in the town on Monday.

The Papuan Women Solidarity for Human Rights Defenders said the government had never provided counseling for the relatives of victims of violence each time it occurred in the country’s easternmost province.

“Women losing their children and husbands in acts of violence should receive attention from the government by deploying a psychiatric team to help them recover. We have women whose children went to school. They expected a better future, but instead they found death and violence,” Sandra Mambrasar, an activist of the Papuan Women Solidarity for Human Rights Defenders, said on Friday.

She added that the women affected continued to mourn for the victims when the bodies were laid out at Karel Gobay Field prior to their funeral. They women had even dug the graves themselves, she added.

“The women are mourning. They went home in sorrow, without any attention from the government to help them recover,” she went on.

“At a minimum, the presence of government officials during the funeral would’ve consoled the women,” she said.

Activist Erna Mahuse said only church ministers and activists had accompanied the women after the incident while the government was being pressed to seek a lawful solution to the incident.

“The victims’ relatives aren’t looking for money. What they need is the presence of the government to accompany them in enduring their sorrow and to express its solidarity with them,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, another activist Frederika Korain said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo did not care about the victims and their families because he had made a statement on the incident.

“It’s different with the Batam and Makassar incidents, the bloody conflicts between the TNI [the Indonesian Military] and the police. Upon hearing of these two conflicts, the President directly called the Riau Islands and South Sulawesi governors to seek a permanent solution to the incidents. But in the face of the Paniai shooting, the President has made no comment, not a single word,” she said.

She explained that her NGO would go to Enarotali to help the women.

The police have questioned 24 people as witnesses in their investigation into the incident.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo said the 24 were questioned.

“They were questioned as witnesses, including government officers, civilians and medical team personnel handling the injured victims,” he said.

He said the investigation team had already conducted a field investigation looking for evidence to reveal the perpetrators of the bloody incident.

“The investigation is still underway and no-one has been made a suspect yet,” he said.

Local residents view the TNI and police as the culprits in the incident, accusations that both institutions deny. (rms)(+++)

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In Pictures: Traditions under threat in Papua

Indonesian province of West Papua, rich in human and natural resources, is struggling against poverty and big business. Syarina Hasibuan Last updated: 12 Dec 2014 10:40 West Papua, Indonesia - With a population of four million people, 252 tribes and 307 languages, this easternmost province is rich in natural and human resources. But it is also the most underdeveloped with the highest poverty level and the lowest education rate in the country. It is also the most politically sensitive place in Indonesia - a nation of 250 million people. West Papua chose to be a part of Indonesia in a 1969 referendum on independence. But some Papuans refused to recognise the result of the referendum, which they say was the unanimous choice of elders handpicked by the Indonesian military. They have been rebelling against Indonesian rule ever since. The story of West Papua, to this day, is heavily coloured in human rights violations committed by the Indonauesian armed forces. West Papua contains some of the last great tracts of undisturbed rainforest in the Asia-Pacific region, an estimated 33 million hectares in 1997. But that number has dropped dramatically since then. The central government plans to massively expand palm oil plantations in West Papua. This means also converting community forests, which are the source of livelihood for many locals. To improve the situation in Papua, the central government granted the province a special autonomy status in 2001. This authorises local administrations to manage their own areas with little intervention from the central government, and grants special autonomy funds, which some say rarely benefit people because of corruption. View As Slideshow >> http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2014/12/pictures-traditions-under-thre-2014127125425682245.html --------------------------------------------- http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/papuans-demand-independent-inquiry-protest-killings/ 3) Papuans Demand Independent Inquiry on Protest Killings By Jakarta Globe on 12:22 am Dec 13, 2014 Category Featured, Front Page, Human Rights, News Tags: Joko Widodo, National Police, Papua, protest deaths Members of the Papuan Student Alliance members (AMP) speak out during a demonstration in Solo, Central Java, on Dec. 10, 2014. They demand the government to stop the military violence in Papua and urge President Jokowi to immediately investigate shootings of civilians during a demonstration in Paniai District, Papua, on Dec. 8. (Antara Photo/Maulana Solar) Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko Widodo must form a fact-finding team to investigate a bloody police crackdown on protesters in Paniai district, Papua, that saw five people killed, a prominent clergyman has said. In a joint press conference in Jakarta with Sihol Manullang, chairman of the Jokowi for President Volunteers’ Front, the Rev. Neles Tebay of the Papua Peace Network said the independent team would shed light on what truly happened at Monday’s incident. “Members of [the team] must come from outside of the National Police and the military,” Neles said. “Only an [independent] team can subdue the Papuan people’s rage at the moment.” Joko had pledged to resolve prolonged tensions between civilians and security forces in the restive province where armed separatists have launched small scale insurgencies since Indonesia annexed Papua in 1969. Failure to properly investigate the incident will erode chances of peace and stability in the resource rich region, Neles warned, as well as trust toward Joko, who enjoyed wide support among Papuan voters during July’s presidential election. The priest said police had been very secretive about their internal investigation. Victims and activists have said that the incident was prompted with the beating of a 12-year-old boy from the village of Ipakiye, five kilometers from Paniai district capital Enarotali, when the boy confronted a group of men in an SUV for driving at night with their headlights off. The beating resulted in villagers marching to the capital to demand an explanation on Monday. At around 10 a.m. on the crowd spotted the same SUV and began attacking it. Police, witnesses said, then opened fire. But National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman on Friday gave a different account of what happened, as well as denied that a high school student was among the five people shot dead by officers. According to him, the victims were planning an attack against a local military base, where locals suspected the SUV driver was hiding. Police stopped the crowd from advancing by setting up a barricade. “Amid the protest, some [unknown] gunmen fired shots from the hills far away, causing the 200 or so people to riot,” the police general claimed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/jokowi-urged-release-papuan-political-prisoners.html 4) Jokowi urged to release  Papuan political prisoners  Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Archipelago | Fri, December 12 2014, 8:16 PM The Papuan Presidium Council (PDP) has urged President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to release political prisoners in Papua and West Papua and revive a commission for truth and reconciliation to show his political commitment to solving the Papua issue peacefully. “If this is done, Papuan people will believe that President Jokowi has a strong commitment and there will be a good outlook for a peaceful settlement to the issue. But if he gives only a promise it means he will not solve the problem,” PDP secretary-general Thaha Alhamid said on Friday in Jayapura, Papua. The PDP made the call in line with Jokowi’s plan to attend a national Christmas celebration in Jayapura on Dec. 27. The President is also scheduled to inaugurate a number of markets, visit Wamena and hold a meeting with Papuan figures. “The Christmas [event would provide] good momentum for President Jokowi to offer a peaceful solution to the Papua issue by introducing it in persuasive and elegant ways,” said Thaha. He admitted he was deeply concerned over Papua province, which has been frequently marred by bloody violence. “President Jokowi should not only officiate the markets, attend the Christmas celebration or other things. Papua has had many major problems since 1961 that have been left unresolved until now,” he said. He acknowledged he was surprised when the President once said that a bigger part of the Papua issue was triggered by the way Jakarta — referring to the central government — had treated the country’s easternmost province. “It is an interesting statement from a president-elect. If you don’t believe it you can confirm it with the chairman of the Papuan Biblical Christian Church Synod. If the President wants to attend the Christmas celebration here, he should come to the people and it should not be politicized for numerous reasons, as he has previously come to the province twice,” Thaha said as quoted by Antara news agency. Thaha said the Papua issue would not be resolved as long as Jakarta saw Papuan people as an enemy, separatists, silly, criminal, lazy and alcoholic. “Amid the Christmas atmosphere, the President should not be escorted by tanks under tough security. Security authorities should give adequate space for Papuan people to meet and talk to their president, Pak Jokowi,” he said. Meanwhile, Neles Tebay, a lecturer from the Fajar Timur Theology Institute in Jayapura, called on the President to revive a roadmap for a comprehensive solution to the Papua issue, which was suspended by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono following strong rejection from the Indonesian Military and the National Police. “This [visit] will be good momentum for the President to hold talks with Papuan leaders and people heart-to-heart, to seek a permanent and comprehensive solution to the unresolved issue,” he told The Jakarta Post by telephone. The roadmap, prepared by Neles and his team in 2008, contained recommendations on a number of major problems, including Papua’s integration into Indonesia in 1963, settlement of a series of human rights abuses in the province and West Papua, as well as the implementation of special autonomy. Neles concurred with Thaha and said the core problem in Papua was not money but poor ties and communication between Jakarta and Papua. “We have frequently proposed a dialogue between Jakarta and Papuan people, including those in exile, where the two sides can listen to each other on what should be done to settle the Papua issue. Sincere and honest talks will certainly give adequate space for the two sides to settle the issue in accordance with the roadmap,” he said. Analysts were of the same view that the poor implementation of special autonomy in the two provinces had a lot to do with Jakarta’s distrust but added that the situation had been used by many officials in the province to abuse their power.(+++) ------------------------------------------ http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/in-new-york-papua-i-can-t-breathe.html 5) In New York, Papua I can’t  breathe Galuh Wandita, Jakarta | Opinion | Fri, December 12 2014, 10:35 AM Eric Garner was an African -American man, unarmed and not dangerous, selling cigarettes on the sidewalk in Staten Island, New York. A brush with the police quickly escalated into a life and death situation. Caught on camera saying “I can’t breathe” 11 times, as a police officer secured him in a chokehold, Garner lost his life. Last week, a grand jury exonerated the police officer who had held down Garner from criminal liability. The American public reacted swiftly, adopting Garner’s last words — “I can’t breathe” — to describe a growing frustration toward racism and violence against African Americans, especially within the police force. As we celebrate our commitment to human rights here in Indonesia, there is news about another massacre in Papua. According to a Papuan civil society coalition, military personnel from Battalion 753 opened fire on a crowd of unarmed protestors in Enarotali, Paniai, Papua on Dec. 8, killing four high school students: Alpius Youw, 17; Yulian Yeimo, 17; Simon Degei, 18; and Alpius Gobai, 17; and another man. Like Garner (and the Ferguson) case, it started with a small incident that quickly escalated with overtones of racism. Allegedly, some young people gathered at a Christmas nativity scene were drawn into an altercation with members of the military driving by in a vehicle. The incident led to one of the young boys being beaten. He was brought to a nearby hospital. The next day, angry community members set up a roadblock and when military personnel arrived in the same vehicle thought to be the one used in the incident the night before, the community members wrecked the vehicle. According to the press report, the military personnel retaliated by shooting their guns in the air and destroying parts of the crèche. In reaction to the shooting, a crowd began to gather in a field nearby. They began to perform a traditional dance that signified a demand for accountability from the military and police. The incident occurred less than 100 days since President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s inauguration. During this short time span, he has already made a statement to establish a new military command for Papua, as if adding more soldiers were a solution to the ongoing lack of trust and disappointment felt by many indigenous Papuans. Under the 2001 Special Autonomy Law for Papua, the central government acknowledged that it had “yet to fulfill the feeling of justice […] and yet to respect human rights” in Papua. Article 46 of the law, titled “human rights,” states that human rights can be achieved through three mechanisms: a human rights court with jurisdiction over crimes against humanity and genocide, a truth and reconciliation commission to clarify and establish the history of Papua and formulate and determine reconciliation measures, and third, a Papua branch of a national human rights commission. However, 13 years since special autonomy was granted, only the branch office has been established. Jakarta has steadily reneged on its promises to reconcile a bloody history in Papua and commitment to justice and reconciliation. Sadly, since special autonomy was put in place, more outbreaks of killings and other violence have been rampant in Papua. The only case brought to the human rights court in Makassar was the Abepura case of 2000, but this resulted in the acquittal of the two police officers indicted. As the news about the killings in Enoratali hit the media, with pictures of the bodies of the high school students quickly going viral on social media, I found it difficult to breathe. My father, Soedjatmoko, was a diplomat who argued for international recognition of Papua’s integration into Indonesia in 1969. Were he still alive, I believe he would be distressed to hear about the continuing bloodshed. Papua is again in a chokehold of violence, and the rest of the country seems uninterested. We turn a blind eye to our own racial profiling and inability to deliver justice that continues to perpetuate a cycle of hatred and violence in Papua. In October this year, the Coalition for Justice and Truth (KKPK), a national coalition of human rights organizations, launched a report based on a year-long civil society inquiry into Indonesia’s violent past. During a public hearing held as part of the report’s launch in Jakarta, two victims from Papua also testified. One man was a torture survivor who was detained with about 900 others in 1967. He was electrocuted and made to do forced labor gathering stones and building a government radio station. He witnessed some 100 detainees being sent to Java, where they were detained together with political prisoners from 1965 for a couple of years. He was freed in 1969, but detained again in the 1980s. He also spoke about how people from Jakarta lacked an understanding of the Papuans. Closing his testimony, he said: “I do not feel I need to exact revenge from those who tortured me [...] instead, we must build on the language of love because it can be heard by those who are deaf and seen by those who are blind.” Jokowi’s administration must respond to the Enarotali killings with an independent investigation and push for an overhaul of Jakarta’s approach to dealing with the conflict in Papua. It must be able to provide a listening ear and open a dialogue based on love and hope for peace, not bloodshed. Indonesian social media campaigners should adopt the “I can’t breathe” campaign to highlight the racism against Papuans, which is so prominent in our daily interactions with our Melanesian brothers and sisters. The writer is a member of the Coalition for Justice and Truth (KKPK) and director of Asia Justice and Rights. ----------------------------------------------- Time.com 6) Papua Remains a Killing Field Even Under New Indonesian President Jokowi Yenni Kwok  The death of five high school students in skirmishes with Indonesian soldiers demonstrate the huge task ahead for Jokowi...................... http://time.com/3627122/indonesia-papua-jokowi-human-rights/