Global Lobby for West Papua Takes Off in Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Three Papua New Guinea politicians have joined an international campaign to support West Papuans persecuted by Indonesian authorities.

The PNG MPs reignited the controversial issue on Friday one week before the Indonesian government starts repatriating up to 700 West Papuans who live in PNG’s capital Port Moresby or towns along the shared border. Port Moresby’s Governor Powes Parkop said PNG had “turned a blind eye and deaf ear” to the issue.

MPs Jamie Maxton-Graham and Boka Kondra also criticised PNG’s inaction over the plight of their fellow Melanesians, who are an ethnic minority in Indonesia’s Papua province.

Maxton-Graham said he had been prompted to help launch and sign the PNG Charter of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua after seeing photos of atrocities on West Papuans allegedly committed by the Indonesian police and military.

“The international community and our charter says Indonesia must stop this,” Maxton-Graham said. He joined Parkop, Kondra and 50 MPs from other countries in signing the charter.

Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Greens MP Greg Barber are also signatories, alongside MPs from the UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, Vanuatu and New Zealand.

The charter calls for the UN to restore the “right of the indigenous people of West Papua to self-determination”.

Indonesia took formal control of the former Dutch colony in a widely criticised 1969 UN-sponsored vote among about 1000 handpicked villager elders from the Papuan region.

Since then Indonesia’s hardline security measures, including arrests of activists who try to fly Papua’s outlawed Morning Star flag, have helped quell the West Papua separatist movement.

But the long-running insurgency by poorly armed pro-independence guerillas continues.

It is estimated 10,000 to 20,000 West Papuans now live in PNG after they fled their homes on the Indonesian side because of few opportunities and human rights abuse.

Hundreds settled in a refugee camp near the border in PNG’s Southern Highlands region while a majority live and work in the country’s major centres like Port Moresby.

By Ilya Gridneff,  The Age Papua New Guinea Correspondent

More PORT MORESBY news

Australia West Papua Association letter to Papua New Guinea Prime Minister

Hon. Prime Minister Peter O'Neill,

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

Office of the Prime Minister

Morauta House, Waigani

Papua New Guinea

 12 October 2012

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney to thank you for raising concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua[1] with the Indonesian Government.  We know that PNG has been a good friend to the West Papuan people and we urge you to continue to do all you can to help raise awareness about the human rights abuses being committed by the Indonesian security forces in West Papua at international forums such as the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies. 

In relation to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). 

We note that the MSG has granted observer status to Indonesia at the MSG and AWPA urges PNG to now support full membership for the Melanesian people of West Papua at the next MSG Summit to be held in New Caledonia (Kanaky) in 2013. A precedent previously given by the MSG to the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) of Kanaky (New Caledonia). We believe you would have the support of the people of PNG in doing so.  In response to the question, “do you support independence for West Papua?” (in a poll by the Pacific Institute of Public Policy  in 2011),  a clear majority of respondents across Melanesia said yes, with very high support in PNG (89.3%).

We believe the MSG can play an important role in helping facilitate dialogue between representatives of the West Papuan leadership and the Indonesian Government. The West Papuan people have been calling on the international community for years to support such dialogue as a way of solving the many issues of concern in West Papua. We urge you support those representatives of the West Papuan people involved in the self-determination struggle being granted full membership at the next MSG Summit. 

Yours sincerely.

Joe Collins 

Secretary 

AWPA (Sydney)

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28, Spit Junction, Sydney, Australia 2088

Pacific leaders at UN General Assembly: Setback for Fiji rehabilitation, PNG ready to raise West Papua

A fortnightly roundup of policy news in the Pacific by the Pacific Institute of Public Policy and the Development Policy Centre.

 

 

Condolences on the passing of Chronox Manek, Chief Ombudsman of Papua New Guinea.

POLITICS : Pacific leaders at UN General Assembly

In the first meeting of its kind, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon met Pacific Island Forum leaders on the sidelines of the 67th UN General Assembly in New York. Mr Ban emphasised the importance of Pacific island countries’ continued leadership and active engagement in addressing global challenges.

In speeches to the General Assembly, Pacific island leaders were critical of the international community, imploring richer countries to do more to address climate change issues and increase assistance to Pacific island countries. New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully echoed calls for greater support to the region, particularly in relation to the management of fishing resources and development of renewable energy.

On the sidelines of the general assembly Fiji effected a significant diplomatic coup with its election as chair of the influential Group of 77, the first time a Pacific island nation has been elected to that position.

Setback for Fiji rehabilitation

 

In what has been seen as a setback in Fiji’s political rehabilitation, an International Labour Organization mission was expelled by the military government apparently without reason. The expulsion was unexpected, not least because the mission was in Fiji at the invitation of the military government to investigate claims by local trade unions that workers’ rights were not being respected. The Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum denied an ‘ejection’, stating that the delegation had been asked to leave ahead of a future mission to operate under revised terms of reference.

In the aftermath of this incident a prominent Fiji unionist labelled as ‘harassment’ police having prevented him from boarding a flight to China.

PNG ready to raise West Papua issue

 

For the first time in years PNG, it would seem, is prepared to engage with Indonesia over decades of alleged human rights ‘abuses’ in neighbouring West Papua. PM Peter O’Neill’s position stands in contrast to one of West Papua’s traditional supporters, Vanuatu, in light of PM Kilman’s recent statement at the UN General Assembly which failed to mention West Papua.

Elsewhere, questions have arisen as to whether West Papua will be Australia’s new East Timor. In addition, New Zealand’s public pension fund has pulled out of Freeport’s Grasberg mine in West Papua due to breaches of human rights by Indonesian security forces. This is the first time a government fund has acted on corruption and human rights violations by Indonesia’s security forces.

More News: http://devpolicy.org/pacific-buzz

 

PNG Prime Minister to take strong stand over West Papua ‘abuses’ with Indonesia

Pacific Scoop:  Report – By Scott Waide in Post Moresby

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill speaks about his new new West Papua strategy in the EMTV interview. Video: PNG’s EMTV

After decades of maintaining a relatively neutral stance, the Papua New Guinea government will finally make a strong representation to Indonesia to raise concerns over alleged human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian military in the West Papua region.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in an interview with EMTV on Friday that the Foreign Affairs Department will deliver a diplomatic note expressing the concerns of Papua New Guinea citizens over the two Melanesian provinces of Papua and West Papua to the Indonesian government.

The response comes days after representatives of more than 4000 Lutheran women called on Peter O’Neill to look into the difficulties faced by West Papuans.

The public appeal for government attention to the West Papuan cause was made by Rose Muingepe, a Lutheran Women’s representative who was attending a conference in Mumeng outside of Lae City.

“We are asking the government to raise the plight of the West Papuans on the floor of Parliament.  We know that women are being raped, men are being tortured and we want our government to pay attention to the issue.

Diplomatic note
Prime Minister O’Neill  said a diplomatic note would be passed on to the Indonesian government through PNG’s Jakarta embassy.

“We need to respect international conventions made in organisations like the United Nations.   We also need to respect that Indonesia is a part of those organisations.

“Through those conventions we will deliver a diplomatic note raising the concerns of our citizens over some of the reports that we are getting from West Papua on human rights abuses.”

This is the first time, in years that a Papua New Guinean prime minister has acknowledged human rights abuses in Papua.

Prime Minster O’Neill will also be bringing the West Papua issue to the attention of the Indonesian President in an upcoming democracy conference in Bali later this year.

At last month’s Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Scoop’s Henry Yamo reported following an interview with Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister Ham Lini that Pacific leaders did not back Vanuatu’s supports for West Papua.

Source: EMTV News

O'Neill Terpilih Kembali Jadi PM Papua Nugini

O'Neill memenangkan suara mayoritas di parlemen dengan suara 94:12

PM Terpilih PNG O'Neill (photo Jring)

PORT MORESBY, Jaringnews.com - Peter O'Neill terpilih kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri Papua Nugini pada Jumat ini dan mengakhiri periode pergolakan politik antara dua perdana menteri yang saling bersaing yaitu Somare dan Peter O'Neil.

Selama ini keduanya sama-sama mengklaim diri sebagai perdana menteri yang sah. Somare diberhentikan dari jabatan perdana menteri ketika tengah berobat di luar negeri.

Pada Jumat ini O'Neill memenangkan suara di parlemen dengan suara 94:12.

"Pemungutan suara baru saja terjadi," kata Korimbao. "Perdana Menteri sedang dalam perjalanan ke rumah gubernur jenderal untuk pengambilan sumpah." Rakyat Kongres Nasional O'Neill (PNC) memenangkan mayoritas kursi melalui pemilu yang telah dimulai 23 Juni lalu. Kemenangannya ini terwujud berkat kemampuan kader-kadernya mencari dukungan dengan partai-partai kecil. Kemenangan partai pendukungnya makin memantapkan dirinya melenggang ke pucuk pemerintahan di Papua Nugini.

Perkembangan menarik ini tentu saja bakal mengakhiri periode aneh dalam politik PNG yang dimulai ketika Mahkamah Agung memutuskan pada Desember bahwa pemilihan O'Neill sebagai perdana menteri oleh para anggota parlemen pada Agustus 2011 itu ilegal. Pengadilan lantas menyerukan mantan PM Sir Michael Somare untuk dapat diaktifkan kembali.

Somare (76) pun telah menerima kekalahan partainya dalam pemilu nasional dan setuju untuk mendukung tawaran O'Neill untuk membentuk pemerintahan yang baru.

Ecumenical groups address issues Papua in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

General Secretary Olav Fykse Tveit in WCC leads

(ENInews). Two ecumenical groups -- the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) -- respectively highlighted initiatives in the Tanah Papua area of Indonesia and in Papua New Guinea, which shares the Pacific island of New Guinea.

The WCC addressed the ongoing human rights crisis as the Papuan people seek greater self-determination and WACC said it is supporting a communications project to benefit villagers seeking to protect their river environment from mining activities.

In Tanah Papua, WCC General Secretary the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit said that "we urge an end to the ongoing violence and impunity. We support the call for social and economic justice through serious dialogue and a concrete political process that seeks to address root causes of the present problems."

The Papuan people have been demanding freedom of expression and the right to self-determination, but their demands have been suppressed by Indonesian authorities, sometimes violently. During his visit to Tanah Papua from 17 to 20 June, Tveit met with Indonesian and Papuan church leaders, according to a WCC news release.

Tanah Papua has a prominent Christian presence, with more than 45 diverse denominations. The province has remained the focus of tensions between the authorities and the Papuan people. In February, the WCC's Executive Committee expressed concern over continuing violence and urged a peaceful resolution.

"The Indonesian government must consider the realities of Papuan people and ensure a secure future for them," said Tveit. While in Tanah Papua, Tveit visited several churches including WCC member church the Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua, Protestant Church in Indonesia, Evangelical Church in Indonesia, Baptist Church in Papua, Christian Church of Holy Word and the Christian Missionary Alliance.

Tveit also met with government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, independent movements and interfaith networks for updates on the Papuan situation. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (CCI). CCI General Chairman the Rev. A. A. Yewangoe noted that the "cultural and ethnic identity" of the Papuan people needs to be appreciated in addition to the socio-political situation.

The Toronto-based WACC announced in late June that it is involved in a project in Papua New Guinea that will help villagers along the Sepik River identify communications tools as they assess the effect of a nearby copper-gold mine on their environment.

The project, which includes a campaign on www.globalgiving.org, is intended to help indigenous people living in 50 small villages who "have been fighting to have their voices heard by the government and the management of a new mine," according to a WACC news release.

The mine is a joint venture with the Switzerland-based mining company Xstrata plc (which owns an 81.8 per cent share), Highlands Frieda Ltd. and OMRD Frieda Co. Ltd.

WACC said the villagers rely heavily on the Sepik River for water, food and transportation and they are worried about sedimentation of the water and heavy metal pollution from mining operations.

The Sepik Wetlands Management Initiative (SWMI), a local wetlands management and community development organization, found an increase in silt in the river after test drilling, WACC reported. "The people anticipate environmental, social and cultural disruptions," said Jerry Wana, chairman of SWMI, according to WACC.

"Communities need to be able to communicate their concerns and voice them to the rest of the world," said the Rev. Akuila Yabaki, President of WACC Pacific.

Yabaki said that marginalized groups, like the villagers in Middle Sepik River, benefit from learning strategies to communicate the impacts of such mining projects with stakeholders such as the government and mining companies. He said that by learning about communication rights, communities in the Pacific can collaborate with partners across the globe facing the same issues.

WACC's General Secretary, the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, said the project merits support because "these villagers face issues that are not uncommon in other countries in the Pacific and across the globe."

 

Orginal News: http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5763

Gubernur PNG Powes Parkop) mendesak Indonesia untuk mengakui hak-hak orang Papua Barat

Powes Parkop

Gubernur Papua New Guinea Distrik Ibu Kota Nasional mengatakan tekanan harus dibawa untuk menanggung pada Indonesia  menangani masalah Papua Barat.

Seorang advokat waktunya ini hak Papua Barat di perhatikan, Powes Parkop mengatakan isu Papua Barat tetap merupakan hambatan bagi hubungan baik antara Indonesia dan  masyarakat pulau Pasifik.

Dia mengatakan jika Partai Sosial Demokrat adalah bagian dari pemerintahan berikutnya setelah pemilihan bulan Juni, dia akan mendorong pengakuan jangka panjang dan tidak menyangkal hak untuk menentukan nasib sendiri orang Papua Barat.

Partai Politik dan Kandidat Untuk Pemilu 2012

Partai dan kandidat dapat membuat posisi mereka jelas pada isu-isu sensitif tertentu, seperti WTO, Papua Barat, jenis kelamin, VCMB, Niscol dll

Empat partai politik baru telah diluncurkan sepanjang tahun ini dan sudah 42 calon tidak resmi telah membuatnya dikenal untuk kontes selama enam kursi di daerah pemilihan perkotaan Vila.
Meskipun ini hak konstitusional mereka, saya bertanya-tanya apakah tidak ada alternatif atau ruang untuk perbaikan, terutama bila jawaban mengapa mereka berniat untuk kontes membuat satu pertanyaan jika kita benar-benar serius tentang masa depan negeri ini.

Dengan jawaban seperti prostitusi legalisasi dan ganja, penggunaan alokasi MP untuk gedung-gedung gereja, biaya sekolah gratis sampai dengan tahun 13, kesetaraan gender, dukungan Taiwan dan Papua Barat  penentuan nasib sendiri, membatasi investor Cina dan Australia dan karyawan, upah minimum di Vt50, 000 dll tidak mungkin untuk mengatakan jika ini adalah angan-angan sederhana, yang praktis atau janji-janji palsu. Ketika tekan pada bagaimana melaksanakan "kebijakan" dan strategi, mereka berkata "ada harus menjadi jalan".

Ini masalah saya berpikir bahwa jika tanggapan ini di ibukota dapat diambil sebagai semacam sampel, maka negara ini dalam masalah besar. Ada kurangnya visi, pengetahuan kebijaksanaan, dan keyakinan. Ini adalah kapan, bagaimana dan mengapa anggota parlemen dapat dengan mudah jatuh ke dalam perangkap laki-laki asing dan bisnis dan hanyut bersama dengan arus.

Seperti menteri negara ini yang baru saja bergabung PPP, jika ditanya mengapa ia meninggalkan VP, kemudian NUP, dan mungkin Alliance dan mengapa ia sekarang bergabung PPP, kita pasti akan mendapatkan beberapa jawaban aneh. Dan mungkin dalam jangka baru jika ia kebetulan menang, ia akan berpindah ke dua atau tiga orang lainnya.

Tapi saya pikir dia mengatakan beberapa tahun yang lalu bahwa ini akan menjadi musim lalu, atau mungkin dia secara akurat memprediksi hasil pemilu untuk pemilih Luganville.

Partai dan kandidat dapat membuat posisi mereka jelas pada isu-isu sensitif tertentu, seperti WTO, Papua Barat, jenis kelamin, VCMB, Niscol dll maka sisi dapat diambil, memungkinkan kemudahan pembentukan pemerintah berdasarkan kebijakan umum.

Jim.E.Taso

Isu Papua Merdeka Jadi Isu Pemilu Papua Nugini

PORT MORESBY, - Papua Nugini dijadwalkan menggelar pemilihan umum pada 23 Juni mendatang. Pemilu ini diharapkan bisa mengakhiri krisis politik yang berlangsung akhir 2011. Menariknya, salah satu kandidat perdana menteri mengangkat gerakan separatis di Papua di Indonesia sebagai isu kampanyenya. (sumber: kompas)

Kandidat yang dimaksud adalah Powes Parkop, yang merupakan Gubernur Daerah Khusus Ibukota (DKI) Port Moresby. Parkop sering mengusung isu dalam kampanyenya. Dia bahkan aktif menghadiri berbagai pertemuan internasional soal kemerdekaan Papua Barat.

Ancaman PM PNG Menyasar Papua ?

Oleh: Jaka Setiawan

Ancaman Perdana Menteri (PM) Papua New Guinea (PNG) John O’Neill yang akan mengusir Dubes RI dari Port Moresby dan akan membekukan semua hubungan diplomatik dengan Indonesia, dinilai banyak pihak sangat berlebihan. Reaksi PM O’Neill yang berlebihan itu muncul terkait dengan insiden di wilayah udara Indonesia pada 29 November 2011, saat TNI AU mengirim pesawat tempur untuk membayang-bayangi pesawat Falcon F900 yang menerbangkan Wakil PM PNG, Belden Namah karena telah memasuki wilayah udara Indonesia.

Ancaman John O’Neill, “bak petir di siang bolong” itu yang kemudian ditanggapi oleh Kementerian Pertahanan (Kemenhan) dengan menyebut Australia terlibat memanas-manasi pengusiran duta besar Indonesia di Papua Nugini. Pernyataan Kemenhan tesebut berangkat dari pemberitaan Radio ABC Australia yang melaporkan pertama kali, bahwa militer Indonesia memang sengaja melacak pesawat tersebut. Apakah angin permusuhan yang dilontarkan PNG ada kaitannya dengan kondisi Papua yang belakangan tidak stabil. Atau Australia sengaja menggunakan PNG sebagai alat diplomasi dan politik untuk memisahkan Papua dari NKRI.

Sesuai Prosedur, Kesaksian Pilot Jet Papua Nugini,

Pesawat Jet PNG (foto tempo)

Jakarta -Pilot jet Falcon milik Papua Nugini, Kapten Christoper Smith memberi kesaksian bahwa dirinya dicegat oleh dua pesawat tempur TNI Angkatan Udara setelah mendapatkan izin kontak dengan lalu lintas udara Indonesia. "Pesawat kami dicegat di titik koordinat A125 wilayah udara Makassar," kata dia pada Senin 9 Januari 2012.

Pada 29 November 2011, Kapten Smith mendapat tugas menerbangkan pesawat jenis Falcon dari Subong, Malaysia menuju Port Moresby, Papua Nugini. Pesawat dengan nomor penerbangan P2ANW itu membawa delapan penumpang, termasuk Wakil Perdana Menteri Papua Nugini, Belden Namah beserta pejabat dan tiga awak lainnya.

Kenapa? Buntutnya RI-PNG Kaitkan Dengan OPM

Bendera RI, OPM, PNG (foto ilurs)

Sebuah media onine nasional www.inilah.com menerbitkan satu opini yang berjudul Konspirasi Internasional Hancurkan NKRI?, Artikel ini ditulis oleh Derek Manangka, yang di terbitkan kolom opini.

Artikel ini di tulis berhubungan dengan panasnya isu hubungan diplomatik antara Indonesia denganPNG. Insiden buntutnnya hubungan ini bemula dari kasus pengintaian oleh dua pesat tempur angkatan udara pertahanan RI yang mengintai atau mengintimindasi pesawat Jet yang ditumpangi Wakil PM PNG Belden Namah dan para pejabat senior PNG . Saat itu mereka baru pulang tugas dari Malaysia.

Office of the Australian Defence Provocation accusations of Papua New Guinea

Brig Hartind Asrin (Foto by google)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Defence (Kemenhan) denied that the incident occurred Air Force fighter plane ride will hit the Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Belden Namah.

 This published:http://id.berita.yahoo.com/

Kemenhan spokesman, Brig Hartind Asrin, saying that the plane's radar did not find any Air Force aircraft carrying the movement of officials of Papua New Guinea is in the sky Homeland.

According Hartind, which claimed the plane through the sky Homeland occurred on 29 November 2011. The plane carrying Belden Namah, said he, taking off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. "That's not what happened. Australia's ngomporin it, "pointing Hartind, Friday (6 / 1).

Papua New Guinea: West Papuan refugees terrorised

By Ash Pemberton

A protest in West Papua.

West Papuan refugees in Papua New Guinea have been terrorised and arrested by police, West Papua Media Alerts said on January 28. They were allegedly arrested on behalf of the Indonesian military and local logging interests.

Police and soldiers rounded up 79 refugees living in camps around Vanimo, on PNG’s north coast near the border with West Papua, in the early hours of January 23.

The soldiers burned down at least 30 refugee houses, destroyed crops and food, and assaulted people, WPMA said. Other refugees have reportedly fled to the jungle.

Acting deputy police commissioner Fred Yakasa said anyone found not to be a PNG citizen would be considered an activist with the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and sent to the refugee camp at East Awin, Radio New Zealand International said on January 26.

Parkop accuses Indonesia of using PNG police to ‘harass and suppress’ refugees

The Governor of Papua New Guinea’s National Capital District, Powes Parkop, has accused the police of being “used by the  Indonesian government to harass and suppress” suspected West Papuan activists campaigning for independence of West Papua.
He has called on Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to call off all operations against Papuan refugees or border-crossers in Sandaun province.
In an open letter at the weekend to Somare, he said:
I write to express my deepest concern and reservation against the on going police operation in the Sanduan (or West Sepik) province, otherwise known as Operation “Sunset Merona”. Since the operation began, I have received many complaints from people in the Sanduan province as

PNG targets rebel camps along Indonesian border

PHOTO

PNG police are taking part in an operation to crack down on training camps along the PNG-Indonesia border. [AFP]

Papua New Guinea's government has deployed a joint security operation to destroy alleged free West Papua activist training camps along the PNG-Indonesia border.

The government says illegal activities in Vanimo along its side of the border pose a national security threat to its sovereignty.
The joint border security operation comes amid reports Indonesian soldiers have illegally crossed the border in pursuit of Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels on PNG soil. 
The operation codenamed, ''Sunset Merona'' was approved and deployed last week. 
Commander Jerry Frank says the aim is to stop the largely unregulated movement of people and goods across the porous border.