Thursday, November 29, 2012


1) Australia's evolving position on West Papua
2) Papua Police Killing Still a Mystery
3) Security personnel, armed group involved in shootout in Papua
4) About 50 assailants kill three Indonesia police in West Papua
5) West Papuan flag raising in Sydney Friday 30 Nov/Sat 1st Dec



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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/world-commentary/australias-evolving-position-on-west-papua/story-e6frg6ux-1226526868765

Australia's evolving position on West Papua

VARIOUS solidarity gatherings will be held around the world this weekend to mark the 51st anniversary of the first raising of West Papuan "morning star" flag - an act that continues to attract a 15 year prison sentence in Indonesia.
While Australian protests and awareness raising concerts are likely to attract only modest numbers, there are signs that both the Australian public and politicians are becoming increasingly concerned with the human rights situation in the province.
Indeed, while growing public sympathy for Papuan cries for "merdeka", the Bahasa word meaning freedom or independence depending on the translation, is unlikely to translate into any official support for Papuan sovereignty any time soon, there are signs that Australian political leaders are prepared to take a more principled stance on human rights in the province than previously.
To Bob Carr's credit, he is possibly Australia's first foreign minister to directly acknowledge the escalating problems in Papua and call on Indonesia to respect human rights.
Disappointingly though, Carr continues to frame his answers to questions about Papua in terms of the budgetary impacts of "upsetting" Indonesia. Taking a principled stance in defence of basic human rights should not be influenced by budget and trade concerns. He has also unhelpfully attempted to characterise anyone with concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Papua as being "pro-independence". (For the record the Human Rights Law Centre does not have a position on the topic of independence; our focus is purely on the promotion and protection of human rights.)
Carr's circumspect approach is contrasted by the forthright, and most welcome, comments made by Attorney General, Nicola Roxon, while in Indonesia recently for a series of meetings on issues of law and justice. Roxon told the ABC that Australia's recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua would not stop the Government from registering concern about the situation there. She went on to say Australia is firmly committed to making sure that any abuses or alleged abuses by security forces in Papua are properly investigated and punished.
At the other end of the spectrum within Government ranks is Defence Minister Stephen Smith who, when announcing a new defence co-operation agreement with Indonesia, said he has "no concerns" about the human rights situation in Papua.
Smith's "head in the sand" approach is particularly alarming given it came only weeks after the ABC's 7.30 program aired evidence that an Indonesian counter-terrorism unit, which receives extensive training and support from the Australian Federal Police, has been involved in torture and extra-judicial killings in West Papua.
Meanwhile, a 'parliamentary friends of West Papua' group recently established by the Greens, has attracted cross party support. The group's most recent meeting was attended by Labor, Liberal, DLP and independent MPs. This is a positive sign that at least some members of each party recognise that Australia can maintain good diplomatic relations with Indonesia while taking a principled stand and defending human rights at the same time.
During a recent visit to Australia, Indonesia's Vice Minister of Law and Human Rights, Denny Indrayana, told students at Melbourne Law School that freedom of political participation, together with a free and independent media, were two fundamental pillars of democracy.
He is right of course. However, the reality is that Jakarta's commendable democratic reforms of the last decade have not made it to West Papua. Despite the fact that Indonesia ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2006, human rights are severely curtailed in Papua. Protests are routinely and forcibly shut down. Political activists and bashed, jailed or killed. Papuans do not enjoy many of the basic freedoms that other Indonesians have gained.
Australian politicians can and should be more proactive in encouraging their Indonesian counterparts to ensure human rights are enjoyed throughout the entire Republic.
There is no reason why Carr could not challenge Indonesia's effective media ban and insist that Australian journalists be allowed to travel to and report from West Papua.
Further, a complete review of Australia's relationship with Indonesia's military and security forces is urgently required to ensure we are in no way aiding or abetting human rights abuses, directly or indirectly, through our support of Indonesia's elite counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88.
And finally, Carr should utilise Australia's unique position in the region, along with our new position on the UN Security Council, to play a leadership role in bringing the world's attention to the problems in West Papua.
For too long Australia supported the pro-military and anti-reform remnants of the Suharto regime. Now we have an opportunity to better align ourselves with the mainstream Indonesian human rights movement that recognises that the problems in West Papua do not have a military solution.
Tom Clarke is a spokesperson for the Human Rights Law Centre. (www.hrlc.org.au) He is on twitter: @TomHRLC
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2) Papua Police Killing Still a Mystery
Jayapura/Biak/Kupang. The bodies of three officers killed during an attack on a police post in Papua’s Lanny Jaya district on Tuesday were sent to their hometowns on Wednesday as police continue searching for answers in the case. 

The body of First Brig. Jefri Rumkorem was buried by his family in Jayapura, the provincial capital, while that of First Brig. Daniel Makuker was flown from Jayapura Airport to his hometown in Biak Island in Papua’s Biak Numfor district. 

The body of Second Insp. Rolfi Takubessy, the head of the Pirime police post that was attacked and burned down by unknown perpetrators, was flown to Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. 

Large numbers of mourners turned out in all three locations. In Jayapura, hundreds of people attended Jefri’s burial, while in Biak, police said they wanted to bury Daniel with full police honors in the local heroes’s cemetery, but were still in talks with the family about their plans. 

In Kupang, members of Rolfi’s family said they first saw the news about his death on the Internet, and only after repeated calls to the Papua Police did they receive confirmation about the incident. 

Albinus Takubessy, the victim’s younger brother, said Rolfi last spoke to the family on Sunday. He said he been transferred to the Pirime post four weeks earlier, and had left his wife and four children behind in Jayawijaya, the Lanny Jaya capital. 

The three men were killed during an attack by around 50 people on their remote police post on Tuesday morning. 

Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, the provincial police chief, said on Tuesday that the attackers hacked the officers to death before setting the police post on fire. 

A fourth officer, First Brig. M. Gosali, managed to flee to the neighboring Tiom police post and returned with nine other officers. In the ensuing fight, two of the attackers were killed, while the rest fled into the nearby forest with four handguns stolen from the Pirime police post. 

Police have still not been able to identify the attackers or their motive, but say they suspect the Free Papua Organization (OPM), a separatist group. However, Goliat Tabuni, the commander of the local OPM branch, has denied his group’s involvement in the attack. 

The incident comes just days before the OPM marks the 49th anniversary of its founding this Saturday.
SP/Robert Isidorus, Banjir Ambarita & SP/Yoseph Kelen | November 29, 2012
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3) Security personnel, armed group involved in shootout in Papua

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Police and military personnel engaged in a gunfight on Wednesday with an unidentified armed group in Indawa village, Lany Jaya, Papua, while en route to Pirime to investigate a recent attack against a police post.
No casualties were reported following the incident.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Thursday that the shootout lasted two hours and ended when the armed group fled to nearby mountains.
Boy said the incident began when a group of 90 security officers, led by Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, came across 50 or so people who were allegedly carrying firearms.
When the officers attempted to approach them, they started firing their guns at the officers, he added.
Boy said that when the armed engagement ended, the security forces continued their journey to Tiom district. “The police decided not to chase after the attackers because it was already dark and they were not familiar with the environment,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
Dozens of armed people reportedly attacked and burned down the Pirime police station, which resulted in the deaths of three officers -- including Pirime police chief Second Insp. Rofli Takubesi -- and left two officers seriously injured. (cor/swd)
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From 
The Southeast Asian Times online
4) About 50 assailants kill three Indonesia police in West Papua
From News Reports:
Jayapura, November 30: An estimated 50 assailants - armed with both modern weapons and traditional bows and arrows — killed three Indonesia police officers during an attack on the Pirime police station in the highland Lanny Jaya regency early Tuesday.

“The four officers were overwhelmed,” the Associated Press quotes Indonesia Papua police spokesman Gede Sumerta Jaya as saying.
The dead officers were listed as overseer of the Pirime police district, Second Inspector Rofli Takubesi; Brigadier Jefri Rumkoren and First Brigadier Daniel Makuker.

A fourth unidentified officer was reported to have fled and was missing.
More than two dozen members of the elite police mobile brigade were now searching for the attackers who took two rifles and a pistol before torching the station and fleeing into the jungle, said the police spokesman.
Indonesia Papua Regional Police Command Inspector General Tito Karnavian was leading the investigation of the violence.

The attack was a prelude to the 51st anniversary of the former Dutch colony’s declaration of independence on December 1, 1961 before it was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 as the result of a disputed United Nations-sponsored ballot. 
Newly-appointed Inspector General Tito Karnavian replaced 23 of 29 regency police chiefs in West Papua earlier this month.

The reshuffle followed the replacement of Brigadier General Lumban Tobing with Chief Inspector General Tito Karnavian as West Papua Police chief on Friday, September 21. 
Inspector General Tito Karnavian described that the new appointments support of the fight against rampant corruption in West Papua.

“There are many regency police chiefs who have held their current positions for a long time, while at the same time there are many young and clever officers who have to be given a chance,” he said.
“Our focus is on the rotation of office, but in every briefing they will be continuously reminded to help the fight against corruption.
“There is a lot of money being allocated for Papua and West Papua, but the fact is that most Papuan people, especially those inland and in remote areas, still live in poverty. There must be something wrong, so the police branches have to focus on uncovering allegations of fund misuse,” he said.
The Australia Federal Police provides money for Detachment 88 although the national government insists the money is not used for against “separatist” or pro-independence forces. 
The Southeast Asian Times------------------------------------------

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
Media release-29 November 2012 

5) West Papuan flag raising in Sydney- Friday 30 November

AWPA thanks both Leichhardt and Marrickville councils for their support in raising the West Papuan flag on their town halls again this year for West Papuan national flag day.
Joe Collins of AWPA said the support of local councils is very important  in helping  raise awareness of the human rights situation in West Papua in local communities.
It is also of concern that the police chief of the district of Mimika has called on the people to 'remain calm' as1 December approaches and  that they “should avoid getting involved in activities that tend towards subversion such as flying the Morning Star flag”.

Joe Collins said “it is of great concern that simply raising a flag can be classed as subversion. The outlawing of the raising of a flag is in direct contravention of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) “

Article 19.2 states:
2.Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

As the 1st is a Saturday and councils are closed the councils will raise the flag on Friday the 30 November 

Leichhardt will raise it 8am on Friday the 30 Nov
Leichhardt Municipal Council, 7-15 Wetherill Street Leichhardt  

Marrickville will at its Petersham Town Hall at 11.30am on Friday 30 November
Petersham Town Hall. 107 Crystal Street  Petersham NSW 2049


Background
West Papuan National Flag Day.  1st December

The 1st of December is West Papuan National Day or National flag day .  Fifty one years ago on the 1st of December 1961, in the then Dutch colony of West New Guinea, The West Papuan flag, called the Morning Star was flown for the first time officially beside the Dutch Tricolor.  At that ceremony, as the Morning Star flag was raised, Dutch and Papuan military and police saluted and accompanied by a marine band playing the national anthem, “My Land Papua”. The Dutch were finally about to give the West Papuan people their freedom. However it is one of the great tragedies that at their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically handed over to Indonesia in 1963. After 6 years administration of the province, Indonesia held a sham referendum called the “Act of Free Choice” under UN supervision.  Only 1025 handpicked voters, one representative for approximately every 700 West Papuans were allowed vote, and under coercion, voted to "remain with Indonesia. The Papuans call this the  “act of no choice
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On Saturday 
1st December Indonesian Consulate
From Anthony Craig
Assistant State Secretary DLP NSW

I have organised a protest outside the Indonesian consulate for Saturday Dec 1 from 0830 – 1000 am. This protest will be a bipartisan and would welcome other groups and political parties to attend. 
This will be a peaceful non violent protest.
 
Saturday December 1, 2012, is the fiftieth anniversary of West Papua's independence. On this day in 1961 West Papuans were granted their freedom by the Dutch – they raised a new national flag and sang a new national anthem.”
0830 meet outside Indonesian consulate Maroubra


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