Wednesday, May 29, 2013

1) International NGO voices concern for West Papuan prisoner.


2) Confusion over reports of missing residents in Puncak Jaya
3) Karma: 'We reject the term 'narapidana politik'
4) Freeport asked to give company shares to provincial government
5) Freeport May Restart Open-Pit Mining Tomorrow in Indonesia
6) Australia supports Indonesia`s poor through good social protection policies
7) Freeport asked to give company shares to provincial government
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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=76386




Posted at 19:20 on 29 May, 2013 UTC
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture has voiced concern over the condition of a West Papuan prisoner at Indonesia’s Abepura prison
The Geneva-based Secretariat says it’s been informed about the deteriorating health of Matan Klembiap by the British-based Indonesian human rights group, Tapol.
Mr Klembiap was taken into police custody in the Papua provincial capital Jayapura in February and allegedly tortured by police, beaten with rattan sticks on the back and electrocuted in the face.
Facing weapons-related charges, the 41-year old has not received medical care since he was detained.
Furthermore, he reportedly does not have legal representation and he has been denied family access.



The Secretariat has urged Indonesian authorities to carry out a thorough and independent investigation into the allegations, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Torture to which Indonesia is a State party.



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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/05/29/confusion-over-reports-missing-residents-puncak-jaya.html

2) Confusion over reports of missing residents in Puncak Jaya

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An official has said that five people have been reported missing in the Tingginambut district, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua. The missing persons report had caused fear among locals leading many of them to flee into the forest.
“We received the report directly from the families of the missing people. One of them is a high school student,” said Yunus Wonda, the deputy speaker for the Papua Legislative Council.
He said on-duty soldiers had been questioning locals who carried machetes and bows arrows on a daily basis. He said the soldiers were suspicious of the weapons while the locals considered them merely to be accessories.
“We always carry these weapons every time we leave the house. Is there something wrong with our culture?” Yunus said.
Cendrawasih Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua, however, denied there was anyone missing.
“It’s just rumors. I have sent a team to Tingginambut and they have found that no residents are missing,” he said.
Meanwhile Puncak Jaya Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Marselis, revealed that he had received reports of two persons, not five, who had gone missing.
In February a guard post also in Tingginambut was ambushed by armed separatists, leaving one soldier dead. Another attack occurred the same day in Sirak, killing seven soldiers.(nai/dic)

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3) Karma: 'We reject the term 'narapidana politik'
Suara Papua, 27 May 2013

PAPUAN, Jayapura

Filep Karma who is a political prisoner being held in the Abepura Prison refuses to accept the use of the term 'Narapidana  Politik'  or 'Napol' that is to say, 'convicted political prisoner' which is used for him and about forty of his colleagues who are being detained in various prisons in the Land of Papua.

'We feel more comfortable with the term 'Tahanan Politik' - tapol - or political prisoner. Using the term 'napol' suggests that we committed acts of violence  for which which we were imprisoned.'

He went on to say that the vast majority of political prisoners  were being held because of their political beliefs and not because they had committed any acts of violence or other crimes.

Earlier, there were reports in the media  under the heading: 'Papuan Political Prisoners reject Amnesty from the Indonesian Government, according to which around 25 political prisoners  now being detained in Abepura Prison declared that the reject either 'clemency' or 'amnesty' which has been offered to them by the Indonesian government, via the intermediary of the Department for Law and Human Rights.

'All we want and demand is for the Papuan people to be freed from  being colonised by the colonial Indonesian government,' he said in a statement issued by the tapols which was sent to the media.

[Translated by TAPOL]
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4) Freeport asked to give company shares to provincial government
JUBI, 29 May 2013

The Freeport mining company has been asked to grant the Papuan provincial government a 10 percent share in the company. This agreement came in advance of the re-negotiation of the company's Work Contract with the Indonesian government. This would be the first time that the provincial government would hold shares in the company and any agreement would  be as a result of efforts made by the current governor, Lucas Enembe and his deputy, Klemen Tinal.

The governor told journalists on 29 May that a preparatory agreement to this effect has been agreed. Initially, the provincial government pressed for ownership of 50 percent of the shares but the company was only prepared to allow the [central] government to hold 25 percent of the shares.

The governor said: "Renegotiation of the contract with Freeport will now include Papua. Along with the central government, we have been asking for 50 percent of the shares but they agreed only to 25 percent. Of this amount, 9.6 percent would be owned by the central government, 5 percent by the local communities and 10.4 percent by the provincial government. As far as I can see, this agreement is now final, with other matters still to be discussed.'

Governor Enembe went on to say that  the provincial government has asked Freeport  and the central government to ensure that all taxes that have until now been paid to the Jakarta provincial administration should be refunded to Papua. The other request is that the company should set up its office in Papua.

"There are various taxes, such as PPH and PPN which are paid by the company to the central government as well as taxes paid by the company's workforce which are currently paid to Jakarta which should be refunded to Papua. The purpose of all this is to promote development in Papua and improve the welfare of the Papuan people."

The governor also said that discussions already held with Freeport and the central government show that there is a strong commitment from the company to promote the development of Papua and improve the welfare of the people. He said that some minor problems still need to be discussed.

"I strongly believe that the company is very willing to to help us. We talked about things like building a railway and other matters," the governor said, "and they seem to be very willing."

[COMMENT: Freeport has for more than forty years been the largest tax-payer to Indonesia. If these taxes (back-dated) were to be paid to Papua, This would surely result in a huge source of income for Papua and to its people who are acknowledged to be the poorest   people in Indonesia. while providing huge fiscal and economic benefits to the central government.]

[Translated by TAPOL]

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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/freeport-may-restart-open-pit-mining-tomorrow-in-indonesia/

5) Freeport May Restart Open-Pit Mining Tomorrow in Indonesia


Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold may resume open-pit mining tomorrow at its Grasberg complex in Indonesia, the world’s second-largest copper mine, after an accident that killed 28 and halted output.
The mine may reach a full production rate of 140,000 metric tons of ore a day in 3-to-4 days, Rozik B. Soetjipto, president director of local unit Freeport Indonesia, said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Freeport hasn’t got approval yet to restart its underground mine, he said.
The halt came one month after Rio Tinto Group suspended its Bingham Canyon mine in Utah following a landslide.
Copper in London retreated on Wednesday, paring its first monthly gain in four, as concerns for reduced supplies of the metal eased.
“If they resume work in three to four days, the impact from the operation halt will not be significant on ore production and shipments,” said Tetsu Emori, chief fund manager at Astmax Asset Management Inc. in Tokyo.
“The Freeport news will ease concern over mine supply disruptions.”
Copper futures declined as much as 0.6 percent to $7,276.75 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange and traded at $7,306.75 at 12:12 p.m. in Singapore.
The price has risen 3.6 percent this month. Freeport Indonesia is still shipping some concentrate, Soetjipto said on Wednesday.
Bloomberg


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6) Australia supports Indonesia`s poor through good social protection policies

Wed, May 29 2013 16:37 | 125 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Australia is working with the Indonesian Government to support social protection programs as one of the most effective ways of reducing poverty and inequality in Indonesia, the Australian Embassy here said.


Australia`s co-sponsorship of the Asia Public Policy Forum opening in Jakarta today is part of its growing commitment, bringing together some of the world's leading thinkers on poverty and influential policy makers from around the region to share their knowledge and expertise, the embassy said on its official web site on Wednesday.

The Indonesian Government provides social protection programs to poor people, families and communities to help reduce poverty. The programs provide subsidies to the poorest and most vulnerable families so they can invest in their future by keeping their children in school, feeding them sufficient and nutritious food, and providing them with health care.

"Australia has significantly increased its investment in social protection across the region. In Indonesia between 2009 and 2014 we are investing $57 million in supporting home-grown solutions that enable improvements and expansion of Indonesia`s social protection system," said the Head of AusAID in Indonesia, Jacqui de Lacy.

"This work is based on a strong relationship with the Indonesian Government to establish and maintain affordable, universal social safety nets," said de Lacy.

The assistance is helping the Vice President`s National Team for Accelerating Poverty Reduction (TNP2K) to develop a unified database to better target the government`s largest social protection programs such as those around conditional cash transfers, health insurance for the poor and rice subsidies.

It also includes assisting the Government to improve the management and monitoring of its successful community empowerment program, PNPM, which delivers grants to communities for small scale infrastructure and income generating activities.

"We anticipate this week's Asia Public Policy Forum will inspire lively debate and strengthen networks amongst policy makers, scholars and others interested in social protection in the region, and we're really pleased to be part of these efforts," said de Lacy.

(A014/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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7) Freeport asked to give company shares to provincial government
JUBI, 29 May 2013

The Freeport mining company has been asked to grant the Papuan provincial government a 10 percent share in the company. This agreement came in advance of the re-negotiation of the company's Work Contract with the Indonesian government. This would be the first time that the provincial government would hold shares in the company and any agreement would  be as a result of efforts made by the current governor, Lucas Enembe and his deputy, Klemen Tinal.

The governor told journalists on 29 May that a preparatory agreement to this effect has been agreed. Initially, the provincial government pressed for ownership of 50 percent of the shares but the company was only prepared to allow the [central] government to hold 25 percent of the shares.

The governor said: "Renegotiation of the contract with Freeport will now include Papua. Along with the central government, we have been asking for 50 percent of the shares but they agreed only to 25 percent. Of this amount, 9.6 percent would be owned by the central government, 5 percent by the local communities and 10.4 percent by the provincial government. As far as I can see, this agreement is now final, with other matters still to be discussed.'

Governor Enembe went on to say that  the provincial government has asked Freeport  and the central government to ensure that all taxes that have until now been paid to the Jakarta provincial administration should be refunded to Papua. The other request is that the company should set up its office in Papua.

"There are various taxes, such as PPH and PPN which are paid by the company to the central government as well as taxes paid by the company's workforce which are currently paid to Jakarta which should be refunded to Papua. The purpose of all this is to promote development in Papua and improve the welfare of the Papuan people."

The governor also said that discussions already held with Freeport and the central government show that there is a strong commitment from the company to promote the development of Papua and improve the welfare of the people. He said that some minor problems still need to be discussed.

"I strongly believe that the company is very willing to to help us. We talked about things like building a railway and other matters," the governor said, "and they seem to be very willing."

[COMMENT: Freeport has for more than forty years been the largest tax-payer to Indonesia. If these taxes (back-dated) were to be paid to Papua, This would surely result in a huge source of income for Papua and to its people who are acknowledged to be the poorest   people in Indonesia. while providing huge fiscal and economic benefits to the central government.]

[Translated by TAPOL]

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