Open Letter: Fear For The Safety Of WP Political Prisoners Wednesday, 22 February 2012, 3:28 pm Press Release: Australia West Papua Association

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, Sydney, Australia 2088
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

21 February 2012

Fear For The Safety Of West Papuan Political Prisoners

Dear Mr Rudd,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney concerning the five West Papuan men who have been charged with treason because of their involvement in the 3rd Papuan People's Congress which was held between the 17 and 19 October 2011.

Shortly after the Congress and as part of a celebration, the Morning Star flag was raised and a declaration of Independence read out. Indonesian security forces accompanied by armoured vehicles immediately moved in to break up the gathering firing live rounds resulting in six people been killed. The security forces also used batons, bamboo poles and the butts of rifles during the arrest of up to 300 delegates resulting in serious injuries. Five people were charged with treason. They are Forkorus Yaboisembet, Edison Gladius Waromi, Agust M. Sananay Kraar, Selpius Bobii, and Dominikus Surabat. The trial against five Papuan activists began on Monday 30 January.

On Saturday the 18 February, the security forces in full riot equipment swept through the Abepura prison where the men are detained. They removed the prisoners belongings including books, letters, plates, glasses and intimidated the prisoners. They also told the prisoners if there was any disturbance at their trial they would be removed from West Papua to stand trial elsewhere.

AWPA is greatly concerned for the safety of these men as many reports have stated that the security forces use torture to intimidate or extract information from prisoners in West Papua. We point out at no time did these men commit violence and they simply expressed peacefully their views on the future of West Papua as is their right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We urge you to contact the Indonesian President asking that he guarantee the safety of the prisoners and to immediately release all West Papuan political prisoners unconditionally.

A true democracy does not jail people simply because thy expressed a political opinion.
Yours sincerely
Joe Collins
Secretary
AWPA (Sydney)

**********

ENDS

Repressive and brutal TNI / police disperse the congress of the people of Papua III

Posted on 22 February 2012

Leaders and Participants 300 people arrested Papuan People’s Congress

Interogation papuan people

JAYAPURA – The combined forces of the army / police had to disperse the Papuan People’s Congress (KRP) III which took place on the soccer field Zacchaeus Padang Bulan, Abepura, Jayapura, Papua, on Wednesday (19/10) at around 15:30 CDT.
The dissolution of the joint force by the authorities after the KRP III resulted in the collective agreement as set forth in the declaration form the new state of the Federation of West Papua, the government has even set by appointing Forkorus Yaboisembut, S. Pd as President and Edison Waromy, SH as Prime Minister.
Before dissolution, the implementation of the KRP III safe and orderly progress. In the implementation of such a process of negotiation and the prime minister’s presidential election. Once the agreement is approved, then the number of the statement finally announced by the declaration and stating Forkorus Yaboisembut, S. Pd as President and Edison Waromy, SH as Prime Minister.
Selfius Bobii KRP III as Chairman of th

appointing Forkorus Yaboisembut, S. Pd as President

e Committee in his press statement saying that the people of Papua through KRP III has declared re-declaration has ever d

eclared by the National Committee of Papua on October 19, 1961.
“So right now even 50 years wandering the nation of Papua and West Papua people express today we want to restore the lost paradise, even we want to restore the peace that once lost,” he explained.

Stressed, the nation of Papua commitment was made at this time and the people themselves who finance themselves from the villages. “KRP III is purely financed by the people themselves, thus the decision that came out today is purely Papuan people of the nation and therefore through the KRP III stated that today (yesterday, red) we have been sovereign,” koarnya.
In that effort, it will take the path of political and legal channels. For that, through the KRP III it would recommend International Perlementarians for West Papua (IPWP) and the International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP) to oversee this process in the international world.
In addition, it also will enroll dekolonikasi commission so that the process is running and the next two years the United Nations recognized the sovereignty of the nation of Papua. In fact, it also asks the international parties and a neutral state that the nation of Papua have been ready to negotiate.
Therefore, all parties including the army / police, TPN-OPM restraint because the new state of the nation state of Papua returned ready to negotiate, so it asked the United States and neutral nations to mediate because it was ready to negotiate.
Asked about follow-up of the declaration of the results of KRP III decision, Selfius Bobii add, of course, officially it will submit to the Government of Indonesia and then to the international world that the legal process can walk through annexation lawsuit and the legal process.
While Chairman of the Papua Customary Council Forkorus Yaboisembut, S. Pd revealed that this activity is a continuing process of KRP I and II, even gold is even 50 years KRP III implementation.
Admittedly, the difference in the KRP I just issued a manifesto, nationality, while for the KRP II only a few recommendations and agenda, while occurring in KRP III decided completeness Papua state that has not been decided on the KRP I and II.
“Today we take back the sovereignty of the state legally and de facto annexed. What happened this year have already ratified the constitution and the federal states of West Papuan nation, then there are the government, its currency and adopted the declaration,” he said, who was appointed as president by KRP III.
Next to the process forward, it will not hit the wall and will take the legal process, therefore, will be held and recommendations to ILWP IPWP as an independ

Militer siaga

ent advocate to advocate for countries to support.
In addition, it will forward the dialogue or negotiations with Indonesia so that it wants a good cooperation as an independent and sovereign state. “We will build a good cooperation as two independent and sovereign state,” he said.
Similarly, Edison Waromy, SH explained, regarding the birth of a new country, then Indonesia has provided space in Papua. In addition, the presence of KRP III is a victory of democracy in Papua and Indonesia, because the democratic space opened. “Jakarta do not judge us as a separatist but is a nation and state are equal because the state standing requirements is the existence of government,” he said.

Meanwhile, the city of Jayapura police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner. H. Imam Setiawan, SIK explained that the forced dissolution of KRP III and arrest of leaders and participants KRP it is because the KRP is a process that recognizes the existence of violations of state law on the country legally.

“The arrested include Forkorus Yaboisembut (president), Edison Waromy (prime minister), Selfius Bobii (committee chairman), Dominic Surabut and 300 participants,” he explained.
Military (TNI / police) malakukan dissolution plus a number of people catching up to 300 people more, “he said.
In this brutal action papua found two people have been killed allegedly hit by police bullets as much grain as the forced dissolution of the Papuan People’s Congress in Field III Soccer Zacchaeus, Padang Bulan, Abepura, Jayapura, Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

Mayat 2 korban saat insiden

Victims on behalf of Melkias Kadepa found around 16:00 pm CDT on the estate behind Resort Military Command Headquarters Jayapura about 300 meters from the lakasi kogres. “Victims of adult males. He allegedly shot dead
The bodies had been placed in the hearse with police numbers there ACP DS 5665 10:45 CDT return a resident’s body was found, wearing only underpants, while the blue shirt was found not far from the position of his body. Bodies are also included in the same car.
while dozens of people still displaced in the woods behind the School of Philosophy Eastern Dawn, Padang Bulan, “said Matthew Murib, Vice Chairman of Komnas HAM in Papua, Thursday, October 20, 2011.

Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Papua deplored repressive approach to policing that dissolve congress and causing casualties. “The police did not use a persuasive approach and dialogue, deliberately chose the path of violence. President Yudhoyono should immediately open a space for dialogue on the Papuan people, “he said.
The Congress declared the Democratic State of West Papua. President of the transition period is the Chairman of the Papuan Customary Council, Forkorus Yeboisembut, and Prime Minis

interogation

ter Edison Waromi. Both the first person arrested by police after the closing of the Papuan People’s Congress III from 17 to October 19, 2011 in Padang Bulan, Abepura.
“Forkorus was hiding in the Franciscan Monastery. When the police closed the congressional arena, he fled with Dominukus Sirabut Guard troops and a few people of Papua. Police combed the area and got it. He was immediately beaten and dragged into the middle of the field congress, “said the witness, AR, a Franciscan monk at the Monastery.

In the field, cursed Forkorus police. Some time after that, he was raised to a police truck. “So, instead of going up the new car he was arrested, but Forkorus arrested while hiding in the Franciscan Monastery with some recluse who protect it. Police said it was the President of the Papua yes, you fool, “said another witness, AH.

Beating of the congress participants every few minutes after the closing ceremony at Soccer Field Zacchaeus. When the dancing and greet, police butting in and hit with a cane. “There is also a step on. I do not know the reason why the police came in and hit, “said Tonggap, Papuan activists.

Komnas HAM had long ago warned the police not to resort to violence in dissolving congress. “But still there’s a reason. This form of intent. Why not just from the first day of the raising of the Morning Star when they were arrested? Why wait until the last day until there are casualties? “Said Murib.

Report

Santon Tekege, Pr

Candidate Priest Dioses of Timika Papua

Thousands of Papuans Demand Referendum
Tuesday, 21 February, 2012

Papua:Thousands supporting the West Papua National Committee thronged the Papua People Assembly building in Kotaraja, Jayapura, on Monday. The protesters demanded for a referendum and for the Papua and West Papua Development Acceleration Unit (UP4B) to be disbanded.

“We don’t want UP4B. We’re not looking for special autonomy, we want a referendum,” said Mako Tabuni, the National Committee spokesman on Monday.

Mako said that freedom for Papua could not be compromised. Special autonomy, as stipulated in Law No. 21/2001, has failed to bring welfare for the Papuans. “Special autonomy has failed, the unit won’t work either. It’s only sugar-coated politics for Papua sent from Jakarta,” Mako went on.

Peace!!


Santon

No ‘Culture of Denial’ in Indonesia: SBY to Ambassadors
Ismira Lutfia | February 16, 2012

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at a dialogue with journalists at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, also expressed positive sentiments about the state of the country. (Rumgapres Photo/Abror Rizki)

Interreligious strife is just media hype, rights abuses in Papua don’t go unpunished and the current anticorruption drive is the most aggressive in the country’s history, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told foreign ambassadors on Wednesday. 

In his address at the Foreign Ministry to 119 of the 128 ambassadors to Indonesia, the president echoed the same positive sentiments that he aired two days earlier in a tightly controlled, nationally televised question and answer session with journalists. 

He assured the ambassadors that on the issue of interreligious conflict, “things aren’t as bad as the mass media is reporting.” 

“In general, religious harmony and national harmony are being well-maintained,” Yudhoyono said, going on to distance himself from allegations of double standards in justice. 

“No [violations] are going unnoticed,” he said. 

He said that also applied to the persecution of the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect in various regions. 

Hard-line Muslims have attacked the minority community, destroyed its mosques, schools and homes, driven them out of villages and killed several Ahmadis in recent years. 

In the most brutal attack, which took place last year, three Ahmadis were beaten to death by a mob of more than 1,000. Only a dozen people were convicted, all of whom received sentences of six months or less. 

Yudhoyono said that in the case of the Ahmadis, they were free to worship as they saw fit, but only if it did not offend other Muslims. 

Given that 90 percent of the population is Muslim, he said, the state has a responsibility to step is whenever a different creed was introduced. 

“It’s the duty of the state to organize and arrange [the new faith] in order to avoid clashes that threaten the social structure,” the president said. 

On the issue of Papua, where the military have frequently been accused of human-rights violations in trying to quell a low-level separatist movement, Yudhoyono conceded there were rights abuses but insisted they were being swiftly dealt with. 

“The guilty will certainly be punished. There is no impunity or culture of denial,” he said. 

“We always follow due legal process because we want to be transparent.” 

After a brutal crackdown in October on a peaceful protest in Papua that left at least three unarmed civilians dead, the police officers found responsible received written warnings and other administrative sanctions. 

Yudhoyono also said that since becoming president, he had changed the government’s stance in dealing with the region’s problems from a military-based approach to what he termed a community empowerment and development approach. 

“In the future, I and the government will work seriously to resolve the problems in Papua,” he said. “We will also nurture dialogue with community leaders to listen to their critiques and corrections.” 

The president also touted his fight against corruption as unprecedented in scale. “We are carrying out the most aggressive anticorruption campaign in Indonesian history,” he said. 

“In the midst of a frenetic democracy and political uproar, I’m staying focused and not getting sidetracked in running my mandate to achieve strategic development in the coming years.” 

The political uproar he referred to was the scandal in which his own Democratic Party was mired. The party’s former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin, is standing trial for bid-rigging, while a top legislator has been named a suspect in the same case. The party chairman and other officials have also been named as involved in the same scandal. 

“I realize there’s still a long way to go and much to do before we reach a point where we can feel comfortable [about the progress made],” Yudhoyono said. 

Amnesty Tells SBY Action, Not Talk, Needed on Papua Abuses
Jakarta Globe | February 19, 2012

Police arrest people who attended the Third Papuan Peoples' Congress event in Abepura, at the outskirts of Jayapura, on Oct. 19. (Reuters Photo)

After President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono acknowledged that security forces have committed human rights violations in Papua, Amnesty International on Friday called on him to go further — not merely discussing the abuses, but taking action to end them. 

Rights groups, including Amnesty, have long condemned the use of violence by Indonesian security forces in Papua, including a crackdown in October on unarmed participants at the Third Papuan People’s Congress in Abepura that killed at least three people and injured 90. 

Eight police officers were let off with written warnings for disciplinary infractions, though rights groups, including the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham), accused the police and military of using excessive force. 

“In turning his words into action, the President should ensure that all investigations into human rights violations by security forces are conducted in a thorough, independent and impartial manner,” Amnesty said in a statement. 

“This should include the investigation and prosecution of past human rights violations,” the rights group added. “Suspects should be prosecuted in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness and victims should be granted reparations.” 

In a meeting on Wednesday with diplomats at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Yudhoyono acknowledged that both police and military personnel have committed rights violations, saying the cases would be legally processed and the perpetrators punished. 

He said soldiers suspected of rights violations would be tried in military courts. However, activists say these courts are rarely impartial and have called for civilian court trials instead. 

In January last year, a military court in Papua sentenced three soldiers to between eight and 10 months in prison after they tortured two civilians. The torture was documented in a video that circulated on the video-sharing Web site YouTube, sparking massive international outcry. 

“Amnesty International believes that the lack of independent and impartial monitoring of the human rights situation in Papua contributes to the climate of impunity there,” the group said in the statement on Friday. “The Indonesian authorities should allow international observers, nongovernmental organizations and journalists unrestricted and ongoing access to the provinces of Papua and West Papua.” 

Indonesia imposes strict visa regulations on foreign visitors to Papua and tight restrictions on foreign journalists looking to report from the region. 

A Jakarta-based rights group, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), on Friday also called on the president to act on the 2009 recommendation of the House of Representatives to form an ad hoc human rights tribunal and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. 

“So far, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has seemed to lack confidence in pursuing these recommendations and taking political steps to resolve cases that have not been prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office,” Kontras said in a statement on Friday. 

Kontras said the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) should ensure the government kept its promise to resolve cases of rights violations. It added that Yudhoyono, with support from the majority of factions in the House, should not worry about the political consequences of doing so. 

“Wantimpres can absorb the hopes and aspiration of the public by expediting the resolution of these cases,” Kontras said.

High-tech counting devices showed that regional parks and trails attracted visitors in record numbers last year.
Led by the Galloping Goose Trail with 1,660,594 visits, the Capital Regional District's outdoor offerings were used 5.45 million times in 2011 - up by 4.6 per cent over 2010. All told, CRD Regional Parks is responsible for 13,000 hectares contained in 33 parks and trail systems spread across southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
The rest of the top five areas, after the Galloping Goose, are Elk/Beaver Lake (1,229,256 visits), Lochside Trail (1,023,271 visits), Thetis Lake (405,690 visits) and Island View Beach (325,768).
While the CRD has been monitoring park and trail use the past 11 years, new technology has been making the process easier and more efficient since an equipment upgrade in 2009-10, said Janette Loveys, manager of park operations for the CRD.
There are currently 36 traffic counters and 28 counters on trails and in parks.
"We are actually generating a full 12 months of really good data," Loveys said. "It helps with so many things."
She said the counters on trails and in parks use infrared beams to count passersby.
"We know, too, if there's equestrian use or mountainbiking use because we can tell by how the infrared beam is being broken.
A good counting system makes a big difference to parks staff, Loveys said.
"We get to understand trends, when people are in parks and on trails."
It also helps to deal with large-scale park-management issues, she said.
"We actually have been able to pull the numbers we get into our operational planning. We're really thankful for the tools we have."
INDONESIAN STUDY RECOUNTED
Resistance is not the only avenue to social change, according to cultural anthropologist Eben Kirksey.
In the Indonesian province of West Papua, where he has done considerable research, collaboration is the key to bringing about desired transformation, Kirksey said.
Joining with "unlikely allies" such as foreign governments or big corporations has served the West Papuans well, he said.
Kirksey, who works at City University of New York, is coming to Victoria as a guest of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives and the Pacific Peoples' Partnership.
"Eben has been privy to witness the extraordinary history and struggles of the indigenous Papuan peoples," Partnership executive director April Ingham said in a statement. "In addition to his own experiences, he has gathered firsthand accounts of people from all walks of life."
Kirksey is giving two public presentations Monday, the first at the University of Victoria, where the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives is based. He will be in room D101 in the MacLaurin Building at 12: 30 p.m. speaking about his soon-to-be-released book Freedom in Entangled Worlds: West Papua and the Architecture of Global Power.
The talk is part of the centre's free Lunch and Learn Series.
At 7 p.m., Kirksey will be at the Alcheringa Gallery (665 Fort St.) talking about how the West Papuans have maintained a sense of hope despite occupation and violence.

Admission for the evening talk is by donation, with proceeds going to the Pacific Peoples' Partnership, whose objectives include promoting understanding of Pacific Islands inhabitants and helping them to establish links with Canada's First Nations groups.
HOSPITAL CHARITY CLOSE TO TARGET
The Victoria Hospitals Foundation is closing in on its goal of raising $595,000 to help purchase 94 vitalsigns monitors for the Patient Care Centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
Eighty per cent of the money has been raised.
The monitors will help with the care given to thousands of cardiac and general-surgery patients every year. The units can display such information as blood pressure, respiratory rate and pulse, as well as heart activity measured by an electrocardiogram. They also provide wireless-communication alerts to healthcare workers when a patient's vital signs change.
The patient-care centre opened last March. Donate to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation at victoriahf.ca or phone 250-519-1750.
HOLOCAUST DISPLAY OPENS
North Saanich Middle School continues to host its third annual Holocaust and Human Rights Museum this week, with 6 to 8 p.m. openings from Monday through Thursday.
This year's museum, set up inside the 10475 McDonald Park Rd. school, happens to be in place just weeks after vandalism at Victoria's Emanu-El Jewish Cemetery raised concerns about racism and anti-Semitism.
Past versions of the museum have been widely praised. This year's effort involves nearly 250 students and six teachers - about twice as many people as in 2011 - and features another collection of insightful, well-researched exhibits that tell the story of the Holocaust and examine human-rights issues.
From 60 to 70 people have visited the museum each night it has been open.
A book is being put together to chronicle the museum's first year.
Book a tour online at northsaanich.sd63.bc.ca. Admission is by donation.

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Region+parks+attract+record+numbers/6177198/story.html#ixzz1mtZjUFis