Britain reaffirms recognition of Papua as part of Indonesia

Britain still recognizes Papua as an integral part Indonesia, a British diplomat said.

“We are here this time on a working visit to the Cendrawasih Regional Military Command,” Millie Mc Devitt, Second Secretary in Political Section of the British Embassy, said in a news release issued here on Wednesday (17/07).

McDevitt and a group of other officials of the British embassy in Jakarta met with the regional military commander Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua and other regional military officials in this provincial city.

Zebua told the group that security situation in Papua is favorable, saying in general the situation is stable.

“There is a small group (of local people) having different perception of independence, but we do not see them as enemies. They are compatriots who happen to have different view of democracy,” he said.

He acknowledged that stability in the region is attributable not only to the military or police but also to big role played by religious and community leaders and other government officials.

The military in carrying out it duty in the field gives priority to territorial development, he said.

“Currently we are cooperating with all components to create a conducive security,” he added.

The regional military command is involved in various social activities such as in health care, teaching, farming,livestock raising and fishery to improve the welfare of the people, he said.

“Papua is currently is developing civil order with the military assisting the regional administration and police to accelerate regional development and to maintain public order,” he said.

Indonesia had been angered by a British official attending a ceremony opening a Papua separatist representative office in that country recently.

Source: ANTARA News

Statement by British Ambassador on Free West Papua office in Oxford

Following the summon of British Ambassador Mark Canning re the opening of Free West Papua office in Oxford, here is the latest statement.

British Ambassador to Indonesia, Mark Canning

Statement by British Ambassador on 6 May 2013:

I was summoned to see His Excellency the Foreign Minister this morning.

The Minister conveyed to me in clear terms the strong concern of the Indonesian Government at the opening of a Free West Papua (OPM) office in Oxford.

I explained to the Minister that we recognized the sensitivity of this issue for Indonesia.

The position of British government on this matter is quite clear.

We respect the territorial integrity of Indonesia and do not support calls for Papuan independence.

The British Government did not support the opening of an OPM office in Oxford. Such an office does not require our permission to open, and does not therefore reflect the British Government’s views. We regard Papua as being part of Indonesia. That has always been our view, and has not changed.

We also support the effort of those, like the Presidential Delivery Unit (UKP4), who are trying to address the problems of Papua and hope to see it enjoy the same level of peace, stability and prosperity as the other parts of this nation. I made these points to Governor Lukas Enembe when we met last week.

We believe that the Indonesian government is genuinely committed to addressing the problems in that region and hope that the efforts will bear fruit.

Source: British Embassy Jakarta

UK diplomat visits Papua to counteract false information spread by certain groups in London

The British Embassy to Indonesia has described the situation in Papua as very peaceful and conducive. It is quite different from the information being disseminated by certain groups to the British government in London, she said .

The Special Staff of the British Embassy’s political section, Mrs. Millie McDevit made these comments during a visit to the chief of police in Jayapura, Police Inspector-General Tito Karnavian on 13 December.

Mrs McDevit said that she had made a special visit to the chief of police in order to get confirmation directly from him about information being spread by certain groups who allege that the situation in Papua is far from peaceful.

She went on to say that such information was being spread every time Papuans suffered discrimination by the Indonesian government, especially by the TNI – the army – and Polri, the police force.

She said that after visiting a number of places especially in Jayapura, she could see that things were very different indeed from what is being conveyed to the British government.

“It is nothing like what I expected to find when I first set foot in Papua,” she said. “When people visit Northern Ireland, you can be questioned anywhere, but in Papua you can go out late at night without being disturbed in any way.”

She said that security and development are proceeding very well in Papua and she expressed support for what the police in Papua are doing to combat corruption because combating corruption is the best way to improve people’s welfare.

The police chief Tito Karnavian said that they had provided plenty of information to the Special Staff of the British Embassy’s political section in order to counter all the disinformation being spread about the situation in Papua.

“She decided to come to Papua to check the information,” he said.

Karnavian also said that they had asked the British government to provide the police in Papua with special equipment to check people’s DNA.

At present, the police have to identify people involved in violence and shootings by checking the evidence outside Papua.

“If we have the equipment to check people’s DNA, this will help to enhance the supremacy of law here in Papua,” he said.

Source: Bintang Papua

Indonesia and Britain sign defense agreement

Indonesia’s Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and his British counterpart Philip Hammond have signed a memorandum of understanding on defense.

The ceremony taking place at the Downing Street no 10, London, on Thursday was witnessed by Prime Minister David Cameron and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

A release issued after the ceremony said the MoU serves as an umbrella for the promotion of defense cooperation between the two countries.

“The memo of understanding is a signal of the spirit of both side to expand cooperation between Britain and Indonesia in the future,” the statement said.

Cooperation between Indonesia and Britain began in 1997 when the two countries pledged to create a closer cooperation.

The visit to Indonesia of Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2006 strengthened the cooperation.

In 2007, Britain placed Indonesia in top priority in its foreign policy especially in defense cooperation with ASEAN.

Source: ANTARA News

Britain and Indonesia ink deals on trade, defence, education

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron shakes hands with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a string of agreements on trade, defence and education on Thursday, the British government said.

“They had constructive discussions on a number of subjects, with the focus on the UK-Indonesian trade and investment relationship,” said a spokeswoman for Cameron’s Downing Street office.

On the second day of Yudhoyono’s state visit to Britain, aimed at boosting ties with the emerging Asian power, the two leaders and Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also chaired talks in London on global efforts to fight poverty.

The Downing Street spokeswoman said Cameron and Yudhoyono had sealed a defence deal which would boost cooperation in “research and development, investment and production”.

They also announced a £7.5 billion ($12.1 billion, 9.3 billion-euro) deal for BP to develop liquid natural gas in Indonesia, and signed an agreement strengthening links between the two countries’ universities.

Cameron’s spokeswoman added that while he had praised Yudhoyono for “his leading role in Indonesia’s transition from autocracy to a vibrant democracy”, the pair had discussed the protection of human rights in regions such as Papua.

The two leaders and Johnson Sirleaf had earlier chaired a panel of politicians from 26 countries charged with developing an anti-poverty strategy after the Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015.

The eight goals, established in 2000, set targets on improving education, health and women’s rights, ending hunger, and protecting the environment.

Cameron said he believed world leaders now had a real opportunity to eradicate poverty.

“That is something politicians have been talking about for a while — but for the first time I believe this generation really has the opportunity to do it,” he said after the meeting.

“We think the Millennium Development Goals have made great progress. There’s more progress to be made between now and 2015, but we’re clear the next stage should be aiming to eradicate absolute poverty in our world completely.”

The panel is meeting for three days in London, the second of four rounds of talks before it reports back to UN Secretary General in May next year.

On Friday, the final day of Yudhoyono’s state visit, he will address officials at the Foreign Office and meet with Indonesian business figures.

Queen Elizabeth II hosted a glittering banquet in honour of Yudhoyono and his wife Ani on Wednesday night, after formally welcoming them with a guard of honour and a ride in her ceremonial carriage.

Source: AFP

Indonesia’s President welcomed by British queen

Quen Elizabeth II: “I am confident that if we work together on our shared aspiration to build a prosperous world based on fundamental freedoms, the partnership between the United Kingdom and Indonesia will continue to flourish.”

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday for a state visit aimed at boosting ties with the emerging Asian power, with the help of some traditional pomp and pageantry.

The queen hosted a lavish banquet at Buckingham Palace in honour of Yudhoyono and his wife Ani, after formally welcoming them for the three-day visit with a guard of honour and a ride in her ceremonial carriage.

In a speech to the 177 dinner guests in the palace ballroom, the 86-year-old British monarch praised the strong relationship between the two countries and spoke of their “common values”.

“I am confident that if we work together on our shared aspiration to build a prosperous world based on fundamental freedoms, the partnership between the United Kingdom and Indonesia will continue to flourish,” she said.

She described Indonesia as having undergone a “remarkable transformation” since Yudhoyono came to power in 2004.

“It is now a thriving democracy and one of the world’s fastest growing economies,” said the queen, who visited Indonesia in 1974 with her husband Prince Philip.

“Your visit marks a further step in strengthening our relationship.”In his own speech, delivered in Indonesian, Yudhoyono said the two countries “have many things in common, including in efforts to strengthen democracy”.

“I wish to reaffirm my country’s readiness to establish close cooperation with the United Kingdom,” he told the assembled guests, who included British Prime Minister David Cameron, other ministers and members of the royal family.

The guests were served Scottish halibut followed by a main course of chicken with baby artichokes and fondant potatoes, and a desert of iced green apple with a mulberry parfait made with fruit from the palace garden.

The queen wore a gold dress with a diamond necklace passed down to her from Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother.

She had earlier welcomed the Yudhoyonos with a military ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, the large parade ground in central London, where the visiting leader inspected the troops in their scarlet uniforms and bearskin hats.

The queen and Prince Philip then accompanied them in a horsedrawn state carriage procession along the Mall to Buckingham Palace, where the visiting couple are staying during their trip.

Yudhoyono will hold talks with Cameron on Thursday and attend a meeting of the high-level United Nations panel that is drawing up a strategy on how to build on the Millennium Development Goals.

Yudhoyono, who is the world’s only head of state to have served as a UN peacekeeper, will also give a speech at the Royal College of Defence Studies.
The 15th-century Guildhall, in London’s financial district, will host a second banquet on Thursday night.

Several trade announcements are expected during the three-day trip, with Britain keen to gain access to Indonesia’s fast-growing economy and 240 million consumers.

The state visit is part of Britain’s drive to boost its diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia regarded by British officials as the most influential player in the region.

As the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, it is also seen as a strategic ally in the Islamic world.

Britain usually hosts two state visits each year, but Yudhoyono is the only foreign head of state to receive the formal hospitality in 2012 following months of diamond jubilee celebrations marking the queen’s 60th year on the throne.

The last state visit was by Turkish President Abdullah Gul in November last year.

Source: AFP

Britain Promises to Protect Yudhoyono From ‘Citizen’s Arrest’

The British government has promised to guarantee the safety of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on his planned visit to the United Kingdom in October, following the announcement of a reward offer for anyone able to arrest him during the visit.

“We’ve got an assurance from the police in Great Britain that they won’t let such a thing happen, and that [the president’s security] will be fully guaranteed by the British authorities,” presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said on Wednesday in Jakarta.

Julian was speaking in response to an announcement made by the UK-based West Papua pro-independence group Free West Papua Campaign, which offered a 50,000 British pound ($81,000) reward to anyone who places Yudhoyono under “citizen’s arrest” during his visit to Britain, scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.

The group accuses Yudhoyono of human rights offenses in his handling of the restive Papua provinces.

Julian said the reward offer had caused “discomfort,” as Yudhoyono planned his visit at the invitation of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

“The British government and especially the British queen have invited the president [to come] because he is known to be a figure who has played a significant role in advancing democracy in Indonesia,” Julian said.

“To be honest, this is uncomfortable for us. … The reward offer to arrest the president is considered an insult to a state symbol, especially because it is made by a group of people who probably have certain political interests,” he added.

Julian said, however, that the Indonesian government had yet to decide whether it would take any action against the group in response to the reward offer.

Source: The Jakarta Globe

RI favorite investment destinations for British companies

The Jakarta Post’s Hendarsyah Tarmizi and four other Indonesian journalists were invited by the British Embassy in Jakarta recently in February to London to get firsthand information on the UK government’s investment and trade policy.

The British government recently issued a White Paper on Trade and Investment, an ambitious strategy to nurture international trade and investment through a number of actions, which, among others, include providing financial support for local firms to export and invest overseas.

Included in the strategy is a range of actions to promote market access and investment in emerging markets, particularly in Asia, which is now leading the global recovery. Its rapidly growing economies make the region a particularly rewarding destination for exports, as well as for investment.

With a large population and high economic growth, Asia is expected to become the main engine of the world’s economy in the next decade.

The International Monetary Fund estimates Asia’s economy would grow 50 percent in the next five years. A New NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland study showed 65 percent of UK businesses believed Asia represented a new market opportunity.

The enthusiasm of local businesspeople about the growth potential in Asia was apparent a business seminar in London. The “Doing Business in Asia — Meet the Experts” gathering attracted more than 200 business executives from a wide range of business activities in the country.

Similar events in Edinburgh, Newmarket and Northern Island to support the White Paper programs were also well-attended by local businesspeople.

Asia’s growth potential is not only centered in China and India as many people believe. Several other countries in the region such as Indonesia and Vietnam also offer the same opportunities for global investors.

British Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Green acknowledged China and India were among the most promising countries to do business in thanks to their large populations, growing middle class and big domestic markets.

But in addition to these two giants, Indonesia and Vietnam also offered the same business opportunities, he said. “In fact, the two countries are among popular export and investment destinations for UK companies,” the former chairman of the HSBC Group told Indonesian journalists at his office recently.

Indonesia, in particular, is one of the favorite investment destinations not only for UK companies but also for other global investors. Indonesia has been identified as one of the top markets for global investors, according to a recent survey published by UK Trade and Investment.

In the survey conducted on more than 520 global executives, Indonesia was selected as the number two investment destination behind Vietnam beyond the BRICs for 2010 thanks partly to the country’s relatively stable political condition, rich natural resources and large domestic market.

The Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) said the UK was the second-largest foreign investor in the country last year after Singapore.

As one of the larger emerging markets, Indonesia has become an important investment destination. The country offers investment opportunities not only for the development of the country’s rich national resources, but also for its infrastructure.

The Indonesian government, for example, plans to develop at least 100 large infrastructure projects worth more than US$47.3 billion between 2010 and 2014. The projects, including the development of roads, ports, seaports, railways, power plants, water supply and sanitation facilities, will be offered under a public–private partnership (PPP) program. Sixteen of the PPP projects worth $32.37 billion will be offered to the private sector this year.

Green said British companies now operating in Indonesia were mostly engaged in financial services, oil and gas exploration and production activities. The London-based HSBC, one of the first foreign banks to operate in the country provides sharia banking services to enable it to optimally tap into the business potential in the largest Muslim-majority country.

Energy giant BP, which is headquartered in London, is also one of Indonesia’s largest foreign investors. The company, which is now developing a liquefied natural gas plant in Papua, has invested $5 billion to date.

Green said that in addition to financial services and energy, the UK had much more expertise to offer ranging from advanced engineering, creative industries and transportation to environment and satellite technology to help Indonesia achieve its economic growth targets.

British expertise in engineering and transportation could, for example, help Indonesia improve its infrastructure problems, while sharia banking services could also help promote the use of Islamic bonds in raising funds needed for infrastructure development, he said.

Like Green, Lord Powell, the cochair of the British government’s Asia Task Force, also sees the prospect of investing in Indonesia.

“It doesn’t take a genius to understand the business opportunity in Indonesia,” he said. “Its growing middle class and high economic growth tell us all about its bright prospects.”

Powell, who led a British trade delegation to Indonesia last year, said that with its large domestic market and relatively stable political conditions combined with its rich natural resources, Indonesia certainly offered wide opportunities to foreign investors to do business.

The Indonesian government has amended a number of laws related to investment activities, legal uncertainty remains the main concern of foreign investors planning to invest in Indonesia.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised to build a better legal system. He mentioned this in early January to mark the start of stock trading at the Indonesian Stock Exchange after the year-end break.

Indonesia certainly should make a legal breakthrough in order to be able to further promote foreign investment, if it wants to maintain its growth momentum.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Wenda must be arrested

Benny Wenda must be prosecuted, not indulged like a lazy pretender asylum.

Now consider the Proceeds of Crime Act. Wenda led 50 people in a violence attack against a police station and burned down two shops in Papua in December 7th 2000.

This has caused, according to evidences, the death of two innocent people.

In addition, more casualties have been occurred related to Benny Wenda’s malicious propaganda to create local war scale conflict in Papua. Such carnage was justified with lies that have been exposed repeatedly in Benny Wenda’s website Free West Papua.

Several violence demonstrations in the heart of Papua since 2002 were a direct consequence of Wenda’s actions. No matter how clever Wenda’s hide his true face of wolf under the mask of a funny innocent peaceful sheep, there are many evidences about the involvement of Benny Wenda in several communal conflict in Papua.

Instead of remorse, Wenda has demonstrated a secretive greed.

Since entering UK, he has accumulated a significant amount of poundsterling, much of it as a result of using the Papua issue to collect money from British citizens. The total money he collected maybe small for rich British people, but greedy is one of the deadly sin.

Is it wishful thinking that Benny Wenda will be arrested?

Under the protection of asylum law, Wenda can hide comfortably in the UK for the rest of his live and the same law has let down two devastated families back in Papua crying for justice.

Source: papuastory