Economic gap seen as cause of security problem in Papua

Economic and social gap is the root cause of persistent security problem in Papua, Velix Wanggai, a special staff of the president on regional autonomy, said.

The problem has to be sorted out through comprehensive approaches to create peace in the rebellious region, Velix said when accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on a working visit in this Central Java district on Thursday (21/2).

Velix made the statement when asked to comment on the incident earlier that day when eight soldiers were killed in Papua shot at by armed gangs of rebels.

He said feeling of injustice by local people over economic and social gap between Papua and the rest of the country was exploited by the rebels to incite the fight for independence led by the outlawed Free Papua Organization (OPM).

Papua has not enjoyed the fruit of development and felt being isolated from the rest of the country, he said.

Papua is known to be rich in natural resources with large mineral reserves of copper, gold, silver and oil.

Papua hold the country`s largest reserves of copper, gold and natural gas but ironically the scarcely populated region remains lagging behind the rest of the country in economic development.

“The backwardness, disappointment and dissatisfaction serve as an ammunition to incite resistance against the government,” Velix said.

The resistance movement is concentrated in isolated areas like Puncak Jaya regency, he added.

He said the government is fully aware of the problem and what has caused the problem, therefore, steps have been taken to remove the gap and reduce the feelings of injustice.

In the past 10 years, the government has tried to create more effective bureaucracy by splitting regencies such as Jaya Wijaya regency into 10 regencies, he pointed out.

The purpose is to get the district administrations closer to the people in the vast region, he said.

In addition, the government has built new infrastructure such as roads and airports to facilitate transport, he added.

He said the policy of naming local leaders having good knowledge of the areas and familiar with the local culture should be maintained.

Source: ANTARA News

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

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

Interview with UP4B chief: Government paves the roads with good intentions in Papua

The Jakarta Post interviewed Bambang Darmono, chief of the Unit for the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B).

The Jakarta Post (JP): Many people relate increasing violence in Papua to unequal development in the province. What do you think?

Chief of UP4B, Bambang Darmono

Bambang Darmono (BD): I reject such a notion. I admit there are development programs in Papua that have not properly been executed, that is why President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono established the UP4B. The job of the UP4B is to coordinate, synchronize, facilitate, evaluate and monitor all the government’s development programs there. It is our responsibility to ensure that programs designed by central government in Jakarta fit the needs of the Papuan people. Our job is also to bring together all desks on Papua within all ministries and make sure that they all are in line with the grand design. Also, we have agents in all districts in Papua to help us connect with, and monitor, the people.

JP: What do you do to make sure that Jakarta and Papua stay connected? How do you work to assess the needs of the locals?

BD: We have around Rp 4 trillion [US$420 million] of funds this year. Some of the money is spent coordinating with our partners, including ministers, and we’ve allocated 75 percent for missions to Papua to monitor the area. I have visited all the districts, and I will keep visiting to keep abreast of the situation.

Through such trips, we get opinions and information from local administrations as well as from the people at large. We maintain our communication with them so that we know for example if people have an interest in cultivating coffee beans or farming groupers. Then we take their proposals to the related ministries in Jakarta to cultivate interest in the programs in Papua.

The House of Representatives Commission I [overseeing defense, foreign affairs, and information] recently criticized the UP4B for doing almost nothing since its establishment in October last year. Can you please share what you have done in Papua?

We are not obliged to tell you what we have done in Papua. We have created a website to provide updates about our programs. You can search for any information they need there. You must understand that our authority is limited. We are working with ministries like public works, education and culture, or the Health Ministry to carry out programs there, and we are ready to implement several programs this year.

For example, together with the Public Works Ministry we will improve the infrastructure. We will build roads to connect villages and districts.

We will also support community based economic projects especially in remote areas. Over and above this, we are finishing a Presidential Regulation to guarantee Papuan entrepreneurs equal access to the economy because they don’t have it yet. The regulation lets Papuans actively improve the economy of their region, which is mostly managed by outsiders for the time being.

In addition, the government has programs to provide quality education for the locals.

The Education and Culture Ministry has agreed to set aside 963 places at 32 state universities across the country for Papuan students. Around 747 students have registered. These students will undergo up to a year’s training to help teach at schools across the province due to the limited number of teachers available. The ministry has agreed to house 1,000 students. We are proposing another 1,500 students.

In terms of health, we are working on improving mobile health services and health centers for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Overall, things are going to be much better in Papua.

JP: What are the challenges in coordinating with other government institutions, including ministries, to carry out your programs in Papua?

BD: I don’t find any serious problem with that. We have the Vice President as our leader so he cares of things when they get tough. The government has good intentions. We just need better communication.

JP: What do you think about human rights violation in Papua? What can UP4B do to minimize them?

BD: All countries commit human rights violations. I guarantee that not one single country in the world that fully promotes and upholds human rights. I think, Indonesia is relatively good in handling this issue compared to countries, like Syria.

There are problems in Papua, but I don’t focus on them. Improvements across the board are on the way. The government is committed to them. Trust me, life is getting better there. Protection and prosperity for the people comes through dialogue with all stakeholders in Papua. We are always open to dialogue on social issues in Papua. But, we will not talk about Papua’s integration into Indonesia — there is nothing else to discuss. Papua belongs to Indonesia. Those who disagree may leave the country.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Strategic leadership, policies can save Papua

By: Wibawanto Nugroho.* — TODAY’S critical situation in Papua is attributed to accumulative public policies that have been imposed on this richly endowed island for almost five decades. Acknowledging the root causes and implementing the right solutions are two daunting challenges.

The Indonesian jurisdiction of the island of Papua, which consists of Papua and West Papua provinces, is one of Indonesia’s largest islands and one of the world’s richest reserves for copper, uranium, gold and silver. But they are still the two provinces whose Human Development Index (HDI) is among the lowest in Indonesia — at least, looking at the socioeconomic quality of life there. According to the Central Statistics Agency, the two provinces combined contribute 2.1 per cent of Indonesia’s gross regional domestic product for oil and gas, and 2.2 per cent for the non-oil and gas sector.

The stepping down of Suharto and the new democratic era since 1998 has not solved degenerative politics in Papua. Until today, the Indonesian government is still struggling against serious insurgency movements that aim to separate Papua.

Papua is an obvious case where degenerative public policy is prevalent in a corrupt society exacerbated by weak law enforcement, weak democracy where transparency is hardly ever found, and conditions in which powerful parts of society disproportionately supersede other parties in many respects.

Degenerative politics have placed political elites, business communities and the central government as the powerful stakeholders (powerful and positively constructed). Papua’s local indigenous people, however, have become dependents (positively constructed as “good” people but relatively needy or helpless, who have little or no political power).

Papua’s local insurgents are deemed deviants and groups of reformers who aim to reform Papua economically, politically and socially are considered the contenders.

Looking ahead, Indonesia obviously needs strong and strategic leadership that knows how to implement at least five main objectives through a strategically overarching model of engagement.

FIRST, Indonesia needs a strategic leader who can acknowledge the bias and weaknesses within the government, including those of previous governments;

SECOND, the president, as commander-in-chief and a strategic leader, needs to be open-minded and accommodative towards diverse perspectives held by various stakeholders;

THIRD, the president, along with other policy stakeholders, needs to approach and solve problems in Papua from an overarching perspective using historical and innovative approaches coupled with the courage to take risks;

FOURTH, the endgame state of solving the issues in Papua must bring degenerative politics to an end; and,

FIFTH, the government needs to formulate and exercise an overarching, entire-governmental campaign to deal both with the provinces’ root issue — degenerative politics — and current symptoms.

At an operational level, the government needs to engage in five interconnected measures.

THE FIRST is psychological engagement to truly win the hearts and minds of the people in Papua;

THE SECOND is law enforcement to deal with any abuse of power, including the allegation of mismanaged funding allocations from 2002 to 2010 as reported by the Supreme Audit Agency;

THE THIRD is public diplomacy to win support from domestic and international stakeholders, accompanied by a set of real actions in order to gain credibility and trust;

THE FOURTH measure is counter-insurgency (COIN) engagement in order to neutralise separatist movements. COIN must be a combination of offensive, defensive and stability operations. The government also needs to trace and halt any financial support for Papua’s separatist movements; and,

THE FIFTH measure is the acceleration of economic development that is truly based on a well-designed platform of public policy so that the government can ensure that degenerative public policies are not implemented in the future; and development in its widest sense — economic, social and political — takes place in Papua.

Having succeeded in this strategic and overarching engagement, the government will be well in advance of the separatist movements, whose main components consist of mass bases, united fronts, political warfare, armed wings and international support.

The endgame state of any engagement in Papua must be strategic and overarching in order to create a lasting peace and sustainable development.

The critical success factor to achieve this goal is to think and act strategically: Indonesians must be honest with ourselves, understand our past mistakes, clearly acknowledge the real problems, address the underlying causes — not merely act as a fire extinguisher to treat the perennial symptoms — and dare to take risks and adopt innovative ways to solve the chronic problems. It’s time for Indonesians to think clearly and act for Papua. If we fail to save Papua, the country’s national security will be in peril.

* Wibawanto Nugroho is PhD Fulbright presidential scholar at the GMU School of Public Policy in Washington DC.

Source: New Strait Times

President Yudhoyono: Australia Respects Papua as Part of Indonesia

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that Australia respects and supports the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, and sees Papua as part of Indonesia.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (left)

This statement was made after the President had a lengthy discussion with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Australian Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson.

“Papua is legitimately part of Indonesia, and we are doing everything we can to create welfare and justice there,” said the president at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Darwin, Australia on Wednesday, July 4.

Yudhoyono said that Indonesia always stresses that acknowledging other countries’ sovereignties is important. “In the context of partnership, international diplomacy, and geopolitics, sovereignty has to be always included. Our diplomacy for southwestern pacific area is to make sure that the countries in the area respect each other including Indonesia,” he said.

The president has been in Darwin since Monday, July 2.

In this visit, the president also discussed about the possibility of having Australia donate four planes of Hercules C-130. The planes are expected to help natural disasters management and emergency.

Other topics in the discussion includes trading and investment development, especially in beef industries, and about 54 children – victims of human trafficking and who are now in custody.

Before coming back to Jakarta, the president will visit the border between Indonesia and Australia in Waingapu, East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. He is expected to be there until Thursday, July 5.

Source: TempoInteractive

Govt trying to Bring Papua in Harmony with Unitary State of Indonesia

The situation in Jayapura city, in particular, and Papua Province, in general, seems to be peaceful, after being hit by random shooting incidents committed by unknown people.

Police personnel and military troops, however, are still stationed at several spots in Jayapura.

The security situation was quite worrying last weekend following the death of Mako Tabuni, one of the coordinators of the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB). Some mourners went on a crime spree, burning shops, cars and other motor vehicles, as well as torturing people in Waena, Jayapura.

Tabuni died after being shot by police, who were trying to arrest him for his alleged involvement in recent shooting incidents in Jayapura and surrounding areas.

In response to a series of shooting incidents and violence in Papua, the Indonesian government has reiterated its commitment to pursuing an approach of focusing on the welfare of the community, instead of a military approach, to deal with problems in the country`s eastern most province.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Djoko Suyanto, reaffirmed the non-military approach when meeting with community and religious leaders and members of the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) and the Papuan People Assembly (MRP) in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, on June 18.

He stated that the government hoped to “bring Papua into harmony with the Unitary State of Indonesia (NKRI)”.

“Until now, the approach used is welfare and not military, because a military approach is only useful for dealing with crimes,” Djoko said.

Minister Djoko began a working visit to Papua on Monday (June 18), along with Chief of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Admiral Agus Suhartono, National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo and Chief of National Intelligence Agency Marciano Norman.

On Tuesday afternoon (June 19), he was scheduled to travel to Timika, Mimika District, where the US copper and gold mining company PT Freeport, often a target of sporadic shootings, is located.

Papua has been given a special autonomy status, but the implementation of the development programs have not yet met public expectations, although the government set up the Papua and West Papua Development Acceleration Unit (UP4B) in 2012 to boost developments on the Papua island.

Velix Wanggai, a presidential special staff member in charge of regional development and autonomy, said in a press statement in Jakarta on Sunday (June 17) that the government remains committed to developing Papua into a land of peace, as declared by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2004.

President Yudhoyono is pursuing peaceful approaches and dialogs to solve the problems in Papua, according to Velix.

The government has a comprehensive design consisting of five points on Papua, including affirming Indonesia`s unitary state while respecting Papua`s diversity and uniqueness; optimizing Papua’s status as a special autonomous region; pursuing affirmative policies to recognize the basic rights of Papua people, such as access to education; designing strategies, policies, funding and programs to promote development and empower the Papua people; and promoting human rights as well as preventing violence.

Before leaving for the G20 Summit in Mexico last week, Yudhoyono asked Minister Djoko to examine the cause of problems in Papua that have led to a number of recent violent incidents in the region.

With regard to cases linked to separatism, he said, they were against the law and would be dealt with according to the law. Yudhoyono added that the law of the country also applied to Papua and there was no discrimination involved.

He told his ministers that although security disruptions in Papua could be categorized as small-scale incidents, the government would not ignore the loss of lives and take action immediately.

Over the last several months, Indonesia`s easternmost province of Papua has seen random shootings in various locations. The latest shooting incident occurred at the University of Cendrawasih`s campus on Sunday evening (June 10).

On June 5, unidentified people shot three people, identified as Iqbal Rifai, aged 22, a resident of Hamadi Pasar; Hardi Jayanto, aged 22, a resident of Klolfkam; and First Private Frangki Kune, aged 25, resident of the Waena Combat Engineering Corps station.

Arwan, a civil servant of the XXVII Cenderawasih Military Regional Command Headquarters, was shot by unknown gunman and later died while being treated for his wound at a local hospital on June 6.

On May 29, 2012, German national Pieter Dietmar Helmut (55) was shot at the Base G beach in Jayapura. Several days later, the wounded German tourist was evacuated to a Singapore hospital.

Minister Djoko condemned the recent shootings of civilians, foreigners, military and police personnel in Papua. “The acts were against the efforts aimed at creating peace in Papua and accelerating development programs in the region,” he told the press.

“The security personnel are investigating and studying the case. Such violence must be stopped. The local police and TNI must find the perpetrators,” the minister said.

During a hearing with the Parliament on Monday, Marciano Norman, the head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Indonesia`s intelligence agency, said that a separatist group called the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was behind the recent shootings in Papua.

In order to stop shooting incidents, the Indonesian Papuan University Students Movement (GMPI) has requested that local police again compile an inventory of gun ownership by civilians in Indonesia`s eastern most province of Papua.

Further, security authorities must address security problems by establishing an inventory of firearms ownership in Papua, GMPI Chairman Habelino S Sawaki said in Jayapura recently.

Sawaki said he believed that guns had been smuggled into Papua over the Papua and Papua New Guinea border. The border stretches some 800 km and is guarded by four battalions of soldiers.

“With only four battalions guarding the border, it`s easy to smuggle in guns,” Habelino said.

He urged the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and the National Police to deal with shooting incidents in order to create peace in Papua. He also asked the Papuan people to help security officers maintain security and peace.

Source: ANTARA News

UI opens Papua center

The Papua Center of the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Indonesia (UI) was officially opened on Monday (09/04).

The center is a joint venture between UI, Papua’s Cendrawasih University and mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.

The launch was marked by the signing of an agreement between the faculty dean Bambang Shergi Laksmono and Freeport representative Rozik B. Soetjipto.

The agreement covers a students and lecturers exchange between UI and the Cendrawasih University, the holding of a cultural week focused on the Kamoro tribes and publication of books on Kamoro art and culture.

Bambang said that development in Papua was not easy, considering problems within the province, which is also known as the land of Cendrawasih.

“We need to get ourselves familiar with its structures and social backgrounds,” he said.

He expected that the center could help develop ideas and create a foundation for development in the province.

Freeport has also signed an agreement with Cendrawasih University’s rector Festus Simbiak that covers cooperation in education, apprenticeships, graduate development programs and student training.

Source: The Jakarta Post

UP4B to monitor Papua’ special autonomy

Spokesman for the Special Unit for Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B) Amiruddin Al Rahab has said the unit will make sure that all programs in Papua are properly monitored and answer the people’s need.

The statement was made following the endorsement of Rp 3.8 trillion of special autonomy funds last week by the local parliament.

“We are now synchronizing every program, trying our best to avoid duplicating, let alone ineffective, programs. This has been part of the monitoring system,” told Amiruddin on Monday (20/02).

He also invited anti-graft NGOs like the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and Transparency International’s Indonesian branch to monitor the program implementation.

“Whenever we spot indications of graft then we will invite the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in,” he said.

UP4B, which is led by Lt. Gen. Bambang Darmono, is tasked with providing necessary assistance to the provinces’ local administrations in distributing welfare to their people and avoiding conflict.

Source: The Jakarta Post

UP4B ready to hold dialogue with papua separatists

The chairman of the government`s Unit for Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B) Lieutenant General (ret) Bambang Darmono said the unit was ready to hold a dialogue with separatist elements in Papua to ensure the region`s security and peace.

“UP4B is ready to have a dialogue with everybody in Papua including with members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM). However, it must be noted that nowadays many people can claim to be OPM members, and we have difficulty determining which people or groups of people we can have a dialogue with,” he said on Monday (30/01) at a seminar to familiarize non-governmental organizations and donor institutions with UP4B`s program.

The former commanding officer in Aceh from 2002-2005 said OPM is comprised of many groups. Therefore, the UP4B was now still trying to identify these groups in order to determine the steps the government needed to take ahead.

Apart from trying to approach OPM, he said, UP4B also had conducted dialogue with other groups of people in Papua.

“Recently I met several young entrepreneurs from Papua. We had a very constructive dialogue about their demand for the government to prioritize local entrepreneurs to carry out governmental projects in Papua,” he said.

UP4B was established last December 2011 to coordinate development efforts in Papua and West Papua provinces. UP4B`s priorities are food resilience, poverty alleviation, development of grass roots` economy, improving education and health service, development of basic infrastructure and prioritizing indigenous Papuans.

The unit is directly supervised by Vice President Boediono who earlier said the focus of development in Papua region had so far been put on infrastructure with regard to investment.

“In the next five to ten years infrastructure will remain to be focused,” he said.

Infrastructure is a bridge for development acceleration in Indonesia, he said. In view of that the government encouraged the private parties to participate in the infrastructure development.

Source: ANTARA News