UK Ministry of Defence to hold media operations training for the Indonesian military

The UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst hold Media Operations training for officers of the Indonesian Armed Forces on 23-27 July 2012.

The aim is to improve their ability to work with the modern media in a variety of operational environments.

Deputy Ambassador Rebecca Razavi said:

“The media has the power to transform people’s opinion and to influence how history is reported. It is an essential component of a flourishing democracy. I am pleased that the UK is continuing to work closely with the Indonesian Armed Forces to help develop skills in the area of Media Operations and working in a positive way with the media to improve accurate and effecting reporting and information flow.”

Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman, Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said:

“TNI recognises that human resources are a very important asset for the advancement of our organization. In line with that, and due to the development of the media environment which now requires us to quickly respond to every incident, the skill of TNI Information (Public Affairs) personnel should be constantly upgraded. This training has become one of the efforts to improve the ability of the TNI Information personnel in communicating and transforming the performance of TNI in an ever changing strategic environment. On behalf of TNI Chief, Admiral Agus Suhartono, I convey my appreciation and respect to the UK Ministry of Defence and the British Embassy in Jakarta for organising this training.”

Source: British Embassy in Jakarta

Police Officer Murdered in Indonesia Papua

Acts of violence are still widespread in Papua targeting not only civilians but also security forces.

Recently, a police officer on duty at the Keerom Police Station, Papua, First Brig. Sudirman Atang Sabil, was tortured to death on Tuesday, at around 9.30 local time.

Spokesperson of Papua Police, High Comm. Yohanes Nugroho Wicaksono, said the victim died from serious wounds on his body.

According to Yohanes, the victim left Keerom at around 6.30am for Jayapura by riding a Suzuki Shogun motorcycle. It took approximately one hour from Keerom to Jayapura.

At around 8.30am, the victim was spotted by the locals in a dying condition in front of the Pramuka Buper Waena Building in Jayapura.

“The people then transported the victim to Dian Harapan Waena Hospital. However, the doctors couldn’t save his life. He passed away after being treated for an hour,” he said.

The Police have yet to discover the perpetrator.

“We are still looking further into the crime scene,” said Yohanes.

Source: VIVA News

US and Indonesian navy warships conduct joint exercise

The US navy warship USS Benfold conducted an exercise with two Indonesian navy warships in Bali waters.

The exercise covered tactical manoeuvers, communication, and other safety procedures.

The two Indonesian navy warships that involved in the exercise were KRI Hasan Basri and KRI Uling.

The Indonesian navy hopes that the exercise would improve the capabilities of the Indonesian Navy personnel.

Meanwhile, USS Benfold commander Adrian Jansen said his ship`s presence in the region was part of his tour of Southeast Asia.

After that, Jansen said, he would return to the US to conduct other operations.

The 54-metre-long USS Benfold weighs around 8,900 tonnes and can carry 280 navy personnel.

Source: ANTARA News

President Yudhoyono: No Need for Large Scale Operations in Papua

The disorder in Papua has led President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to speak up again.

The authorities must crack down firmly on separatist movements, but they must also be careful not to violate human rights.

However, the President confirmed that there was no need for a massive military operation.

“The government is using the community approach,” he said while at a briefing to young officer candidates (capaja) at the Army and the Police Academy 2012 at the Military Academy, Magelang, on Wednesday evening, July 11, 2012.

The president made the statement in response to a question by one of the cadets about the dilemmas of soldiers on duty: they are performing their duty yet people accuse them of committing human rights violations.

Yudhoyono said the land of Bird of Paradise is often referred to as one of the bases of separatist movements. Handling separatist movements requires special skills on the part of the authorities.

The Chair of the Board of Supervisories of the Democrat Party firmly states that any forms of separatism in Indonesia must be stopped because it threatens the unity of the nation.

“Any talk of wanting to be free, to leave the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia(NKRI), is not about freedom of speech; it is separatism; it must be stopped,” said Yudhoyono.

The President was speaking before 836 cadets of the army (Military, Naval, Airforce Academy) and the police, Level IV. They have completed their education and become capaja. He will appoint them with a military officer rank of second lieutenant (letda) and a police officer rank of second inspector (ipda).

Source: TempoInteractive

Papuans Demand Accountability from Mimika Regent

The war of arrows between villagers of Kwamki Lama, Timika, Papua, still continues and has so far heavily injured at least 39 people.

Earlier on Wednesday arrows struck 51 people.The protracted conflict drove a group of citizens to gather in front of the Timika Regional Council of Representatives (DPRD). They all demanded Klemen Tinal, who is regent of Mimika, to step down.

On Thursday, July 12, 2012 morning, the conflict started at 6:30 Papua time, on Jalan Kanguru and in front of the office of the Preparation for the Kwamki Naraman (Lama) District. A total of 50 men armed with arrows from Kampung Harapan shot arrows into a crowd of Kampung Amole residents, on the grounds of Kingmi Jerusalem Church, Kampung Amole. The ensuing war of arrows was inevitable.

Since the conflict started, six people have been killed, hundreds of people have been injured and are being treated at two different hospitals. In Timika City, dozens of Amungme residents staged a rally in front of the DPRD building in Mimika.

The residents, led Kadun Jaya Village Chief, Daniel Tabuni, accused Mimika Regent Klemen Tinal, of being responsible for the conflict between the residents of Kwamki Lama. They were received by Council members Allo Rafra, Yanes Natkime, Felas Gwijangge, and Karel Gwijangge.

“Regent Klemen Tinal himself must go down to Kwamki Lama, do not delegate it, because it is his people who are fighting. The regent should be ashamed. ‘Arrow breaking’ has repeatedly been performed, but the conflict continues,” said Daniel. He demanded Klemen Tinal be removed from his position due to his inability to resolve the conflicts.

According to Daniel, under Klemen Tinal’s leadership of Mimika, community conflicts constantly occur in Kwamki Lama. Before the Council, Daniel aggressively declares that he will gather all village heads and set up tents on the DPRD grounds. “We will gather here,we will wait for the Regent. Why are other people coming to cause endless trouble?” asked Daniel, demanding the Council to look into the mastermind behind the conflicts.

Source: Tempointeractive

Indonesian military respects human rights in Papua

The Indonesian military (TNI) has always respected and implemented human rights principles in carrying out its main duties in Papua.

“TNI is not careless, and we keep being procedural in carrying out our duties anywhere including in Papua,” said army commander`s operations assistant Major General Dedi Kusnadi Thamim on Sunday (15/07) in Jinan, China.

Met after attending the closing of a joint exercise between the Indonesian army`s special force Kopassus and China`s People`s Liberation Army special force he said TNI has always respected human rights principles in Papua.

“We will never act cruelly on civilians. But we also will never stay idle if an armed group attacks us. We cannot stay idle towards them. Can we just stay idle if they shoot us?,” he said.

According to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) 22 violent cases has so far been recorded to have happened in the eastern region leaving several deaths.

“The government must seriously settle the problem to provide a sense of peace for the people. The big number of violent cases that has happened has made the performance and professionalism of security forces being scrutinized,” Komnas commissioner Ridha Saleh said in Jakarta.

Without peace, he said, it would be impossible for the government to carry out development programs in Papua and therefore Komnas HAM has asked the government to show its seriousness to immediately hold a dialog involving all parties concerned in the central administration and Papua.

“The government must really be present to give a sense of peace before they carry out the agenda for change in Papua. If the government cannot protect or maintain security it will be impossible for it to be able to carry out development efforts in Papua,” he said.

Ridha expressed concern over violent and shooting incidents that have happened in Papua and in view of that Komnas HAM had urged the security forces to investigate the cases thoroughly.

A Komnas HAM representative in Papua, Frits Ramandey meanwhile has said that the death of Sawiyatami village head Yohanes Janufrom or Yanafrom (30) on July 1 could be categorized as a human rights violation.

“It is categorized as a human rights violation because a life has been taken. Whether he has been shot by an OPM (separatist group) member or a TNI member the case must be investigated to find its truth,” he said.

Source: ANTARA News

Papua needs innovation centre to develop its potential

Papua province must establish an innovation centre to develop its potential, according to a Ministry of Research and Technology official.

“Papua has enormous natural resources that can be converted into profitable commodities. However, the area still lacks in technological innovation and skilled human resources that can boost the economical value of local products,” the ministry`s Deputy Assistant in Research and Technology for Industrial Sector Edie Prihantoro said here on Friday (13/07).

He added that the government of Indonesia had recently developed the National Innovation System (Sinas) and the Regional Innovation System (SIDa) to support Papua in its efforts to improve its economy and competitiveness.

Edie stated that he had plans to develop various sectors in Papua, such as fisheries, mining, plantation, forestry and handicrafts.

“We will establish an innovation centre in Papua to develop products with high economic value,” he said.

Source: ANTARA News

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

Three People Found Dead in Papua

Three people were found stabbed to death in Ndeotadi in the Paniai district of Papua on Friday (06/07), including a member of the Indonesian Military (TNI).

The victims were found by locals in a house-shop near a gold mine in Ndeotadi which was owned by the dead soldier, Warrant Officer Sunaryo.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said, “the police officer found the trio dead of sharp-weapon wounds. Until now, we’re still searching for the perpetrator. The motive of the incident is not known.”

Village Chief Killed
Up to 30 gunmen of Free Papua Movement (OPM) shot dead a village chief Johanes Yanafrom, in Keerom district, outside Jayapura on Sunday (01/07).

Erwin Syafitri, commander of the Cendrawasih Military Command that oversees military operations in Papua, told reporters that the group comprised of 20 to 30 people and they were all armed with rifles. They are from the OPM led by Lambert Pekikir which celebrated its 47th anniversary.

Pekikir is the OPM commander in Keerom district.

The group also fired shots at a military patrol car, hitting the roof and side window and injuring a soldier.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto condemned Sunday’s attacks and urged the security forces to arrest the perpetrators.

Source: Agence France-Presse

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