Papua adm to buy aircraft

The Papua provincial administration has earmarked Rp 15 billion ($US 1.5 million) as down payment to purchase twin otter aircraft with 17- passenger capacity.

“The aircraft will be used to serve remote areas. The aircraft cost Rp 80 billion (U$ 8.2 million) and we will pay for it in three years time,” Papua transportation agency head Bambang Sismanto said on Tuesday (23/04).

He said as of right now, the administration was in the middle of preparing paper work for the tender process and fund allocation commitment between the Papua Provincial Council and the provincial administration.

The aircraft procurement was part of the provincial government’s response to questions raised by some regents about the administration seriousness in transportation.

Bambang said the Papuan provincial administration had allocated a Rp 40 billion subsidy for pioneer flights and 49 billion for the shipping line. Currently, the pioneer flights were operated by Susi Air, Merpati Airlines and Trigana Air.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Govt to embrace separatists

Governor of Papua Province Lukas Enembe

Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has pledged to embrace Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatists, expressing his will to build a bridge between the group and the government by involving them in the provincial development.

Enembe said that he would continue to hold discussions with OPM members to find out their demands.

“I have yet to meet them in person, but I keep in contact with the group. They are our brothers,” Enembe said, adding that they wanted to be listened to and understood.

“If some of the members want to go to school, we will send them to school. If they want to run a business, we can provide training and loans so they can start their business,” he continued.

Enembe said that the Papua Liberation Army Front (TPN)/OPM leader Goliat Tabuni had given him a call and asked him to develop Tabuni’s village.

Good communication between the parties, Enembe said, would build mutual understanding and therefore it would be easier for the separatists to accept the government’s development programs.

Enembe called on all regents in the province to take a peaceful approach by holding dialogue with the separatists. He also urged the central government to disburse more funds for the province’s development since Papua could not rely only on the provincial budget.

Papua has an annual budget of more than Rp 40 trillion (US$4.16 billion), the seventh-largest budget in the country.

The Jaringan Damai Papua (JDP/Papua Peace Network), led by Catholic priest Neles Tebay who won the 2013 Tji Haksoon Justice and Peace award, is currently struggling to make such Jakarta-Papua dialogue happen. The globally-recognized Papua Peace Network has organized several rounds of negotiations between the separatists and the government.

Source: The Jakarta Post

New governor of Papua will empower separatist groups

The newly elected governor of Indonesia’s Papua province, Lukas Enembe says he will approach separatist groups and offer to empower them.

He says the government needs to listen to separatists and he expects better communication through his new approach.

Governor Enembe expected all regents facing problems with separatists to follow his lead, but he needs support from the central government.

He says the ongoing problems for citizens are injustice and a lack of prosperity.

Lukas Enembe’s administration will focus on education, welfare and development, and will use the special autonomy funds to finance the programmes.

Papua has received 2.9 billion US dollars of special autonomy funds in the last decade.

Source: The Jakarta Post

NZ police to train in Indonesia’s Papua province

NZ Ambassador to Indonesia David Taylor: “NZ government respects the full territorial integrity of Indonesia in Papua, and fully supports the central and regional governments’ approach in prioritizing the economic aspect to address many issues in Papua.”

The New Zealand government has allocated Rp 20 million (US$ 2 million) in aid for the Papua Community Policing program, which is slated to commence in September 2013. It is a three-year program in which members of the NZ police will run a Training for Trainers (TOT) program to work on community-based approaches for Indonesian Police officers in Papua.

“There will be two NZ police officers stationed in Papua on a rotational basis, and will be helped by a number of instructors,” NZ Ambassador to Indonesia David Taylor said on Monday (15/04) after meeting with Police chief of Papua province Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian.

“The main purpose is to foster relations between the community and the police in Papua,” he added.

Taylor said that his government respected the full territorial integrity of Indonesia in Papua, and would fully support the central and regional governments’ approach in prioritizing the economic aspect to address many issues in Papua.

The NZ government has also rejected any form of violence and offense because they do not resolve problems, including actions by armed civilians that disrupt security.

“All parties should sit together and negotiate to find solutions for the issues and challenges faced by Papua,” said Taylor.

Commenting on this, Tito said he was optimistic that the program offered by the NZ government would support law enforcement in Papua.

“There are tough ways and there are soft ways to deal with violence and we always use hard measures as a last resort,”

Source: The Jakarta Post

Greenpeace expects new Papua Governor to preserve ecosystem balance

Environment organization Greenpeace has expressed hope that Papua`s new Governor Luke Enembe would produce policies that will assure ecosystem balance.

“We sent a bouquet containing an environmental message to the Papua`s elected governor,” Greenpeace Forest Campaigner of Papua Richard Charles said here on Monday (08/04).

He said Greenpeace hoped under the new governor leadership remaining forests in Papua would be saved.

“Forests in Papua could still be saved unlike in other parts of the country, and should be preserved and saved as early as possible,” he said.

Charles explained sustainable environment supports preservation of animals and even human beings.

“Forest protection requires the support of the new government,” he said.

Greenpeace is a non governmental organization championing nonviolent environmental campaigns creatively.

The environmental organization has tried to unravel global environment problems and has called for solutions for peaceful and green future.

Greenpeace`s target is to ensure earth sustainability for the survival of all biological diversities.

Source: ANTARA News