Indonesian hackers crash Australian intelligence agency website

Indonesian hackers have crashed the website of Australian intelligence agency ASIS, according to hackers and cyber experts, dramatically stepping up the revenge attacks in response to the spying affair.

On Monday, Nov 11 afternoon the website of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service was still not working.

Heru Sutadi, executive director of Indonesian technology think tank the Indonesia ICT Institute, confirmed that hackers from the country had launched a successful “distributed denial of service” attack, which crashed the website.

Sutadi said the hackers, linked to the global cyber-activist network Anonymous, had first attacked the ASIS site on Friday evening.

Several Indonesian hacker groups were also boasting of the cyber-attack on online forums.

A group called the Indonesian Security Down Team is believed to have been behind the ASIS attack. The ISD Team and other groups including the Indonesian Cyber Army and the Java Cyber Army have vowed to continue such attacks.

They say they are also targeting other high-profile Australian government sites including those of the national security agency ASIO and Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Those sites were working normally on Monday afternoon.

The groups say they are retaliating against Australia’s electronic spying operations from its Jakarta embassy, a program revealed by Fairfax Media recently. They say they will continue the hacking unless the Australian government apologizes and promises to stop the electronic surveillance program.

An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said the ASIS incident had not been referred to them.

ASIS is the agency responsible for gathering foreign intelligence and carrying out counter-intelligence. It is approximately equivalent to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.

The ASIS website includes information on the agency’s role, contact details and recruiting information.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

US Ambassador joins opening of US – Indonesia military exercise

The US Ambassador Scot Marciel joined Maj. Gen. Gary Hara, Deputy Commander for the Army National Guard, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) Maj. Gen. Daniel Ambat, Kostrad Division 1 Commander, for the opening of the Garuda Shield exercise (GS) in Cilodong, Indonesia on June 10.

Garuda Shield is an annual Army-to-Army interoperability exercise. It is focused on building stronger relationships, sharing techniques, tactics and procedures, and building operational familiarity.

The exercise consists of four parts including a combined tactical operations center and staff process, computer planning exercise, intensive field exercise portion, and a combined airborne operation with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. This is the 7th iteration of the Garuda Shield exercise which is scheduled to conclude on June 21 at Kostrad Division 1 Headquarters.

The Garuda Shield exercise is the centerpiece of a series of exercises that are building greater cooperation under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. This year’s Garuda Shield is the 7th iteration of the exercise and represents the largest and most complex bilateral event ever conducted between the United States and Indonesian Armies.

United States forces also participated Gema Bhakti combined Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief staff exercise at the International Peace and Security Center in Sentul, Indonesia from June 6-10. The Gema Bhakti exercise brought together forces from U.S. Army Pacific Command, U.S. Navy and Air Force to work side-by-side personnel from the TNI to create response planning to assist Indonesia in responding more efficiently to a natural disaster.

Experts in various disaster relief fields discussed issues, emergency responders and support services, face during an emergency and provided insights which allowed roughly 100 participants from both militaries to brain storm ideas to support national and strategic level decision making processes.

As a further compliment to the Garuda Shield and Gema Bhakti exercises, Indonesia and the United States also conducted a Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange entitled Pacific Resilience. Pacific Resilience, held from June 3-6 at the Indonesia Peace & Security Center in Sentul brought together USARPAC, TNI, Indonesian disaster response agencies, and U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). During the course of the exercise, over 150 participants gathered to focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The exercise was designed to simulate the response to an earthquake and tsunami impacting the area of Padang in western Sumatra.

Source: The US Embassy in Jakarta – Indonesia

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

PPI Netherlands Recommendation Statement on Papua

RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT: TOWARD PAPUA PEACE AND PAPUA NON-VIOLENCE CONVERGENCY

This recommendation statement is made in order to convey the aspirations and ideas of Indonesian students in the Netherlands, who joining in the Indonesian Student Association in the Netherlands (PPI Belanda), as a concern over Papua, and to be submitted to the Head of the Unit for the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B), Bambang Darmono.

The PPI’s recommendations are as follows:
1. PPI Netherlands urges all parties to work together to build a peaceful Papua. As Martin Luther King Jr. pointed out that true peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.
2. PPI Netherlands promotes impartially law enforcement in Papua, particularly to them who do not want peace in Papua. Justice is not only addressed to the separatist or pro-integration groups, but also to a certain Indonesia’s parties who take benefit from the continuation violence in Papua.
3. PPI Netherlands urges the Indonesian government to engage in peaceful dialogue, do heart-to-heart, build trust and confidence in Papuans, and convince Indonesian people that the government is serious in resolving the problems in Papua.
4. PPI Netherlands sees that one of the problems in Papua is the presence of Freeport Indonesia mining company that does not have much effect to the prosperity of Papuans. There are some problems between Freeport Company and the workers that need government’s attention, such as on salary, pension, and welfare negotiations. The government should be concerned in amending Labor Law, particularly in protecting the welfare and promoting the rights of the workers in foreign companies.
5. PPI Netherlands promotes Papuans’ basic rights and works for sovereignty over natural resources in Papua.
6. PPI Netherlands encourages the results of the Conference of Peace in Papua on 5-7 July 2011 and highlights the importance of Papua Peace agenda.
7. PPI Netherlands considers that there is a problem of identity crisis in Papua case. The question is how to make the Papuans feel as a part of Indonesia and the other Indonesians outside Papua also feel that Papua is really an integral part of Indonesia.

Den Haag, February 28th, 2013
PPI Belanda,
Secretary General,
Ridwansyah Yusuf Achmad

Read bahasa Indonesia version.

OPM conducts gunfight against Indonesian security forces in Papua

Dictrict Lanny Jaya, Papua

Armed separatist group of Free Papua Organization (OPM) conducted shootout with Indonesian security forces in district Lanny Jaya, Papua on Monday (03/12).

“This morning we did gunfight against the Indonesian security forces,” said Purom Okiman Wenda, the leader of OPM branch Lanny Jaya.

Purom Wenda said that hundreds of the separatists had besieged the capital of Lanny Jaya, to fight for separatism.

A civilian, 25-year-old Ferdi Turuallo, was reported killed in the crossfire. He was on his way home from the market when the gunfight broke out.

Purom Wenda and group of Lanny Jaya branch have been hunted by police since he claimed responsibility for the slaying of three police officers on November 27th.

Purom Wenda, who claims to lead a militant armed group of OPM, told that his group was behind the attack.

“OPM did the shootings. I led the shootings,” he said.

Police have arrested seven suspects in connection with the attack at a police station in Pirime, Lanny Jaya district, in Papua Province that left three officers dead.(*wpnn)

Australian won’t bow to Papua pressure, FM says

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says Australia has been “explicit” in its support for Indonesia’s sovereignty over Papua.

Australian Foreign Minister, Bob Carr

Senator Carr told Newsline the provinces have been recognised “by all the nations in the earth” as Indonesian territory.
(See the video)

“There are Australians, a very small number I think…who take an interest in the notion for more autonomy for Papua but I remind them that you’d be doing a disservice to the Indonesian population of those two provinces if you held out any hope that Australia could influence the cause of events,” he said.

The Foreign Minister has dismissed suggestions public pressure would cause Australia to change its policy on Papua’s autonomy.

“I just ask those idealistic Australians who might entertain some other arrangement, that what would be the cost in terms of our friendship with Indonesia and in terms of our budget of a different arrangement.

“It’s inconceivable, utterly inconceivable.”

‘Australians seen as Asians’

The Foreign Minister says Australia’s relationship with Indonesia involves a “habit of consultation” – a relationship it enjoys with a number of its Asian neighbours including Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

“We had the Singaporeans through in recent weeks and again we have common approaches to issues like the South China Sea, he said.

“A comfortable alignment of our foreign policy positions.”

He also countered criticisms Australia’s perceptions of Asia are superficial and too “Eurocentric” in response to the recently-released Asian Century policy paper.

“The foreign minister of Myanmar was through here last week and he said..’We see Australia as Asians’,” he said.

“Why wouldn’t he? We were there in Myanmar lifting, not just suspending our sanctions.”

Senator Carr says the fact Australia won a seat on the United Nations Security Council is also testament of its strong relationship with its neighbours.

“I was struck by this when I stood there in the UN and I was being congratulated by nations from every region in the world and it dawned on me that they’re comfortable with Australia and that reflects our diplomacy,” he said.

Source: Australia Network 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

Scouts find Jayapura secure, beautiful

“It turns out that Jayapura is beautiful and comfortable. It’s nothing like what I imagined before I come here,” girl scout Sri Lestari of North Maluku said upon her arrival at the Cenderawasih campground in Waena, Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday.

Sri, one of the participants of the Indonesian Scouts Movement’s Raimuna X national camping event in Waena from Oct. 8-15, said that prior to her arrival in Jayapura, she heard a number of negative things about the province of Papua.

She said she was told that Jayapura was not safe and frequently marred with rapes, kidnappings and riots, and leaving home, these worries still weighed on her mind. Yet, her impression changed as she met other fellow scouts from Papua on board the passenger ship KM Doloronda that took her to Jayapura. “They are friendly and quick to make friends,” Sri said.

Boy scout Misbakul Aulat of North Halmahera regency shared the same experience. “We were welcomed very warmly. It was completely different from the incidents we often see in the media,” he said.

Abdul Latief, a scout supervisor from Central Sulawesi said, “In fact, we don’t have such worries anymore after we moored at Jayapura Port.”

Unlike previous years, the participants in this year’s event do not need to erect tents as the organizing committee prepared uniquely designed huts whose walls and roofs were made of woven palm leaves, locally known as nipah.

Water containers have also been prepared at the campsite to allow the participants to conduct their activities during the event.

Some 4,000 scouts from across the country are attending the event that was officially opened by Vice President Boediono.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Vice President Boediono Calls on Scouts’ Spirit To Lift Papua and the Nation

Papua is an inseparable part of Indonesia that must be preserved and cared for, Vice President Boediono told a nationwide gathering of young scouts here on Wednesday (10/10).

Boediono’s remarks came during his speech at the opening of the Indonesian Scouts Movement Raimuna National (Rainas) X conference in Buper Phokela Waena, Jayapura. The vice president told the assembled children that he hoped that scouting would become a popular extracurricular activity in school.

“And this time the theme encourages Papua to grow so that it can catch up [with other provinces],” he added.

In his speech, Boediono said that the country’s progress and prosperity depends solely on its people, especially the younger generations.

With “Raimuna” meaning a group of people working toward a common goal, Boediono called on the scouts to share their experiences with other scouts who did not have the opportunity to attend the convention.

Rainas X, running from a week from Monday, has drawn some 3,700 scouts from 33 provinces.

At the opening ceremony, 1,000 dancers performed traditional dances from Aceh, Papua, Java and Bali.

Separately, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that his ministry has allocated 10 percent of seats for civil servants from Papua and West Papua provinces.

“Although the recruitment policy is very open, it is also limited to attract potential candidates from regions with special considerations such as Papua and West Papua,” he said during a foreign affairs meeting with the House of Representatives Commission I on Wednesday.

There are 14 Papuans active in the ministry who range from secretary roles to ambassador.

Source: The Jakarta Globe

OPM kills Indonesian Government Official in Papua

Ayub Natanubun, head of the forestry agency of Papua’s Sarmi district, was shot by Free Papua Organization (OPM) gunman near the border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on Saturday afternoon (18/08).

Ayub, 50-years-old, was driving his car over the Skanto bridge, near the border area in the Keerom district, when he was shot from the left side of the road. His body has been taken to Dok Dua hospital in Jayapura.

This incident adds to the list of attacks by OPM’s gunmen in the restive region. Last month, three people were found stabbed to death in Ndeotadi in the Paniai district of Papua, including a member of the Indonesian Military (TNI).(*wpnn)