Indonesia serious about advancing prosperity in Papua

The Government of Indonesia is fully aware of the problems existing in its easternmost province of Papua and has taken steps to reduce the gap and eliminate the feelings of injustice felt by the residents of the province.

The scarcely populated regions in the province do not seem to be at par with the rest of the country in terms of economic and social development, but the government is serious about advancing prosperity there.

During a joint press conference held with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stated that the government was sincere and serious about advancing prosperity in Papua.

“To the Australian Prime Minister, I say that the Indonesian policy to manage Papua is very clear, for we take the approach of welfare, justice and democracy,” the President said.

The head of state further pointed out that Papua was the region to which the highest development funds had been allocated in Indonesia, although there were local and structural problems that had to be managed well.

“Indonesia is a democratic country, and the problems in Papua are part of democracy because the region is an integral part of Indonesia. Indonesia`s sovereignty covers Papua as well,” Yudhoyono noted.

On the occasion, Yudhoyono also extended his gratitude for the Australian government`s statement regarding the country`s respect for Indonesia`s sovereignty.

“One thing is clear that Indonesia will take full responsibility to overcome the problems in Papua properly and wisely,” he went on.

Meanwhile, the Australian Prime Minister also appeased Indonesian sensitivities by taking an unusually tough line against protesters in Australia agitating for independence of the Indonesian territory of Papua.

“The government of Australia takes a very dim view… of anyone seeking to use our country as a platform for grandstanding against Indonesia. We will do everything that we possibly can to discourage this and prevent this,” Abbott said.

He also the admired Indonesian Government`s efforts to improve the autonomy and life of the people of West Papua.

The Australian Prime Minister stated that he believed that the people in West Papua could lead a better life and have a better future as an integral part of Indonesian nation.

The people of Papua were yet to enjoy the fruits of development and therefore felt isolated, Velix Wanggai, President Yudhoyono`s special aide for regional development and autonomy had said in August.

He added that the feeling of injustice with regards to economic and social gaps had been further exploited by the outlawed Free Papua Organisation (OPM), which had incited a fight for independence.

According to Wanggai, backwardness, disappointment, and dissatisfaction of the people of Papua had served as ammunition to incite resistance against the government.

However, Marinus Yaung, an international law and political observer at the Cenderawasih University (Uncen) opined that a peaceful dialogue between Papua and Jakarta was the best possible solution for the problems of Papua.

“We agree that Papua-Jakarta Dialogue will help solve the problem in Papua,” Yaung said in Jayapura recently.

He noted that the problem in Papua was not limited to economic and social development; but was a political problem that had to be solved through peaceful dialogue with Jakarta.

Meanwhile, a hearing of the People`s Assemblies of Papua`s two provinces–Papua and West Papua–at the end of July had indicated that the majority of people in Papua were in favor of a dialogue.

Therefore, the Director of the Democracy Alliance for Papua (ALDP) Latifah Anum Siregar said that all stakeholders in the region should support the Papua People`s Assembly (MRP) in recommending a Papua-Jakarta dialogue immediately.

“The regional administrations of Papua and West Papua, the regional legislative assemblies, and people of the two provinces should support MRP`s recommendations,” added Siregar.

Meanwhile, Manokwari-based Institute of Research, Analysis and Development for Legal Aid (LP3BH) Director Yan Christian Warinussy had noted in August that the Papuan people had repeatedly urged Jakarta to open a peaceful, neutral and transparent dialog, facilitated by a third party in a neutral place.

Such a dialog had long been called for, but the Papua People`s Council (MRP) and West Papua People`s Council (MRPB) had only shown appreciation for the call and given their recommendations now, he said.

“Therefore, LP3BH of Manokwari, which serves as an advocate for human rights in Papua, had urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono not to close the door for a proposed Papua-Jakarta dialog in 2013,” Warinussy stated.

He said the proposed dialog should be held immediately, adding there was no reason for a delay.

Warinussy further stated that so far no response or appreciation had been shown despite the offer to facilitate a dialog with a system universally acceptable by the Papua Peace Networks.

As a result of the hearings held by official institutions, such as the MRP and MRPB, Jakarta was expected to react favorably to a proposed Papua-Jakarta dialog before the general elections in 2014, he added.

“A Papua-Jakarta dialog should be held to honor the aspirations of the 99 percent majority of the Papuan people,” he pointed out.

The MRP-MRPB hearing, which evaluated the implementation of the Law on Special Autonomy in the two provinces, had issued a number of recommendations including the holding of a Papua-Jakarta Dialog.

Supporters of the move are being drawn from youth organizations in Papua for immediate implementation of the proposed dialog.

Source: ANTARA News

An Educator’s Heroic Journey to Change Gender Relations in Papua

Esteemed mythologist Joseph Campbell is famous for breaking down “The Hero’s Journey,” a template by which all heroes — from Hercules to Harry Potter — follow the same pattern: the separation, the initiation and the return.

When Nabire, Papua-born Els Tieneke Rieke Katmo decided to earn her PhD in gender studies and HIV/AIDS at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, distance and separation were never factors, and the path seems more fluid and ultimately direct — but no less heroic.

After all, Els — a professor at the State University of Papua in Manokwari, West Papua — is from a remote part of Indonesia where walking three hours to school in the morning is par for the course.

It’s more than 4,000 kilometers from Nabire to Adelaide, but distance has done little to shake the confidence of a woman who has dedicated her life to gender issues and HIV awareness.

“Suddenly my neighbor passed away because of HIV,” the 38-year-old mother of two said. “Then one-by-one my relatives and friends started passing away. The biggest problem was people still believed these deaths were caused by black magic. A lack of education of the people around me pushed me to find out more about the issue, to help people around me.”

During her undergraduate dissertation in the same university where she has taught since 2009, Els stumbled upon a number of gender issues and overall lack of education leading to the spread of HIV. “I looked closely at the use of contraception by women and realized there was a big lack of knowledge about this, which is one of the major reasons behind the spread of HIV,” Els said.

Born to a forward-thinking father from Merauke in Papua, Els knew from a young age that she and her siblings were different. School attendance was mandatory. Men and women were equal. Els learned how to ride a motorbike and mend faulty electric devices while her brothers were taught how to cook.

Most recently Els, who earned her master’s degree in gender studies from the University of Indonesia, has tackled HIV among housewives in Manokwari.

“All the projects and research I’ve been involved in, have led me to the conclusion that not only education, but also the mentality about gender and HIV have to be changed,” Els said. “This pushed me to pursue a PhD focusing on gender, the sexuality of Papuan men and women and its relation to HIV and AIDS.”

Awarded a scholarship by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), now Els is ready to take her mission to the next level.

“I strongly believe knowledge is the most important element to survival,” Els said. “After I return to Papua, I’ll collaborate with local radio to produce a program about HIV. Also, I will start a project for the economic empowerment of women and kids with HIV. The most effective way to make people understand about the topic is by giving them examples based on daily life.”

Close friend and a master’s degree candidate at the University of Adelaide Zainah Rahmiati believes it’s her friend’s deep roots and unassuming attitude that has helped her make a lasting impact on the lives of men and women in Papua.

“Els is a great person, but at the same time she’s very humble,” Zainah said. “She has great ideas to make a change in society. Papua is remote and a lack of infrastructure makes it difficult for Els to implement her changes, but she never gives up. She is an inspiration for agents of change.”

A tireless advocate of education, Els firmly believes training and proper schooling is essential to understanding and stopping the spread of HIV in Papua.

Her passion led her, together with her best friend Maria Goretti, to establish a children’s library in Edera, a tiny village 10 hours by car from Merauke.

Most children in Edera, Maria explained, are 8 years old before they can read or write properly.

“In the village where we opened the library, if you can go to church or to school it is already a blessing, let alone gain access to quality books,” Maria said. “The idea of starting to provide books to kids and teenagers came after I saw in the school where I teach the low interest children have for reading. In the library the school books are very old, some were published in the ’70s.”

Marice Aun, 12, dropped out from school after third grade because her parents could not afford to pay the fees. Because of the low quality of education, she barely learned how to read.

“I fell in love with books because of the reading garden,” Marice said. “I’m so happy to be able to read colorful and cute books, they are interesting. I want to keep studying, and when I grow up I want to become a midwife.” A midwife who can help Els explain the dangers of HIV across Papua.

“I want the next generation of Papuans to have a better future, to be healthier, smarter and to believe in themselves,” Els said. Campbell would be impressed.

Source: The Jakarta Globe

Breakthrough imminent in Indonesia: O’Neill’s plan to defuse standoff over West Papua

By Rowan Callick === A breakthrough may be on the way for one of the most intractable conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region. Relations between Indonesia and the Melanesian nations, led by Papua New Guinea, have remained awkward ever since the Dutch withdrew from “Netherlands New Guinea,” and the Pacific islands became independent states.

The plight of “West Papua” as it is often called, has prevented Indonesia, the biggest and closest country in South-East Asia, from building the links that might otherwise have been expected, with the island countries to its east—even since it became a liberal democracy 15 years ago.

But, the PNG government, led by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, has recently launched an initiative aimed at defusing the stand-off over West Papua, building the economy of the centre of New Guinea island, and gaining diplomatic spin-offs.

The western half of New Guinea island comprises two Indonesian provinces: Papua, whose capital is Jayapura, and West Papua, whose capital is Manokwari. It has a 750-km mostly mountainous and often in the past fraught and dangerous border with PNG.

In 2001, the area now covered by the two provinces was declared autonomous with 80 percent of its tax receipts to be retained for local use. But this process has remained only partially complete compared with the more successful governance situation in Aceh, at the other end of the Indonesian archipelago.

O’Neill, who led a delegation to Jakarta for talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said: “West Papua has been a sticky issue for PNG and the western Pacific for quite some time. Our role is to open up discussions.

Genuine desire
“We feel the government of Indonesia has a genuine desire to ensure issues relating to West Papua are managed in a mutually beneficial manner. For the first time in our bilateral discussions, we were able to discuss this openly with the Indonesian government,” said PM O’Neill.

He said he is convinced that Yudhoyono now wishes to withdraw military presence from West Papua, and allow for more autonomy through economic empowerment of the people.

“We feel this is a good opening for us to engage with the Indonesian government so we can participate in the improvement of the lives of Melanesian people there and of our own people along the border. Our officials are now engaged meaningfully in establishing the cooperation we agreed,” he said.

PNG’s Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato elaborated on the deal that was informally struck: “The Indonesian president will adopt a softer approach to West Papuan issues, allowing them greater autonomy.”

As an indicator of this, official representatives will participate in the Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture to be hosted by PNG next year.

He said Indonesia would allow Papua New Guinea communities near the border to draw on its excess hydro power capacity with state-owned enterprise PNG Power buying electricity for its grid from Indonesia, and that the two countries would jointly explore for oil and gas in highly prospective targets that straddle the border.

Indonesia, Pato said, would fund an ambitious paved highway from Merauke on its side of the border in the south, to PNG’s Wewak on the northern coast.

The countries’ leaders signed a total of 11 MOUs during O’Neill’s visit, after which Pato and his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa began to chart an implementation course.

Extradition treaty
They agreed on an extradition treaty—which may ensure that Indonesian businessman fugitive Joko Chandra—wanted for corruption and who obtained PNG citizenship under a process that is being challenged legally—returns to face charges.

Another agreement under final negotiation, will permit planes to fly from Nadi, Fiji, through Honiara in Solomon Islands, then Port Moresby, and on to Bali.

One goal of the warming of relations, Pato said, was to prevent any resurgence of asylum-seekers from the Indonesian side of the border. About 8,000 refugees remain in PNG, living in camps in Western province run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees following earlier conflicts, many of them seeking refuge more than 25 years ago.

The discussions between PNG and Indonesia have led to the latter inviting the foreign ministers of the four Melanesian states — Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji, as well as PNG, who form the “Melanesian Spearhead Group” (MSG) — to visit its Papua and West Papua provinces.

O’Neill flew for talks with Yudhoyono instead of attending an MSG leaders’ meeting held at the same time in New Caledonia.

While PNG is helping to usher its fellow Melanesians in towards better relations with Indonesia, Indonesia in return is backing Port Moresby’s membership of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN has 10 members at present — and PNG feels it is entitled to join it because it has such a long land border with the group’s largest state.

Indonesia is also backing PNG’s bid to host the 2018 summit of the APEC forum — which would bring the American and Russian presidents, among other leaders, to Port Moresby — which will be decided at the next summit in Bali in October.

“It’s important for us to have such a relationship with Indonesia,” said Pato — who points out that in previous years, tensions not only unresolved but not even fully discussed about West Papua had prevented the full development of positive, mutually beneficial arrangements between the countries.

Now a joint committee of ministers from the countries has been formed to tackle the details and ensure the MOUs are implemented, he said — starting with the joint economic projects.

Source: Islands Business

Indonesian navy to establish primary base in Papua

The Indonesian Navy is to enhance the monitoring on maritime defense by establishing Navy Primary Base in Papua region.

“We will establish the twelfth Indonesian Navy Primary Base in Sorong, Papua,” said the Fifth Primary Base Commander of Jayapura Brigade General Putu Wijamahaadi here on Friday (08/02).

According to him the Primary Base will be commanding several Navy Bases in the west of Papua waters include fasharkan Manokwari.

He added the establishment of the Twelfth Navy Primary Base will increase the total Navy Base in Papua to three locations.

“The three bases are located in Navy Base X Jayapura, Navy Base XI Merauke and yet Navy Base XII in Sorong,” said Wijamahaadi.

The Commander said that the current process of Navy Base construction is on equipping the facilities and infrastructures.

“We cannot ensure the time of inauguration as the base still completing supported facilities,” said Brigadier General Wijamahaadi.

He expected by the addition of Navy Base in Papua can decrease the violations on maritime law in the area.

“Moreover, the waters in the area of the Twelfth Navy Base are prone to illegal fishing action,” said Wijamahaadi.

Source: ANTARA News

Papua to enjoy broadband next year

Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua will connect to high-speed Internet. The Communications and Information Ministry said that broadband would make headway into the province in 2013.

Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said that as many as 27 provinces across Indonesia now had access to broadband Internet via the Palapa Ring.

The Palapa Ring is a project aimed at linking Sumatra, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua to eight existing network connections, or backhauls, via approximately 35,380 kilometers of undersea and 2
1,870 kilometers of underground fiber-optic cables.

Fiber optics, unlike copper cables, enable fast data transmission, a prerequisite for broadband Internet. The ministry and a consortium of telecommunication companies kicked off the project, worth US$700 million, in 2009 and targets its completion by 2014.

“The establishing of broadband connections has been carried out across the provincial capital cities located on Java island,” he said on Tuesday (11/12).

He added that major cities and industrial hubs including Jakarta and its surrounding areas, as well as Bandung and Semarang, were already connected to broadband Internet.

However, five cities still have to wait until next year for broadband connections. “The cities include Jayapura, the capital of Papua, Manokwari [West Papua capital], and Ternate [in North Maluku], in addition to Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi and Ambon [Maluku capital],” he said.

He added that broadband penetration across the 27 provinces was “still low, lower than 12 percent”. “Ideally, the penetration rate should be at 100 percent,” he said.

He added that the government aimed to connect all major cities and industrial hubs in Indonesia with broadband connections by 2015.

“Our target is to even connect homes with fiber optic cables,” he said.

Under the national broadband plan, the government plans to transform Indonesia into a knowledge-based society by 2015 by improving Internet access. By 2020, the government expects the country to have gone digital through the application of e-government initiatives.

However, besides the still low Internet penetration rates, e-government schemes have lagged. Several regions have pushed back the disbursement dates for electronic identification, or e-KTP.

Tifatul said the contribution of information technology, which includes the Internet, toward the gross domestic production (GDP) has risen in the last decade.

A study by the World Bank shows that a 10 percent rise in broadband penetration would increase GDP by 1.38 percent.

Source: The Jakarta Post

West Papua province builds network with Balinese tourism

West Papua is hoping to develop its tourism and to reach out to foreign tourism markets by building networks with the Balinese industry.

The West Papua tourism agency hosted on Monday an event in Sanur entitled Promoting the West Papua Tourism Potentials, to which it invited tour and travel agencies, as well as other Balinese tourism stakeholders.

“We came here to learn by building a network with this island‘s tourism businesspeople. We hope that Bali is willing to help promote our tourism,” said West Papua tourism agency head Edi Sumarwanto, while praising Bali as an international tourism destination.

Edi said that West Papua had major potential as an eco-tourism destination, because 70 percent of its region was still undeveloped, with around 60 percent of its territory part of a conservation area.

Edi also said that the West Papua region was rich with exotic culture and land and underwater biodiversity.

“We have around 43 species of birds of paradise, not to mention other types of birds, fish and sea vegetation,” said Edi.

Edi acknowledged that West Papua still lacked sufficient accommodation facilities.

In the region’s most developed regency, Raja Ampat, currently, there are seven resorts, 11 hostels and 36 homestays, while Manokwari, the West Papuan capital city, has 34 hotels, four of which are star-rated hotels.

Access to tourist destinations and limited infrastructure have been the major problem due to the long distance between one site and another, while its airport does not have proper lighting, thus only allowing daytime flights.

“We have requested the central government improve access to West Papua, including renovating the airport and providing direct flights from Bali,” said Edi,.

He stated that the national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, had not opened a route to Sorong, while other airlines had. Direct flights from Jakarta to Sorong are available, but from Bali, passengers have to transit in Makassar.

Inter-regency access relies on water transportation, such as ferry and speedboat.

Head of Raja Ampat tourism and cultural agency, Yusdi Lamatenggo, said that Raja Ampat, with its groups of islets and the stunning beauty found under its sea, is among the 10 national tourism strategic areas set by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.

It has been proposed for listing among the seven wonders of the world.

The Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA)’s head of destination and promotional affairs, Edi Sanyoto, acknowledged that West Papua was one of Indonesia’s great tourism attractions that was still to be properly developed.

He said he was ready to make a visit to West Papua to see for himself the destinations, besides Raja Ampat, that were worth promoting to foreign visitors.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Govt to build several airports in Papua

The Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Air Transportation, will develop a number of airports in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, according to local transportation office spokesman Bambang Tjahjono.

“In order that more commercial airlines serve the eastern Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua, the Ministry of Transportation will develop airports there,” he said here on Monday (08/10).

Bambang stated that the runways of Sentani in Jayapura and Sorong in West Papua would be extended.

“The runway of Sentani airport will be extended to 3,000 metres, in addition to the development of its taxiway and a boarding bridge or garbarata,” he noted.

“The Ministry of Transportation and Sorong mayor have also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the expansion of the runway of Sorong airport in West Papua,” Bambang said.

“The MoU also involves the construction of an alternative airport in Segun,” he added.

According to Bambang, other airports to be developed in Papua and West Papua include those in Kaimana, Wamena, Manokwari, Merauke, Wagete Baru in Deiyai, and Tamanof.

“The Ministry of Transportation has allocated a lot of funds for the eastern Indonesian region because we give our special attention to Papua and West Papua,” he explained.

Source: ANTARA News

Papua to get huge cement factory

The largest cement producing company in Indonesia, Semen Gresik, is planning on building an integrated factory worth 1.3 million US dollars in Manokwari in Papua in 2014.

The Chief Executive Officer Dwi Sutjipto told that the investment is around 200 US dollars per ton, which makes a total of 1.3 million.

Mr Sutjipto says the factory would be capable of producing 600,000 tonnes per year-in Papua and is aimed at establishing market domination in Indonesia’s Eastern regions.

He says so far cement supply for Indonesia’s Eastern regions have come from Makassar in Indonesia.

Semen Gresik has been constructing a packing plant in Sorong since late last year, in order to begin the project.

Source: Radio New Zealand International

Observer voices concern about developments in Papua

A political observer has voiced concern about social and security developments in Papua saying the government should be alert and consistent in dealing with the situation there.

Ikrar Nusa Bhakti from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said the government had to take measures
to anticipate an escalation of pro-independence activity in Papua.

He said the separatists now no longer used violent but political methods as well as international diplomacy.

He referred to the peaceful rally in Sentani, Abepura and Manokwari on August 2 that had drawn n empathy not only from domestic but also international communities.

“The government must not ignore the pro-independence movement in Papua. The government must no longer use a business-as-usual approach in dealing with it,” he said.

He also said that the government must not ignore the separatist movement by considering that it could be settled through government-to-government approaches with the US, Australia or Britain.

He said international politics were no longer determined by government relations alone but also by non-state actors.

“Papua pro-independence activists abroad have begun using the Timor Leste method,” he said.

They have built networks in the US called West Papua Network, in Australia called West Papua Freedom Association and others.

In response to that, he said, the government must collect detailed information to see what had really happened and why it had happened.

The government also must know who the figures behind the movement were and ascertain whether represented the groups that it could have a dialog with.

Source: Antara News

West Papua MRP board members sworn in

West Papua Governor Abraham O Atururi swore in the 33 new board members of the province’s Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) on Wednesday (15/6). The swearing-in ceremony was held a week after the election of board members in Manokwari.

The West Papua MRP leaders inaugurated on Wednesday were speaker Vitalis Yumteh and deputy speakers Anike TH Sabami and Zainal Abidin Bay.

The ceremony was based on Government Regulation No. 54/2004 on the MRP, which was an elaboration of Law No. 21/2001 and Law No. 35/2008 on Papua’s special autonomy.

In April, the 33 West Papua MRP members were inaugurated by Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi together with 40 members elected from Papua province.

“The Assembly had the task of making sure that the indigenous Papuans remained in existence in the region,” said MRP member Yoram Wambrauw.(WPNN)