Rationale given for NZ community policing assistance to Indonesia

The New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully

The New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully, has defended a US$5 million commitment to a three-year community policing programme in eastern Indonesia, including Papua and West Papua.

The programme, which follows a pilot in 2009/10, is to be funded by the New Zealand aid programme and implemented by New Zealand police.

Murray McCully says his government wants to encourage police and others in authority in the Papua region of Indonesia to understand good commmunity policing initiatives.

“The whole basis of community policing is training people to be able to use their authority in a way that is going to engender respect from the locals. It is precisely the expertise that New Zealand imparts through the community policing project,” he said.

“It’s simply an area that New Zealand has had a long-term interest in providing assistance in. We believe that to the extent that there have been difficulties in relation to Papua, those are best dealt with by encouraging police and others in authority to understand good community policing initiatives. And that’s a capability that we’re providing through the Indonesian government at the moment.”

“It’s one of the great aspects of New Zealand police that we are world-class at community policing and that’s something we’re doing in West Papua,” he explained.

Though the program has been criticized with the Green Party saying New Zealand should instead put resources into facilitating dialogue between the West Papuans and Jakarta, McCully says that he is more broadly aware of a lot of work that is going on in Indonesia at the moment to improve that overall environment and to improve communication in relation to West Papua.

He thinks that the Green Party and others who want to go pointing fingers at difficulties in West Papua need to get themselves updated on the significant amount of work that is being done by parties in Indonesia, in West Papua and Papua to achieve better understanding and to try and improve overall relationships.

“There’s a lot of good work being done, and I want to see the New Zealand government play its part in reinforcing that work, rather than simply standing back, as the critics do, and trying to identify problems,” he said.

Source: Radio New Zealand International

OPM killed driver in Papua

A group of armed men of Free Papua Organization (OPM) shot a public transportation driver to dead in Puncak Jaya sub-district, Papua on Saturday.

Head of Public Division of Papua Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono told that the victim, identified as Ali Mangalik, 30, was shot in the head and died at the scene.

The shooting might have been done to disrupt security in Puncak Jaya, which has been stable in the past month, according Sulistyo.

“We continue to hunt down the shooters. When they’re arrested, they will be charged with criminal offences,” he said.

Saturday’s shooting is the second one this month, following the death of First Pte. Andri Candrayansyah, who was shot on September in Puncak Jaya.

Nine soldiers, six civilians and one medical worker have been killed in a series of shootings in Papua since February 2013.(*wpnn)

Separatist snipers kill soldier in Indonesia’s Papua

Separatist snipers hiding out in the mountains of Indonesia’s Papua have shot dead a soldier, police said on Monday, the latest attack on security forces in the restive eastern region.

The gunmen opened fire on soldiers guarding roads around Tingginambut village in West Papua province on Saturday as trucks delivered food and other essential supplies, local police spokesman I Gede Sumerta Jaya said.

“The snipers started shooting at the soldiers from the mountains. A soldier was shot in the stomach and died in hospital,” he said, adding that no one else was injured in the attack.

The attackers were linked to a local leader of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) because “the modus operandi is similar to previous attacks”, Jaya said.

Source: Strait Times

OPM Admits Shooting TNI Member in Papua

The Supreme Commander of the West Papua National Liberation Army (WPNLA), Gen. Goliath Tabuni, claimed he was responsible for the shooting in the Papuan district of Illu on Tuesday, June 25. Two people were killed in the shooting, a TNI infantry lieutenant named I Wayan Sukarta and a civilian named Tomo.

“The shooting was done my members under my command,” Tabuni said as reported by the West Papua National Liberation Army media, Thursday, June 27.

In the report, Tabuni also said that the civilian they killed–reported by local media as a taxi driver–was actually a military intelligence of the TNI 753.

Tabuni further said that the Liberation Army is ready to fight against the military. He also asked Indonesia’s security officers–the TNI and the police, not to use civilians as the targets of their emotional outlet.

“If want to pursuit my members, just look for me and my members only,” he said.

Papua Police spokesman, Comm. I Gede Sumerta Jaya, said the motive of the shooting was to disrupt the distribution of basic goods to Illu District.

Sumerta asserted that the police will do something about what happened and will form a special team to investigate the shooting. “It was a criminal act and the offenders will be pursued,” he firmly stated.

Source: Tempo.co

Police Commission Investigate Papua Shooting

The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) plans to visit Papua due to reports of a shooting that occurred in Aimas, Sorong district, on April 30, and the unnecessary arrests and ban on protests by the police in May.

“If there was a shootout resulting in civilian victims, severe action must be taken because this gives the police a bad name,” stated National Police Commission secretary, Logan Siahaan, during a meeting with the representatives from the National Papua Solidary (Napas) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) in Jakarta.

He added that if activists were apprehended without solid evidence, the police involved must be punished.

Previously, Napas and KontraS submitted a complaint about the Papua Chief of Police, Police Inspector General Tito Karnavian to the National Police Commission due to shootings, torture, and unnecessary arrests, and the protest ban implemented by the police. This complaint was delivered on Thursday, May 23, at the National Police Commission office in South Jakarta.

Source: Tempo.Co

OPM commander surrenders to Indonesian police

OPM Commander Isak Kalaibin and his gang

A commander of Free Papua Organization (OPM) Isak Kalaibin of Sorong, on May 8, 2013 surrendered to Indonesian police after his gang had ambushed security officers in Aimas village.

“Kalaibin went to a police office to surrender and was accompanied by several local religious leaders,” said Deputy Chief of the Papua Provincial Police Brigadier General Paulus Waterpauw.

Several armed members of Kalaibin’s gang had attacked a joint security team in Aimas village, where it had been reported that separatist OPM`s star flag had been hoisted.

When entering the village, the security officers and Kalaibin’s armed members were involved in a clash that killed three members of Kalaibin.

“Kalaibin is now being detained in Aimas Resort Police Office of Sorong District, and being interrogated intensively,” Waterpauw said.

The join security team consisting of the Indonesia Military (TNI) and Police officers were attacked by the armed group when they entered Aimas.

Armed men attacked the officers, damaged their vehicles and injured a military officer`s head.

The security officers responded by shooting at them. Two separatists were killed and several others were injured in the incident.

An injured separatist identified as Salomina Kalaibin was later dead in Sele Be Solo Regional Public Hospital in Aimas village. Salomina Kalaibin was a member of Isak Kalaibin`s group.

Source: ANTARA News

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

Police identifies civilian helicopter shooters in Papua

Police chief of Papua province, Ins.Gen. Tito Karnavian said the police had identified the perpetrators behind the civilian helicopter shootings on Tuesday (26/03) in Puncak Senyum, Papua. He said they were likely the armed civilian group of Free Papua Organization (OPM) which is led by Purom Okiman Wenda.

“According to a preliminary investigation, it is strongly believed that the shooters were the armed group of OPM. The area has been identified as the group’s playground for quite a while now,” Tito, former police counterterrorism special detachment commander, said on Wednesday (27.03).

He added that there had been growing suspicion that the shootings were also part of the group’s strategy to put blame on the police and the military due to the existence of a joint command post near the scene.

“They want the civilians to think that it was either the police or the military behind the shootings,” he said.

Separately, Cendrawasih Military Command Commander Maj. Gen. Christiant Zebua said he regretted the shootings, saying that whoever had masterminded the attack was heartless and irrational.

“Let alone the fact that the helicopter was transporting two Christian missionaries who carry out humanitarian missions in the region. This just makes the shootings look even worse,” he said.

An early report stated that a helicopter owned by the Helivida Foundation, en route to Wamena with two Christian missionary passengers, was shot at by OPM in Puncak Senyum on Tuesday. No victims were reported but there were two bullet holes found on a window near the cockpit.

Source: the Jakarta Post

OPM attacks Indonesian military chopper in Papua

The separatist group, Free Papua Organization (OPM), shots at an Indonesian military helicopter in the province of Papua on Friday (22/02) as the crew was trying to evacuate the bodies of eight soldiers killed in the OPM’s attacks the day before.

Three crew members were wounded in Friday’s attack on the Super Puma helicopter, which was forced to abort its mission and rush the injured to a hospital, said Lt. Col. Jansen Simanjuntak, an army spokesman.

Eight soldiers and four civilians were killed in two separate attacks in the area on Thursday. The area is a stronghold of separatists who have battled Indonesian rule in the region.

In the deadliest attack Thursday, about 20 assailants armed with guns and machetes attacked a group of soldiers walking to Ilaga Airport in Puncak district to collect communication equipment, killing seven, Simanjuntak said.

Col. Agus Rianto, a national police spokesman said Friday, that four civilians were killed.

About an hour before that attack, OPM gunmen stormed an army post in Tingginambut, a village in neighboring Puncak Jaya district, and fatally shot one soldier and injured another before fleeing into the jungle, Simanjuntak said.

Simanjuntak identified the assailants as members of a local separatist group led by Goliat Tabuni.

Senior Security Minister Djoko Suyanto said the incidents were “very irresponsible acts by the OPM armed groups in Papua,” adding that “the government very strongly condemns such brutal incidents.” He said the perpetrators would be captured and prosecuted.

The former Dutch colony of Papua in the western part of New Guinea was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 following a U.N.-sponsored ballot.

Source: Associated Press

Hundreds of papua separatists change allegiance, want Papua to be part of Indonesia

At least 212 members of the Papua separatist, Free Papua Organization also know as OPM, have pledged to forgo the idea of establishing a free Papua state saying they want to be part of Indonesia.

The group leader Daniel Kogoya made the statement pledging allegiance to the Indonesian unitary state in front of the chief of the Cenderawasih Military Command Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua, and regional authorities at Skouw, a town in the border area with Papua New Guinea on Jan 25.

Marking his move, Daniel Kogoya, who claimed to be one of OPM chiefs, handed over three weapons he had used as separatist fighter.

General Christian Zebua said he hopes more OPM members hiding mainly in the border areas would follow the lead by Daniel to develop Papua.

“Let us work together to develop Papua . We will welcome any OPM members wanting to join the unitary state,” he said.

Deputy chief of the Papua police Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said that Daniel and other members of the group could ask other OPM members still in the jungle to give up their separatist idea.

“Ask them still in the jungle to work together to develop Papua for the welfare of the people of the region,” Paulus said.

The former members of OPM are expected to be able to associates with the local people both Papuans and non Papuan people.

Source: ANTARA News