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West Papua Report |
With this manifesto we invite all inhabitants who love the land of Papua and our nation to accept this manifesto and defend it as the basis of our Papuan nation. |
We the Papuan people demand our own territory, equal to other sovereign
territories, and alongside other nations. We the Papuan people wish to live
in tranquility and to join with others in promoting peace.
With this manifesto we invite all inhabitants who love the land of Papua and
our nation to accept this manifesto and defend it as the basis of our Papuan
nation. [The document lists conditions plaguing Papuans in the areas of
"human rights," "development," and the "failure to implement special
autonomy:"]
Human
Rights
... hundreds of thousands of Papuans have suffered
from human rights abuses as a result of the Indonesian government's
practices of mass murder, execution, slaughter, kidnapping, terrorism,
internment and many other forms of repression.
Development
We argue that the policies and programs for development that have been
implemented by the Indonesian government in Papua from 1963 to the present
day have failed to improve the standard of living of Papuans and raise the
quality of life in Papua.
Over 400,000 "transmigrants" have been moved into Papua.
Failure to
Implement Special Autonomy
In our evaluation, the implementation of the Special Autonomy law from 2001
to the present day has not resulted in any significant changes in the lives
of Papuans. (The document notes among other examples of the law's failure,
the murder of the first President of the Papuan Presidium Council Theyes
Eluay by TNI Special Forces (Kopassus) personnel.)
All Papuans:
To prevent the extinction of Melanesian Papuans, to put an end to internal
disagreements, and to create togetherness and Papuan national unity based on
similar understandings and points of view, as well as to prevent internal
conflict among leaders of the Papuan struggle, every Papuan and component
(organization) of our national struggle has a responsibility to:
-
promote awareness that all people of our nation are not Indonesian people;
-
promote mutual coordination and respect among all Papuans;
-
consider all components, organizations and factions of our struggle to be assets in our endeavor to create the Papuan Nation.
Regarding Indonesia:
Pressure Indonesia in union with Papuan representatives
-
to find a peaceful solution through dialogue facilitated by a neutral third party; to enable access by monitors, researchers, human rights workers and journalists to Papua;
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to end political manipulation and other forms of oppression such as murder, terrorism and intimidation of Papuans;
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to liberate all Papuan political prisoners and detainees.
Regarding the International Community:
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[Seek] a review of the 1969 [fraudulent] "Act of Free Choice;"
-
Withhold financial assistance for Special Autonomy until Jakarta agrees to free and open dialogue mediated by the U.N.;
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Encourage the U.N. to create an opportunity for Papuans to determine our fate in accordance with international human rights standings; international legal principles and U.N. conventions;
-
Protect Papuan forests;
-
Investigate human rights abuses since 1963.
Let this consensus unite our perspectives, agendas and the direction of our
united struggle. This consensus unites and binds each component and faction
of our struggle to take responsibility for implementing its principles for
the sake of creating justice, peace and freedom in Papua.
(Signed)
Dewan Papua Presidium
Tom Beanal (Chairperson)
Herman Awom (Moderator)
Taha Moph. Alhamid (Secretary General)
West Papua National Authority
Edison Waromi (Executive President)
Terianus Joku (Congressional President)
Former Political Prisoners
Eliaser Awom (Chairperson)
see also Report To The United States On The Papuan Consensus
Jakarta Post Details Central Government's Failure to Build
Infrastructure in
West Papua
A May 25 article in the Jakarta Post provided a detailed account of the
failure of the Indonesian Government to develop essential infrastructure in five new districts
("Regencies") in West Papua. The
Regencies comprise those of Paniai, Mappi, Puncak, Asmat and Mimika. The article notes
that lack of well-developed roads between the Regency capital and
subdistricts in Paniai, Mappi and Puncak. Puncak regency is the worst of the five. The lack of usable
roads has affected the flow of vital foodstuffs from the outside to Mappi. In Asmat, particularly
in the regency capital Agats, there is a grave shortage of elevated buildings and roads in the area which
is prone to flooding and "swamping."
The great irony remains that West Papua has for decades generated enormous wealth for Jakarta through the sometimes devastating "development" of its resources. After over four decades of Indonesian rule, Papuans still lack services essential to health, security and justice. |
The five regencies also lack essential services with severe shortages of
teachers, healthcare personnel and facilities. The Post report noted in particular with regard to healthcare: "The limited number of doctors and paramedics
has become an obstacle for regency administrations to build public
hospitals, while existing public health centers (Puskesmas)
in remote and mountain areas are lacking proper facilities to examine and
treat people contracting HIV/AIDS, or those suffering
malaria."
Government officials blamed the inadequate provision of infrastructure on
paperwork and other bureaucratic problems.
The great irony remains that West Papua has for decades generated enormous
wealth for Jakarta through the sometimes devastating "development" of its resources. After over four
decades of Indonesian rule, Papuans still lack services essential to health, security and justice.
Illegal Fishing Rampant in West Papua
An May 22 Op-Ed by Bogor Institute of Agriculture post graduate student
Rahman Pramulya appearing in the Jakarta Post describes the
failure of the Indonesian government to effectively control illegal fishing
in Papuan waters. He noted that the Arafura Sea has only 15 fishery and sea
regional office investigators. He describes this number as "too low given
the size of the surrounding Papuan seas" adding that this under-resourcing
"allows for many problems." He notes that in several Papuan regencies,
there are no investigators at all.
Citing a lack of funding for monitoring, Pramulya observes that only 0.5
percent of the overall fishery and sea development done in West Papua is
monitored in any way.
Illegal fishing, like illegal logging in West Papua is often carried out
with the connivance of the Indonesian military. The impact of unmonitored
fishing, often by foreign factory ships, on Papuan resources and on Papuans
attempting to make a living from the sea is devastating. earn a living from
fishing.
Hundreds of Papuans Protest Police Shooting
On May 6, according to international media reports, approximately 1,000
Papuans demonstrated peacefully in protest of the police killing of man in a
town near the main West Papua airport at Sentani. The demonstrators blocked
the main entrance to the airport for five hours. The victim of the shooting
was Agus Ohee, a relative of a key tribal chief, reportedly was inebriated. his conduct had prompted complaints from some villagers.
British Government Reacts to Questions about Human Rights and
Expulsion of ICRC from West Papua
In
mid-May the British Government's Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs Bill Rammell formally responded to Parliamentary questions
regarding human rights violations in West Papua
and the Indonesian Government's expulsion of the International Committee of the
Red Cross from West Papua.
His comments
are below:
On recent discussions he has had with the Indonesian authorities on allegations of human rights abuses in West Papua:
I raised UK concerns with the situation in Papua and West Papua provinces in discussions with the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, on 10 February 2009. I stressed that greater transparency was an important element to building trust and ensuring greater peace and prosperity for the region. Embassy officials continue to monitor the situation closely and to discuss the human rights situation with Indonesian government officials -most recently on 6 May 2009 - as well as civil society and community representatives from the Papuan provinces.
On Indonesian government's recent decision to expel the International Committee of the Red Cross from West Papua:
We have sought clarification of the reports regarding the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and their presence in West Papua from the government of Indonesia. Our embassy have been told that the ICRC field office in Papua has been closed and that the status agreements governing the ICRC's activities in Indonesia need to be renegotiated. We hope that this can be concluded speedily. The government of Indonesia told us that ICRC officials may still visit Papua. Our embassy are also in touch with ICRC officials in Indonesia and will continue to monitor the situation closely. We are meeting with the Indonesian ambassador in London to register our concerns. I discussed access to Papua and West Papua provinces with Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, most recently on 10 February 2009 in Jakarta.
