Friday, August 24, 2012


1) Paniai District Under Curfew After Shooting
2) KNPB appoints new people to replace Buchtar Tabuni and the late Mako Tabuni
3) KNPB: Buchtar Tabuni should be transferred to hospital for medical treatment

4) Minister reveals F-16 US offer

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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/paniai-district-under-curfew-after-shooting/539957
1) Paniai District Under Curfew After Shooting
Banjir Ambarita& Arientha Primanita | August 24, 2012
Authorities in the Paniai district of Papua have imposed a curfew after a police officer was shot and killed this week, bringing a fresh wave of violence in the resource-rich province.

“We have imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. until early in the morning. We feel there is potential for violence at those hours so we advise people not to leave their homes,” Paniai district police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Anton Diance said on Thursday.

“We are not forbidding people to go out at those hours, but it is advised that they stay at home if they don’t have real emergencies because it is risky.”

A separatist group, the Free Papua Organization (OPM), has claimed responsibility for the shooting of Police Brig. Yohan Kisiwaito.

Yohan, 29, was shot at the Enarotali Airport on Tuesday morning as he was washing a car at the end of the runway. He died several hours later in hospital.

Anton said police were tracking down the shooter, who escaped in a speed boat on Paniai Lake.

Pro-independence activists in Paniai on Wednesday reported that police responded by raiding people’s home and arbitrarily arresting innocent civilians. At least five homes were torched by police officers, the activists claimed, and at least 15 civilians were tortured.

Anton denied the allegations.

“There was no torture, no torching. Police are in pursuit [of the suspects] according to procedures,” the officer said.

Police are pursuing a band of rebels operating in the district led by OPM leader John Yogi, but Anton added that his office had limited manpower.

“This precinct is overseeing three districts: Intan Jaya, Paniai and Deiyai with six sub-precincts. Our entire force is just 270, so we are very understaffed,” he said.

Yogi’s band of rebels, he claimed, was also expanding its territory into the two other districts.

“They are now everywhere, spreading their reign of terror. They often extort a number of gold panning operations,” the officer said.

Intan Jaya and Deiyai are breakaway districts of Paniai.

This incident adds to the list of attacks by unidentified gunmen in the restive district, which has seen an influx of violence after police stormed an OPM hideout at Eduda Hill in December.

The raid was carried out by the police’s special tactical unit, the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) from Jakarta, and killed 14 guerilla fighters.

But that reportedly sparked the OPM to retaliate, particularly after 481 Brimob officers were withdrawn from Papua in January.

Last month, three people were found stabbed to death in Ndeotadi, Paniai district of Papua, including a member of the Armed Forces (TNI).

In a statement, the OPM said that police only had themselves to blame, saying that their presence had led to ongoing repression and rampant violence targeted at innocent civilians.

In May, Brimob officers shot five locals at a Ndeotadi billiard hall after an alleged altercation, killing two. The incident was never investigated.

Coordinating Minister for Security and Legal Affairs Djoko Suyanto said police would not tolerate the ongoing violence launched by suspected rebels in Papua.

“If we have not arrested [the rebels], that means we are still pursuing them,” he said. “It is not easy to locate these criminals although they are the same people wearing the same disguises.”

Only one shooting case has been solved so far. It involved the death of a German tourist.
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from tapol
2) KNPB appoints new people to replace Buchtar Tabuni and the late Mako Tabuni
[Apologies for the delay in posting this item. Tapol]

Bintang Papua, 1 August 2012

Following the death of Mako Tabuni, the first deputy chairman of the KNPB (National Committee for West Papua)  and the arrest of its chairman Buchtar Tabuni, no one should think that the organisation is now finished. While Buchtar Tabuni  is being tried in court  for allegedly damaging some facilities in the prison where he is being held, the KNPB has been involved in some re-organisation and has appointed members to several executive posts.

This was stated at the conclusion of a ceremony to appoint Viktor Yeimo as its new chairman to replace Buchtar Tabuni who is now on trial.

These new appointments are being made in accordance with the results of the  organisation's Extraordinary Congress which took place from 18 - 21 June 2012. Buchtar Tabuni  now occupies the position of chairman of the Chairman of the National Parliament of West Papua.

The position of deputy chairman formerly held by the late Mako Tabuni is now held by Agus Kosay, while Ones Suhiniap has replaced Agus Trapen as secretary-general . The new spokesperson of the KNPB is Wim Rocky Medlama.

Wim Rocky Medlama declared that the organisation would continue to pursue its policy of  calling for a referendum in Papua.

'We call on other organisations here in Papua to recognise the KNPB as the organisation that represents the aspirations of the Papuan people, in view of its intention to continue to call for the holding of a referendum.' he said. He went on to say that they will continue to refuse to register the organisation at  the Badan Kesbangpol  -police agency- in accordance with the efforts by the police and the provincial government of Papua to legitimise organisations in Papua.

'We adopt the position as mediator and stand side by side with the Papuan people. Since the establishment of our organisation, we have never registered with the authorities.' This was because the KNPB came into being following the recommendations of  the International Parliament of West Papua and the International Lawyers of West Papua.

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from tapol
3) KNPB: Buchtar Tabuni should be transferred to hospital for medical treatment
Bintang Papua, 23 August 2012

The National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) has urged the police authorities in West Papua to agree to the transfer of Buchtar Tabuni who is now in  custody and on trial to the special prison for narcotics offences  in order to ensure that he receives  the necessary treatment for a stomach complaint and low blood pressure.

Spokesman for the KNPB, Wim R. Medlama said that if he remains in a police cell, there is no guarantee that he will be able to get proper medical treatment.

The same matter was raised previously by Buchtar Tabuni during a court hearing in his own trial, shortly before Lebaran, the final days of Ramadhan.

The chairman of the panel of judges at the trial  said this was a matter for the police  and the prosecutor who are still engaged in getting him convicted of involvement in activities to cause damage to facilities in the prison where he was held.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Paniai branch of the KNPB strongly condemned the security forces, the TNI (army) and the police, for having conducted operations against the chairman of the KNPB, hunting down and arresting its members and urging that such operations should be immediately halted.

These shootings were taking place because Papuans continue to uphold the opinions they have held since 1961.

All the efforts being made such as the setting up a development agency known as the UP4B to improve the standard of living of the Papuan people will never halt the resistance of the Papuan people.

'The Papuan people will continue to wage resistance and the only way to end this is by holding a referendum in Papua,' he said.


[Translated by TAPOL]

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/08/24/minister-reveals-f-16-us-offer.html

4) Minister reveals F-16 US offer

A- A A+
Paper Edition | Page: 3
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro revealed Thursday that the second batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters offered by the United States would consist of 10 aircraft, breaking his previous silence.

Purnomo said the offer would be discussed with the House of Representatives as the aircraft require huge funds for upgrades.

“We must also report the offer to the Cabinet which makes the final decision,” he said during an Idul Fitri gathering at the ministry.

Earlier on Aug.15, Purnomo revealed the second batch offer, but declined to disclose the numbers involved, while Defense Ministry’s secretary-general Vice Marshal Eris Herryanto said the second batch “would be sufficient to form another squadron”.

Currently, Indonesia has 10 F-16A/B Block 15 fighters with operational capability upgrades (OCU) at the 3rd Squadron at the Iswahjudi Air Force Base in Madiun, East Java. Block 15 represents the oldest model while Block 60 is the most advanced.
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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=70419
RNZI Posted at 00:02 on 23 August, 2012 UTC
The New Zealand Indonesia Human Rights Committee says it will continue to lobby the Pacific Forum to push for West Papua’s independence.
A campaign for human rights and self-determination for West Papua began this week, with support from the ethical cosmetics brand, Lush.
Demonstrations are being held throughout stores in Australia and New Zealand, including hanging the Morning Star flag in shop windows.
Maire Leadbeater from the Indonesia Human Rights Committee says they will keep trying to get the Pacific Forum to stand up for the rights of West Papuans.
“Before Indonesia took control in the 60’s it was heading towards becoming part of the pacific community of nations, they still want to be part of the Pacific, it’s how they feel ethnically, culturally, geographically. So we always appeal to the forum. The last few years sadly, they’ve been deaf. It’s in the too hard basket for the more powerful nations in the Pacific Islands Forum, Australia and New Zealand, unfortunately the smaller nations who are more sympathetic and supportive, sometimes their voices just don’t get heard.”
Maire Leadbeater from the Indonesia Human Rights Committee in New Zealand.

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