Tuesday, January 5, 2016

1) Sutiyoso`s approach could be replicated in Papua: observer


2) Local Residents Cut Down Forests in Papua
3) Govt to take ‘soft approach’  in Papua
4) Papua has highest number  of election disputes: Constitutional  Court - 

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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/102345/sutiyosos-approach-could-be-replicated-in-papua-observer

1) Sutiyoso`s approach could be replicated in Papua: observer

Selasa, 5 Januari 2016 15:34 WIB | 653 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The approach adopted by State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Chief Sutiyoso to handle the Din Minimi-led armed rebel group in Aceh could be implemented in Papua, University of Indonesias political observer, Arbi Sanit, stated here, Tuesday.  

"This is the first time that the state is adopting a peaceful approach and dialog to counter separatism in the country," he pointed out.

The repressive approach earlier adopted by security forces has proven to be wrong and ineffective in solving conflicts.

On the other hand, the action taken by the BIN chief tends to be more political and considered to be a win-win solution as it provides space and opportunity to the opponent to engage in a dialog.

Moreover, the BIN, as the representative of the state, also provides what is needed by the rebel group.

"As long as they do not ask for something that could harm the countrys integrity, I think it will be wise to fulfill it," Sanit stated.

Peaceful approach and dialog should be adopted against separatist groups in Papua who have threatened the countrys security and integrity for years.

"I hope Sutiyoso also goes to Papua and finds a solution to the conflict there," Sanit affirmed.

In the process of delivering a peaceful solution, he suggested the government to involve international bodies as witnesses and mediators.

Specifically in Papua, Sanit has urged the government to involve a party that could represent the US government as the United States is concerned about the security situation in Papua in connection with its mining company, Freeport.

(Reporting by Indriani)

EDITED BY INE .
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MONDAY, 04 JANUARY, 2016 | 18:18 WIB
2) Local Residents Cut Down Forests in Papua
                             Logs being stacked on the side of the road between Wamena and Tolikara, Papua. TEMPO/Maria Rita
TEMPO.COJakarta - During a road trip from Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, to Karubaga District, Tolikara Regency in Papua, Tempo witnessed how local residents cut down forests and sold timbers and wood illegally on the side of the road. One meter cubic of timber is sold for Rp. 5.2 million.
Most of these woods and timbers were bought also by local residents. Expensive bricks and cement had urged residents to shift to using woods as their primary building material. In Papua, one sack of cement could cost up to one million Rupiah.
Tempo even witnessed first-hand how Nico Hisage, the 39 years-old driver of the double-cabin pickup truck that transported the Tempo team, acted as one of the illegal wood fencers.
"Madam, you must accompany me to pickup wood on the edge of the forest. Because you’re the only one I had transported from Tolikara, so we can use the flatbed," Nico said.
As the truck pulled up on the side of the road alongside a pile of wood, Nico jumped down and shouted. Minutes later, a man came and help Nico load the wood onto the truck. "That’s everything, take all of it," the man said.
MARIA RITA
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3) Govt to take ‘soft approach’  in Papua
Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Tue, January 05 2016, 6:14 PM -
The government said on Monday that it would prioritize a soft approach in addressing separatism, including by engaging in negotiation and dialogue, as well as the possibility of granting clemency and unconditional release to political prisoners. However, it added that it may still take a hard approach if met with resistance.

The instruction to use a soft approach was issued by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during a plenary Cabinet meeting on Monday.

“A soft approach will always be the priority of the government, since we believe that a soft approach is better than other means,” Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said after the meeting at the State Palace.

Pramono added the government would implement a similar mechanism to that used in handling the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), including the chance of granting amnesty and unconditional release, as stated in a 2005 presidential decree.

“The pattern used for resolving [issues related to] GAM, in line with Presidential Decree No. 22/2005 [on amnesty and unconditional release for GAM members], will be implemented in various regions,” Pramono said.

“However, if it is not possible because there are differences in terms of [political] views, including an intention to separate from the country, then the government will keep using a hard approach,” Pramono added.

National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said the President had indeed made the call to adopt the soft approach used in handling the GAM issue to settle separatism in other areas, including Papua, adding that Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan had been tasked with assessing whether granting amnesty was possible.

“Such a pattern was able to solve violence in Aceh,” Badrodin said. “However, if it is used to no avail and [a person] still carries out violence, stern action will be needed.”

In May, during his second visit to Papua, Jokowi said the release of political prisoners incarcerated in Jayapura was only the beginning.

At the time, Jokowi granted clemency to five prisoners as part of efforts to foster peace in the restive province.

“There will be a follow-up by granting clemency or amnesty to other [political prisoners] in other regions,” the President said, referring to around 90 political prisoners incarcerated nationwide.

Jokowi has also called on security personnel to promote dialogue with Papuan people in order to build mutual trust, saying he wanted to change the repressive security approach of the past to a development and welfare approach.

The move sparked mixed responses from activists, with some expressing doubt over how Jokowi’s administration would follow up. 

Budi Hernawan, a research fellow at the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), criticized the government for using a security-oriented approach in Papua instead of a social approach.

According to Budi, building mutual trust was indeed the key to addressing the Papua issue.

“Mutual trust is essential. Papuan people want to have dialogue with the central government. However, the two sides interpret dialogue differently,” he said on Sunday, adding that Papuans wanted a way to freely voice their aspirations, including political aspirations, where they could also discuss past human rights abuse cases in Papua.

According to Budi, assigning the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister to handle issues in Papua instead of the coordinating human development and culture minister or coordinating economic minister showed the government was still taking a security-oriented approach.


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4) Papua has highest number  of election disputes: Constitutional  Court - 
thejakartapost.com, Jakarta | National | Tue, January 05 2016, 9:13 PM - 
Papua has lodged the most regional head election dispute claims with the Constitutional Court, a court official has said.
“The highest number of requests for the handling of disputes on the results of gubernatorial, regental and mayoral elections on Dec.9, 2015, is from Papua, which reaches 16,” court spokesperson Budi Ahmad Johari said as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He further said that North Sumatra ranked second with 15 disputes. Meanwhile, Yogyakarta was the only region not to dispute its election results.
“Yogyakarta held three regional head elections but it lodged no election dispute,” said Budi.
After the simultaneous Dec. 9 regional elections, the court accepted election dispute claims until Dec. 26 and received 147 requests from132 regions.
One hundred and twenty-eight disputes were submitted by regent and deputy regent candidate pairs, followed by 11 submitted by mayor and deputy mayor candidate pairs, six by governor and deputy governor candidate pairs and one by observers of a regional election with only one candidate pair in Tasikmalaya regency. The one remaining election dispute, namely in Boven Digoel regency, Papua, was also not lodged by a regional head candidate pair.
Election dispute claims were lodged by governor and deputy candidate pairs in Bengkulu, Central Sulawesi, North Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Riau Islands and West Sumatra. (ebf)

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