Act of Free Choice is a success in postcolonial territorial disputes — Free West Papua

Dr. Martin Ira Glassner (1998) stated in his book : “The UN’s record in postcolonial territorial disputes is not good, with West Irian the solitary success. Source: Glassner, M. I. (1998) The United Nations at Work. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, page 270.

via Act of Free Choice is a success in postcolonial territorial disputes — Free West Papua

UNEP awards Indonesia for its ocean initiatives

Dr. Tonny Wagey and Elshinta Suyoso-Marsden | Tue, 03/02/2010 2:16 PM | Life. Jakarta Post

In late 2007, during the preparation for the World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Jakarta, the national committee paid a visit to Jusuf Kalla, then the vice president of RI, to inform him of this initiative.

Kalla asked a straight-to-the point question, “This is a good idea for Indonesia as we have vast amount of marine resources. But what United Nations Organization deals with marine issues, and if you know which one, do you have their support at this conference?”

Indonesia: new ambush targets Freeport personnel in militarized West Papua

Claims by Indonesia authorities that the killing of West Papuan rebel leader Kelly Kwalik last month would improve security in the province’s restive Timika region were dashed Jan. 24 when nine people traveling in a convoy of US mining company Freeport-McMoran were injured in an ambush. Papua police said gunmen fired at two buses and four other vehicles carrying Freeport employees and family members on the highway between the mine and Kuala Kencana town. The injured included one US and one South African national working at the Grasberg gold and copper mine, the teenage daughter of a mine employee, and four Mobile Brigade police officers. (Jakarta Globe, Jan. 25)

Foreign Investors to Rise Agriculture Investments in Papua

JAYAPURA, PAPUA

The Agriculture Department said more foreign and domestic investors are interested to food and agriculture potentials of Papua and China, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore are venturing opportunities to invest in food estate projects in the island.

Indonesia’s West Papua should use special autonomy status wisely: MP

JAKARTA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) — Indonesia’s West Papua province should use special autonomy status wisely to build the region, representatives of the region said on Tuesday.

Keerom district should be RI`s showcase on PNG border

Jayapura (ANTARA News) – Keerom district bordering Papua New Guinea (PNG) should be treated as the country`s “front yard” and therefore it should have adequate public facilities and a community welfare improved through empowerment programs, a regional official said.

Happy New Year

Due to an increase in the volume of commercial spam and cyberbullying, we’ve been forced to turn on comment moderation. We apologize for any inconvenience. We wish everyone a happy, prosperous and safe New Year.

Merry Christmas

What Child is this who laid to rest On Mary’s lap, is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate, Where os and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear: for sinners here, The silent world is pleading: Nails, spear, shall pierce Him through, ……

…The Cross be born, for me, for you: Hail hail the Word made flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,Come peasant king to own Him,The King of kings, salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone Him. Raise, raise the song on high, The Virgin sings here lullaby: Joy, joy, for Christ is born, The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Papua to donate cash, medicines for quake victims

Nethy Darma Somba , The Jakarta Post , Jayapura, Papua | Tue, 06 October 2009 3:56 PM | National

The Papua administration will send Rp 1 billion (US$ 100,000) in cash, and medicines worth Rp 200 million for earthquake victims in Padang and Jambi.

Violence in West Papua

Plainclothes police examine the body of a man who died in an attack on a police post in Jayapura, Indonesia’s Papua province April 9, 2009. Indonesia’s Papua province was hit by violence on Thursday, including an attack on a police post by about 100 people, hours before voting was due to start in parliamentary elections, police said. Police opened fire, killing one person, when the crowd attacked the police post in Jayapura with bows and arrows and petrol bombs, Papua Police Chief Bagus Ekodanto said by telephone. (Copyright: Reuters)

Demonstration in West Papua (Copyright: Antara)

Many thanks to Benny Wenda and all his British supporters for bringing suffering upon the West Papuan people. O Heavenly Father, we come to you with our heart full of fear. We are so afraid of where we will end up, we need your guidance and love at this moment. Please send us a miracle to bring peace to the place where we call home. Help us Father, please dont leave our sight. Be with us all the time…AMEN

Benny Wenda’s Racism

Indonesia is known throughout the world as an ethnic melting pot. This is something we should take pride in, not be embarrassed or angered about. Despite our history of segregation and racial and religious intolerance during the New Order era, we are the most diverse country on the planet. I don’t think it is any accident that after 1998 reform we are also the most successful country on the planet either.

People like Benny Wenda and Richard Samuelson want to divide our great country into ethnic groups with special rights and privileges. If we are to move forward as a nation, towards a greater good, we need to leave these fools in the dust bins of history.

There is, unfortunately, a select group who will continue to promote racial intolerance and hatred in West Papua such as Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC) in UK. By dividing Melanesian and Indonesian, Benny Wenda makes a high tension among people who live in West Papua. There are about 300 ethnic groups in West Papua, more than 2 millions Melanesian formed by 250 tribes and 1 millions  mixed Papuan and other ethnic groups, and 1 millions people migrate from about 50 different ethnic groups live harmoniously in  the peaceful land of Papua.

This is however another thing that makes Indonesia great, the freedom to be a “jackass” if you want to be. Please be careful with the intention of Benny Wenda’s racism

Papuan separatists held police officer for hours

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 03/29/2009 1:51 PM | National

A Papuan separatist group (TPN/OPM) had on Saturday held a Supiori police officer hostage for seven hours, confiscating his revolver, kompas.com reported on Sunday.

Papua police chief Bagus Ekodanto confirmed on Sunday that the incident occurred on Saturday and that the officer had been released and is currently at Supiori police station.

The benefits of conflict in West Papua for Benny Wenda

(West Papua Review)

It is very interesting how the benefits of conflict may also take on different forms as follow:

1. Economic profits
2. Political power
3. Psychological pleasure

A trustful sources from Oxford shared a shocking information about how Benny Wenda took a lot of benefits from false story about conflict in West Papua.

Jailed Aussie tourists free

The decision of  The High Court of Jayapura restores public trust and confidence in the justice system of Indonesia. I am glad that the influence of my blog is increasing in Indonesia because some rumors spread that my comment on the 5 Australian case was read by Indonesian authorities.

Here is the news

Jailed Aussie tourists to come home

From correspondents in Denpasar, Bali

March 05, 2009 10:47pm

(herald sun) AN Indonesian court has overturned the convictions of five Australians sentenced to prison for illegally entering West Papua in a light plane last year.

45% Indonesian population threatened by malaria

(West Papua Review) a correspondence from Jakarta send an email about an alert of Malaria endemic, including in the peaceful land of Papua. Here is the news:

Feb 16 2009 – As Indonesia now has numerous malaria endemic regions, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said about 45 per cent of its population is at risk of contracting the disease, Antara news agency reported Monday.

“424 of Indonesia’s 495 districts and cities are malaria endemic regions,” she said at a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR)’s Commission IX dealing with health affairs.

West Papua: A challenge for Democratic Indonesia

(West Papua Review)`February 08, 2009

Many lobby groups challenged the Australian Rudd government over its approach to human rights situation in West Papua.  AWPA, all together with some political opportunist like Paula Makabory and  Joe  Collins, have written to the Autralian Government either the Prime Minister Rudd or Foreign minister Stephen Smith asking for evidence that the government is taking real action to make the Indonesian military accountable.

My comment on the 5 Australian in Papua

What a bad luck for William Hendry Scott Bloxam (pilot), Vera Scott Bloxam (co pilot), Hubert Hofer, Karen Burke and Ket Rowald Mortimer (passengers). According to the news, those people violate flight approval,  security clearence and immigration. I believe that we must respect national law and international law for public safety and our own safety. The case of flight approval is very serious because it relates to the safety of people and flight traffict, so it should not happen again in the future, a hard punishment can be applied in accordance to the violation. Usually the law on this kind of violation will be related to a very large amount of fine and several years ban of flying licence.

As for the security clearance, it should not touch the very basic of human rights that people are free to move from one area to another. However, the law should also be respected. I personally disagree with the mechanism of  hard security clearance, beacuse it only applied in a conflict are like Gaza in Palestine or Iraq during the war. Papua is a peaceful land and the level of conflict is very low, so there is no reason for applying security clearance in a hard way. Security clearance can be applied normally as part of public safety, for example we can not bring any hazardous material or weapons in public transportation, especially aeroplane. We can not also bring anything than can harm public safety, for example we can not bring bombs by aeroplane to Australia, right? I have no information whether the people from Australia bring any dangerous things to Papua.

President Yudhoyono presents community empowerment funds to West Papua

Manokwari (ANTARA News) – During his first-ever working visit in West Papua, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is to present Rp154.72 billion in financial aid under the National Self-reliant Community Empowerment Program (PNPM) to the province on Thursday.

The assistance was to be handed to West Papua Governor Abraham Artururi when the president visits Mansinam island in Manokwari district.

The president was expected to arrive at Manokwari`s Rendani airport from Sorong at 9:30 am local time and inspect a command post of the Earthquake Disaster Management Coordination Unit (Satkorlak) at the Manokwari district head`s office.

West Papua gets Rp 1.1t in autonomy funds

Nethy Dharma Somba, THE JAKARTA POST, JAYAPURA

The Province of West Papua received Rp 1.1 trillion (US$100 million) in special autonomy funds in the 2009 budget.

Since its initial disbursement in 2002, the special autonomy fund,–the implementation of its special autonomy status based on Law No. 21/2001– was managed by the province of Papua. West Papua, however, officially separated from Papua to establish a new province in March 2006 by electing its own governor through a peaceful regional election.

The special autonomy fund for West Papua of Rp 1.1 trillion accounted for about 30 percent of the Rp 3.7 trillion received by the two respective funds for each province. The other Rp 2.6 trillion was earmarked to the province of Papua.

INDONESIA Church Gives Shelter, Food For Earthquake Survivors

JAKARTA (UCAN) — A Catholic church in Manokwari is giving shelter and distributing food for earthquake survivors after a series of powerful quakes hit the capital of West Papua province beginning on Jan. 4.

“More than 5,000 people fled their homes and took refuge in the compound of St. Augustine Church in Manokwari,” Father Aloysius Teniwut of Emmanuel Church in Sanggeng-Manokwari told UCA News by phone on Jan. 5.

The local Church has erected five large tents to accommodate hundreds of people — mainly children, mothers and elderly — and is distributing food among them, he reported.