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Brief narrative |
Under Indonesia, Papua’s Floods and Conflict
The following collection of articles depicts the current crisis arising from flood-related destruction and displacement as complex. Indonesian military occupation, deforestation and development, and consequent environmental disaster in West Papu (Iryan Jaya) converge as local tensions pique over a abuses often under reported—HLRN.
Papua Floods May Fuel Tensions Disaster in West Papua could add to local grievances as aid workers struggle to reach the affected areas.
Yasmine Ryan, Al Jazeera 7 October 2010
Relief workers say they are struggling to reach West Papuans hit by heavy flooding in the Indonesian province. Criticisms over tardy relief effort are already beginning to emerge from the region, where relations between the indigenous Papuans and the Indonesian state have long been difficult. There are fears that a failure to address the humanitarian crisis could add to tensions over the recent killings of indigenous Papuan protesters by the Indonesian security forces in the towns of Wamena and Manokwari.
Denny Yomaki, a humanitarian NGO worker, told Radio New Zealand International on Thursday that some of the flood`s victims felt the state was not doing enough to assist them. Aid workers told Al Jazeera the damage from the landslides has made it hard to reach the worst hit areas. Hundreds have fled or been evacuated from the devastated seaside town of Wasior to seek shelter in Manokwari, the province`s capital. Most are staying with extended family or in makeshift shelters on a military base, Ridwan, a member of the disaster management team for the PMI (Indonesian Red Cross), told Al Jazeera. The current situation is very difficult, it`s very difficult to reach Waisor, Ridwan said. Red Cross Barred Ridwan said that the conflict was not affecting his organisation`s relief efforts in West Papua, but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is restricted from working in the province, even in the aftermath of the recent disaster. It was forced to close its West Papua branch in April 2009, but is providing funding to the PMI`s response to the flooding. We are not actively present in the area for the present, Patrick Megevand, the spokesperson for the ICRC`s Indonesia delegation, told Al Jazeera.
The government told A Jazeera it had dedicated 200 million rupiah ($22,000) to the relief efforts following the flooding, which left at least 91 people dead and more than 800 others injured, many of them suffering broken bones. Maman, an officer at the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), said the government had sent tents, food and medical supplies to Wondama Bay, along with army, police, technicians and medical workers. A navy boat and three cargo ships have already set off for the area. The flooding comes at a time when calls for independence for West Papua and Papua are growing, especially in the wake of heightened US interest in the provinces. Indigenous Papuan leaders say that the special autonomy status granted by Indonesia in 2001 has been a farce.
Nick Chesterfield of West Papua Media told Al Jazeera that if the aid were felt to be insufficeint by those living in the stricken villages there is a risk it would enflame the tensions between the indigenous Melanesian populations and Indonesian security forces. West Papua has already been hit by two major earthquakes this year and the government-led relief efforts were very slow, Chesterfield said. He also warned that the aid effort could be compromised by anger over two separate incidents in which the police have killed local residents in recent weeks.
Police Killings
The latest alleged killing was in Wamena, a town in West Papua`s highlands, just days ago. Local authorities there have established the unarmed peacekeeping force, known as Balim Petapa, to keep away the Indonesian police, their proxies and militias, Chesterfield explained. Violence broke out after a group of people from the force confronted police at the Wamena North airport to demand an explanation for the seizure of a box of berets—their uniforms—along with 40 million Rupiah ($4,468) in cash. In the other incident, a priest, his wife and son were shot by Indonesian police in the city of Manokwari, which is close to the flooded areas. Reverend Naftali Kuan, his wife Antomina Kuan and their 23-year-old son Setinus were shot by police on September 15 as locals protested a hit-and-run road accident by a member of the security forces, who fled to police headquarters after accidently running down an elderly Papuan woman on his motorbike. In the days after the shootings, thousands of protestors took to the streets. Indonesian soldiers were sent in to quell the demonstrations. Manokawri has been one of the hotbeds for independence for years, Chesterfield said. If the Indonesian army doesn`t put down its guns and pick up its shovels, there`s going to be a lot of tensions there.
Original article: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia?`VioId ?VioAuthor ???VioOrganisation???VioLocation ???VioContactEmail???VioTitle???ongoing?VioEviction ?VioDemolition ?VioDispossession?VioPrivatization?VioHousingPublic?VioHousingPrivate?VioHousingCommunal?VioLandPublic ?VioLandPrivate?VioCommunal ?VioRespauthority?VioWater?VioEnergy ?VioOthers ???VioDate]VioToDate ]VioRegionId ?VioCountryId ?VioCity???VioTotalVioTotal_to VioMenVioWomenVioChildren ?VioDisabled ?VioDisabled_text???VioElderly ?VioElderly_text???VioIndigenous ?VioIndigenous_text???VioMigrants ?VioMigrants_text???VioRefugees ?VioRefugees_text???VioIDPs?VioIDPs_text ???VioPersonsOthers???EvictionLossesLEvictionLossesHDemolitionLossesLCheck?DemolitionLossesLNum-pacific/2010/10/2010106124332102360.html ****
U.S. Envoy Disappoints Papuan Activists by Not Probing Abuses
Nivell Rayda, JakartaGlobe 7 October 2010
Jakarta—Papuan activists said they were disappointed that U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel did not investigate human rights violations during his visit to Papua this week. “We truly appreciate that Western countries are starting to pay attention to Papua, particularly after the flood,” Salmon Jumane, of the Forum for Democracy in Papua, told the Jakarta Globe. “But the ambassador should have also addressed cases of violence from military oppression and police extra-judicial killings.” His comments came after three members of the Papuan Caretakers Movement (Petapa) were shot and killed on Monday after a dispute at an airport. Marciel this week met Papua leaders to evaluate the province’s special autonomy. The meeting came after senior U.S. officials last month pledged to look into allegations of abuse in the restive provinces of Papua and West Papua. On Wednesday, the ambassador met Agus Alue, speaker of the Papuan People’s Consultative Assembly (MRP), to discuss implementation of the special autonomy program. “The United States wanted to see firsthand the developments in Papua, particularly in the field of education and health,” Marciel said on Wednesday. On Thursday, he went to several locations and held talks with local NGOs. Marciel also visited flood victims in Wasior, West Papua. S
almon said that although it had been almost two years since the last armed conflict between security forces and members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM), cases of violence against unarmed civilians, activists and journalists in Papua continued to intensify. The latest incident on Monday was in the remote city of Wamena, where police stationed at an airport shot and killed three people and arrested several others. There have been conflicting reports as to what had happened, particularly whether those who were shot had been armed.
Provincial police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wahyono said Petapa members were attacking officers with stones and sharp objects after some passengers refused to have their bags checked. But Dominikus Sorabut, from the Papuan Customary Council (DAP), said the men were only shipping berets as part of the Petapa uniform and police had confiscated the bags because they also contained Rp 40 million ($4,480) in cash. “Petapa coordinator Amos Wetipo then came to the police station to reclaim the shipment. There was a quarrel after police refused to return them despite finding no contraband like the Morning Star Flag,” Dominikus told the Globe. Police abruptly opened fire and captured Amos and another Petapa official, while other officers chased those who ran away, Dominikus said. Amos and Petapa official Frans Lokobal were shot for supposedly refusing to step down from a police truck en route to Jayawijaya district police headquarters. T
he DAP also sent pictures to the Globe of Ismail Lokobal, 34, who was shot and killed in front of the DAP office, one kilometer from the police station, as he was running from the police. The pictures, which cannot be published due to their graphic nature, show that Ismail was shot in the chest. Poengki Indarti, executive director of Jakarta-based human rights group Imparsial, demanded a full investigation into the shootings and urged Jakarta to end oppression of the indigenous people of Papua. “Jakarta has to change its paradigm and stop exerting violence against non-violent movements and peaceful demonstrations,” she said. “Incidents and conflicts like these can be easily resolved through dialogue or legal means, not through bloodshed.”
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/us-envoy-disappoints-papuan-activists-by-not-probing-abuses/400176
Wasior Flood Blamed on Deforestation
Nethy Dharma Somba and Markus Makmur, The Jakarta Post 9 October 2010
The flash floods in Wasior, West Papua, that have so far claimed 110 lives, were caused by environmental damage in upstream areas, where much of the natural forests had been converted for mining and plantation purposes, activists said Friday. In a joint press conference, activists from the Green Indonesian Institute, Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Pusaka called on the government to review policies on natural resource management to avert future ecological disasters.
“The ecological disaster in Wasior should serve as serious warning for the government to reassess its policies on massive exploitation of natural resources,” Green Indonesia Institute chairman Chalid Muhammad said. “The policies must calculate the environmental impact of forestry activities,” he said. Data from the Institute shows the annual deforestation rate has hit 254,460 hectares in West Papua province, where exploitation by forest concession holders (HPH), mining and illegal logging had increased during the autonomy era, including in Wasior’s upstream a?`
Activities in West Papua are reportedly responsible for 25 percent of the country’s deforestation, where as of 2010 the government had awarded licenses to 20 HPH holders with total concession areas of 3.5 million hectares, 16 permits to mineral and coal mining companies covering 2.7 million hectares, 13 licenses to oil and gas companies for 7.1 million hectares and 219,021 hectares for plantation firms, Chalid said. “If there is no review of existing licenses, the threat of future ecological disasters in West Papua will remain very high,” he said. Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the floods were caused by illegal logging, and added that he found some 200,000 square meters of illegal logs in Sorong, West Papua. Expansion of office and housing facilities into forest areas was another cause of flash floods in Wasior, which is part of the Wondoboi forest reserve, Forestry Ministry secretary-general Hadi Daryanto said. Indonesia has suffered a number of deadly flash floods in recent years, including one in Bahorok district, North Sumatra, that killed at least 157 people in 2003. Jatam coordinator, Andri S. Wijaya warned that aside from ecological disasters, the increased presence of extractive industries in West Papua would exacerbate conflicts with indigenous people in Papua. Adianto P. Simamora from Jakarta contributed to the article.
Original article: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/10/09/wasior-flood-blamed-deforestation.html |
