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West Papua Report
November
2013

This is the 115th in a series of monthly reports that focus on developments affecting Papuans. This series is produced by the non-profit West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media accounts, other NGO assessments, and analysis and reporting from sources within West Papua. This report is co-published by the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN). Back issues are posted online at http://www.etan.org/issues/wpapua/default.htm Questions regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at edmcw@msn.com. If you wish to receive the report directly via e-mail, send a note to etan@etan.org. Link to this issue: http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/2013/1311wpap.htm

The Report leads with "Perspective," an opinion piece; followed by "Update," a summary of some developments during the covered period; and then "Chronicle" which includes analyses, statements, new resources, appeals and action alerts related to West Papua. Anyone interested in contributing a "Perspective" or responding to one should write to edmcw@msn.com. The opinions expressed in Perspectives are the author's and not necessarily those of WPAT or ETAN. For additional news on West Papua see the reg.westpapua listserv archive or on Twitter.

CONTENTS

This month's PERSPECTIVE covers the growing international movement for divestment in Freeport-McMoran. This reflects growing international concern on the mining operation's violations of human rights and ecological destruction in West Papua.

UPDATE looks at a new report that details the Indonesian military's use of U.S. and Australian provided aircraft to devastating effect on Papuan civilians in the 1970's. A plan to create new Papuan provinces will further disenfranchise West Papuans. Despite claims by the governor of Papua province, severe Indonesian government restrictions on journalists and other international visitors to the region remain in place. An Indonesian military-linked businessmen reportedly bribed Solomon Island officials in advance of Melanesian states consideration of a Papuan application for membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). International NGOs and others have written to the MSG urging the regional Melanesian organization to accept the application. Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) continues to face criticism.

In CHRONICLE we note the publication of two important books dealing with West Papua; new statements by ETAN and WPAT, and a new report on the impact of the proliferation of new political districts in Papua.


PERSPECTIVE

Divestment in Freeport-McMoRan Continues
by Ed McWilliams

The Swedish national pension funds have announced that it will exclude investment in the U.S.-based firm Freeport-McMoRan. For more than 40 years, the company has operated a massive copper and gold mine in West Papua. In a statement, Sweden's Ethical Council, which advises the pension funds, stated that Freeport was "linked to serious adverse environmental impacts that contravene the UN Convention on Biodiversity through its mining operation in Papua."

The Swedish decision follows a similar one by New Zealand's Superannuation Fund in 2012 . The New Zealand fund said that Freeport had "
been excluded based on breaches of human rights standards by security forces around the Grasberg mine, and concerns over requirements for direct payments to government security forces by the company..." In 2008. Norway's Ministry of Finance announced it had withdrawn more than US$25,440,000 in investments in company, because of "serious environmental damage."

 

A day of hiking down and across the delta some years ago revealed a moonscape of nearly barren terrain which was in stark contrast to the broader region's dense, pristine tropical jungle.


The Freeport mining operation deposits more than 200,000 tons of tailings into the Ajkwa and Otomona river systems which make their way eventually into the Arafura Sea. The tailing deposits, which include concentrations of copper, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and selenium, have created a massive artificial delta that extends over 20 miles to the sea. At various points, the deposit is more than four kilometers wide.

A day of hiking down and across the delta some years ago revealed a moonscape of nearly barren terrain which was in stark contrast to the broader region's dense, pristine tropical jungle. Only a single type of thin bladed grass grew sparsely on the surface which contained no insect life or bird activity. The starkness of the terrain was unlike a carefully managed half acre "garden" that Freeport established on the margins of the delta and which Freeport displayed to visitors to support its contention that the tailing deposits are not toxic. A man employed to maintain the Potemkin "garden" acknowledged to one visitor that the garden thrives on soil and nutrients introduced into the half acre by Freeport.

 
Freeport McMorRan's Gasberg mine dumps approximately 200,000 metric tons of tailings from its gold and copper operations each day into the Otomona and Ajkwa rivers. Photo by Jim Elmslie / Earthworks

Along the margins of the delta are broad stretches of dead and dying trees which have been smothered by the tailing deposits which frequently overflow flimsy dike systems built by Freeport. Many of the destroyed trees are sago trees, the pulp of which indigenous peoples have used for millennia as a food source. The original Ajkwa river is now a series of small streams which flow mainly along the eastern edge of the delta. They appeared to have no fish and were devoid of plant or algae growth. At various points the deep tailing deposits have been wind blown into mounds or bowls. The latter are hazardous to anyone who ventures out onto the delta. The fine tailing texture creates a quick-sand effect which can trap the unwary hiker.

At the Arafura Sea delta terminus, ocean currents are distributing the tailing deposits along the shore line where they are killing the dense mangrove forests which protect the shoreline and provide habitat for local fauna.

While the tailing deposits are the most obvious environmental consequence of the Freeport mining operation, the mining accounts for other threats to the environment and the local Amungme and Kamoro people. The mining operation has exposed vast areas of mineral-bearing rock. This rock, once exposed to the air and the regions heavy rainfall produces acid mine drainage which contaminates local water sources. The drainage is revealed in rainbow-colored rock faces located at the mine site, miles from the coast. Despite the distance, the contaminated water flows down to the coast where local people contend the contaminants have poisoned wells and shellfish, a staple in the coastal Kamoro people's diet.

The decision by responsible international agencies in Sweden, New Zealand and Norway to act in the face of Freeport-McMoRan's decades of environmental destruction points to an ethical path open to other investors who recognize the threat posed by the company's mining operation to the region's environment and its people.

see also

UPDATE

US-Provided Military Aircraft Were Key to 1970's Indonesian Assault on Papuans

 
 

An extensive report from the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) documents how thousands of West Papuans were killed in aerial raids in response to pro-independence uprisings in the aftermath of national elections in 1977.

The report -- The Neglected Genocide: Human rights abuses against Papuans in the Central Highlands, 1977-1978 -- describes mass killings which resulted from the use of cluster bombs and napalm, shooting from the air, and bombing in the vicinity of the Balim Valley during 1977. This operation was conducted by the TNI (Indonesian Army) based in Manuhua- Biak. A principal component of that onslaught were OV-10 Bronco military aircraft provided to the Indonesian military by the United States. The report states that two helicopters supplied by Australia were used during the operations.

Using historical records, field research and the testimony of survivors in 15 affected communities, the groups identified 4,146 victims of the killings but said the total number of victims who died from torture, disease and hunger as a result of the violence could be as high as 10,000. The report concludes that bombings and "indiscriminate shootings" occurred alongside "unspeakable atrocities including rape, torture and mass executions." Villagers were slashed with razors and forced to have sex in public. Some were buried, boiled and burnt alive. "While clashes with the Indonesian military were nothing new for the Papuans, what was happening in the Central Highlands during 1977-1978 was extraordinary in terms of the number of casualties as well as military officials and type of equipment deployed," according to the report.

Despite allegations of widespread human rights violations, the Indonesian government has never recognized or held anyone accountable for the mass killings and atrocities committed by the military in the late 1970s in West Papua.

WPAT Comment: During roughly the same period, the Indonesian military also employed U.S.-provided OV-10 Broncos in attacks against civilians in East Timor. The recent sale of U.S. Apache helicopters to the Indonesian military prompted concern among many observers that the ground was being laid for new assaults on civilians by the predatory Indonesian military, especially in the Papuan central highlands where military assaults which harm civilians continue.

New Plan to Divide Papuans

The Indonesian House of Representatives has approved a plan to create 65 new regional entities, including three new provinces in West Papua. The plan has drawn sharp criticism from a broad array of observers who called it a scheme to create opportunities for local officials to enrich themselves illegally.

The creation of new Papuan provinces (South, Central and Southwest Papua) has drawn particularly sharp criticism, including from Governor Lukas Enembe of Papua province. Andreas Harsono, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, said that breaking the island was not a solution to the problems there. "We know that Papua does not have sufficient human resources to support development," he said. "With this limitation there will be a lot of unqualified and incompetent civil servants employed, thus creating a poor-quality bureaucracy."

Papuan priest Socratez Sofyan Yoman said "The creation of new regions is based only on security and political motives. It groups Papuan ethnicities into different regions so they can't unite." He said the new regions could also create tension between indigenous Papuans and transmigrants.

Severe Restrictions on Access to West Papua Remain in Place

Claims by Papua Governor Lukas Enembe in September, seemingly endorsed by the military, that West Papua would be opened to foreign journalists and others have been proven to be bogus.

 

Journalists must apply to the Department of Foreign Affairs for permission to travel to West Papua, giving information about who they will interview, when and where. Their application is then considered at a so-called "clearinghouse" meeting, involving 18 Indonesian government departments.


Any hope for openness was squashed by the central government, according to The Age, as Jakarta still requires journalists to apply for special permits to go to West Papua. Specifically, journalists must apply to the Department of Foreign Affairs for permission to travel, giving information about who they will interview, when and where. Their application is then considered at a so-called "clearinghouse" meeting, involving 18 Indonesian government departments, including the police and military. Most applications for serious reporting are rejected. Even diplomats accredited to Indonesia must seek permission from the Department of Foreign Affairs to visit the region.

Fairfax Media has confirmed with the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs that the "clearing house" process remains the only legal route to West Papua. Journalists who travel without permission face being put on a blacklist banning them from future visits to Indonesia, and correspondents resident in Indonesia confront the possibility that their immigration status may be revoked.

Governor Enembe, who was elected in April, does not have the power to overturn the policy of the central government. His province is represented at the clearing house meeting by the Home Affairs ministry.

Australia's The Age reported on October 16 that following Enembe's statements, Senator Richard Di Natale from the Australian Greens, one of the Parliamentary Friends of West Papua group, announced he planned to go to West Papua and that he would "invite a delegation of journalists and human rights representatives" to join him on the trip.

WPAT Comment: Jakarta has long employed restrictions on media freedom and access to West Papua to hide human rights violations, and its colonial policies in West Papua. As pointed out by UN and other observers, such restrictions violate Indonesian commitments to various international covenants related to press and other freedoms to which Indonesia is party.

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Charges that Indonesian Military-linked Businesses Are Bribing Melanesian Officials

Credible allegations have emerged that Indonesians provided members of a Solomon Islands government delegation led by Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo with large amounts of cash during an official dinner. The Solomon Star newspaper on October 11 reported that an Indonesian military-linked businessmen provided the envelopes which contained cash payments up to $25,000.

West Papua Media (WPM) reported that a respected customary leader in the Solomon Islands described the latest revelations as proof of long-standing suspicions that Indonesia was corruptly interfering with Melanesian solidarity with the West Papua. The source told WPM that the action of the Prime Minister in arranging a unilateral visit to West Papua as "an affront to the Melanesian Way that is deliberately undermining the quality of what a properly constituted MSG [Melanesia Spearhead Group] fact-finding mission can uncover in West Papua." He added: "The Prime Minster is siding with Indonesia to cover up the crimes against the West Papuan people, by diluting the effectiveness of a multilateral fact-finding team to assess the real situation in West Papua."

Last June, the Indonesian and Fijian governments agreed to a multilateral visit to West Papua by MSG foreign ministers. The proposal led the MSG leaders to defer a decision on whether West Papua would be granted membership in the regional group. The visit of the foreign ministers will inform the decision regarding West Papua's application for MSG membership. Since June, however, serious doubts arisen regarding the transparency of the visit by the MSG Foreign Ministers is, or whether it will happen at all.

International NGOs, Others Support Papuan Application to Melanesian Spearhead Group

In October, 98 international NGOs and individuals (including The West Papua Advocacy Team and East Timor and Indonesia Action Network) wrote to the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) urging it to accept West Papua's application for membership in the organization. The joint letter also congratulated the MSG for its leadership in defending Papuan rights including the right to self determination.

Land Seizures by Government Development Scheme Prompt Criticism, Resistance

 
MIFEE concession. Photo from https://awasmifee.potager.org/?p=632.

A new analysis of the impact of the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE), a massive project which will industrialize vast stretches of indigenous land that provides the livelihood for local Papuans. Three Years of MIFEE: A Growing Movement Against Plantations in West Papua describes the plight of the indigenous people whose land has been seized with minimal or no compensation by Indonesian and foreign corporations. In addition to the loss of traditional lands that had been their source of sustenance, the local people must also deal with the effects of pesticides introduced by the project developers, which kill fish and sicken the people, especially vulnerable children.

Local people have sought to defend their lands but their efforts have prompted claims by corporate developers that they are "separatists," a false charge that raises the prospect of military repression.

This is one of three essays, evaluating MIFEE three years after its official launch in August 2010. The others are First Villages Feel the Impact as the Plantation Menace Spreads and As the Forest Is Felled Where’s the Rice?, a detailed examination of the state of the project.

The series concludes:

"Could it ever have been possible in a few short years to convert a vast forested wilderness with virtually no infrastructure into a vibrant centre for high-tech agro-industry?... But the act of presenting that dream has opened this frontier to the same crowd of logging and plantation companies that has already devastated Sumatra and Kalimantan. The food estate is still hanging on, but considerably less ambitious than originally planned. ... One way or another, the Malind people are facing a severe upheaval to their traditional way of life, which as they well know, is unlikely to do them any good."

 

MIFEE is undermining local self-sufficiency, throwing into doubt the government's national policy on food security based on promoting large-scale agricultural enterprises at the expense of local communities.


The Forest People's Program together with Sawit Watch and Pusaka, published a report on October 16 to commemorate World Food Day. A Sweetness Like unto Death is a detailed investigation into community attitudes towards one MIFEE company, Wilmar. Based on a field trip to affected villages in May 2013, the report is an in-depth assessment of how company has failed to seek the informed consent of all sections of the affected community. The report explores what the international principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent might mean in the West Papuan context. The study shows how MIFEE is "undermining local self-sufficiency, throwing into doubt the government's national policy on food security based on promoting large-scale agricultural enterprises at the expense of local communities." It notes also that cases of violence involving the Indonesian army have also increased as people are forced to give up their land, either to corporations or for the MIFEE project's supporting infrastructure.

In a separate World Food Day press release, 13 Indonesian NGOs called upon the Indonesian government to take steps to develop policies which make food sovereignty a reality in Indonesia. The groups called for an immediate halt the MIFEE project.

CHRONICLE

Two New Books Examine Papuans Plight

Freedom in an Entangled WorldA review essay published by the Political and Legal Anthropology Review (PoLAR) focuses on two recent books by anthropologists which examine the Papuan peoples struggle against colonialism. The two books Laughing at Leviathan: Sovereignty and Audience in West Papua by Danilyn Rutherford (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012) and Freedom in Entangled Worlds: West Papua and the Architecture of Global Power by Eben Kirksey (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2012). [Copies of Freedom in Entangled Worlds are available from ETAN, order here: http://www.etan.org/resource/books.htm#B98 Kirksey ]

Reviewer Judith Bovensiepen writes that both books "complement each other beautifully. While Rutherford gives a long-view of the paradoxes of the pursuit of sovereignty in the region, Kirksey focuses on more recent developments, including the failures and advances that West Papuan freedom fighters face."
 
Statements by ETAN and WPAT Ahead of APEC Summit

 

Senior U.S. officials should not meet with any Indonesian politicians -- including likely presidential candidates, such as retired generals Prabowo and Wiranto -- who have been credibly accused of human rights and other crimes.


ETAN and WPAT separately issued appeals to President Obama before his scheduled attendance the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali. President Obama ended up cancelling his trip because of the budget crisis in the U.S., sending Secretary of State John Kerry in his place.

ETAN called for a new relationship between Indonesia and the U.S. "built on an honest assessment of the bloody past. Instead of offering more weapons and more training to Indonesia’s military, President Obama should suspend this assistance until there is an end to abuses and real accountability for past human rights crimes." The group urged that senior U.S. officials "not to meet with any Indonesian politicians -- including likely presidential candidates, such as retired generals Prabowo and Wiranto -- who have been credibly accused of human rights and other crimes."

In its open letter to Obama, WPAT urged the President to highlight the issue of West Papua. Specifically, WPAT called for the U.S. to press for a halt assistance to the Indonesian security forces; press for open access to West Papua; and support efforts from within Melanesia to address the root causes of the conflict in West Papua. WPAT urged the U.S. to an end to human rights violations by Indonesian security forces in the territory. WPAT also urged the Obama administration to "press for a dialogue between the Indonesian government and West Papuan civil society, with international third-party mediation," calling it necessary to end "half a century of ongoing conflict."

Carving Up Papua

A new report from the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), Carving Up Papua: More Districts, More Trouble, looks at the impact of the creation of new political subdivisions of West Papua. The report concludes tht this process is changing to the balance of power between highlands and coast and "producing new conflicts and complicating the search for peace."

Minta Maaf, Say Sorry for 65

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In 1965-1966, up to a million Indonesians were massacred. Hundreds of thousands more were injured, disappeared, raped and imprisoned without trial. The United States and the United Kingdom secretly welcomed and supported the killings.

Link to the is issue: http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/2013/1311wpap.htm

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