2 March, 2007
Latest on Timika Shootings August, 2002
Who is really responsible for the August, 2002 Timika Shootings? Listen to former United States Indonesian based Diplomat, Ed Williams (MP3 3) and West Papuans speak on the FBI cover up. Audio Friday 2 March, 2007 - "The Wire (http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2007-03-02#1)". MP3 1 - MP3 2 - MP3 3.
After listening to these audio MP3s, it is evident that FBI Investigators have engaged in "Wilful Blindness", in support of a corrupt of a corrupt Indonesian regime, for crass political gain.
10 January, 2007
WEST PAPUA: Trouble in the Highlands
By: Matthew Jamieson
Wednesday 10 January 2007
A humanitarian crisis is emerging in the Punjak Jaya region of West Papua. Local human rights workers report that thousands of people fled the regions of Tingginabbut, Yamu, Illu and Mulia Ambat in mid-December and have gone into the jungle. No figures are available at this stage, but it is believed thousands of people have been displaced.SEE COMPLETE ARTICLE. (WORD (doc) FORMAT)
19 December, 2006
Five years of special autonomy have brought no improvements - Human rights situation has got worse
Report by Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy - December 19, 2006
16 November, 2006
Truth, West Papua and Indonesia: 2 + 2 really can = 5
By Adam Henry - posted Thursday, 16 November 2006The enigmatic Jakarta Lobby is “… an informal group of like-minded people who regard Indonesia as a special case”. It is not a clandestine conspiracy, but an alliance of elites although some would deny the group’s very existence.
The Jakarta Lobby operates from a position of privilege within the Australian establishment. Pro-Jakarta advocates have long recognised the dangerous potential for human rights violations in West Papua to become a major diplomatic issue. Fearful of being placed on the ethical back foot, as they had been with East Timor, such advocates have been emerging at regular intervals from within the diplomatic establishment to deliver their message.
The recent Lowy Institute report Pitfalls of Papua, and its endorsement by Paul Kelly (The Australian, October 7, 2006) are but the latest outcomes of the Pro-Jakarta PR campaign.
Cunningly intelligent Pro-Jakarta adherents must condemn the very notion of West Papuan self-determination, but also publicly refrain from asking the most basic human rights questions over the situation in West Papua.
One of the most significant examples of the Pro-Jakarta call-to-arms was a speech made earlier in 2006 by the Australian Ambassador to the US, Dennis Richardson. Its significance is all the more enhanced when one realises that the very top echelons of the Department of Foreign Affairs must have vetted its contents.
I believe that the ambassador's speech outlined the tactics that would be used to defend the unrepresentative vision of Australian-Indonesian relations constructed by the exclusive elites of the Jakarta Lobby
The recent past - a call to arms
On March 8, 2006 the Ambassador Richardson who is a former director–general of ASIO, addressed The US-Indonesia Society: a group founded in 1994 to counter negative perceptions after repeated TNI (Indonesian National Defence Forces) human rights violations in East Timor.The powerfully connected lobbyists of the US-Indonesia Society have been described as Indonesia’s “… second Embassy in Washington”. The former director general of ASIO ridiculed the existence of any Australian Jakarta lobby. He said only “some Australian commentators” maintain the existence of a Jakarta Lobby “… who conspire together to pervert Australia’s national interests (this includes) all government officials who have either served in Indonesia, or who have worked on Indonesia in Canberra.”
To deflect criticism over human rights and corruption concerns Richardson placed Jakarta in the frontline in the fight against terrorism and praised the transformation of Indonesia into an apparently utopian example of democratisation and cultural tolerance.
Indonesia, in some people’s view, becomes a philosophical ideal beyond the cognitive capacity of critics. Even the subtext of the word “Indonesia” becomes an unquantifiable virtue “… beyond government”.
Therefore no matter what the situation in West Papua, or for that matter other eastern islands of the Indonesian archipelago, Richardson’s position means that our political support should never “… be allowed to be held hostage to issues such as (Indonesia’s) corruption and (West) Papua.”
Richardson’s commitment to the values of democratic liberties struggling to take root in Indonesia is required to balance the negative “… voice of critics (which are) always the loudest”. He implies that he, and the audience, are the true oppositional grouping tasked with rescuing Jakarta from policies diluted by unsympathetic foreign policy critics.
In the audience was the Indonesian Ambassador to the US, Sudjadnan Parnohadin-Ingrat, who was previously the Ambassador to Australia. Sudjadnan was the secretary to the Indonesian Task Force during the 1999 United Nations independence ballot in East Timor.
Richardson’s pleas for unquestioning support for Indonesia are essential given the manner in which Indonesian elites such as Sudjadnan make use of the critical silence from Australia.
Questioned by The Washington Diplomat on Indonesian human rights Sudjadnan responded to an estimate that the TNI “… may have killed up to 200,000 Timorese during Indonesian rule”. Sudjadun made no effort to dispute the figure seeing them as mere casualties of a secessionist war. As he said “… If (only) about 200,000 out of 220 million people (wanted to secede) I don’t think this is very serious”.
I believe East Timor under Indonesian rule (1975-1999) is comparable to the Killing Fields of Cambodia. There can be no doubt that intelligent men like Richardson are not ignorant of statistics. After independence in 1999 a UN report concluded “… human rights violations were massive, systematic and widespread … starvation, arbitrary executions, routinely inflicted horrific torture, and the organized sexual enslavement and sexual torture of Timorese women were the hallmarks of the Indonesian authority and 183,000 est. Timorese starved or died of illness as a consequence of TNI-Kopassus actions during Indonesian rule.”
When a powerful man like Richardson holds that nothing should hinder the Indonesian dream, we like Sudjadnan, possess enough understanding of the English language to comprehend the underlining significance i.e. issues like corruption and human rights are mere sideshows.
Richardson’s style of commitment to Indonesia ignores the validity of human rights concerns over the actions of the TNI. Instead of using his speech to separate himself from Sudjadnan’s East Timor 2 + 2 = 5 proposition I believe that, maybe unwittingly, Richardson urges unquestioning and principled support of Jakarta Lobby policies. Many efforts are now being made to build on his lead.
The present - the Jakarta lobby attacks
Paul Kelly wrote a characteristically expert opinion piece in The Australian (See “A new diplomacy over Papua”, October 7, 2006). Kelly enthusiastically endorsed the Lowy Institute Report, The Pitfalls of Papua, as the virtual final word on the West Papua debate.The main purpose of the article would appear to have been to discredit grass roots activists and ordinary citizens motivated by the norms of international law, a concern for human rights and the ethical quality of Australian diplomacy.
According to Kelly these are the ignorant people who might be actually moved to feel sympathy for the plight of Papuans suffering Indonesian military oppression. As I read it in Kelly’s assessment they are a clear threat to the unquestioned goal of good relations with Jakarta.
He parrots Rodd McGibbon’s conclusion that genocide cannot be used to describe policies employed by the Indonesians against Papuans.
Despite Kelly’s ringing endorsement of the report it is interesting to note what he failed to analyse. Rodd McGibbon at least concedes that there has been a systematic pattern of human rights violations by Indonesian security forces since the 1960’s.
To place this into perspective Ed McWilliams, a retired US Senior Foreign Service Officer, believes, “… a death toll of 100,000 (in West Papua) is entirely consistent with the savage record of this institution (TNI). The murder rate was augmented in the 1970s by provision of OV-10 Bronco aircraft, which were employed against civilians in both East Timor and West Papua.” Even in the absence of the smoking gun of genocide, the Indonesian human rights record in that province is abysmal.
Kelly rightly points out there are differences between East Timor and West Papua that deserve analysis, but again fails to analyse his conclusions correctly.
Due to the presence of the Freeport Mine the scale of TNI corruption and business interests in the forestry sector is much greater than in East Timor. The two nationalist movements also differ in structure, unity and cohesiveness. The ethnic and linguistic diversity of Papuans is a factor. In common though is the reality of human rights violations. This commonality is not due to the loud and unsympathetic critics, but in my view to the inability of the TNI to not kill reluctant Indonesian citizens in large numbers.
Rewriting the past - the need to forget
The Jakarta Lobby argued for 25 years of the unending benefits of an Indonesian East Timor. Human rights concerns were dismissed as exaggerations or just ignored. When Paul Keating visited Jakarta in 1991 he praised the rise of Suharto’s “New Order” government as the most beneficial event to Australian security since World War II.The 1965 massacres that established the New Order were then presumably beneficial in much the same way as Kokoda.In 1965 American embassy officials, with the help of the CIA, compiled lists of suspected high-ranking communists within Indonesia that were handed to the Indonesian army. According to the CIA, 1965 was one of greatest massacres and significant events of the second half of the 20th century to be compared with Stalin’s purges, the mass murder of the Nazis during World War II and the Maoists in the early 1950’s.
Such was the carnage that the US Embassy advised Washington that it did “… not know whether the real figure is closer to 100,000 or 1 million (dead) but believed it wiser to err on the side of lower estimates, especially when questioned by the press”.
The US attitude toward the mass killings was indifferent. Howard Federspiel formerly of the Bureau of Intelligence & Research (US State Department) remembered that: “No one cared, as long as they were communists … No one was getting very worked up about it”.
Hundreds and thousands of political prisoners (Tapols) were also jailed in the years after 1965-66. Historian Gabriel Kolko compared 1965 with the Nazis during World War II, and historian Peter Dale Scott has argued that the communist coup myth rests on many sources with “… prominent CIA connections”.
At the end of the bloodletting the Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt stated, “With 500,000 to a million Communist sympathisers knocked off … I think it is safe to assume a reorientation has taken place.” At least this truthfully expressed the scale of death required to create the preferred western political climate of stability in Indonesia.
Keating’s speech made no reference to the historical realities of 1965, but it may be speculated that Suharto understood clearly. Journalist Glen Milne (The Australian, April 25, 1992) saw that “… Keating had passed the first test of his leadership, successfully driving Australian-Indonesian relations beyond the policy straight jacket of East Timor”.
Australian journalists continued to be supportive of the regime but a year later Suharto was overthrown by a widespread citizen reform movement.
Political language - it’s logic Jim, but not as we know it
Critics of the Jakarta Lobby were labelled anti-Indonesian, ignorant or just garden-variety racists. Such is the Lobby group’s mentality that NGO’s, human rights activists, the Catholic Church, critical media reportage and even Portugal were roundly condemned by the group for the violence perpetrated by the Indonesian military throughout the 80’s and 90’s in Timor.Two Dili massacres occurred in November 1991 and the commentaries of Pro-Jakarta advocates just demonstrated their extreme political language and mentality.
The death toll was actively minimised while the second massacre was ignored. Greg Sheridan and Richard Woolcott, a former Ambassador to Indonesia, actually blamed Portugal for provoking the atrocity.
Former ANU Economics Professor Heinz Arndt lamented in The Australian, “… that the massacre was a tragedy, not because of the loss of life but because it inflamed anti-Indonesian hate campaigns in Australia”.
Such commentaries seemingly implied that the unarmed dead were an extreme anti-Indonesian stunt by Timorese, who selfishly placed themselves in the path of innocent Indonesian automatic gunfire. The entire event of course staged solely for the domestic benefit of those meddlesome Australian do gooders who sympathised with the plight of the East Timorese.
In regard to 1965, Aceh, East Timor and now West Papua, the Jakarta Lobby lack the moral courage in their ethical position to acknowledge that one must accept murder and atrocity so long as it brings about a potential climate of advantageous diplomatic relations with Jakarta.
To be unquestioning of the merits of the Jakarta Lobby approach to Indonesia is to suspend belief in logic and to obscure human suffering. To be critical of the Indonesian military for its documented and appalling human rights record is not anti-Indonesian. Its urgent reform is required as much for ordinary Indonesians, and their fledgling democracy, as is for the future of human rights in the eastern Indonesian islands.
When George Orwell noted “Political language … is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind” he highlighted the ethical blackhole of the so-called necessary or noble lies used to pursue short-term political gain.
People who support such tactics demonstrate the ongoing wisdom of Orwell’s philosophical insights.
8 November, 2006
West Papua
Downer signs Security Pact with Indonesia
20 October, 2006
SPECIAL REPORT INSIDE INDONESIA'S TROUBLED PROVINCE –
SECRET COUNTRY, SATURDAY REPORTCry freedom: Papua's plea to world
Indonesia correspondent Mark Forbes was one of three Age journalists recognised at last Friday night’s UN Association of Australia Media Peace Awards. Forbes’ report on Papua, “Cry Freedom: Papua’s Plea to the World”, won the best print (news) category, while photographer Jason South received special commendation for a photo taken after the Java earthquake in June. Russell Skelton won best story in the promotion of Aboriginal reconciliation category for “The Murder Capital of Australia”. Fairfax journalist Paul McGeough’s story “Death and Democracy — The Uncertainty of Life since 9/11” was named best print (feature). Friday 20, October 2006
SEE THIS ARTICLE (WORD (doc) FORMAT).
28 July, 2006
Indonesia Responds by Mobilizing 14,000 Troops on PNG Border
Indonesia has, in the past few months, mobilized an estimated 14,000 troops on the Papua New Guinea border. This has resulted in growing tensions in the whole New Guines region.
The WPNGNC has received credible reports that there have been incursions by Indonesiam troops across the border into PNG.
The Indonesians have also moved Armoured Personnel Carriers and other heavy equipment to the boeder region.
I recent months the PNG Military have cleaned out illegal Indonesian loggers out of the North Western PNG border areas. The Indonesian Military have been running illegal logging businesses in both West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Some of the money from these illegal enterprises has been used to fund Laskar Jihad, Jemaah Islamiah and the Phillipine based Abu Sayyaf Group. All of these are extreme fundamentalist Islamic groups.
The corrupt Michael Somare, PNG Government, has had to play a delicate balancing act in its dealings with the Indonesians. There is widespread support for the plight of the West Papuans from most of the Papua New Guinea population.
The Somare government is facing the polls in a few months and is heading for a major defeat.
There have been a number of incidents of Indonesian Military incursions into PNG in the last couple of years.
28 July, 2006
Indonesian Death Hit Squad Agents Captured in PNG.
Up to ten BIN (Indonesian Intelligence) Indonesian Agents were either killed or captured operating inside Papua New Guinea. Sources have advised the WPNGNC that this Hit Squad was operating on direct instructions from the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and BIN. It is believed that documents verifying the paper trail have been captured.
The WPNGNC believes the incident occurred in May, 2006 close to the PNG border area with West Papua.
The Death Squad Agents were sent to PNG to murder Siti Pandera Wanggai, the wife of one of the 42 West Papuan refugees given temporary refugee protection in Australia.
Siti Pandera Wanggai was coerced by Indonesian Intelligence, acting upon direct orders from the Indonesian President, into making a statement that her four year old daughter had been kidnapped by her husband, Yunus Wainggai, and forcibly taken to Australia.
Below is an article from Melbourne Age which details Mrs Wanggai's plight.
28 July, 2006
See this transcript below of an ABC Lateline Program Shown on 27 July 2006 - The Australian ABC has been the subject of a Hoax.
The so-called 14 Star Group (and remenants of the Presidium or PDP) is a fake organization which the WPNGNC believes is sponsored by Indonesian money. It's intention is to cause confusion amongst West Papuan independence supporters. Do not be fooled by hoaxers and frauds, the fight for West Papuan independence continues......
The meeting, which was held in Medang, as detailed below, did not represent the OPM and those who attended had no authority to claim any such representation.
The Commander in Chief of the OPM is Kelly Kwalik and the meeting detailed below definitely was not attended by Mr Kwalik, who is also the President of the WPNGNC.
27 July, 2006
Defender of Democracy
Cartoon of Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Head of Army.
No Sorries ...
Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Indonesian President Yudhoyono.
West Papua
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Prime Minister John Howard discussing
the plight of West Papuan refugees.
As Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Downer is responsible for all Australia's Diplomats
and is the Minister responsible for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. See this link.
1st June, 2006
International Commission of Jurists
Australian Section
Media Release (ICJ Forum Sydney)
27 May, 2006
West Papua
Amanda Vanstone Wainggai Papua asylum
16 April, 2006
Justice Bulu upholds Order to deport Ayamiseba (Issue 1701)
By Lora Lini - Vanuatu Daily PostPosted on 16 Apr 2006
Supreme Court judge Ham Bulu has upheld the expulsion Order made by the Minister for Internal Affairs, George Wells, to remove West Papuan Andy Ayamiseba from the country. The judgment was delivered last Friday. Ayamiseba was deported on April 8 under Section 17 A of the amendment of the Immigration Act which states, “a non-citizen may be deported if the Minister in his opinion decides that the person is involved in activities detrimental to national security and public order.” The Minister for Internal Affairs, George Wells had told media earlier that the decision to deport Mr Andy Ayamiseba was purely based on his residential status in the country and his involvement in national politics but had nothing to do with the West Papuan people’s struggle. Lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Ayamiseba have filed an appeal immediately after the judgment and requested a stay order on the enforcement of the judgment. James Tari from Trans-Melanesian Lawyers confirmed an appeal has been filed and should be listed along with other appeals to be heard when the Appeal Court sits on May 22. Trans-Melanesian had submitted that the exercise of the powers by the Minister under Section 17 was unfair and lacked reasonable supporting evidence. Solicitor General Dudley Aru stood firm to say that the Minister’s order was made after seeking the opinion of appropriate authorities. He said in the opinion of the Minister, after seeking various other opinions he came to the conclusion Mr Ayamiseba be deported because of his activities which were deemed to be “detrimental to national security and public order”.
12 April, 2006
International Commission of Jurists
Australian Section
ICJ Position Paper on West Papua
Refer to THIS link.
Note:-
"This ICJ Report acknowledges the 1969 so-caloled Act of Free Choice was a sham. It did not meet the terms of the 1962 New York Agreement between the Netherlands and the Republic of Indonesia, nor did it meet the international standards for a genuine act of self-determination."
"After the formation of the Indonesian State in 1949, the Dutch had retained West Papua and had started to prepare the people of that territory for independence, organising elections and recognising a flag. After Indonesia took over the administration of the territory in 1963, they banned the West Papuan flag and abolished the elected representative National Council. Indonesia proceeded to stage-manage the “Act of Free Choice."
"Under the terms of the New York Agreement, Indonesia was supposed to consult representative bodies on the procedure to be followed. Under the agreement, all adults were to be eligible to participate in the act of self-determination, which was to be conducted in accordance with international practice. In fact, Indonesia relied on councils whose members it appointed, to select additional members to ‘represent’ all West Papuans. No democratic elections were held. No referendum took place. Altogether about 1,025 of these selected ‘representatives’ met in eight separate regional meetings under tight military control, where they expressed their wish for integration with Indonesia rather than independence. The UN, which was supposed to advise and participate in the arrangements, in fact looked on helplessly. Australia prevented two West Papuan leaders from travelling to the United Nations in New York to explain this travesty and to present the case for independence.
By these means, the West Papuan people were denied their right to self-determination. Australia has never condemned it."
"Since 1969, the West Papuans have been subjected to many human rights violations at the hands of the Indonesian military and security forces, their traditional lands have been occupied by large numbers of transmigrants from other parts of Indonesia, their resources have been exploited mainly for the benefit of others (in particular by the Freeport Mine) and their environment has been degraded by mining activities. The symbolic act of defiance in raising the West Papuan flag carries heavy prison sentences.
As a result of military crackdowns at various times, many thousands of West Papuan refugees have fled across the border into Papua New Guinea, and many remain there. ICJ Australia visited PNG on three occasions to assess the situation of these refugees. (See Seeking Refuge; the Status of West Papuans in Papua New Guinea, Report of the January 2003 Joint Mission of ICJ Australia and the Australian Council for Refugees to Papua New Guinea, 2003, and earlier reports)."
"Indonesia does not permit independent human rights bodies to visit West Papua, a factor which has prevented ICJ Australia from visiting the province to learn first hand about the situation."
"Requests for visits by the special procedures of the (now replaced) UN Commission on Human Rights have had no response.
In 2005 ICJ Australia met in Sydney with a senior office holder of the Fellowship of Baptist Churches of West Papua. He informed us about recent and continuing abuses committed against the people of West Papua by Kopassus (Indonesia’s special commando forces), including intimidation, imprisonment, torture, rape, killings and disappearances. These are fully described in a report he presented to ICJ Australia: Systematic Genocide of the Indigenous People of West Papua under Special Autonomy, Melbourne, 15 April 2005. That representative returned to West Papua and has recently informed ICJ Australia of further violent incidents, threats and intimidation, directed against himself and others.
The numerous violations of human rights committed by the Indonesian forces, including extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, arson, destruction and theft of property, have been well documented, for example:
Indonesian Human Rights Abuses in West Papua: Application of the Law of Genocide to the History of Indonesian Control, Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, Yale Law School, November 2003
Genocide in West Papua? The role of the Indonesian state apparatus and a current needs assessment of the Papuan people by John Wing with Peter King. A report prepared for the West Papua Project at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney, and ELSHAM Jayapura, Papua. August 2005."The above is an extract from the ICJ report - yet it promotes "Special Autonomy" with Indonesia. The West Papuans have not been consulted on this issue.
West Papuans will settle for NOTHING short of full Independence from the entity known as Indonesia (West Papuans do believe that Indonesia even deserves status as a country) Indonesia has been an occupying force in West Papua since 1963.
The ICJ Report continues to promote "Special Autonomy" as the future for West Papua. Who asked or consultued with the West Papuans?
The ICJ promotes the views of the so called "International Crisis Group" which advocates "Special Autonomy". When did this so called "International Crisis Group" consult with West Papuans? The simple answer is that it hasn't.
This "International Crisis Group" was formed and funded entirely by large corporations like Freeport, BP who have a vested interest in raping the natural resources of West Papua. It is headed by former Australian Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans. This is the same Gareth Evans who supported the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor for so many years. This is the same Gareth Evans who negotiated the infamous "'Timor Gap" resource apreement with Indonesia.
The so called "International Crisis Group" is an organisation formed and funded by "Big Business" in order to promote its own self interests.
The WPNGNC has written to this so called "International Crisis Group" about its promotion and support for "Special Autonomy", but as yet, we have received no reply and we doubt that we ever will.
So called experts on Indonesia and West Papua, like Sidney Jones, are a joke and have no authority to promote their ideals of the interests of West Papuans for the simple reason that West Papuans have not been consulted.
See this link on Gareth Evans sell out of the East Timorese to indonesia.
See also this link to a John Pilger article on the same issue.
A newspaper photograph - which was to become infamous - showed that the deal was done. On 11 December 1989, Gareth Evans and his Indonesian counterpart, Ali Alatas, signed the Timor Gap Zone of Cooperation Treaty, while flying over the Zone in an RAAF aircraft (while drinking champagne). See this link (pdf file).
In order to determine for yourself, how compromised this so called "International Crisis Group" really is, by "Big Business" and their supporting governments and their financial backing, read this drivel written by so called Indonesian expert Sidney Jones. See this link.
See also the so called International Crisis Group 'donors". See this link.
Note also the CIA front organisations, such as - The Carnegie Corporation New York, The Ford Foundation.
8 April, 2006
West Papua
West Papuans SBY Yudhoyono decide
4 April, 2006
West Papua
Sudhoyono SBY diplomacy Australia cartoon West Papuans
25 March, 2006
West Papua
SBY wants Papuans asylum seekers back Indonesia
29 March, 2006
See Main Index (Home) Page for SBS Dateline program - 29 March, 2006. A DVD of this program has already been produced by the WPNGNC. It is also important that films and documentaries be maintained for historical purposes.
Snapshots of the latest Dateline program of 29 March, 2006 will be posted on this site over the next few days.
We have been fortunate enough to obtain copies of an ABC Four Corners program "Blood on the Cross" shown on 12 July, 1999 and 60 Minutes program "Mountain of Gold" shown on 4 June, 2000 and have converted them to dvd format.
We also have in our documentary archive.
West Papua Militia - SBS Dateline shown on 16 March, 2005.
Garuda's Deadly Upgrade - SBS Dateline programs on 30 March, 2005 and 17 August, 2005 on the murder of Idonesian Human Rights Activist Munir Said Thalib.
Inside Indonesia's War on Terror - SBS Dateline 12 October, 2005.
Land of the Morning Star - Documentary on West Papua by Mark Worth - poisoned by the Indonesians.
Birth of a Nation - Documentary on East Timor and first elections.
18 March, 2006
For the latest on the Jayapura and Timika demonstrations see the main index under - Jayapura Demonstrations 16 March 2006.
A 42mb news clip video is available for download.
3 March, 2006
Andy’s (Ayamiseba) deportation submission to Vanuatu Supreme Court awaiting decision
By Gabriel Vusi - The ni-Vanuatu
Posted Friday, March 3, 2006The Supreme Court of Vanuatu has notified Solicitor General, Dudley Aru, and lawyer Felix Laumae, from Trans Melanesian Lawyers, after the hearings over the matter of, Andy Ayamiseba’s, deportation on the 9th of February 2006 out from Vanuatu by State Internal Affaires Minister, George Andrew Wells, that the final determination over the matter would be given on the 30th of March 2006 at 4pm, at port Vila court house.
Justice Hamilson Bulu from the Supreme Court, said because of court busy schedule and also the court needs more time to carefully consider both submissions submitted by the claimant (Andy Ayamiseba) represented by, Felix Laumae, and the defendant (George Andrew Wells) who was represented by Solicitor General, Dudley Aru, before the final determination.
The West Papuan activist, Andy Ayamiseba, has filed statements against his deportation order, after returning to the country on the 10th of February 2006 that had been refused by authorities responsible to allow him through Solomon Islands and Australia without proper documents. In his submission to court for judicial review over the deportation order through, Felix Laumae, requesting the Supreme Court of Vanuatu to “quash Andy Ayamiseba’s deportation order, to prohibit Minister George Wells, from deporting him out of Vanuatu again,” and for the government of Vanuatu to pay charges for defamation when no valid reasons proven for his deportation. The submission to court is to challenge the deportation order constitutionally.
During the argument of the claimant before the court on February 22 & 23, 2006, Felix Laumae, told the court that the decision for deporting, Andy Ayamiseba, by Minister George Wells, unlawful, and solely based on political grounds and speculation. Mr. Laumae, said no evidence by the claimant that could be proven imminent treat to Public Security, Defence and Public order. He said the claimant alleged Minister Wells has failed the principles of Natural Justices, and questioned if his move was in good faith and fairness. “Whatever laws passed, Natural Justice should be there.” Laumae said Article 17 (a) of the Immigration Act, which the Minister’s decision based at, does not take away the Constitutional right under Article 5 of the Constitution of Vanuatu.
Felix Laumae, said the Minister has acted in unappropriated information by First Political Advisers namely, George Bongiri, from Prime Minister’s Office, and Joe Bongmal Carlo, from the Ministry of Internal Affaires, and eight other people including George Wells. He said all information provided by them in relation to deportation order were all bias and faithless full of opinion and political grounds, and has not proven imminent evidence as a national treat to National Security, Defence and Public Order. Mr. Laumae said if the court grants deportation order lawful, it would be harder in practical sense for investors be attracted to Vanuatu because any Minister for Internal Affaires in future may abuse his power in accordance to article17 (a) of the Immigration Act, to deport foreigners without notice, and at the same time allows an open door for a minister, based in his opinion, political grounds and speculation, may remove non-citizens out from Vanuatu whether in this government or in any future governments. This is for the first time Article 17 of the Immigration Act has come to scrutiny. Felix Laumae requested the court to grant the case of the claimant.
Meanwhile the defendant Solicitor General, Dudley Aru, said before the court, additional statements were filed on the 15th and 20th of February 2006 by ten officials from government ministries, departments and government sections, identifying facts of the involvement of the claimant in internal politics of Vanuatu. In some of these statements read before court, the claimant had involved lobbying with members of parliament to support the motion of West Papua in Parliament session to pass, but these lobby went beyond as far as lobbying with parliament members over the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Vanuaroroa Ham Lini, that could disturb the stability of the national Government.
It also been said the claimant had applied to Police authority for a demonstration to be held in port Vila to call the Australian government to accept West Papuans to Australia. Acting Police Commissioner Aurther Caulton, through his professional capacity, Andy Ayamiseba, forced the authorities to follow his interest (Public Order), according to Dudley Aru, during defence proceedings in court. The defendant submission to court has responded to each issue defending the Claimant claim filed before court. The defendant said the order is lawful because the claimant is a non-citizen and the order has been properly processed and approved first by the Council of Ministers before the minister took action to remove the claimant out from the country. And also the Minister has the power to remove non-citizen from Vanuatu without notice in accordance to article 17 (a) of the Immigration Act. The order, which now challenged is lawful and does not preached the constitution of Vanuatu and the principles of Natural Justice as claimed by the Claimant. Mr. Aru said the claimant claim filed before court is for judicial review and not for constitutional review to deal with articles inside the constitution, and said if the claimant should file a different proceedings and this case should be dismissed.
Despite these arguments, Ni-Vanuatu paper understands that there is a wording-loophole on article 17 of the Immigration Act, which amended in 2004, to “Prohibit” non-citizens, for involving in activities that would disturb the National Security, Defence and Public order in the republic of Vanuatu. The first prime minister of Vanuatu, Walter Hyde Lini, had deported, Andy Ayamiseba, at one time for involving in internal politics of Vanuatu.
WPNGNC COMMENT:- Representatives of the Vanuatu government must be reading this web site - scroll to the bottom of this page and see, what Mr Ayamiseba and the so called Dr John Ondawame have been up to, in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
When Mr Ayamiseba was deported from Vanuatu, the plane first stopped at the Solomon Islands, where he was refused entry and the plane then continued onto Brisbane, Australia, where he was again refused entry and promptly sent back to Vanuatu.
1 March, 2006
FW: Congress of Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared. ni
Mar 01, 2006 23:36 PST
Forwading on:Nick Chesterfield
-----------
Jakarta 2nd March 06Dear Friend;
I received email below here from my friend, Wilson. He is a former student activist, he's currently organising a national congress of Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared.
It's important to send our solidarity to them, in few word.
You can also contact Wilson at wil-@praxis.or.id
<mailto:wil-@praxis.or.id>Thank you very much for your attention.
Best Regards
eko waluyo
Re: Invitation and Call for Solidarity Message on the Occasion of the
2nd Congress of the IKOHI,
Indonesia
Dear friends,
First let me introduce our organization, the Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared (IKOHI). IKOHI was established by the victims and relatives of victims of disappearances on September 23, 1998. It was only 4 years later that we were able to conduct our 1st Congress in October 2002.Besides our work in the local and national level, IKOHI has also been part of the international struggle against disappearances, as since 2003 IKOHI has been the member of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD).
Soon, IKOHI is going to carry out its 2nd Congress on March 7-10, 2006 in Makassar, Central Sulawesi. The Congress will be attended by some 100 victims and families of victims of human rights violation representing the branches of IKOHI, networks and victim's communities from all over Indonesia, including Aceh and Papua.
The theme of the 2nd Congress is "Developing and Strengthening Organization of Victims of Human Rights Violation to Fight for Justice and Truth and Combating Impunity".
The Congress is aimed at consolidating members and networks, strengthening solidarity among victims, uniting platform, mission and vision of IKOHI for achieving justice, truth and reparation, and ending impunity.Participated by 100 representatives from branches and networks in 12 provinces in Indonesia, the Congress as the highest decision making body will gather for 4 days in Makassar of the capital of the eastern province of South Sulawesi to formulate the constitution and by-law, strategic long term programs, election of national executive and resolutions on Truth Commission, Human Rights Court and Impunity. The Congress will be opened with the opening remarks of the Attorney General, Mr Abdulrahman Saleh and ended with the rally to the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) in Makassar to express solidarity with the victims of the Bloody April Incident in 1996 (AMARAH), and Bloody May Incident in 2004 (MEMAR) that took lives of the pro democracy students in the area.
During the opening ceremony, IKOHI as the organization of the victims of human rights violation will also >give an IKOHI Award to the late Munir for his bravery and consistency in fighting along with the victims for truth, justice and reparation.
In regards to this, we are inviting you to attend the said activity as an observer. However, due to the limited fund we have, we will only be able to shoulder your accommodation during your stay in the 2nd Congress.
However, if you are not able to attend, we are calling for you or your organization to send us your solidarity message to the said activity. The said solidarity message can be sent via email address:
kemba-@yahoo.com
<http://by103fd.bay103.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&a=33f0740735bf918ffa04676316a60d93b0bdc14bcbf184881f40167021f4e577&mailto=1&to=kembalikan@yahoo.com&msg=792A7EB2-52F4-4F06-9B56-9A80B1144740&start=0&len=94796&src=&type=x>
or the fax number:
+62-21-31904733.We are looking forward to hearing from your response soon.
In solidarity,
Mugiyanto
Chairperson
DISAPPEARANCES, NUNCA MAS!
Ikatan Keluarga Orang Hilang Indonesia - IKOHI
Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared
Jl. Borobudur No. 14, Jakarta 10320
Telp/Fax: +62-21-31904733
Email: kemba-@yahoo.com
<http://by103fd.bay103.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&a=33f0740735bf918ffa04676316a60d93b0bdc14bcbf184881f40167021f4e577&mailto=1&to=kembalikan@yahoo.com&msg=792A7EB2-52F4-4F06-9B56-9A80B1144740&start=0&len=94796&src=&type=x>,
Web: www.ikohi.org
JAKARTA - INDONESIA
2 February, 2006
URGENT APPEAL
Dear friends,
I just got a telephone call from West Papua saying that Jonah Pengu Wenda was arrested by the Indonesian Police at 9.30 am Papua time yesterday
morning, Thursday 30 June 2005 in Abepura (Trikora football field) with two other students. They are all now in Jayapura Police station (Polres Jayapura).The reason why they were arrested yesterday was because they were preparing for the 1st July anniversary. On 1st July 1971, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) raised
the Morning Star West Papuan independence flag and declared that the Papuan people would resist their incorporation into Indonesia by the fraudulent 1969 Act of "Free" Choice.It was Jonah Pengu Wenda who mobilised all students and the wider West Papuan community to come together at the Trikora field to express their views and hopes by praying, singing and dancing. While they were praying the Police came straight away without warning, not asking anything. They just took Jonah and the other students to the Police station.
They were just praying, singing and dancing in Trikora field to express their views peacefully. They did not use any violence. It was in the same field last December that Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were arrested by the Indonesian Police for raising the Morning Star flag.
I need all West Papua's friends around the world please to ring the Police in Papua to encourage them to release Jonah Pengu Wenda and the two other students who were arrested by the Indonesian Police in Jayapura, West Papua.
You can phone Indonesia from UK for 15p per minute by first dialing 0905 306 0197, then the international number. West Papua is 9 hours ahead of GMT. However the phone will often be answered 24 hours so just ring when you can.
The most important thing is just to say the prisoners' names a lot, even if they don't understand English, and make it clear you are phoning from abroad.
Some Indonesian phrases you can use (pronunciation guide in brackets):
Saya telepon tentang . (Sy-ar telepon tentang..) - I am telephoning about ...
Hati hati (Harti harti) - Be careful
Kami jaga lihat anda sekarang. (Karmee jargar leehat anda seykarang) - We are watching you now
Saya dari Inggris. (Sy-yar dary Ingrees) - I am from England
Kamu pratikan baik kesehatan mereka, minum, makan dan keselamatan mereka. (Karmu prateekan bike kay-say-hartan meraykar, minum, makan dan kay-selamtan meraykar) - Treat them well, give food, water and look after them
Kami tahu apa yang lakukan di lembaga. (Karmee tarhoo apa yang larkookan dee lembarga) - We know what you do in the prison
Kami adalah teman mereka. (Karmee ard-ar-lar tayman meraykar) - We are their friends
Papua Merdeka! - Free Papua!
You can phone Jayapura Police station on: 00 62 967 531717
00 62 967 533763 (fax)Prison Cells: 00 62 967 531830 (fax)
Police Intelligence:Â 00 62 967 531829.
Police Commisioner: 00 62 967 531014 or 00 62 967 533396
===========
Thank you,
BW
Benny Wenda
Chair of DeMMaK (The Koteka Tribal Assembly)
International Lobbyist in the UK for a Free West Papua
PO Box 1409 Oxford OX4 1UN England UK
Mobile: +44 (0) 7791629782
Email: bwenda@infopapua.org
Web:Â http://www.infopapua.org
Web:Â http://www.westpapuanews.com==========
Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign
Oxford, U.K.
2 February, 2006
Greetings everyone;
The WPNGNC is vitally concerned that a pro-autonomy West Papuan group has captured politically a leading pro independence member of the US Congress Mr Eni Faleomavaega.
The vast majority of native West Papuans support independence from Indonesia and not autonomy with Indonesia. This bill supports autonomy for West Papua and subverts the political aspirations of native West Papuans.
We therefore call on all people WHO LOVE WEST PAPUA TO WRITE OR FAX OR PHONE MR FALEOMAVAEGA TO TELL THEM THAT IT IS INDEPENDENCE AND NOTHING ELSE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE WEST PAPUANS ASPIRE TO. THE OPM ALSO SUPPORT THIS POSITION.
WPNGNC Aust Admin
30/7/2005
>From Hendrick C. Ajamiseba working with US Congressman Eni Faleomavaega
of America Samoa.###########################################################
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 28, 2005
Washington, D.C. -- United States House of Representative passes H.R. 2601, the State Department Authorization Bill
Congressman Faleomavaega announced that the U.S. House of Representative passed H.R. 2601, the Department of State Authorization Act for FY 2006 with a vote of 351 to 78 in favor of the bill. This bill included historic language submitted by Congressman Faleomavaega and Congressman Donald Payne regarding West Papua. Excerpts from Congressman Faleomavaegaâ?Ts floor statement following the passage of this significant bill appear below.
At the outset, I want to first extend my congratulations, and I commend the good people of Indonesia for having achieved this new milestone in their political development towards a democratic form of government. I commend the newly elected President of Indonesia, President Yudhoyono, and I wish him well in all his efforts to fight corruption and bring about democratic reforms in the new government.â?
Congressman Faleomavaega emphasized the role of Indonesiaâ?Ts Pacific neighbors in addressing problems in West Papua:
It is my sincere hope that the Australian Prime Minister will seriously rethink his governmentâ?Ts policy towards West Papua New Guinea, and I urge all Pacific nations of the Forum Organization not to turn their backs on West Papua New Guinea. As former colonies themselves, the Forum nations should take the matter of West Papua New Guinea before the United Nations for re-examination, especially regarding the faulty policies that were implemented by the United Nations towards West Papua New Guinea in years past.â?
History has been kind neither to the people of Indonesia nor to thepeople of West Papua New Guinea. Under the military dictatorships of Presidents Sukarno and Suharto, some 1 million Indonesians were brutally murdered, similar to the killing fields in Cambodia under Pol Pot. And by the same token, since the military takeover of West Papua by the Indonesian Army in 1969, approximately 100,000 West Papuans were murdered and tortured; and it continues even as I speak today. In fact, according to human rights reports and West Papuans themselves, approximately 300,000 to 400,000 West Papuans have been murdered, tortured to death, and have disappeared at the hands of the Indonesian military.â?
I am delighted to say that this bill requires Secretary Rice and the Department of State to reexamine the special autonomy law that was supposed to give autonomy to West Papua. It is my understanding that the autonomy law that was passed by the Indonesian parliament, while substantive, is worth nothing more than the paper that it was written on. The autonomy law is nothing but a sham, a complete farce, and the Indonesian government should be ashamed of its actions.
Drawing attention to ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated against the indigenous people of West Papua, the Congressman continued:
We cannot allow the repeat of history. Rather, we must work to ensure that the central government acts in concert with the needs of the indigenous people of West Papua. Human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian military over decades, including those related to environmental degradation, still continue today. Under the repressive regimes of Presidents Sukarno and Suharto, military brutality continues. The Indonesia military and special forces have in the past 3 years alone murdered 81 indigenous Papuans, tortured, beaten and jailed 34 more Papuans, displaced some 6,393 families from their homes, and burnt down 23 churches and 370 traditional houses.For too long, the cries of the West Papuans have fallen on deaf ears, and I pray that with the concerted attention of the Congress the international community will support this effort.
With the passing of H.R. 2601, Congressman Faleomavaega continues his pursuit of international support and attention for the people of West Papua. This represents an important step for the U.S. Congress on the road to gaining justice for West Papuans.
----------------------------------------------------
Today the United States109th Congress has passed:
H.R. 2601: Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007Below is the Section relating to Indonesia & West Papua
21 SEC. 1015. DEVELOPMENTS IN AND POLICY TOWARD INDO-
22 NESIA.
23 (a) STATEMENT CONGRESS RELATING RECENT
OF TO
24 DEVELOPMENTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, REFORM.--Con-
AND
25 gress--HR 2601 RH
274
1 (1) recognizes the remarkable progress in democ-
2 ratization and decentralization made by Indonesia in
3 recent years and commends the people of Indonesia on
4 the pace and scale of those continuing reforms;
5 (2) reaffirms--
6 (A) its deep condolences to the people of In-
7 donesia for the profound losses inflicted by the
8 December 26, 2004, earthquake and tsunami;
9 and
10 (B) its commitment to generous United
11 States support for relief and long term recon-
12 struction efforts in affected areas;
13 (3) expresses its hope that in the aftermath of the
14 tsunami tragedy the Government of Indonesia and
15 other parties will succeed in reaching and imple-
16 menting a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the long-
17 standing conflict in Aceh;
18 (4) commends the Government of Indonesia for
19 allowing broad international access to Aceh after the
20 December 2004 tsunami, and urges that international
21 nongovernmental organizations and media be allowed
22 unfettered access throughout Indonesia, including in
23 Papua and Aceh;
24 (5) notes with grave concern that--HR 2601 RH
275
1 (A) reform of the Indonesian security forces
2 has not kept pace with democratic political re-
3 form, and that the Indonesian military is subject
4 to inadequate civilian control and oversight,
5 lacks budgetary transparency, and continues to
6 emphasize an internal security role within Indo-
7 nesia;
8 (B) members of the Indonesian security
9 forces continue to commit many serious human
10 rights violations, including killings, torture,
11 rape, and arbitrary detention, particularly in
12 areas of communal and separatist conflict; and
13 (C) the Government of Indonesia largely
14 fails to hold soldiers and police accountable for
15 extrajudicial killings and other serious human
16 rights abuses, both past and present, including
17 atrocities committed in East Timor prior to its
18 independence from Indonesia;
19 (6) condemns the intimidation and harassment
20 of human rights and civil society organizations by
21 members of the Indonesian security forces and mili-
22 tary-backed militia groups, and urges a complete in-23 vestigation of the fatal poisoning of prominent human
24 rights activist Munir in September 2004; andHR 2601 RH
276
1 (7) urges the Government of Indonesia and the
2 Indonesian military to continue to provide full, ac-
3 tive, and unfettered cooperation to the Federal Bu-
4 reau of Investigation of the Department of Justice in
5 its investigation of the August 31, 2002, attack near
6 Timika, Papua, which killed three people (including
7 two Americans, Rick Spier and Ted Burgon) and in-
8 jured 12 others, and to pursue the indictment, appre-
9 hension, and prosecution of all parties responsible for
10 that attack.
11 (b) FINDINGS RELATING PAPUA.--Congress finds
TO12 the following:
13 (1) Papua, a resource-rich province whose indig-
14 enous inhabitants are predominantly Melanesian, was
15 formerly a colony of the Netherlands.
16 (2) While Indonesia has claimed Papua as part
17 of its territory since its independence in the late
18 1940s, Papua remained under Dutch administrative
19 control until 1962.
20 (3) On August 15, 1962, Indonesia and the Neth-
21 erlands signed an agreement at the United Nations in
22 New York (commonly referred to as the ``New York
23 Agreement'') which transferred administration of
24 Papua first to a United Nations Temporary Execu-
25 tive Authority (UNTEA), and then to Indonesia inHR 2601 RH
277
1 1963, pending an ``act of free choice . . . to permit
2 the inhabitants to decide whether they wish to remain
3 with Indonesia''.
4 (4) In the New York Agreement, Indonesia for-
5 mally recognized ``the eligibility of all adults [in
6 Papua] . . . to participate in [an] act of self-deter-
7 mination to be carried out in accordance with inter-
8 national practice'', and pledged ``to give the people of
9 the territory the opportunity to exercise freedom of
10 choice . . . before the end of 1969''.
11 (5) In July and August 1969, Indonesia con-
12 ducted an ``Act of Free Choice'', in which 1,025 se-
13 lected Papuan elders voted unanimously to join Indo-
14 nesia, in circumstances that were subject to both overt
15 and covert forms of manipulation.
16 (6) In the intervening years, indigenous
17 Papuans have suffered extensive human rights abuses,
18 natural resource exploitation, environmental degrada-
19 tion, and commercial dominance by immigrant com-
20 munities, and some individuals and groups estimate
21 that more than 100,000 Papuans have been killed
22 during Indonesian rule, primarily during the Su-
23 karno and Suharto administrations.
24 (7) While the United States supports the terri-
25 torial integrity of Indonesia, Indonesia's historical re-
HR 2601 RH
278
1 liance on force for the maintenance of control has
2 been counterproductive, and long-standing abuses by
3 security forces have galvanized independence senti-
4 ments among many Papuans.
5 (8) While the Indonesian parliament passed a
6 Special Autonomy Law for Papua in October 2001
7 that was intended to allocate greater revenue and de-
8 cision making authority to the Papuan provincial
9 government, the promise of special autonomy has not
10 been effectively realized and has been undermined in
11 its implementation, such as by conflicting legal direc-
12 tives further subdividing the province in apparent
13 contravention of the law and without the consent of
14 appropriate provincial authorities.
15 (9) Rather than demilitarizing its approach, In-
16 donesia has reportedly sent thousands of additional
17 troops to Papua, and military operations in the cen-
18 tral highlands since the fall of 2004 have displaced
19 thousands of civilians into very vulnerable cir-
20 cumstances, contributing further to mistrust of the
21 central government by many indigenous Papuans.
22 (10) According to the 2004 Annual Country Re-
23 port on Human Rights Practices of the Department
24 of State, in Indonesia ``security force members mur-
25 dered, tortured, raped, beat, and arbitrarily detainedHR 2601 RH
279
1 civilians and members of separatist movements'' and
2 ``police frequently and arbitrarily detained persons
3 without warrants, charges, or court proceedings'' in
4 Papua.
5 (c) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.--
6 (1) REPORT ON SPECIAL AUTONOMY.--Not later
7 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
8 Act and one year thereafter, the Secretary of State
9 shall submit to the appropriate congressional commit-
10 tees a report detailing implementation of special au-
11 tonomy for Papua and Aceh. Such reports shall in-
12 clude--
13 (A) an assessment of the extent to which
14 each province has enjoyed an increase in revenue
15 allocations and decision making authority;
16 (B) a description of access by international
17 press and non-governmental organizations to
18 each province;
19 (C) an assessment of the role played by local
20 civil society in governance and decision making;
21 (D) a description of force levels and conduct
22 of Indonesian security forces in each province;
23 andHR 2601 RH
280
1 (E) a description of United States efforts to
2 promote respect for human rights in each prov-
3 ince.
4 (2) REPORT ON THE 1969 ACT OF FREE5 CHOICE.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
6 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall7 submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
8 report analyzing the 1969 Act of Free Choice.
23 January, 2006
West Papuan Refugees
On 18 January, 2006 a boat load of refugees from West Papua landed at Janey Creek, north of the Aboriginal community of Mapoon, Cape York, Queensland,
Australia after a six day journey from Merauke, West Papua.
The group consisted of thirty six adults and seven children. All are believed to be safe and in good health.
The West Papuan refugees has since been transported to the Australian Christmas Island detention centre.
The WPNGNC calls for the prompt processing of the West Papuan refugees and the granting of refugee status of all the individuals, who landed in Cape York.
See setails below:-
West Papuan asylum seekers on Cape York
Wednesday, 18 January 2006
A Torres News exclusive by Corey Bousen and Damian Baker.
Photos by Damian Baker
The simple hand-painted sign on the outrigger, crudely tied to poles below the rebel West Papua Morning Star flag, said it all: “Save West Papua people soul from genocide”.
A boat load of 43 asylum seekers from the Indonesian controlled province of West Papua were found around 2pm on Wednesday, 18 January, by Coastwatch on the Western coastline of Cape York. Their discovery followed earlier reports that the occupants of the traditionally built boat were overdue after departing their homeland by sea five days earlier.
The Torres News, travelling by helicopter from Thursday Island, arrived at the site at around 4.30pm and was the only Australian media able to reach the remote landing site at the Janie Creek campground about 30 km north of Weipa. Travelling to the site was illegal as it was subject to a hasty no-fly ban imposed by the Commonwealth Government, although this was unknown at the time by the helicopter pilot chartered to fly the Torres News to the scene.
Torres News photography gives the appearance of the asylum seekers being in good health, despite travelling for 5 days in the 25-metre wooden outrigger, which was open to the elements.
Upon the Torres News helicopter landing, three Queensland Police officers – who said they were working under instructions from the Commonwealth’s Customs department – were quick to block access to the asylum seekers who were about 50 metres away. The West Papuans were subsequently moved by government officials to prevent the Torres News from taking further photographs.
The 43 West Papuan asylum seekers shortly after their arrival on the Australian mainland.
An ABC Online report on last night said the asylum seekers – comprising 30 men, six women and seven children – were undergoing health checks and would be housed at the Weipa Beach Front Lodge and Camping Ground for the night.
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said she was pleased that the vessel had arrived safely and was due to make a further statement later today (Thursday, January 19, 2006).
The WPNGNC has issued a press release in support of all West Papuan refugees.
See section on West Papuan Refugees.
12 January, 2006
Alleged Australian Military Intercepts Confirm Indonesian
Military Involvement in August 2002 Timika Shootings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Australian Government must come clean on its intelligence knowledge of the August, 2002 Timika shooting murders of two American teachers. (See article below.) The American FBI must also be given the opportunity to interview Australian Intelligence Officers in the Australian Defence Signals Directorate, which routinely monitors Indonesian Military radio communications. The FBI is currently investigating the murder of the two American teachers and has requested extradition of the offenders. The FBI must also be given the opportunity to access the US controlled Pine Gap intelligence information.
There is overwhelming evidence that Indonesian Military and Militia organized and carried out the August, 2002 shootings of the two Americans and the WPNGNC has previously proposed the following question:-
Why was Police Chief Pastika taken off the case by the Indonesian Government?
The answer is obvious - His investigation would have concluded, that, the Indonesian Military orchestrated the Freeport Mine ambush on the Americans.
There is one more important fact - Pastika, who was responsible for the investigation of the Bali bombings, was from Bali not Java.
Javanese make up the majority of the Indonesian military.
This Timika incident bears a striking similarity to the 1975 Balibo Five incident which resulted in the murder of five Australian, British and New Zealand journalists at the hands of the Indonesian Military. Australian Military intercepts of Indonesian Military radio signals during the 1975 Balibo incident were suppressed at the direction of the 1975 Whitlam Government. The Indonesian Officer who ordered the shooting of the five journalists in 1975 rose to the position of Minister for Information in the Indonesian Government. He was responsible for funding the Indonesian sponsored militia in East Timor and was directly involved the 1999 sacking of East Timor. He is a war criminal.The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has been compromised and is a security risk to Australia. They appear to be as keen as ever, to pander to the interests of the ruling Indonesian Elite and Corrupt Military.
In recent years a senior former Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Official, resident in Indonesia, was convicted of pedophilia and committed suicide in a Indonesian prison.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs is a known hotspot for pedophiles. It is also known that these individuals, with pedophile tendencies, seek out postings to some Asian countries (particularly Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia) because of the easy access to young individuals.
It has also been reported to the WPNGNC, that an Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Official, was given twenty four hours to leave China, in the mid 1980's for inappropriate sexual activity with young Chinese citizens. This individual has since left the diplomatic service and pursued a higher profile career.
The WPNGNC has been provided with a first hand account where $5,000 cash in US currency was paid as hush money in the early 1990's. This payment was preceded by, a roughing up of the individual involved, by a Chinese gentleman of "sumo" type proportions.
It is also well known that many of the Indonesian Military Elite maintain young boys for sexual favours. This was made known to the WPNGNC from irrefutable, eyewitness, sources within East Timor.
See also Global Witness Report - Paying for Protection. (July 2005). - Home Page - REPORTS ON WEST PAPUA - HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE .
For additional information of Australian Department of Foreign Affairs pedophile activity - see this LINK
----------------------------------------------------------------
One can only boggle at the folly of the Federal Government’s (Australian) decision to resume co-operation with the Indonesian Special Forces unit, Kopassus.
Online Opinion 3 January, 2006
Gary BrownUntil June 2002 Gary Brown was a Defence Advisor with the Parliamentary Information and Research Service at Parliament House, Canberra, where he provided confidential advice and research at request to members and staffs of all parties and Parliamentary committees, and produced regular publications on a wide range of defence issues. Many are available at here.
Working on defence and national security topics since the early seventies, he has published two books, and many shorter pieces on Australian higher defence organisation and management, international strategic issues and many other aspects of strategic studies and defence in various journals, through the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) and the Australian Defence Studies Centre (ADSC). He has been a Visiting Fellow at both SDSC and at ADSC in the Australian Defence Force Academy.He regularly lectured at the former Australian Joint Services Staff College (JSSC), and then at the restructured ADF colleges at Weston Creek.
Gary Brown is an Honours graduate of the University of Newcastle, NSW, and also a JSSC civilian graduate. His most recent substantial work, Regaining Relevance: Fitting Australia's Defence Force Structure to the Contemporary Strategic Environment, was published by ADSC in late 2002 and attracted considerable attention. He has been writing for On Line Opinion since January 2003.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One can only boggle at the folly of the Federal Government’s decision to resume co-operation with the Indonesian Special Forces unit, Kopassus.
This unit’s atrocious human rights record is one thing; and certainly I agree with those who argue that this of itself is sufficient reason to refrain from co-operation. But, as I will show, this is by no means the only reason.
It is true, as the government argues, that Kopassus is the principal repository of counter-terrorist capability in the Indonesian Armed Forces. This is the principal reason offered for the resumption of co-operation.
It is also true Indonesia is trying very hard to establish democratic principles and the rule of law, in place of the arbitrary and corrupt authoritarianism which characterised the Suharto era. In that era Kopassus was a principal instrument of repression and coercion. It was the hard core enforcement unit in support of the notorious dwi fungsi (dual-function) pseudo-doctrine, which was manufactured solely to legitimise military dominance of Indonesian politics, censorship, brutal repression and the rest of the authoritarian smorgasbord.
The Indonesian military as a whole was then a vast corrupt business enterprise. Nominal salaries, even for officers, were low and were routinely supplemented by corrupt payments. This became an entrenched and institutionalised system. We saw the sort of military this produced in East Timor after the independence referendum and notably during the Indonesian pullout, when the military trashed everything not already destroyed by its militia stooges.
Despite the best efforts of the Jakarta government, democratic principles, in particular the primacy of the elected civilian authority over the military, are being assimilated by the amed forces much more slowly than by most other areas of the Indonesian body politic. It is proving particularly difficult to wean the military away from corrupt practices, while it certainly worked to sabotage the late 2002 peace process in Aceh, which eventually collapsed. The military was also accused - allegedly on the basis of communications intercepts by an Australian intelligence agency - of involvement in the attack on Freeport mine personnel in August 2002, which Indonesia vociferously blamed on the OPM, the Papuan independence movement. The present post-tsunami Aceh peace process depends heavily on military compliance with the new agreement.
Within the armed forces, it is probably Kopassus, due to its position at the core of the old regime’s system, which is the slowest of all to develop a real and effective commitment to the principles of civilian and democratic government.
These might indeed be considered adequate reasons to refrain from co-operation with Kopassus, and I would not disagree.
But there is another equally compelling reason having nothing to do with the human rights issue. I outlined this at some length in an earlier On Line Opinion contribution warning against co-operation with Kopassus, and will not repeat it all here. Suffice it to say there is reason to fear that Kopassus itself harbours elements which would not be averse to the use of terrorist tactics, and that it may even harbour some who are sympathetic to the kind of extremist Islamism which drives much contemporary terrorism.
One problem is that while Kopassus is well-equipped and trained for counter-terrorist operations, such capabilities are equally useful for the commission of clandestine acts of terror. Even in the West, an undisciplined French intelligence agency committed an act of lethal terrorism, bombing the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior in a New Zealand port. That Kopassus is still significantly less “disciplined” - subject to complete control by the civilian government - than most Western forces, is I think, hard to dispute.
It is well to recall the case of Pakistan, where for decades the military intelligence organisation ran its own agenda and operations in complete disregard of any policies enunciated by the government of the day. Indeed, as a Muslim country with a secular regime often dominated by the military (as Pakistan is today), Indonesia has certain parallels with Pakistan. Even now it is difficult to avoid the suspicion that if the democratic regime in Jakarta got into serious difficulties the military might yet step in and resume control in the name of “order and stability”.
The issue is further complicated by the question of what hold religious fundamentalism, or support for extremist acts, might have on Kopassus personnel. It takes only one such individual, strategically placed in Kopassus’ intelligence section, for an intelligence feed from Australia or elsewhere to be compromised.
The core of the case I advanced in my earlier article, and which I still believe to be valid, is this: if we help Kopassus develop its military skills, we might be helping those who will later covertly attack us, our friends or interests. If we share intelligence with Kopassus, we might be providing a pipeline for Jemah Islamiya or even Al-Qaida straight into sensitive western counter-terrorist intelligence material.
The government is making a potentially disastrous mistake if it believes that Kopassus has truly changed its spots. This decision is bad enough on human rights grounds; on intelligence and security grounds it is simply insupportable and we may yet have reason to regret it.
October 2005
In order to see for yourself the double standards adopted by the US Department of State in relation to the Indonesian Military check the 2004 Human Rights Country Report against the July 2005 Global Witness Report. They are miles apart and the WPNGNC can rightly claim the US Department of State 2004 Report is "Sanatised Propaganda".
Warnings of the State Departments compromise were raised back in September, 2003 - See THIS link.
See the Global Witness July 2005 Report. On the basis of this report the Comptroller for the City of New York, Mr William C Thompson JR, queried the American owners of the Freeport Mine the legality of payments of millions of US$ to the Indonesian military. Freeport McMoRan agreed to provide a report by September, 2005. To date we have not seen any evidence of this promised report. We are all waiting with baited breath.
See also the Global Witness web site for links between diamond mining in Atrica to Al-Qaeda. Here is a link to the particular reports. http://www.globalwitness.org/reports/show.php/en.00041.html.
The WPNGNC finds it totally hypricotical that the US and Australian governments are willing to normalise military links with Indonesia when there is irrefutible evidence of their links to Laskar Jihad and eventually to Al-Qaeda and the fact that the military and other Indonesian authorities are committing genocide against the West Papuan people.
31 October 2005
Posted by: bongoon Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 08:09
NEWS JUST IN: 15,000 village people have been herded into the mountains by army - machine-guns from helicopters - and now are starving. Their gardens destroyed, animals killed and sold by the army who deny access to these internal refugees - even the church people are not alowwed through the cordon they army has created.
Also have found out that the reason that HIV Aids is so high in the most remote areas of West Papua is that Kopassus agents in white-coats have visited there and injected people... they are spreading Aids by injection! Aids is bad enough in towns like Timika and Nabire because prostitutes who were known to have Aids were brought over from Surabaya, but injecting remote village communities with Aids is just so foul that only Kopassus could do it !
THOUSANDS of people were starving after they were driven from their villages by Indonesian forces and militia groups, a Papuan leader claimed yesterday. Tom Beanal said the number of Papuan refugees now exceeded 15,000 people from 147 villages. Some were forced to hide in caves in the mountains in the central Puncak Jaya district. "These people do not have food. People are starving to death. They need food now," he said. The death of 15 peoples, mainly children, was reported on Thursday.
There are tent encampments for 2800 troops in several locations around Tingginambut, 25km from Mulia in Puncak Jaya. These are blocking off access to Papuans who fled into the forest in October seeking refuge from machine-gunners in helicopters.
Mr Beanal and other Papuan groups claim that the mid-October incident which prompted military action was a fabrication. The feared Kopassus special forces reported that six non-Papuans were killed in a bullet-ridden burnt-out car but no bodies were seen.
Indonesia has fought a low-level battle against separatist OPM guerillas since the 1960s. In the past year, the military has faced allegations that it is using East Timor-style militia groups to stir up regional hostilities.Mr Beanal said the axing to death last week of two government officials and a policeman was the work of militia. When he briefed newly elected Vice-President Jusuf Kalla in Sulawesi this week, he explained that one militia comprised 2000 Papuans, mainly from the Dani tribe. He accused the military of "wanting to turn Papua into another Aceh", a reference to the western Indonesian province where troops are fighting a determined independence movement.
In his talks with Mr Kalla, Mr Beanal said the army had undermined autonomy and was urging President Susilo Bambang Yudhuyono to establish a new army command of 3000 troops in Puncak Jaya. Mr Beanal is the acting executive director of the political mass organisation Papua Presidium Council and has emerged as a leading spokesman since the assassination three years ago of independence figure Theys Eluay.
Greg Poulgrain
27nov04Courier-Mail (Queensland)
November 27, 2004
Thousands of Papuans Flee TroopsBy Greg Poulgrain
THOUSANDS of people were starving after they were driven from their villages by Indonesian forces and militia groups, a Papuan leader claimed yesterday.
Tom Beanal said the number of Papuan refugees now exceeded 15,000 people from 147 villages. Some were forced to hide in caves in the mountains in the central Puncak Jaya district.
"These people do not have food. People are starving to death. They need food now," he said.
The death of 15 peoples, mainly children, was reported on Thursday.
There are tent encampments for 2800 troops in several locations around Tingginambut, 25km from Mulia in Puncak Jaya.
These are blocking off access to Papuans who fled into the forest in October seeking refuge from machine-gunners in helicopters.
Mr Beanal and other Papuan groups claim that the mid-October incident which prompted military action was a fabrication.
The feared Kopassus special forces reported that six non-Papuans were killed in a bullet-ridden burnt-out car but no bodies were seen.
Indonesia has fought a low-level battle against separatist OPM guerillas since the 1960s. In the past year, the military has faced allegations that it is using East Timor-style militia groups to stir up regional hostilities.
Mr Beanal said the axing to death last week of two government officials and a policeman was the work of militia. When he briefed newly elected Vice-President Jusuf Kalla in Sulawesi this week, he explained that one militia comprised 2000 Papuans, mainly from the Dani tribe.
He accused the military of "wanting to turn Papua into another Aceh", a reference to the western Indonesian province where troops are fighting a determined independence movement.
In his talks with Mr Kalla, Mr Beanal said the army had undermined autonomy and was urging President Susilo Bambang Yudhuyono to establish a new army command of 3000 troops in Puncak Jaya. Mr Beanal is the acting executive director of the political mass organisation Papua Presidium Council and has emerged as a leading spokesman since the assassination three years ago of independence figure Theys Eluay.***
----------------------------------------------------------
The WPNGNC is extremely concerned by the spread of HIV-AIDS in West Papua. There is no doubt that the deadly virus is being deliberately spread throughout the West Papuan (and more particularly the Highland population) by the Indonesian Military.
This is evidenced by the different strains of the virus at Timika, brought in by the Freeport Mine employees to that being spread throughout the West Papua highlanders.
Note the two articles above attributed to Mr Greg Poulgrain and the dates/time published and posted on the fPcN web site. It is extremely important to deternime the method/s adopted by the Indonesians to spread the virus.
We have received no reports from inside West Papua to verify the following:-
"Also have found out that the reason that HIV Aids is so high in the most remote areas of West Papua is that Kopassus agents in white-coats have visited there and injected people... they are spreading Aids by injection! Aids is bad enough in towns like Timika and Nabire because prostitutes who were known to have Aids were brought over from Surabaya, but injecting remote village communities with Aids is just so foul that only Kopassus could do it !"
We also note that the Courier Mail Newspaper (Brisbane, Australia) did not print details of the above.
The WPNGNC has, however, received numeruous reports of Indonesian soldiers raping West Papuan young girls and women. We have also received reports that the Indonesians have selectively posted their HIV-AIDS positive troops to West Papua.
It is important that correct information concerning the spread of HIV-AIDS virus, adopted by the Indonesians, is passed on to the WPNGNC in order that the West Papuan population can defend itself against the spread of this deadly virus.
If anyone can provide any further details, please email this site on the email address provided.
PLEASE TREAT THIS APPEAL AS URGENT AS EACH DAY'S DELAY COSTS THE LIVES OF INNOCENT WEST PAPUANS.
2 July 2005
Absolute Proof That The Presidium is an Indonesian Front (Fake) Organization
This little gem is absolute proof that the PDP, Papua Dewan Presidium, also known as the Presidium Council or Presidium, is an Indonesian Front and a Fake Indonesian organization.
Take a look at the details of this video.
Here we have the worst West Papuan THUG of all time, and candidate for Governor, Yorrys Raweyai, as Executive Producer of a video - Mengapa Papua Ingin Merdeka (Why Papua Wants Independence) - and the video was Produced by Presidium Dewan Papua (PDP) – February 2002.
No doudt this video was useful to Yorrys Raweyai and his militia thugs for the identification of West Papuan independence supporters (events such as flag raising ceremony - December, 1999).
Yorrys Raweyai - THUG
In December 2001, police said Suharto's youngest son Hutomo 'Tommy' Mandala Putra (Putrid!!!) had complained to investigators that Yorrys had reneged on a promise to safeguard him while he was wanted for murder, despite having been paid $5 million.
There is nothing else to say - but " The Game's up boys and girls".
The nomination of THUG, Yorrys Raweyai, for the position, of governor of West Papua by Indonesia, has been soundly criticized by human rights groups all over the world.
The Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is really starting to show his real colours, as being no better than the infamuous Suharto.
Laksamana.net
Yorrys Raweyai Running for Governor
June 24, 2005 08:39 PMLaksamana.Net
Yorrys Raweyai, a former leader of one of the country’s most feared thugs-for-hire groups, has registered himself as a candidate for the governorship of West Irian Jaya province.
Reports said Yorrys and his running mate Abdul M. Killian were nominated by Golkar Party and two smaller parties for next month’s gubernatorial election.
Yorrys, of ethnic Chinese and Papuan background, was well known in the 1990s as deputy leader of Pemuda Pancasila, a youth organization that ran protection rackets and often carried out the dirty work of the military during former dictator Suharto’s regime.
Pemuda Pancasila, which gained notoriety for attacking pro-democracy groups, provoking violence and bribing people to vote for Golkar, has lost much of its power in the underworld following the fall of Suharto in 1998. In 2001, members of the group formed their own political party, the Pancasila Patriots’ Party, which came 15th out of the 24 parties that contested the 2004 general election, winning 0.95% of the vote and no
seats in parliament.Yorrys has remained a member of Golkar and is now a leader of the party’s Youth Movement (AMPG).
He and Killian registered as candidates on Friday (24/6/05) in the provincial capital Manokwari. Killian is currently a member of the Papua legislative assembly and the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Friday was the deadline for the registration of candidates in next month’s direct gubernatorial election in the remote province. Only three pairs of candidates have registered.
The first pair is retired brigadier general Abraham Octovianus Atururi and Rohimin Kacong, who were nominated by former president Megawati Sukarnoputri’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP). Atururi is the incumbent governor of the province.
The second pair is former Papua province secretary Dortheis ‘Dicky’ Asmuruf and Ali Caspela. Asmuruf is the former secretary of Papua province.
Strong Support, Same Faces
Yorrys and Killian were greeted by a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters upon their arrival Manokwari’s Rendani Airport. Hundreds of cheering and singing supporters lined the 6 kilometer route as the candidates were driven in an open vehicle to the local parliament building. Their vehicle was accompanied by a noisy parade of many cars and motorbikes.
After completing the registration process and shaking hands with supporters and local government officials, Yorrys expressed confidence he would win the election, based on Golkar’s landslide victory in West Irian Jaya in the April 2004 general election.
"Furthermore, we are also supported by two other parties with significant positions, they are the Prosperous Peace Party [PDS] and Indonesia Unity Party [PSI],” he was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.
Asked about his policies, Yorrys said improving law enforcement was the key to achieving clean governance. He also promised to increase public health and education services.
Many of the people on hand to support Yorrys wore traditional attire. Detikcom reported that most of the supporters had also showed up to support the two other pairs of candidates at previous rallies.
"They are the same people. When the other pairs of candidates had their parades of support, these same people also participated in the processions,” said one driver hired by the campaign team of Yorrys.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is also Golkar chairman, visited Manokwari earlier this month to attend a meeting in which Yorrys was nominated as the party’s candidate for governor.
Kalla said Golkar remained the most popular political party throughout Papua because it had always kept its promises.
Yorrys has been accused of supplying funds to Papuan pro-independence leader, the late Theys Eluay, to create a 7,000-member militia group called Satgas Papua (Papua Task Force). Analysts feared the militia group would be used to conduct attacks that could allow the military to justify taking deadly retaliation against locals.
In April 2000, Yorrys was detained as a suspect in the July 27, 1996, government-sponsored attack on the Jakarta headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Several people were killed in the attack that sparked massive riots. Yorrys was released in May 2000, ostensibly due to insufficient evidence and never taken to court.
In December 2001, police said Suharto’s youngest son Hutomo ‘Tommy’ Mandala Putra had complained to investigators that Yorrys had reneged on a promise to safeguard him while he was wanted for murder, despite having been paid $5 million. Pemuda Pancasila denied the allegation, claiming Yorrys had never accepted any money from Tommy while he was a fugitive.
West Irian Jaya province was created from the western part of Papua province in February 2003. It covers the Bird's Head Peninsula and surrounding islands. The split remains controversial, with supporters claiming the creation of the new province will lead to efficient management of resources and fair distribution of services. Opponents say the split violates Papua’s special autonomy legislation and merely serves to quell separatism and accelerate illegal logging.
The Constitutional Court in November 2004 agreed that the split violated Papua's autonomy legislation, but ruled that because West Irian Jaya had already been created, it should remain separate from Papua.
June 2005
Indonesian Collaborators Exposed
The WPNGNC is aware of the actions of Dr John Otto Ondawame and JACOB HENDRICH PRAI in the late 1970's. Both these individuals provided information to the Indonesian Military, on villages which they alleged, were offering support to the OPM. As a result of this information, the Indonesian Military attacked these unarmed and defenseless villagers, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people.
Both later fled to Papua new Guinea, not fearing the Indonesian Military, but the OPM. The Papua New Guinea government, rightly refused, these two residence status and deported them. Both Ondawame and Prai were later given citizenship in Sweden. The WPNGNC believes this citizenship was granted, on false information provided to the Swedish government, by Ondawame and Prai. The WPNGNC further believes these two collaborators should be deported back to West Papua.
Dr Ondawame's claim to represent the OPM in Vanuatu is absolute rubbish. Ondawame represents the interests of Indonesian Military and BIN (Indonesian Secret Service) not genuine West Papuan refugees.
Mr Jacob Prai is now living in Sweden where he purports to represent the West Papuan independence cause.
June 2005
US Support for West Papua
To all,
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is schedule to have a meeting with Microsoft's Bill Gates Friday May 27th at Microsoft's corporate headquarters in Seattle Washington. Please express your disapproval of this meeting given Indonesia's ongoing genocide against the people of West Papua, it's atrocious human rights record in the Mollucus and Acheh, and it's refusal to bring to justice those members of the Indonesian military responsible for the genocide against the people of East Timor.
You can do so by going to the link below and leaving your comments:
https://support.microsoft.com/common/survey.aspx?scid=sw;en;1230&showpage=1&ws=giving
You should also fax Bill Gates directly at: (425) 708-0600
A copy of the letter I wrote is below.
Dear Mr. Gates
My name is Harold Green and I am involved in campaigning against the genocide that the Indonesian government is committing against the people of West Papua New Guinea.
(http://www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Public_Affairs/426/yls_article.htm).
For the last 43 years, since Indonesia's invasion of West Papua, the infamous Indonesian military (genocide in East Timor), has engaged in a systematic campaign to destroy the people of West Papua, both physically and culturally. As Article 2 of the United Nation's Convention on the Prevention and Punishment Crime of Genocide states:
"In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
* (a) Killing members of the group;
* (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
* (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
* (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
* (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."
All of these acts have been committed against the people of West Papua by the Indonesian government and this genocide continues to this day.
The growing voices of those of us who have been speaking out against this crime, wish to express our outrage that Mr. Gates will be meeting with Indonesia's President Yudhoyono, himself a former military general and who has participated in the genocide against the people of West Papua.
Given Mr. Gates pronouncements about being a good "corporate citizen", we think that it would be wise for the sake of Microsoft's corporate image, not to meet with President Yudhoyono, as we feel that it will be an endorsement of the genocide that the Indonesian government is committing against the people of West Papua.
Furthermore, though I am a consumer of Microsoft products, I would not hesitate to add Microsoft to the list of companies that are being targeted with boycotts and divestments campaigns for their dealings with the Indonesia government.
We wish to make a moral appeal to Microsoft and Mr. Gates that he reconsider this meeting with President Yudhoyono and in so doing, will have the effect of saving thousands of lives.
Sincerely.
Harold Green
Pan-African Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua
P.O. Box 4921
Culver City CA. 90231
(323) 291-4114
June 2005
CIA terminates Dr. K with extreme iciness
Date: Monday, 10 January 2005, 9:27 a.m.
CIA terminates Dr. K with extreme iciness
BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
WASHINGTON - The CIA has told Henry Kissinger to kiss off, saying his services as an informal adviser to Director Porter Goss are no longer needed.
The pink slip came in the form of a terse communiqué from Goss to Kissinger - the vaunted diplomat and counselor to Presidents - and other members of an intelligence advisory board that meets several times a year, Newsweek magazine reported yesterday.
The council of wise men recently sacked by the new CIA honcho includes 9/11 Commissioner and ex-Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), who heads New School University in New York; former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), and ex-Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. William Crowe. Kissinger told the magazine he had "no view" on the dismissals, and another member of the panel, ex-CIA and FBI Director William Webster, insisted he was not offended.
Jettisoning the advisers marked the latest controversial move by Gos
