Kaimana, Jubi – The Kaimana Regency Administration seeks to discipline teachers and health workers who are often negligent in carrying out their duties, says Kaimana Regent Freddy Thie based on a working visit to seven regencies in 2022 in which he received many complaints from residents about teachers and health workers who were rarely on duty.

“In almost every village I visited, people always complained about education and health services. People report that teachers and health workers are rarely on duty,” he said when contacted from Manokwari on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.

“Apparently this is a classic problem in our regency that has never been resolved for a very long time,” Freddy Thie added.

The former businessman said he was concerned when he learned about the condition of education and health services in rural and coastal areas.

“The education of our children in the villages is not going well. They have months off because their teachers go back to the city even though they receive a salary from the government every month,” said Freddy.

He argued that the phenomenon of state civil apparatus (ASN) neglecting their duties did not only occur in villages far from the city center. Even in Kaimana City, there are still government employees who neglect their duties.

“There are still ASNs and contract workers who come to the office just to fill in attendance, and there are those who never come to work for months,” said Freddy.

Therefore, he said, the Kaimana Government is trying to discipline all state civil apparatus and government employees to optimize the delivery of community services.

“We are committed that in 2023 we will enforce disciplinary rules on those unruly civil servants and contract workers,” he said.

After conducting a Christmas Safari in Teluk Etna some time ago, the regent ordered Kaimana Regional Secretary Donald R Wakum to immediately follow up on reports and complaints from residents about teachers and health workers who were often absent.

“I immediately told the secretary to record all the names of irresponsible teachers and health workers. There must be a letter of reprimand. But if they are still stubborn, we will take firm action, either by withholding salary or dismissal,” said the Kaimana Regent. (*)

Exclusive by defence correspondent Andrew Greene

Posted 15m ago https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/defence-grants-weapon-exports-permits-nations-human-rights/101833968

The Defence Department has granted dozens of weapons export permits over the past two years to nations accused of mass human rights violations and war crimes.

The ABC can reveal approval is routinely given for Australian-made lethal technology to be sent to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, but the federal government insists careful consideration has been given to each decision.

Official figures from Defence confirm 200 permits for “military or dual-use” exports were issued in total for the three nations between 2021 and 2022, although during the same period thousands of approvals were also given to countries such as the US and New Zealand.

Number of permits issued for military or dual-use exports

Country                                 2021                1 January 2022- 9 November 2022

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia        17                    21

United Arab Emirates             36                    25

Indonesia                                52                    49

Greens senator David Shoebridge, who has pursued details of the deals during budget estimates, claims Australia is doing business with “some of the worst human rights abusers on the planet”.

“Australian weapons are helping to fuel the brutal war in Yemen, causing the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe forcing millions of children into hunger,” he said. 

“It’s a war on children and these shocking new weapons export figures show Australia has blood on its hands.”

Defence has declined to offer any other details of the weapon sales to the Middle East and Indonesia, but the ABC understands they include remote weapon stations, small arms, ammunition and armoured transport equipment.

“What is concerning is just how little transparency there is on Australia’s defence exports. We’re told almost nothing,” Senator Shoebridge says.

Human rights activists have long accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE of committing mass atrocities while leading a coalition fighting a war against Houthi rebels in Yemen, one of the poorest nations in the Middle East. 

For decades evidence has also emerged of alleged torture and massacres of innocent people by Indonesia’s military while trying to suppress the West Papuan Independence movement.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says all exports to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia have been dutifully “assessed against Australia’s export controls legislative criteria”.

“The Australian government takes its export control obligations seriously, including as a member of the international export control regimes,” he said.

“The Department of Defence assesses all defence export applications on a case-by-case basis.

“This includes careful consideration of a broad range of factors, including Australia’s international legal obligations, as well as human rights, regional and national security, and foreign policy considerations.”

During 2021 and 2022 Defence Export Controls approved close to 3,500 military and dual-use export permits to multiple destinations around the world, with the top five recipients being the US, New Zealand, UK, Germany and Canada.

Mr Conroy insists “if overriding risks to Australia’s security, defence, or international relations had been identified, the permits would have been refused”.

Calls for Australia to follow US and Europe to increase transparency 

The Defence Department consistently refuses to release details of individual weapons exports citing “commercial sensitivities”, despite Australian defence companies regularly promoting their overseas sales, and other comparable nations publishing data.

Across Europe and the United States governments have moved to publish detailed information about their weapons sales, often including the precise arms involved, and their value.

John Blaxland from the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre argues the new figures on weapons exports are not surprising given the existing economic and security cooperation this country has with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Indonesia.

“Australia trades with these countries, there’s aspects of the trade that some people aren’t going to be all that comfortable with, but this is standard fare,” he said.

“We can’t help but do business with these countries. To pretend that we are going to engage with them on one level and then disengage with them on another is not realistic.”

However, Professor Blaxland says he shares Senator Shoebridge’s concern about the lack of transparency over Australia’s global arms industry.

“Australia can afford to be a lot more open and transparent about its transactions, absolutely,” he said.

“We have a bit of a complex, we’re a middle power with small power pretentions and we sometimes need to get over ourselves.”

News Desk – reject construction of police station

3 January 2023

Jayapura, Jubi – The people in Baya Biru District, Paniai Regency, Central Papua Province reject the plan to build a police station in the area. Resident representative Noak Tagi said the entire Baya Biru community firmly rejected the construction.

“We have lived safely and comfortably for a long time without police or police stations. We are very worried that the presence of the police will make our area uncomfortable,” said Noak Tagi when contacting Jubi on Monday, January 2, 2023.

Noak said there were several important reasons the community reject the presence of a police station in Baya Biru.

According to him, Baya Biru is located in the largest illegal gold mining area in the Meepago region, which has been ignored by the Paniai administration. The Baya Biru community is still disappointed and traumatized by the shooting of six residents by mobile brigade officers in 2014, which resulted in the death of Melianus Abah and five others injured in Ndeotadi Village.

“Therefore, we believe that the police have a certain interest in the gold mining area. They don’t build a post here for the sake of protecting and protecting the community of Baya Biru,” he said.

Meanwhile, the representative of the local tribal chief, Alex Makipa, said that even though the police had discussed the plan with a group of tribal chiefs, it still did not involve all parties including the tribal chief in the districts, therefore the meeting was invalid.

“Therefore we reject the plan. Yahya Kegepe, a representative of the village government; Yafet Piame, a representative of traditional leaders; as well as Pius Kegepe, a youth leader, also said the same thing,” he said.;

Taking into account these points, he said, the local community urged the Paniai administration and the Paniai Regent, Meki Nawipa, as well as Paniai Police chief Comr. Abdus Syukur Felani to immediately revoke and withdraw the plan to establish a police station in the Baya Biru district. (*)

————————————

News Desk – Armed Conflict in Papua

30 December 2022

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Police said the presence of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) remained a frightening threat to residents, especially non-Papuan communities. “It is still a prominent case in Papua, which needs to be the concern of all parties,” said Papua Police chief inspector Gen. Mathius Fakhiri in Jayapura City on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.

Fakhiri said that throughout 2022, there were at least 90 acts of violence allegedly committed by the TPNPB. The figure is less than the number of cases in 2021, which was 106.

“This year there were 90 cases that occurred in Yahukimo Regency, Intan Jaya Regency, Puncak Regency, Puncak Jaya Regency, Nduga Regency, Bintang Mountains Regency, Yalimo Regency, Jayawijaya Regency, and Yapen Islands Regency,” Fakhiri said.

According to Fakhiri, the various acts of violence took casualties on the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police and civilians. Throughout 2022, ten TNI soldiers died allegedly due to TPNPB violence, and 14 other TNI soldiers were injured. In the same period, four police officers died allegedly due to TPNPB violence, while three others were injured.

Fakhiri said the number of civilians who died in various acts of violence was even higher. As many as 39 people died due to the violence, and ten people were injured. “While the victims from the TPNPB were five people,” he said.

Fakhiri asked the local government, especially the regents, the Regional Government Work Unit, and the Regional People’s Council to lead and be an example for the communities to involve in activities with the police. “The Papua Police optimize the efforts of a more humanist approach, which is expected to answer various problems that have often been a trigger for security disturbances in the community,” he said. (*)

Related News

by Isabel Esterman on 30 December 2022

Below is a SHORT EXTRACT FROM https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/from-declining-deforestation-to-quitting-coal-indonesia-marks-a-pivotal-2022/

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR TH FULL STORY

• 2022 saw a continued decline in deforestation in Indonesia, as well as financing deals for forest conservation and phasing out fossil fuels, and a scramble to keep up with changing EU timber regulations.
• The year also saw the passage of controversial amendments to Indonesia’s criminal code, friction between the government and researchers, and increasing concerns about the environmental cost of the country’s nickel boom for electric vehicle batteries.
• Here are some of the top environment stories and trends of 2022 from one of the world’s most important tropical forest countries.

Home to the world’s third-largest expanse of tropical forest, the world’s fourth-biggest population, and frequently ranked among the world’s top 10 greenhouse gas emitters, Indonesia is a country where what happens has a vast effect on global biodiversity and environmental health.

Here, assembled by Mongabay staff, are some of the top news and trends from Indonesia in 2022.

Deforestation continues to slow

Between 2001 and 2021, Indonesia lost more than 28 million hectares (69 million acres) of forest, an area larger than New Zealand, according to Global Forest Watch. However, since peaking in 2016, forest loss in Indonesia has continued to decline. According to GFW, the country lost 841,000 hectares (2.08 million acres) of tree cover in 2021, including 203,000 hectares (502,000 acres) of primary forest, both the lowest levels recorded since 2003. Deforestation linked to oil palm expansion, for years a primary driver of forest loss, has also shown a marked decline. An analysis by palm oil supply chain mapping initiative Trase found that deforestation in Indonesia associated with palm oil dropped by 82% in the past decade. The trend also appears to hold across the region, with palm oil-linked deforestation across Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea dropping for the second year in a row in 2021, according to a study by sustainability risk analysis organization Chain Reaction Research. The declines, which occurred even as palm oil prices rebounded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been described as “huge huge news” and a signal that sustainability pledges are having a real impact on deforestation.

While the numbers have generally been met with optimism, activists note that there is still cause for concern. “Indonesia’s forests are not yet out of danger: 2.4 million hectares [5.9 million acres] of intact forest remain in existing palm oil concessions,” Timer Manurung, director of Indonesian environmental NGO Auriga Nusantara, told Mongabay. “Legally speaking, companies could clear [these] forests. Right now, there’s no legal protection.” Forests in Indonesian Borneo and Papua are particularly in danger, Timer said.

This echoes broader concerns about deforestation in the country: a 2021 report by a coalition of Indonesia NGOs found that while Indonesia’s overall annual deforestation rate fell, forest loss in the regions with the most remaining forest, concentrated in the country’s eastern islands like Papua, actually increased. Environment activists also point to recent government policies as potential threats to forests, including a push to expand large-scale food estates, plans to build a new capital city in Borneo, major infrastructure projects, and a program to promote palm oil-based biofuel.

EU deforestation law prompts a regulatory upgrade

In December, the European Union finalized a law banning the trade of timber and other forest products associated with deforestation and forest degradation, even if the products are sourced and exported legally. Once the law is fully enacted, companies will be required to issue due diligence statements verifying that any goods they import into the EU are deforestation- and forest degradation-free. Conservation groups like Greenpeace and WWF have lauded the law as “groundbreaking” and a “major breakthrough for forests.”

Indonesian officials, however, have slammed the law, saying it negates more than a decade of progress by the country in complying with existing EU sustainability codes. Since 2011, Indonesia has worked with the EU to develop a system, known as the SVLK, to verify the legality of its exported timber. The SVLK is supposed to favor Indonesian timber products, granting them a “green lane” that exempts them from stringent checks on arrival. The new law, officials and industry insiders say, shifts the goalposts after the arduous process of bringing exporters into compliance with SVLK requirements.

January 12, 2023 in Statement

On behalf of the ULMWP Executive, I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe. Enembe’s arrest by the Indonesian state follows his criminalisation in September 2022, when he was accused of corruption and banned from travelling abroad for essential medical treatment. 

Enembe is only the latest West Papuan to be criminalised in this way: Eltinus Omaleng, the head of Mimika Regency, was arrested last year on spurious corruption charges. Corruption is what they claim when West Papuans try to better their people’s condition. 

As West Papuan protesters took to the streets to call for Enembe’s release, armed Indonesian police beat, shot, and arrested them in large numbers. So far, one protester has been killed by police while calling for Governor Enembe’s release. This is what the Papua police chief calls a ‘small incident’ – killing a West Papuan civilian is nothing to Indonesia’s occupation forces. 

Enembe’s treatment cannot be separated from his increasingly vocal stance against Indonesia’s colonial policies in West Papua. He opposed Indonesia’s division of West Papua into new provinces, a divide and rule tactic designed to steal our natural resources and allow further militarisation of our villages. The provincial division is part of the package for the renewal of colonial ‘Special Autonomy’, which has only brought twenty years of destruction in the name of ‘development’. Special Autonomy means the murder and mutilation of four West Papuan civilians by Indonesian soldiers. It means the devastation of our mountain and forest for new plantations and mines the size of Jakarta. Over 600,000 West Papuans have signed a petition rejecting the fake ‘Special Autonomy’ programme. When he speaks out against new provincial division, Enembe speaks for the people.  

Enembe’s arrest shows how Indonesia responds to any dissent, even from figures who accept their illegal presence in our land. We cannot forget that Enembe is being targeted despite working within Indonesian institutions. We also must not forget the many Papuan leaders who have died in mysterious circumstances over the past three years. At least sixteen have passed away since 2020, many of them on their own, in hospitals or hotels. There is strong and justified suspicion that they were poisoned. This is why Governor Enembe must be immediately released: no West Papuan is ever safe in Indonesian custody, especially not one who is already in such poor health. 

These events remind us of what happened last year, when Zode Hilapok died ten months after his arrest for raising the Morning Star flag on December 1st 2021. Hilapok was already ill when he was arrested, but Indonesia refused to treat him in a civilian hospital. Instead, they took him to Bhayangkara military hospital, where his treatment was kept secret.   

Indonesia does not want peace in West Papua. They want tension and violence, they want West Papua to remain a war zone in order to justify the deployment of more and more troops. Over 25,000 additional troops have been deployed to West Papua since the uprising in 2019. This dramatic increase in militarisation has created mass displacement, with up to 100,000 people displaced by four years of military operations. And as Indonesia cleanses West Papua of its Indigenous people, they build big highways and ecologically disastrous plantations in their place. In West Papua, business and military interests are one and the same. 

This arrest comes as Indonesia are ramping up their campaign to whitewash their occupation. The new ‘Rainforest OPEC’ they are forming with Brazil and the DRC is pure PR, a smokscreen they are erecting as they continue to destroy our rainforest. President Joko Widodo also recently announced that he “strongly regrets” the gross human rights violations that have taken place in Indonesia’s past. But the genocide in West Papua is not a past crime to be waved away or apologised for – it is happening right now.  

Despite Indonesia’s efforts, the issue of West Papua is not going away. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has been trying to gain entry to West Papua for years, but has been barred by Jakarta. Indonesia is ignoring the will of 18 countries in the Pacific Islands Forum and 79 countries in the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States by refusing to allow the UN in.  

No matter how many of us Indonesia arrests, beats, or kills, we will continue to fight until our struggle for self-determination is complete. 

Benny Wenda
Interim President
ULMWP Provisional Government