Indonesian police have arrested Buchtar Tabuni, one of West Papua’s most important liberation leaders, along with three other United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) ministers, reports the movement in a statement.
“Indonesia are once again suppressing freedom of expression and assembly in West Papua, in an attempt to crush our spirit and commitment to our struggle,” said interim president Benny Wenda.
Buchtar Tabuni is chair of the West Papua Council, and a member of the ULMWP Council Committee. His arrest was confirmed by police.
He was arrested with Bazoka Logo, Minister of Political Affairs, and Iche Murib, Minister of Women’s and Children’s Affairs, said the statement.
The trio were arrested at Tabuni’s house in Jayapura, following an annual ULMWP meeting, and interrogated at a nearby police station.
“What is their crime? What possible justification can there be for this crackdown? This was after a peaceful meeting at a private residence,” the statement said.
“The right to assembly is a basic human right, enshrined in the constitutions of countries around the world, including Indonesia.”
Sharing information The National Parliament of the ULMWP meets annually to share information on events in their regions and discuss the situation of the struggle.
“West Papuans have the right, under international law, to peacefully mobilise for our independence,” Wenda said.
He called on anybody concerned by the arrests to to express their disgust to the Jayapura police chief.
Wenda said the arrests were in breach of basic principles of international diplomacy and human rights.
“We sit around the table together as equals. Imagine if British police arrested a Scottish parliamentarian following a peaceful meeting in their own home — there would be international outcry.
“This is the brutal reality of Indonesia’s colonial occupation.”
Tabuni targeted The statement said this was not the first time Tabuni had been targeted by the Indonesian state.
Tabuni has spent much of his life behind bars, and was previously arrested and charged with treason for his involvement in anti-racism protests in 2020.
“This is political persecution: the harshness of Buchtar’s treatment is due only to his position as a respected leader of the independence struggle,” said Wenda.
“History tells us that there is no such thing as a fair trial for West Papuans in Indonesia. Victor Yeimo is still gravely ill in prison, where he has been held on spurious treason charges since May 2021.
“We urgently need the assistance of all international solidarity groups and NGOs — you must pressure your governments to help secure Mr Tabuni’s release, and all other West Papuan political prisoners.
Wenda said that the ULMWP demanded that Indonesia immediately release him with Bazoka Logo and Iche Murib.
Freedom ‘essential’ “Their freedom is essential in order to keep the peace,” he said.
According to Tabloid Jubi, Jayapura City police chief Senior Commander Victor D. Mackbon had confirmed that his office had arrested Buchtar Tabuni.
He said Tabuni was arrested to “clarify the activities” held at his home.
“Buchtar Tabuni’s arrival is to clarify his community gathering activities,” said Commander Mackbon.
Mohammad Arief Hidayat and Dani Randi (Banda Aceh) — The chairperson of the Acehnese Regional House of Representatives’ (DPR Aceh) Commission V for Health Affairs, M Rizal Falevi, has proposed a draft qanun (bylaw) legalising cannabis for medical use so it can be included in the 2023 priority Regional Legislation Program (Prolegda).
The proposal has also been submitted to the Aceh DPR Legislative Body
(Baleg) and Commission V has already held a meeting on the proposal.
“In 2023, one of the qanun which will be a special priority is the qanun on legalising medical cannabis. So, we have already proposed it as a Commission V initiative and we have already submitted a title for it.
I’ve already signed a letter and held a meeting with the Baleg”, Falevi told journalists on Tuesday October 4.
The Aceh DPR still uses Health Ministry Regulation Number 16/2022 as a guideline while it waits for developments in revisions to the Narcotics Law which are being prepared by the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta.
Based on literature and the results of research, said Falevi, cannabis is not foreign or taboo in Aceh. However, what must be given attention is that the plant can be packaged in accordance with regulations so that it does not violate state regulations and the ordinary people won’t be prosecuted.
The Aceh DPR wants cannabis to be able to be available as a medicine which can used by all patients in every hospital and at the same time to raise locally generated revenue (PAD).
The Constitutional Court recently ruled against a judicial review of the Narcotics Law on the issue of cannabis being allowed for medical use.
Therefore it remains illegal for class I narcotics such as cannabis to be used for health or medical purposes for as long as this stipulation remains in force.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “DPR Aceh Usul Rancangan Qanun Legalisasi Ganja untuk Medis”.]
Chairman of the Papuan People’s Council (MRP), Timothy Murib.-Humas MRP
Wamena, Jubi – The Ministry of Home Affairs plan to accelerate the inauguration of the acting governors of the three New Autonomous Regions (DOB) in Papua land at the end of October is considered too hasty by the Chairman of the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP), Timotius Murib.
Murib when contacted by Jubi on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, said that from the beginning the central government seemed to rush everything, from making changes to the Special Autonomy Law, forming DOBs, and then inaugurating the acting governors and filling the MRP with new representatives.
According to Murib, there is no need to change the number of MRP members as it is a representation of the number of Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) members.
“So, the MRP members represent two-thirds of the DPRP members. With the new provinces, which members of the DPRP that we are referring to? Is it the original DPRP or the council of the new provinces? “he said. He added that the new provinces had yet to fill in members of its council.
“There must be a consistent process, I wonder how today’s leaders of the Indonesian government are all emotional. That’s why the MRP provides input and suggestions so that every process must be in accordance with the rules, not violating the rules,” he said.
He assessed that both the central government and the House were on the same page of accelerating Papua expansion despite violating all rules.
“Of course, the filling of the acting governor has been designed by the central government, The people, in this case, the MRP cannot do much because this is the wish of Jakarta, it has landed according to their will,” he said.
Murib said the MRP continued to oversee all policies that have been carried out by the central government, ensuring it protected the lives of indigenous Papuans.
“Papuans need life, not development. Development is good but if it is done in ways that are not appropriate and far from the grassroots, I think there will be violations of human rights and basic rights of Indigenous Papuans,” he said.
Previously, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Wempi Wetipo said the Ministry would accelerate the process of inaugurating acting governors and forming government structures in the three new provinces, namely Mountainous Papua, Central Papua and South Papua.
“The law stipulates that the acting governor should be appointed at the latest six months after the law is passed, meaning in January 2023. However, we are accelerating the process. The inauguration of government structures of the three new provinces will take place at the end of October 2022,” Wetipo said. (*)
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Chairman of the Board & CEO of Freeport Mc-MoRan, Richard C Adkerson, in an event on Thursday pledged to establish a smelting industry in Papua in 2024, which will also coincide with the completion of the Gresik smelter in East Java.
In an economic transformation event at the Cendrawasih University in Papua, Adkerson revealed that the Indonesian government had also pushed the company to swiftly realize its plan. “The government has warned us to act quickly,” said the CEO on October 6, Antaranews reported.
This “smelter promise” was initially scheduled to complete in 2023 but was backtracked due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the supply chain disruption that happened on a global scale.
In the future, Adkerson believes there is an opportunity for Freeport to build industrial facilities, and electricity facilities to support industrial development in Papua. “We are committed to doing that,” he said.
In his presentation, Adkerson claimed that Freeport’s new smelter at JIIPE Gresik, East Java, will be the largest single-line smelter in the world. The copper processing production capacity reaches 1.7 million tons of concentrate per year.
Freeport will also increase the capacity of its first copper smelter, PT Smelting, which is also in Gresik, from 1 million tons of production to 1.3 million tons of concentrate per year. A precious metal refining facility of 6,000 tons per year will also be added.
Outsiders doing business in Indonesia are urged to be polite and follow cultural norms. That also goes for academics, and the ones in this story have been exemplars of courtesy. But that hasn’t stopped their findings from getting rubbished and motives trashed.
Hollywood horrors give apes a bad name. Mistaken identity – the shaggy red-furred orangutan (man of the forest) aren’t gorillas, though in the same family, and don’t scramble up skyscrapers.
They’re the real tree-huggers. Their two-metre arms aren’t for swatting fighter planes like mozzies but to reach forest fruit. With 96 per cent of our genes, we could call them rellies. They’re no danger but they do challenge our greed.
Where they live threatens plans for their habitat. Orangutans could enjoy free meals and medical care in zoos but prefer the wild to welfare.
They’re on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list as ‘critically endangered’. An Indonesian trekking tour company asserts habitat loss and poaching have left the Bornean orangutans ‘struggling to reproduce fast enough to make up for the fallen numbers’.
A decade ago there were an estimated 230,000. There could be fewer than 50,000 by 2025, according to independent researchers.
Five from Brunei, the US, Malaysia, Germany and the UK who have been raising alarms boast ‘a combined 105 years of experience in orangutan and great ape conservation science’. That suggests their concerns deserve serious examination.
Though not for the Indonesian government which reckons the doomsayers don’t know what they’re talking about.
Conservationists everywhere would hope the authorities’ no-worries version is right, and likewise investors in palm oil and forestry. If the great apes are flourishing and have swinging space to spare, then more land can be cleared.
On International Orangutan Day (19 August) Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya announced that populations weren’t under threat: ‘Ground-based evidence confirms that Sumatran, Tapanuli and Bornean orangutans are far from extinction and instead will continue to have growing populations.’
Foresthints, a website of opaque provenance, headlined Nurbaya’s address as Indonesia ‘leading the way in orangutan protection’.
It reported the Minister suggesting some conservationists were publishing ‘not to collaborate but rather to generate benefits for themselves’ by running ‘unproductive and unconstructive campaigns’.
Two of the five researchers, Dutchman Erik Meijaard and American Julie Sherman then wrote in The Jakarta Post suggesting the long-term bureaucrat-turned-politician might not be reading the right data. The criticism was respectful but blunt:
‘A wide range of scientific studies … show that all three orangutan species have declined in the past few decades and that nowhere are populations growing.’
Statistics should be contested and research methods picked apart. That’s how academic inquiry gets to the truth, though only if there’s open discussion. Instead, the Ministry rejected offers to scrutinise the foreigners’ figures and told them to get lost, banning them from entering National Parks and conservation areas.
Not because they’re trampling rare plants, tossing trash and frightening the beasties with camera flashes, but for ‘discrediting the government’.
Further work must now be supervised to ‘safeguard the objectivity of their results’. Functionaries watching keystrokes looks more like Pyongyang than Jakarta. Meijaard who works out of Brunei (located on Borneo) didn’t reply to this writer’s request for comment on the ban.
The edicts have led some to argue the government is ‘anti-science’ – a follow-on from early Health Ministry dismissals of reports that Covid was dangerous. Some leaders do appear over-sensitive particularly when counter-views come from aliens.
A 2019 law imposes strict requirements on visiting researchers. Violators can be jailed. Indonesian biologist Berry Juliandi feared damage to international collaborations. In 2020 the Environment Ministry scrapped its forest conservation partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature alleging agreement violations.
In 2020 the Environment Ministry scrapped its forest conservation partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature alleging agreement violations. Meijaard and mates let the slurs go through to the keeper: ‘The minister’s comment about engaging the palm oil and forestry sectors in a multi-stakeholder approach to managing remaining orangutan metapopulations in production landscapes is also spot on.
‘Indonesia’s recent successes in reducing deforestation rates are commendable and both the government and the private sector have played important roles.’ That wasn’t sufficiently soothing.
Foresthints defended the minister with reasoning which tested the English-language outfit’s ability to argue at their contestants’ level.
The ‘press company’ is run out of a Jakarta high-rise with Western editors and has been online since 2016. It doesn’t carry adverts or appeal for subscriptions so appears to be government-backed greenwashing. Requests for info on funding sources went unanswered.
Indonesian academic Herlambang Wiratraman asserted ‘the anti-science narrative in Indonesia is getting stronger as the Indonesian government continues to suppress the academic freedom of researchers in disseminating their research’.
He reminded readers that two years ago French landscape ecologist Dr David Gaveau, a deforestation expert who’d been working in the country for 15 years, was allegedly booted for a ‘visa violation’.
Gaveau wrote: ‘The Indonesian government deported me for publishing a preliminary estimate of the damage from Indonesia’s 2019 fires for seven provinces that exceeded the government’s own numbers (1.2 million).’
He said 1.6 million hectares had been burned, Further research made this 3.11 million. Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan called for audits of NGOs spreading ‘fake news’ about deforestation.
During the 32-year rule of President Soeharto, whatever their expertise few within the Republic dared express opinions in public which undermined the government’s position. When democracy came this century it was assumed freedom of expression was trotting close behind.
Maybe Gaveau and the orangutan researchers have got their data wrong. Years of study doesn’t equal infallibility. But resorting to argumentum ad hominem is worrying many, including networks Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom, and Scholars at Risk.
In a joint submission this year to the UN Universal Periodic Review of Indonesia the lobbyists declared the state and some unis were trying to ‘punish and silence dissent, inquiry, and academic expression’.
Notes to their document added that ‘scholars and students play an important role in Indonesia’s vibrant civil society, from promoting social justice and human rights to publicly discussing government corruption and environmental concerns.
‘Without fertile ground, Indonesian scholars and students are hindered in their ability to drive the country’s scientific, social, economic, and cultural progress.’
In Indonesia experts sounding alarms about local issues usually get noticed, though not always respected if they’re from abroad. Targeting authors is easier than critiquing their work.
Duncan Graham has been a journalist for more than 40 years in print, radio and TV. He is the author of People Next Door (UWA Press) and winner of the Walkley Award and Human Rights awards. He is now writing for the English language media in Indonesia from within Indonesia.
Treason Convicts For Raising Morning Star Free – News Desk
28 September 2022
Jayapura, Jubi – Seven students who raised the Morning Star flag at Cenderawasih Sport Center, Jayapura on December 1, 2021, were released from Abepura Penitentiary on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 10:32 Papua time. They were released after serving 10 months in prison.
The seven students are Melvin Yobe (29), Melvin Fernando Waine (25), Devio Tekege (23), Yosep Ernesto Matuan (19), Maksimus Simon Petrus You (18), Lukas Kitok Uropmabin (21), and Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere (21).
Upon their release, the students were immediately greeted by their families and lawyers. Their release was also closely guarded by police officers. A number of policemen were seen holding firearms.
Melvin Yobe was grateful that he and his friends were able to survive ten months of detention in good health. They also expressed their gratitude to everyone who has supported them so far.
Melvin Yobe said he would continue his fight for truth and justice in Papua. He said the struggle must continue because injustice continues to occur in Papua.
Helmi, the lawyer of the seven students, said it was time for them to be released. “The verdict was in August 2022 while they were arrested and detained in December 2021. Today is exactly ten months after their detention in prison so today they are free,” Helmi told Jubi
Helmi hoped that in the future, allegations against the Morning Star fliers could be resolved through non-court mechanisms. “Papua Special Autonomy Law No. 2/2021 stated that Papua has distinctive characteristics in the form of a regional symbol and its own flag, the Morning Star. So raising the Morning Star should not be a problem as long as it is interpreted as a cultural symbol,” he said.
Previously, on August 28, the panel of judges at the Jayapura District Court found the seven Morning Star raisers guilty of treason. They were each sentenced to 10 months in prison and required to pay compensation for state losses worth Rp 5,000.
However, the panel of judges stipulated that the sentence is fully deducted by the detention period that has been served. Therefore in September, Melvin Yobe and his friends are declared free for they have served 10 months in prison.
In the verdict, the panel of judges stated that the defendants’ actions of marching while shouting “Free Papua” and “We are not Red and White (Indonesian flag)” had fulfilled the elements of treason, as well as their action of unfurling banners with the words “Self Determination For West Papua, Stop West Papua Militarism” and “Indonesia Immediately Open Access for the UN Human Rights Commission Investigation Team to West Papua”.
The ruling also stated that the defendants’ call for the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) did not need to involve raising the Morning Star flag and marching while shouting “Free Papua”.
The panel of judges then returned the evidence of a koteka (male sheath), three noken (traditional woven bag), two bead necklaces, four jeans, five shirts, a jacket, two cellphone chargers, and three cellphones to the defendants.
However, some evidence namely a slingshot, two Morning Star flags and a banner were confiscated for destruction. (*)
By Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta Published: September 27, 2022 04:22 AM GMT
Indonesian police have arrested a pro-independence leader in Central Papua province for allegedly supplying ammunition to an armed criminal group, locally known as KKB.
Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force spokesman Ahmad Mustofa Kamal told reporters on Sept 24 that Yanto Awerkion, who heads the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Mimika district, was arrested on Sept. 23 at his residence in Kebon Sirih village.
The task force seized a large cache of ammunition from MN’s residence during a raid, according to Kamal. Another man — identified only as BK — was also arrested at the weekend.
He also said the three, who were already named as suspects in the ammunition supply case, played different roles. Awerkion was the seller, while MN and BK served as the buyer and the funder, respectively.
The ammunition was supposed to be given to Undius Kogoya, a leader of the KKB in Intan Jaya district, Kamal said, adding that the task force is pursuing other individuals involved in the case.
He said the arrest was carried out following the arrest of a man — identified only as MN — a day earlier by the task force after it obtained information on a planned delivery of ammunition to the KKB.
“We suspect that the arrest is an attempt to divert the attention of the Papuan people”
Besides leading KNPB, which was founded in 2008 by a group of NGOs to mobilize the West Papuan people towards independence through a referendum, Awerkion, a 32-year-old Catholic, faces several charges.
In March 2018, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison by Timika District Court for his involvement in a pro-independence petition which gathered more than 1.8 million signatures in West Papua.
KNPB spokesman Ones Suhuniap called the arrest of Awerkion “pure criminalization.”
“We suspect that the arrest is an attempt to divert the attention of the Papuan people, in general, and of the Timika people, in particular, from the killing and mutilation of four civilians from Nduga district. Some parts of their bodies have not been found yet,” he said in a written statement seen by UCA News on the Facebook page of KNPB News.
The bodies of the four Protestant Christians were discovered by residents of Iwaka village in Mimika district in sacks floating on the Pigapu River on Aug 26. Six soldiers and four civilians have been named as suspects in the case.
The soldiers accused the victims of having links with a pro-independence separatist movement and allegedly killed them on Aug 22 after pretending to sell weapons to them.
“Take strict action against those who violate it”
“We want the Papua police chief to stop criminalizing and scapegoating the KNPB in Timika and to immediately release its leader,” Suhuniap said, claiming that there was “a scenario” in his arrest and naming as a suspect.
Meanwhile, Emanuel Gobay, a human rights activist and director of the Legal Aid Institute in Papua, said there were some illegal ammunition transactions in Papua as recorded by the Democratic Alliance for Papua in its latest report.
“Many were involved in such activities, both civilians and security officers,” he told UCA News.
Released in July, the report showed that there were 51 people — 31 civilians, 14 soldiers and six policemen — sent to prison because of their involvement in illegal ammunition transactions in the Papua region between 2011 and 2021.
Gobay called on police “to strongly uphold the 1951 law on the possession of illegal firearms” and “to take strict action against those who violate it.”
Following the end of Dutch colonial rule in 1962, Indonesia annexed Christian-majority Papua through a 1969 referendum, considered a sham by many.
However, an independence movement that began in 1965 soon turned into an armed struggle, prompting a heavy-handed response from the Indonesian military. Thousands of civilians, soldiers, and separatists have been killed in the conflict in the decades since.
Wamena, Papua Pegunungan (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Red Cross Society (PMI) Office in Papua pushed for more volunteers to be deployed in all cities and districts in Papuan provinces to optimize medical services for residents.
Head of the PMI Office in Papua Zakeus Degei stated that his office was currently collecting the data of PMI volunteers in the region.
“We want to ensure that (Red Cross) volunteers will be available throughout the Papuan regions, while we still collect data for the Papua Pegunungan region, as new volunteers in the region have just been inaugurated,” Degei stated here, Tuesday.
He remarked that the Papua PMI also organized training sessions for volunteers expected to provide basic medical assistance for residents in their localities.
He pointed out that while training sessions had been organized in Mimika District, Central Papua, and Jayawijaya District, Papua Pegunungan, volunteers in Jayawijaya have received training on first aid and handling of dead bodies.
“This is only the beginning, as we will organize and encourage more training, particularly for ambulance crews and on basic first aid, as they will be the backbone of Red Cross Society activities in districts,” Degei noted.
The regional PMI head affirmed that with the support of the International Red Cross Society, his office is ready to register volunteers in the online database system.
Meanwhile, Assistant I of Jayawijaya Regional Secretary Tinggal Wusono lauded PMI’s efforts to boost the capacity of residents, who volunteered in the Red Cross Society, to provide basic medical assistance for residents.
“We positively viewed this (development) as an effort to enhance our coordination to our collective duty to ensure that (PMI) activities can proceed effectively. We also support residents’ enthusiasm to partake as volunteers for PMI,” Wusono stated.
Jayapura, Jubi TV– A total of three Company-level units or SSKs of the Maluku and North Sulawesi Brimob Units have been brought to Papua since 20 September 2022. The three Brimob SSKs were seconded in securing the City of Jayapura.
Head of Public Relations of the Papua Regional Police, Kombes Ahmad Mustofa Kamal said the addition of Brimob troops in Jayapura City was carried out to anticipate changes in the security situation after the appointment of the Governor of Papua, Lukas Enembe as a suspect in receiving gratuities worth Rp. 1 billion.
Nevertheless, Kamal emphasized that until now Jayapura City has remained conducive, even though Enembe’s supporters had rallied.
“We from the Police are always on standby to anticipate changes in the situation. However, we hope that we will maintain a safe and conducive situation. I’m sure the community will also be happy if the situation remains safe and conducive,” said Kamal in Jayapura City, Tuesday (27/9/2022).
Kamal stated that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) would continue the law enforcement process in the case of alleged receipt of gratuities by the Governor of Papua. According to him, the Papuan Police are ready to help meet the needs of the KPK.
“We are always ready if the KPK asks for help. But we the police have the main task of protecting, nurturing, and serving the community,” he said.
Kamal stressed that the police will try their best to provide a sense of security and comfort to everyone. He stated that all people have the same right to feel safe and comfortable in the Land of Papua.
“We always coordinate and communicate with all elements of society, leaders, and the TNI,” he said. (*)
Fate of Papua’s Governor Enembe – the ‘son of Koteka’ – lies in balance amid allegations
By APR editor – September 24, 2022
SPECIAL REPORT:By Yamin Kogoya
Alleged corruption involving Governor Lukas Enembe has dominated both Papuan and Indonesian media outlets and social media groups over the past two weeks.
The Indonesian media is rife with allegations and accusations against the governor who is suspected of spending of billions in rupiahs.
These media storms are sparked by allegations against him of receiving gratification worth Rp 1 million (NZ$112,000).
Governor Enembe was named a suspect by the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last week and summoned on Monday, September 19, by Police Mobile Brigade Corps (BRIMOB) headquarters in Kota Raja, Jayapura Papua.
Due to illness, the governor was unable to attend the summons. Only his lawyers and Papuan protesters attended, who then condemned KPK of being unprofessional in handling the case.
Papuans (governor’s supporters) take this case as another attempt by the state to “criminalise” their leader motivated by other political agendas, while Jakarta continues to push the narrative of the case, being a serious crime with legal implications.
According to Dr Roy Rening, a member of governor’s legal team, the governor’s designation as a suspect was prematurely determined. This is due to the lack of two crucial pieces of evidence necessary to establish the legitimacy of the charge within the existing framework of Indonesia’s legal procedural code.
Unaware he was a suspect Dr Rening also argued that the KPK’s behaviour in executing their warrant turned on a dime. The Governor was unaware that he was a suspect, and he was already under investigation by the KPK when he was summoned to appear.
In his letter, Dr Rening explained that Governor Enembe had never been invited to clarify and/or appear as a witness pursuant to the Criminal Procedure Code. The KPK instead declared the Governor a suspect based on the warrant letters, which had also changed dates and intent.
The manner in which the KPK and the state are handling the case involving Papua’s number one man in Indonesia’s settler colonial province has sparked a mass demonstration with the slogan “Save Lukas Enembe” from criminalisation.
The Governor’s case has generated a flurry of news stories with all kinds of new allegations by the nation’s most prominent figures.
Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, commonly known as Mahfud MD, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, accused Governor Enembe of corruption, amounting to billions of rupiahs during a public media conference held at the Coordinating Ministry Office, Jakarta, on Monday.
His allegations have sparked a backlash from the Governor and his lawyers, as well as from the Papuan people.
Governor’s lawyer Dr Rening said Mahfud MD should not be included in the technical part of the investigation, particularly when in relation to those financial figures. Dr Rening said any confidential information was already protected by the constitution and it was inappropriate for Mahfud MD to make such announcement.
He asked which case the minister Mahfud MD was referring to in his allegation because the actual case involving the KPK investigation only related to a gratuity of 1 billion Rp.
‘Massive campaign to undermine Governor Enembe’ Dr Rening asked how Mahfud MD could explain the other charges that were not included in the dispute of this case, adding that “we are still of the opinion, as I have mentioned in my articles, that ‘This is what we call a systematic, structured, and massive campaign to undermine the honour and reputation of Papuan leader Lukas Enembe’.
“Governor Enembe himself has also rejected the allegations involving the spending of billions of rupiah, accusing Mahfud MD of making false allegations against him.”
Reverend Dr Sofyan Yoman, president of the Papuan Baptist Church Alliance, stated on the same day as Mahfud MD’s press conference that it would be remembered as the day the KPK lost its integrity and legitimacy as an independent institution for the protection of the nation’s morale.
He said it would be recorded that 19 September 2022 was the day of the “death” of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
“Therefore, I express my condolences for the passing of the KPK. So, the history of the KPK is over,” reported Tabloid Jubi.
At the press conference, Mahfud MD was accompanied by Alexander Marwata (KPK), Ivan Yustiavandana, director of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), and other representatives from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), National Police, and the Armed Forces were also present.
By engaging in this collaboration, the KPK lacked an independent voice, and its integrity and legitimacy were shattered by state intervention.
Jakarta’s ‘state of panic’ Reverend Yoman’s “condolence” statement about the KPK was the result of the state intervention in suffocating KPK’s ability to stand independently.
Reverend Yoman added: “Jakarta is in a state of panic right now because gross human rights violations in the land of Papua are already being recognised by international institutions such as the UN, European Union, Pacific Island forums (PIF) and Africa Caribbean Pacific nation states (ACP).
“Governor Lukas Enembe’s case is not the real issue,” he said.
In reality, this was “merely a façade designed by Jakarta” to distract the public from paying attention to the real issue, which was the state’s crimes against West Papuans, reported Papua.tribunnews.com.
Natalius Pigai, a prominent Indigenous Papuan figure in Indonesia and former human rights commissioner, wrote on Twitter: “There is no single law that authorises Mahfud MD to lead a state auxiliary body. The coordinating minister can only lead police and prosecutors as part of the cabinet, he cannot act as Head of State. It was a silly intervention that weakened the KPK, and strengthened accusations of political motivations toward Lukas Enembe.”
Despite this condemnation and rejection from the governor’s camp, Governor Lukas Enembe remains a suspect waiting to be investigated by the KPK. The KPK’s Deputy Chair, Alexander Marwata said KPK examined a number of witnesses before establishing Enembe as a suspect.
“Several witnesses have clarified, and documents have been obtained that give us reason to believe there is enough evidence to establish a suspect” reported Kompas.com.
Papuans protect residence Meanwhile, the Governor’s private residence in Papua is being protected by Papuans, triggering more security personnel being deployed in a region that is already one of the most highly militarised in the Asia Pacific.
Papua’s people have been shaken by the news of this corruption allegation against their Governor.
According to Paskalis Kosay, Papua is worried about the loss of Lukas Enembe, a unifying figure among the Papuan people.
He added: “Papua’s political situation has become increasingly unhealthy since Mahfud MD’s statement. The internet — particularly social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp — are full of both positive and false information. Also, its contents may be used to slander, humiliate, or discredit the good name, honour, or dignity of a certain person, figure, or group.
“We should be vigilant when paying attention to the different information spread on social media and other mass lines. It is imperative that Papuans filter all news content very carefully. You must then respond wisely, intelligently, and proportionally so as not to be accused of being a member of a group of disseminators of misleading information”.
Meanwhile, as Governor Enembe awaits the outcome of the case against him, he has already missed his medical appointments in Singapore. This could unleash unprecedented protests throughout West Papua if or when his health fails him due to him being blocked by Jakarta from leaving the country.
A failure to protect the Governor while he is caught up in the limbo of the Indonesian legal system, would have catastrophic consequences for Jakarta. Papuans have already warned Jakarta “don’t try [to detain him] during the protests.”
As of today, the Governor’s and his family’s bank accounts remain blocked, a decision made by the state without their knowledge a few months ago, that has led to the current crisis.
Who is Governor Lukas Enembe? Governor Lukas Enembe is a symbol of pride and an icon for the sons and daughters of the Koteka people of the highlands of Papua. He is often referred to as “Anak Koteka” (son of Koteka).
Koteka as a horim, or penis gourd or sheath, traditionally worn by males in Papua’s Highlands, where Governor Enembe comes from.
When he is called “Anak Koteka” it means that he is a son of cultural groups that wear this traditional attire. Knowing this is critical to understanding how and why this man became such a central figure in West Papua.
Before he became Governor of Papua in 2013, the Koteka people of the Highlands faced many kinds of racial prejudice and discrimination. Wearing the koteka was seen as a symbol of primitiveness, backwardness, and stupidity.
Lukas Enembe turned the symbol of the koteka into hope, pride, courage, leadership, and power when he became governor for two consecutive terms. He broke barriers no one else had crossed, exposed cultural taboos, and used his ancestral wisdom to unite people from every walk of life.
As the Highland’s first Papua Governor (2013 -2023), he upended stereotypes associated with his cultural heritage.
Governor Enembe was born in Timo Ramo Village, Kembu District, Tolikara Regency of Papua’s Highlands on 27 July 1967. His biography A Statesman from Honai, by Sendius Wonda, states that Lukas grew up in a simple family.
He attended elementary school in Mamit (1974-1980) and junior high school in Sentani (1980-1983). He then attended senior high school in Sentani from 1983-86.
Sacred building for sharing wisdom In Highlands Papua, honai is a traditional hut, but it is more than just a hut; it is a sacred building where ancient teachings and wisdoms are discussed and preserved.
Honai shaped him into the person he is today. In the 1980s, he was one of only a handful of Papuan Highlands village children to study in urbanised coastal regions.
His determination to continue his studies was already noted by his peers. In 1986, he took the selection examination for admission to Indonesia’s State Universities and was accepted as a student at Sam Ratulangi University (Unsrat) Manado Indonesia.
As a fourth-semester student at the FKIP Campus, Enembe majored in political science at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences in Manado. After completing his studies in Manado in 1995, Lukas returned to Papua.
As he waited for acceptance of his Civil Service Candidates (CPNS) he lived in Doyo Sabron, Jayapura Regency with his wife, Yulce Wenda, and his family. The following year, he was accepted as a civil servant (PNS).
He aspired to become a lecturer at Cenderawasih University, Jayapura, where he earned 22 citations for local government lectures. The promise of being a lecturer ran aground during the pre-service announcement, and Enembe was assigned a position as a civil servant at the Merauke Regency Socio-Political Affair’s Office instead.
During 1998-2001, Enembe was sent by a missionary agency to continue his studies for two years at the Cornerstone Christian college in Australia (Dubbo, NSW). Upon returning from Australia in 2001, he participated in the Puncak Jaya regional election, but his dream of becoming a regent was dashed.
‘Papua rising’ From 2001-2006, he served as Deputy Regent of Puncak Jaya alongside Elieser Renmaur. In 2006, Enembe was elected chair of the DPD of the Papua Province Democratic Party. In that year he also attempted to run for Governor of Papua by collaborating with a Muslim couple, Ahmad Arobi Aituarauw.
He lost the vote, however, and Bas Suebu-Alex Hasegem won. Last but not least, he participated in the 2007 Puncak Jaya regional election and was elected Regent of Puncak Jaya along with Henock Ibo.
In 2013, Enembe and Klemen Tinal ran as candidates for Governor of Papua in the 2013 Papuan Gubernatorial Election.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) appointed Lukas Enembe and Klemen Tinal to lead Papua between 2013 and 2018. In 2018, he was re-elected along with Klemen Tinal to serve as Governor of Papua for the period 2018-2023.
“Papua rising, independent, and prosperous” was Lukas’s vision for leading Papua through the landslide victory.
As Governor he gave 80 percent of the special autonomy funds to regional and city areas, and 20 percent to the provinces. In his view, 80 percent of the special autonomy funds are managed by districts or cities which is where most people in Papua live.
Papua has undergone a lot of development during Enembe’s governorship, including the construction of a world-class sports stadium that has been named after him, as well as other major projects like the iconic Youtefa Bridge in Jayapura city.
Papuans ‘need to live’ Many Papuans opposing Jakarta’s activities in West Papua consider him to be a father figure. When asked about the conditions his people face on national television, Governor Enembe responded by saying “Papuans do not need development, they need to live.”
Such bold statements, along with others he made directly challenge Indonesia’s mainstream narrative, since Jakarta and Indonesians at large regard “development” as a panacea for West Papua’s problem.
Jakarta is also suspicious about the hundreds of Papuan students sent abroad under the scholarship scheme he designed using Special Autonomy Funds.
His boldness, style of leadership and deeds indicate that there is a deep longing in his heart for justice and for better treatment of his fellow humans. His accomplishments distinguish him as a pioneer, a dreamer, a fighter, a survivor, and a practical man with deep compassion for others.
It is this spirit that keeps him alive and strong despite the physical and psychological intimidation, threats, as well as clinical sickness he has endured for years.
The rest of his term (2022-2023) is one of the most critical times for him. After more than 20 years as Indonesia’s top public servant, the strong man of the people is facing his greatest challenge as he enters his final year in his career.
How that final chapter of his career ends will be determined by the outcome of this corruption allegations case, which could have significant consequences for Papua and Indonesia as well as for Governor Enembe.
Jakarta must think carefully in how they handle the governor, son of Koteka.
Yamin Kogoya is a West Papuan academic who has a Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development from the Australian National University and who contributes to Asia Pacific Report. From the Lani tribe in the Papuan Highlands, he is currently living in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Australia West Papua Association Adelaide 