The Report leads with "Perspective," an analysis piece; followed by "Update," a summary of some developments during the covered period; and then "Chronicle" which includes analyses, statements, new resources, appeals and action alerts related to West Papua. Anyone interested in contributing a Perspective or responding to one should write to
CONTENTS
This edition's PERSPECTIVE looks at the controversial appointment of retired General Ryamizard Ryacudu as Defence Minister by President Joko Widodo. UPDATE reports on Widodo's initial comments on West Papua. He has pledged to pursue a more benign approach to the multiple economic, education and health problems facing Papuans, but critics note his failure to acknowledge on-going human rights problems there. Two French journalists who had been detained for alleged immigration violations were finally freed. Their arrest prompted widespread protest internationally and within Indonesia over efforts by Jakarta to limit international awareness of the repression in West Papua. The U.S. plans to expand cooperation with the Indonesian navy notwithstanding its role in the 1998 Biak massacre. The arrest of six Papuans and wounding of one has prompted armed rebel threats of new hostilities in the Central Highlands. A new project employs mapping to advance land rights protections. President Widodo has named the first Papuan woman to be an Indonesian government minister. The new Home Minister has pledged to pursue solutions to problems affecting minorities, but supports further division of Papua into more provinces. Legislation to end local voting for governors, mayors and district heads is stalled for now. In CHRONICLE, the report notes an outstanding analysis by Inside Indonesia which explores the devastating impact of HIV-AIDS in West Papua.
PERSPECTIVE
The State Department Thinks Appointment of Ryacudu as Defence Minister Is No Big Deal
The appointment of General Ryamizard Ryacudu to the key post of Defence Minister has caused dismay among human rights advocates, including those supporting rights in West Papua. The U.S. Department of State, however, says it is no big deal.
Ryacudu is an uncompromising ultra-nationalist who has repeatedly demonstrated in word and deed that he is prepared to use the power of the military to silence critics of the military or those he perceives to be "separatists."
Indonesian human rights activists, academics and solidarity groups have all expressed concern that Ryacudu's appointment will increase tensions in West Papua.
John M. Miller from the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network called Ryacudu "a relic of the past with a history of excusing rights violations by soldiers, threatening human rights critics, and asserting the military's right to meddle in civilian affairs." His appointment "tells us that President Widodo is not serious about promoting human rights or reaching out to Papua."
Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) said “A Cabinet with human rights violators is an obstacle for your administration’s performance.... How can you solve human rights violations if there is a perpetrator inside [your administration]?”
Joe Collins of the Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) said: "The people of West Papua live in fear of security operations in the territory and the appointment of Ryamizard Ryacudu as Defence Minister can only add to this fear. There was some hope that the election of Jokowi would bring an easing of tension in West Papua, but with Ryamizard Ryacudu's appointment it looks like there could be a continuation of solving issues of concern in West Papua by the security approach, not by dialogue."
As chief of the Army's strategic command (Kostrad) from 2000 to 2002, and then as Army Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2005, he prosecuted brutal campaigns against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Free West Papua Movement (OPM). Those campaigns deliberately blurred the lines between armed rebels and civilians who were -- or who were perceived by the military to be -- rebel sympathizers. After the tsunami that devastated Aceh, Ryacudu worked to undermine the peace process.
- Maclellan writes in Crikey that "Ryacudu also played an important role in the crushing of the 'Papuan Spring', the period between 1998 and 2001 when West Papuans met to propose new options for self-determination." A West Papua-wide congress launched the Papua Presidium Council. Its chair Theys Eluay was murdered by members of the Kopassus Special Forces on November 10, 2001. Reacting to the soldiers' conviction for this deliberate murder, Ryacudu showed his unwillingness to distinguish between military targets and civilian critics. He said of those military who killed Eluay: "I don't know, people say they did wrong, they broke the law. What law? Okay, we are a state based on the rule of law, so they have been punished. But for me, they are heroes because the person they killed was a rebel leader."
The Indonesian military has a notorious reputation for assaults on civilian villages in the course of its unending "sweep operations" purportedly targeting armed rebels in the highlands of West Papua. The Indonesian military remain largely unaccountable for such past and on-going criminal violations of human rights and its deep corruption. Given his past, it is also unlikely that the Indonesian military will become any more accountable under Defence Minister Ryacudu.
The U.S. government -- which by virtue of its extensive assistance programs to the Indonesian military has significant potential influence over its direction -- reacted disingenuously to the naming of Ryacudu as Defence Minister:
"We are certainly aware of the allegations of human rights violations committed by the Indonesian army while the general served as army chief of staff," said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki. "We are not, however, aware of any allegation that ties the defence minister explicitly to a specific human rights violation."
She added that the military had changed "in significant ways," since the overthrow of the dictator Suharto.
The State Department's remarks ignore the role of Ryacudu in the brutal military campaigns in West Papua and Aceh and appear deaf to the concerns of human rights organizations who have sounded alarms over the appointment. The State Department comment, by contending that Ryacudu is not tied "explicitly to a human ignores his command responsibility for brutalities and human rights violations by troops under his authority. The State Department doesn't mention that for the first time in over a decade, Indonesia's Ministry of Defence will be headed by someone with a military background rather than a civilian. The appointment of civilians to this post has been an important indication of support for the democratic principle of civilian control of the military.
Moreover, the U.S. State Department spokesperson's contention that the Indonesian military has transformed "in significant ways" perpetuates the U.S. government's efforts to obscure the reality that the military remains the greatest threat to democratization and respect for human rights in Indonesia.
UPDATE
President Widodo Offers Assurances on West Papua
"I want to give special attention to West Papua," President Widodo told Australia's Fairfax Media on October 19, the eve of his inauguration. Widodo said that he planned to the region's social and economic disadvantages first.
Widodo's predecessor, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, made a similar pledge to put emphasis on problems with Indonesian policy in West Papua a decade ago but those efforts failed largely as a consequence of "corruption, cronyism and bureaucratic dysfunction," according to Fairfax. (WPAT Note: As an example of Yudhoyono's failure, his Special Autonomy Plus plan to replace the failed "Special Autonomy" never got off the ground and has raised a mini-scandal over funds expended to bring it to life.)
Widodo, who appointed the first Papuan woman as a Cabinet Member (see below), sought to assure that he was on top of the problem: "Every day groups from Papua come here and I explain about the problem, they complain about the problem, so now I know 100 per cent of the problem in Papua," he said.
He wants to attack "the causes of economic discrimination," saying that a bag of cement that sells for $US6 in Jakarta is priced as height as $US150 in Papua hindering basic development.
"I think the most important thing is education, yes, and then health care, and then infrastructure," he told the Fairfax journalists. "If we can deliver as soon as possible the education program, and health program, I'm sure, the political tension will drop."
Responses to President Widodo by Papuan activists are mixed. Reverend Socratez Yoman, the head of the Baptist church in Papua, said "The core problem in West Papua is political. Before you talk about economic development, the first part has to be to have genuine and peaceful dialogue."
Frederika Korain told Fairfax that "In the last two weeks the tension has already reduced in Papua; I think the military troops there understand what kind of president he'll be." She added that a group of Papuan activists proposed that the "Indonesian government set up an agency under presidential authority to focus solely on Papua with three parts to its charter: political dialogue, human rights and development."`
However, plans by Widodo's Minister of Rural Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Marwan Jafar calling for greater migration to West Papua could undermine the president's efforts. Papua province's Governor Lucas Enembe warned that transmigration could lead to greater marginalization of indigenous Papuans and increased conflict with non-Papuans.
French Journalists Finally Freed
Two journalists jailed by Indonesian authorities for their attempts to report on developments in West Papua are back in France. They were freed on October 27 after conviction of immigration violations.
Thomas Dandois, 40, and Valentine Bourrat, 29, were each given a two and a half month jail term, but were soon freed because they had already served most of the time in custody awaiting trial. The arrest of the French journalists drew broad criticism from within Indonesia and internationally (see West Papua Report for September and October).
Their incarceration was unprecedented. Previously, foreign journalists accused of reporting "illegally" from Papua were simply and quickly deported. The pair could have faced up to five years in jail, but in the end prosecutors recommended a four-month sentence, which was reduced by the judge.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), one of their sources, the tribal leader of the Lanny Jaya district Areki Wanimbo, remains in prison and "may be tried on a charge of 'rebellion.'"
While advocates for freedom of the press welcomed the release of the two journalists many underscored that the issue of access to West Papua by journalists and others with legitimate interest in visiting and working in West Papua remains.
Andreas Harsono, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, explained that while foreign journalists can apply for visas to report from Papua, "in reality they are rarely granted. Under the current system, 18 different government agencies have to give their approval."
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They did not commit any crime by courageously undertaking their investigative reporting in Indonesia.
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RSF welcomed the journalists', but said they should never have been convicted for doing legitimate reporting.
“It is a big relief to know that Dandois and Bourrat will soon be released,” the group’s secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “Any other outcome would have set a terrible precedent for media freedom in Indonesia. We stress that, according to the principles of international law, they did not commit any crime by courageously undertaking their investigative reporting in Indonesia.”
In early October, the Australian Senate passed a resolution calling for the release of the journalists saying it would be "a sign of [President Widodo's] commitment to more open Papuan provinces." Sponsored by Green Party Senator Richard Di Natale, the motion was backed by Australia's major parties, which traditionally have thwarted any legislative criticism of Indonesia.
“I had no expectation this government would support it so it was a big surprise…. This is the first time in my experience that any motion on the topic of West Papua has passed. And what makes it more interesting is that the motion calls on the Australian government to raise the issue with Indonesia,” Senator Di Natale told New Matilda.
US Seeks to Improve Maritime Cooperation with Indonesia
The Jakarta Post reports that the U.S. government wants to improve maritime cooperation with Indonesia, following the President Widodo plans to emphasize Indonesia’s maritime sector.
"We are very interested in the commitment of President Joko Widodo’s administration. That is why we hope to improve the cooperation with Indonesia in the maritime sector,” U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus told a press briefing in Medan, North Sumatra, over the October 25-26 weekend. He said that Indonesia's vast maritime territory and coastline make illegal activities such as smuggling and piracy difficult to police.
Indonesia's navy chief of staff Adm. Marsetio said the relationship between the U.S. and Indonesian navies continued to get closer as shown in their frequent participation in joint exercises.
Mabus was in Medan to meet the crew of the frigate USS Rodney M. Davis, a guided-missile frigate that had recently participated in a joint exercise with the Indonesian Navy. In August, the ship took part in the “Sail Raja Ampat” event organized by Indonesia in the waters of West Papua.
WPAT Comment: The U.S. endorsement of President Widodo's apparent interest in boosting Indonesia's navy could quickly become controversial. The Indonesian army will likely resist any shift of resources, responsibility, or policy focus worried that this would diminish the army's own dominance in the Indonesian security sector. Also, while the Indonesian navy has a less notorious human rights record than does the army, no navy officials have ever been held accountable for the 1998 Biak Massacre which entailed the slaughter of scores of Papuan civilian protesters.
In its military-to-military policies, the Obama administration is continuing the approach of the predecessor Bush administration in de-linking human rights concerns and perceived geo-political interests.
Possible Escalation of Tensions in the Central Highlands
Police officials in Jayapura, October 26, arrested six suspected members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), shooting the unit's leader, Pinus "Rambo" Wenda in the leg. Rambo is accused of more than a dozen attacks on police stations and convoys since 2005 in Puncak Jaya and Lanny Jaya districts, and the deaths of at least six police officers since 2011.
At the time of their arrest, the six were believed to be buying weapons from serving members of the Indonesian army. The arrest of the Papuans prompted threats of retaliation by the OPM. Puron Wenda, commander of the OPM in Lanny Jaya District, which is home to those arrested, told the Jakarta Globe: “We demand that the police immediately release our comrade, Rambo Wenda, or else we and all Papuan people will declare war and will target all non-Papuans in Papua.” Puron said he had also phoned Yotje, the local police chief, to make the demand. Yotje confirmed the call, but added that the police chief added that he had refused to communicate with the OPM members "because they’re criminals.”
WPAT Comment: The prospect of communal violence, entailed in this reported threat by OPM to target non-Papuans, poses one of the darkest scenarios for the non-Papuan and long-suffering Papuan people in West Papua.
Plans for Mapping to Protect Indigenous Papuans Land’s Rights
Tabloid Jubi reported on efforts to protect Papuan land rights through a "village participatory map program."
Zadrak Wamebu, Executive Director of the Assessment and Empowerment of Indigenous Papuans, said that many indigenous people frequently lose their rights due to state policies, prompting them to rebel. “Most of indigenous Papuans have been fighting for their rights. For example, they took the option of armed resistance. So, we try to give an explanation to the public to not fight against the state. Because the state is always equipped with the military, the police, judges and everything."
The mapping is meant to protect the customary rights of indigenous peoples and is intended to inform further efforts to generate regulations that will protect indigenous rights. In September, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) launched a series of public meetings focused on land disputes.
New Widodo Cabinet Includes First Papuan Woman Minister
Yohana S. Yambise from West Papua, is the new Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection. She told media that she plans to focus on several laws regarding child protection and gender issues.
The Yudhoyono government had promised that it would expedite amendments to the 2002 Child Protection Law. The revision was to have included harsher punishments for child abusers and changes in children’s rights to bring them in line with the International Convention on Children’s Rights. Yambise said that passage of these changes would be a priority.
Born in Manokwari, Papua, Yohana was a professor at Cenderawasih University and active in promoting women’s empowerment in the province and children’s education.
New Home Minister Delve into Minority Issues
According to the Jakarta Post, newly appointed Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo plans "to scrutinize problems faced by minority groups over the past decade." Some hope that he will be a change from the Yudhoyono administration, whose members often endorsed attacks on minority religions.
Other reports indicate that Kumolo wants to further divide Papua province into additional provinces. A move repeatedly rejected within Papua.
Kumolo is a career politician from Widodo's PDI-P party. One critic called him "the party's unscrupulous general secretary and all-round fixer." This is his first administrative post.
Robert Endi Jaweng, executive director of the Regional Autonomy Watch (KPPOD), urged the new minister to keep a close watch on developments in Aceh and Papua.
“I was hoping that the new home minister would be someone who has experience in governing. But now, we have Tjahjo, a politician. He may face challenges in building communication with special regions, particularly Aceh and Papua, and coordinating with respective ministries to ensure that sufficient funds and the right policies are in place to propel these regions’ development,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Efforts by Rightist Parliamentarians to Block Local Elections Stymied for Now
The Indonesia Constitutional Court rejected judicial review of the controversial regional elections law, citing a presidential decree rushed out by former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The Perppu or regulation in lieu of law can be overturned by the legislature.
The request for judicial review against the law passed in September by the House of Representatives (DPR) ending direct elections for most mayors, district heads and provincial governors. Local leaders would instead be appointed by the Regional Representatives Council (DPRD).
Constitutional Court Justice Patrialias Akbar said the Perppu had invalidated the law, and that there were therefore no grounds for a review of a law that no longer existed.
Refly Harun, another legal expert, told the Jakarta Globe that President Widodo could issue another presidential decree to replace Yudhoyono's should the House overturn it.
CHRONICLE
HIV-AIDS Epidemic in West Papua, an Indictment of Government Policies
Inside Indonesia presents a brilliant critique of the HIV-AIDS epidemic in West Papua. The analysis notes that HIV-AIDS infection in West Papua is 15 times higher than in Indonesia and that 30 percent of all infections recorded in Indonesia occur in West Papua. Indigenous Papuans have twice the rate of infection among transmigrants. The analysis describes the Indonesian government policies and mal-administration which have led to marginalization of and discrimination against West Papuans, which account in significant measure for the epidemic among Papuans.
This is the 127th in a series of monthly reports that focus on developments affecting Papuans. This series is produced by the non-profit West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media accounts, other NGO assessments, and analysis and reporting from sources within West Papua. This report is co-published by the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN). Back issues are posted online at http://www.etan.org/issues/wpapua/default.htm Questions regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at