fPcN interCultural:

friends of Peoples close to Nature

A 'rebellious' (fPcNs preferred term: 'dispossessed') New Zealand Maori tribe entered into negotiations with the government Thursday in a bid to gain autonomy over its land.

Ngai Tuhoe is the only Maori tribe that refused to sign the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which established peaceful relations between New Zealand's indigenous groups and white settlers.

Tuhoe still insists it retains sovereign control over its culture and its lands in central North Island, which it claims were confiscated illegally by settlers in the 1800s.

1) Indonesians give word of no repetitions (The National PNG)
2) Students protest border incursions (The National PNG)
3) PNG to Formally Protest Indonesia Border Incursions (Pacific Magazine)
4) Indonesia to apologise for PNG border incursions: report (ABC)
5) Indonesians promise to apologise (The National PNG)
6) Indonesians raid village (The National PNG)
7) Border post in bad shape (The National PNG)

Press Release
Police Beatings and Arrests at Flag-Raising
also:
Indonesia must release detained Papuans: rights group.

(New York, July 24, 2008) – The Indonesian government should immediately release more than a dozen Papuans detained for raising the Papuan "Morning Star" flag in Fakfak, a major city in western Papua, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the Indonesian government to launch an investigation into the excessive use of force by the Indonesian police, who beat and kicked the activists during the arrests on July 19, 2008.

Two reports:
1) Border incursion
2) Local reports say Indonesian soldiers making frequent incursions to PNG

1) Border incursion The National PNG 14/7/08 from: http://www.thenational.com.pg/071408/
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK

INDONESIAN soldiers have defied diplomatic and military protocols and continue to violate international border agreements with Papua New Guinea. Government Ministers Belden Namah (Forest) and his Housing and acting Internal Security colleague, Andrew Kumbakor, were told by villagers and PNG Defence Force personnel at Wutung in Vanimo, Sandaun province, that there had been numerous border incursions allegedly made by the Indonesians at the end of May, June and this month, with the latest being last Saturday and yesterday evening. In one such incident, army personnel said the Indonesians defaced a cement PNG border monument at Wutung by spray-painting it with their 408 battalion symbol.

Signs of Hadza extinction now evident
Just a few weeks after the Arabian hunting firm officially pulled out of Yaeda, a new monster is reported to have moved into the vast valley and intends to unleash even worse destruction.
Yaeda valley lying mostly within Mbulu District in Manyara, with part of it extending to Singida region is currently being visited by hordes of people interested in starting mining activities in the area.

Indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon are being killed and having their houses burned to the ground by illegal loggers, according a statement from the International Indigenous Committee for the Protection of Peoples in Voluntary Isolation CIPIACI. The loggers have invaded the Murunahua Territorial Reserve, a remote area near the Brazilian border set aside in 1997 for uncontacted indigenous peoples, and built an illegal network of roads, the statement charges.

REMEMBERING THE BLOOD Of BIAK ANCIDENT, JULY 06, 1998

From July 2 to 6, 1998, when the military opened fire, the mornig star
flag flew over the thirty-five meter-tall water tower near the harbor in
Biak town. The demostranion was led by Filip Karma” Yopy Karma”. The flag
appeard on the top of the tower on July 2, at about 5: 00 a.m. Some
seventy five people gathred beneath it, shouting freedom slogans, singing
songs and dancing traditional dances. Some had painted their faces and
arms with the morning star symbol, and as the demonstration contiuend,

In early July 1998 the small West Papuan island of Biak rejoiced. Rumours were circulating that President Clinton had officially recognised West Papua’s independence. Celebrations followed and the Morning Star flag was flown freely despite being a banned ‘separatist’ symbol.

Before dawn on Monday 6 July, after a night of revelry, a large group of young people slept near the town’s harbour. A mixed army unit drawn from four battalions approached and opened fire on these people as they slept.

This is the 50th 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 Indonesian Action Network (ETAN) Back issues are posted online at http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/default.htm Questions regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at edmcw@msn.com.

SUMMARY:
*The West Papua Advocacy Team announces creation of the "John Rumbiak Human Rights Defenders Award" and that the first winner of this annual award is legendary human rights defender Carmel Budiarjo, founder of TAPOL.
*Chronic Public Health Emergencies in West Papua Belie Claims of Special Autonomy Success.
*We Mark The Tenth Anniversary of The Biak Massacre with Personal Accounts by Two WPAT Members.
*Government Plans for Massive Highway Project Threatens Papuan Forests and Papuans Themselves.
*International Crisis Group Report Looks at Prospects of Communal Violence But in Recommendations Fails to Call for Justice and An End to Impunity for Security Forces.
Carmel Budiardjo Wins First "John Rumbiak Human Rights Defenders Award."

Press Release

On this day the 1st of July 2008, the representatives of the West Papua Refugees camped at Apex Park – Boroko, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – wish to raise the following concerns regarding the continued displacement of their families in Port Moresby.

1. Our status as refugees in PNG: