fPcN interCultural:

friends of Peoples close to Nature

This is the 51st 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:
*A Respected International Medical Officer Describes Inadequate Health Care and Migration as Likely to Make Papuans a Minority in Their Own Land by 2011
*International Community Calls for Release of Peaceful Papuans Demonstrators Beaten and Arrested by the Police
* World Council of Churches Say Papuans Traumatized and Subject to Militarization
*A WPAT Member Who Visited the Tailings Wasteland Created by Freeport-McMoran Mine Rebuts the Operation's Propaganda about Successful "Reclamation" Efforts"
*A WPAT Alum Writes about the Need to Ensure a Role for Local Communities in Advocacy for the Environment
*Papuans Call for Halt on Development Schemes until Papuans Obtain Rights to Consider their Impact
*Forestry Firms Provide Little to Local Papuan Communities as They Destroy West Papua's Natural Resources
*Indonesian National Human Rights Commission to Investigate Abuses in West Papua Despite Government Opposition

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.

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:

"Anton was … beaten from the front and back [by Indonesian police and soldiers] until he fell down. They stamped on his body with their jack boots and then beat him.
PUNCAK JAYA – A bad day for Anton Asse (28 years old), a government official from the information and communication department, Puncak Jaya Regent’s Office. He was tortured by a police officer in Tingginambut on Wednesday (25/6/08).

TO A FREE WEST PAPUA

It is meaningful for a person to spend time writing and publishing reliable articles in order to raise and debate important issues. It is inappropriate, however, for a person to publish articles (whether it be in books, journals or on the internet) when the topic and the publication is not researched properly, providing inaccurate, misplaced or solely speculative data. This creates unsuitable grounds for interesting debates, rather forcing other parties concerned to correct mistakes and obviously wrong believes made by those who initiated the topic.

In this context the article by Mr. Lee Jones “Is West Papua being Eco-Colonised?” is a good example and makes it unfortunately necessary to rectify the lack of research and understanding by Mr Lee Jones regarding several aspects of his article.