Dozens of Indonesia`s dancer performed in ASEAN arts forum

Papuan traditional culture like dancing is really part of the diversity of Indonesian culture, our culture is in the same position as other ethnicities and tribes in Indonesia. Lets support the democracy and cultural pluralism in Indonesia.

FWP

Source of news from ANTARA

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Dozens of Indonesian dancers from nine provinces who performed at the Gedung Kesenian (arts building) in Jakarta on Tuesday night had opened a new page in history of the strengthening of friendship among ASEAN member countries.

The dancers who performed in the first function of Best of ASEAN performing Arts entitled “The Mosaic Archipelago” came from the provinces of Jakarta, North Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Riau, East Java, Bali and Papua.

Poor Access on Electricity in West Papua

A very nice information from Charles Roring should be read by Indonesian federal government and Papuan local government. Electricity is vital in the process of development in an area, the difficulties in accessing electricity will let West Papuan left behind the process of human resource development.

Charles Roring calculation on the potential energy and the amount of electricity which can be generated from the waterfall in a small village is a very-very important information.

I think it is time for all Papuan to work together to push Papuan local government and Indonesian federal government to generate electricity for us.

We need electricity ! Free Papua from poor access on electricity !

FWP

WEST PAPUAN VILLAGES DO NOT HAVE GOOD ACCESS ON ELECTRICITY

by Charles Roring

Sairo, a small village which is located in the northern coast of West Papua, can be reached within 15 minutes drive from Manokwari. Like many other West Papuan villages, Sairo doesn’t have electricity. It has a number of water falls that can be utilized to generate electricity but the locals do not have the know how to do it.

West Papua: The Truth and Lies

Free West Papua (FWP) has received information detailing the truth and lies about West Papuan criminal detainees, who are held by the Indonesian police and prison service in Jayapura, Manokwari and Timika.

Even though unfair treatment of  criminal detainees are common in many places in the world, such unfairness can not take place in Papua. We should push the improvement of treatment of criminal detainees in Papua.

45th anniversary of Papua integration to Indonesia

Papuan people in the world probably will thank UK Government for the positive support for economic develoment in Papua and West Papua Province. In contrast to that, an element of opportunist group has plan to deliver a pushy Petition to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It must be an opportunistic movement driven by a Western individual with hidden agenda.

The democratic Indonesia is one of the closest partner of democratic UK, there is no need for dialogue on West Papuan self-determination in the international community, because this idea was came from unknown  Western figure who might have personal interest in creating conflict in Papua.

British parliamentarians should be very-very careful in giving support to such movement, if possible they should visit Papua in order to see the real condition in Papua.

Free West Papua

Malaria-free Indonesia by 2030: A promise for better Papua

Jakarta Post April 24, 2008 delivered a very important news on national campaign against malaria. For people who live in Papua, malaria is a nightmare and almost unavoidable due to the bad condition of health and sanitation in Papua.

It’s a pity if we ignore the campaign because the issue is of course a very-very serious one. Campaign against malaria should be honest enough to attract the support from all Papuan.

Here is the news

Malaria-free Indonesia by 2030: Govt

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is launching a national campaign against malaria, saying the disease remains a serious threat despite the recent decrease in the number of cases.

Is West Papua being eco-colonised?

A very nice and enlightened article by Lee Jones at spiked-online

A student writer believes greens are trying to preserve West Papua as an archaic backgarden for Westerners disillusioned by modernity.

Independence movements, once determined to win self-determination by force of arms, have increasingly come to rely on appeals for Western intervention to win freedom on their behalf. Rather than demanding our respect as self-determining peoples, independence movements have learned to depict themselves as victims, to appeal to Western prejudices and paternalism - with the result that, for instance, people in Kosovo are still not trusted to run their own affairs without our supervision (1). Now, in an effort to win backing for independence from Indonesia, West Papuans are even appealing to environmentalism.West Papua was integrated into Indonesia in 1969 via the ‘Act of Free Choice’, a stage-managed consultation of tribal elders, stitched up in advance by Indonesia, the United States, the Netherlands and the UN to produce this outcome. Like other outlying areas of Indonesia, West Papua’s resources were pillaged by powerful Javanese interests and foreign investors like the notorious Freeport mining company, while its people were brutalised by the Indonesian military. The Papuan people have seen little benefit, mostly continuing to live in tribal settlements in grim socio-economic conditions. The Organisasi Papua Merdeka (Organisation for a Free Papua), armed with bows and arrows, was no match for Indonesian troops. Faced with armed defeat, the movement decided to focus entirely on seeking international support for its little-known struggle (2).

Special Autonomy: International Image versus Reality

April 5 2008, Muridan Widjojo wrote a very interesting analysis on recent political development in Papua. He said that there are hardliner elements in Papua and in Jakarta who have a nationalist banal perspective in responding the political development in Papua. Those elements are in agreement to see conflict in Papua and international pressure as a failure of propaganda on the success story of development in Papua. They never thought that problem in Papua is the result of government policy and its implementation. I should fairly say that Muridan get the point and we can criticize Papuan local government, Indonesian central government, and also legislative to be more serious in handling the problem in Papua. Furthermore, Muridan also believed that those nationalist banal hardliners are still using the old perspective of New Order with its military approach in the name of national integration.

Indonesia govt blamed for stagnant special autonomy in Papua

News Update from RNZI

Posted at 22:29 on 31 March, 2008 UTC

A delegation of politicians from Indonesia’s Papua province has been to Jakarta to further pressure the central government to help improve Special Autonomy in their region.

The Jakarta post reports that Papua legislature members, led by chief councilor Jimmy Demianus, held separate meetings with the House of Representatives and Regional Representative Council leadership.

Many Papuans believe Special Autonomy, established in 2001, has failed to address problems such as human rights violations, natural resource management, health, poverty and security.

Mr Demianus has warned that Papua’s problems will become more complex if Jakarta did not improve the implementation of Special Autonomy.

He blamed Jakarta for the stagnation of special autonomy in Papua and neighbouring West Papua province, saying they can’t properly implement autonomy without technical and operational guidance from central government.

Recently, Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu admitted that despite huge special autonomy funds being allocated over the last seven years, most Papuans remain poor and uneducated.

He said that most of the funds have been used to finance bureaucracy.

Papua’s international image

Do Papua needs special envoy to improve Papua’s international image? please think about this idea for the future of Papua.

Source: RNZI

A delegation of politicians from the Papua region has called on the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to appoint a special envoy to improve Papua’s international image.

The chief councillor from West Papua, Jimmy Demianus Ijie, who led the delegation, has told the Jakarta Post that a special envoy is needed to counter the campaign that gives an impression human rights abuses continue in Papua.

He claimed the campaign against Papua was related to Indonesia’s efforts to bar the American Samoan member of the US Congress, Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, from viciting Papua in July last year, and the failure of special autonomy in the region.

The British Human Rights Report 2007

A very important note was stated in British Human Rights Report 2007.  I think it would be great if a peaceful dialogue among Papuan, Papua local government, Indonesia central government, Indonesian civil society, Papuan local NGO, and national NGO can be held openly and sincerely. The implementation of special autonomy should be discussed carefully in an honest atmosphere as a vital step to resolve the complex problem of Papua. Hostile action and negative propaganda by some radicals should be stopped. Violation of human rights by some military unit should also be stopped. At the same time, during the process of dialogue among parties in Papua, restrictions on access to Papua by NGOs and journalists should be loosen, so the world will see the reality of positive development in Papua. Hopefully, some irresponsible Papuan who take economical and political opportunity in foreign countries will realise that their action is only worsening the situation in Papua.

U.S. firm to invest $4 bln in Indonesian pulp factory

Related to the logging industry pressure to loosen Papua Log Export Ban, an international pulp factory plans to invest and to destroy our forest. Do we need investment that only for the benefit of business elites? Forest is our mother, please help her to be green and protect our soul from greediness.

Source of Information: Xinhua and  Pulp.Inc

Papua log export ban

Papua log export ban is very serious, and all Papuan should support the Papua Log Export Ban. Log export ban is under pressure now. It seems that both Papua local government and central government of Indonesia are showing a tendency to loosen the regulation. We should questioned the purpose of cutting trees and deforestation in Papua.

STOP DEFORESTATION  !!!

SAVE PAPUA TROPICAL FOREST !!!

Tropical deforestation accounts for approximately 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Indonesia is the world’s third largest emitter largely due to deforestation. If Indonesia’s government is serious about saving its forests and tackling climate change, it should fully support the Papua log export ban.

Another AWPA Black Propaganda

Once again a clown called Joe Collins dances in a disgusting manner. In order to get public attention he tries to disturb Indonesia-Australia relation by calling on the Australian Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon to raise the human rights situation in Papua. In contrast to Joe, the peaceful message from Pope Benedict XVI, in Easter message, didn’t mention about situation in Papua. Pope Benedict XVI prayed for peace in troubled parts of the world, singling out Darfur in Sudan and Somalia, “the tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon.”He also mentioned Tibet, a sensitive issue for the Vatican, which is working to improve ties with China, amid unconfirmed reports of direct talks here last week between Chinese and Vatican officials.