LAKSAMANA.Net, April 4, 2005 04:50 AM
Tapol Protests Military Build Up in Papua
Laksamana.Net - A human rights groups says the Indonesian military’s decision to
increase the number of troops in remote Papua province could undermine efforts to
find a peaceful solution to problems in the rebellious territory.
The UK-based Indonesia Human Rights Campaign (Tapol) has written to British
Foreign Minister Douglas Alexander, urging him to put pressure on Indonesian
authorities to halt ongoing military operations and end the build-up of troops in Papua.
Following is the text of the letter, signed by Tapol founder Carmel Budiardjo. Via the
Tapol website.
Military Build Up in West Papua
29 March 2005
The Rt Hon. Douglas Alexander MP,
Minister of State, Foreign Office,
King George's Street, London SW1A 0AA
Dear Mr Alexander,
Last week, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, General
Endriartono Sutarto, announced a major enlargement of the country's military forces
with the establishment of 22 new territorial commands. This flies in the face of
expectations that the TNI would undertake reform measures to cut back the number of
territorial commands.
It was also announced that KOSTRAD, the Army's Strategic Reserve Command, is to
create a third division, in addition to the two based in West and East Java. The new
division will be based in Sorong for regular duties there, along with additional combat
forces. This means that in addition to the three battalions now stationed in Jayapura,
Sorong and Nabire, new battalions will be located in Timika, Wamena and Merauke.
One of the 22 new territorial commands will be located in Merauke.
Plans are also afoot to establish a KODAM (a military command normally set up
alongside a provincial administration) in Merauke, which our source believes is in
preparation for the creation of a new province in the south-east. This points to the
further partition of West Papua, undermining the Special Autonomy for Papua enacted
into law in 2001. Merauke is also regarded as an OPM stronghold although no
skirmishes have occurred for a long time.
One of the reasons given for the new deployment in West Papua is to locate troops in
places closer to points 'in need of strengthening', which can only mean stepping up
counter-insurgency operations. The Army is also known to be involved in illegal
logging in Papua.
The deployments will double the number of troops in West Papua, to a total of 50,000
men.
While all this is happening, Papuans of all persuasions have been pressing for Papua
to become a Zone of Peace and have called for dialogue with the authorities in
Jakarta. Far from responding to these proposals, which could pave the way to a
peaceful resolution of the problems in the territory, the government and Armed Forces
seem bent on a military build up.
There have been a number of serious incidents over the past few years in which
security forces were involved which are still unresolved. The most recent ongoing
incident is in Puncak Jaya in the Central Highlands, where a conflict has developed
between the security forces and members of the Tabuni tribe whose traditional land
was seized last August without their consent for an airstrip and highway. A local
Tabuni leader, Goliath Tabuni, who wanted to hold talks with the authorities regarding
this dispute is now the target of a manhunt for allegedly being an OPM member. Last
September, during the manhunt, a Christian minister, the Reverend Eliza Tabuni, was
tortured, then shot dead by troops for failing to say whether he knew the whereabouts
of Goliath. His son was injured but managed to escape. Subsequent air and land
operations around Mulia and Tolikara in the Central Highlands, when dozens of
Papuan honai and family gardens were burnt and damaged, so terrified local villagers
that they fled to safety from the troops. After months in the mountains, they are
suffering from serious lack of food and sixty have already died as a result.
We urge the British Government along with its EU partners to make representatives to
the Indonesian authorities:
1. To end the build-up of troops, including the new KOSTRAD Division, in West
Papua.
2. To respond to the proposal from West Papuan leaders for Papua to become a Zone
of Peace and to enter into dialogue regarding continuing conflicts and the future status
of West Papua.
3. To call a halt to the ongoing military operations in the Central Highlands and for the
withdrawal of troops from the area, and to allow humanitarian groups to visit the
villagers, to provide them with urgently-needed sustenance and help them return to
their homes and gardens.
4. To permit Komnas HAM to send a mission to Puncak Jaya to investigate the
circumstances in which the Reverend Tabuni was killed and the events that led to the
villagers fleeing their homes and gardens.
Unless action is taken by the authorities to end the rapidly worsening situation in
West Papua, we fear that instability will take hold, the consequences of which could
be yet more conflict and suffering for the West Papuan people.
Yours sincerely,
Carmel Budiardjo
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