[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Indonesian Defense Minister Admits Some Human Rights Abuses in Papua

From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 23:00:45 +0100
** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi: 
** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ **
** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral 
scholarship, kunjungi 
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com 
**http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-02-06-voa16.cfm



      Indonesian Defense Minister Admits Some Human Rights Abuses in Papua 
      By Nancy-Amelia Collins 
      Jakarta
      06 February 2006
      


The Indonesian defense minister has acknowledged that some military and police 
personnel have committed rights abuses in the eastern province of Papua. He 
says, however, any abuses are not part of a systematic policy. 

     
      Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono 
Indonesian Defense Minister Juwarno Sudarsono told journalists Monday what 
human rights groups have been saying for years - that some members of the 
police and military are committing human rights abuses in Papua.

"I grant that there's been incidence of some brutality and torture and rape 
involving some of our troops, but there's a tendency to blanket all this into a 
notion that all of those are efforts of systematic and institutional," he said.

Juwarno made the remarks in response to questions about 43 Papuans, who fled to 
Australia last month seeking asylum.

The group accuses the Indonesian government of genocide against the people of 
Papua. While Australia has yet to decide their fate, the Indonesian government 
has asked that the asylum-seekers be sent home.

     
      West Papuan protesters march toward the local parliament building to 
demand that Indonesian troops leave the province  in Jayapura, the capitol of 
West Papua, Jan. 23, 2006
     
Separatists in Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya province, have been fighting 
for an independent state in a low-level insurgency since the former Dutch 
colonial power ceded control to Indonesia in 1963.

Rights groups have long accused the Indonesian military and police of 
committing abuses against civilians as they fought insurgents.

Juwarno also defended a de facto ban on foreign journalists wanting to visit 
Papua. Visits are rarely allowed. The defense chief says his government thinks 
visits by foreign journalists disrupt national unity, and stir up separatists.

"Your role as a magnetic attraction to Papuans of all stripes of political and 
ethnic sense of identity will create this sense of danger among people from 
outside Papua that the foreigners are trying to instill a sense of division, by 
creating human rights standards, which you feel are important for you, but also 
for Papuans," he said.

Juwarno warned foreign journalists not to take chances of trying to enter the 
province without permission.

"My concern is that some overzealous police or military will mishandle you, 
manhandle you. That's a big problem for us," he said.

The defense minister says the government will issue guidelines to foreign 
companies in Indonesia, seeking military protection for their operations. 

The U.S. mining company, Freeport-McMoRan, has been accused of illegally paying 
millions of dollars to security forces to guard a mine in Papua. 

Juwarno says the new guidelines will entail all payments being made 
voluntarily, and through a civil agency, such as the Ministry of Minerals and 
Mines. 

 E-mail This Article 
 Print Version 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



***************************************************************************
Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg 
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia
***************************************************************************
__________________________________________________________________________
Mohon Perhatian:

1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik)
2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari.
3. Reading only, http://dear.to/ppi 
4. Satu email perhari: ppiindia-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
5. No-email/web only: ppiindia-nomail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
6. kembali menerima email: ppiindia-normal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ppiindia-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi: 
** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ **
** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral 
scholarship, kunjungi 
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com **
[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Indonesian Defense Minister Admits Some Human Rights Abuses in Papua

Other related posts:
