440 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) art, the Kanak revolt of 1917, and the these included a series of shootings graphic art of Bernard Berger, who has in the concession area of the gigantic tried to promote a sense of common Freeport mining company, targeting destiny through typically Caledonian Freeport employees. Papuan youth humor (NC, 19 Jan, 7 Sept, 22 Sept and student groups dominated by 2009). highlanders became prominent actors david chappell in political opposition in 2009. The year closed with the killing of influ- ential opm leader Kelly Kwalik. The References political picture of and West Papua remains generally somber since bbc, British Broadcasting Corporation. the implementation of the Special http://www.bbc.co.uk / Autonomy law in 2001. kol, Kanaky Online. Discussion group. In the media, opinion makers at http://fr.groups.yahoo.com /group / kanaky universities, politicians, and Papuan Maclellan, Nic. 2009. New Government in religious leaders ceaselessly criticized New Caledonia: The May 2009 Elections the implementation of the Special in a French Pacific Territory. State, Society Autonomy law. Most feel that very and Governance in Melanesia Briefing little significant progress has been Note 3. Canberra: Research School of achieved over the past eight years Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian in addressing the roots of the Papua National University. http://rspas.anu.edu conflict, such as disputes about his- .au / melanesia / BriefingNotes / BriefingNote tory, human rights abuses, failure of _NewGovtinNewCaledonia.pdf development, and most importantly NC, Les Nouvelles-Calédoniennes. Daily. the marginalization of the indigenous Noumea. http://www.lnc.nc Papuans. Despite high budgets for pir, Pacific Islands Report. the two provinces, there was little http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org / pireport improvement in public services for remote areas, and the already bad image of the Indonesian government in the eyes of Papuans deteriorated Papua further due to corruption on the During 2009, the Papua and West part of local Papuan bureaucrats. Papua provinces of wit- Many prominent Papuan intellectu- nessed a number of prominent events als have concluded that the Special that maintained an atmosphere of Autonomy legislation has stagnated, conflict between the Government of and has failed to function as a “middle Indonesia and Papuans in general. way” to solve the roots of the Papua In cities, secessionist demands were conflict. expressed openly in the mass media. The failure of Special Autonomy In remote highland areas, a number of has driven many parties to think about very low level armed attacks occurred, how to break the political impasse. allegedly conducted by secessionist Hoping to open a process of dia- groups of the logue, a number of researchers from (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, or opm); the Indonesian Institute of Sciences pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 441

(Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indone- government has no policy blueprint sia), collaborating with nongovern- to resolve the . The sug- mental organizations and government gestion of conducting peace talks with officials, have been striving to gain Papuan oppositions has received no support from important politi- response from the president. Most of cal figures and high officials in the the policies of Jakarta remain ad hoc Indonesian government. The proposed and reactionary in nature. dialogue is expected to involve repre- The presidential and legislative elec- sentatives of Papuan pro-independence tions in 2009 were successful despite groups and delegates of the central some tensions and minor disturbances government, and would be open- in Papua. Almost half of those who ended, covering all issues, including managed to gain seats in the Papua the demands for independence and the provincial parliament—24 (the Danis revision of the Special Autonomy law. and the Me) out of 56 members—are Those advocating dialogue in Jakarta of highlands origin. However, in gen- have in fact received a sympathetic eral Jakarta policies on Papua did not hearing from many individuals within change significantly this year. In deal- the Indonesian Parliament and the ing with the violent conduct of Papuan government (except from certain intel- opposition, the police did not retaliate ligence and security-related bodies). as aggressively as before. The military In Papua, priests from various stayed more in the background, and denominations connected with a the Indonesian government restrained Jakarta-based peace working group, the use of repressive measures. Persua- under the leadership of Rector Neles sive and law enforcement approaches Tebay of the Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat were more prominent this year, even Teologi Fajar Timur (Philosophical though a number of activists were and Theological College) in Jayapura, tried and sent to prison and there was collaborated with local nongovern- an overall increase in the number of mental organizations, student leaders, prisoners of conscience. and adat (customary) groups, to create On the other hand, the office constituencies of dialogue from vari- of the coordinating minister for ous local actors, including representa- social welfare initiated a “welfare tives of the armed pro-independence approach” policy. The government groups. These constituencies talked declared that it would welcome any about the necessity of dialogue as a resistance groups in the jungle or more realistic method for furthering elsewhere to “return to the fold” of the interests of the Papuan majority. the Indonesian government. In 2008, People are now discussing the pos- the Indonesian government launched sibility of a compromise on the issue special Integrated Donations (Bantuan of independence. But crucial ques- Terpadu) for village development. Last tions remain. Papuans question the year, it provided 140 billion Indone- political will of Jakarta, especially sian rupiahs (idr) for building village given the failure of many aspects of facilities (school buildings, teacher Special Autonomy. Deep mistrust of housing, village clinics, and so on) as Jakarta prevails, and the Indonesian well as 264 units of people’s housing 442 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) for those ex-opm combatants in Pegu- Group Supporting the Autonomous nungan Bintang and Lani Jaya regen- Region of Papua within the Repub- cies who renounced their struggle for lic of Indonesia, which cooperated independence. (idr10,000 is equiva- with Indonesian Ambassador to the lent to approximately us$1.08). Netherlands Effendi (Fanny) Habibie, Also under the welfare approach Jouwe accepted the invitation of the policy, the Indonesian government Indonesian government. On 22 March tried to reach out to a few prominent 2009, Jouwe visited Jakarta and his pro-independence figures such as hometown, Jayapura. On 26 March, Tadius Yogi and Nicolaas Jouwe. In President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono August and September, the ministry accepted Jouwe’s visit, which marked approached Yogi, tpn /opm com- his return to the fold of the Republic mander of Kodap IV Paniai (tpn of Indonesia. It is almost certain that [ Tentara Pembebasan Nasional], or Jouwe will spend the rest of his life National Liberation Army, is the as an Indonesian citizen. In January military wing of the opm). During 2010, it was reported that Jouwe had his visit to the regency of Paniai on 8 returned to Jayapura for good. Once, September 2009, Minister Aburizal he told this author that he wanted to Bakrie said that he was prepared to die in his land of birth ( Jouwe, pers meet Yogi. However, the meeting was comm, Delft, 1 Dec 2009). In spite of canceled because of a report that Yogi these symbolic successes, this welfare was sick. Later, Yogi admitted that he approach policy is partial, in that it had refused to see the minister because involves reconciliation only with a few the Papua struggle is not about “food individuals and not with the resis- and drink.” “We are defending the tance groups in general. Those who freedom of West Papua which had have already gone through a process been stolen by Indonesia,” he said of reconciliation with the Indonesian (Tabloid Jubi Online, 26 Nov 2009). government are seen as traitors by Yogi reportedly claimed that the min- other Papuans. ister offered him idr60 billion on the The Indonesian government also condition that he renounce his struggle seems to be continuing its effort to for Papuan political independence. persuade Papuans who have fled The Ministry of Social Welfare abroad to return. This year, the policy also invited former pro-independence targeted refugees who have lived in leader Nicolaas Jouwe (now eighty- for decades. After four years old), who has been living a long and tiring process, in Novem- in exile in the Netherlands for more ber 2009 the Indonesian government than forty years, to return home. managed to convince some of the refu- Jouwe was a prominent member of the gees to repatriate to Papua, Indonesia. New Guinea Council established by Out of 708 Papuans who planned to the Dutch colonial government in the do so, 141 went home to Indonesia; 1960s and one of the founding fathers 68 returned from Wiwek City and of the Papua independence move- 73 from Port Moresby. According to ment. Thanks to Franzalbert Joku Franzalbert Joku, the fact that these and his organization, the Independent Papuans were willing to go home is pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 443 proof that the Special Autonomy law Tingginambut. Furthermore, the opm has been successful. destroyed Gurage Bridge to deter the Very low level armed attacks movement of the security apparatus occurred a number of times in that might be used to retaliate. On 15 Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya, a remote April, the opm again attacked a group part of the central highland regency. of police in Tingginambut, resulting in Between January and March 2009, one killed and six policemen injured. there were five opm attacks on the District Head (Bupati) Lukas Enembe security apparatus. Besides target- suspected that the opm group respon- ing security facilities and thus killing sible for these attacks was under the security officers (police force and /or leadership of Goliath Tabuni or Anton military), opm attacks now targeted Tabuni. The Tabuni clan was report- civilians (migrants) in an attempt to edly involved in attacks dating back to create unrest among migrants and 2003 at the same area of Puncak Jaya. add to the bargaining power of the On 20 October, sporadic attacks OPM with the Papuans. This change by an unknown person or persons, in tactics, however, has been counter- shooting at civilian targets, took place productive and has not advanced opm in Mulia, Puncak Jaya. In the same objectives. area a more recent attack targeted On the evening of 8 January 2009, non-Papuan migrants. A migrant a group of tpn/opm attacked a small from Pati, Central Java Province, died police post in Tingginambut, a remote and a Papuan was injured after being highland area. Four guns and sixty- attacked and shot by an unknown one bullets were taken away. This time group of fifteen people. The victims the OPM attack injured a civilian, Ivana and their colleagues were working Helen, the twenty-one-year-old wife together building the Kalome Bridge. of a police officer. On 21 February, A car was also burned during the opm did some shooting at the same attack. police post from afar. The Republic of Disturbances occurred not only in Indonesia “Red and White” flag (Sang the highlands but also in the coastal Saka Merah Putih) that was hoisted area of Serui. On 11 July 2009, there above the hill was pulled down and were some attacks, sweeping, and burned. On 10 March, two civilian armed contacts in quick succession, ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers were related to the arrival of opm lead- shot to death. An unknown group ers Ferdinando Worabay and Decky whose faces had been blackened with Imbiri. An unknown person exploded charcoal also attacked two women. a fish bomb, and later the police They were suspected to be the same burned three houses of local inhabit- group who confiscated the police guns ants and arrested and interrogated in January 2009. On 14 March, opm fourteen people. Eleven of the sus- attacked a group of patrolling Indone- pects were either children or teenag- sian National Armed Forces (Tentara ers and were subsequently released; Nasional Indonesia, or tni) soldiers. the remaining three were taken to One tni soldier was reportedly Papua Regional Police Headquarters killed during the shooting in District in Jayapura. The police investigated 444 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) the military training of OPM under the Sebby Sembom, on 17 December. The leadership of Ferdinando Worabay, arrests ignited several demonstrations and of the West Papua National in Jakarta and Jayapura on Wednes- Authority under the leadership of day, 25 January 2009, the first day of Wilson Uruwaya. Tabuni’s trial. Tabuni and Sembom Not far from Jayapura, another were charged under articles concern- violent event occurred; this time the ing subversion and hostility to the perpetrators were tni soldiers. In state. In Wamena on 25 February, the Kampung Kibai, on Monday, 22 June knpb-linked group Solidaritas Peduli 2009, a sixteen-year-old local inhabit- Hak Asasi Manusia dan Demokrasi ant named Isak Psakor was shot by a Jayawijaya (Human Rights and member of the Indonesian army near Democracy Solidarity) staged a dem- the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea onstration in front of the local court border. Isak and his brother Wens, building, demanding the release of the along with two of their relatives, were knpb leaders. on their way home to Kibai village knpb is a student-led action com- from Skotyauw, Papua New Guinea. mittee that emerged in 2008. Judging A dog that belonged to the army ran from events during 2008 and 2009, after Isak, who tried to escape up a knpb has developed a wide Papuan tree but was shot as he climbed. The student and youth network, primar- army spokesperson, Lieutenant Colo- ily in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Menado, nel Susilo, asserted that the Psakor Jayapura, Nabire, and Wamena. It family had been asked to stop but combines a popular movement with had kept on running, which led to the populist issues, such as the referen- shooting. The Regional Military Com- dum, release of political prisoners, mand of West Papua (Kodam Trikora) and elimination of military violence. investigated the six soldiers who were knpb maintains “close communica- suspected of the shooting, but to date tion” with Benny Wenda in Oxford. no one has been vindicated or put on The series of demonstrations in 2008 trial. came in response to previous events, On 16 October 2008, the National beginning with the ipwp declaration Committee of West Papua (Komite in London. But knpb’s structure has Nasional Papua Barat, or knpb), not been clear from the beginning. under the leadership of Bukhtar According to the chief of Police Resort Tabuni, had staged its first demonstra- Jayapura, Adjunct High Commis- tion in Jayapura to support the launch sioner of Police (Ajun Komisaris of International Parliamentarians for Besar Polisi) Robert Jhoenso, Demus West Papua (ipwp). This demonstra- Wenda is currently the secretary of tion was followed by calls from Benny knpb. However, this official claim was Wenda, an exiled independence leader rejected by Tabuni as head of knpb. in London, to boycott Indonesia’s A bigger demonstration in 2009 2009 general election and to have a was a mass rally on 10 March at the Papua referendum. Consequently, the provincial parliament building in police detained Tabuni on 3 Decem- Jayapura, with hundreds of partici- ber 2008, and another knpb activist, pants under the command of Victor pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 445

F Yeimo. Another rally involving on the morning of 6 April 2009, and hundreds of people occurred under the fifteen activists were captured. same leader on 24 March at the Papua In the April event the authorities parliament building at Jayapura. seemed to be less in control. Due to The first demonstration called for a the massive number of participants, a boycott of the general election and clash between police and the crowds support of a referendum; the second could not be avoided. Several Papuans invited Papuans to unite under the were injured. The arrests angered local umbrella of knpb. Besides that, the 24 people, and another clash between the March rally also voiced a strong call masses and the police was inevitable. for the withdrawal of all Indonesian Likewise, violence marked a later military troops from District Puncak series of events in Papua. Besides those Jaya and West Papua and an end to related to the demonstrations, two the violence in Papua. The demonstra- seemingly separate incidents claimed tions were guarded by a huge security the lives of civilians. On 8 April in deployment from the Mobile Brigade Wamena, three migrant ojek drivers and took place peacefully, although were killed. These murders created the 24 March rally was marred by suspicion that the perpetrators were the arrest of four Dutch journal- either opm or knpb. The violence ists: Gabriel Bebette, Pieter Mariauw escalated on 9 April when the Police Smith, Elske Schouten, and Ronal Sector Headquarters of Abepura was Wigma. attacked at the same time the national A later knpb demonstration related legislative election was taking place. to the launch of International Lawyers The hostilities did not abate, and on for West Papua (ilwp) in Guyana on 3 11 April someone threatened to burn April 2009. This event apparently gave down an electricity-generating facil- more strength to a Papuan response. ity in Waena. On 12 April, another In Nabire on 2 April 2009, under Zet ojek driver of migrant origins was Giyai of knpb, thousands attended murdered. On the same day, a number a massive demonstration in support of bombs were found in Muara Tami of the ilwp launching with issues near the PNG border. similar to those expressed in previous In the midst of these violent inci- demonstrations. But this demonstra- dents, on 13 April knpb released a tion also mounted a challenge to the statement signed by Victor F Yeimo approaching national legislative elec- that claimed responsibility for the tion. A local religious leader, Pendeta attack on Abepura police headquar- Daud Auwe, was quoted as saying: ters as well as for burning a build- “We want freedom, not election” (imc ing at Cendrawasih University. In Jakarta, 3 April 2009). The movement the press release, knpb mentioned continued with the establishment of the following reasons for the attack a “posko” (command post) for knpb on the police headquarters: (1) the Nabire in the national heroes cemetery unsettled political conflict between at Taman Gizi. This initiative ignited Jakarta and Papua; (2) a claim that a harsh response from the local police the 2009 election was an illegitimate authorities. The posko was burned project of Indonesia that denied West 446 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010)

Papuan independence; (3) an emo- responsible for taking hostage a tional response on the part of West team of researchers from the Lorentz Papuan students against the killing of Expedition in Mapnduma in 1996. He Opinus Tabuni by the tni /police on was also allegedly responsible for the 9 August 2008 in Wamena; (4) the kidnapping of two Belgian journalists evacuation of the people’s tent above in 2001. Due to his notorious actions ’s graveyard by the police; in the past, any violent conduct in and (5) the shooting of six people the area was almost always associ- during a peace rally in Nabire. knpb ated with his group. For example, the also claimed that the burning of the military immediately accused Kwalik’s university building was in response to OPM guerilla group of the 2002 Free- the elimination of the basic rights of port shootings, which had taken the students due to the bureaucratic cam- lives of two US citizens. pus structure and ethnic favoritism on Beginning on 11 July, a series of the part of Cendrawasih University’s shootings took place in the Freeport rector. In response to those actions, on area. An Australian employee, 18 May 2009, the Jayawijaya police Drew Nicholas Grant, and a Free- authority arrested eight knpb student port security officer, Markus Rante activists in Wamena. Previously, on Alo, were shot dead. A policeman 22 April, the police had arrested five named Marson Petipelohy was killed suspects in the police sector attack. when his throat was cut. During the Early in the morning of Wednesday, investigation, seven local Amungme 16 December, opm Commander Kelly people were arrested but released soon Kwalik was shot to death by antiter- afterward due to lack of evidence. rorist Special Detachment 88 of the Despite the deployment of more than Indonesian Police in a house in Timika a thousand soldiers to back up the town, in the southern part of Papua police, a few more shootings happened Province. Five Papuan Amungme tribe in the same area, but apparently members who accompanied him were stopped near the end of November. arrested. An autopsy was performed After the death of Kwalik, the shoot- in Jayapura on Kwalik’s body, which ings occurred once again. was returned to Timika two days later. Kwalik’s men were repeatedly In a ceremony attended by hundreds accused of the shootings by the Papua of Papuan highlanders, Kwalik was Regional Military Commander Major buried in the center of Timika town. General A Y Nasution. Interestingly, Kwalik was the opm’s Commander the regional police chief at the time of Territorial War Command (Kodap) with authority in the matter, Inspec- III Nemangkawi (Mimika), the region tor General Bagus Ekodanto, had a where the gigantic US Freeport Gold different opinion. He claimed to have Company has been operating. His met with Kwalik, who denied respon- career as a guerilla fighter started sibility for the shootings. Moreover, in 1977 when he was in charge of based on Chief Ekodanto’s initial sabotaging Freeport’s facilities dur- inquiry, there was no indication or ing the political turmoil that spread proof that Kwalik was responsible all over the highlands area. He was for the shootings. But suddenly, Chief pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 447

Ekodanto and other chiefs at the been trying to end rumors about the regency level were removed. The new rivalry between the police and the chiefs immediately announced that military. Kwalik was indeed the mastermind muridan s widjojo behind the shootings, a point of view that corresponded with the military’s allegations. This pattern is precisely Much appreciation to Irine H the same as a shooting case in 2002. Gayatri, who helped collect and select The regional police chief at the time, materials for this review. I Made Mangku Pastika, strove to uncover the perpetrators, who alleg- edly were members of Kopassus intel- References ligence, the Indonesian army’s elite Aliansi Demokrasi untuk Papua blog. Special Forces. In that case as well, http://andawat-papua.blogspot.com / Pastika was immediately replaced. Antara News: Portal Berita Indonesia. Many leaders of nongovernmental http://www.antaranews.com / organizations who have close contact with the police claim that the shoot- Bintang Papua. Daily. Jayapura. ings in 2002 and 2009 had to do Cenderawasih Pos. Daily. Jayapura. with rivalry between police units and http://www.cenderawasihpos.com / armed forces units over the distri- Harian Online Kabarindonesia. bution of security funds within the http://www.kabarindonesia.com / Freeport area. The rivalry began in 1996, after the so-called handy-talky imc Jakarta, Independent Media Center Jakarta. http://jakarta.indymedia.org / riots, when the armed forces enjoyed a great amount of money to support Inovasi Portal Berita. http://www.inilah the security within and around the .com / Freeport area. (These riots happened Jakarta Post. Daily. Jakarta. http://www in Timika, Papua, in February–March .thejakartapost.com / 1996, allegedly orchestrated by the knpb–Papua Barat blog. http://knpb Indonesian special armed forces unit .blogspot.com / Kopassus. The riots were under the command of a group of people who Kompas. Daily. Jakarta. http://www were in the middle of an angry crowd, .kompas.com / using “handy-talkies,” or handheld, Metro TV News ( Jakarta). http://www two-way radios.) Recently, thanks to .metrotvnews.com / security sector reform at the national Situs Berita Online Indonesia. level, security for the multinational http://www.tempointeraktif.com / corporation has been taken over by Suara Pembaruan. Daily. Jakarta. the police. The shootings might have http://www.suarapembaruan.com / been part of a “negotiation” between the armed forces, the police, and Free- Tabloid Jubi Online: An Alternative Media port. By killing Kwalik and making in Tanah Papua. http://tabloidjubi.com / him the scapegoat for the shootings, West Papua Today blog. http://wptoday the police and the military might have .wordpress.com / 448 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010)

Widjojo, Muridan. 2009. Negotiating projects, Sir Michael left Enga earlier the Past and Looking to the Future. than expected. (One PNG kina [k1] Inside Indonesia 98 (Oct–Dec). http:// equals approximately us$.37.) The insideindonesia.org/content/view/1269/47/ Joint District Planning and Budget Widjojo, Muridan, editor. 2009. Papua Priorities Committee was to coordi- Road Map: Negotiating the Past, Improv- nate the spending, which caused some ing the Present and Securing the Future. controversy. Sir Michael was offended Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia. by comments made by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, who questioned the capa- bilities of the committee to account for millions of kina given to them. Ipatas Papua New Guinea questioned why the funds were going The government of Prime Minister Sir to committees instead of going to the Michael Somare is pulling through in established provincial government spite of the scandals that plagued the system (Post Courier, 2 March 2009). government in 2008 and is likely to The government also faced a num- successfully complete its full second ber of challenges as it clung tightly term (2007–2012) in Parliament, to power in its endeavor to set a new provided that there is no major shift in record of successfully completing a allegiance and a vote of no confidence second term. On 28 July 2009, the does not dissolve the government Opposition brought a no-confidence in the next two years. Prime Min- motion against the prime minister. The ister Somare announced during the leader of Government Business and country’s thirty-fourth independence Minister for National Planning Paul anniversary that he will not step down Tiensten responded with a motion to as prime minister until Papua New adjourn Parliament until 10 Novem- Guinea gets back on the right track ber, even though there was a full (Post Courier, 17 Sept 2009). That quorum. All hell broke loose when the was the latest pledge from Sir Michael, Speaker of Parliament, Jeffery Nape, who is serving as the longest-running ruled in favor of the adjournment member of Parliament (mp) ever in the motion, thus circumventing a vote of Commonwealth group of nations. no confidence. This, as expected, drew In March 2009, the National the ire of the Opposition and nation- Executive Council (nec) had its first wide condemnation of the integrity of meeting of the year in Enga Province. the Speaker and the political process. It was one of the biggest political Some observers commented that the events ever held in the province. To government has used the office of the welcome the prime minister and the Speaker to protect the prime minister nec, the people of Enga had almost when a motion of no confidence was one hundred pigs, thirty cassowar- presented. Long-time political analyst ies, and twenty goats on the menu. It Dr Ray Anere argued that the adjourn- was also a courtesy on the part of the ment might prevent Parliament from Enga people to celebrate Sir Michael’s meeting the constitutional requirement forty years in politics. However, after to sit for sixty-three days and would delivering more than k142 million for deny members of Parliament the free-