The Indonesian military has big plans and has made some big purchases. They have just acquired 8 units of AH-64 Apache combat helicopters from the US. The helicopters are manufactured by Boeing and will be delivered between 2015 and 2017.
Also in the works: a number of Kiloklav Kilo Class submarines from Russia, 3 more submarines from South Korea, and a number of Leopard Tanks from Germany.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian military in Papua were breaking out their best current hardware, bringing attack helicopters and dozens of armed soldiers to clear out protestors and provide “security” for Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) officials during their recent fact-finding mission. Forty-seven Papuan protestors were arrested, including elderly West Papuan environmental activist, Mama Yosepha, winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2001.
In separate incidents, hundreds of students of Cendrawasih University (UNCEN) demonstrated in Jayapura calling for West Papua to be admitted to the MSG, and West Papuan students in Jakarta blocked the car containing MSG delegates en route to a visit with Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).
Despite these attempts to reach the MSG delegates, Indonesian officials managed to prevent the MSG delegates from meeting with a single West Papuan activist during their stay. Many Papuans regarded this as a failure of the MSG visit, since indigenous Papuan leaders were entirely excluded from the process.
Victor Yeimo of the KNPB wrote (translated from Bahasa Indonesia):
We can honestly say that the mission of the MSG delegation led by the Foreign Minister of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, did not successfully monitor and look for the facts and the condition of human rights violations in West Papua.
Elsewhere in Puncak Jaya, a “security operation” of 25 soldiers and police led to the deaths of 3 West Papuan separatists and 1 Indonesian soldier in a gun battle. The Puncak Jaya region, also home to US gold and copper mining giant Freeport-McMoran, has been the scene of an ongoing series of violent skirmishes, with more than 50 people killed in clashes late last year.
The TNI’s new Apache helicopters will be a very valuable tool in their effort to eradicate the remaining indigenous people still anywhere in the vicinity of major mining operations.
In addition to buying all these weapons, Indonesian military and police have also received training from the US, Australia and other nations. Recently, a New Zealand police training project in West Papua has been accused of providing “aid that kills”, as NZ-trained police were said to be involved in a brutal crackdown on West Papuan activists.
A Papuan farmer described his treatment at the hands of these police:
They broke the door in. They fired pistol shots into the sky outside and two policemen inside shot pistols into the ceiling. There were 15 of us in the house – me and 14 students.
They used their boots to jump on me. I was beaten on and off from 3am to 10am with rifle butts and wooden sticks. They were yelling, ‘You are OPM. You are stupid’.
At 11am we were taken to police headquarters. I had blood all over my face. They kept us in the police van at the back. No food, no water, no toilets. Next day at 1pm we were let out.
While western governments pay lip service to promoting democracy and human rights, the trail of weapons sales, training and aid leading from US, UK, Germany, Russia, Australia, etc. straight to dictators and oppressive regimes for the purpose of subjugating their people tells a very different story.
As Papuan activist Buchtar Tabuni puts it to New Zealand:
Maybe it is time New Zealand is thinking about Papuans. New Zealand government funds to Indonesia should stop.
Indonesia lied in 1962 when Sukarno told JF Kennedy they would turn communist of they were not given sovereign right to West Papua. Thus due to the huge mineral and oil deposits in West Papua. Kennedy had Bobby Kennedy drew up the New York Agreement which, in conjunction with the Dutch and the UN, effectively “gave” West Papua to Indonesia. The promised 1969 “Act of Free Choice” saw 1026 handpicked West Papuans made to agree with the Act of Free Choice at gunpoint, (to agree to Indonesia acting as sovereign rulers, and the rest, as they say is history. Indonesia, commonly referred to as Indonazi’s, went on to occupy, populate and murder West Papua and West Papuans, killing more than 500,000 West Papuans, raping women, kidnapping children and destroying villages at will. As the Freeport Gold Mine was owned by the USA, no action has been taken and the Indonazi’s continue on with their terror tactics, even to the point of trying to re-populate West Papua with Indonesian settlers. Churches were burnt down and Mosques were built, and the raising of the West Papuan Morning Star flag resulted in long and cruel jail terms for those involved. So called “civilised” Western Nations such as the USA, Australia, Britain, South Africa, China, to name but a few turned deliberately blind to the Indonazi genocide in order to continue trading West Papuan minerals and oil and paying the Indonazi’s for the privilage. The illegality of this situation is so blindingly obvious, yet it seems profit comes before people. Shame on the USA, Australia, Holland and the UN for allowing this massive humanitarian crime to continue uncontested. The Indonazi’s rate West Papuans lower than farm animals. Indonesia must be stopped and made accountable for it’s crimes, and all loss of life and theft of minerals and gold must be compensated back to the West Papuan people. West Papuans are Melanesian and Indonesians are Asian……pretty simple really!
And Henry Kissinger, of all people, still serves as Director Emeritus of Freeport-McMoran. When one steps back to see the immensity of the crimes perpetrated upon the West Papuan people by Indonesia and their Western enablers for the past 60 years, it’s enough to make one sick to their stomach. Based on nothing but pure greed and a complete lack of respect for human life. Thank you for your comment. You have a perfect reading of the situation. What Indonesia has done (with the full support of some of the world’s wealthiest nations) will not remain hidden forever. The West Papuan Freedom movement has steadily been gaining momentum over the past few years through the courageous leadership of people like Benny Wenda, Herman Wainggai, Ronny Kareni, John Anari and so many others who fight tirelessly to raise international awareness and finally put an end to the unforgivable crimes against humanity that remain a daily part of the West Papuan people’s lives.
Fact 1: Indonesia falsely claimed ownership of West New Guinea even though the Empire of Japan also claimed it just short of their “Unconditional Surrender”which included President Sukarno surrendering any claim to West New Guinea as a Japanese Collaborator.
Fact 2: Indonesia still owes West New Guinea Melanesians their Universal Right to Self Determination contracted as a “Plebiscite” as a legal duty still owed in 2014 to be honestly carried out by the United Nations!
Fact 3: The 1969 “Act of Choice” has been proven by two World renown Universities as nothing other than a complete Fraud upon the “United Nations” because the U.N. observer reported to the U.N. a lack of confidence that Indonesian military personal may have used duress upon all the voters including death threats and threats to be tortured!
Fact 4: The homeland security forces of the Melanesian Tribes known as OPM have resisted Indonesia’s claim to West New Guinea “Sovereignty,” by use of military force!
Fact 5: Indonesian Government continues to deny all Melanesians equal “Civil Indonesian Rights,” to equal justice, equal right of free speech, equal right to religious worship, equal right to assemble peacefully in protests! These same rights are guaranteed by U.S. law to all U.S. citizens!
Fact 6: An actual slow motion genocide of Melanesian Tribe members has continued from May 1, 1963 thru 2014!!!
Fact 7: The Biak Massacre has been proven before a Sydney University Law Tribunal to have been unlawfully carried out by the Republic of Indonesia similar to like events that transpired in Indonesia military occupied East Timor!
Fact 8: The Manokarwri Massacre is documented in now declassified U.S. State Department radio messages which document as fact of history that the Republic of Indonesia violated International Law in attacking villages and their residents by aerial bombardment of civilians!
Fact 9: 4,000 Baliem Valley civilian tribe members were genocided in mass there!
Fact 10: Indonesia has failed from May 1, 1963 to 2014 in assimilating Melanesian Tribes into the Republic of Indonesia due to the fact the 1969 Act of Free Choice has been exposed by World University Research to have been a military orchestrated farce and that it was not conducted as the “Plebiscite” guaranteed by the N.Y. Agreement Treaty!
Fact 10: Should the promised referendum/Plebiscite be carried out in 2014 the Melanesian population would vote for Independence and Freedom by a landslide!!!
Thanks for sharing these facts! The truth will come to light. Papua Merdeka!!!
You are a fool man ! You are blind with the history….
enlighten us.
Australia and America did the same to natives of their land so they will remain indifferent to the West Papua cause. Trade and commerce is of more import than natives I guess. Shame shame shame. Australia and America are pretentious false prophets. I know why the Alchaeda hate them now. Vietnam, Korea and Afghanistan were less reason for involvement then West Papua in with respect to gross injustice to human rights and democracy. Money is the root of all evil, Australia and the US are about money and so they are actually EVIL governments in sheep’s clothing. We need the Dutch to be involved.
indeed of your own people who did not want to get ahead, funding from central government has been very large in Indonesia, the privilege has been granted by the central government, to stand at the same height sit lower, but you said Papua was not developed, then there seems to be a problem in themselves you, when you introspect her self and unite to become a great nation forward in the frame of the unitary state of Indonesia