Organisations petition Australia on Indo – Australia Military Training

The five most prominent Ni-Vanuatu charitable organisations in the country led by the Vanuatu Free West Papua Association (VFWPA), have petitioned the Australian Government to “stop killing Melanesian people

in West Papua” by way of providing financial support and military training for Indonesian Elite Kopassus and Detachment 88.

The training programme is made possible under the Australia/Indonesia bilateral military cooperation.

The petition was signed by the Chairman of VFWPA, Pastor Allan Nafuki, President of the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs, Chief Seni Mao Tirsupe, Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu National Council of Women, Leias Cullwick, Chief Executive Officer of Vanuatu Non-Government Organisations, Charlie Harrison and President of Vanuatu National Youth Council, Vira Taivakalo.

The petition says the decision has come at the right time to support and encourage all the West Papua Solidarity Groups in Australia to change the heart of the Australian Government to “stop the killing of Melanesian brothers and sisters in West Papua”.

The petition describes Melanesians as “the most hated ethnic group in the world” saying, “…the Australian Government should have learned and repented from the past barbarous treatment our forefathers received during the black birding and slave-trade era”.

In the true spirit of solidarity and partnership with all the Pacific Civil Society Organisations and the people of Vanuatu:

• Convince that all indigenous peoples have an inalienable right to complete freedom, the exercise of their sovereignty and the integrity of their national territory.

• Re-affirm our solid stand to continue always to be the voice of the voiceless.

• Express solidarity with the commitments of the leaders of the MSG, other Pacific countries and all the West Papuan support groups around the globe to condemn the ongoing genocide and human rights violation in West Papua.

• Further petition the Australian Government to respect all the Articles of the following International Instruments on Human Rights which were adopted and proclaimed by the UN General Assembly :

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (GA resolution 217 A (111) of 10 December 1948),

• (11) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

• (GA resolution 2200 A (XX1) of 16 December 1966 and came into force on 23/03/1976),

• (111) Declaration On The Granting Of Independence To Colonial Countries and Peoples. (GA resolution 1514 (xv) of 14 December 1960 and

• (1V) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. (GA resolution 2200 A (XXXI) of 16 December 1966, but entered into force on 03/01/1976

• Finally petition the Australian Government to solemnly proclaim the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end of colonialism in all its forms and manifestation in the world and especially in West Papua.

The Chairman of VFWPA says the First Secretary Head of Political and Economic Unit, Sonya Gray attended the signing ceremony at the PCV Office yesterday.

The Chairman read the petition in her presence then handed her a copy to deliver to the Australian High Commissioner.

The First Secretary said thank you and assured the petitioners with words to the effect that the Australian Government, like Vanuatu, does not support all forms of mistreatment of all colonised peoples but that at the same time respects Indonesia’s sovereignty.

January 21, 2017 0

Call out for action over Indonesia

Anthony Craig is a man who is passionate about many issues local, national and international.

His advocacy on behalf of the people of West Papua, the Indonesian section of the island of New Guinea has led him be announced as new leader of The Free West Papua Party of Australia.

On taking the role Mr Craig reaffirmed the party’s commitment to raise awareness of the human rights violations occurring just 200 kilometres north of Australia.

Mr Craig sent a letter out last week to a group of recipients that included the Prime Minister, the head of the Australian defence forces and a foreign embassy.

In the letter Mr Craig wrote strongly suggesting that the Australian Government’s training of the Indonesian military and police is a war crime under international and Australian Law based on what has happened in West Papua and East Timor.

“What the Indonesian military and police are doing is slow motion genocide,” Mr Craig said.

Australia and Indonesia’s military training exercises were in the spotlight last week for a different reason with military ties between the two countries strained after the Indonesian military Chief took offence at curriculum taught at a Perth army base.

Mr Craig went to West Papua in 2015 and spoke with people living under the Indonesian rule including church leaders who told of the slaughter of local population.

“The evidence is there,” Mr Craig said but the media is not getting it out for the public to see nor are the Australia’s politicians doing anything about it.

“None of the major parties, including the Greens, are talking about it.”

This is why The Free West Papua Party of Australia was established Mr Craig said.

Paul Madden, the outgoing leader of the aspiring political party said Mr Craig had performed an excellent job as the Party’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson and he now looked forward to supporting Mr Craig as the new party leader.

“Anthony Craig has been a leading advocate for West Papuan human rights and freedom for many years.

“He was one of the first members of the Free West Papua Party of Australia and has been a passionate loyal supporter since the beginning.

“Anthony was the natural choice to take over the leadership of the Party.”

The Free West Papua Party of Australia has some 350 members.

It needs at least 550 members to register as a political party and increase its pressure on the Australia Government, Mr Craig said.

For more information go to freewestpapuaperthaustralia.blogspot.com.au.

Source: http://www.lithgowmercury.com.au/

January 10, 2017 0

Indonesian minister says Melbourne protester’s actions ‘intolerable’

Indonesia’s foreign minister Retno Marsudi says she has been in touch with Julie Bishop to ensure the case of the trespassing protester in Melbourne is being investigated. Photograph: Darren Whiteside/Reuters

The Guardian – Indonesia’s foreign minister has urged Australian authorities to act against a trespassing protester who climbed on to the roof of the consulate-general in Melbourne and displayed a West Papuan flag.

A video of Friday’s protest shows a man scaling a wall to enter the consulate and climb on the roof to show the flag before climbing down again.

In a statement on Saturday, Indonesia’s foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, said Australian authorities must complete investigations and legally process the “crime perpetrator”, describing the intrusion as “absolutely intolerable”.

“Australia has the obligation and responsibility to immediately process this lawfully and to ensure the security of all Indonesian missions in Australia,” she said.

The minister said she had been in touch with the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, on Saturday to ensure the incident was being investigated and legal process followed.

Victoria police said in a statement they were assisting the Australian federal police following the incident.

Last week, Indonesia temporarily suspended military ties with Australia in a spat over teaching materials at a Perth army base that included reference to the independence movement in West Papua, a sensitive topic for the Indonesian military.

January 9, 2017 0

Indonesia suspends military cooperation with Australia

Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation with Australia, reportedly over offensive materials displayed at an Australian military base where its troops were training.

The offensive “laminated material” shown at a base was insulting towards Indonesia’s five founding principles – Pancasila – Indonesian newspaper Kompas has reported. The Kompas report says a cable dated 29 December, sent by Indonesian military commander General Gatot Nurmantyo, instructed that all military cooperation, including training with the Australian defence force, be suspended.

The Indonesian military spokesman, Major General Wuryanto has confirmed the split, but would not specifically confirm the reason, saying cooperation between the Australian and Indonesian militaries had been suspended for “technical reasons”, effective immediately. “All forms of cooperation have been suspended,” he said.

But Wuryanto suggested the suspension would not be long term, saying cooperation could resume once the “technical matters” were resolved.

“There are technical matters that need to be discussed,” Wuryanto said, including the offensive training material seen at an Australian military base. It was “highly likely” cooperation would resume once those issues were resolved, he said.

Guardian Australian understands an instructor from Indonesia’s special forces group Kopassus felt insulted by material on display at a training base.

It’s believed the Kopassus officer was initially offended by propaganda material about West Papua, a province of Indonesia in which a long-running campaign for independence, and allegations of systemic human rights abuses by the military, are of extreme sensitivity. Senior former military leaders were also insulted as murderers and criminals.

Subsequently, the officer also reportedly saw a laminated piece of paper that ridiculed Indonesia’s founding ideology “pancasila” – which translates as “five principles” – as “panca-gila”. Gila, in Bahasa Indonesia, means crazy.

Kopassus has trained for several years with Australia’s Special Air Service troops at the SAS base at Campbell barracks, Perth. No time limit has been put on the suspension, and it is unclear whether future planned joint training exercises between the two countries will be affected.

Australia’s defence minister, Marise Payne, said the Australian military hoped to restore full cooperation with the Indonesian armed forces as soon as possible.

She confirmed that late last year an Indonesian officer had raised concerns “about some teaching materials and remarks at an army language training facility in Australia”.

“The Australian Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, wrote to his Indonesian counterpart, General Gatot Nurmantyo, giving an undertaking that this matter would be addressed seriously and we would inquire into issues raised.

“The Australian Army has looked into the serious concerns that were raised and the investigation into the incident is being finalised.”

Payne said while some elements of joint training had been suspended, other areas of military cooperation had continued.

“Australia is committed to building a strong defence relationship with Indonesia, including through cooperation in training. We will work with Indonesia to restore full cooperation as soon as possible.”

Indonesia and Australia’s military relationship has improved in recent years, after an at-times troubled history.

The Lombok treaty commits both countries to cooperation in the fields of defence, combating transnational crime, counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing. Australia has sold military hardware to Indonesia and defence and foreign ministers meet regularly.

But relations were shaken in 2013 – and military co-operation suspended – when it was revealed the Australian Signals Directorate attempted to monitor the phone calls of then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and senior officials.

News agencies contributed to this report (The Guardian)

January 9, 2017 0

Indonesia backs down in military rift with Australia over ‘insult’

The Guardian – Indonesia says suspension of military cooperation only applies to language training as representatives from both countries insist relationship is strong

Indonesia has appeared to back down from a decision to suspend all military cooperation with Australia in a row over teaching materials, with a senior minister saying only language training had been put on hold.

The Indonesian military – apparently without consulting the civilian government – had on Wednesday moved to suspend all military cooperation after a special forces commander was offended by material he saw at a Perth military base which insulted Indonesia’s founding ideology and promoted independence for the Indonesian province West Papua.

But following the military’s announcement, leaders of both Australia and Indonesia publicly insisted ties were strong before Indonesian security minister Wiranto announced on Thursday he was giving a “clarification”.

The military “has temporarily suspended cooperation in language training,” Wiranto said, adding it was due to “a small incident that has offended our dignity as a nation”.

But he said Indonesia was not “completely stopping all cooperation”, contradicting the earlier military statement. Indonesian and Australian forces cooperate on a range of issues from border protection to counter-terrorism.

“The suspension is temporary and will be resumed after Australia clearly takes measures to resolve the matter,” he added.

Australia’s defence minister, Marise Payne, had earlier insisted the broader relationship remained healthy and that she expected to be able to resume full cooperation with Indonesia’s TNI.

“The Australian army has looked into the serious concerns that were raised and the investigation into the incident is being finalised,” she said earlier in the day.

She said on ABC radio the rift had not threatened Indonesia’s cooperation with Australia’s policy of turning back asylum seeker boats.

Payne conceded her first attempt to contact Indonesia’s defence minister about the suspension of military ties was not made until this week, despite knowing about the dispute in November.

Indonesia’s defence minister, Ryamizard Ryacudu, also earlier played down the suspension saying the broader relationship with Australia was “fine” and that Indonesia “should not overreact”.

The suspension was a military, not a political, decision, he said, and the officer who initially raised the concerns had been reprimanded.

“It was all the doings of some lieutenants,” he said. “They have been reprimanded and punished. Don’t let actions of some low-ranking officers affect relations of two countries. That’s not good.”

A spokesman for the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, said: “This was not a decision of the president.”

Ryacudu was quoted as using the Indonesian word “curut” to describe the officers, the literal translation for which is shrew or mouse, but which is used to disparage a subordinate as insignificant.

Indonesia’s special forces group, Kopassus, trains with the Australia’s Special Air Service troops at the SAS base at Campbell barracks in Perth, and Guardian Australia understands an instructor from Kopassus felt insulted by material on display at the training base in November.

It is believed the Kopassus officer was initially offended by propaganda material about West Papua, a province of Indonesia in which a long-running campaign for independence, and allegations of systemic human rights abuses by the military, are of extreme sensitivity. Senior former military leaders were also insulted as murderers and criminals.

The officer also reportedly saw a laminated piece of paper that ridiculed Indonesia’s founding ideology “pancasila” – which translates as “five principles” – as “panca-gila”. Gila, in Bahasa Indonesia, means crazy.

But broader issues within the Australia-Indonesia relationship have been brought into the open by the spat, with Australia also been forced to deny it has tried to recruit Indonesian military personnel as spies, despite claims by Indonesia’s military chief, general Gatot Nurmantyo. .

In a speech in November and revealed by the ABC this week, Nurmantyo claimed Australia had sought to recruit Indonesia’s best and brightest as sources.

“Every time there is a training program – like recently – the best five or 10 students would be sent to Australia,” he said, according to a translation of his

“That happened before I was chief so I let that happen. Once I became chief commander of the national forces, it did not happen again … They will certainly be recruited, they will certainly be recruited.”

Again, the contentious issue of West Papuan independence was raised as a major concern.

Payne denied Australia has tried to influence or recruit Indonesian officers for intelligence activities or spying: “That is not the case and it is something which we would not countenance, of course.”

She told ABC radio she had communicated with Ryacudu on number of matters in December and the issue was not raised by him.

The Australian government is understood to have been surprised by the timing of the announcement of the military suspension, as it believed the issue was being managed and its investigation coming to a conclusion.

Indonesia and Australia’s military relationship has improved in recent years, after an at-times troubled history.

The Lombok treaty commits both countries to cooperating in defence, combating transnational crime, counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing. Australia has sold military hardware to Indonesia and defence and foreign ministers meet regularly.

But relations were shaken in 2013 – and military cooperation suspended – when it was revealed the Australian Signals Directorate attempted to monitor the phone calls of the then president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and senior officials.

January 9, 2017 0

Indonesia feared Australia would ‘recruit’ its best soldiers, General says

Exclusive by Indonesia correspondent Adam Harvey

Special forces near Nusakambangan — ndonesian Kopassus special forces soldiers patrol near the prison island of Nusakambangan in Cilacap, Central Java. (Reuters: Beawiharta)

Indonesia stopped sending its best soldiers for training in Australia because of fears they would be “recruited” by the Australian military.

Indonesia’s military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said he stopped the training program before suspending all military relations between the two nations.

In a speech from late November uncovered by the ABC, he made his feelings clear:

“Every time there is a training programme — like recently — the best five or 10 students would be sent to Australia. That happened before I was chief so I let that happen,” he said.

“Once I became chief commander of the national forces, it did not happen again. They will certainly be recruited. They will certainly be recruited.”

The general used the language of the Cold War, talking about the soldiers being cultivated as sources or agents of influence.

It was revealed yesterday that Indonesia suspended all military cooperation between the two nations after an instructor with the Indonesian Special Forces [Kopassus] was offended by material that was part of a training course in Perth.

The material related to perhaps Indonesia’s most sensitive topic — independence for West Papua.

“My officers were told to be assigned over there, to teach Indonesian,” General Nurmantyo protested.

“It was taught there that Papua is a nation that is going to get their independence because they’re not Indonesia. Like that. So clearly they will recruit them.”

‘A deeply offensive phrase’

Iwan Ong Santoso, an Indonesian author and journalist with Kompas newspaper, broke the story about Indonesia suspending its military relations with Australia.

He said the West Papua element was only part of the reason for the breakdown.

Mr Santoso said that when the Kopassus officer went to complain about the West Papua commentary, he discovered a document mocking Indonesia’s key principle of Pancasila.

“We believe that our basic philosophy to build our nation is Pancasila, the five principles, and there was this writing of ‘Pancagila’,” Mr Santoso said.

“Pancagila is very insulting words of ‘madness, insanity’, saying like our nation has five kinds of insanity.”

Pancasila is a statement of Indonesian unity, while a broad translation of Pancagila would be “crazy Indonesians”.

It is a deeply extremely offensive phrase to an Indonesian.

Indonesia’s Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Australia had punished the person responsible.

“He’s only a lieutenant,” said Mr Ryacudu.

He said the Australian military and Government did not have the intention to insult or humiliate Indonesia.

He described those responsible as “curut” — which translates as mice. In other words, they are insignificant.

Mr Ryacudu said he would discuss the incident when he met with Australia’s Defence Minister Marise Payne.

January 5, 2017 0

Indonesian defence minister plays down diplomatic rift with Australia

Indonesia’s defence minister has sought to play down a suspension of military ties between Australia and Indonesia, stressing it was important to keep a good relationship between the two countries.

Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu stressed that Indonesia’s relationship with Australia was “fine” after the shock announcement that defence co-operation had been halted after an Indonesian military officer was offended by material at an Australian military base in Perth.

The offensive material is understood to include homework that suggested West Papua was part of Melanesia and should be given independence and material that ridiculed Indonesia’s national ideology, Pancasila.

Mr Ryamizard said he was yet to speak to Defence Minister Marise Payne about the issue but planned to visit Australia at the end of the month.

“The point is to keep a good relationship between the countries. Don’t let insignificant rats disrupt the relationship between countries. That’s not good.”

Meanwhile a spokesman for Indonesian President Joko Widodo told Reuters: “This was not a decision of the president”.

Several hours after the story broke, Senator Payne released a carefully worded statement saying that Indonesia had informed Australia that defence cooperation would be suspended after “serious concerns” were raised.

“As a result some interaction between the two defence organisations has been postponed until the matter is resolved,” she said.

Indonesia’s chief military commander Gatot Nurmantyo told a public lecture late last month that an Indonesian language teacher from special forces had been given homework that said Papua was part of Melanesia and should be given independence.

“I pulled the teacher. The (Australian) commander apologised to me,” he said at the headquarters of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second largest civil organisation. Commander Gatot’s comments were greeted with applause.

A source told Fairfax Media that the issue was supposed to have been dealt with quietly but “Gatot jumped the gun”.

Commander Gatot has been critical of Australia in the past, suggesting in March 2015 that East Timor’s seceding from Indonesia was part of a proxy war for Australia to secure oil.

The Indonesian military officer was understood to have been deeply shocked after reading an essay about West Papua independence.

Mr Ryamizard said the Australian lieutenant who had been studying Indonesian had been reprimanded.

“West Papua is absolutely the red hot issue – the problem is the extraordinary parallel with East Timor from their perspective,” said John Blaxland, a Professor of International Security and Intelligence at Australian National University.

“There is a sense of Australia being untrustworthy – in 1975 they did a deal with Indonesia that they would respect its sovereignty over East Timor and in 1999 they stabbed it in the back.”

He said the only way Australia and Indonesia were able to sign the Lombok treaty for security cooperation in 2006 was by Australia officially recognising Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua.

“So this essay would be seen as treasonous,” Professor Blaxland said.

According to information circulated on a messaging app, the officer also heard offensive material in class including that the late Indonesian military leader Sarwo Edhie Wibowo was a mass murderer and that a TNI police officer murdered his friend while drunk.

He also reportedly saw a laminated piece of paper inscribed with the word, Pancagila, an offensive mockery of Indonesia’s state ideology, Pancasila, which basically translates as “five crazy principles”.

“After he returned to Indonesia, he immediately made a report,” the messaging app circular says.

The executive director of the Institute for Defence, Security and Peace Studies in Indonesia, Mufti Makarim, told Fairfax Media he heard the offensive material was related to Sarwo Edhie Wibowo being a mass murderer, West Papua and East Timor.

“It should not have been something the Australian army was discussing,” Mr Mufti said.

“Given the sensitivity, Australia has been very careful not to talk about (West Papua) in other forums. So why the double standard in internal army discussions? Their foreign policy is as if they are supporting Indonesian sovereignty but on the other hand they are discussing the disintegration of Indonesia with Papua being part of Melanesia.”

Mr Mufti said if Australia was consistent, its foreign policy should be reflected in other bodies, including the military.”

Fairfax Media

January 5, 2017 0