Militarist party positioning itself in Indonesia

By Jalalludin Ngoko

The political party Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) recently announced its 314-strong leadership structure. Gerindra is headed by Suharto era general and son-in-law Prabowo Subianto. Subianto was forced out of the army in 1999 after he was accused of masterminding the kidnapping and disappearance of student activists in 1997 and 1998. At that time, he was head of the Strategic Army Command and was endeavouring to save the Suharto dictatorship as it came up against increasing resistance from a student-led mass protest movement.

 East Timorese human rights and solidarity activists have also accused Subianto of being responsible for massacres and torture in East Timor during the Indonesian occupation. Information from the East Timor Alter Network (ETAN) connects him with the 1983 Kraras and 1991 Santa Cruz massacres.

Corruptors, generals and activists prominent in new Gerindra leadership

Prabowo Subianto (middle) at the 4th Gerindra party anniversary

Berita Satu - July 12, 2012

Pengurus Baru Gerindra: 314 Pengurus, Puluhan Jenderal dan Aktivis - Beritasatu.com. Kamis, 12 Juli 2012

Ezra Sihite/Rizky Amelia/Ulin Yusron -- It's not just Ahok that has been brought into the central leadership board, but scores of retired generals have also joined the ranks of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra Party) elite. In addition to this, there are family members and activists.

Gerindra is very happy at the moment. The candidates they backed along with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the Jakarta gubernatorial election -- Joko Widodo as governor and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok as deputy governor -- have won the first round of the election.

National police anniversary smeared in the blood of the Papuan people

Papuan National Solidarity Statement (NAPAS) - July 2, 2012


It has been 43 years since Papua was annexed into Indonesia through the so-call "Act of Free" choice, which was legally flawed and engineered in contravention of the New York Agreement of "One Man One Vote". Despite this engineered annexation, the Papuan people have suffered a calamity. A calamity that has not only resulted in their natural wealth being exploited, but the people have been raped, abused, slaughtered, stigmatised and murdered, all which has been directed towards the annihilation of the Papuan people.

Solidarity action in Jakarta slams police brutality in West Papua

Suara Papua - July 3, 2012

NAPAS: HUT Polri Berlumuran Darah Rakyat Papua - Suara Papua. 03 July 2012

Oktovianus Pogau, Jakarta -- Scores of youths and students from the group Papuan National Solidarity (NAPAS) held a peaceful action in front of the Indonesian national police headquarters and the State Palace in Jakarta on the afternoon of Monday July 2 in protest against the spate of recent shootings in West Papua.

Finding ecological justice for women

As Indonesia’s rural poor are increasingly threatened by dispossession, is it time to adopt a more radical agenda for women and the environment?

Rebecca Elmhirst, Inside Indonesia

Fisherwomen are hard-hit by environmental degradation in West Sumatra.  Rebecca Elmhirst

During International Women’s Day this year, women representing four of Indonesia’s leading environmental and agrarian NGOs called for women across the archipelago to unite and demand a more just and environmentally sustainable economic order. In a joint statement, representatives from WALHI (the Indonesian Forum for the Environment), the Indonesian Peasants Union (SPI), Indonesian Green Union (SHI) and People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) argued that as women bear the brunt of environmental problems, it is women who should take the lead in preventing or solving them.

While women’s NGOs have tended to focus on issues such as health, economic empowerment and domestic violence, this statement is indicative of a new effort to link women with environmental and social justice agendas. This new alliance is inspired by the radical values of ecofeminism, according to which the exploitation of women and the environment is inextricably linked to the capitalist economic system. But at the same time this is just one of an array of competing agendas currently being promoted in Indonesia which attempt to connect women with the environment in a variety of ways.

Jakarta protest urges independent investigation into Papua violence

Sinar Harapan - June 15, 2012

Penembak Misterius Sudah Tewaskan 9 Orang - Sinar Harapan. Jumat, 15 Juni 2012

Yuliana Lantipo, Jakarta -- Humanitarian Solidarity for Papua (Skup) is urging the central government to form an independent fact finding team to conduct a fast and effective investigation to uncover the truth and who is behind the recent violence in West Papua.

Since June at least nine people have been killed and five wounded as a result of mysterious shootings. This was conveyed by Skup action coordinator Alves Fonataba shortly after the group held a demonstration in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday June 13.

Range of solidarity to Papua

Student action in Yogyakarta calls for troops out of Papua

Tribune News - June 11, 2012

Mahasiswa Papua di Yogya: Tarik Militer dari Papua - Tribunnews.com. Senin, 11 Juni 2012

Yoseph Hary, Yogya -- Responding to the brutal actions by Indonesian security forces against Papuan civilians, Papuan students in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta are to hold a peaceful action and long-march from the Papuan student dormitory on Jl. Kusumanegara No 119 to the zero kilometer point in the centre of the city this afternoon.

Speaking during preparations at the dormitory, the spokesperson for the Papua Student Association (PMP) in Yogyakarta, Andi Umagi, said the theme of the demonstration would be calling on the government to withdraw Indonesian troops from Papua.

Australian-funded military accused of murder in West Papua

Direct Action - June 17, 2012
 
James Balowski, Jakarta -- Riots erupted in the West Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura on June 14 after a leading pro-independence activist was shot dead during an arrest reportedly led by members of the Australian-funded counter-terrorism unit Detachment 88.

National police spokesperson Muhammad Taufik said that Mako Tabuni, the secretary-general of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), was shot dead in the town of Waena, near Jayapura. "He was armed. Police asked him to surrender but he didn't. Police shot at him, hitting his hip and leg. He died on the way to hospital", he told reporters.

Unite in solidarity against violence and militarism in West Papua

Read: Indonesian Army & PT.Freeport are
the sources of violence in Papua

Joint Labour Secretariat Public Statement - June 15, 2012


Friends and comrades, all the people of Indonesia, are you aware of the escalating violence that has been taking place in West Papua over the last few days. Terror, violence and intimidation have become the daily face of life for the Papuan people. Just in May and June, as many as 25 people have been killed and scores injured in "mysterious" shooting incidents.


Instead of paying serious attention to this situation, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has responded by stating that what is occurring in Papua is only "small-scale with a limited number of casualties". The thousands of lives that have been lost, particularly since West Papua's integration into Indonesia, are belittled by the president as "small-scale". The population of indigenous Papuans continues to shrink. The suffering of the mama-mama (traditional Papuan women traders) and Papuan women that have been raped and lost their children, husbands sisters and family members, is dismissed as "small-scale".

Solidarity action in Semarang demands investigation into Papua violence

Kompas - June 13, 2012

Puji Utami, Semarang -- Scores of Papuan students from National Papua Solidarity (Nasional Papua Solidaritas, Napas) held a protest action in front of the regional police headquarters (Mapolda) in the Central Java provincial capital of Semarang on Wednesday June 13.

The protesters, who held a long-march along Jl. Pahlawan towards the Mapolda under tight police security, demanded that the government fully resolve the conflict taking place in Papua.