Answers of Dr. U. Rosenthal, Minister of Foreign Affairs to the questions of Member of Parliament Kortenoeven (PVV-Party) concerning the escalating violence and brutal force of the Indonesian army against the local people of West-Papua.
Translation Pro Papua
Question 1
How do you judge the news items ‘Shootings, village burnings and helicopter attacks continue across Paniai’ 1) and ‘Massive Indonesian offensive displaces thousands in Paniai as helicopters attack and raze villages’ 2)?
Answer
We have learned through our contacts with the Indonesian authorities, human rights organisations and Papuan activists, that on December 13th last an Indonesian police unit was active in the Paniai-district (Province of Papua) against armed forces of the TPN/OPM. According to these sources, the scale of these operations and the number of civilians involved are considerably smaller than the quoted news items suggest. Sources in the world of human rights speak of 14 people dead and 6 people wounded among OPM-members. Prior to the actions the police called upon the civilians to leave the area. Hundreds of people took the advice to heart and were sheltered by the local government in the town of Enarotali.
Question 2
What actions did you take towards the Indonesian authorities and/or multilaterally, when the author of these questions indicated the fact that the Indonesian army launched offensive actions against separatists in Western Papua and that supposedly 26 Papuan villages were being attacked en destroyed during these actions? What are the results of your interventions?
Answer
I have asked the embassy in Jakarta to get into touch with the Indonesian government, human rights organisations, Papuan activists and western embassies in order to get the information needed about the events in Paniai. We have to be very careful at this. It is evident that a lot of rumours have been spread. The embassy has learned that other countries did not express their special concern about the news items. A number of them indicate that this concerns an operation under "law enforcement".
Question 3
In what way did you give substance or will you be giving substance to the resolution Kortenoeven which was generally approved in Parliament on November 29th?
Answer
As I have indicated during the budget debates I am willing to give substance to the articles 1, 2 and 4 of the resolution and therefore I am in contact with the Indonesian authorities about the renunciation of violence against peaceful protesters, the release of political prisoners in Papua, resumption of a dialogue with the Papuans and the execution of the Special Autonomy Law.
I consider these articles of the resolution as a support for our present policy. Both in The Hague and in Jakarta there are contacts on a regular basis with the Indonesian authorities on the human rights situation in Papua. This also takes place in the EU-Indonesia human rights dialogue. During the approval debate for the Partnership Collaboration Agreement EU-Indonesia I promised to aim at a visit from the human rights ambassador to Papua and the Moluccas during his intended stay in Indonesia in the coming year.
At the instigation of the Indonesian president a number of initiatives are currently being developed in order to improve the situation in Papua. A special development unit for Papua, UP4B, is recently activated and it will focus on an improved execution of the special autonomy law from 2001. Together with the social economic development of the province, attention will be given to cultural and political aspects. I consider this an encouraging development.
The Dutch ambassador has confirmed the Dutch willingness for support in the province in talks with the leader of the special development unit OP4B, mister Darmono.
The situation in Papua is complex and the new Indonesian initiative will take time and patience. This means the The Netherlands will have to operate with care and will seek possibilities in order to contribute to a better situation in Papua. A critical, but constructive dialogue about the situation in Papua is appropriate, but I do not think that the execution of article 3 of the resolution of Member of Parliament Kortenoeven - the institution of defence mechanisms for the Papuans - will be effective.
Question 4
Are you willing, because of the desired clarity and its urgency, to answer these questions separately and submit the answers before Tuesday December 20th 2011?
Answer
The questions were received on December 21st. I herewith immediately send you my answers.
(*) ‘Shootings, village burnings and helicopter attacks continue across Paniai’ http://westpapuamedia.info/2011/12/16/shootings-village-burnings-and-helicopter-attacks-continue-across-paniai/
(**) ‘Massive Indonesian offensive displaces thousands in Paniai as helicopters attack and raze villages’