January 2014
This is the 117th in a series of monthly reports that focus on developments affecting Papuans. This series is produced by the non-profit West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media accounts, other NGO assessments, and analysis and reporting from sources within West Papua. This report is co-published by the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN).
http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/2014/1401wpap.htm
CONTENTS
This edition's PERSPECTIVE examines the Special Autonomy Plus plan under consideration by Jakarta. It draws in part on comments made by an Indonesian delegation to the U.S. made up of key planners associated with the concept.
This edition's UPDATE examines the mysterious death of a prominent Papuan, Danny Kogoya. A Papua New Guinea court has said his death should be treated as murder. The Indonesian media severely misrepresented the views of Jeremy Bally, a prominent campaigner for Papuan human rights. We publish here his thus far unpublished letter to the Jakarta Post correcting the record. Indonesia plans to send additional military personnel to heavily militarized West Papua. A prominent Papuan has criticized the role of the military in the construction of 900 kms of road in West Papua. A local OPM commander denied Indonesian claims of a mass surrender of guerrillas. A representative of the Catholic Church condemned human rights violations in Wamena.
In CHRONICLE, we note an analysis which contends that the Indonesian state, and not local Papuans, is responsible for the failure of education services in the Papuan highlands. An article underscores the critical role to be played in Papuans' future by the Melanesian Spearhead Group. A report describes the plight of Papuans who have returned to West Papua from self-imposed exile in PNG only to face chronic unemployment. There was a significant increase in violence against journalist in West Papua.