The Times Interview - West Papuan activist Septer Manufandu

Howick and Pakuranga Times - Times Newspaper Online

SEPTER Manufandu was born into the Biak tribe on a small island in the north of West Papua, a territory under the control of Indonesia but with a significant native population. They moved to Jayapura, and he grew up in the high mountain areas of central Papua. After studying agriculture the University of Cendrawasih, he moved onto become the secretary of Folker, an umbrella group coordinating West Papuan nongovernmental organisations. Here to campaign against kwila wood the oppression of native Papuans, Septer spoke to the Times about the environment in Papua and its people’s struggle.

What relationship does the tribe have with the forest?

Papuan people consist of 356 tribes and most live close to the forest. Papua has lowlands, highlands, wetland areas and coastal and marine areas. 50 per cent of Papuans live in high mountain areas and 68 per cent live close to the forest.

Were you dependent on the forest growing up?

Yes. My parents went to the forest for food all the time. Cutting down sago palms, making traditional fires, planting sweet potatoes, animal hunting and getting fish from the river.

What changes have you seen there over your lifetime?

Logging companies have come and occupied people’s land and clear cut the forest. Papuan people live in the forest, but forest land is all controlled by government. It is difficult for Papuan people because all their activities in the forest and coast are their main traditional activity.

What have the tribes lost?

They lose food, they lose animals and traditional medicines and they lose culture because in the forest they implement traditional culture. It’s their home. Their perspective is the forest is their mother. The mother can give everything. It can protect, give food and give life. We believe every indigenous people have a perspective and local wisdom. But so far the Indonesian government has not recognised their rights. When we talk about rights it is very difficult because in Papua there is a stigma from the government and military: “You are separatists!”

So you have no voice?

Papuan people already established their organisation to amplify talking about their rights, the forest, and their land. When Papua got the special autonomy law in 2001, it says there is decentralisation of government and talks about rights, how to recognise, protect and empower. But seven years later it’s not effective. Nothing has changed.

What kind of trees are being taken? We lose many kwila because permits were given in 1984 to 68 companies. Now 15 still operate. In 2005 our report showed illegal logging occurs all over Papua. It reaches 600,000 m3 (cubic metres) a month and the logs are exported illegally.

Who are the companies?

Mostly foreign: Malaysian, Chinese and others. They operate outside the concession. The government gives a legal permit, and then they go outside that area. But illegal or legal are both causing destruction and deforestation.

The military is connected with all of this?

Yes. All activity from logging companies comes through the military.

What do you want New Zealand to do? Stop buying kwila. Support indigenous people. Destruction of the forest is like killing people because they lose everything. They cannot have food, they can’t get water. Logging companies pollute the water too. I also met people from the Maori Party and the Green Party in Wellington. We are learning about Maori people’s conditions here for information and how their strategy was established.

How does the Folker (non government organisations forum) work? What are you doing?
We were created to establish advocacy on 6 major issues: human rights abuses, natural resource problems, good governance, women and child health and HIV Aids. We have 64 member groups. Folker functions to establish policy and a voice for Papua outside about our problems.

What progress has been made?

We prepared a legal draft on the special autonomy law. We’ve tried to do research on the ten regencies in Papua.

Are Papuan people involved in NGOs?

Yeah, we have good relationship with them.

It sounds a bit like an alternative government, because they have no relationship with the central government?

Yes, yes.

What about the migration issue (of Indonesians into Papua)? We call it a ‘demographic disaster’ in Papua. In 1971 Papuan people were 96 per cent of the population, but in 2005 they were 59 per cent and non Papuans 49 per cent. We estimate in 2030, Papuans will only be 15.2 per cent of the population. We are becoming a minority in Papua. There is a paper on it by James Elmslie called “Genocide by Demographics”. I want to talk about the social impact. Mortality of women and children is very high in Papua; the health service is very bad. HIV is very high. It’s 2 per cent of the population, comparable to the problem in Papua New Guinea.

Are there signs of progress?

We have groups in Australia, in Jakarta, and in Finland for Europe. They help our situation. Last year the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights visited. Now we are trying to get groups to advocate for the position of Papuan people within Papua. We are trying to describe the Papuan position and work out how to take the next strategy since the special autonomy law. It’s a strategy for us, for NGOs and church organisations. We’re trying to look at all problems. But human rights abuses are very sensitive in West Papua.***

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Oleh : Tengget Digoel - The Boven Digoel Post

Tanah Merah Digoel, Bodipost - Masih ingatkah anda akan aksi pembasmian rakyat Papua melalui Biomiliterisme (Peracunan makanan dan minuman) yang digelar Tentara Nasional Indonesia dan Polisi Republik Indonesia (TNI-Polri) di hampir seantero Papua beberapa waktu lalu? Kejahatan yang sukses mengantar ratusan orang Papua ke liang kubur dan ratusan lainnya mengalami gangguan kesehatan serius itu ternyata belum sepenuhnya dihentikan karena rupanya daya pembasmi dan dampak hukumnya dinilai lebih efektif ketimbang menggunakan senapan mesin. Di Boven Digoel, sebuah wilayah yang rakyat pribuminya pernah menjadi sasaran Operasi Biomiliterisme, sejak tiga bulan terakhir ini beredar sebuah minuman beralkohol dengan nama Aleksander.

Minuman Aleksander dibuat oleh TNI-Polri dan beberapa orang pengusaha non Papua melalui sebuah usaha yang bersifat patungan. Pabrik mereka didirikan secara tersembunyi di Assikie (area HPH Korindo Group). Menurut sebuah sumber BodiPost, bahan dasar minuman Aleksander adalah Air Hujan, Miras Jenis Robinson (RB), Alkohol 100%, Cairan zat tertentu (namanya belum diketahui) dan Teh Celup sebagai pewarna. Cara membuatnya, semua bahan dasar tadi disatukan dalam sebuah baskom atau loyang kemudian diaduk sehingga bahan dasarnya tercampur secara baik dengan rasa dan aroma yang bisa membangkitkan selera para pemabuk.

Masih menurut sumber tadi, label Miras Aleksander dibuat di Jakarta hanya untuk menipu pembeli seolah-olah pabriknya ada di Jakarta. “Para pembeli biasa tertipu, mereka pikir Aleksander dibuat di Jakarta oleh sebuah pabrik tertentu dan dipasarkan di seluruh Indonesia, padahal pabriknya ada di Assikie, dikelola secara bebas oleh TNI-Polri dan Miras jenis ini hanya dikhususkan untuk masyarakat Papua yang ada di kabupaten Boven Digoel,” ujarnya menjelaskan.

Selama tiga bulan terakhir, peredaran minuman Aleksander sangat marak di wilayah ini, terutama di Ibu Kota Tanah Merah dan sangat meresahkan penduduk setempat karena kadang-kadang penjualnya memaksa dan mengintimidasi penduduk agar membeli Miras jenis ini. Di hampir seluruh pelosok kota Tanah Merah, ribuan liter minuman Aleksander dipasarkan secara gelap oleh Intelijen TNI-Polri dari berbagai kesatuan dan benar-benar telah menelan korban jiwa.

Dari penelusuran BodiPost, semua korbannya tidak ada satupun yang non Papua. Semuanya orang Papua, pribumi Boven Digoel. Korban-korban ini langsung meninggal dunia setelah mengkonsumsi Aleksander. Mereka adalah (1) Geradus Omba, asal suku Wambon, warga Kampung Persatuan, Tanah Merah; (2) Fransiskus Kabagaimu, asal suku Yahray (Mappi), warga Kampung Sokanggo, Tanah Merah; (3) Ferdinandus Metemko, asal suku Muyu, warga Kampung Sokanggo, Tanah Merah; (4) Abraham Waken, asal suku Muyu, Kampung Sokanggo, Tanah Merah. Para korban ini meninggal dunia setelah mengkonsumsi minuman Aleksander yang dijual oleh Intelijen TNI-Polri.

Sedangkan ratusan korban lainnya tidak meninggal dunia tetapi mengalami gangguan kesehatan yang cukup serius. Pada umumnya mereka mengalami gangguan pernafasan, gangguan pencernaan, sakit kepala berkepanjangan, gangguan ingatan, disfungsi seksual, gangguan pengelihatan (gejala kebutaan), sakit tulang, nyeri pada lutut (gejala lumpuh) dan berkurangnya nafsu makan. Mereka mengalami gangguan kesehatan setelah mengkonsumsi Alexander dan beberapa jenis Miras lainnya seperti RB dan Cap Tikus.

Mahalnya biaya pengobatan akibat penghisapan Pemerintah Kabupaten atas rakyat setempat lewat sektor kesehatan dan infrastruktur kesehatan yang tidak memadai seperti dijanjikan para pejabat dalam kampanye-kampanye politik mereka turut menambah beban bagi para korban maupun keluarga mereka yang harus putar-otak mencari biaya pengobatan dan pemulihan kesehatan.

Beberapa suster dan mantri asli Papua yang tidak lagi mampu membungkus kejahatan TNI-Polri mengatakan bahwa para korban yang menderita sakit ini (nama-nama mereka masih didata) diperkirakan kondisi mereka tidak akan stabil seperti sebelum terserang racun yang sengaja disebar lewat minuman Aleksander, RB dan Cap Tikus.

Sampai berita ini ditulis, minuman Aleksander masih dijual secara bebas tetapi karena dampaknya yang fatal, para pembeli beralih membidik Miras jenis lain seperti RB dan Cap Tikus. RB dan Cap Tikus diketahui tidak bisa langsung menyebabkan kematian seperti Aleksander. Kedua jenis minuman ini dipasok dari Merauke, Timika dan dari luar Papua oleh TNI-Polri dan pedagang gelap lainnya yang dibeking TNI-Polri. Beberapa saksi mata menyebutkan, untuk memudahkan penyelundupan dan menghindari pemeriksaan di depan publik, Miras selundupan ini selalu diangkut bersama logistik Militer TNI-Polri melalui jalur darat, laut maupun udara sehingga tidak ada satupun petugas yang boleh memeriksa.

Salah satu pedagang gelap yang dibeking TNI-Polri secara berlapis adalah istri bupati Yusak Yaluwo, Ny. Ester Lambey Yaluwo. Ketua Dharma Wanita kabupaten Boven Digoel yang sering dijuluki “Mama Boven Digoel” ini merupakan pemasok terbesar RB dan Cap Tikus yang langsung didatangkan dari Manado. Ia secara diam-diam telah meraup keuntungan yang besar dari bisnis gelap yang bersifat merusak ini.

Dilihat dari peluang bisnis, wilayah pemasaran dan konsumen yang ada, rupanya wanita Manado ini akan terus dengan leluasa mengembangkan bisnisnya untuk meraup keuntungan yang tidak sedikit dari hancurnya mental generasi muda, konflik keluarga, gangguan kesehatan yang serius dan kematian rakyat setempat akibat mengkonsumsi RB dan Cap Tikus yang dipasok secara langsung dari tanah leluhurnya dan dipasarkan secara bebas di tanah leluhur suaminya.

Sejumlah kalangan berprediksi bahwa bisnis Miras yang ditekuninya mempunyai prospek yang sangat cerah. Bisnisnya dipastikan akan meroket dengan omzet yang meningkat dari hari ke hari diiringi dengan jumlah korban yang pasti terus berjatuhan karena dirinya mendapat dukungan modal, jalur bisnis gelap, keamanan, jaminan hukum dan propaganda media massa untuk putar-balik fakta.

Dukungan ini diperoleh dari suaminya sebagai orang nomor satu di kabupaten Boven Digoel, sebuah kabupaten yang mempunyai reputasi jelek karena manajemen pemerintahannya amburadul, korup, rasis dan anti rakyat pribumi.***

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Ten Oil Palm Companies to Expand to Papua

Bisnis Indonesia

JAKARTA: Papua, a region called Dutch New Guinea in the colonial era, has been 'controlled' by 10 big plantation companies in the last two years.

Of the total area size of 352,651 hectares (ha), 85,654 hectares have been seized by several business groups, such as state-owned plantation PTPN II, the Sinarmas Group, the Korindo Group, and the Raja Garuda Mas (RGM) Group, to expand their oil palm businesses.

The big private plantation groups have also controlled some companies in Papua, such as PT Tunas Sawah Erma (the Korindo Group), Sumber Indah Perkasa and Sinar Kencana Inti Perkasa (PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Corporation/ Smart Tbk), and Bumi Irian Perkasa (the RGM Group).

Until 2007, Smart had controlled 125,190 hectares of oil plantation areas in Sumatra (62,410 hectares) and Kalimantan (62,780 hectares).

Asian Agri controls over 160,000 hectares of oil palm plantations in Indonesia, while the Korindo Group, operating in the Asiki district, the Boven Digoel Regency, targets to develop 50,000 hectares of oil palm plantations.

Since 1989, Korindo has been developing oil palm plantations.

Currently, the Korindo group has already had 10,000 hectares of areas and has started production with two plants, each with a capacity of 30,000 tons of oil palm per hour.

Korindo has been allocating its oil palm to meet domestic needs and is still focusing on developing oil palm in Boven Digoel [in the south of Papua, near the PNG border].

In the meantime, the company also develops 50,000 hectares of industrial timber estate in Central Kalimantan and plans to open up an oil palm industry there.

Director General of Plantation at the Department of Agriculture Achmad Mangga Barani claimed the directorate general had mapped out land conditions and statuses.

"The Department of Agriculture' s Research and Development Agency has completed the development map for Papua. The map can show us areas potential for certain commodities, " he said recently.

Based on the map [for Papua], he continued, the Department of Agriculture would give recommendations to the local governments regarding new plantation area developments, especially those made by 10 companies.

Of the ten companies, eight have interests in the oil palm plantation sector, while the two others, PT ANJ Agri Papua and PT Nusa Ethanolasia, have interests in sago plantation.

Achmad added the total size of plantation areas in Papua reached 458,551 hectares consisting of 352,651 hectares of oil palm plantations, 5,900 hectares of cocoa plantation, and 100,000 hectares of sago. Of the total size, 32,571 hectares of areas had been planted.

According to him, the map showed there were 1.72 million hectares of areas potential for plantations, namely for oil palm plantations (885,140 hectares), cocoa plantations (305,855 hectares), coffee plantations (143,658 hectares), rubber plantations (81,098 hectares), and sugar cane plantations(268,782 hectares).

Yapen Islands [West Papua]

Separately, Regency of Yapen Islands [West Papua] Daud S. Betawi Soleman disclosed his regency had 123,596 hectares of areas potential for plantation.

"The Directorate General of Plantation will make our region as a pilot project for the integration of cocoa plantation and cow and pig farms. Regarding the size and the cost, those will depend on the government," said Daud after meeting with Director General of Plantation Achmad Manggabarani in the latter's working room yesterday. (Bisnis/et/arh)

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[ Free West Papua Campaign comment: Is TIME magazine's "Hero of the Environment" , Governor of Papua, Barnabas Suebu, protecting West Papua's forests, or helping Indonesia to destroy them? ]

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