fPcN interCultural:

friends of Peoples close to Nature

A 'rebellious' (fPcNs preferred term: 'dispossessed') New Zealand Maori tribe entered into negotiations with the government Thursday in a bid to gain autonomy over its land.

Ngai Tuhoe is the only Maori tribe that refused to sign the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which established peaceful relations between New Zealand's indigenous groups and white settlers.

Tuhoe still insists it retains sovereign control over its culture and its lands in central North Island, which it claims were confiscated illegally by settlers in the 1800s.

1) Indonesians give word of no repetitions (The National PNG)
2) Students protest border incursions (The National PNG)
3) PNG to Formally Protest Indonesia Border Incursions (Pacific Magazine)
4) Indonesia to apologise for PNG border incursions: report (ABC)
5) Indonesians promise to apologise (The National PNG)
6) Indonesians raid village (The National PNG)
7) Border post in bad shape (The National PNG)

Two reports:
1) Border incursion
2) Local reports say Indonesian soldiers making frequent incursions to PNG

1) Border incursion The National PNG 14/7/08 from: http://www.thenational.com.pg/071408/
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK

INDONESIAN soldiers have defied diplomatic and military protocols and continue to violate international border agreements with Papua New Guinea. Government Ministers Belden Namah (Forest) and his Housing and acting Internal Security colleague, Andrew Kumbakor, were told by villagers and PNG Defence Force personnel at Wutung in Vanimo, Sandaun province, that there had been numerous border incursions allegedly made by the Indonesians at the end of May, June and this month, with the latest being last Saturday and yesterday evening. In one such incident, army personnel said the Indonesians defaced a cement PNG border monument at Wutung by spray-painting it with their 408 battalion symbol.

Press Release

On this day the 1st of July 2008, the representatives of the West Papua Refugees camped at Apex Park – Boroko, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – wish to raise the following concerns regarding the continued displacement of their families in Port Moresby.

1. Our status as refugees in PNG:

Human rights defenders in Indonesia’s province of West Papua continue to face torture, arbitrary detention and harassment from the country’s police, military and security forces, an independent United Nations expert said today after wrapping up a week-long visit to the Asian archipelago, which she said had also taken some positive steps in the legal realm.

Mon, 02/26/2007 - 06:12 — Sentral Info AMP, West Papua

JAKARTA (JP): An international human rights watchdog has accused the Indonesian government of detaining Papuan activists for their political views.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report, which was made available to The Jakarta PostY on Wednesday, that dozens of activists in Papua have been detained by theauthorities for expressing their views and raising the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) separatist flag.

Activists Still Punished For Peaceful Expression

(Jakarta, February 21, 2007) – At least 18 Papuans are serving sentences in Indonesian jails simply for peaceful acts of freedom of expression and opinion, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Such imprisonment violates international law and Indonesia’s international legal obligations.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian rights activists on Monday criticised a security pact with Indonesia, telling parliament in a submission that it could help Jakarta brutally put down separatist groups in the archipelago.

The pact, signed on the Indonesian island of Lombok in November, aims to smooth often-prickly ties between the two neighbours and underline Australian support for Jakarta's sovereignty over restive provinces including the Papua region.

Part One: A Trip to the Big City - The U.S. Congress blocked moves to restore military aid to Indonesian following reports of its military’s involvement in the 2002 murder of American school teachers in Timika. The blockade was released after the indictment of Antonius Wamang by the Department of Justice. In May 2006 the Bush Administration announced a new Pentagon program that will provide up to $19 million to supplement existing programs for building Indonesian military capacity. Questions remain about whether Wamang acted alone. Where did Wamang obtain bullets?

East Timor's history is repeating itself as Jakarta colludes with the west to crush another resource-rich land: West Papua. The world is watching as Australia decides the fate of 43 West Papuans seeking asylum.