Their call has been echoed by Papua's Peace Network (JDP) coordinator.

Father Neles Tebay says that prioritising only infrastructure will not be enough in developing Papua and must be balanced with the empowerment of its human resources.

He said that without skilled human resources, the Papuan people would only become "spectators" of various economic achievements happening in their own home.

"In some areas, locals can only watch economic activities happening in [other] villages, because they don't have access to ongoing development or cannot get involved because they don't have skills. They are alienated from activities in their kampung," Neles said.

"If this continues, the government's efforts to develop Papua will be fruitless […] This is what President Jokowi must pay attention to," he added.

Jakarta has recently unveiled plans for major roads, rail and hydro-development in Papua and West Papua.

"We appreciate the infrastructure development initiated by the President [Joko ‘Jokowi' Widodo]."

"We also feel he has given a lot of attention to Papua. It is only President Jokowi who has visited Papua twice a year, something that was never done by our previous presidents," Neles said in Jayapura meeting with Jokowi along with 12 other Papuan leaders.

Despite its rich resources, Papua is among the poorest regions in Indonesia and shootings of civilians is very common, activists say.

According to the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, there have been 16 shootings in Papua since August last year — none of the perpetrators have been caught.

The latest was on 1 August in which one person was killed and seven injured.

Source

• Jakarta Post
• Scoop
• RNZ
• UCLA
• UCA News
• IMAGE: West Papua Daily

Peaceful demonstrations supporting Papuan independence were held in several parts on the predominantly Christian Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua.

Thousands of West Papuans marched in the peaceful demonstrations in cities including Jayapura, Yakuhimo, Manokwari, Merauke and Sorong.

Demonstrators were demanding the United Liberation Movement for West Papua be accepted as a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

"We have the right to be a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. We are Melanesians, we are not Indonesians," Bazooka Logo, spokesman for the pro-independence National Committee for West Papua, told demonstrators

"We say 'no' to Indonesia. Indonesia is not Melanesia. Indonesia is Malay, which doesn't have the right to be a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, but Papua does," Logo said.

44 West Papuans were arrested by Indonesian police during demonstrations.

13 demonstrators were arrested in Merauke, 11 in Jayapura, 5 in Yahukimo and 15 in Kaimana regency.

Father Neles Tebay of the Jayapura Diocese has said that the Catholic Church, in collaboration with all religious leaders, has jointly called for a peaceful dialogue to settle the Papua conflict.

"We will continue to promote dialogue until the formal dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Papuans represented by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua takes place for the sake of a lasting peace," Father Tebay told a meeting of several bishops from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, April 9.

Source

• ucanews.com
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: jakartaglobe.

He says that in order to identify and settle these deep-seated problems and prevent acts of violence from recurring, a series of genuine talks between the central government and indigenous Papuans are urgently needed.

Tebay suggests that the proposed peace talks and participants of the dialogue need to be prepared. For the talks to materialize, three things should be taken into consideration.

• The current violence must end to provide a favorable climate for dialogue.
• All parties should recognize that the violence and calls for independence in Papua have increased in the 10 years after implementation of the law on special autonomy for Papua.
• President Yudhoyono should appoint a special envoy to handle the Papua conflict. As the envoy will be responsible for initiating political communication with all Papuan leading figures in Papua, Jakarta and abroad, the figure should be carefully selected so as not to meet opposition from the Papuans.

Father Tebay and Father Gabriel Ngga, the provincial superior of the Franciscans in Papua have also issued a joint statement "What the Civitas Acaemia of 'Fajar Timor' School of Philospohy have experienced and seen post the third Papuan Congress.

A group of New Zealand human rights, development and peace organisations have issued a statement on their Facebook page endorsing the measures called for by Father Tebay

Source

• The Jakarta Post
• Papua Post
• West Papua Media Alerts
• Image: pure-papua.posterous.com