PAPUA -- AMBASSADOR VISITS KEY SITES IN TROUBLED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 001770 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/ANP, DRL, DRL/AWH NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINS EMIN EAID ID SUBJECT: PAPUA -- AMBASSADOR VISITS KEY SITES IN TROUBLED REGION REF: A. JAKARTA 1746 ¶B. JAKARTA 1562 JAKARTA 00001770 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On a September 10-12 trip to Papua, a wide range of interlocutors told Ambassador Hume the province faces many significant development challenges. The provincial government has an ambitious program to develop the region but this has yet to show concrete results. Relations between ethnic Papuans and migrants from other parts of the country, as well as relations between the security forces and civilians, remain stable but tense. Throughout the visit, however, Papuans complained about the slow implementation of the province's Special Autonomy Law. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Hume led an interagency Mission team on a visit to key sites in Papua: Timika, the central Papua town that is home to Freeport-McMoRan's massive Grasberg copper and gold mine; and Jayapura, the provincial capital. The September 10-12 visit focused on economic development, Papua's Special Autonomy Law, the role of the security forces, and interfaith relations. DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN TIMIKA ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Hume visited Timika to examine environment, health and other development challenges. Freeport officials briefed the Ambassador on their extensive program to manage the environmental impact of the tailings from the mine. They dispose of the tailings by a controversial method of releasing them into a nearby river, although Freeport takes every possible precaution to minimize the environmental impact. Unlike tailings from most mines, those from the Freeport Grasberg mine pose little threat of acid runoff, because the rock in the area of the mine naturally contains high levels of lime, which neutralizes acid formation when mixed with the tailings. ¶4. (SBU) The tailings nevertheless have a short-term negative effect on the forests surrounding the original river channel. To manage the effect, Freeport has constructed a system of levees to contain mine tailings in the Ajkwa River and prevent contamination of neighboring areas. The Ambassador also visited a Freeport-funded environmental nursery, in which experts study best methods for re-foresting affected regions, and types of vegetation which can thrive on tailings deposits to help re-vegetate the region. Freeport studies have shown that full reforestation in tailings-affected regions occurs naturally in seven years without intervention. However, Freeport and local officials plan to prepare the tailings regions for cultivation. ¶5. (SBU) To demonstrate that tailings are not toxic, a frequent charge from environmental activists, Freeport officials showed the Ambassador an environmental laboratory that monitors the river water for toxins, as well as copper compounds that may be a health risk. To date, they state that there have been no indications of chemical levels that would pose a health concern, and they maintain an extensive database for their tests. However, scientists and company representatives worry about chemicals used by as many as 20,000 illegal panners in the river system, who are looking for gold in the tailings. They fear that the panners may begin to use mercury in their operations, and so the laboratory has begun testing for it. To date there has been no indication that mercury has been used, but the lab will continue monitoring for that and other dangerous compounds. ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador also toured the Rumah Sakit Mitra Masyarakat (RSMM)--a 101-bed hospital that Freeport constructed in Timika. LPMAK, a local foundation, runs the hospital which provides a full range of free medical services JAKARTA 00001770 002.2 OF 003 to members of ethnic groups who have been affected by the mine's operations. Freeport officials noted that local people prefer RSMM to the nearby government hospital as the latter is understaffed and chronically short of supplies. ¶7. (SBU) Ambassador Hume also traveled to Kokanau--a small fishing village approximately 50km west of Timika--to inspect an ice factory built under the Freeport-USAID public-private partnership. The factory, which can produce 200 blocks of ice at a time, will allow local fishermen to transport their catch to the higher-paying market in Timika, rather than having to sell it locally. GOVERNOR OUTLINES PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES ¶8. (C) Ambassador Hume noted his visit to development related sites in Timika and asked Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu for an update on the province-wide development strategy. Suebu said his administration was committed to a village based development program. This aimed to empower local people to make decisions about their own development priorities by providing cash payments directly to villages. So far, the program has provided payments of 100 million rupiah (roughly USD 10,000) to over 4,000 villages. ¶9. (C) Suebu said one of his most challenging priorities was improving education in the province. (Note: A cross-section of community and religious leaders in Timika echoed this point to the Ambassador.) It is especially difficult to recruit and retain teachers serving in the provinces' many remote villages. Teachers must travel from their villages to district capitals to collect their salaries. Many do not return to the villages for months at a time. As a result of such difficulties, educational development continues to lag. ¶10. (C) Suebu said his administration sought to promote agricultural development in coffee, cacao and seaweed. He appreciated USAID's assistance for Papuan coffee development projects and said he hoped for more cooperation along these lines. Suebu's key agricultural goal is to develop Papuan processing capabilities in order to reduce the export of raw commodities. Finally, Suebu said he hoped to develop Papua as a tourist destination, although he conceded that the province's remote location made this difficult. He continued to urge Garuda Indonesia, the national airline, to resume its former Jakarta-Honolulu-Los Angeles route that included a stop in Biak, an island off Papua's north coast. SECURITY ISSUES ¶11. (C) Key officials briefed the Ambassador on security and human rights issues in the province. Deputy Police Chief BrigGen Prasetyo (one name only) told the Ambassador that illegal mining, logging, and fishing were the province's key law enforcement challenges. Progress against the latter two is hampered by the fact that Papuan police possess very few coastal patrol boats. Prasetyo told the Ambassador that he would welcome training and assistance from the United States, including the provision of patrol boats. ¶12. (C) The Ambassador asked for an update on the activities of the U.S.-trained anti-terror unit Detachment-88 (Det-88) in Papua. Prasetyo responded that Det-88 personnel were stationed in both Jayapura and Timika and were performing well. In Timika, they provided key security support to the police Mobil Brigade--the unit responsible for security at Freeport's operations. (Note: Additional members of Det-88 traveled to Timika to investigate a recent spate of bombings, see ref A.) ¶13. (C) Prasetyo also provided an update on the investigation into the August 9 shooting in Wamena, central Papua, that left one person dead. He explained that forensic tests had shown that the fatal bullet did not come from any JAKARTA 00001770 003.2 OF 003 of the weapons used by police at the scene. He speculated that the bullet may have come from a home-made gun but said that the projectile, which was badly damages, was still undergoing tests. Prasetyo promised that the police would continue to investigate the shooting. (See ref B.) ¶14. (C) Ambassador Hume also discussed security issues with Major General A. Y. Nasution, the newly appointed commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Papua. Nasution explained that Papua was still the site of separatist activity but that a "security approach" was not suitable. Instead, the TNI sought to diffuse support for separatists by helping develop the province. He also said that all TNI personnel are trained in principles of ethical conduct that stress human rights and the need to protect civilians. ¶15. (C) The Ambassador asked about the number of TNI forces in Papua and noted that some NGOs have claimed that the number is too large. Nasution responded that TNI personnel in Papua numbered around 7,000 and conceded this is larger than other provincial commands. This was necessary, however, because Papua was Indonesia's largest province. The troops were also necessary to provide security along the 700 km border with Papua New Guinea. ¶16. (C) Human rights contacts, including key officials at the Catholic Diocese in Jayapura, told the Ambassador that relations between Papuans and the TNI was slowly improving. Vicar General Neles Tebay said that Papua was no longer the site of large-scale military operations, as it had been in the past. However, may TNI personnel suspect Papuans of harboring support for separatists and this sometimes leads to tensions, according to Tebay. COMMUNITY RELATIONS ¶17. (C) Ambassador Hume queried several interlocutors over recent reports of increasing tensions between Muslims and Christians in Papua. Vicar General Tebay said such tensions were present, but that religious leaders were trying to manage them. In Jayapura, for example, Christian and Muslim leaders had formed an interfaith body to discuss relations between the two communities. According to Tebay, these religious tensions stem largely from tensions between largely Christian ethnic Papuans and mostly Muslim migrants from other parts of Indonesia. Officials of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) also echoed this theme. They noted that many Papuans resent what they see as the migrants' dominance of key government and economic positions. CONTINUING ANGST OVER SPECIAL AUTONOMY ¶18. (C) A recurring theme throughout the Ambassador's visit was Papuan frustration--and anger--over the slow implementation of the province's Special Autonomy Law. (Note: Under the law, which has been on the books since 2001, the provincial government is to assume responsibility for all aspects of government except for foreign affairs, defense and security, fiscal and monetary policy, religious affairs, and justice.) Governor Suebu said that the fault lay on both sides. Ministries in Jakarta have been reluctant to cede their authority to the provincial government. However, the provincial government still lacks the capacity to manage these responsibilities. Many Papuans, who expected Special Autonomy to help solve the provinces' many political and developmental problems, are running out of patience. HUME