CONTINUED TENSIONS IN PAPUA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000934

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/ANP, DRL, DRL/AWH
NSC FOR E.PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS ID
SUBJECT: CONTINUED TENSIONS IN PAPUA

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Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A Mission team visited Papua Province in
eastern Indonesia, May 5-9. Papuan interlocutors complained
heatedly about the GOI and its failure to implement autonomy
provisions for the region. Local officials admitted that
implementation of autonomy was slow, but asserted that they
are making progress on the development side. Governor
Suebu's health problems, however, are having an impact on
governance in the region.


2. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): Pol/C--while underscoring the USG's
full support for Indonesia's territorial
integrity--underlined the need to implement autonomy plans
and noted concern about several human rights cases. Pol/C
also spoke about the U.S. election process to a group of
university students. Based on our soundings, the Papua
region is as restive as ever. END SUMMARY.


3. (C) An interagency Mission team visited locations
throughout Papua May 5-9. This message reports on Pol/C's
meetings in the provincial capital of Jayapura, May 8-9.
Septel will report on poloff's visits to three other areas in
the province. DAO reporting will cover meetings with
military officials in the province.

DEEP FRUSTRATION


4. (C) Papuan interlocutors were deeply frustrated over the
political situation. Chair of the Papuan Provincial
Legislature (DPR-P) John Ibo told Pol/C that Papuan are angry
over the slow implementation of the province's Special
Autonomy Law. (Note: The GOI promulgated the Papua Special
Autonomy Law in 2001. Under the law, the province takes over
all areas of government authority except for foreign affairs,
defense and security, etc.) Ibo charged that the central
government had shown no real commitment to implement Special
Autonomy and that many Papuans regard the law as a total
failure.


5. (C) According to Ibo and other Papuan contacts, this
frustration has led many Papuans to sympathize with the
separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM),although very few
support violent action against the Indonesian state. (Note:
Several contacts commented that the OPM--which operates
underground--enjoys strong support among many Papuans.)
Pol/C underlined full USG support for the territorial
integrity of Indonesia and urged that Papuans continue to act
in a constructive, non-violent manner.


6. (C) Ibo also criticized Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu's
efforts to develop the province. He said the Governor's
village-based development plan--which included payments of
100 million Rupiah (approximately 11,000 USD) to individual
villages for small-scale development projects--had failed to
produce tangible benefits for people in rural areas. (Note:
Ibo lost to Suebu in the 2006 gubernatorial election and has
frequently criticized the governor ever since.)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT -- "WE'RE TRYING"


7. (C) Pol/C reviewed local government priorities in a May 8
meeting with Provincial Secretary Tedjo Soeprapto, the
number-three official in the province. (Note: Both the
Governor and Vice-Governor were outside of Jayapura and were
not available for a meeting.) Soeprapto underscored that the
Provincial Government was committed to implementing Special
Autonomy and promoting economic development in Papua. The
Provincial Government had identified education, health and
infrastructure as key development priorities. A focus on
these areas was necessary to bring economic benefits to a
region where approximately 80 percent of families live below
the poverty line.


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8. (C) Soeprapto conceded, however, that progress was slow.
A chief problem still hampering the government, he noted, was
the legacy of "past traumas." Papua's history of separatist
activity and the sometimes harsh response by security forces
in the past had left people deeply distrustful of the central
government. Like other officials, however, Soeprapto
minimized these problems as "a residue of the past," and said
the military had now changed its approach and fully supported
the government's development plans. Soeprapto cautioned
against expecting rapid progress given Papua's problematic
history and the massive challenges the region faces.

REVIEWING HUMAN RIGHTS CASES


9. (C) Pol/C also raised several human rights cases with
Soeprapto and with the Provincial Police Commander Max Aer,
including:

--The criminal prosecution of human rights activist Sabar
Iwanggin for allegedly sending text messages claiming a GOI
plot to poison Papuans;

--The criminal prosecution of Papuan students who raised the
"Morning Star" Flag--which the GOI considers a separatist
symbol--during a peaceful rally; and,

--The banning of a book by Papuan author Sendus Wonda that
alleged that the GOI deliberately introduced HIV/AIDS in the
province in order to kill ethnic Papuans.

These cases represented significant setbacks for human rights
and freedom of expression in Papua and were inconsistent with
Indonesia's transformation to democracy, Pol/C emphasized.


10. (C) Soeprapto acknowledged that there were still human
rights problems in the province although the situation had
improved compared with the past. He specifically noted that
the Indonesian military (TNI) continued to take a hard-line
on separatist symbols like the Morning Star Flag. Provincial
Government leaders continued to meet with TNI officials to
reach an understanding of what Papuan symbols were
permissible. He also noted that prosecutors in Jakarta made
the decision to ban Sendus Wonda's book; the provincial
government had no problem with the book and other books of
the same type were available in local bookstores.


11. (C) Police Chief Aer outlined the steps his forces were
taking to improve the human rights situation in the province.
The police in Papua had begun to implement
community-policing strategies and now provide human rights
training to all police personnel. Another problem, according
to Aer, was that the majority of police still come from
outside of Papua and do not understand the local culture. To
remedy the situation, the police instituted a program to
recruit more ethnic Papuans. Approximately 250 new personnel
enter the police in Papua every year; the majority are now
ethnic Papuans.


12. (C) Aer also explained that the police were working with
the national human rights commission (Komnas HAM) to
socialize officers regarding the proper treatment of
prisoners. Komnas HAM also cooperates with the police in the
investigation of alleged human rights abuses. Despite these
steps, however, many Papuans continue to harbor a deep
distrust of the security forces, he admitted.

GOVERNOR'S HEALTH A FACTOR


13. (C) Governor Suebu's health problems are also a factor.
Key Suebu advisor Agus Sumule told poloff that the Governor
underwent coronary angioplasty in Singapore in early April.
The procedure was successful and Suebu is adhering to a
regimen of diet and exercise prescribed by his doctors.
However, he has not been in Jayapura much and he has cut his

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regular working hours nearly in half. Over all, he is
playing a less active role in the day-to-day administration
of the province. Much of the Provincial Government's
progress on development and Special Autonomy has been due to
the personal efforts of Suebu and his key advisors. He is
also the key interlocutor between the Papuan Provincial
Government and President Yudhoyono, Vice President Kalla and
other senior officials in Jakarta. Suebu's diminished
activity is certain to slow progress on the Provincial
Government's priorities, such as implementing Special
Autonomy and enacting provincial development plans.

PUBLIC OUTREACH WITH STUDENTS


14. (U) Pol/C spoke to approximately 100 students at
Jayapura's Cendrawasih University on the subject of the U.S.
Presidential Election. Pol/C explained the U.S. Election
process and answered a range of questions from the very
engaged, knowledgeable group of students, most of whom were
Papuan.

AS RESTIVE AS EVER


15. (C) Based on our soundings, Papua is as tense as ever.
Papuans remain deeply unhappy with Jakarta, feeling that
their needs are being ignored, especially regarding the
implementation of autonomy provisions. On a deeper level,
however, Papuans clearly feel deeply estranged from the rest
of Indonesia. Several Papuans noted to us that they feel
much closer socially and culturally to neighboring Papua New
Guinea as compared with Java or Sumatra. USG policy which
involves urging implementation of Special Autonomy, a focus
on development and respect for human rights is on target, and
indeed the GOI has made progress regarding human rights.
That said, the GOI clearly needs to focus much more on the
Papuan region or it could well face even more serious
political problems down the road.

HUME