How land grabbers weaponise indigenous ritual against Papuans

Christians in Indonesia’s Papua Province Increasingly Under Threat

By Gina Goh

03/27/2019 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – In predominantly Muslim Indonesia, its largest and easternmost province, Papua, a place where over 80% of the population identifies as Christian, stands in stark contrast to the rest of the country which holds the world’s largest population of Muslims.

Blessed by missionaries from the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States with the Gospel, the resource-rich region, however, has long suffered from economic inequality, lack of development, and human rights abuses from Jakarta. It continues to be the country’s least developed and most impoverished area.

Now, Christianity in this region is also increasingly threatened as the influence of Islam grows. The number of Muslims and mosques particularly in cities has increased, especially in Jayapura district. Many old mosques are demolished and rebuilt with taller minarets to overshadow nearby churches.

On February 27, with samurai swords in their hands, a gang of six led by a controversial Muslim cleric ransacked a Christian man’s home for playing Christian music at dawn as a nearby Islamic boarding school was observing morning prayer.

Ja’far Umar Thalib, the cleric who runs Ihya As-Sunnah Islamic boarding school in Muara Tami district, allegedly barged into the home of Henock Niki around 5:30 a.m. with several sword-wielding followers dressed in white.

“The perpetrators then severed the cables of the victim’s speakers. They told him that the loud music was disturbing worshipers in the mosque,” national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo told reporters in Jakarta. Other news outlets also reported that the mob went on to damage the speakers and injure the man’s 14-year-old son.

According to Dedi, Henock told the attackers that the morning prayer was at 4:15 a.m., which should have been over by that time. They subsequently fled south in a minibus.

“The perpetrators then severed the cables of the victim’s speakers. They told him that the loud music was disturbing worshipers in the mosque.”

The attack on Henock’s house drew protests from local residents who immediately took action to block the road to stop the perpetrators from fleeing. Residents reported the incident to the police and asked them to arrest the mob.

The police were able to apprehend the suspects and secure evidence from the scene, including five samurai swords, several long machetes, and a number of media materials from Laskar Jihad, Thalib’s radical Islamic organization.

Reskrimum Director of the Papua Regional Police, Commissioner Tonny Harsono, told reporters, “We are charging the seven suspects with Article 170 Paragraph 2 concerning destruction, while three of them will also be charged with Law Number 12 of 1951 concerning ownership of sharp weapons.”

Thalib is known for his radical line of thoughts and actions. He recruited a “jihadist army” to fight in a deadly conflict between Christians and Muslims in Ambon, in the Maluku Islands, that claimed the lives of approximately 5,000 people between 2000 and 2003.

On March 4, more than 2,000 Christians in Papua took to the streets to demand Thalib’s expulsion.  They held a protest outside the Papua governor’s office in the provincial capital Jayapura. Protesters said they would take the matter into their own hands if the governor failed to expel Thalib.

Rev. Dorman Wandikbo, president of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia who was part of the rally, said, “His presence has damaged interreligious harmony in Papua, and if no action is taken, he will turn this place into a land of conflict.”

He also added that Thalib’s influence was spreading in Papua. “We don’t want him to create another conflict like the one that devastated Ambon,” he stated.

Members of the minority Muslim community in Papua are also in support of his expulsion. Taha Alhamid, a Muslim leader who was part of the rally, said his community also believed that Talib should be returned to his hometown.

“We want the police to immediately remove him from Papua,” he said.

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

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via IFTTT March 30, 2019 at 08:36AM

NZ desak kekerasan bersenjata di Papua harus dihentikan sebelum negosiasi

Vanuatu requested to support China’s candidate for top FAO post

Vanuatu has been requested to support China’s candidate for the postition of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director General (DG) in this year’s election during the 41st Session of the FAO Conference.

The Chinese Minister of Agriculture, Han Changfu, made the request to Vanuatu’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Bio-Security (MALFFB), Hosea Nevu,during their dialogue yesterday.

Minister Changfu told Minister Nevu and high officials from the MALFFB that the government of China has nominated a candidate for the agency’s top leadership post and wants Vanuatu’s support during election at the FAO Conference in June, the highest governing body of the organisation.

If elected, China will help Vanuatu and other developing nations in food security related issues, said Minister Changfu.

FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) combating hunger and poverty.Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate arguments and debate policy.

The FAO DG post is very important because whoever is elected will head the agency and the wide range of responsibilities include overseeing food-aid programmes in over 150 countries across the globe.

The election of the new FAO DG in June this year will bring together all 194 FAO member countries. The new FAO DG will be elected by a majority vote, cast by FAO member countries.

In his response regarding the request from Minister Changfu for Vanuatu to back up China’s nomination at the FAO Conference, Minister Nevu said: “The request requires collective decision making.

“The MALFFB and Trade will submit a paper on this to the Council of Ministers (COM) to make the decision”, he said.

According to the Chinese Minister of Agriculture, China’s candidate for the FAO DG Position is Dr Qu Dongyu, the Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The Chinese Agriculture Minister Changfu was in Port Vila for a one-day visit.

He was accompanied by a high officials from the China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The delegation includes the Director General of Fisheries, Zhao Liliang, Director of the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture, Wu Changxu, Vice President of Chinese Academic of Tropical Agriculture and Science , Liu Guodao, Deputy Director General of General Office Liv Ruiming, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Xie Jianmin, Director of Bureau of State Farms and Land Reclamation, Deng Qingin , Deputy Director of International Cooperation, Wu Changxuo and the head of the China National Agriculture Development Cooperation, Yudifei.

They will leave Port Vila today (Wednesday) to proceed on their journey to Fiji where they will attend the Second China-Pacific Island Countries Agricultural Minister’s Meeting.

The two-day meeting starts tomorrow (Thursday).

Source: VDP

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via IFTTT March 28, 2019 at 08:01AM

4 New Ministers in Vanuatu Parliament

Parliament has been summoned for a special sitting on Friday March 29, 2019.

The special sitting was ordered by the Speaker of Parliament, Esmon Saimon on Wednesday, 20 March on the advice of Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.

The main agenda to debate is to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu, chapter seven sub-article 40 (2) which states “The number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, shall not exceed a quarter of the number of members of Parliament”, and to replace “quarter” with “third.”

This simply means the Prime Minister can appoint four additional ministers, making a total of 17 ministries altogether, from a quarter to a third of the members of parliament.

According to a copy of the order notice of parliament, Prime Minister Salwai said “the rationale behind this amendment is due to the fact that some ministers today have been assigned too many portfolios thus affecting the efficient and effective running of the ministries concerned.

“This amendment will result in the withdrawal of portforlios from such ministers and assignment of such portfolios to the new ministers and the increase in the number of ministers will also ensure more efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of government policies by the ministries concerned and their respective departments”.

The second amendment of the constitution is for the appointment and removal of Parliamentary Secretaries (PS) by the Prime Minister and the number of PS that may be appointed must not exceed a quarter of the number of ministers and the parliamentary secretaries will be carrying out the functions that may be assigned to them by the Prime minister.

They will insert the following provision to article 46 of the constitution: (a)Appointment and removal of PS, (1) The Prime Minister may appoint PS from amongst members of parliament; (2)The number of PS must not exceed a quarter of the number of ministers (3) The Prime Minister is to assign responsibilities for the conduct of the government to the parliamentary secretaries and (4) The Prime Minister may remove the PS from the office.

This means there will be an increase of PS from five to thirteen.

Daily Post understands that the four new ministries will see the separation of ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Biosecurity and Forestry and the Ministry of Trade and Commerce and probably a new ministry.

This special sitting has created controversy between political parties within the government and sources close to some political parties within the government said they will vote against the bill.

Leaders Party of Vanuatu (LPV) President Jotham Napat has told Daily Post the LPV will not support the Government’s bid to increase the number of ministers.

“In whose interest will they be increasing the number of ministries for – the people or the politicians?” LPV President Napat questioned.

“The Prime Minister must assess the performance of some of his ministers. If some of the current ministers are not performing and he increases the number of ministries, it will not make any difference.

“It is an abuse of power because they have the numbers and want to drive this initiative just for the interests of some people.”

MP Napat said the PM must make decisions in the national interest, not the interests of the government backbenchers.

He also commented on the second item in the proposed Constitutional amendment which provides for the appointment and removal of PS by the Prime Minister, which states the number of PS must not exceed a quarter of the number of ministers and that they may be carrying out functions assigned to them by the PM.

“It’s just the same thing – they have now realized the Leader of Opposition has lodged a Constitutional case in Court, and are trying to defend their actions,” he said.

“Why increase ministerial portfolios and have PS? The two are the same.”

Article 85 in Chapter 14 of the Constitution states, “A bill for an amendment of the Constitution shall not come into effect unless it is supported by the votes of no less than two-thirds of all the members of Parliament at a special sitting of Parliament at which three-quarters of the members are present.

If there is no such quorum at the first sitting, Parliament may meet and make a decision by the same majority a week later even if only two-thirds of the members are present”.

Source: VDP

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via IFTTT March 28, 2019 at 07:51AM

Minister Napuat Announces Vt1 Million Constituency Allocation for Councillors

For the first time ever, the Government through the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) has decided that all elected Councillors will receive Vt1,000,000 for development purposes in their constituencies.

The Constituency Allocation was first introduced in the last quarter of 2018. After the release of funds in the 4th Quarter of 2018, the Parliament considered the importance of maintaining the constituency allocation as development funding for all 99 elected councillors and further appropriate funding in 2019 budget.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat said it is important to note that Constituency Allocation were never appropriated in the past except Development allocation.

“The appropriation of these funds is a demonstration of the parliament’s desire to see elected councillors contributing to supporting development in their constituencies and importantly, support Area Councils where services are needed,” he said.

“It is equally important to also note that the Parliament expects that these Constituency Allowances are used strictly for development purposes and reporting on the use of the allocations is important to provide assurance to the Parliament for its continuity in release another quarter of funds.”

Hence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs developed a set of guidelines to assist the councillors with the use of funds. The Constituency Allocation Guidelines are being developed to guide the elected councillors on the best use of the allocation and the processes for accessing funds.

Further, these guidelines will provide useful information and data for reporting by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) to parliament on use of the funds and in turn, assures the parliament that public funds are being made to good use for development at different constituencies.

The Guideline commences with a key reference to the Public Financial and Economic Management Act (PFEM Act) which reminds all that constituency allocations are public money which are collected, received and held by the state, they are required to be managed responsibly and accounted for.

With directions on what an elected councillor needs to consider when applying for funds, the guideline provides a reminder to ensure that a report is to be provided on the use of the constituency allocation.

Written in three different contexts — English, French and Bislama, all elected councillors are reminded to consult the Secretary Generals and Town Clerks to provide guidance on the completion of forms including reporting on the use of funds.

“We expect a change in the communities, for the benefit of the people and our economy as a whole,” the minister said.

“We also expect communities to engage with their area councils which in turn encourages participation from each community member. These funds will support the ideas of community projects, drawn up by area councils and chiefs so they can contribute to the development of their own communities.”

Funds will be released to the provinces and municipalities every quarter and all Secretary Generals, Clerks and Accountants are responsible for the release of funds including supporting the elected councillors on the use of funds.

“As Minister responsible for the MoIA, I would like to remind all that this is the first time for a substantial amount of money to be assigned to elected councillors. Councillors are reminded to ensure that funds are used according to the guidelines and for the intended purposes requested for.

“These funds are for development purposes and elected councillors are encouraged to invest in projects at their constituencies as part of their contributions to implementing decentralisation at their level.

“Elected Councillors are also encouraged to use the funds for their priority projects at the Area Councils and Ward level thereby contributing to development at the Area or Ward level.

“Failure to use these public funds for the correct purposes can lead to Parliament ceasing the allocation in future budget appropriations.

“Finally, I wish to announce that all Councillor Allocation funds will be paid to all provinces and municipalities this week. LPOs have already been signed and will be deposited at the Ministry of Finance. I look forward to receiving and reporting updates to parliament on the use of the Constituency Allowance.”

It is the MoIA’s hope that correct use of the funds can result in more funds allocated by the Parliament in the future.

adorina@dailypost.vu

Source: VDP

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via IFTTT March 27, 2019 at 07:45AM

Sogavare: we leave behind $188M plus cash reserve

THE Democratic Coalition for Change Government (DCCG) had ended its term in office with more than $188million in cash reserves for working capital for the new government.

That’s according to outgoing Finance minister Manasseh Sogavare.

“This is a net of un-presented cheques of $25.9 million, which is $214million gross,” Sogavare claimed.

He stated this during Kadere Party’s launching of their candidate for Gizo/ Kolombangara, Lanelle Tanagada last week.

Sogavare hit out at criticisms against the DCC Government as being corrupt.

“I find these statements very insulting and made by people who are frustrated that their days in Solomon Islands politics is fading away into history because of pride and arrogance,” he said.

Sogavare stated that he finds the allegations of corruption amusing “because we only need to look at the way voter registration is potentially subject to manipulation because people from other constituencies as far as Malaita and Guadalcanal were going to be brought into this constituency (Gizo/Kolombangara) to vote, but were objected during the objection period,” he said.

He stated that contrary to the claim by some people, the country is making steady progress and this includes the fact that the foreign reserve continues to be healthy with an adequate safety net for importation while the country continues to import capital goods, food and medicines. 

Meanwhile, Sogavare also stated that a number of political parties are “promising the moon” during this campaign period which they will not be able to deliver.

“These are empty promises which are potentially dangerous to peace and harmony if the expectations of the people are not met,” he said.

“For the record, the country only collects $3 billion inclusive of aid funds that are already fixed and of which the health, education and policing sector get the bigger share of funding allocations. 

“The only group that is talking sense based on proven records during this campaign period is Kadere Party and its affiliated group of independent candidates,” he said. 

The long term strategy to address the capacity of this country to be able to deliver all which has been promised by the other political parties, is to broaden the economic base.

According to Sogavare, “we can only do that after we address the basic prerequisites such as land law reform and provide for full participation of the traditional leaders in the governance process of this country because they own all the land and resources of this country.

“Only then can we realistically talk about progressive development,” he added.
 

– Kadere Party Media

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via IFTTT March 26, 2019 at 08:50AM