PNG Politicians Join International Campaign to Support West Papuans

By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Three politicians from Papua New Guinea (PNG) have joined an international campaign to support West Papuans that were allegedly persecuted by Indonesian authorities.

It is estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 West Papuans now live in PNG after they fled their homes on the Indonesian side of the border. These West Papuans were forced to flee because of the human rights abuses they suffered in Indonesia.

Hundreds of West Papuans settled in a refugee camp near the border in PNG’s Southern Highlands region.

The Indonesian government now plans to repatriate up to 700 West Papuans who live in PNG’s capital, Port Moresby, and towns along the shared border.

The Governor of Port Moresby, Powers Parkop, stated that PNG “has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the issue.”

Jamie Maxton-Graham and Boka Kondra also criticize PNG’s inaction over the “plight of their fellow Melanesians” (the Melanesians are an ethnic minority in Indonesia’s Papua province).

Maxton-Graham stated that he will help launch and sign the PNG Charter of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua.

These three politicians joined 50 others from other countries in signing the charter. The charter calls for the United Nations to “restore the right of the indigenous people of West Papua to self-determination.”

The other signatories of the charter include Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens MP Greg Barber, and MPs from the UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, Vanuatu, and New Zealand.

In response to seeing horrific photos of atrocities on West Papuans allegedly committed by the Indonesian police and military, Maxton-Graham stated: “The international community and our charter says Indonesia must stop this.”

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand – Three PNG MPs support self determination cause for West Papuans – 15 November 2009

Asian Pacific Solidarity Network – Papua New Guinea politicians join campaign to support persecuted West Papuans – 13 November 2009

Free West Papua – Global lobby for West Papua takes off in PNG – 13 November 2009

InfoPapua.org – Global lobby for West Papua takes off in PNG – 13 November 2009

Palestinians Plan U.N. Statehood Bid

By Meredith Lee-Clark

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

JERUSALEM, Israel/West Bank – Palestinian officials announced on November 15 that they would seek a United Nations resolution to establish an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The proposed state would follow borders in place before the 1967 war between Israel and the Palestinians, and would include East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

 

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, held a press conference to accompany the announcement, and said that the Palestinian Authority had decided to take its case to the U.N. after negotiations surrounding talks between Israel and the Palestinians had stalled, primarily due to disagreements about Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

 

“Now is our defining moment,” Erekat said. “We went into this peace process in order to achieve a two-state solution…The endgame is to tell the Israelis that now the international community has recognized the two–state solution on the ’67 borders.”

 

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Israeli cabinet on the day after the Palestinian announcement that there was a strong possibility of a U.N. vote in favor of a Palestinian state, as many countries had previously expressed support for the Palestinians. Israel was created by a U.N. mandate after World War II.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference after the Palestinian announcement, rejecting the Palestinian action and saying that a unilateral action by the Palestinians would negate any terms of the 1998 Oslo Peace Accords and would destroy any goodwill between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

 

“There is no substitute for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and any unilateral path will only unravel the framework of agreements between us and will bring unilateral steps from Israel’s side,” said Netanyahu.

 

Middle East observers believe that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s options for moving forward are limited. Abbas announced a week before this most recent development that he would not seek reelection in a Palestinian national vote scheduled for 2010. Many experts have commented that Abbas was considerably weakened by Israel’s unwillingness to freeze all settlement construction in the West Bank.

 

For more information, please see:

 

Al Jazeera – Palestinians Warned Over U.N. Move – 16 November 2009

 

Ha’aretz – U.S.: Best Way to Achieve a Viable Palestine is Talks – 16 November 2009

 

Ma’an News Agency – Erekat: World Should Stand Against Occupation – 16 November 2009

 

Christian Science Monitor – Israel Rejects Palestinian Statehood Bid Via the U.N. – 15 November 2009

 

New York Times – Palestinians Aim to Secure U.N. Support for State – 15 November 2009

240 Saudi Villages Evacuated Over Yemen Fighting

By Ahmad Shihadah

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SA’DA, Yemen – Some 240 villages in Saudi Arabia have been evacuated due to an escalation of fighting in Northern Yemen. The United Nations has reported Friday that “fighting has now spilled into Saudi Arabia, reportedly causing 240 villages to be evacuated and more than 50 schools to be closed.”

Saudi Arabia, the world’s oil exporter, launched an offensive last week after Yemeni rebels seized Saudi territory along the mountainous border from which they said the Saudis had been allowing Yemeni troops to use to attack their positions.  A Saudi government advisor said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia is using air power and artillery to enforce a six mile deep buffer zone inside Yemen to keep the Shi’ite rebels away from its southwestern border.

The fighting worsens an already bleak humanitarian situation in northern Yemen, where the United Nations now says 175,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. More than 15,000 are staying in al-Mazraq camp in Hajjah province, the population of which has doubled in the past month, according to the U.N. children’s agency. “Deaths have been recorded among children in the camp as malnutrition, already a chronic problem in Yemen, is reaching alarming levels.” Sigrid Kaag, UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

The U.N. refugee agency said that up to 900 people have been arriving every day at al-Mazraq which has exceeded its capacity. United Nations High Council on Refugees estimated its current population at 10,000. “The lastest sudden influx is adding more pressure on an already dire situation, and overcrowding in the camp is becoming a major concern.” UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said.

For more information, please see:

Earth Times – UN: Saudi Villages Evacuated Over Yemen Fighting – 13 November 2009

VOA – More Civilians Flee War-Torn Yemen – 13 November 2009

Reuters – Saudi Villages Evacuated Due Yemen Violence – UNICEF

U.S. Demands Bribery Court in Afghanistan

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KABUL, Afghanistan –  In August, the presidential election was riddled with accusations of fraud and vote-rigging. As the end of the election neared, now president, Mr. Hamid Karzai’s main rival pulled out of a run-off vote.

Many in the country believe the election was tainted by fraud allegations. In addition to facing skepticism by citizens, the nation has also come under growing Western pressure to deal with corruption.

The American ambassador in Kabul, Ishaq Aluko, has warned against a US troop surge unless Mr. Karzai takes action against corruption. Mr. Karzai has refused to make public the names of people under suspicion for receiving money for government contracts until their files had been sent to the court. He does say, however, that there is a range of corruption, some of it involving huge amounts of money.

Bribes and corruption outside of money include the buying  of cars, computers. and furniture. Other forms exist as well, including contract awards for construction or road building. Mr. Aluko says his department is serious about tackling corruption in all areas, and that he had already asked some of the current and former ministers to answer the allegations.

When U.S. Secretary of State visited the country recently, she stated, “Now we believe that President Karzai and his government can do better.” Clinton also declared that Mr. Karzai must set up a “major crimes tribunal” and an anti-corruption commission. She went on to say that, the Afghan government needs to take action against people who have “taken advantage of the money that has poured into Afghanistan” in the past eight years. Clinton made clear, though that civilian aid would not be given unless the U.S. could track the funds if it went to government ministries.

American and British officials have been particularly vocal in recent weeks in calling for Karzai to institute reforms following a messy election that took 2 1/2 months to resolve and undermined the legitimacy of a government. This is unsurprising since, Transparency International, a non-governmental organization, last year ranked Afghanistan 176th out of 180 countries on its corruption perceptions index, a poll that assesses the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. Only Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar and Somalia were worse.

This is the third formal launch of a crime-fighting unit promising to tackle corruption.

For more information, please see:

Wall Street Journal – Karzai, Under Pressure, Adopts Antigraft Measures – November 16, 2009 

BBC World News – US demands Afghan ‘bribery court’ – November 15, 2009 

ABC News – Afghan ministers accused of taking bribes – November 13, 2009

Niger Delta Peace Talks are “Frank and Fruitful”

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria – Formal peace talks began on Saturday between Nigeria’s main militant group and the country’s president for the first time since it declared an indefinite cease-fire last.

President Umaru Yar’Adua called the talks with the ex-chiefs of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) “frank and fruitful.”   MEND is one of the main rebel groups in the oil region.

For over three years, militants have waged a violent campaign against facilities, saying they are fighting for a greater share of the oil wealth for the local communities.

Henry Okah et Farah Dagogo represented MEND at the talks.  He said in a statement that the two hours of talks were “frank, cordial and useful.”

“This meeting heralds the beginning of serious, meaningful dialogue between MEND and the Nigerian government to deal with and resolve root issues that have long been swept under the carpet,” read Okah’s statement.

Wole Soyinka, Nigerian writer and Nobel Literature price winner also attended the talks.

This past June President Yar’Adua offered amnesty to rebels who surrendered their arms.  Even though MEND did not take initially did not take part in the amnesty, it declared an indefinite ceasefire in October to allow these peace talks to proceed.  Since the the main field commanders and thousands of gunmen agreed to the ceasefire, MEND has been severely weakened.

The government has proposed a massive infrastructure development program for the impoverished region.  Boy Loaf, a former top rebel commander, says development of the Niger Delta should start from the creeks or rebels will have an excuse to continue their attacks.

Activists warn that the former fighters could return to the creeks and resume the attacks if these talks do not quickly lead to changes in the oil-rich region.

“They should start the development from that creek because the  creek is the only hideout for our people . . . [S]o that the people can have a sense of belonging,” said Bay loaf.

The rebel activities in the Niger Delta reduced Nigeria’s oil output by almost one third, from 2.6 million barrels a day in 2006 to around 1.7 million barrels.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Nigerian President in “Fruitful” Oil Rebel Talks – 15 November 2009

AP – Nigeria Militants Start Peace Talks with President – 15 November 2009

Reuters – Nigerian Militants Say Peace Talks Start with Govt – 15 November 2009

Telegraph – Niger Delta Peace Talks Raise Hopes of Oil Boost and an End to Kidnappings – 15 November 2009

VOA – Nigerian President Holds Talks with Rebel Group – 15 November 2009