GIDI president slams police for scapegoating OPM over Tolikara shooting

Suara Papua - July 30, 2015

Oktovianus Pogau, Jayapura – The president of the Evangelical Church of Indonesia (GIDI), Pastor Dorman Wandikmbo insists that the mushola (small mosque) that was burnt down recently in Karubaga district, Tolikara regency, Papua, was built on land owned by the GIDI.

"Thirty years ago the GIDI assigned that land for the construction of a mushola, so the land was not purchased by Muslim residents, it doesn't even have a building permit (IMB), we just lent it to them to build the mushola", Wandikmbo told Suara Papua (Voice of Papua) on Wednesday July 29.

According to Wandikmbo, it you want to talk about tolerance between religious communities in Indonesia, the Christian community in the central highlands region of Papua, including Tolikara, is extremely tolerant.

"The recent incident in which the shops were razed [and the fire] spread and burnt down the mushola was simply because of a poor communication, all of us deeply regret the incident, and we have now made peace and returned to living alongside each other", said Wandikmbo.

Wandikmbo said he also regrets the actions of the Papua regional police  (Polda) who hastily declared two people suspects for burning down the shops while the perpetrators of the shooting of 12 GIDI youths hasn't even been investigated.

"The police shouldn't play around arbitrarily naming suspects, how come only GIDI youths that have been named suspects, and how about the perpetrators of the shooting of 12 GIDI youths, not to mention that one of them died", he said.

According to Wandikmbo, the Papua regional police will soon be summoning him along with the local activities committee. What is of concern that this will in fact have a detrimental impact on the communities at the grass roots level.

"Ustadz [Islamic cleric] Ali Muktar in Karubaga, and the GIDI coordinator for the Tolikara district Pastor Nayus Wenda have already reconciled, and want to live in peace, don't let the [police] summons and the [arbitrary] naming of suspect destroy the peace that has been built", he asserted.

In relation to the shooting of 12 GIDI youths, according to Wandikmbo when the incident occurred only the TNI (Indonesian military) and the Polri (Indonesian police) had firearms, so it is doubtful that the shooting was carried out by anyone else.

"There's no OPM [Free Papua Movement armed separatists] in Tolikara, don't scapegoat the OPM, everyone in the community saw who the perpetrators were, TNI and Polri personnel, so do they now have the courage or not to be held liable for this action", asserted Wandikmbo.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Musalah di Tolikara Dibangun Diatas Tanah GIDI dan Tak Memiliki IMB.]

Source: http://www.suarapapua.com/read/2015/07/30/2727/musalah-di-tolikara-dibangun-diatas-tanah--gidi-dan-tak-memiliki-imb.

Golkar lawmaker says PKI communists masterminded Tolikara tragedy

Intelijen - July 22, 2015

Teropong Senayan – The razing of an Islamic prayer room in the Tolikara district of Papua was carried out by a group pursuing the agenda of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to re-implant its ideology in Indonesia.

This was reveled by the deputy chairperson of the House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission VIII, Deding Ishak. Ishak said that it is impossible that religious people would commit arson when another religious congregation was conducting prayers for the 1436 H Idul Fitri celebrations at the end of the fasting month on Friday July 17.

"I'm not convinced it was done by a religious community, religious congregations, all religions teach love and compassion so the razing of the prayer room in Tolikara was definitely carried out by the PKI", said Ishak when contacted by Teropong Senayan (Senayan Focus) on Monday July 19.

Ishak's suspicions are based on a plan by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to apologise to the PKI over the 1965 killings. So people who still hold to a communist ideology are taking advantage of this to divide the Indonesian people.

"Just look at the common thread. Because of this the president must be careful about issuing such a statement, particularly in relation to an apology to the PKI", he said.

The Golkar Party politician is also urging the government to immediately and fully investigate the masterminds behind the incident so that other regions are not affected. "It must be immediately and fully investigated by law enforcement agencies so that it does give rise to distrust", he said.

[Abridged translation by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The second part of the article goes on to describe the incident in Tolikara. The original title of the article was PKI, Dalang di Balik Tragedi Tolikara?.]

Source: http://www.intelijen.co.id/pki-dalang-di-balik-tragedi-tolikara/.

Spy chief Sutiyoso claims foreigners using Tolikara riot to attack government

Peka News - July 22, 2015

State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso says that the riot in Tolikara, Papua was aimed at attacking President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"Those people took advantage of the incident to attack Pak Jokowi, attack the government, attack me as the head of BIN and attack the national police chief. This is becoming commonplace", he said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on July 22.

Sutiyoso declined however to name the intellectual actors that are attacking Jokowi by causing uproar in Tolikara, but did not deny the possibility of foreign involvement.

"Yeah I've asked the police. There must be an investigation to answer this and we can't just go accusing people at random. The police investigation will still take a long time. It may well be that foreign parties were involved", he said accusingly.

Sutiyoso refused to be blamed for the riot that ended in the burning down of an Islamic prayer room and shop-houses in Tolikara. The reason being that BIN provided information related to the threat on July 11.

"The security forces responded, the regional police immediately held a regional consultative council meeting, involving the regent and religious figures. Everyone was involved including the president of the GIDI [Evangelical Church of Indonesia], there was a good response", he said.

As a result, by July 17 large numbers of police and military were on alert in the area. "If they didn't get the information from us where else did they get the information from", he said by way of defending himself.

According to Sutiyoso, the riot broke out because security forces were confronted by a brutal mob. "This has happened not just in Tolikara, but anywhere where [the security forces] are confronted by brutal mobs like this".

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was KaBIN Sutiyoso: Pembuat Rusuh di Tolikara untuk Menyerang Jokowi dan Saya.]

Source: http://pekanews.com/2015/07/kabin-sutiyoso-pembuat-rusuh-di-tolikara-untuk-menyerang-jokowi-dan-saya/.

Tolikara incident: Police accused of circulating provocative letter

Suara Papua - July 20, 2015

Oktovianus Pogau, Tolikara – The president of the Indonesian Evangelical Church (Gereja Injili di Indonesia, GIDI), Reverend Dorman Wandikmbo insists that the letter issued by the regional GIDI in the Tolikara highland district of Papua that has been circulating in the mass media and social networks is forgery or hoax.

"From the beginning I have explained that the letter being circulated by a certain group is a forgery, and the actors behind the circulation of the forged letter need to be found. Because on account of its leak in the social media is in fact stirring things up", said Wandikmbo when contacted by Suara Papua on Monday July 20.

According to Wandikmbo, the GIDI central board must be advised of all letters that are issued by and are received in areas served by GIDI churches.

"My signature is not on the letter, nor is there the signature of the chairperson of the seminar organising committee and the KKR [Spiritual Awakening Service], so we can say that the letter is a forgery, and untrue, so because of this I am asking that people not be provoked", he asserted.

Wandikmbo suspects that the source of the forged letter is the security forces, namely the Indonesian police (Polri), because it appears from the letter that it is addressed to the police.

"Please check with and ask the Tolikara chief of police and his officers, also ask the Papuan regional police, we were surprised at how only one hour after the incident the letter was already being circulated in the media, it is a manipulation by the security forces", he asserted.

According to Wandikmbo the internet and cell phone network in Tolikara is very poor, so what surprised him is that the letter and the photographs could be circulated so quickly.

"We suspect there are people who planned this scenario, and in fact the letter is intended to legitimise and at the same time justify brutal actions by the TNI [Indonesian military] and Polri who shot 12 youths from the church, this approach cannot be justified", he said.

When the media questioned a statement by the head of the Tolikara regional department of religion, Yusak Mauri, on the authenticity of the letter, Wandikmbo asked which letter Mauri had declared was authentic, because the regent and himself as the president of the GIDI had already given permission to the Muslim community to celebrate the Idul Fitri holidays at the end of the fasting month.

"The letter that we knew about contained an appeal not to use loudspeakers or megaphones during prayers because it could disturb the 2,000 or so youth taking part in the church activities and all parties were aware of this appeal".

"For almost 30 years Islamic houses of prayer in Tolikara have always [been allowed to] use loudspeakers, only this time round did we forbade it because there were thousands of youths from churches outside of Tolikara, the local regent who is a leading GIDI church member has also provided assistance to the Muslim community", said Wandikmbo.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Surat Edaran Ternyata Palsu, Presiden GIDI: Tangkap Pelaku Penyebaran!.]

Source: http://suarapapua.com/mobile/read/2015/07/20/2715/surat-edaran-ternyata-palsu-presiden-gidi-tangkap-pelaku-penyeberan.

Workers' real wage decline reflected in low purchasing power

Viva.com - July 15, 2015

Rochimawati, Arie Dwi Budiawati – Although the nominal wage of agricultural and urban informal workers increased in 2015, their real wages declined.

The nominal wage of agricultural workers nationally increased by 1.15 percent from 46,386 rupiah a day in May to 46,458 a day in June 2015.

"Meanwhile their real wages declined in comparison with May 2015 from 38,383 rupiah [a day] to 38,183 rupiah", said National Statistics Agency (BPS) chief Suryamin at the BPS central office in Jakarta on Wednesday July 15.

According to Suryamin, the nominal wage of urban informal workers experienced a similar decline as agricultural workers' wages: the nominal wage increased but their real wages declined.

According to the BPS's records, construction workers' wages increased marginally by 0.19 percent from 80,087 rupiah a day in May to 80,237 rupiah in June 2015. Their real wage in June however declined by 0.35 percent from 67,019 to 66,786.

Meanwhile in June 2015, the average nominal wage of beauty salon workers rose by 0.19 percent from 23,310 rupiah a day to 23,354 rupiah while real wages declined by 0.35 percent from 19,507 rupiah a day to 19,439 rupiah. The decline was similar for the monthly wages of domestic workers (PRT).

According to the data, domestic workers' wages in June increased by 0.36 percent compared with May rising from 350,247 rupiah a month to 351,497 rupiah. Their real wage however declined by 0.18 percent from 293,094 a month in May 2015 to 292,572 rupiah in June.

Suryamin said that changes in the real wage are reflected in changes in purchasing power based on the income received by workers such as agricultural workers, industrial workers and urban informal sector workers. They represent the low income social groups.

The low level of real wages shows that the purchasing power of low income people is also low. "The higher the real wage, the higher the purchasing power of workers' wages. The reverse is also the case", he said. (asp)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Upah Riil Buruh Turun, Tanda Daya Beli Rendah.]

Source: http://bisnis.news.viva.co.id/news/read/650811-upah-riil-buruh-turun--tanda-daya-beli-rendah.

Islamic vigilantes FPI ready for open war again PKI communists

Voice of Islam - July 13, 2015

Bogor (Suara Islam Online) – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has issued a firm warning to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo not to provide space for the reemergence of communism in Indonesia.

The warning was in response to news that Widodo plans to issue an apology to family members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) during an upcoming state of the nation address in August.

"There is information that on August 15 President Jokowi will apologise to the PKI in the name of the government. If this is true, it would mean that the PKI would no longer be blamed [for the alleged 1965 coup], if they are no longer blamed it means that those in the wrong were the ordinary Indonesian people, the Islamic clerics, the Islamic community that challenged them", explained FPI general chairperson KH Shabri Lubis during a talk at the Al Ihya Council in the Bogor, West Java, on Sunday July 12.

The PKI carried out rebellions, including in the East Java city of Madiun [in 1948] and the G30S-PKI [September 30 movement-PKI rebellion in 1965], they also slaughtered Islamic clerics and Islamic community members. "If back then the PKI had won and finished us off, many would have been slaughtered by the PKI", said Islamic cleric Shabri.

According to Shabri, if in the past it was the Islamic clerics of the mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and its youth wing Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser) that consistently confronted the PKI, now it will be FPI that is ready to become part of the front line against the PKI.

"We are ready for an open war against the PKI, fighting the PKI would be an honor for us. We are ready to defend Islam, the Islamic community and the NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia]", concluded Shabri who was greeted by a recitation of the laudation of God is great by thousand of congregation members.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was FPI: Kami Siap Perang Terbuka dengan PKI.]

Source: http://www.suara-islam.com/read/index/14867/FPI--Kami-Siap-Perang-Terbuka-dengan-PKI.

Former TNI general warns against government apology over 65 killings

Panjimas.com - July 6, 2015

Surabaya – Retired TNI (Indonesian military) general Kivlan Zen says that a plan by the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to apologise to former Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members in a speech next August 15 will give a green light to the reemergence of the PKI.

Zen also related how the group supporting the idea of a government apology argue that number of victims killed by the masses affiliated with the PKI reached the hundreds of thousands and are asking why was our party disbanded.

"Moreover in [the Central Java cities of] Solo and Semarang, they have been exhuming graves and erecting monuments to remember the victims, and they are also cooperating with the UN Human Rights [Commission] in Switzerland, [the group] which is chaired by Nur Syahbani Kanca Sgkana and [Albert] Hasibuan, have called for the people involved in the PKI killings to be brought before an international tribunal in the Den Haag, Netherlands, and tried", said Zen at the Emi Hotel in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on July 4.

"Imagine if such a thing actually happened, this country would become the target of others, and we would break up like Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, the people accused of involvement would be arrested", he said.

PKI people would openly take revenge, against the military and figures who in the past were involved in putting down the PKI rebellion, because they would be deemed to have committed mass murder, moreover they have already sent the names there.

"Many generals were also involved, particularly the alumni of 1965, including [former TNI chief] Wiranto, because in 1968 he was still assigned to the 18th Infantry Brigade as the second section head of operations and Operation Trisula in Blitar [East Java]", he added.

According to data he has obtained, Zen said that if the demand is for an apology, the rehabilitation of their names, and 2.4 billion rupiah compensation per person, then the state would have to pay how much, if multiplied by the total, perhaps around 2,000 trillion.

"So this is evidence that they (PKI) are rising up again, because in 2010 a new PKI leadership board was formed in [the village of] Grabag [in Central Java], and a structure has been established from level I down to the village", he explained.

Zen also claimed that the government would trigger national disintegration if such an apology was made. "Because it is clear that they would seek revenge, in accordance with the 10th congress in Grabag which stated they would carry out agitation, propaganda, sabotage and revenge", he said.

The former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad, Green Berets) Chief of Staff suspects there is pressure being put on the government to make the apology to former PKI members.

"It think that there has indeed been domestic pressure, namely from former PKI who have joined various [political] parties, including the PDI-P [the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle], this isn't prejudice, but based on data, the clear example being [Dr Rifka] Ciptaning in the PDI-P who is well known for refuting the G30S-PKI [the alleged September 30 Movement-PKI coup in 1965], and several other ex-PKI who are pressuring the president to make an apology", he asserted.

"Within [President Widodo's] inner circle you can already start to see who is pro-PKI, and their way of thinking, because when the incident happened they were still infants, including the concepts from the foundation for the victims of 65 whose leadership board includes members of Gerwani [the PKI-affiliated Indonesian Women's Movement]", he said accusingly (GA/SPNews)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Pemerintah Jokowi Akan Minta Maaf Kepada Eks PKI, Waspadai Kebangkitan PKI.]

Source: http://panjimas.com/news/2015/07/06/pemerintah-jokowi-akan-minta-maaf-kepada-eks-pki-waspadai-kebangkitan-pki/.