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The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Rights group calls for probe into alleged extrajudicial killing in Papua
JAKARTA: Amid reports of increased military activity in Nduga regency, Highland Papua, following the release of a New Zealand pilot from rebel captivity, rights groups said that Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel have committed an extrajudicial killing of a Papuan civilian, an accusation the military has denied. On Friday (June 13), the Papua Justice and Welfare Foundation (YKKMP), supported by a coalition of civil society organisations including Amnesty International Indonesia, reported the alleged killing of 27-year-old Abral Wandikbo to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). YKKMP head Theo Yegerem previously told The Jakarta Post that Abral was a resident of Waredobobem village in Mebarok district, Nduga. Nduga was a regency where New Zealand pilot Phillip Mertens was kept for 19 months in captivity by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), before his release in September last year. According to YKKMP's investigation and testimony from a Waredobobem resident, Abral spent his days caring for his ailing father and had no known ties to any separatist groups. He was arrested by the TNI on March 22 and taken to a military base for questioning on suspicion of links to the TPNPB. After his arrest, Abral's family and several villagers visited the military base to assert his innocence. A soldier reportedly showed them two photos and a video from Facebook in an apparent attempt to link Abral to separatist movements. The soldier reportedly said Abral would be interrogated and released the next day. But when the villagers returned on March 23, they were told he had escaped while being transported to Kwit village, also in Mebarok. On March 25, Abral's family began their own search and found his body in a field outside of his village. His hands were tied behind his back with plastic handcuffs. His ears, nose and mouth had been mutilated, and the skin on his forehead was cut off. Theo of YKKMP said Abral's alleged killing came amid the TNI's growing presence in Mebarok. The district previously had no military personnel, but troops began arriving in January. Weeks into their deployment, the military reportedly dismantled several homes and a community health centre (Puskesmas) to extract timber and building materials. Following the Friday meeting with Komnas HAM, Amnesty said Abral's alleged killing constituted a gross human rights violation, citing violations of his right to life, personal safety and access to legal assistance during arrest. 'The government and the TNI must promptly and thoroughly investigate the alleged torture and extrajudicial killing of Abral Wandikbo, as well as the reported destruction of homes and public facilities,' Amnesty said. Meanwhile, Komnas HAM chair Anis Hidayah condemned 'the killing of a civilian by mutilation', saying that the right to life is a fundamental human right that must be respected and protected by the state. 'We will gather data and facts related to the case,' she said on Sunday. The military, in response, has denied allegations of an extrajudicial killing in the case of Abral. TNI spokesperson Brig. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi told the Post on Thursday that Abral, who allegedly also went by the name Almaroko Nirigi, was captured during a 'measured and professional' military operation, based on evidence showing he was an active TPNPB member. Kristomei said that during questioning, Abral had agreed to guide troops to Kwit village, where he claimed two military-issued firearms were hidden. However, while en route, Abral allegedly tried to escape and jumped into a ravine. Soldiers fired warning shots but did not pursue him or verify his condition due to security risks. 'Allegations of human rights violations like this are routinely made by the [TPNPB-OPM] whenever one of its members is shot. Conversely, when they brutally kill civilians, those victims are then claimed to be TNI intelligence agents or spies,' Kristomei said. When asked about the apparent mutilation on Sunday, Kristomei said that 'the TNI would never commit such savagery'. He also denied that the TNI had dismantled homes and the Puskesmas in Mebarok, saying troops had only cleared access to an airstrip for logistics delivery and had instead provided free medical services at the Puskesmas. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
SBS Australia
06-06-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Australian Robert Pether released from Iraqi jail
Australian Robert Pether released from Iraq prison Indonesia and Australia announce joint military drills NRL players agents under fire for accreditation breaches Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . An Australian man has been freed from prison in Iraq after more than four years behind bars. An anonymous source has told SBS News the man - identified as Robert Pether - has been released on bail. The engineer had been jailed in 2021 on fraud charges in a case that the United Nations later described as an arbitrary detention. His family said the charges were manufactured following a contract dispute. Mr Pether had originally gone to Iraq to work on the construction of the country's new central bank headquarters. Indonesia and Australia are to hold joint military exercises on a strategic eastern island in the archipelago as the two neighbours seek to strengthen defence cooperation. Morotai is an allied remnant from World War II that was an important location due to the United States' operations in the Philippines and Australia's in Borneo. Defence Minister Richard Marles and Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin have announced the joint air force and naval drills following talks in Jakarta, where they met to discuss security issues. Mr Marles says there will also be training exercises in Australia under the Defence Cooperation Agreement they have signed. "We are encouraging the TNI (Indonesian military) on that basis to unilaterally take advantage of Australia's training facilities. The first iteration of that will occur with the TNI conducting training at the Mount Bundey Training Facility in the Northern Territory. That will occur in October of this year.' An Australian has been arrested in Bali on drugs charges. Head of Narcotics Eradication at the Bali Provincial Narcotics Agency, Sinar Subawa, says the Australian man has been taken into custody after suspicious items were found in the luggage of an Indian man at Ngurah Rai International Airport, who has also been arrested. "Furthermore, narcotics officers conducted further investigation and arrested a man - Australian - named PR. During a search of the house occupied by PR, officers found evidence in the form of hashish belonging to suspect PR, which was purchased through the Telegram application." Authorities say the Australian man has been visiting Bali since 1988. They allege the hashish was shipped from Los Angeles and Philippines before arriving in Bali where officers seized 191 grams of the substance, along with some candies consisting of tetrahydrocannabinol and marijuana. The operator of a jumping castle at the centre of a tragedy that killed six children in Tasmania has been cleared of workplace safety breaches. The Devonport Magistrates Court has ruled the Taz-Zorb company was not guilty of failing to comply with a workplace health and safety duty at Hillcrest Primary School in 2021, when a gust of wind carried children in the castle into the air. The Magistrate has ruled the charge was not proven. It had previously been alleged pegs not compliant with national standards had been used at only four of the castle's eight anchor points, despite the manufacturer's instructions recommending eight. A US group distributing aid in Gaza has reopened two sites after a deadly shooting earlier this week that killed an estimated 27 people. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's interim director, John Acree, says work is underway to open more sites - including in North Gaza - and to ensure safe and efficient delivery of lifesaving assistance. United Nations spokesperson, Stephane Dujurric, says the UN has continued to send supplies to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, despite what he has described as the constant blocking of humanitarian missions by Israeli authorities. He says the amount of aid arriving in Gaza is still not enough to properly feed the population. "Today we sent just over 20 truckloads of supplies which were mostly food assistance, as well as some health supplies to the Israeli side of the crossing, and that number reflects a limit imposed by the Israeli authorities... This week, partners working on food security tell us that 14 of them delivered just over a quarter of a million meals daily. This is much less than the million meals that were being distributed daily at the end of April." To sport, two NRL player agents been banned and fined a collective $35,000 after breaching the terms of their accreditation. Mario Tartak, who represents such players as Josh Addo-Carr, Damien Cook and Haumole Olakau'atu, is alleged to have communicated with an underage player without a parent or guardian present. The NRL also claims he "entered into a commercial arrangement with two NRL clubs", which is a breach of the league's accredited agent scheme rules. A second agent, Matthew Desira, has been found to have failed disclose police charges and court proceedings brought against him.
Barnama
23-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Top News Headlines In Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam: May 23, 2025
GROWS OVER TNI, POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN CIVIL GOVERNANCE -- THE JAKARTA POST SEIZES MILLIONS OF ILLEGALLY IMPORTED TOOLS FROM CHINA TRACKED THROUGH TIKTOK ADS -- JAKARTA GLOBE The growing presence of active police and military officers in executive and legislative posts under President Prabowo Subianto has sparked concerns among analysts, who warn that the trend signals a shift away from Indonesia's post-Reform commitment to civilian supremacy in governance. Indonesian authorities have seized millions of illegally imported tools and hardware products from China, with an estimated value of Rp 18 billion (approx. US$1.1 million), following a tip-off triggered by TikTok advertisements, Trade Minister Budi Santoso announced on Thursday. ASIA'S LARGEST WIND FARM OPERATIONAL SOON -- VIENTIANE TIMES Laos will launch its first RM3.9 billion (US$930 million) wind farm by year-end. All 133 turbines are now fully installed. The 600-MW power project is spread across 68,000 hectares of Xekong and Attapeu provinces. TECHNICAL EXPERTS TO TRAIN LAO YOUTH -- VIENTIANE TIMES Laos and Switzerland vocational education experts are jointly working to strengthen curriculum development for technical training institutions and enterprises in Laos. The project aims to provide knowledge and skills for unemployed youth. MYANMAR EXPORT STRATEGY BEING FINE-TUNED -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR The government, along with the Private Trade Promotion Council are working on the National Export Strategy 2026-2030 draft that will propel the domestic trading sector. Both parties held the second council meeting yesterday. GROWERS ADVISED TO TARGET SOUTH KOREA -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Local associations advise growers and suppliers to export dry coconut shells to South Korea. There is a growing demand for dried and fresh coconut that is widely used in the cosmetic and Asian food industries. They are currently exported to Bangladesh, China and Thailand. SINGAPORE OF NEW OFFICE-HOLDERS LARGEST SINCE 2001; RESHUFFLE PROVIDES FOR MINORITY SUCCESSION IN CABINET -- THE STRAITS TIMES In 2001, seven new MPs took political office in a fresh injection of talent by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. BUILDINGS COULD BE ALLOWED NEAR SINGAPORE AIRPORTS WITH HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS REVIEW: CHEE HONG TAT -- CNA Height restrictions on buildings near airports could be revised later this year, potentially paving the way for taller residential and commercial developments, said Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat on Thursday (May 22). THAILAND 1. SUPREME ADMIN COURT ORDERS YINGLUCK TO PAY 10BN BAHT FOR G-TO-G RICE DEAL DAMAGE -- THE NATION Supreme Admin Court orders Yingluck to pay 10bn baht for rice pledging scheme damage, overturning lower court ruling and adjusting asset freezes. 2. COUP RISK REMAINS, WARNS PHUMTHAM -- BANGKOK POST Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has refrained from ruling out the possibility of a future coup and asked all sides to learn from history to strengthen democratic institutions. VIETNAM EDITION OF 'HAPPY VIETNAM' LAUNCHED -- VIETNAM NEWS Vietnam launched the third edition of its 'Happy Vietnam' media award, which will capture the true meaning of happiness and how it connects to national identity. The campaign is a nationwide move to celebrate national pride and promote human rights. 2. RELIEF FOR VIETNAMESE DURIAN EXPORTERS TO CHINA -- VIETNAM NEWS The General Administration of Customs of China has recognised 829 growing area codes and 131 packing facility codes for Vietnamese durians. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment considers this is a positive move to address the decline in durian exports to China recently. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Rising military operations in West Papua spark concerns about displacement of indigenous Papuans
This photo is shared by from the Indonesia Army. It shows the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Mobile Yonif 1 Marine Task Force for Indonesian-PNG Border Security interact with the indigenous Papuan women in Kokamu Village, Yahukimo Regency, Papua and purchase local agricultural produce. 10 May 2025 Led by the Bravo Post Commander, this activity was more than just an economic transaction. It served as a direct interaction platform between Indonesian Navy soldiers and the indigenous Papuan community. The soldiers purchased local agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, and tubers, showing their appreciation for the community's hard work. Photo: Faceook / Pusat Penerangan TNI A West Papua independence leader says escalating violence is forcing indigenous Papuans to flee their ancestral lands. It comes as the Indonesian military claims 18 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) were killed in an hour-long operation in Intan Jaya on 14 May. In a statement, reported by Kompas Daily , Indonesia's military said its presence is "not to intimidate the people" but to protect them from violence. "We will not allow the people of Papua to live in fear in their own land," it said. Indonesia's military said it seized firearms, ammunition, bows and arrows. They also took morning star flags - used as a symbol for West Papuan independence - and communication equipment. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda, who lives in exile in the United Kingdom, told RNZ Pacific that seven villages in Ilaga, Puncak Regency in Central Papua are now being attacked. "The current military escalation in West Papua has now been building for months. Initially targeting Intan Jaya, the Indonesian military have since broadened their attacks into other highlands Regencies, including Puncak," he said. Wenda said women and children are being forced to leave their villages because of escalating conflict, often from drone attacks or airstrikes. Benny Wenda Photo: RNZ Pacific / Kelvin Anthony Earlier this month, ULMWP claimed one civilian and another was seriously injured after being shot at from a helicopter. Last week, ULMWP shared a video of a group of indigenous Papuans walking through mountains holding an Indonesian flag, which Wenda said was a symbol of surrender. "They look at us as primitive and they look at us as subhuman," Wenda said. He said the increased military presence was driven by resources. President Prabowo Subianto's administration has a goal to be able to feed Indonesia's population without imports as early as 2028. A video statement from tribes in Mappi Regency in South Papua from about a month ago, translated to English, said they rejected Indonesia's food project and asked companies to leave. In the video, about a dozen Papuans stood while one said the clans in the region had existed on customary land for generations and that companies had surveyed land without consent. "We firmly ask the local government, the regent, Mappi Regency to immediately review the permits and revoke the company's permits," the person speaking said. Wenda said the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) had also grown. But he said many of the TPNPB were using bow and arrows against modern weapons. "I call them home guard because there's nowhere to go."
Morocco World
16-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
China's Backdoor: How Morocco Became Key in the Battery Trade War
Doha – Morocco has become a prime destination for large-scale Chinese investments in electric vehicle battery production, raising questions about whether this represents a genuine opportunity for industrialization or simply makes the country a pawn in the geopolitical rivalry between China and the West. In a paper published Wednesday by the Transnational Institute (TNI), Moroccan researcher Ali Amouzai examines how Morocco has positioned itself amid the global competition for strategic minerals essential to the green energy transition, particularly those used in electric vehicle batteries. 'Morocco has become a prime destination for large-scale investments in the refining of strategic and critical minerals that are used in the production of electric vehicle batteries, with Chinese companies taking the lead in this regard,' Amouzai writes in the paper titled 'Critical Raw Minerals in Morocco: An opportunity for industrialisation or a geopolitical battlefield between China and the West?' The analysis comes as several major Chinese battery manufacturers have announced investments totaling billions of dollars in Morocco. In September 2023, CNGR announced a $2 billion plan to build what it called a 'base in the world and pan-Atlantic region' in Jorf Lasfar, in a joint venture with the Moroccan royal family's investment group Al Mada. In June of the same year, Chinese-German battery maker Gotion High-Tech signed a deal with Morocco for a $6.4 billion investment to build Africa's first electric vehicle battery factory in BouKnadel, near Rabat, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of about 100 gigawatt-hours of electric vehicle batteries. Additionally, in March 2024, the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance signed an investment agreement with China's BTR New Material Group, worth more than $3 billion, to build a new battery factory in the industrial zone of Tangier Automotive City. China's strategic workaround Amouzai explains that these investments are part of China's strategy to circumvent trade restrictions. 'The US–China trade war and the resulting geopolitical tensions, especially after Joe Biden's announcement of the Inflation Reduction Act, have left China in need of countries with open access to the US market, which means countries that have a free trade agreement with the US,' he notes. Morocco, with its free trade agreement with the United States, provides Chinese manufacturers a way to qualify for subsidies of up to $7,500 under the US Inflation Reduction Act. This represents what industry experts call 'friends-shoring' – sourcing minerals from mines and supply chains developed in countries with free trade agreements. The paper points out that Morocco ranks ninth globally in cobalt production and eleventh in cobalt reserves, making it Africa's second-largest producer after the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country also holds 70% of the world's phosphate reserves, which are used in cheaper electric vehicle batteries. Beyond the promised benefits While the Moroccan government has promoted these investments as transformative for the country's economy and industrial development, Amouzai questions the actual benefits. Then-Investment Minister Jazouli announced that Gotion High-Tech would create 30,000 jobs over 10 years, but the researcher argues these figures may be overstated. 'Permanent employment is one of the conditions for a fair green transition, but Morocco's experience thus far has shown that recent job creation in the country has largely been based on outsourcing/subcontracting,' Amouzai states. 'The jobs that are created are precarious, under flexible labour laws that were first introduced 20 years ago.' The researcher clarified that most major projects, such as renewable energy plants, are capital-intensive and mainly offer job opportunities during the construction phase. 'Once these stages are completed, most of these positions vanish, leaving behind only a limited number of high-skilled jobs,' he explains. Dependency and strategic position The paper argues that Morocco's strategy of embedding itself within global capital networks and exploiting rivalries between major powers will merely improve its position within the existing international division of labor rather than achieve true industrialization. 'Morocco remains a very small economy, ranking sixth in Africa in terms of GDP, behind Ethiopia, Algeria, South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. Moreover, its productive economy is predominantly based on agriculture and the extraction of raw materials,' Amouzai explains, contextualizing the country's economic limitations. He challenges the notion that these investments will lead to technological transfer and industrial sovereignty. According to the researcher, Morocco's dependence on imperial centers is reflected in 'the tiresome repetition of the word 'sovereignty' in recent state documents: 'economic sovereignty', 'energy sovereignty', 'food sovereignty', etc.' The analysis highlights a fundamental contradiction in Morocco's approach. 'The state (and large capital) relies on foreign investments to overcome the second and third obstacles,' Amouzai writes. Meanwhile, 'the first obstacle (Morocco's political economy) is accepted by large Moroccan and foreign capital and international financial institutions, as the monarchy is the guarantor of political stability and social peace in a country located in a tense region,' he adds. He points out that 'Morocco's large (globalised) capital, which relies on the monarchy, has already a guaranteed share in the investments in critical and strategic minerals, and thus it has no interest in imposing conditions on them (e.g. technology transfer) that could yield increased industrialisation.' Environmental concerns Amouzai also questions the environmental credentials of these investments, arguing that the primary objective of Moroccan capital and the state in adopting green discourse is 'to obtain internationally pledged green funds, to signal its adaptation to the transformations taking place in its northern neighbour (especially after the EU's adoption of CBAM).' He adds that another key motive is 'to avoid any obstacles that may hinder Moroccan companies' ability to enter the European market.' The analysis suggests that Chinese companies have chosen Morocco partly to avoid stricter environmental regulations in Europe. As quoted in the report, Thorsten Lahrs, CEO of CNGR Europe, declared that obtaining environmental permits in Europe would take 'several years,' involving court proceedings and appeals, while in Morocco, '[CNGR Europe has] made significant progress in a month.' The paper concludes with recommendations for a green industrialization policy based on local demand rather than the prevailing export-based strategy. It calls for public industrial programs, a focus on domestic energy needs, urban planning changes, and greater Maghreb-wide cooperation. 'Energy (regardless of the source of that energy) can contribute to building a greener and more socially just future for Morocco, but energy is not independent of the world's economic structure, its social framework, its state institutions, and the various forms of oppression that permeate them,' Amouzai concludes. Tags: chinese investments in MoroccoUS-China trade war
