Day: April 11, 2022

JAKARTA– The ongoing conflict between the Indonesian joint security forces and an armed separatist group has been heating up in the country’s easternmost province of Papua, causing casualties.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, at least 16 houses in Kimak village, Puncak district, were set on fire by the Papuan separatist rebels. When security personnel came to put out the blaze, they were ambushed by the militants, which led to a two-hour gunfight.

The Papua police believed the separatists set the houses ablaze in revenge for the death of their young fighter, Ali Kogoya, a 35-year-old man, who was shot dead by the joint security forces last Sunday.

“The rebel group always makes a counter-attack when some of its fighters are arrested or have been shot by officers,” Papua Police Chief, Mathius Fakhiri told local media.

“We have reminded our personnel to be on alert. I’ve asked them not to be easily provoked because there would be a retaliation,” he added.

It is not the first time this year that the Papuan separatist group launched attacks.

According to data from the Presidential Staff Office, during the first three months of 2022, there have been at least seven brutal criminal attacks committed by the group, claiming 13 lives – including military personnel and civilians – and injuring five people.

Security forces were also hunting for armed criminals, after an army soldier and his wife, who worked as a midwife, were killed in an assault at a house in Yalimo district, late last month.

The attackers fatally shot the soldier and killed his wife by slashing her neck, and injured their two children. They immediately fled to the jungle after carrying out the attack.

The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), claimed responsibility for the attack, saying, it was part of their struggle for independence from Indonesia, which they accused of conducting a genocidal campaign against indigenous communities in Papua.

Papua is a former Dutch colony situated in the western part of New Guinea island. Despite its rich natural resources, it is one of the poorest regions in Indonesia. Papua has been home to separatist insurgencies since decades ago.

Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, visited Papua and its neighbouring province, West Papua several times during his term, and conducted dialogues in an effort to build trust with native Papuans.

To reduce economic inequality in the two provinces, the government persistently built a number of infrastructures, including roads and healthcare facilities, although some of them were damaged by the Papuan separatists.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KIGALI— Jamaica’s entry into the contest for the Commonwealth’s top job may become Rwanda’s diplomatic headache as Kigali prepares to host a gathering of the 54-member group of countries who are yet to agree on a common contender.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2022 will take place during the week of 20 June 2022, in Kigali, Rwanda.

On April 1, Jamaica announced that the country’s Foreign minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, will contest for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General.

The announcement has now split Caribbean member countries (Caricom), who had previously backed the current Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, who is seeking a second term.

Backed by Dominica, where she was born to a Dominican mother and Antiguan father, Scotland cruised to victory last time after both the African and Caribbean regions coalesced around her.

Britain, where she grew up, never supported her election in 2015. It hasn’t vowed to do so this time either.

While the bloc’s influential nations — Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia have not publicly endorsed any candidate, well-placed sources said that they are likely to support Jamaica’s bid as Johnson Smith is highly regarded at home and abroad.

Scotland has been under scrutiny by rich member nations after a 2020 internal audit revealed that she awarded a lucrative contract to her personal friend. She denied the allegations and insisted that she followed the organization’s procurement rules.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) was supposed to have been held in June 2020 but was postponed twice due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

With this year’s summit, Scotland would have served two extra years on her first term.

She had initially faced competition from Kenya’s Monica Juma, the current Devolution Cabinet Secretary. But in March, Dr. Juma quit the race, citing an inability to convince the Caribbean countries to support her.

Under the Commonwealth voting system that prioritizes consensus, all members must agree on a candidate or one cannot be declared a winner.

For Kigali which is keen to have a successful CHOGM, the contest which has already left the Caribbean nations sharply divided, now presents another diplomatic hurdle ahead of June 2022.

“The election of the new SG is one of the most important items on the agenda. The issue was already in dispute because the current SG is seeking re-election yet many members are against her.

“It would be a disaster if there is no consensus and a new SG was not elected. Rwanda will want to make sure everything is settled ahead of the meeting,” a senior diplomat told The East African, adding that Rwanda “will want to avoid a controversial and disruptive meeting.”

The secretary-general will be chosen by heads of government by consensus at CHOGM. His comments come after local media reported that President Paul Kagame will be visiting Jamaica, raising speculation that the election might be on the agenda.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

PASAY CITY– DFA Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro welcomed to the Department of Foreign Affairs the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to ASEAN, Ambassador Jonathan Michael Lambe, on 07 April 2022, to discuss their suggestions on strengthening the newly-established ASEAN-United Kingdom Dialogue Relations and to share their views on regional and international issues.

During the meeting, Acting Undersecretary Lazaro and Ambassador Lambe exchanged views on the situation in Myanmar, including on the recent visit of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar; developments in the ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership, including the upcoming meetings of its Senior Officials and Ministers in the coming months; and shared their priorities and recommendations for the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action (POA) and expressed optimism that the POA will be adopted this year.

Acting Undersecretary Lazaro relayed the Philippines’ priorities for the ASEAN-UK POA, such as maritime cooperation, post-COVID-19 recovery, digital connectivity and e-commerce, MSMEs, as well as biodiversity conservation and management. Ambassador Lambe noted that the UK’s priorities are aligned with the Philippines’, and expressed their appreciation for the Philippines’ support for the UK’s application for Dialogue Partnership.

Ambassador Lambe, who is based in Jakarta, was accompanied by Ambassador Laure Beaufils, UK Ambassador to the Philippines, and Deputy Head of Mission Alistair White.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs

PASAY CITY– DFA Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Daniel R. Espiritu represented the Philippines and led the discussion on regional and international security issues during the 29th ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue held via video conference on 07 April 2022. Assistant Secretary Espiritu reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to enhance capacities in addressing issues, such as post-pandemic recovery, disaster risk reduction and management, as well as combating terrorism and violent extremism.

“ASEAN and New Zealand cooperation on various political-security issues persists notwithstanding multifold international security issues in which both continue to advocate for peaceful solutions,” Assistant Secretary Espiritu remarked.

“The Philippines is of the view that the South China Sea is a strategic waterway where a significant volume of global trade transits daily and a source of food and livelihood for the massive population of many of its littoral states,” Assistant Secretary Espiritu stated as he calls for greater cooperation with its Dialogue Partners like New Zealand, to continuously enhance maritime cooperation, uphold international law, freedom of navigation and overflight, and promote the sustainable development of maritime resources, especially in the South China Sea.

Assistant Secretary Espiritu also reiterated the Philippines’ strong appeal for the protection of civilians, who have been massively impacted by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, as well as the preservation of civilian infrastructures.

Other matters discussed were closer economic cooperation through the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), cooperation in human resource development, Technical and Vocational Educational Training (TVET) and digital education.

The ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue is an annual meeting between the Senior Officials of ASEAN and New Zealand that provides an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen their strategic partnership. This is the second Dialogue between senior officials held virtually due to the pandemic.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs