Wednesday, November 6, 2024

AWPA condemns the joint Australian and Indonesian exercise "Keris Woomera"

AWPA Statement 7 November 2024

AWPA condemns the joint Australian  and Indonesian exercise "Keris Woomera"

Approximately 2,000  personnel from the two nations, including Navy, Army, and Air Force personal are participating in the exercise which started   on the  3 November 2024 The Australian Department of Defence (DoD)  said in a press release that the exercise is the “largest combined joint activity” by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in recent history.

 

The Keris Woomera exercise will  highlight the ongoing cooperation between Australia and Indonesia and culminate with a combined joint live-fire exercise consisting of tanks, artillery, infantry and attack helicopters.



Australian soldiers instruct Indonesian personnel in the use of the EF88 Austeyr rifle as part of Exercise Keris Woomera.(Supplied: Department of Defence)

 

 

Joe Collins of AWPA said, “no mention in the DoD releases about the fact that the TNI arrest and torture  West Papuans”.  

 

“No mention of the fact that there are regular  crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations with West Papuan activists arrested and intimidated” 

 

Or the fact  there is an ongoing conflict in West Papua  which has resulted in over  79,000 people becoming  internally displaced  because of military operations.

 


The election of President Prabowo Subianto is also causing major concern amongst West Papuans. Just days after his inauguration, it was  announced for plans to resume the transmigration program in eastern Indonesia, particularly in Papua, saying it was needed for enhancing unity and providing locals with welfare.  In fact, transmigration is a great danger for West Papuans who  are in danger of becoming a minority in their own land. 

Protests against the reintroduction of the program have already taken place.



Peaceful demonstration masses reject transmigration in Papua, in Jayapura City, Papua on Monday (11/04/2024).- Jubi/ Aida Ulim










                                                                  Papuan People’s Solidarity members protest in Sorong against President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to resume a transmigration program, 30 October 2024. Photo: Eko Siswono Toyudho/BenarNews



Presumely the ADF are aware of the Indonesian Presidents past human rights record.

Extract from human rights watch

Prabowo, a former special forces commander, was dismissed from the Indonesian army in 1998 for kidnapping student activists. Earlier, he had been indicted for the Kraras massacre in East Timor in 1983 but failed to answer a summons from the UN Special Prosecutor’s Office in Dili. A UN-sponsored report on East Timor accused him of commanding massacres that resulted in the deaths of as many as 200 Timorese men, accusations that Prabowo denied. 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/19/australia-raise-rights-concerns-indonesia-meetings




Joe Collins of AWPA said, “the ADF   should be distancing itself from the Indonesian military while there are ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua ,  not increasing ties with the Indonesian security forces”.

 

The Australian Government  should continue to urge Jakarta to follow up on its  commitment to  invite the  United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua and report on the human rights situation in the territory.


Ends

Source


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Monday, November 4, 2024

1) Military members alleged of executing indigenous Papuan in Ilu District, Puncak Jaya

 


2) Attack on Jubi office raises alarms over press freedom in Papua

3) People protesting Merauke food estate in Papua threatened, intimidated by military


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Human Rights monitor

Photos in report

1) Military members alleged of executing indigenous Papuan in Ilu District, Puncak Jaya

Human rights defenders documented a further extra-judicial execution in the Ilu District of Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province. Recently, such cases have increased significantly due to armed conflict escalations in the central highlands.
On 24 October 2024, members of the 753 Military command post in Ilu reportedly shot dead Mr Tuju Wonda, 25, in the village of Alukme at 8:15 pm, as he was walking from Aberiambut Village, Yamoneri District, to Ilu. It is believed that military personnel executed Mr Wonda because of his dreadlocks, which security forces in West Papua falsely interpreted as an indicator of affiliation with the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). Relatives denied that Mr Tuju Wonda was associated with the armed resistance, emphasising that he had been a farmer.
According to the information received, Mr Wonda died as a result of a head injury as a result of a headshot . Following the execution, the perpetrators threw the body off a cliff. Relatives discovered it on 25 October 2024 in the early morning. The body was cremated without forensic post-mortem examination (see photos below, source: independent HRDs).
The incident marks only one out of many cases where military members tortured or executed indigenous Papuans because they suspected them of being TPNPB affiliates, despite having no evidence. A series of incidents unfolded in the Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province in mid-October 2024. Accusing the victims as independence fighters has become a successful strategy by the military members to avoid an accountability process through a military tribunal. This practice aggravates the widespread impunity in West Papua and has become a major reason for the frequent re-occurrence of extrajudicial killings in the region.  

Body of Tuju Wonda was discovered by relatives on 25 October 2024





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Human Rights monitor


2) Attack on Jubi office raises alarms over press freedom in Papua


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3) People protesting Merauke food estate in Papua threatened, intimidated by military
Jubi Papua – November 2, 2024

Larius Kogoya – According to the chairperson of the Malind and Condodigun Indigenous Peoples Forum in Merauke, Simon Petrus Balagagaze, the atmosphere of terror and intimidation began to be felt after August 27.

Balagagaze visited communities in several villages to ascertain whether the company had conducted socialisation in the villages where they took samples of earth from land that will be used for the State Strategic Projects (PSN). Balagagaze explained that they held a meeting in the Ilwayab district that was attended by several clans and traditional leaders. During the meeting they all agreed to reject the PSN.

"So I visited several villages in Okaba district, Tubang district and Ilwayab district at locations where the PSN will operate, namely Wanam Village and Wogikel Village. All the people claimed there was no socialisation at all. The communities were shocked by the presence of the company that suddenly turned up, so at the meeting we all agreed to reject the PSN", Balagagaze told Jubi when contacted by phone from Sentani, Jayapura regency, Papua, on Wednesday October 30.

Balagagaze said they held another meeting and invited all the indigenous community leaders, communal land rights owners, tribes and sub-tribes in South Papua, from the Awyu, Mandobo, Muyu, Mappi and Asmat tribes, to sit down and talk about the PSN. Given all the considerations and risks, according to Balagagaze, they all agreed to reject the PSN.

"Friends from the Awyu tribe had experienced this kind of things before, in their area, where their forests were totally clear-felled so they strongly support us together in rejecting the PSN which will operate two million hectares", he said.

A few days after the meeting, Balagagaze went to Okaba. There he received information that he was being sought by six people suspected of being members of the TNI (Indonesian Military). They had been asking people around in the Ilwayab district about his whereabouts.

"At that time I was phoned by a bapak [adult or elderly man] and he told me 'child there were TNI who were looking for you here', so then I said, 'Why are they looking for me, I live in my village, on my land, my place of birth, why do they need to look for me for?', that's how I responded to the bapak", he said, recounting his conversation with the villager.

"If I had been there when the six TNI members came, perhaps I would have been persecuted or arrested. And for me this is a psychological terror to frighten those of us who reject the presence of the PSN", he said.

This did not however stop Balagagaze. He met with mama-mama (traditional Papuan women traders) from several districts that were uneasy with the presence of the company PT. Jhonlin Group which is working on a PSN by cutting down large areas of forest without first meeting with or getting permission from indigenous communities.

“The communities in Ilwayab district, Okaba district, Tubang district, Nguti district and Jagebob district all reject [the PSN]. In fact, I met the mama-mama and communities there and they all reject the PSN because they feel the company is threatening indigenous peoples' survival", he said.

In relation to the growing atmosphere of terror against indigenous community members, Merauke Archdiocese Justice and Peace Commission member Father Pius Cornelis Manu Pr also revealed the existence of people allegedly playing an intelligence role in monitoring meetings and discussions with indigenous peoples related to the PSN at Merauke Beach Payum Village.

"So we couldn't speak freely, even though we talked in the sense of expressing our opinions or complaints related to our land that is being flattened and cleared, intel is still always present. The presence of intel stops people's lives from being free. So if we just want to talk about our rights, about the steps we need to take to respond to this PSN, how come we're constantly being spied on", said Manu.

According to Manu, being monitored by intelligence officers is reasonable when indigenous peoples hold a demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR) or at the regent's office, or at the Papua People's Council (MRP) offices. "But for me what's not normal is when indigenous communities gather and there's intelthere, what's going on? I think that's very excessive", he said.

Threatened by the military

Ariston Moyuwend, a resident of Wanam Village in Ilwayab district, said that his nephew suffered intimidation allegedly carried out by TNI soldiers in the Ongabung Hamlet in Wanam Village.

According to Moyuwend, the intimidation occurred when his nephew asked the company not to enter the sacred area of the Malind indigenous peoples. Earlier his nephew heard the sound of excavators so he went to their customary area to see what the excavators were doing. When the excavator operator saw the boy, he was shocked and shouted. Then five people arrived who are suspected of being armed TNI soldiers who approached and threatened him.

"So he was threatened there, if you obstruct the work, we'll shoot you and smash your head, like that. Because my nephew was blocking the way so the excavator couldn't breach the sacred area. So he said that if you want to shoot me, go ahead and shoot, I'll die in my area and my village", Moyuwend told Jubiby phone on Thursday October 31 while recounting his nephew's words.

Moyuwend said that the five people suspected of being TNI members then asked where he lived, then they went together to his village and met with his family. Moyuwend's nephew even showed them his parents and introduced them to people.

One of the family members, continued Moyuwend, explained to the five people suspected of being the TNI members that the excavator activity was on a sacred forest and it is not allowed to be cleared. "So the bapak [the family member] directed them to clear a different place, but the [TNI] members didn't believe him and wanted to continue with the clearing", Moyuwend said.

The family even explained to the five that their father had disappeared in the sacred forest and his body has still not been found. According to Moyuwend, in order to establish the truth of the family's story, they then contacted their commander.

"And their commander said that it was true that the place was a sacred forest and their father had disappeared and to this day the body had not been found. In the end they didn't clear the sacred forest and moved the clearing in a different direction", said Moyuwend.

Moyuwend added that it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to find food. They often experience terror both directly or indirectly when security forces ask about their activities.

"[When] we're looking for food, you're always asked who are you? We're the owners of this area, this land, how come we always get questioned. Even looking for food in the wetlands, the forests, the gardens, we're given a time limit, in so many hours you've got to come back, don’t take too long, and so on. The community feels confused, that, before the PSN came we were free, but from where do you set these rules, indeed, are we troublesome people that have to be given a time limit, this is our area", he said.

Moyuwend also recounted the experience of another community in Wania Village who were threatened because they reprimanded the activities of people suspected of being TNI members who took water from their well. Residents objected because there was not much water in the well.

"A bapak reprimanded them, you've taken the forest land and now you want to take the water in the well" Moyuwend said imitating the residents' resentment.

"Then a TNI member did not accept the uncle's scolding, he went and reported it to his friends and then many soldiers arrived in a big truck at the place where the bapak lived, they came and threatened and almost wanted to beat him, but because there was a village Babinsa [a non-commissioned military officer posted in villages and wards], as well as the son of a regional figure from Wanam, Oskar Balagagaze, so they brought the situation under control. If there had been no Babinsa, it is likely that the bapak would have been beaten up", he said.

According to Moyuwend, he is has also obtained information from the village that CCTV cameras have been installed along the outskirts of the forest land being cleared so that people cannot enter or approach.

Father Manu is also worried about the atmosphere with the presence of armed TNI officers in the area where forest is being cleared for the PSN.

"This is social terror, it's no joke. Because the company is backed up by the power of the armed forces, as if it's a war zone. This doesn't make sense, how is it that the company's agricultural activities are being carried out by all soldiers. What's going on? Really, are there no farmers in Indonesia?", said Manu.

According to Manu, the problem also lies in the absence of any socialisation from village to village, district to district informing communities that, for example, the presence of the company operating PSN will be assisted by the armed forces, the TNI.

"So it's natural that people feel scared, depressed and feel terrorised psychologically. The thing is they've heard it’s a state program, yes, that's true, but the problem is if it's a state program, how can the local government doesn't know [about it], the MPR, the DPR don’t' know, never mind the community", he said.

Protest action

According to Balagagaze, protests by the community opposing the PSN culminated on September 24.

At that time there was a visit by the acting governor of South Papua province, together with the commanders of the Animti Waninggap 174 and Merauke 1707 Sub-Regional Military Commands (Korem), the Merauke district police chief (Kapolres) and the sub-district military commander and the chairperson of the South Papua Special Autonomy Development Acceleration Steering Agency (BP3OKP). The community held a demonstration to greet the arrival of the acting governor's entourage.

Indigenous people and mama-mama all wore traditional clothing and applied white mud on their faces and bodies as part of the traditional procession.

"They hung messages around their necks on rectangular pieces of cardboard that read 'We Rejected the Jhonlin Group company and the PSN' while performing a traditional dance, namely the Gasi dance while welcoming the arrival of the acting governor and his group. And at that time the community unanimously conveyed their opposition to the acting governor's group", said Balagagaze.

It was after this, according to Balagagaze, that the terror began. For example, there were TNI members who came to their village asking why the community held a traditional procession during the action on September 24. "Who told you to wear white mud? Who told you to write reject the company, who was it? And so on", said Balagagaze.

"Then the community replied that no one told us, all of people who protested reject the company, it was born from their own awareness that their land and forests are being stolen so ... they came in without permission and cleared the land like thieves", said Balagagaze recounting the community's response.

Previously on October 15, the commander of the 1707 Merauke District Military Command (Kodim), Infantry Lieutenant General Jhony Nofriady SE M Han, denied that any soldiers went looking for residents who protested the PSN. He told Jubi that the TNI soldiers did not intimidate any residents.

Nofriady said that the presence of TNI soldiers is to support food security for the welfare of the community and that TNI soldiers would not commit violence against the community.

"The TNI is there to support the national program and to improve the welfare of the community there. The busier an area is, the more the wheels of the economy turn. We [the TNI too] give vegetable seeds [to the community], and the produce will be bought by us later", he said.

Meanwhile on Wednesday October 16, the head of the TNI Headquarters Information Centre in Jakarta, Major General Haryanto, said that if indeed there were TNI soldiers who committed violence against local people then they would be legally prosecuted. He stated that the field commander of the TNI soldiers would also be held responsible if their subordinates were proven to have committed violence against residents.

"If it is indeed true that there is violence committed by TNI personnel in the field, the ranking field commander will be held responsible. But we should not be provoked by irresponsible people who spread fake news for personal gain, deliberately damaging progress and peace in the land of Papua. We must be more observant in looking at it, and enquire directly with more proficient sources", Haryanto told Jubi in a WhatsApp message

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Marak protes terhadap PSN Food Estate di Merauke, masyarakat adat mendapat teror dan ancaman".]

Source: https://jubi.id/polhukam/2024/marak-protes-terhadap-psn-food-estate-di-merauke-masyarakat-adat-mendapat-teror-dan-ancaman/


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1) Papuans worry about new Indonesian leader Prabowo’s plan to revive transmigration


2) Indonesia's President Prioritizes Agricultural Growth In Papua

3) Papua Province urges districts, cities to strengthen food reserves 



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1) Papuans worry about new Indonesian leader Prabowo’s plan to revive transmigration

Church leader says locals need health, welfare services but not new residents in their communities.
Victor Mambor
2024.11.04
Jayapura, Indonesia



Papuan People’s Solidarity members protest in Sorong against President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to resume a transmigration program, Oct. 30, 2024.
 [Eko Siswono Toyudho/BenarNews]



Just one day after President Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration, a minister announced plans to resume the transmigration program in eastern Indonesia, particularly in Papua, saying it was needed for enhancing unity and providing locals with welfare.

Transmigration is the process of moving people from densely populated regions to less densely populated ones in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s most populous country. The ministry intends to revitalize 10 zones in Papua, potentially using local relocation rather than bringing in outsiders. 

The program will resume after it was officially paused in Papua 23 years ago.

“We want Papua to be fully united as part of Indonesia in terms of welfare, national unity and beyond,” Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, the minister of transmigration, said during a handover ceremony on Oct. 21.

Iftitah promised strict evaluations focusing on community welfare rather than on relocation numbers. Despite the minister’s promises, the plan drew an outcry from indigenous Papuans who cited social and economic concerns.

Papua, a remote and resource-rich region, has long been a flashpoint for conflict, with its people enduring decades of alleged military abuse and human rights violations under Indonesian rule. Prabowo, a former army general, was accused of rights abuses in his military career, including in East Timor (Timor-Leste) during a then-separatist insurgency against Jakarta rule.

Simon Balagaize, a young Papuan leader from Merauke, highlighted the negative impacts of transmigration efforts in Papua under dictator Suharto’s New Order during the 1960s.

“Customary land was taken, forests were cut down, and the indigenous Malind people now speak Javanese better than their native language,” he told BenarNews.

The Papuan Church Council stressed that locals desperately needed services, but could do without more transmigration.

“Papuans need education, health services and welfare – not transmigration that only further marginalizes landowners,” Rev. Dorman Wandikbo, a member of the council, told BenarNews. 

Transmigration into Papua has sparked protests over concerns about reduced job opportunities for indigenous people, along with broader political and economic impacts. 


RELATED STORIES

Prabowo’s presidency sparks fear and faint hope in Indonesia’s restive Papua 

Firebombing of news organization in Indonesia’s Papua region condemned as assault on ‘media freedom’

A conservation treasure is threatened by Indonesian plans for food security


Apei Tarami, who joined a recent demonstration in South Sorong, Southwest Papua province, warned of consequences, stating that “this policy affects both political and economic aspects of Papua.”

Meanwhile, human rights advocate Theo Hasegem criticized the government’s plans, arguing that human rights issues are ignored and non-Papuans could be endangered because separatist groups often target newcomers. 

“Do the president and vice president guarantee the safety of those relocated from Java,” Hasegem told BenarNews.

The program, which dates to 1905, has continued through various administrations under the guise of promoting development and unity. 

Indonesia’s policy resumed post-independence on Dec. 12, 1950, under President Sukarno, who sought to foster prosperity and equitable development.

It also aimed to promote social unity by relocating citizens across regions.

Transmigration involving 78,000 families occurred in Papua from 1964 to 1999, according to statistics from the Papua provincial government. That would equal between 312,000 and 390,000 people settling in Papua from other parts of the country, assuming the average Indonesian family has 4 to 5 people.

The program paused in 2001 after a Special Autonomy Law required regional regulations to be followed.


Papuan legislator John N.R. Gobay questioned the role of Papua’s six new autonomous regional governments in the transmigration process. He cited Article 61 of the law, which mandates that transmigration proceed only with gubernatorial consent and regulatory backing.

Without these clear regional regulations, he warned, transmigration lacks a strong legal foundation and could conflict with special autonomy rules. 

He also pointed to a 2008 Papuan regulation stating that transmigration should proceed only after the Indigenous Papuan population reaches 20 million. In 2023, the population across six provinces of Papua was about 6.25 million, according to Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).

Gobay suggested prioritizing local transmigration to better support indigenous development in their own region.

‘Entrenched inequality’

British MP Alex Sobel, chairman of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, expressed concern over the program, noting its role in drastic demographic shifts and structural discrimination in education, land rights and employment.

“Transmigration has entrenched inequality rather than promoting prosperity,” Sobel told BenarNews, adding that it has contributed to Papua remaining Indonesia’s poorest regions.


Pramono Suharjono, a resident of Arso II in Keerom, Papua, welcomed the idea of restarting the program, viewing it as positive for the region’s growth. 

“This supports national development, not colonization,” he told BenarNews.

A former transmigrant who has served as a local representative, Pramono said transmigration had increased local knowledge in agriculture, craftsmanship and trade. 

However, research has shown that longstanding social issues, including tensions from cultural differences, have marginalized indigenous Papuans and fostered resentment toward non-locals, said La Pona, a lecturer at Cenderawasih University.

Papua also faces a humanitarian crisis because of conflicts between Indonesian forces and separatist groups. United Nations data shows between 60,000 and 100,000 Papuans were displaced between and 2022. 

As of September 2024, human rights advocates estimate 79,000 Papuans remain displaced even as Indonesia denies U.N. officials access to the region.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to this report.


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2) Indonesia's President Prioritizes Agricultural Growth In Papua


Finimize Newsroom
about 22 hours ago • 1 min

What’s going on here?

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has kicked off his term by visiting Papua to spotlight a major agricultural initiative aimed at boosting the nation's rice self-sufficiency.

What does this mean?

Prabowo Subianto's visit marks a key move in Indonesia's ambitious effort to revamp its agricultural practices and lessen import dependency. The plan involves cultivating three million hectares of food estates across regions like Merauke, Sumatra, and Kalimantan to yield 20 million tons of paddy rice. This could strengthen domestic rice supply, cut import costs, and improve food security. Critical infrastructure projects, including a new dock in Wanam and a road to Muting, support these goals by ensuring better access for farmers and smoother transport of goods. This initiative, first started under former President Joko Widodo, highlights a continued policy focus on sustainable agricultural growth.

Why should I care?

For markets: Sowing seeds for a self-reliant future.

Indonesia's investment in agricultural infrastructure and self-sufficiency could alter market dynamics, reducing the country's dependence on rice imports. This shift might affect global rice prices and create new opportunities for local agribusinesses to thrive. Investors might find potential in sectors that support agricultural technology and infrastructure development as the nation boosts its production capacity.

The bigger picture: Fostering a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.

Indonesia’s emphasis on expanding its agriculture aligns with global moves toward food security and sustainable growth. By prioritizing domestic production and improving infrastructure, Indonesia sets a precedent for other nations seeking to secure their food supply against global market swings. This could also lead to greater economic resilience, aiding in stabilizing the region's agriculture-dependent communities.



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3) Papua Province urges districts, cities to strengthen food reserves 
 November 4, 2024 18:20 GMT+700

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - The Papua Provincial Food Crops and Horticulture Office called on districts and cities in the region to strengthen food reserves to anticipate the threats of food crises that can lead to extreme poverty.

Acting Head of the Papua Provincial Food Crops and Horticulture Office, Lunanka Daimboa, stated here on Monday that Papua Province, which is listed in the category of regions prone to experiencing food crises, really needs to strengthen its food reserves.

"In accordance with the mandate of Law Number 18 of 2012 (on Food Law), the government must ensure food security, namely keeping food safe, hygienic, in quality, nutritious, and not contrary to religion, beliefs, and culture of the community," Daimboa remarked.

According to the office's acting head, in maintaining food availability in the region, other food alternatives, such as tubers, can be part of the locals' staple diet apart from rice.

"Each supply in the district and city is different, based on the population. Recently, the Papua provincial government has prepared 28 tons of rice which are currently stored at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) warehouse," she explained.

Daimboa said her side partners with Bulog in storing food supplies.

"Every year, we allocate the budget differently according to the needs and the budget capacity," she stated.

She also encouraged relevant stakeholders to give importance to the mandate stipulated in Law Number 18 of 2012 or the Food Law.

Earlier, as of September 15, 2024, Bulog reportedly distributed 425.7 million kilograms of rice to 42 districts and cities in six provinces in the land of Papua.

In Papua Province, 1,159,750 kilograms of rice were distributed to 115,975 beneficiary families.

Related news: BNPB seeks to tackle frozen dew-induced starvation in Papua
Related news: Government continues to secure rice reserves: minister
Related news: Bapanas readies reserves for 12 food commodities ahead of Ramadan

Translator: Qadri P, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala

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Sunday, November 3, 2024

1) Indonesia's Prabowo visits Papua to check key food estate project


2) President Prabowo reviews food security measures in South Papua 

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1) Indonesia's Prabowo visits Papua to check key food estate project



   
                          
FILE PHOTO: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reads out vows, taken by newly appointed ministers during an inauguration at the Presidential palace in Jakarta, October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo

UPDATED
 

NOV 03, 2024, 01:06 PM


JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto visited the Papua region of Indonesia on Sunday to oversee the development of a key food programme aimed at creating three million hectares (7.4 million acres) of food estates across the country.

Prabowo has promised that the country could reach food self-sufficiency in the next four years. An advisor to Prabowo has said the food estates programme may add 20 million tons of paddy rice or 10 million tons of harvested rice. 

One million hectares will be located in the Merauke regency of South Papua province, which Prabowo visited on Sunday. The remaining will be located in Sumatra and Kalimantan islands.


The government has said the food estates will focus on increasing rice production, with the country relying on imports of rice and other commodities such as sugar.

To support the Merauke food programme Jakarta plans to build a dock in the Wanam region and a 135 kms (84 mile) road from Wanam to Muting region to assist farmers, according to a statement from the palace.

It was Prabowo’s first visit to the Papua region after being inaugurated as Indonesia’s 8th president last month. The food programme was started during former president Joko Widodo's era. REUTERS


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2) President Prabowo reviews food security measures in South Papua 
 November 3, 2024 15:11 GMT+700

Jayapura (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto, on Sunday, embarked on a trip to Merauke, South Papua Province, to inspect firsthand the implementation of agricultural activities and programs aimed at building food self-sufficiency.

According to a press release received from the South Papua government in Jayapura, Papua, the president landed at J. A. Dimara Air Base at 6:30 a.m. local time aboard a presidential aircraft.

South Papua Acting Governor Rudy Sufahriadi and commanders of local military bases welcomed the head of state upon his arrival.

In the company of Acting Governor Sufahriadi, President Prabowo boarded a helicopter to visit Telaga Sari Village in Kurik district, where he greeted local people and received a briefing on the measures taken to achieve food security from Agriculture Minister AndiAmran Sulaiman.

On the occasion, the president also witnessed the planting and harvesting processes of rice. Moreover, he had the opportunity to ride on a combine harvester to participate in the harvest activity, according to the State Secretariat Ministry's statement.

The head of state then left for Wogikel Village in Wanam district, where he reviewed the preparations of demonstration plots and witnessed local farmers spreading dolomite to fertilize their agricultural soil.

In a separate statement, Head of the Agriculture Ministry's Food Security Task Force Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani noted that the government is planning to set up about 100 hectares of rice fields in Merauke and its surroundings in an effort to strengthen Indonesia's food security.

To that end, he said the government would build supporting infrastructure, such as ports and 135 kilometers of road connecting Wanam to Muting, in a bid to facilitate farmers in transporting agricultural equipment and harvests.

After wrapping up his activities in Telaga Sari and Wogike, President Prabowo returned to J. A. Dimara Air Base to fly back to Jakarta.

Besides Minister Sulaiman and Acting Governor Sufahriadi, the president was also accompanied by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) General Agus Subiyanto, and State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Head Muhammad Herindra during his visit to Merauke.

Related news: Four days, three nights jumpstart Asta Cita missions
Related news: Prabowo supports crackdown on online gambling among officials

Translator: Ardiles L, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina

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