2) Experts propose inclusion of Papuan word into Indonesian language dictionary
3) Visitors get seed banking skillset
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TUESDAY, 08 MAY, 2018 | 11:06 WIB
1) Govt Urged to Clean Spilled Freeport Waste
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Environmental group Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) Papua, Aiesh Rumbekwan, urged the government to force PT Freeport Indonesia clean the mining waste that spilled and contaminated the environment in Mimika, Papua. According to Aiesh, the operation reduced the environmental quality around the area.
“Such pollution should be cleared right away. Whatever the technology used, that’s the government’s affairs to restore the environment,” said Aiesh to Tempo, Monday, May 7.
In October 2017, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry imposed administrative sanctions in the form of coercion on PT Freeport Indonesia over 47 violations on environmental damages. However, there is no single order saying to clean the spilled mining waste.
According to Walhi research, Freeport operations have damaged the environment in Mimika from the upstream to downstream. The damages starting from acid rock drainage that destroyed the groundwater in the hills, heavy metal piles in plants and animals, to contaminated sea waters which the number of marine animal species declines by up to 70 percent. The last year's findings of Supreme Audit Agency also showed the damage has been widened.
"There will be a tremendous sediment buildup," Aiesh added.
PT Freeport Indonesia's Environmental Responsibility Management Team Chairman, Ilyas Asaad, confirmed that there has been no plan to clean up the spilled waste from the Ajkwa (Modified Ajkwa Deposition Area / ModADA) shelter thus far. Ilyas argued the government currently focuses on preventing greater damage. The Environment and Forestry Ministry have issued management standards through the Ministerial Decree No. SK.175/Menlhk.Setjen/PLB.3/4/2018 on 5 April.
"What we see is how to stop the legal basis of the previous management," said Ilyas, who is also the Ministry’s Inspector General.
Freeport denied its actions violated the rules. The company spokesman Riza Pratama said the existing waste management is the result of a joint agreement with the government.
According to the Freeport company, the contaminated environment will recover itself after the mining is complete. "The deposition area will become a community asset as it can be a plantation area," he said.
ROBBY IRFANY
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2) Experts propose inclusion of Papuan word into Indonesian language dictionary
Nethy Dharma Somba The Jakarta Post
Jayapura, Papua | Tue, May 8, 2018 | 06:14 pm
Linguists have suggested that epen, a Papuan word, be included in the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language of the Language Center (KBBI).
Epen, which is widely used by the people of Papua, is actually an abbreviation of a two word phrase, emang pentingkah? (Is it so important?).
Epen is used to reject an attempt to encourage someone to do or believe in something he or she does not consider as something important from the very beginning.
“For example, when someone doesn’t want to talk with a person he or she doesn’t trust, they will say: ‘Is it epen [so important for me] to talk with him or her?’” said Nunung, a linguist who participated in a language enrichment dissemination program held by the Papua Language Center in Jayapura.
Nunung said epen was widely used not only by native Papuans but also by people outside Papua who had visited the province or become acquainted with Papuan people.
In addition to epen, trada is another Papuan word that has been recommended for inclusion in the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language. “Trada is used by everyone in Papua. It means ‘no’. It’s getting rarer for people in Papua to use tidak. They often use tra or trada,” said Lita, another dissemination program participant.
“We, from the Papua Language Center, have proposed 1,000 Papuan words to be included in the KBBI, but only 384 words have been approved,” the agency’s head Toha Machsum said.
To enrich the Indonesian language, the Education and Culture Ministry in Jakarta has developed an application at kkbi.kemdikbud.go.id.
“The application makes it easier for people to propose words for inclusion from their respective regions into the KBBI. Our selection team will assess whether their proposals can be approved,” said Toha. (ebf)
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3) Visitors get seed banking skillset
8 May 2018, noon
Gregor Heard
VISITORS from West Papua and Papua New Guinea have visited the Australian Grains Genebank in Horsham to brush up on the skills required to conserve seeds for long periods of time.
Jimmy Wanma, from Manokwari, the capital of the Indonesian state of West Papua, together with Gibson Sasanika, Madang, on Papua New Guinea’s north coast, both have backgrounds in arbology.
Rugged New Guinea still holds reserves of plants yet to be formally classified and is regarded as a botanist’s dream.
Mr Sasanika, who has studied fern ecology through his work at Divine Word University in Madang, said it was important to be able to store seeds in a secure environment where their viability is assured.
As part of this, the pair have learnt the techniques of industry best practice seed storage at the Horsham facility, which holds a number of key crop and wild crop relative species in store.
Mr Wanma said commercial timber production was a big industry in West Papua and said researchers could potentially make advances in the types of trees grown by studying various relatives.
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