2) Jokowi orders military, policy chiefs to check on Nduga incident
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1) Trans-Papua road project suspended amid worsening security
Arnold Belau
Jakarta | Tue, December 4, 2018 | 02:17 pm
The government in Jakarta has decided to suspend construction work on some parts of the trans-Papua road project following reports that armed Papuan rebels have allegedly killed dozens of workers in Nduga regency, Papua.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono told reporters on Tuesday the government would suspend the construction of 35 bridges on the 278-kilometer road that is to connect Wamena and Mamugu.
“With this incident, we will stop all the work from Wamena to Mamugu while waiting for the situation to be conducive [for continuing],” he said.
The National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) are still investigating claims that between 28 and 31 workers building a bridge on Yigi-Kali Aurak River in Nduga were shot dead by members of a National Liberation Army of West Papua faction led by Egianus Kogoya.
According to the police, the incident took place after one of the workers — most of whom come from South Sulawesi — took a photo of a pro-Papuan independence ceremony on Saturday.
The workers were reportedly murdered on Sunday.
Two state-owned construction firms — PT Istaka Karya and PT Brantas Abipraya — are responsible for the construction work along the road.
PT Istaka has been assigned to build 14 bridges, 11 of which are under construction. PT Brantas, meanwhile, has been tasked with building 21 bridges and is currently working on five of them.
PT Brantas has halted the construction of some bridges based on the recommendation of the Papuan military command, Basuki said.
“In Papua, we couldn’t work without guaranteed security. The security coordinating center called for the projects to be suspended.”
The development of the 4,300-kilometer trans-Papua road in Papua and West Papua provinces in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces is expected to be completed this year, Basuki said last year.
Despite the work suspension, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who is seeking re-election and has been touting his infrastructure drive in his campaigns, made assurances that the development in Papua would continue.
“Papua's infrastructure development will not stop because of this.”
The government, along with PT Istaka Karya, the construction company for which the allegedly murdered men worked, has yet to confirm the number of victims in Sunday’s killings. It was previously reported by the National Police that as many as 31 workers had died.
“There were 28 workers in the location — the workers came from South Sulawes i— which we expect to be victims now, but we will confirm it later,” PT Istaka Karya's president director, Sigit Inarto, said. (ggq)
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2) Jokowi orders military, policy chiefs to check on Nduga incident
Reporter: Antara 26 minutes ago
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) commander and the National Police chief to check the latest conditions in Nduga, Papua Province, after a shooting incident that reportedly killed 31 people.
Jokowi instructed TNI Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and the National Police Head General Tito Karnavian, after it was reported that the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) on Sunday attacked PT Istaka Karya workers and killed 31 of them.
"The incident occurred in Nduga District, a region which was given a red mark and a region that I once visited. This morning, I ordered the TNI commander and the National Police chief to check the conditions there, because the (information) about it is still confusing," Jokowi noted when opening the World Anti-Corruption Day (Hakordia) 2018 event in Jakarta on Tuesday.
On Dec 2, 2018, 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya, who were engaged in construction and building the Trans Papua project, were killed by KKB in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-District, Nduga District, Papua.
"Since there is no signal there, it is important to check whether the conditions of the incident are same as those mentioned in the report. We realize that even though the development in Papua is indeed very difficult to carry out and can still be hindered by incidents such as the reported one, the development in Papua should continue," the president added.
In the meantime, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono expressed regret for the murder of the workers in the fifth segment of the Trans Papua construction site under the government`s focus to improve connectivity in Indonesia`s easternmost province.
"The Wamena-Heberna-Kenyam-Mumugu section is the fifth segment of Trans Papua, stretching 278 kilometers," Hadimuljono informed the press here, Tuesday, following a report on the murders.
"I am waiting for information from the Kodam commander. I will go down there. Right now, we cannot as yet confirm the number of the victims -- whether 24 or 31 people -- since it is yet to be checked and confirmed," he revealed.
Reporting by Desca Lidya Natalia, Andi Abdussalam
Editing by Andi Abdussalam
Jokowi instructed TNI Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and the National Police Head General Tito Karnavian, after it was reported that the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) on Sunday attacked PT Istaka Karya workers and killed 31 of them.
"The incident occurred in Nduga District, a region which was given a red mark and a region that I once visited. This morning, I ordered the TNI commander and the National Police chief to check the conditions there, because the (information) about it is still confusing," Jokowi noted when opening the World Anti-Corruption Day (Hakordia) 2018 event in Jakarta on Tuesday.
On Dec 2, 2018, 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya, who were engaged in construction and building the Trans Papua project, were killed by KKB in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-District, Nduga District, Papua.
"Since there is no signal there, it is important to check whether the conditions of the incident are same as those mentioned in the report. We realize that even though the development in Papua is indeed very difficult to carry out and can still be hindered by incidents such as the reported one, the development in Papua should continue," the president added.
In the meantime, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono expressed regret for the murder of the workers in the fifth segment of the Trans Papua construction site under the government`s focus to improve connectivity in Indonesia`s easternmost province.
"The Wamena-Heberna-Kenyam-Mumugu section is the fifth segment of Trans Papua, stretching 278 kilometers," Hadimuljono informed the press here, Tuesday, following a report on the murders.
"I am waiting for information from the Kodam commander. I will go down there. Right now, we cannot as yet confirm the number of the victims -- whether 24 or 31 people -- since it is yet to be checked and confirmed," he revealed.
Reporting by Desca Lidya Natalia, Andi Abdussalam
Editing by Andi Abdussalam
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