2) Papuan People's Assembly entrusts safety of Papuan students to Jember regent
3) Thousands of children in Papua are allegedly glue-sniffing addicted
4) Papua High Prosecutors Office investigates corruption allegation in Bank Papua
5) Citilink launches service to Papua from Denpasar
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https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/03/jokowi-urged-withdraw-troops-papua-s-nduga.html
1) Jokowi urged to withdraw troops from Papua’s Nduga
The Jakarta Post Jakarta / Mon, February 3 2020 / 01:02 am
Activists are calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to withdraw troops from the conflict-prone Nduga, Papua, and take a humanitarian approach instead.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has maintained a strong presence in the regency since December 2018, following the killing of more than 30 workers of state-owned company Istaka Karya in the regency by an armed group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
The construction workers were assigned to build a 275-kilometer section of road to connect Wamena and Mamugu as part of President Jokowi’s flagship trans-Papua road project.
The killings led to a protracted security crisis in Nduga, forcing civilians to hide in forests or to seek refuge in the neighboring regency of Wamena.
As many as 139 refugees had died from starvation and illness caused by poor living conditions in the shelters, as reported by the Nduga Solidarity Civil Society Coalition in July last year. The government vehemently rejected the figure and claimed that only 53 displaced people had died.
The executive director of Amnesty International, Usman Hamid, recently said that the death toll has risen to 263.
“We’re not saying that the security threat was absent, but we demand a proportional approach,” Usman said at a press conference in Jakarta marking the first anniversary of the Nduga conflict on Jan. 21.
“The TNI can’t just be deployed as it is. Also, a softer approach is needed to take care of the refugees who need humanitarian help.”
“Remember that during the Abdurrahman ['Gus Dur'] Wahid presidency, the approach toward Papua was softer. The people were given welfare through proportional economic development. Without deploying any troops, peace was there and Papuan society respected Gus Dur a lot because he listened to them,” he added.
The Papua Justice and Welfare Foundation chairman, Theo Hesegem, particularly directed his attention to the deployment of nonlocal soldiers who came from outside Papua.
“These nonlocal troops didn’t know anything about Nduga’s mountainous terrain; as a result their operations are ineffective. It’s better for them to retreat since their ineffectiveness only worsened the conflict,” he said.
The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) also criticized Jokowi’s militaristic approach to Nduga.
“The current militaristic and security approach in Papua is not working well. Jokowi’s cultural approach campaign is nowhere to be seen in Papua,” PGI head Gomar Gultom said at the press conference.
He encouraged the government to partner with the local administration, communities and civilians to bring stability to the regency.
“The government needs to involve church and local leaders using the cultural approach. Like it or not, the church has a special place in society in Papua,” he added.
In August 2019, then-House of Representatives speaker Bambang Soesatyo also voiced his concern over the military presence in the region.
“The tension over security measures in Nduga must be lowered so the residents don’t feel scared anymore,” he said, as quoted on the House’s official website.
The situation in Nduga remained unstable until Dec. 20, 2019 when Hendrik Lokbere, the close aide of Nduga deputy regent Wentius Nimiangge, was shot dead by an unidentified perpetrator on a road in Kenyam district.
Days after Hendrik’s death, Wentius publicly declared his resignation in front of locals at the regency’s Kenyam Airport.
“I don’t have a position anymore. I am done. My duty is finished, along with Hendrik’s life,” he said in his speech, a video of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post.
Wentius also said he had asked the central government a year ago to withdraw military and police personnel from Nduga so people could return to their villages and resume their normal lives. However, he claimed he had received no response.
“We are an extension [of the central government] in the region, but we have no dignity; we are not respected,” he said, “The central government has never responded to our request.”
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sisriadi defended the military presence in Nduga, saying that the soldiers had been professionally trained to protect civilians in the conflict situation.
“Our Army won’t hurt civilians. The demand to retreat the Army from Nduga will further endanger the residents’ safety. There is no functional government running and the OPM is still there,” he told the Post, while declining to reveal the number of soldiers deployed in the region. (trn)
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2) Papuan People's Assembly entrusts safety of Papuan students to Jember regent
Benny Mawel The Jakarta Post
Jayapura / Mon, February 3, 2020 / 04:01 pm
Papua's People's Assembly members greet 146 students who return to Papua amid security concerns in the cities where they were studying. (JP/Benny Mawel)
During a meeting about the fate of Papuan migrant students after last year’s racial abuse incidents in East Java, the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) asked Jember Regent Faida to ensure the safety of the Papuan students in her regency.
MRP chairman Timotius Murib said during the meeting that took place at the office of the special representatives for indigenous Papuans on Jan. 27 he had asked the regent to take care of the Papuan student community currently in Jember.
“We left a message [for Faida] to protect the Papuan people, especially the 200 students who are studying in Jember,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Timotius said that he relayed the message on behalf of the students’ parents, with the hope that there would be security guarantees for students in Jember.
“We communicated the message so that [the students] can be [treated] like the regent’s children, as well as the Forkopimda’s [Regional Leadership Communication Forum] children and the people of Jember’s children,” he said.
The meeting with the regent was a follow-up to a discussion with Papuan migrant students the week before, during which the students asked the MRP, the Papuan Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) and the Papua Governor to pay more attention to their future, Timotius said.
He said that many Papuan students who were studying in different cities outside the region have returned to Papua because they felt unsafe in their cities of study.
“We are victims of racism. The government must talk about it seriously. We want a solution,” Eko Pilipus Kogoya, one of the migrant students who moved back to Papua, told the Post.
In response to the message, Jember Regent Faida said she promised to take care of the Papuan people in her regency.
“We promise to protect the bright generation who will develop Papua in the future,” she said in a statement released by the MRP.
Last year, racial abuse incidents against Papuan students living in Malang and Surabaya, East Java, triggered widespread and prolonged protests, some turning violent, in Papua and West Papua.
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3) Thousands of children in Papua are allegedly glue-sniffing addicted
Published 17 hours ago on 3 February 2020 By Admin
Merauke, Jubi – Papua Education Office is focussing on drafting a regional regulation on education. This education bill plans to cover the rights of teachers and students.
“One of our priorities is (the education for) children of glue-sniffing addicted. They are mostly indigenous Papuans. In Merauke, they are quite significant in number,” told the Head of Papua Education Office Christian Sohilait on Saturday (1/2/2020).
Based on his staff’s report, Christian said that at least around ten thousand children assumed in Papua has addicted to glue-sniffing. This situation is very alarming,and need to address immediately.
“With this huge number (of glue-sniffers), how can we ignore and not pay attention to them? It will turn to be a special case to address urgently,” said Sohilait.
Concerning this behaviour among children, he thinks it links with the lack of support from family and parenting responsibility.
“Once they were born, parents should take care of and raise their children as well as provide education for them.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chair of Merauke local parliament Dominikus Ulukyanan admits the case of glue-sniffing addiction among children in the region.
“It is the responsibility of all parties to embrace as well as to provide ongoing assistance (to glue sniffing addicts).” (*)
Reporter: Ans K
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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4) Papua High Prosecutors Office investigates corruption allegation in Bank Papua
Published 17 hours ago on 3 February 2020 By Admin1
Jayapura, Friday – Papua High Prosecutors Office and Nabire District Prosecutors Office are currently investigating corruption allegation in Bank Papua Branch Paniai in Enarotali, the capital of Paniai Regency, Papua. This allegation associated with the prior case of loan distribution of IDR 281 billion for creditors.
This investigation was confirmed by the Assistant of Special Crime of the Papua High Prosecutors Office Alexander Sinuraya to Antara News Agency in Jayapura on Friday (31/1/2020).
“This case is currently under the investigation of Nabire District Prosecutors Office who in charge for Paniai Regency and prosecutors from Papua High Prosecutors Office will assist the investigation,” he said.
According to him, so far there is no suspect named in this allegation. “Hopefully the investigation becomes more in-depth shortly,” he said.
Separately, the Business Director of Bank Papua Sadar Sebayang admits the bad loan case of IDR 281 billion in Bank Papua.
“The case that happened in 2016 is currently under the investigation of Papua High Prosecutors Office,” Sebayang confirmed.
According to him, Bank Papua had penalised the employees involved in this case, including dismissal. Sebayang also said that non-performing loan creditors had paid their instalments up to IDR 185 billion including bank interest. However, he said Bank Papua is supportive of this legal conduct by these two prosecutors offices.
“BPD Papua fully supports the current legal process conducted by Papua High Prosecutors Office,” said Sebayang. (*)
Reporter: Aryo Wisanggeni G
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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5) Citilink launches service to Papua from Denpasar
For those of us planning to visit Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua any time soon, there is now an option to fly direct from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, as low cost carrier Citilink just operated its inaugural flight to the city of Timika on Friday.
This is Citilink’s second service to Papua, after first launching a flight to Jayapura from Jakarta in 2017. According to a statement received by Coconuts Bali, the Denpasar-Timika service is a non-stop flight that utilizes the Airbus A320 fleet and will be available four times a week on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The flights will depart Ngurah Rai at 9.55am and arrive at Mozes Kilangin International Airport in Timika at 2.25pm, while the return journey takes off from Timika at 3.10pm and arrives in Bali at 5.40pm, all in local times.
“We hope this flight will increase access to Papua, which will later contribute to better welfare in Papua,” said Juliandra, Citilink Indonesia President Director, as quoted in the statement.
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