2) Covid-19 vaccination for health workers in Papua runs at slow pace
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1) MRP leaders meet to talk about Otsus fund, plan to split Papua into 4 provinces
West Papua No. 1 News Portal | Jubi
- News DeskJanuary 29, 2021 2:07 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – Leaders of Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) held a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 28 to talk about the central government’s plan to revise Law No. 21/2001 on Special Autonomy (Otsus) in Papua, in particular articles on Otsus funds and on splitting Papua province into four provinces.
“We met today to reach the same perception about the latest situation on the central government’s plan to make the second revision to the law,” said Timotius Murib, the speaker of MRP, in a video released by MRP on Thursday.
Murib said he had received information from Jakarta about the revision. The central government wanted to revise article 34 on Otsus fund and article 76 on requirements to add more provinces in Papua Land, which currently stipulates that MRP has to agree on an establishment of new provinces.
“With the second revision, the central government wants to remove the requirements that (Papua and West Papua governors), MRP and Papua Legislative Council have to agree on an establishment of new provinces,” he said.
He said the plan would cut Papuan people access to have a say in the decision on new provinces. “That’s a violation to the right of native Papuans as citizens,” Murib went on.
Documents from Home Affairs Ministry have circulated since last year, showing that Jakarta plans to split Papua province into smaller Papua province, Southwest Papua province, Central Papua province, and South Papua province.
The meeting on Thursday would decide on MRP’s standpoint on the plan. “We will reject the (central government’s plan),” he said.
Earlier on Jan. 26, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani told senators at the Regional Representative Council (DPD) that the government wanted to disburse more Otsus fund for Papua and West Papua provinces after the first period of the fund, 20 years, would end this year. She recommended an increase of from 2 percent to 2.25 percent of the national general allocation funds (DAU) from the national budget. She estimated that the fund could reach Rp 234 trillion in 20 years.
Article 77 of the law actually stipulates that any revision to the special autonomy law should be initiated by Papuan people through MRP and Papua Legislative Council.
A group of Papuans named Papuan People Petition (PRP) had vocal in rejecting central government’s plan regarding Otsus. PRP spokesperson, Sem Awom said they rejected the plan to disburse Otsus fund for 2021-2041.
Awom said the plan was a unilateral move, disregarding Papuan voices in the process. PRP even called the move a “fascistic” one because it was inspired more by the interests of Jakarta elites.
On Jan. 21, speaker of West Papuan People’s Assembly (MRPB), Maxsi Nelson Ahoren, said that West Papua administration, Legislative Council and MRP had to be one voice with regard to Otsus.
“West Papua Legislative Council should support what MRP has requested: respectful dialogue between Jakarta and Papua before Jakarta decided anything on Otsus,” said Ahoren in Manokwari.
Last year, the House of Representatives began deliberating the revision to Otsus law, prompting protests from several Papuan groups. For them, the Otsus status was only Jakarta’s way to control Papuans and the implementation had veered away from its original intent: peace and prosperity.
Jakarta is adamant that Otsus was successful, citing it as Jakarta’s proof that they had done their best in Papua.
Reporter: Benny Mawel
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2) Covid-19 vaccination for health workers in Papua runs at slow pace
West Papua No. 1 News Portal | Jubi
News Desk January 28, 2021 4:25 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – Jayapura municipality administration recorded as of Wednesday, Jan. 27, only 308 health workers or roughly 10 percent of the 3,464 target had been vaccinated with Sinovac shots since the kick off of the vaccination drive in the province on Jan. 15.
“We’re investigating what causes the delay,” said Deputy Mayor Rustan Saru on Wednesday. He said the vaccines were given to health workers at nine hospitals, 13 community health centers, and one reproductive health facility in Jayapura.
He said the city would target at least one health facility had to vaccinate at least 10 people at one time so Jayapura could meet the target of completing the vaccination in two months.
“We have received 7,560 doses of Sinovac vaccines. Health workers are the first priority so they would work in safety and comfort because they are the frontliners,” he went on. Each person would get 1 ml of Sinovac vaccine, given twice at 0.5 ml each.
Rustan said he hoped all the medical workers in Jayapura would not hesitate to get vaccinated to boost trust among the people.
Jayapura Mayor Benhur Tomi Mano called on the health workers to campaign for the vaccines, saying that the vaccines were safe.
On Jan. 15, 16 Papua province officials got vaccinated to mark the beginning of the vaccination drive in the province. One of the recipients was the Cenderawasih Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Ignatius Yogo Triyono. He said he was fine after getting the vaccine. “It was like when I got smallpox vaccine, I feel a little sore in the arm muscle,” Yogo said.
Yogo called on the people not to believe misinformation on Covid-19 vaccine circulating in the social media.
The head of Papua Health Agency, Robby Kayame, said he targeted that 75 percent of population in Papua province would get Covid-19 vaccines.
For the first priority, the health workers, the province hoped to vaccinate 7,100 people for the first batch that is slated to complete in April 2021.
The government is trying hard to lower the vaccine hesitancy rate among the people across Indonesia. Some people in Jayapura were also hesitating.
Katrin, a university student, said she was worried about the side effect of the vaccines. She said each person would react differently to the vaccines. She was also worried that even though she got vaccinated, she could still get infected. She said vaccines should be given to those who want to get the shot and should not be forced.
Katrin said the health protocol—washing hands, wearing face mask, keeping physical distance—is the best way to avoid Covid-19 spread.
Another resident, Fardan, said he had his doubts even though he knew that the government’s Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) had declared that the vaccine was safe.
“Let the vaccination for the government and civil servants run for a while, to build trust among the people,” he said.
BPOM had announced that the efficacy rate of the Sinovac vaccines, the first vaccines to arrive in Indonesia among the others the government ordered, was at 65.3 percent.
Covid-19 cases in Jayapura had yet to show any signs of declining. Deputy Mayor Rustan said compared to December, January saw more cases, even doubled the ones in January. “In December 2020, we saw 18 new people were positive of Covid-19, but in January this year, we see up to 30 people,” he said on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
He said the increase were caused by, among others, family meetings or parties for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday.
According to the central government’s website, accumulation of Covid-19 cases in Papua province reached 14,939 cases or 1.5 percent of total national cases, which stood at over 1 million cases in January.
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