The U.K. government is cutting a “highly effective” green growth program designed to prevent deforestation in the Indonesian Papuan provinces, just weeks after COP26 President Alok Sharma visited the country and urged it to be more ambitious in its climate ambitions.
The Green Economic Growth program was intended to preserve Papua’s 90% forest cover, according to Devtracker, the U.K. government’s tool for monitoring development programs. It focused on providing sustainable livelihoods to local populations, as a lack of alternative ways of making a living is often seen as a contributing factor to harmful environmental practices like deforestation.
But the GEG program, run by the U.K. Climate Change Unit, has now been entirely canceled three years into its planned five years. A May 20 letter sent by U.K. Ambassador to Indonesia Owen Jenkins to Abdul Halim Iskandar, Indonesia’s minister of villages at Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, announced the “UK will no longer continue its support” for the program.
Iskandar replied in a June 2 letter, requesting a meeting with Jenkins and a temporary extension of the program so its “highly effective activities” would not be “abruptly” ended. He emphasized the program’s value and “significant impact” on local communities that have faced intense economic challenges.
The program attracted 22.8 billion rupiahs ($1.6 million) in investment from the private sector and local governments, according to Iskandar. He also noted it had gained the trust of local people, businesses, and governments. “This, by no means, is easy,” he wrote.
Earlier this month, Sharma — the U.K. Minister charged with leading climate negotiations — called for Indonesia and other G-20 countries to “move forward” with plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “We want countries to set up their long-term strategy, to actually get to net-zero by the middle of the century,” Sharma told a panel.
“In my 35 year career, this is one of the best programmes I have ever worked on,” wrote Patrick Abbot, director at NIRAS-LTS International Ltd., the company running the project, in a May 22 letter to staff. Abbot wrote the decision came as a “complete surprise” and he expected the project to end by June 25
He added: “The decision of the UK Government and the manner of the closing means that no sensible exit process can be managed to ensure sustainability of the project results going forward. It is very disappointing that the UK Government should act in this way: many people’s livelihoods will be affected.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has been approached for comment.
Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) researcher Hussein Ahmad is calling on the government to withdraw all non-organic Indonesian military (TNI) troops who originate from outside Papua in order to stem the violence which has been taking place in Papua.
This was conveyed in response to a directive by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo that he wants to resolve the problems in Papua without armed conflict.
"This policy must be demonstrated by withdrawing all non-organic TNI troops who originate from outside Papua in order to deescalate the violence that is taking place", Ahmad told CNN Indonesia on Tuesday June 15.
According to Ahmad, what is need right now are efforts to stem the violence and to create a "humanitarian pause" in Papua. One such way is halting armed contacts between government forces and armed groups which have occurred frequently of late.
In addition to this, Ahmad said that security in Papua must be handed over to organic security forces. "This is in order to provide an opportunity for civilians impacted upon by the conflict to return to their normal daily lives", he added.
Ahmad said he appreciated the government's expressed intent to solve the Papua problem without arms. But Ahmad again reminded the government that this intent must be demonstrated concretely on the ground through a clear political policy.
"As an effort to find a permanent solution to the Papua problem in a peaceful and dignified manner", he said.
Widodo's desire to resolve the Papua conflict without arms was revealed by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD.
Mahfud said that Widodo's directive was to use a welfare approach in Papua. The problems in Papua and West Papua provinces cannot be resolved by arms and outbursts of fighting.
"The principle in accordance with the president's directive, is to resolve the problems in Papua not by arms and outbursts [of fighting], but with dialogue for the sake of prosperity", said Mahfud as quoted from the Polhukam YouTube channel on Tuesday.
West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) spokesperson Sebby Sambon has welcomed the directive by Widodo to resolve the Papua conflict with dialogue, not just arms.
"We have already proposed negotiations between TPNPB-OPM fighters and the Indonesian government to resolve the armed conflict, but not with the TNI [Indonesian military] and the Polri [Indonesian police]", said Sambon through an SMS sent to CNN Indonesia on Tuesday. (rzr/wis)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Imparsial Minta Penarikan TNI Non-Organik dari Papua".]
"The halal bihalal will be held on Saturday (June 19, 2021) in Jayapura. The event will be open to the public to attend virtually through social media due to the COVID-19 pandemic," chief of the event's organizing committee, Nikolaus Kondomo, said in the provincial capital of Jayapura on Wednesday.
The event will be designed to reflect the harmony among adherents of different faiths in Papua, he added.
Concurring with Kondomo, secretary of the Indonesian Ulemas Council, Papua chapter, Faisal Saleh, who is also a member of the event's organizing committee, said the event will be worthy of appreciation and will serve as a concrete measure to promote interfaith communication.
"Generally, the initiative to hold such event comes from Muslims. But this time, it is organized by Full Gospel," he pointed out.
As it will draw all religious elements in Papua, the event can serve not just as a means of communication, but also concrete action, he added.
Related news: Muhammadiyah University's student community is mostly native Papuans
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