Tuesday, June 22, 2021

1) Not all of Papua witnessing violence: senior police officer


2) TNI presence in Papua vital to development agenda: Papua leaders 
3) Expect Cenderawasih University to serve as think tank: VP 
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1) Not all of Papua witnessing violence: senior police officer 
 6 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Not all parts of Papua are besieged by armed violence, chief of the National Police's Security Intelligence Agency, Insp.Gen.Paulus Waterpauw, said at a seminar organized by Muhammadiyah University’s student executive body on Tuesday.

Waterpauw, an indigenous Papuan, spoke about the current situation in the province at the seminar at the invitation of the university’s student executive body.

Papuan separatists are unleashing acts of terror in several districts, but all of Papua is not in the grip of armed violence, Waterpauw observed, quoted by National Police spokesperson Insp.Gen.Argo Yuwono in a press statement that ANTARA received in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"Thus, not all areas in Papua are in the grip of armed violence. The violence just occurs in such districts as Puncak, Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Mimika," Yuwono quoted Waterpauw as saying

Besides sharing views on security issues, Waterpauw also described Papua from historical, cultural, geographical, and sociological perspectives at the seminar, Yuwono said.

Despite its abundant natural resources, Papua province is still facing disparities in regional development and struggling to improve the quality of its human capital, as reflected by its low score on the Human Development Index, Waterpauw said.

ANTARA has earlier reported that Indonesia has been focusing on developing Papua since the Soekarno era and defending it to ensure territorial sovereignty.

The government, which has continued to focus on Papua’s development, has even extended a special autonomy package to Papua and West Papua, paving the way for a significant volume of funds to flow into the two provinces.

The Papua special autonomy law, which has been in force for nearly two decades, will expire in November this year.

Data from the Finance Ministry indicates that during the implementation of the Papua special autonomy law, the government disbursed Rp138.65 trillion towards Papua and West Papua's special autonomy funds and additional funding for infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, regional transfers and village funds amounting to Rp702.3 trillion were allocated by the government to the two provinces between 2002 and 2021, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo has disclosed.

Despite the central government funding, Papua and West Papua are still struggling to improve the quality of their human capital, as reflected by their scores on Indonesia's 2020 Human Development Index, which have remained under the national average of 71.94.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua have scored 60.44 and 65.09, respectively, on the 2020 Human Development Index.

BPS data released in February this year has pegged the poverty rates in Papua and West Papua at 26.8 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively. (INE)

Related news: Indonesia continues crackdown on armed Papuan terrorists: minister
Related news: Police need time to crush Papuan separatists: senior official


EDITED BY INE

Reporter: Laily R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto

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2) TNI presence in Papua vital to development agenda: Papua leaders 
 6 hours ago
Timika, Papua (ANTARA) - Commander of the Joint Regional Defense Command (Kogabwilhan) III, Lt.Gen.Agus Rohman said, religious, customary, and community leaders in Timika, Mimika district have agreed that Indonesian military presence is necessary for Papua's development.

The meeting with local leaders was part of Rohman's agenda during his visit to Timika to review the progress of construction of the Kogabwilhan headquarters on Tuesday, according to a press release that ANTARA received here the same day.

To meet the request of local residents, construction work on the Kogabwilhan headquarters and supporting facilities would be accelerated, Rohman said, adding that the military headquarters would hopefully be completed by August this year.

"Soon after its completion, it can then be inaugurated. That's why, I hope its construction work can be accelerated," he said.

During his visit, Rohman also observed a COVID-19 vaccination drive and swab testing at an army hospital in Timika, the capital of Mimika district.

Over the last few years, armed Papuan groups have used hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and unleashed acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to instill fear among the people.

The recent targets of such acts have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and even civilian aircraft.

On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists operating in Beoga ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief, Maj. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, and several security personnel when they visited Dambet village.

Following Nugraha's fatal shooting, President Joko Widodo directed the TNI and National Police to track down and arrest the members of all separatist and terrorist groups operating in Papua, stressing there is no place for them within Indonesian territory.

In response to the ongoing security disturbances, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo has warned that the state must not allow armed separatists to continue to terrorize communities in Papua.

It must ensure that Papuans' rights to enjoy the outcomes of development programs in the country's easternmost province are not disrupted and hijacked by continued acts of terror, he stressed.

The State Constitution mandates that the government ensure Indonesian provinces, including Papua, see development so that all people can prosper, Soesatyo said in a recent statement.

However, ongoing security disturbances created by separatist terrorists are impeding the government’s efforts to bring prosperity to all Papuans, he added.

"It will not be easy to develop Papua if the armed Papuan terrorists' acts of terror against innocent civilians there get intensified and escalate," he cautioned.

To defend the right of the Papuan people to enjoy the outcomes of development, TNI and National Police personnel must remain present in Papua, Soesatyo said.

The areas of Ilaga, Nduga, Kenyam, and Intan Jaya remain vulnerable due to the threat posed by separatist terrorists, he added.

Related news: VP assures development in Papua, W Papua will run smoothly
Related news: Indonesia has paid extraordinary attention to Papua: analyst
Related news: VP asks finance minister to consolidate Papua development funds


Reporter: Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati

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3) Expect Cenderawasih University to serve as think tank: VP  
7 hours ago
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has expressed the hope that Cenderawasih University (Uncen) would function as a think tank that works closely with the government to accelerate development in Papua and West Papua.

As a think tank, Uncen's contribution to development in the two provinces is indispensable, particularly in developing quality human resources, he said during an online meeting with the university senate's members on Tuesday.

Joining the meeting from his office, Amin appealed to the university senate's to support the Quick Wins Program for accelerating development in eastern Indonesia.

The Quick Wins Program covers seven strategic initiatives, including Smart Papua, Healthy Papua, Self-Reliant Papua, Connected Papua, Lighting Up Papua, Productive Work Papua, Proud Papua, and Green Papua, he pointed out.

Through the Connected Papua initiative, for instance, regional connectivity in Papua and West Papua could be strengthened to allow local communities greater and easier access to communication and transportation, Amin pointed out.

To strengthen regional connectivity, the government has carried out development programs, such as the Eastern Palapa Ring and the Trans-Papua road, to open new economic areas, he observed.

ANTARA has earlier reported that the Indonesian government has extended a special autonomy package to Papua and West Papua, which has paved the way for a significant volume of funds to flow into the two provinces.

The Papua special autonomy law, which has been in force for nearly two decades, will expire in November this year.

Data from the Finance Ministry indicates that during the implementation of the Papua special autonomy law, the government disbursed Rp138.65 trillion towards Papua and West Papua's special autonomy funds and additional funding for infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, regional transfer and village funds to the tune of Rp702.3 trillion were distributed by the government to the two provinces between 2002 and 2021, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo has disclosed.

Despite the central government funding, Papua and West Papua are still struggling to improve the quality of their human capital, as reflected by their scores on Indonesia's 2020 Human Development Index, which have remained under the national average of 71.94.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua have scored 60.44 and 65.09, respectively, on the 2020 Human Development Index.

BPS data released in February this year has further pegged the poverty rates in Papua and West Papua at 26.8 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively. (INE)

Related news: VP assures development in Papua, W Papua will run smoothly
Related news: Govt offers 900 scholarships for native Papuans from poor families

 

EDITED BY INE

 

Reporter: Fransiska N, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto

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