All Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) services came to a standstill on Sunday this week, on the passing of a "great leader", late Pastor Allen Nafuki.
Flags were flown at half-mast in respect of the revered pastor, a statesman, a father, a grandfather. He has left behind a legacy many will never forget.
Yesterday hundreds of people paid their final tribute to late Nafuki at Malasitapu Presbyterian Church.
National leaders were present to pay their tribute, including the Head of State, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament, State Ministers, Leader of Opposition and Members of Parliament. The President of Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs and all church leaders also attended his funeral service.
The late Pastor was described as someone who was "humbled" and kind to all. He was being referred to as someone who was "committed" to what he does. He would encourage and advise people to look to God always, a pillar of the Presbyterian Church.
A couple of speakers said late Nafuki was someone who was very conscious about being on time. "Punctuality" was his friend.
Late Nafuki was born in 1950 in Vila.
He was the first trained Pastor from Erromango Island and contributed towards Vanuatu's fight for political independence.
In his career as a pastor, late Nafuki ministered to people throughout Vanuatu. He was actively engaged in the Lord's ministry.
He held various important roles in Church. Late Nafuki was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Tafea outer Island Constituency in 1995.
The late pastor served as the Clerk of PCV until his passing. He also held the position of the Chairman of Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC). He was the Chairman of the Vanuatu Committee for Free West Papua. He will always be remembered as an activist for West Papua Freedom.
His children, concerned with his age and health asked their father to step down from the significant positions he had occupied, but, he refused.
This showed how "compassionate and determined” he was in what the roles he was occupying, his emotional son, Arua Nafuki said when reading his late dad's narrative.
Late Nafuki was laid to rest yesterday in his home land.
A lot of organisations have conveyed their condolences. Below is the condolence message from ULMWP EU Mission:
“We have lost an elder, a true Melanesian Leader, Pastor Allen Nafuki. Melanesian Solidarity from the early hours,
“A friend of West Papua in our darkest hours, when there seems to be no way,
“Pastor Nafuki, you have shined a light on us and paved the way with guidance. It was a great honor to have met you in Port Vila (2018). Thank you for all your prayers and guidance during our meetings.
“Thank you, Pastor Allen Nafuki, for your patience, thank you for your commitment and dedication for the people of West Papua.
“We will miss you, but we will carry your name and finish what you have started.
“West Papua will be Free. And we will remember your name. Araaa....Marandan bebye."
Pastor Nafuki is survived by his 5 children and more than 20 grandchildren.
2) Jayapura Police reportedly monitors discussion at church
News Desk June 15, 2021 10:50 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – The Jayapura Police has reportedly inspected a discussion and book launch of the book “Demanding Dignity, Papuans Punished” by Theo van den Broek on Friday, June 11, 2021.
The Papua Church Council, which held the discussion, deemed the police presence at the event was excessive. “A form of excessive state action against church activities in Papua,” Papua Church Council chairman Benny Giai said.
Giai suspected the police wanted to relate the church activities with the Free Papua Movement, which the government had labeled a terrorist.
“Church activities [seem to] be associated with ‘terrorism’. But we know our place as a church dealing with all [Papuan] problems to help Papua be better in the future,” he said.
Adj. Comr. S. Osleky of the Jayapura Police, who led the security forces to the book launch said that his party arrived because there was information about the activity, so they came to make sure.
“We are on patrol. We didn’t know [about the activity] so we came,” Osleky said when answering a question from the Papua Church Council’s lawyer, Gustav Kawer, who was also present at the book launch.
Jubi tried to ask the Papua Police chief and Jayapura Police chief for comments on Saturday night but no response until this news was published.
3) Do not ignore Papuan People’s Assembly in Otsus Law evaluation: Church
News Desk June 15, 2021 10:47 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) has expressed their support to the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP), calling on the government to evaluate the Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law thoroughly while involving the MRP in the process.
The Indonesian government and the House of Representatives are reportedly revising two articles of the Otsus Law, namely Article 34 on special funds and Article 76 on expansion, without the involvement of the MRP in the deliberation. The MRP is a state and cultural institution representing the seven customary land, religious, and women in Papua as mandated by the Otsus Law.
“We want the revision of the Special Autonomy Law to be carried out as a whole, not partial as it is today, which only attempts to change two articles,” MRP chair Timotius Murib told the PGI leaders during a meeting on Friday, June 11, 2021.
The MRP deemed the revision, which meant for additional funds and an easier mechanism of expansion, was pointless without actually granting authority to the Papuan government in various sectors.
“In fact, Article 77 of the Special Autonomy Law stated the amendment of the law must involve the Papuan People, represented by the MRP and the Papuan Legislative Council,” he added.
Murib said the MRP had never met with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. He hoped that the president would talk to the MRP as a part of the cultural approach in solving Papuan problems.
MRP deputy Joel Elmulai said that the MRP had been voicing the Papuans’ aspirations but to no avail. Of 24 Papuan specialties mandated by the Otsus Law, he said, only four have been implemented, namely the appointment of Indigenous Papuans as Papua governor and deputy governor, the establishment of the MRP, and infrastructure development.
“We hope that the PGI can become our bridge to communicate with the president and convey our hopes and aspirations,” Elmulai said.
PGI chairman Gomar Gultom said that the PGI was always open to hearing the hopes, concerns, and complaints of the community, especially the voices of those who were marginalized. “With the issue of Papua in particular, we do have special attention. That’s why in PGI there is a Papua Bureau,” said the pastor.
“I agree with the MRP,” Gultom added. “Do not ignore the MRP in the Otsus Law evaluation. The Otsus Law must be evaluated thoroughly. Instead of talking about funds, the government should put more attention to the resolution of past human rights violations, the formation of a commission of truth and reconciliation,” he said.
Meanwhile, PGI general secretary Jacky Manuputty emphasized that the discussion about Papua must involve the church. The PGI, he said, was concerned about the exclusion of the MRP in various processes of policymaking, especially on the issue of expansion and special regional regulation.
“PGI believes that the resolution of the Papua problems must be through a cultural and humanitarian approach. The cultural approach should be with and through the MRP, as an official state institution that accommodates cultural representation [of the Papuans],” Manuputty said.
4) West Papua's residents should consistently follow health protocols
15 hours ago
Manokwari, W Papua (ANTARA) - West Papua Deputy Governor Muhammad Lakotani made an earnest request to all residents on continued adherence to health protocols to support the government's endeavors to reduce the infection rate.
"Whatever professional work you do, I hope you all comply with health protocols. Every boss is responsible for the actions of his or her employees," he remarked.
On Monday, 10 other residents of West Papua tested positive for COVID-19, comprising six from Sorong City and four others from Teluk Wondama District.
This additional number has brought the province's total tally of positive cases to 9,474 since the government declared Indonesia's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
In reducing the infection rate, all residents, including state and private employees, must continue to practice health protocols to stem the transmission of COVID-19, he remarked.
On Sunday, 19 new positive cases were found in West Papua. They were recorded in Sorong City and the districts of Fakfak, Sorong, and Manokwari.
According to spokesperson of the West Papua COVID-19 Task Force, Arnold Tiniap, the largest number of COVID-19 cases in West Papua arose in Manokwari District and Sorong City, with 3,556 and 3,265 cases respectively.
"Despite their relatively high infection rates, the recovery rates of Manokwari and Sorong are also high enough," he remarked, adding that 9,204 patients in West Papua had fully recovered from the novel coronavirus disease.
Meanwhile, 175 patients had succumbed to the deadly virus. In a bid to stem the infection rate, the local people's active participation in COVID-19 prevention and mitigation efforts is deemed highly indispensable, he remarked.
"We are optimistic of them playing an active role in reducing the tally of positive cases by consistently implementing the government's mandated health protocols," Tiniap emphasized.
Coronavirus infections initially surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and thereafter spread across the world, including to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Indonesia announced its first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
Since then, the central and regional governments have worked incessantly to flatten the coronavirus disease curve through the imposition of health protocols and social restrictions.
Currently, Indonesia's total COVID-19 case count has surpassed 1.9 million.
As part of the efforts to tackle the pandemic, which has acutely impacted public health and the economy, the Indonesian government unveiled a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, to contain infections.
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