1) Indonesian Governor in Papua Casts Doubt on Plan for New Provinces: Report
Late last week, the governor of Indonesia’s Papua province gave an interview with Reuters in which he cast doubt about the government’s controversial plans to create new provinces in the restive eastern region.
Last month, the Indonesian parliament announced plans to split the provinces of Papua and West Papua into five administrative divisions, via the creation of South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and the Papua Central Highlands Province. But Governor Lukas Enembe told the news agency that the government lacks the resources to run the proposed new provinces. He added that Papuans were not properly consulted about the plan, which has prompted widespread protests.
“There are so few of our people here to create new provinces,” Enembe said, adding that creating the new administrative units could lead to a further influx of people from outside Papua, with the implication that this could inflame local resentment.
Whether Enembe’s comments suggest that the Indonesian government might be reconsidering its plans remains unclear. After the announcement of the plan, one member of the parliamentary commission overseeing home affairs told local media that the House of Representatives hoped to pass the three bills authorizing the creation of the new provinces “before June.” The goal, the MP said, is to have everything squared away so that voters can elect the new provinces’ regional leaders and legislative representatives at general elections in 2024.
The push for the formation of new administrative units in Papua has taken place after the Indonesian parliament renewed and amended the Papuan Special Autonomy Law, which shapes the administration of the region, in July of last year. According to a report by the Jakarta Post, the amended law includes a provision that allows the Indonesian government to create new provinces, cities, and regencies without the approval of the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) or the existing provincial level legislative councils. The MRP has since claimed that it was not consulted about the creation of the new provinces.
The government’s rationale for the subdivision of Papua and West Papua is that it will produce more manageable administrative areas that will help promote good governance and economic development in the region, which on most measures lag behind the rest of Indonesia. This, in theory, will wean the population away from the separatist struggle that has existed since Papua’s absorption by President Suharto’s New Order regime following a flawed referendum in 1969. Indeed, pacification-by-prosperity was the overarching logic of the Special Autonomy Law, which was first passed in 2001 in a bid to address the local discontent that was swelling the ranks of the separatist cause.
But despite these intentions, the subdivision plan has prompted protests across Papua, with many assuming quite reasonably that they will deepen Jakarta’s encroachment into the region and do little to help local people. As one indigenous representative told Reuters last month, “This is a form of state violence that seeks to eradicate the lives of Papuans.”
The Papuan liberation movement has long viewed infrastructure development in particular as the thin edge of the wedge in terms of environmental destruction, militarization, the exploitation of its natural resources, and the arrival of migrants from other parts of Indonesia. For this reason, large-scale infrastructure projects including the 4,300-kilometer Trans-Papua mega-highway, have frequently been targeted by separatist rebels. This in turn has spurred further deployments of troops, and further resistance.
he Lowy Institute’s Interpreter blog late last month, the Jakarta-based journalist Eduard Lazarus wrote that the provincial subdivision plan was a sign of “a fatal disconnect between how the Indonesian government view their treatment of the region, and how the people actually affected by such treatment see the arrangement.”
“These designs for proliferation have ramifications far beyond altering arbitrary lines on a map,” Lazarus argued. “The creation of new administrative districts entails the necessity to establish government apparatus, set up military posts, and construct new infrastructure – all of which might exacerbate violent conflict in the region.”
Jayapura, Jubi TV– A shooting occurred between The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and Police’s Mobile Brigade at Trikora Kago Field in Ilaga District, Puncak Regency on Friday evening, May 27, 2022.
A 17-year-old teenager, Lenus Murib, was caught in the crossfire and got shot while running to save himself. Ilaga resident Cheva Mabel said Murib was shot in the stomach and died.
Mabel told Jubi the shooting suddenly happened when people were taking part in a stone-burning ceremony at Trikora Kago Field. The stone-burning party was held by the Papuan Gospel Camp Church (GKIP) of Ilaga.
“When we were about to end the stone-burning ceremony, a small explosion was heard from behind the organizing committee’s tent, it was 5:23 p.m. Papua time,” said Mabel when contacted by Jubi via telephone on Saturday, May 28. (28/5/2022).
Apparently, the explosion was caused by an electric generator that exploded when turned on. Hundreds of residents who attended the ceremony were shocked by the sound of the explosion and fled in panic. Some other residents were confused and stayed in the field.
At around 5:27 p.m., Police’s Mobile Brigade troops arrived in tactical vehicles and opened fire. The shot was returned by a group of TPNPB combatants who had previously been on guard on Mundidok Street. The two parties finally exchanged fire at Trikora Kago Field.
Residents who were still there were caught in the crossfire and tried to escape. That was when Lenus Murib was shot.
“They [TPNPB and Mobile Brigade] exchanged fire in the middle of Kago Field. When Lenus Murib ran for cover, he was shot in the stomach and died. He is an ordinary citizen from Tebenggi Village, North Gome District,” said Mabel. According to him, the gunfight at Kago Field continued until 6:21 p.m.
Lenus Murib’s relative, Ison Magai, confirmed that Lenus Murib died from being shot in Kago Field on Friday.
“We have cremated his body in Tebenggi Village this Saturday, at around 15:10 p.m.,” Magai said.
Ilaga District in Puncak Regency is one of the armed conflict hotspots in Papua. On May 13 this year, a fire burned the teacher housing areas of Wako High School in Wako Village. There were no casualties in the incident. The police alleged the TPNPB carried out the arson but the TPNPB denied the allegation.
On May 11, a truck driver named Nober Palintin, 31, was shot dead in Jilame River, Ilaga. TPNPB claimed they had killed Palintin as they accused Palintin of being an undercover cop. (*)
Jayapura, Jubi TV– The Papuan office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM Papua) has formed a team to investigate the alleged arson in Dogiyai Regency last Monday, May 22, 2022.
Head of Komnas HAM Papua Frits Ramandey said his party conducted field monitoring and investigations on May 27.
Komnas HAM Papua recorded at least 17 buildings were suspected of being burned, including the Secretariat of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), people’s houses, and some kiosks.
“We found a number of motorcycles and other materials such as grocery items being burned,” said Frits Ramandey to Jubi on Sunday evening, May 29.
“We also found a ripped off tin roof used as a fence, allegedly used as an entrance to carry out arson,” he said.
Referring to the results of the investigation and several testimonies of residents, Ramandey said, his party suspected the event was indeed arson. The alleged perpetrator could be an individual or a group of people.
“We found a pattern of burning that was almost the same as the two previous arson acts in 2019. Moreover, two Indonesian Military (TNI) members were hit by arrows during the event,” he said.
Komnas HAM Papua also urged the Dogiyai Police and Papua Police to follow up the case with further investigation and determine and arrest the perpetrators.
The commission also asked the regent and deputy regent of Dogiyai to coordinate with the Regional Leader Communication Forum, the church, the traditional council, and tribal chiefs in handling and restoring the situation in Dogiyai following the alleged arson.
“We call on the Dogiyai Administration to help rebuild the community-owned business and restore economic activity in the area, as a number of kiosks there were burned,” Ramanday added.
Meanwhile, Dogiyai Police Chief Comr. Samuel D Tatiratu said that the police were still investigating the case. He emphasized that there had been no naming of suspects or wanted list (DPO). He added that the DPO status against the Chairman of KNPB Dogiyai recently circulating on social media was a hoax.
“Until now, we are still investigating the case to reveal the perpetrators behind this incident,” said Tatiratu on Sunday.
He asked the residents of Dogiyai not to be influenced by the various rumors to maintain the security situation in the area. (*)
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