3) Papua's Cenderawasih University to get new green building in 2023
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https://www.ucanews.com/news/papuans-pay-the-price-of-graft-in-indonesia/99018
1) Papuans pay the price of graft in Indonesia
The alleged embezzling of $36 million in state funds by Papua Governor Lukas Enembe highlights scale of problem
A multimillion-dollar graft scandal involving high-ranking leaders in conflict-torn Papua has drawn a public backlash and further impoverished people traumatized by decades of violence.
Indonesia’s anti-graft agency confirmed last month a corruption scandal involving Papua’s top man — Governor Lukas Enembe. He allegedly embezzled around US$36 million of state funds aimed to advance people’s welfare.
He allegedly spent the money on casinos overseas and his businesses. If the money had been used appropriately, hundreds of new schools and health facilities could have been built.
The governor claimed the accusations against him are politically motivated.
However, indigenous communities, anti-graft groups and the Church believe that corruption in Papua is rife. They have called on the governor to surrender and follow the legal process accordingly.
But he has refused to do so. The police haven’t arrested him, as his residence is heavily guarded by supporters and relatives, fearing it could trigger a clash.
Corruption in Papua is a latent threat and resolving it should be a government priority, just as it fights separatism.
Father Yanuarius You, president of the Fajar Timur School of Philosophy and Theology, said corruption in Papua is a serious issue. It causes social jealousy and conflict. Poverty and extended conflict are the results of ubiquitous corruption.
But Governor Enembe is not the only local leader who has been accused of misappropriating state funds.
In the last three years, authorities have named more than 100 graft suspects. Sadly, only a few were prosecuted and the rest vanished.
Twenty years since autonomy status was granted, Papua remains the poorest region in Indonesia. All these years, the government has spent much of its resources fighting the separatist movement.
It’s possible that many Papuans, apart from seeking independence, join armed separatist groups because they feel disappointed. There’s a huge gap between government promises and reality — poverty.
The situation provides fertile ground for separatism. That is not to say that the separatist movement is primarily an economic issue. It’s most probably ideological.
The armed wing of the Papua Independence Movement continues to attack civilians and security forces.
Last week four highway project workers were shot dead by armed men in Teluk Bintuni, West Papua, whom they claimed were undercover agents. In July, armed separatists killed 11 people, including a Protestant pastor and a Muslim cleric.
Some observers claim that the armed conflict in Papua partially stems from the government’s negligence regarding people’s rights to wealth, health, education and freedom of speech.
Corruption has forced over 26 percent of Papuans to live in acute poverty, according to official data.
Compared to other provinces, the population of Papua (4.3 million people) and West Papua (1.1 million) is considered small. In the past two decades, the government has spent around $65 billion — including special autonomy funds — to support Papuans. It means they should be above average in terms of quality of life if local authorities spent the money appropriately.
However, it’s the opposite. The people remain poor. Schools and hospitals are only available in certain areas. Road infrastructure is minimal. Unemployment is high among the native Papuans.
The political elite is wealthy, while ordinary people who should benefit more from government funding have little to eat.
Clinics were built but without skilled staff. Only a few doctors are willing to work there. Similarly, schools lack quality teachers or good facilities. Continued intimidation by armed separatists worsens the situation.
This has led to serious health issues, especially among mothers and children. Stunting and malnutrition remain high among Papuan children.
Government data in 2019 showed over 500 cases of stunting and around 2,220 cases of malnutrition in Papua. Those numbers could be higher because several districts did not report the health status of children.
These are some of the perennial problems that Papuans face, despite large sums of money being given to the region.
It’s high time the central government fought corrupt officials not only rebels. Massive corruption in Papua happens due to a lack of state control over spending by local leaders, inefficient bureaucracy and incompetence.
The challenge gets tougher with the extension of special autonomy, marked by the recent formation of three new provinces — South Papua, Central Papua and Papua Mountains.
The goal of establishing these new provinces is to enable the government to easily reach out to Papuans.
However, if the same pattern — inefficient bureaucracy and incompetent leadership — is duplicated in the new provinces, most likely they will be tragic failures.
The government must focus on building an efficient bureaucracy in Papua, which includes careful planning, monitoring and evaluation of the use of state funds for the common good of Papuans.
Jakarta should not let local leaders run the machinery on their own. The alleged corruption of Enembe and his subordinates should lead to a change in approach to settling Papua’s problems.
The administration should be more efficient and transparent so that the public can see the state is present and working in Papua, not only sending in money and troops.
Pouring in huge sums of money without proper control only benefits shady governors, district heads and their cronies. Sending more troops without equipping them with a pro-people strategy is inherently harmful.
Catholic activists in Papua have urged Indonesian authorities to refrain from employing coercive measures against their ailing provincial governor, accused of corruption in what many believe is a politically motivated case.
Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe, 55, is accused of misappropriating and pocketing public money to the tune of one billion rupiah [US$ 65,593), spending much of it in casinos in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
His lawyers have dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, given his membership in Indonesia’s opposition Democratic Party.
Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has twice summoned Enembe to Jakarta to question him regarding the money trails over the past five years but he continues to evade them on health grounds.
The corruption scandal has triggered tensions in the province and Enembe’s supporters have been guarding his house in the capital Jayapura amid reports that he will be summoned for the third time, and if he fails to respond, can be arrested.
The looming fear of conflict led Ferdinand Tuamis, a former member of the Papuan People’s Council, a consultative body representing Papua's indigenous people, along with other prominent activists and priests to seek a peaceful solution to the impasse.
“Last week, along with other religious leaders, I met him [Enembe] to find out about his health. He is seriously ill and it was difficult for him to even talk. How could he be forced to answer questions from the KPK under such conditions,” Father John Djonga, a priest and activist, told UCA News on Oct. 6.
Father Djonga felt Enembe was in no position to be questioned by the KPK officials.
“I saw that he was not making this up. He has a history of illnesses and had gone abroad for treatment several times in the past,” he said.
The priest said the “coercive efforts” by authorities were only making matters even worse as they confirmed “the suspicion among the Papuan people that there is a political motive behind the case.”
Father Djonga said the authorities could proceed according to the law as the governor has said he will face all charges once he recovers.
Enembe’s lawyer and supporters maintain the case was fabricated and part of an effort to oust him because of his friction with the federal government.
The KPK responded with a statement accusing the beleaguered governor of being investigated in other cases including money laundering and gambling in foreign countries.
Father Djonga clarified that he was “not defending anyone” but said there was politics involved with “links to the history of conflict in Papua.”
Yuliana Langowuyo, director of the Franciscans’ Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Secretariat, said she supports the government's efforts to crack down on corruption in Papua, but Enembe should “be allowed to undergo the treatment process before being questioned.”
She said the governor enjoys the same rights as ordinary citizens. “If he is sick and it is proven by medical documents, then he should not be summoned,” she told UCA News.
The easternmost Papua province has had a long-running armed insurgency for independence since it was incorporated into Indonesia through a 1969 UN-backed referendum that many Papuans consider a sham.
The distrust of the Papuan people with rulers in Jakarta continues and their leaders say it is reflected in Enembe’s case.
The construction commenced in October 2022, and it is expected to be completed next year, PTFI's general superintendent of general construction and special projects, David Kaban, informed.
The three-story building will be constructed on an area of 2,765 square meters by implementing a green building concept, Kabar said in a statement that ANTARA received here on Friday.
The building’s electricity needs, for instance, will be supplied by a rooftop solar panel, he said, adding that PTFI has invested Rp45 billion in the project.
The Center of Science and Partnership building will be equipped with several facilities such as 18 classrooms, a 230-seat auditorium, and rooms for lecturers, Kaban said.
Related news: Expect Cenderawasih University to serve as think tank: VP
Cenderawasih University or Uncen is Papua province's center of excellence, ANTARA has previously noted.
The MoU for the building project was signed by the university's rector, Apolo Stanfo, and PTFI president director Tony Wenas on April 5, 2022.
The MoU signing ceremony was held at a hotel in Timika, the capital of Mimika district, Papua province, and witnessed by the university's rectorate officials.
Uncen and the gold and copper mining company have been engaging in collaborative programs since 1996.
In addition to PTFI, Uncen is also working closely with many other parties to strengthen its teaching, research, and community services.
In December 2021, for instance, several army doctors and students of Uncen's Medical School jointly provided residents of Koya Tengah village in Muara Tami sub-district, Jayapura city, with healthcare services.
They conducted the community service program for villagers living near the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea land border.
According to Dr. Agnes S.Rahayu, who represented the Cenderawasih University's Medical School, locals received services such as medical check-ups and cholesterol tests during the community service program.
Related news: Uncen optimistic to open faculty of medicine branch in new province
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