Mehrtens has been held hostage by an armed separatist group since February this year.
"Regarding the development, we are increasingly strengthening communication with traditional leaders there," he said at a press conference at the Presidential Staff Office here on Thursday.
According to him, the communication with traditional and religious leaders in Papua is aimed at preventing any escalation that could put the safety of the hostage at risk.
Moeldoko said that the government needs to calculate the negatives of strategies prepared to save the pilot.
"If we do not do the best calculations, it will be detrimental to all parties," he added.
He noted that communication with traditional and religious leaders has been established by the government through the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri), and it has included discussions on limiting the movement space of the armed group.
"The problem is related to the security of the person concerned (the hostage). If we calculate it by using the force (military), it can be resolved, but there will be an aftermath," he explained.
He expressed the hope that even though it is slow, the persuasive approach that the government is currently taking would help prevent negative impacts.
"If (we do it) slowly, the risk is that it (the process) takes quite a long (time), but the negative aftermath will be less. Those are the choices that will be taken," he said.
Mehrtens, a pilot from Susi Air, was abducted by the Egianus Kogoya-led armed group on February 7, 2023, shortly after landing in Paro, Nduga district, Papua Pegunungan province. The group also torched the Susi Air aircraft that he had piloted.
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West Papuan leaders say they're putting hope in two powerful Pacific prime ministers to hold dialogues with Indonesia over alleged human rights abuses in the region.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape have been appointed "special envoys" to speak with Indonesia about the issue.
FEATURED:
Octovanius Mote, ULMWP vice president
Reverend James Bhagwan, Pacific Conference of Churches general secretary
Credits Marian Faa, Reporter
The people of West Papua who are part of Indonesia are our kinsmen, says Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
He said his appointment as Melanesian Spearhead Group special envoy to Indonesia wasn’t to appease Fijians who were West Papua supporters.
“When the world looks at the Melanesian Spearhead Group, taking up the issue with the sovereign state of Indonesia, they would probably think we are partisan in what we are coming up with,” said Mr Rabuka.
“The people of the Papua, part of Indonesia are our kinsmen – they are Melanesians so they could consider that our concern from the MSG is partisan.
“It is more aligned to the needs and wishes of the Melanesians of Indonesia. But if you go as leaders of a sovereign state, entrusted with the role of talking to the leadership of Indonesia that takes on a different profile, different optics.”
The MSG leaders appointed Mr Rabuka and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape as special envoys to Indonesia at their meeting in Cook Islands yesterday.
Jayapura, Jubi – Dorthea Carolien Enok, the Principal of SMPN 2 Jayapurajunior high, mother tongue or local languages hold equal importance compared to national and foreign languages. Therefore, the younger generation should not overlook the need to maintain proficiency in their mother tongue.
She emphasized the necessity of revitalizing local languages, especially among students at SMPN 2 Jayapura from a young age, encouraging them to use their mother tongue in their daily conversations.
Enok explained that local languages play a crucial role in identifying one’s cultural roots and preserving them. At their school, it’s common for children to communicate in local languages.
In light of their participation in the Tunas Bahasa Ibu (Tobati Language) Festival, Enok proudly mentioned that SMPN 2 Jayapura secured the top position in the short story and folk song categories. This achievement serves as motivation for both the school and its students to continue promoting the use of local languages, not just within the school environment but also at home.
Enok revealed that preparations for the competition took about a month, and the students will receive further training from the Papua Language Center in November 2023 to participate in the Gebyar Tunas Bahasa Ibu event in Jakarta.
Antonius Maturbongs, involved in language development at the Papua Language Center, stressed the significance of language coaching and development in supporting the revitalization of local languages, playing a direct and indirect role in the process.
He explained that this program involves various stages, including language mapping, language vitality studies, conservation, revitalization, and registration.
Sentani, Jubi – The Jayapura Regency Education Office has a primary focus on education program services, ensuring the availability of teachers, and supporting the necessary facilities to facilitate the smooth execution of all educational programs and services within the region.
Eqhberth Kopeuw, the Acting Head of the Jayapura Regency Education Office, disclosed that each educational unit consists of numerous teachers, including those with ASN (state civil apparatus) status, contract teachers, and administrators (tendik), amounting to a total of 4,407 individuals. These include 3,492 teachers, 912 administrators, and 536 contract teachers.
Kopeuw further pointed out that in addition to teacher availability, there are various educational programs implemented in each educational unit, encompassing initiatives such as training for educators and self-guided learning. This also includes non-formal schooling alternatives.
To ensure the smooth operation of regional education programs and services, the Education Office, in collaboration with the Papua Education Quality Assurance Agency (BPMP), has entered into a cooperative agreement. The objective of this collaboration is to establish two educational regulations in the area, which will become regional and regent regulations, serving as the foundation for governing the entire implementation of regional educational programs and services.
Kopeuw expressed optimism that these two regulations, which pertain to preventing and addressing school violence and enhancing the quality of education through self-guided learning policies, will be realized in the near future.
Regarding the allocation of teachers, tenders, and contract teachers, Kopeuw provided a breakdown according to the various levels of education. In preschool and kindergarten education units, there are 912 teachers, while elementary schools have 1,522 teachers and 136 administrators. Junior high schools employ 908 teachers and 102 administrators, high schools have 467 teachers and 336 administrators, and vocational schools have 259 teachers and 35 administrators.
Furthermore, there are 292 contract teachers in elementary schools, 164 in junior high schools, and 80 in senior high schools. The financing for these individuals is sourced from APBD (Regional Budget) and Otsus (Special Autonomy) funds. (*)
"All parties, namely the business sector, government, and supervisors, are expected to carry out the spirit of corruption prevention," said Novel Baswedan, the task force's deputy chairman, in Jayapura.
He remarked that the educational event on corruption prevention in the field of procurement of government goods and services was initiated by National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Corrupt practices can hinder development and harm many people, and they are considered to be a humanitarian and social problem, Baswedan pointed out.
"For this reason, we must build optimism, so that corrupt practices can be eliminated in the future," he emphasized.
He explained that eliminating corruption requires enthusiasm and cooperation from all stakeholders.
"All stakeholders must be involved in this commitment, so that the interests of the Papuan people can be advanced and prospered," Baswedan stated.
Papua Acting Governor Ridwan Rumasukun remarked that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) found 309 cases of corruption in the procurement of goods and services in regions during the 2022-2023 period.
"The challenge of preventing corruption in the procurement of government goods and services is the integrity and competence of human resources," he stated.
He drew attention to the fact that the compliance of human resources in government goods and services in inputting correct data and the existence of a corruption-free environment had yet to be established well.
"Hence, we invite all parties to fully support the prevention and eradication of corruption by continuing to collaborate and synergize to achieve a better and developed Papua," he stated.
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