Jayapura, Jubi – Following the incident of a 10-year-old student in Sugapa District’s Titigi Village suffering injuries from an explosion on November 9, 2023, the Intan Jaya Students Association (IPMI-J) from Jayapura urged local authorities, the military, and the police to take the matter seriously.
Yanius Kogoya, the Chairman of IPMI-J, highlighted the gravity of the incident, emphasizing the need for urgent attention from the government to safeguard students of all ages for Intan Jaya’s future generations.
Kogoya called for the removal of the military post in Titigi Village and demanded accountability from the XVII Cenderawasih Military Command and the Police regarding the explosion’s impact on the elementary school student.
“We oppose policies backed by the military, rejecting proposed investments and urging the withdrawal of Indonesian military presence in Intan Jaya,” said Kogoya.
The association also refuted claims by the Head of Public Relations of the Papua Police that Titigi Village housed the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), asserting it as a civilian residence and emphasizing the state’s responsibility to prioritize education and ensure accountability from security forces. (*)
Jayapura, Jubi – Students from Cenderawasih University took a firm stance against the scheduled public lecture by Ganjar Pranowo, one of the presidential candidates. Their demonstration on Tuesday aimed to challenge the university’s decision to host only Ganjar for a lecture without including the other two presidential contenders.
The protesters, including activists from the Student Executive Board (BEM) and Student Representative Council representing nine faculties, voiced their dissent by unfurling banners, delivering speeches, and removing promotional materials advertising Ganjar’s lecture at various university locations.
Yanes Hisage, the Chairperson of the BEM of Faculty of Law, stressed the importance of institutional neutrality, advocating for an inclusive platform where all three presidential candidates could articulate their visions and missions.
“The objection isn’t directed at Ganjar’s visit to Papua but rather the exclusive nature of his planned lecture at our university. The students strongly feel that it is more appropriate for the university to invite all three candidates to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for expression,” said Hisage.
Their plea for inclusivity was underscored by the belief that providing a forum for all candidates to convey their ideas would eliminate any potential bias and allow for a comprehensive understanding of each candidate’s platform.
They highlighted the educational and academic significance of such an engagement, expressing disappointment that university authorities had not involved students in the planning process. Furthermore, scheduling Ganjar’s lecture on November 21, coinciding with Papua Special Autonomy Day, without prior consultation with student representatives, added to their discontentment.
Binius Kakyarmabin, Chairman of the BEM of Faculty of Economics and Business, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the missed opportunity to engage students and academics by excluding the other presidential candidates. Kakyarmabin emphasized the need for a broader platform that would allow students and faculty to interact with all candidates, fostering a more comprehensive exchange of ideas and perspectives.
Jayapura, Jubi – Efforts by the central government to address historical human rights violations, including the Wamena incident on April 4, 2003, persist through non-judicial means, evident in their recent meeting. However, this meeting excluded the involvement of the victims’ families.
As per information gathered from families affected by the Wamena case and activists supporting them, the Non-Judicial Settlement Team for Past Gross Human Rights Violations(PPHAM) convened on November 13, 2023, at a Wamena hotel.
Notably, this marked the fourth meeting in Wamena by the PPHAM Team, yet it proceeded without engaging the victims’ families or the coordinator for human rights violations in Wamena.
Theo Hesegem, a Papuan human rights advocate, highlighted that despite repeated meetings, the stance of the victims and their families, articulated through four demands, remains unchanged and unaddressed by the state.
The recent November 13 meeting was regarded as an informal gathering by Hesegem, conveying the government’s oversight of the families’ demands.
“The government, particularly the Ministry of Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, has neither responded nor clarified its position on the four demands presented by the victims’ families,” he emphasized.
Instead, the PPHAM Team persistently attempts to persuade the families to accept various compensations and aid packages.
Hesegem noted the team’s claims of compensating other victim families despite clear refusals from Wamena’s victims and their families. This persistent disregard for the victims’ stance portrays a government attempt to coerce acceptance through the PPHAM Team.
Similarly, Linus Hiluka, the coordinator for victims of human rights violations in the Wamena case, alongside Pastor Hosea Murib, affirmed their clear rejection of both judicial and non-judicial settlements. They criticized the government’s exclusion of their voices from the November 13 meeting and its insistence on imposing settlements without addressing their aspirations.
“It is important to be transparent in addressing the victims’ concerns, wheteher or not they are willing to accept compensation. We urge the PPHAM Team to communicate openly with the victims’ representatives,” said Hiluka.
Pastor Hosea Murib echoed these sentiments, expressing confusion over the government’s unilateral approach that disregards the victims’ statements while pressuring them to comply with the government’s terms. He highlighted the international community’s interest in resolving such violations and urged the Indonesian government to consider international channels for settlement, emphasizing the victims’ right to seek such resolutions. (*)
Jakarta. Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo was warmly received by thousands of supporters during his visit to Papua on Tuesday.
Upon his arrival in the provincial capital, Jayapura, Ganjar was greeted by leaders from various ethnic groups, students, and religious figures, amid the radiant sunlight in Indonesia’s easternmost province.
A gathering at Entrop Square in the city witnessed pledges of allegiance to Ganjar, who is nominated by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
Addressing the crowd, Ganjar expressed his commitment to collaborative efforts in Papua.
"We have significant work ahead. Let's join hands to develop Papua and safeguard its rich cultural heritage. The government will continue to honor and provide support to ethnic group leaders in Papua," he assured.
During his speech, a young woman approached Ganjar to express gratitude for his support during her pursuit of a master’s degree in Central Java. Selviana Indira, while studying spatial planning and urban development at Diponegoro University in Semarang during Ganjar's tenure as Central Java governor, received financial assistance from him.
Reflecting on this, Ganjar shared, "During my time as Central Java governor, many Papuan students pursued education in our province. It's gratifying to support and share goodwill."
Emphasizing equal opportunities for higher education, Ganjar highlighted the need for Papuans to have equitable access to educational advancements similar to other provinces.
A day before his visit to Papua, Ganjar also engaged with the locals in neighboring West Papua, where he partook in singing and dancing.
Ganjar pledged to address housing, education, and employment challenges in the province if elected.
Jakarta. Indonesian palm oil exports to China and India are facing a decline, according to data from the industry association released on Tuesday.
The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) said that while the overall palm oil export booked double-digit growth in September, Indonesia sent far less of its top commodity to China and India compared to the previous month. According to Gapki, Indonesia only exported 781,000 tons of palm oil to China in September. This marks a 15.11 percent decrease compared to the China-bound palm oil exports in August, which totaled 920,000 tons.
“[Palm oil] exports to India also dropped from 744,000 tons in August to 352,000 tons in September,” Mukti Sardjono, the executive director at Gapki, said in a statement.
In other words, Indonesia shipped only half of what it had exported to India in August.
According to Gapki, Indonesia’s total palm oil exports totaled almost 2.69 million tons in September. This is an approximately 29.9 percent increase from August’s exports of 2.07 million tons. Palm oil exports in September were worth $2.11 billion.
Processed CPO exports rose from around 1.25 million tons in August to 1.97 million tons the following month. CPO exports dropped from 317,000 tons to 233,000 tons over the same period. Oleochemical exports also went down from 416,000 tons in August to 333,000 tons the following month.
Indonesia’s exports of palm oil were worth $39.07 billion throughout 2022, reaching about 33.93 million tons in volume. Gapki reported palm oil exports already amounted to $21.31 billion or equivalent to 24.6 million tons in the first nine months of 2023.
Earlier reports put China as the top buyer of Indonesian palm oil last year with exports reaching 6.35 million tons. Followed by India (5.54 million tons) and Pakistan (2.83 million tons).
Government data shows bilateral trade between India and Indonesia totaled almost $20 billion in January-September 2023. Indonesia-China trade stood at $93.44 billion over the said period.
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