2) Civilian airplane shot while landing in Papua
1) Military member intimidates journalist while covering an event in Sorong
“Once the situation was safe, the Smart Air and NGA airplanes returned to their original destinations of Nabire and Mimika,” Bayu said.
He added that the armed group also fired shots at a logistics warehouse of the Army Infantry Battalion (Yonif) 751 located near the airport. Authorities guarding the location returned fire against the armed group. “After the shooting, the joint force immediately chased the group,” said Bayu.
A spokesperson for the Free Papua Movement (OPM) armed wing of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), confirmed that the group was behind the shooting in Sinak. “We shot the civilian airplane at Sinak Airport because it carried Indonesian military personnel and logistics,” spokesperson Sebby Sambom said on Tuesday, as quoted by Tempo. The Sinak incident added to a long list of gunfights between armed groups and security forces amid an escalation in shootings in Papua in the past decade. Shootings broke out in almost every province in the country’s easternmost island.
Amin stated here on Wednesday that essentially, every government is the holder of the baton of the previous government. Hence, good programs should be continued.
The vice president made the statement while delivering a lecture to participants of the education program of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) at the Vice Presidential Palace, Jakarta,
He affirmed that the government would continue to pay special attention to development in Papua by accelerating development and expanding access to basic services to the local community.
"Currently, the government has also formed a steering committee for Papua as part of the efforts to accelerate development in Papua. This committee will coordinate development programs in accordance with the Papua Development Acceleration Master Plan," he remarked.
The vice president emphasized that development in Papua is carried out by involving indigenous Papuans and is focused on education, health, and economic empowerment of local communities, as well as security to provide real benefits for the indigenous people.
"These programs are expected to reduce inequality between regions in Indonesia and increase national economic growth," he remarked.
On that occasion, he underlined that in the past five years, the government reduced the extreme poverty rate from 2.7 percent in 2019 to 0.83 percent as of March 2024.
In addition, he highlighted that the government had also been able to reduce stunting prevalence.
In 2019, stunting prevalence in the country stood at 27.7 percent. Meanwhile, in 2023, the figure had declined to 21.5 percent.
"This figure will continue to be reduced with inclusive programs from the government to mitigate and reduce the rate of stunted baby births in Indonesia. We hope it can be close to 14 percent this year," he remarked.
Amin emphasized that the handling of extreme poverty and stunting prevalence reduction will have a direct impact on the improvement in the quality of Indonesia's human resources.
"Quality human resources will bring innovations and boost productivity so that they can bolster the nation's competitiveness and become a driving force for national economic growth," he stated.
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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
———————————Head of the Papua Provincial Education Office, Chistian Sohilait, said here on Wednesday that currently, the authority for education at the elementary and junior high school levels lies with the district and city governments.
However, his side will continue paying attention to the quality of education in regions across Papua.
"For example, to ensure education in areas where formal education is impossible to carry out, we provide non-formal ways such as through churches, or with the help of the police, the military, and other related institutions," he informed.
According to Sohilait, although the provincial government only has the authority to manage extraordinary schools (schools for children with special needs), community, customary, and special schools currently, his side is also focusing on equal education in 3T areas.
"We continue to ensure that children in the province get equal education by collaborating across sectors," he said.
He added that to improve education in Papua, strong cooperation across sectors is needed, such as with the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkompinda) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
This could help bring down the illiteracy rate in the region.
"We are confident that with this strong cooperation, education in Papua can improve," Sohilait said, who is also the acting mayor of Jayapura city.
Every child in Papua, as a member of the future generation, has the right to get the best equality education, he stressed.
Several programs have been launched to support education in 3T regions in Papua, including the Affirmation for Secondary Education (Adem) and Affirmation for Higher Education (Adik).
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Translator: Qadri P, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
He made the statement during the "Assistance Meeting on the Acceleration of Infrastructure Development in Highland Papua in 2024" in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The meeting drew attention to viable strategic steps for pursuing proper management and the use of the province's regional budget by adjusting it to the region's needs and priorities.
Wetipo said that the meeting was expected to result in ideas and solutions to resolve issues hindering development efforts in the province.
"We are convening today with the objective of identifying solutions to issues," he said. "This way, we will be able to carry out what we have planned."
Furthermore, the meeting also touched on the need to expedite the drafting of documents related to the distribution of this year's Special Autonomy (Otsus) Fund and Infrastructure Additional Fund (DTI).
He suggested that the DTI be used to support the development of governmental infrastructure and facilities.
"To that end, it is necessary to take actions aimed at hastening the formulation of documents required for the distribution of the 2024 Otsus Fund and DTI," he said.
The meeting was held in response to a letter issued by the acting governor of Highland Papua, Velix Wanggai, on June 27.
In the letter, the governor outlined several challenges his government is facing in the management and utilization of the mentioned funds.
Besides Wetipo and Wanggai, the meeting was also attended by officials from the ministries of home affairs, finance, and national development planning, as well as the Highland Papua government.
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Translator: Narda M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
Makassar – Police have admitted to seizing Free Papua Organisation (OPM) flags from a Papua student dormitory in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
"We have conducted a seizure of Morning Star flags at the dormitory", said Makassar Metropolitan District Police Chief (Kapolrestabes) Senior Commissioner Mokhamad Ngajib when sought for confirmation on Friday July 5.
Ngajib said that after a video of the flags being raised went viral, several people from the ormas (social or mass organisation) Nusantara National Defense Guard (GBNN) surrounded the Papuan student dormitory as the location of the alleged Morning Star flag raising.
"Praise be to Allah the action by our friends from the ormas GBNN proceeded smoothly last night", he said.
Nevertheless, said Ngajib, the police have asked students from Papua who are living in Makassar not to fly the OPM flag in order to maintain a conducive situation in Makassar.
"We have asked them not to act in a way that violates prevailing regulations where they live in Makassar city and Indonesia. They accepted this, right" he concluded.
Earlier on Thursday July 4, a group of Papuan students raised three Morning Star independence flags at the Papuan student dormitory on Jalan Lanto Daeng Pasewang in Makassar.
Based on CNN Indonesia's observations at the location, a number of people then surrounded the Papuan student dormitory at around 11 pm in order to find and remove the OPM flags.
"Take the evidence, commander, it's inside, the OPM flag", said GBNN action coordinator Adhi.
Adhi emphasised that anyone who flies the Morning Star flag must be fighting against the Indonesian people, because no flag is to be raised other than Indonesia's red-and-white national flag.
"Three Morning Star flags were flying which went viral on TikTok and in the name of the [Free] Papuan Organisation (OPM) Makassar. If we don't find just one of the three flags, then we will spend the night here", he stressed.
After surrounding the Papuan student dormitory for almost two hours, on Friday July 5 at around 1.20 am the crowd left the location but threatened to return until the students who flew the OPM flag are arrested. (mir/DAL)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Bendera OPM Disita Usai Asrama Mahasiswa Papua di Makassar Dikepung".]
Hengky Yeimo, Nabire – A number of Papuan pro-independence organisations commemorated the 53rd anniversary of the proclamation of West Papuan independence at several locations inside and outside of Papua on Monday July 1.
From information gathered by Jubi.id, commemorations were held in at least six different locations, from morning through to the evening.
In the land of Papua, West Papua independence proclamation commemorations were held by a number of West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) groups.
They included the Odiyai-Dogiyai TPNPB-OPM Defense Command Area (Kodap) IX, the Kempa Nipouda Paniai TPNPB-OPM Kodap XI, the Pemka 4 Paniai TPNPB-OPM Division II, the Uwaiyepa Ugapuga Battalion III and the Eastern Star Highlands TPNPB-OPM Kodap XIII.
Papua
Aside from the TPNPB-OPM, other organisations commemorating the proclamation of West Papuan independence included the Vanuatu sector West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Nabire and the West Papua Independent Student Forum (FIM-WIP) city leadership committee in Nabire.
Outside the land of Papua meanwhile, commemorations were held in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta by the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP).
In a public statement received by Jubi on July 1, Odiyai-Dogiyai Kodap IX commander Brigadier General Yonatan Makituma Pigai said that his unit held a commemoration at the Kodap headquarters on Monday.
"We feel grateful that the commemoration the 53rd anniversary [Birthday] of the July 1 proclamation proceeded according to our expectations ... running safely and smoothly", he said.
Pigai explained that the commemoration was organised together with Kodap staff, three regional defense commands (Kowip) and six other battalions including the Maakewapa Battalion I, the Bintang Fajar Timur Battalion II, the Degeianouda Battalion III, the Rimba Ribut Egaidimi Battalion IV, the Maagotadi Battalion V and the Idii Bou Battalion VI.
Pigai said that the West Papua nation is already independent in terms of international law.
"We, the TPNPB Kodap XI National Committee declare that [Indonesia must] give [us] political freedom immediately, otherwise we will wage a revolution in stages this year so that the Papuan people and non-Papuan people [should] prepare themselves immediately", he said.
Pigai also conveyed a message to the TNI (Indonesian military) and the Polri (Indonesian police) not to arrest indigenous Papuans arbitrarily. "But look for the TPNPB-OPM when the pre-revolutionary stage occurs", he said.
During the commemoration, KNPB Chairperson Warpo Sampari Wetipo urged the people of the West Papuan nation not to lose the spirit to fight for the liberation of West Papua.
"We hope that the ordinary people can organise this holiday of the Papuan nation, because it is part of the way we respect the Papuan nation", he said.
Wetipo said he appreciates the Papuan people who had been struggling to win independence and justice from the system that shackles them. "Because the sovereignty of the people is determined by the people, so it's the people that fight for it", he said.
Commemorations in Yogyakarta
In Yogyakarta, the AMP and the FRI-WP commemorated the proclamation of West Papuan independence with a march through the Jalan Malioboro shopping district in the centre of the city.
Scores of indigenous Papuan youths were involved in the action, including two men who wore traditional Papuan clothing, namely the koteka (penis gourd), and their face pained with the Morning Star independence flag.
The protesters also paraded two banners through the streets, one of which was a white banner reading "Commemorating 53 years of the West Papuan proclamation of the Papuan nation, take back the sovereignty of the Papuan people from the hands of colonial Indonesia".
Some of those involved in the action also brought posters with messages such as "Independence is the right of all nations, including West Papua", "Withdraw the TNI/Polri from the Land of Papua" and 'Stop violence against Papuan women!".
Action coordinator Paul Tekege said the history of the West Papuan people's struggle is inseparable from the West Papua guerrilla movement which was the foundation of the West Papuan nation's declaration of independence on December 1, 1961.
"The declaration of the West Papua state was a democratic revolution for the West Papuan people and is [part of] the history of struggle. The people of Papua will [continue] making demands of the Indonesian state until there is a recognition of Papuan independence", he said.
Tekege said that in commemorating 53 years since the proclamation of the Papuan nation, the Yogyakarta AMP and the FRI-WP took up the theme "Rewinning the Sovereignty of the Papuan People from the Hands of Colonial Indonesian"
"This theme is a reading of the long history of the Papuan people", he said.
History records, said Tekege, that July 1 is a historic day for the West Papuan people that began in Victoria (now Jayapura) in 1971. At that time President Brigadier General Seth Jafeth Rumkorem along with his members in Victoria at the Waris Village near the Papua New Guinea border on 1 July, 1971, read out the text of the West Papuan People's Proclamation of Independence.
The West Papua proclamation of independence
The West Papua proclamation of independence was signed by Rumkorem on behalf of the people and the government of West Papua in Victoria on July 1, 1971. Titled Proclamation, the full text reads:
"To all the Papuan people, from Numbay to Merauke, from Sorong to Baliem (Star Mountains) and from Biak to the isle of Adi.
With God's help and blessing, we take this opportunity today to announce to you all that, today, July 1st, 1971, the land and people of Papua have been declared to be free and independent (de facto and de jure).
"May Go be with us, and let it be known to the world, that the sincere wish of the Papuan people to be free and independent in their own country is hereby fulfilled.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peringatan 53 Tahun Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Papua Barat Digelar Di Papua Dan Yogya".]
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