2) Transmigration not a solution to Papua problems: Activist
3) Filep Karma: political prisoner who fought racism in West Papua
4) Local food optimization to reduce stunting rate in Papua
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1) Papuans decry Indonesia’s transmigration program
They do not find anything good in President Subianto’s plan to send non-Papuans to the easternmost region
By UCA News reporter Published: October 31, 2024 11:43 AM GMT
Ethnic people from Papua province. (Photo: Supplied)
Catholic leaders have warned against the transmigration program of new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in conflict-stricken Papua, saying bringing in non-Papuans to the easternmost region will result in problems for the ethnic people.
After his inauguration on Oct. 20, Subianto announced the program in which transmigrants will be sent to the eastern parts of Indonesia, including Papua province.
The program is intended to realize welfare equality across regions, according to the newly created transmigration ministry, separate from the ministry of villages.
The plan also includes starting 1 million hectares of new rice fields in Papua province.
The program was unveiled by transmigration minister Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara at a meeting of the House of Representatives – the upper house – on Oct. 29.
“Papua is not empty land. This is land owned by the people,” said Melianus Asso, head of the Papuan Catholic Youth.
“We, the Papuan Catholic Youth, do not need a transmigration program,” added Asso.
We need education, health, access to clean water, electricity, and other basic facilities, he demanded.
In a statement on Oct. 30, the Papuan Catholic Youth asked the government to review the new plan, which is part of a national strategic program.
Tino Mote, a member of the Papuan Catholic Youth, said the transmigration program and the rice field project are not in line with “the needs of the local community.”
As a Catholic organization based on the values of Pope Francis’ Laudato si (praise be to you), "we are responsible for preserving the environment,” he said.
He stressed the need to protect indigenous people in Papua.
Stefanus Asat Gusma, the chairperson of Papuan Catholic Youth, said he will “bring this issue to the attention of the president, the ministry and the military which is currently serving in the troubled province.
Augustinian Father Bernard Baru said the migration of non-Papuans has made indigenous people a minority in Papua.
“This [transmigration program] will only worsen the marginalization of indigenous Papuans,” he told UCA News.
He said the program is another way to control Papua.
“In urban areas, immigrants now dominate, while indigenous Papuans live in remote areas,” he said.
Papua has a population of 4.3 million and Christians make up 85.02 percent – Protestants 69.39 percent and Catholics 15.63 percent.
Due to the prolonged conflict, the former Dutch colony is one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia. In March, the province recorded a poverty rate of 17.26 percent, almost double the national average of 9.03 percent.
Studies by University of Sydney academic James Elmslie have shown that the indigenous Papuan population has dwarfed at 1.84 percent compared with the non-Papuan population which stands at 10.82 percent in the province.
The Papuans want to free their region from Indonesian control, but Indonesia looks to suppress it militarily. The region is home to the world's largest gold mine, as well as extensive sources of natural gas, minerals, timber and palm oil.
The struggle, ongoing since 1962, is estimated to have killed up to 500,000 people. At least 300 people have died in the last decade.
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2) Transmigration not a solution to Papua problems: Activist
October 31, 2024
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Gusty da Costa Journalist
An indigenous human rights activist has asked Jakarta to reconsider the transmigration program in Papua region as bringing in non-Papuans to the country’s easternmost region will only create new problems and challenges for the native inhabitants.
“My question is very simple, will President and Vice President guarantee the safety and living rights of the transmigrants in conflict area? When they are brought from Java, the Presiden will say that he guarantees their security as the president will deploy military personnel to Papua in huge number,” Papuan human rights activist, Theo Hasegem, spoke to Indonesia Business Post on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.
In reality, there have been a lot of non-Papuan businessmen, ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers, teachers, and healthcare officials killed or shot by members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TNPB) despite the presence of thousands of non-organic security personnel in Papua.
“As a human rights defender, I hope the (central) government will seriously consider the security issue in Papua,” Theo noted.
He was of the opinion that transmigration is not what native Papuans need.
“Papuans need justice, honesty, and the government’s readiness to solve the alleged human rights violations through dignified and authoritative dialog facilitated by a neutral third party,” he said.
Theo underlined that the main problem in Papua is human rights violations that have become an international issue.
He said the Indonesian government should be embarrassed that they used to be put under spotlight and criticized in United Nations (UN) meetings.
“The President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia know that there is a threat of humanitarian crisis in Papua that is difficult to overcome, such as murder, torture, extrajudicial arrests, and arbitrary detention allegedly carried out by Indonesian military and police personnel against indigenous Papuans,” he cited.
At the same time, the West Papua National Army continues to assassinate non-Papuan Indonesians, whom they suspect of being spies or intelligence agents deployed in Papua.
“Without solution of the humanitarian crisis, violent armed conflicts will continue to happen in Papua,” Theo said.
Upon his inauguration as President on October 20, 2024, Prabowo Subianto told the Minister of Transmigration that he is willing to send transmigrants to the eastern part of Indonesia, including Papua, saying that transmigration program is a solution to Papuan issues.
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3) Filep Karma: political prisoner who fought racism in West Papua
6:57 am today By Andreas Harsono*
In December 2008, I visited the Abepura prison in Jayapura, West Papua, to verify a report sent to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture alleging abuses inside the jailhouse, as well as shortages of food and water.
After prison guards checked my bag, I passed through a metal detector into the prison hall, joining the Sunday service with about 30 prisoners. A man sat near me. He had a thick beard and wore a small Morning Star flag on his chest. The flag, a symbol of independence for West Papua, is banned by the Indonesian authorities, so I was a little surprised to see it worn inside the prison.
He politely introduced himself, "Filep Karma."
I immediately recognised him. Karma was arrested in 2004 after giving a speech on West Papua nationalism, and had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for "treason." When I asked him about torture victims in the prison, he introduced me to some other prisoners, so I could verify the allegations.
It was the beginning of my many interviews with Karma. And I began to understand what made him such a courageous leader.
Born in 1959 in Jayapura, Karma was raised in an elite, educated family. In 1998, when Karma returned after studying from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, he found Indonesia engulfed in student-led protests against the authoritarian rule of President Soeharto. On 2 July 1998, he led a ceremony to peacefully raise the Morning Star flag on Biak Island. It prompted a deadly attack by the Indonesian military that the authorities said killed at least eight Papuans, but Papuans recovered 32 bodies. Karma was arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Karma gradually emerged as a leader who campaigned peacefully but tirelessly on behalf of the rights of Indigenous Papuans. He also worked as a civil servant, training new government employees.
He was invariably straightforward and precise. He provided detailed data, including names, dates, and actions about torture and other mistreatment at Abepura prison. Human Rights Watch published these investigations in June 2009. It had quite an impact, prompting media pressure that forced the Ministry of Law and Human Rights to investigate the allegations.
In August 2009, Karma became seriously ill and was hospitalised at the Dok Dua hospital. The doctors examined him several times, and finally, in October, recommended that he be sent for surgery that could only be done in Jakarta. But bureaucracy, either deliberately or through incompetence, kept delaying his treatment. "I used to be a bureaucrat myself," Karma said. "But I have never experienced such [use of] red tape on a sick man.”
His health problems, however, drew public attention. Papuan activists started collecting money to pay for the airfare and surgery in Jakarta. I helped write a crowdfunding proposal. People deposited the donations directly into his bank account. I was surprised when I found out that the total donation, including from some churches, had almost reached IDR1 billion (US$700,000). It was enough to also pay for his mother, Eklefina Noriwari, an uncle, a cousin and an assistant to travel with him. They rented a guest house near the hospital.
Some wondered why he traveled with such a large entourage. The answer is that Indigenous Papuans distrust the Indonesian government. Many of their political leaders had mysteriously died while receiving medical treatment in Jakarta. They wanted to ensure that Filep Karma was safe.
When he was admitted to Cikini hospital, the ward had a small security cordon. I saw many Indonesian security people, including four prison guards, guarding his room, but also church delegates, visiting him. Papuan students, mostly waiting in the inner yard, said they wanted to make sure, "Our leader is okay."
After a two-hour surgery, Karma recovered quickly, inviting me and my wife to visit him. His mother and his two daughters, Audryn and Andrefina, also visited my Jakarta apartment. In July 2011, after 11 days in the hospital, he was considered fit enough to return to prison.
In May 2011, the Washington-based Freedom Now filed a petition with the UN Working Group on arbitrary detention on Karma's behalf. Six months later, the Working Group determined that his detention violated international standards, saying that Indonesia's courts "disproportionately" used the laws against treason, and called for his immediate release. But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono refused to act, prompting criticism at the UN forum on the discrimination and abuses against Papuans.
I often visited Karma in prison. He took a correspondence course at Universitas Terbuka, studying police science. He read voraciously. He studied Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King on non-violent movements and moral courage. He also drew, using pencil and charcoal. He surprised me with my portrait that he drew on a Jacob's biscuit box.
His name began to appear globally. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei drew political prisoners, including Karma, in an exhibition at Alcatraz prison near San Francisco. Amnesty International produced a video about Karma.
Interestingly, he also read my 2011 book on journalism, "Agama" Saya Adalah Jurnalisme (My "Religion" Is Journalism), apparently inspiring him to write his own book. He used an audio recorder to express his thoughts, asking his friends to type and to print outside, which he then edited. His 137-page book was published in November 2014, entitled, Seakan Kitorang Setengah Binatang: Rasialisme Indonesia di Tanah Papua (As If We're Half Animals: Indonesian Racism in West Papua). It became a very important book on racism against Indigenous Papuans in Indonesia.
The Indonesian government, under new President Joko Widodo, finally released Karma in November 2015, and after that gradually released more than 110 political prisoners from West Papua and the Malukus Islands.
Hundreds of Papuan activists welcomed Karma, bringing him from the prison to a field to celebrate with dancing and singing. He called me that night, saying that he had that "strange feeling" of missing the Abepura prison, his many inmate friends, his vegetable garden, as well as the boxing club, which he managed. He had spent 11 years inside the Abepura prison.
"It's nice to be back home though," he said laughing.
He slowly rebuilt his activism, traveling to many university campuses throughout Indonesia, also overseas, and talking about human rights abuses, the environmental destruction in West Papua, as well as his advocacy for an independent West Papua. Students often invited him to talk about his book.
In Jakarta, he rented a studio near my apartment as his stopping point. We met socially, and also attended public meetings together. I organized his birthday party in August 2018. He bought new gear for his scuba diving. My wife, Sapariah, herself a diving enthusiast, noted that Karma was an excellent diver: "He swims like a fish.”
The resistance of Papuans in Indonesia to discrimination took on a new phase following a 17 August 2019 attack by security forces on a Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, in which the students were subjected to racial insults. The attack renewed discussions on anti-Papuan racial discrimination and sovereignty for West Papua. Papuan students and others acting through a social media movement called Papuan Lives Matter, inspired by Black Lives Matter in the United States, took part in a wave of protests that broke out in many parts of Indonesia.
Everyone was reading Filep Karma's book. Karma protested when these young activists, many of whom he personally knew, such as Sayang Mandabayan, Surya Anta Ginting and Victor Yeimo, were arrested and charged with treason. "Protesting racism should not be considered treason," he said.
The Indonesian government responded by detaining hundreds. Papuans Behind Bars, a nongovernmental organization that monitors politically motivated arrests in West Papua, recorded 418 new cases from October 2020 to September 2021. At least 245 of them were charged, found guilty, and imprisoned for joining the protests, with 109 convicted of "treason." However, while in the past, Papuans charged with political offenses typically were sentenced to years - in Karma's case, 15 years, in the recent cases, perhaps because of international and domestic attention, the Indonesian courts handed down much shorter sentences, often time already served.
The coronavirus pandemic halted his activism in 2020-2022. He had plenty of time for scuba diving and spearfishing. Once he posted on Facebook that when a shark tried to steal his fish, he smacked it on the snout.
On 1 November 2022, my good friend Filep Karma was found dead on a Jayapura beach. He had apparently gone diving alone. He was wearing his scuba diving suit.
His mother, Eklefina Noriwari, called me that morning, telling me that her son had died. "I know you're his close friend," she told me. "Please don't be sad. He died doing what he liked best … the sea, the swimming, the diving."
West Papua was in shock. More than 30,000 people attended his funeral, flying the Morning Star flag, as their last act of respect for a courageous man. Mourners heard the speakers celebrating Filep Karma's life, and then quietly went home.
It was peaceful. And this is exactly Filep Karma's message about.
*Andreas Harsonois the Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch and the author of its new report,"If It's Not Racism, What Is It?": Discrimination and Other Abuses Against Papuans in Indonesia.
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4) Local food optimization to reduce stunting rate in Papua
October 31, 2024 16:30 GMT+700
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - The Papua Provincial Government, along with related agencies, continues to accelerate stunting prevalence reduction in the region to realize Indonesia’s golden generation in Papua.
Based on the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI) in 2021, stunting prevalence in Papua reached 29 percent and dipped to 26.9 percent in 2022.
However, the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) indicated that the stunting rate in the region had increased to 28.6 percent.
These figures exceed the stunting prevalence recommendation of 20 percent released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Hence, the region is considered to have a high stunting prevalence.
Stunting is a growth disorder in children due to chronic malnutrition characterized by height below standard. This chronic malnutrition occurs if a child’s food intake needs are unmet.
The regional government, along with related agencies, continues to push efforts to fulfill children’s nutritional needs through local Papuan food.
The nutritional content of local food is considered appropriate for the food intake of stunted children.
Papua has abundant natural resources to be processed as sources of balanced nutrition, such as sago, sweet potatoes, taro, local wheat, cocoa, corn, and fish.
Currently, the local government is focusing on promoting the regional food potential in Papua.
“Papua is rich in natural resources. Therefore, regional officials should be actively promoting economic development based on local potential,” Papua Acting Governor Ramses Limbong remarked.
For instance, almost 85 percent of areas in Papua Province have sago trees which can be processed into several meals such as papeda, pounded sago, or congee sago.
Meanwhile, tubers found abundantly in the region can be consumed in several ways such as boiled, fried, or pounded.
In addition, sago worms have good nutritional content for the body and can be processed into food.
Furthermore, abundant fish from Papua can be consumed to fulfill the community's nutritional needs.
Fish consumption in Papua, especially in coastal areas such as Sarmi, Waropen, Yapen Islands, Supiori, Biak Numfor, and Jayapura District and City, currently reaches 75.72 kg/capita.
Fish contains high levels of fat, vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 to support nutrition improvement programs, especially in the first 1,000 days of life and children under two years of age, to realize the quality of productive and competitive human resources in the future.
Papua Province has nine districts and cities. Based on the data, capture fisheries production in Papua Province amounted to 163,644 tons in 2023 and is believed to increase in 2024.
Related news: Biak Numfor receives five tons of rice reserves to deal with stunting
Those existing ingredients can be obtained directly from nature or bought at the local market. Local food optimization for public consumption is expected to reduce the number of stunting cases in Papua.
"I ask regional officials in nine districts and cities to start mapping local food potential to be utilized as a nutrition food for our children,” Limbong stated.
Hence, officials should be innovative and creative in developing their region through local food. This effort can also reduce imported food dependence and increase food security.
Increasing economic development based on local potential can also drive the family economy and provide a sustainable system.
Stunting is a serious issue that must be addressed properly. This has become a cause for concern in the development of Papua’s generation. All parties must work together to reduce stunting rates in Papua Province.
Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) of Papua Province, Sarles Brabar, also underscored the importance of family quality.
The Papua Provincial Government is focusing on the well-being of prospective brides and grooms or prospective fertile couples, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and children up to 59 months of age.
To support the stunting handling program, the Papua Provincial Government has deployed an assistant team to strengthen coordination with related agencies.
The assistant team is required to use local wisdom as an approach. Their program should be in accordance with customs by heeding complaints and obstacles faced by the community and providing customary solutions.
Related to nutritional problems, the carbohydrate requirements of the Papuan community are not only met from rice but also from local foods such as sago, corn, potatoes, taro, and cassava. Meanwhile, other sources of nutrition can be obtained from vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, and others.
On the other hand, the community should have an understanding of managing the variety of food.
Furthermore, the assistant team will provide education and disseminate information in rural areas on topics such as building the Quality Family Village in Biak Numfor District, and other areas.
Local creations
In order to support stunting eradication in Papua, Head of the Family Empowerment and Welfare Movement Team (TP PKK) of Papua Province, Kerdina Ramses Limbong, has mobilized the local PKK ranks to review each PKK in nine districts and cities.
In Sarmi District, the PKK Movement Team has provided additional food in the form of processed local food to children. Rice is being replaced with processed sago, while fish is made into nuggets, and cassava vegetables are stir-fried.
Processed local food is provided by the PKK team for babies and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
The PKK team encourages the creation of diverse types of local food so children are enthusiastic about consuming local food.
The nutritional content of Papua’s local food is not inferior to other foods, as proven by a report from the TP PKK Sarmi District from six children affected by stunting, with three of them being free from stunting.
This effort shows that collaboration among various components can help to reduce stunting prevalence in Papua and realize a golden generation for a better future.
Related news: Papua intensively distributing food aid to prevent stunting
Related news: VP expects continuity in programs on stunting, development in Papua
Based on the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI) in 2021, stunting prevalence in Papua reached 29 percent and dipped to 26.9 percent in 2022.
However, the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) indicated that the stunting rate in the region had increased to 28.6 percent.
These figures exceed the stunting prevalence recommendation of 20 percent released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Hence, the region is considered to have a high stunting prevalence.
Stunting is a growth disorder in children due to chronic malnutrition characterized by height below standard. This chronic malnutrition occurs if a child’s food intake needs are unmet.
The regional government, along with related agencies, continues to push efforts to fulfill children’s nutritional needs through local Papuan food.
The nutritional content of local food is considered appropriate for the food intake of stunted children.
Papua has abundant natural resources to be processed as sources of balanced nutrition, such as sago, sweet potatoes, taro, local wheat, cocoa, corn, and fish.
Currently, the local government is focusing on promoting the regional food potential in Papua.
“Papua is rich in natural resources. Therefore, regional officials should be actively promoting economic development based on local potential,” Papua Acting Governor Ramses Limbong remarked.
For instance, almost 85 percent of areas in Papua Province have sago trees which can be processed into several meals such as papeda, pounded sago, or congee sago.
Meanwhile, tubers found abundantly in the region can be consumed in several ways such as boiled, fried, or pounded.
In addition, sago worms have good nutritional content for the body and can be processed into food.
Furthermore, abundant fish from Papua can be consumed to fulfill the community's nutritional needs.
Fish consumption in Papua, especially in coastal areas such as Sarmi, Waropen, Yapen Islands, Supiori, Biak Numfor, and Jayapura District and City, currently reaches 75.72 kg/capita.
Fish contains high levels of fat, vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 to support nutrition improvement programs, especially in the first 1,000 days of life and children under two years of age, to realize the quality of productive and competitive human resources in the future.
Papua Province has nine districts and cities. Based on the data, capture fisheries production in Papua Province amounted to 163,644 tons in 2023 and is believed to increase in 2024.
Related news: Biak Numfor receives five tons of rice reserves to deal with stunting
Those existing ingredients can be obtained directly from nature or bought at the local market. Local food optimization for public consumption is expected to reduce the number of stunting cases in Papua.
"I ask regional officials in nine districts and cities to start mapping local food potential to be utilized as a nutrition food for our children,” Limbong stated.
Hence, officials should be innovative and creative in developing their region through local food. This effort can also reduce imported food dependence and increase food security.
Increasing economic development based on local potential can also drive the family economy and provide a sustainable system.
Stunting is a serious issue that must be addressed properly. This has become a cause for concern in the development of Papua’s generation. All parties must work together to reduce stunting rates in Papua Province.
Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) of Papua Province, Sarles Brabar, also underscored the importance of family quality.
The Papua Provincial Government is focusing on the well-being of prospective brides and grooms or prospective fertile couples, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and children up to 59 months of age.
To support the stunting handling program, the Papua Provincial Government has deployed an assistant team to strengthen coordination with related agencies.
The assistant team is required to use local wisdom as an approach. Their program should be in accordance with customs by heeding complaints and obstacles faced by the community and providing customary solutions.
Related to nutritional problems, the carbohydrate requirements of the Papuan community are not only met from rice but also from local foods such as sago, corn, potatoes, taro, and cassava. Meanwhile, other sources of nutrition can be obtained from vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, and others.
On the other hand, the community should have an understanding of managing the variety of food.
Furthermore, the assistant team will provide education and disseminate information in rural areas on topics such as building the Quality Family Village in Biak Numfor District, and other areas.
Local creations
In order to support stunting eradication in Papua, Head of the Family Empowerment and Welfare Movement Team (TP PKK) of Papua Province, Kerdina Ramses Limbong, has mobilized the local PKK ranks to review each PKK in nine districts and cities.
In Sarmi District, the PKK Movement Team has provided additional food in the form of processed local food to children. Rice is being replaced with processed sago, while fish is made into nuggets, and cassava vegetables are stir-fried.
Processed local food is provided by the PKK team for babies and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
The PKK team encourages the creation of diverse types of local food so children are enthusiastic about consuming local food.
The nutritional content of Papua’s local food is not inferior to other foods, as proven by a report from the TP PKK Sarmi District from six children affected by stunting, with three of them being free from stunting.
This effort shows that collaboration among various components can help to reduce stunting prevalence in Papua and realize a golden generation for a better future.
Related news: Papua intensively distributing food aid to prevent stunting
Related news: VP expects continuity in programs on stunting, development in Papua
Translator: Qadri Pratiwi, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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