2) Transmigration Ministry targets economic growth in 38 provinces
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1) Two Australian journalists walk through West Papua, win journalism award
Syofiardi Bachyul Last updated: February 1, 2025 11:28 am
Author: Admin Jubi Editor: Syofiardi
Jakarta, Jubi – Two journalists from Paradise Broadcasting, a new media from Sydney, Australia, who covered the use of rockets and mortars by Indonesian security forces against indigenous Papuans in the Bintang Mountains, received the Oktovianus Pogau Award from the Pantau Foundation for courage in journalism.
The Pantau Foundation appreciates the work of Kristo Langker and Kirsten Felice who crossed the forest and river on foot across the PNG and Indonesian border, without an Indonesian visa, to meet dozens of members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), to explain their ‘asymmetrical’ battle with Indonesian security forces in the Bintang Mountains.
“Salute to Kirsten Felice and Kristo Langker, two very brave young journalists,” said Yuliana Lantipo from the Pantau Foundation. “Visiting conflict areas in Papua is neither easy nor cheap, plus the security risks are difficult, especially since they are foreign nationals.”
Paradise Broadcasting was founded by Kristo Langker in 2023. He created this media specifically to contain long-form coverage, after he covered the kidnapping of a New Zealand pilot in the Central Mountains. The title is, ‘Hostage Land: Why Papuan Guerrilla Fighters Keep Taking Hostages’.
He explained how indigenous Papuans held pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens hostage in order to gain attention from outside Indonesia. This also mirrors a similar action in 1996 when guerrillas led by Kelly Kwalik held dozens of foreign biology researchers hostage in Mapenduma.
In 2024, they entered the Bintang Mountains and made the film ‘Frontier War: Inside The West Papua Liberation Army’. In ‘Frontier War’, the two journalists found four types of explosives used by Indonesian authorities when attacking Kiwirok in the Bintang Mountains in September and October 2021, namely a modified Krusik 81mm mortar made in Serbia, a Thales FZ 68 folding finned air rocket made in France, a Pindad 40mm grenade, and a plastic tail fin that has not been identified.
Kirsten Felice and Kristo Langker are in the Bintang Mountains, walking across the border between PNG and Indonesia, choosing not to apply for a journalist visa from Indonesia because of the Indonesian government’s very tough restrictions on foreign journalists entering West Papua since 1967. –Photo: Kirsten Felic
There has been a lot of Indonesian media coverage of Serbian-made mortars used by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN). Even the House of Representatives has questioned the involvement of BIN officers in Kiwirok. The two journalists found not only mortar shells but also Thales rockets.
They also got a video of Indonesian officers using a Chinese-made Ziyan drone, model Blowfish A3. The helicopter used to fire the Thales rockets was an Airbus H125M or H225M. The Indonesian government asked YouTube to block ‘Frontier War’.
In 2024, Langker and Felice deliberately chose to walk, up mountains and down valleys, after taking several flights in Papua New Guinea, walking all day, entering the Bintang Mountains.
“Crossing the PNG-Indonesia border and walking into the Bintang Mountains to cover how Indonesian authorities use rockets and mortars, as well as helicopters and drones, for what they call ‘law enforcement’ is courage in journalism.”
Their coverage was very difficult because the Indonesian state, since 1967, has restricted foreign journalists from entering all areas of West Papua (Tanah Papua). There have been many stories of how foreign journalists have had difficulty getting visas, have been arrested, detained, even those who already have travel documents, have also been arrested, at least followed, when entering West Papua.
On September 13, 2021, an armed group led by Lamek Taplo attacked an Indonesian military and police post in Kiwirok District, Bintang Mountains Regency, near the border with Papua New Guinea. This was the peak of tensions between Lamek Taplo’s group from Kiwirok and the Indonesian side. A day-long gunfight resulted in the death of a Papuan militant and the injury of an Indonesian soldier.
The mob also burned dozens of properties and public facilities in Kiwirok and Okyop, including several houses, several government offices, eight schools, two clinics, a hospital, a bank, and the Kiwirok market. Papuan militants also attacked the Kiwirok hospital, burning the hospital and its dormitory as well as two small clinics. They allegedly beat three female nurses and two male nurses. The body of nurse Gabriella Meilani was found two days later.
The TPNPB said they only attacked security posts and helped “secure nurse Gerald Sokoy,” who fled during the attack and was picked up by local authorities two weeks after the attack and returned home.
The attack prompted the Indonesian side to launch airstrikes, including helicopters and drones, on Kiwirok. On October 10, the Indonesian military deployed Air Force helicopters to drop 14 Serbian-made mortars on Kiwirok, and the Indonesian commander in Papua, Major General Yogo Triyono, acknowledged the bombing but denied that the bombs were directed at civilians.
According to local human rights organizations, about 1,000 families have fled Kiwirok to Oksibil, the district capital. An estimated 180 families have fled across the border into Papua New Guinea. Many lack food, shelter and medical assistance.
On October 25, militants shot dead an Indonesian policeman in a shootout in Kiwirok. Yogo Triyono stressed that the Indonesian government needed to engage in “political dialogue” to resolve security issues in Papua. He said his soldiers were also “tired of the shootouts.”
The two young journalists were born in Sydney. Kristo Langker, 24, is now studying music at the University of Sydney. Kristen Felice, 25, an alumnus of Australia’s Torrens University, works as a video journalist.
Oktovianus Pogau Award
Oktovianus Pogau was a Papuan journalist, born in Sugapa in 1992. Pogau died at the age of 23 on January 31, 2016 in Jayapura. This award is given every year to commemorate Pogau's courage. Suara Papua was also involved in the creation of the award in 2017, but the assessment and announcement were carried out by the Pantau Foundation.
In October 2011, Pogau reported on violence against hundreds of indigenous Papuans during the Third Papuan Congress in Jayapura. He recorded the sound of gunfire. Three Papuans died and five were imprisoned on treason charges. The anxiety that not many Indonesian media reported on the violations prompted Pogau to establish Suara Papua on December 10, 2011.
Yuliana Lantipo, who works as an editor at Jubi in Jayapura, said, "I first met Octo in Yogya in 2008 when he was invited by a student organization in Yogya as a speaker at a seminar."
"At that time he was still a high school student, but he had become a speaker everywhere with his articles published in several media. I saw him as a brave young man who was critical of government policies. Kirsten and Kristo's courage reminded me of Octo," he said.
The Pogau Award jury consists of Andreas Harsono (Jakarta), Alexander Mering (Pontianak), Coen Husain Pontoh (New York), Made Ali (Pekanbaru), and Yuliana Lantipo (Jayapura). (*)
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2) Transmigration Ministry targets economic growth in 38 provinces
February 1, 2025 16:56 GMT+700
Wamena, Highland Papua (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Transmigration aims to drive economic growth in 38 provinces across Indonesia by 2025.
Initially dissolved in 1999 and merged with the Ministry of Village Affairs, the Ministry of Transmigration has been reinstated as an independent body under President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Speaking on Saturday, the ministry’s Director General of Economic Development and Community Empowerment, Velix V. Wanggai, emphasized its mission to promote economic growth nationwide.
"In addition to fostering economic development, our role is to maximize the productive potential of various regions," he stated.
Wanggai highlighted that a key priority of the ministry is accelerating development in Papua.
"This ministry is committed to shaping Indonesia’s future through major development initiatives in Papua," he added.
Wanggai elaborated that they have identified promising areas in Papua, highlighting that among 153 potential transmigration regions in Indonesia, 10 are located in Papua.
"We have transmigration areas in Klamono (in Sorong) and in South Papua, including Salor and Muting," he noted.
Wanggai expressed optimism that these 10 transmigration zones would evolve into new hubs for economic growth and development in Papua.
"We have identified potential sectors, such as rubber cultivation in Muting and betel nut and sweet potato farming in Lere and Senggi (Jayapura and Keerom)," he remarked.
He stressed that sustainable development initiatives for these identified areas will be pursued collaboratively across various ministries to achieve their targets.
"We want to stress that with the establishment of this new ministry, our focus on Papua is concentrated on revitalizing existing transmigration areas," he added.
Related news: Economic transformation key to step up growth: ministry
Related news: Ministries prepare programs to support transmigration development
Related news: Ministry targets 100 thousand transmigrants for food self-sufficiency
Initially dissolved in 1999 and merged with the Ministry of Village Affairs, the Ministry of Transmigration has been reinstated as an independent body under President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Speaking on Saturday, the ministry’s Director General of Economic Development and Community Empowerment, Velix V. Wanggai, emphasized its mission to promote economic growth nationwide.
"In addition to fostering economic development, our role is to maximize the productive potential of various regions," he stated.
Wanggai highlighted that a key priority of the ministry is accelerating development in Papua.
"This ministry is committed to shaping Indonesia’s future through major development initiatives in Papua," he added.
Wanggai elaborated that they have identified promising areas in Papua, highlighting that among 153 potential transmigration regions in Indonesia, 10 are located in Papua.
"We have transmigration areas in Klamono (in Sorong) and in South Papua, including Salor and Muting," he noted.
Wanggai expressed optimism that these 10 transmigration zones would evolve into new hubs for economic growth and development in Papua.
"We have identified potential sectors, such as rubber cultivation in Muting and betel nut and sweet potato farming in Lere and Senggi (Jayapura and Keerom)," he remarked.
He stressed that sustainable development initiatives for these identified areas will be pursued collaboratively across various ministries to achieve their targets.
"We want to stress that with the establishment of this new ministry, our focus on Papua is concentrated on revitalizing existing transmigration areas," he added.
Related news: Economic transformation key to step up growth: ministry
Related news: Ministries prepare programs to support transmigration development
Related news: Ministry targets 100 thousand transmigrants for food self-sufficiency
Translator: Yudhi, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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