2) President Wenda: December 1st a celebration of West Papuan unity
Jakarta. The Indonesian government plans to build 24 new hospitals across Papua to improve healthcare access and ensure equal medical services across the region’s six provinces, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka said on Tuesday.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader push to close infrastructure and welfare gaps in eastern Indonesia, a region long challenged by limited healthcare facilities and uneven access to essential services.
Speaking during a visit to Manokwari, West Papua, Gibran said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to upgrading healthcare infrastructure in Indonesia’s easternmost region.
“As part of the medium-term development plan, the government will build 24 hospitals in Papua,” Gibran said in a meeting with local government officials.Each hospital, he said, will be equipped with modern medical facilities such as mammography, CT-scan, and MRI units, along with specialized doctors. The goal is to ensure Papuans can receive advanced medical care locally without being referred to hospitals in Sulawesi or Java.
“This must be our shared focus so that in the future, no Papuan needs to travel outside the region for treatment,” he stressed.
Gibran underscored that equitable and consistent development in Papua must continue to reduce disparities and deliver tangible benefits to local communities. He also called for stronger coordination between central and regional governments to ensure effective planning and budgeting that align with local needs.
“Development in Papua cannot be done in just one or two years -- it must be continuous,” Gibran said.
2) President Wenda: December 1st a celebration of West Papuan unity
NOVEMBER 4, 2025
On behalf of the ULMWP, I declare this December 1st to be a celebration of West Papuan unity.
In that spirit, I acknowledge and welcome the statement of support for me as President of West Papua from West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) spokesperson Sebby Sambom and Chief of Staff Terianus Satto. This is a major step forward for our movement and I thank Sebby and Terianus for their important message. We know our enemy always seeks to divide us. We must all move toward the same mission: one people, one soul.
This December 1st I call on all West Papuans, wherever you are, to honour the Morning Star by wearing its colours on your clothes. We must show the Indonesian colonisers that the spirit of the struggle is as much a part of West Papua as the clothes we wear.
Every December 1st, West Papuans celebrate our Independence Day in 1961, when our nation announced itself to the world as the first liberated Melanesian state. In a ceremony witnessed by six countries, including the UK, France, the Netherlands, and our neighbour Papua New Guinea, the New Guinea Council raised the Morning Star and sang our national anthem for the first time. Our freedom may have been stolen from us by Indonesia’s invasion two year later, but we still honour 1961 as our national day.
The situation on the ground is worse than it has been since 2019. Every day brings a new massacre, a new killing, a new incident of torture or rape. In the past three months, we have seen the murder of fifteen Papuans in Intan Jaya, the relentless bombardment of the Star Mountain, the killing of children and mothers, and riots triggered by racist abuse of Papuan students in Yalimo.
At the same time, Indonesia’s war criminal President Prabowo is continuing with the destruction of the Papuan rainforest. The National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke is the biggest plantation in human history: it is a planet killer.
These events show how urgent the need for unity among West Papuans is. We know that all West Papuans support Merdeka, whether in the bush, the village, the refugee camps or the cities. But we cannot have any hope of saving our people or protecting our forest if we don’t stand together. I therefore urge my people, continue to rally behind the ULMWP. This is your government and your constitution. We have thousands of representatives across our land.
We know our enemy will exploit any division between us. By unifying, we honour our ancestors and all those who have fought against Indonesian colonial rule. They joined the struggle because they believed that one day, the Morning Star would fly freely in every village and town across West Papua.
To our supporters around the world, please raise the Morning Star on November 1st. Our national flag is illegal in our own country. If we raise it, paint it on our faces, or shout for freedom in the streets, we can be imprisoned for twenty-five years. We can also be shot dead, as 18-year-old Obert Mirip was in July. This is why we need our allies to fly the flag for us.
Benny Wenda
President
ULMWP
——————————————————————
3) Missing persons in Indonesia's Papua floods rise to 23, victims mostly children
Tuesday, 04 Nov 2025 7:03 PM MYT
JAKARTA (Bernama/Reuters): The number of people reported missing after flash floods in Nduga Regency in Indonesia’s Highland Papua province has risen to 23, up from 15 earlier, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Tuesday.
Eight people were newly reported missing in the Yuguru district, in addition to 15 in the Dal district who were swept away after ignoring warnings not to cross the Panpan River during heavy rain on Saturday.
"The Nduga Disaster Management Agency, together with emergency personnel and local residents, is conducting search and rescue operations,” said BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari in a statement.
According to the agency, parts of Southwest Papua were forecast on Tuesday to experience moderate to heavy rain, possibly accompanied by lightning and strong winds.
BNPB urged local authorities and residents to stay alert for floods and landslides, monitor weather updates, and be prepared to evacuate.
Indonesian authorities added on Tuesday that 15 people, mostly children, were killed after being swept away while crossing a river in the easternmost Papua region, while the search for eight children missing in another flood-hit village was ongoing.
He added that one body had been recovered and authorities were still searching for the others.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency has warned residents to be prepared for more floods with more heavy rain expected in several areas of Papua.
Rumbiak said the search was made more challenging by the Nduga region's "red zone" or conflict area status.
Papuan separatists have fought for independence in the resource-rich region ever since the area was controversially brought under Indonesian control following Dutch rule in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969.
The first location of the landslide was where a separatist group killed dozens of workers who were building a bridge in 2018.
A New Zealand pilot was also kidnapped in Nduga in 2023 before being released 19 months later. - Agencies
———————————
https://en.antaranews.com/news/389917/vp-gibran-calls-for-faster-development-in-papua
4) VP Gibran calls for faster development in Papua
November 4, 2025 21:40 GMT+700
The two institutions — the Papua Special Autonomy Development Acceleration Agency (BP3OKP) and the Papua Special Autonomy Development Acceleration Executive Committee — are designed to complement each other in driving Papua’s progress, he said during a visit to Manokwari, West Papua, on Tuesday.
“Now there are two agencies. I ask that development moves twice as fast, innovation in policymaking doubles, and the benefits for the people double,” Gibran said.
He emphasized that development must be consistent and sustainable, warning it cannot be achieved within just a year or two.
Gibran highlighted priority issues including life expectancy, stunting rates, access to healthcare, and participation in the Free Health Check-up program.
Related news: Improve Papua healthcare facilities following VP's directive : Deputy
Under the government’s 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan, 24 new hospitals are slated for construction across Papua, he noted.
During a recent visit to Jayapura, the vice president said Papuan hospitals are increasingly equipped with advanced medical tools — including CT scans, MRI machines, head labs, mammography units, and digital panoramic devices — supported by specialist doctors.
With these upgrades, Gibran expressed hope Papuans would no longer need to travel to Makassar for medical care, saying adequate treatment is now available closer to home.
He said the new agencies would work under President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to ensure that Papua’s development is coordinated and inclusive.
“Papua’s development must be a national priority and involve indigenous communities at every stage to ensure their welfare,” Gibran said.
Gibran is on a two-day working visit to Manokwari from November 4–5 to oversee the government’s programs in Papua and evaluate progress under the region’s special autonomy framework.
Related news: Indonesian VP Gibran reviews Sekolah Rakyat in Papua
Translator: Mentari Dwi Gayati, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
----------------
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.