Wamena, Jubi – The visit of YouTuber and content creator Bobon Santoso alongside the commander of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command (Kodam), Major General Febriel Buyung Sikumbang, to Papua Highlands has been criticised by a pro-independence group as an attempt to divert attention from humanitarian issues in the region.
The West Baliem chapter of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) said the presence of Bobon Santoso, the Cenderawasih military commander, and other senior state officials in Papua Highlands was intended to shift public attention away from the armed conflict and the National Strategic Projects (PSN) in Papua.
West Baliem KNPB chair Demin Tabuni said the visit by senior government officials and military leaders to Lanny Jaya Regency on Friday, as part of the military’s community service program, was an effort by the Indonesian government to obscure allegations surrounding killings, disappearances in Malagaineri, and the ongoing militarisation of Lanny Jaya.
Tabuni said the military’s planned activities—including building bridges, constructing houses for residents, and installing clean water facilities—did not reflect the reality of conditions in Lanny Jaya.
“Who killed the Papuan people, and who now comes claiming to be a hero in the midst of an armed conflict? They come, kill civilians, and then disguise themselves as heroes. That is colonialism,” Tabuni said on
He also pointed to Bobon Santoso’s participation in the visit, saying the content creator planned to produce a video featuring a traditional Papuan pig feast in Lanny Jaya.
“We believe this is merely an attempt to overshadow the documentary Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time, directed by Daddy Laksono and his colleagues,” he said.
According to Tabuni, the visit also disrupted preparations for nationwide protests planned by the KNPB under the theme “Papua: A Military and Humanitarian Emergency Zone” on Aug. 3 and Aug. 15.
“For that reason, the KNPB, as the people’s movement, rejects all forms of military operations in Papua by any means, because they are part of the state’s effort to Indonesianise the Papuan people,” he said.
Before travelling to Lanny Jaya, Sikumbang officially launched the 2026 Large-Scale Community Service Program of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command for Papua Highlands at the Jayawijaya regent’s office on Thursday.
The program was inaugurated with the symbolic handover of work equipment to military personnel who will carry out development projects in the field.
The program includes the construction of bridges, hydram pumps to provide clean water, and a school building that is already under construction.
In addition to infrastructure projects, the program also includes social activities such as free medical services, the distribution of food aid, and a blood donation drive involving around 800 prospective civil servants recruited under Jayawijaya’s 2024 intake.
Residents of Jayawijaya have also been invited to attend the Kuali Merah Putih event at Hepuba Field in Asolokobal District on Saturday, where Bobon Santoso and his team are scheduled to cook and share a meal with the community. (*)
Sentani, Jubi – Residents of Nduga Regency in Papua Highlands say the local government has effectively ceased functioning in recent months, warning they will block all transport access to the regency if the situation is not addressed.
They are calling on the regent and the Nduga Regional House of Representatives (DPRK) to return to the regency, resume government operations, improve public services, and immediately fill key vacant positions within the local administration.
The demands were voiced by hundreds of residents, grouped under the Solidarity Movement for the People and Development of Nduga Regency, during a peaceful rally at the Cross Roundabout in Kenyam, the regency’s capital, on Friday.
General coordinator of the rally, Remes Ubruangge, said the demonstration, which ran from 8:30 a.m. to around 1:00 p.m. Papua time, reflected growing public frustration over what participants described as slow governance and poor public service delivery since the current administration took office in 2025.
“We urge the Speaker of the Nduga DPRK to ensure that the regent returns to Nduga and carries out his responsibilities together with all regional government agencies. The government must be present to serve the people,” Ubruangge told Jubi by phone on Friday.
He said residents believe several key administrative processes have stalled, including the appointment of a definitive regional secretary, heads of government departments, DPRK members through the appointment mechanism, district heads, and the election of village heads.
According to Ubruangge, the failure to fill those positions has disrupted public services and slowed development across the regency.
“We want the government structure completed as soon as possible so public services can operate normally in line with the administration’s vision and mission,” he said.
Field coordinator Ropen Tabuni said around 900 residents from various districts across Nduga took part in the rally. Their statement of demands was received by Deputy Speaker II of the Nduga DPRK, Nus Gamikmeya, as DPRK Speaker Karto Nigiri was not present.
Tabuni said residents also believe the DPRK has failed to adequately oversee the performance of the local government.
“We hope the DPRK carries out its oversight role and strengthens coordination with the regional government so these governance issues can be resolved. The public should not continue to suffer because basic services are not functioning properly,” he said.
Beyond concerns over what they described as a dysfunctional administration, demonstrators also called on the local government to give greater attention to the security situation in Nduga.
They urged authorities to engage with religious leaders, customary leaders, and other community representatives to help restore stability so residents can safely resume their daily activities.
In a statement read during the protest, the Solidarity Movement for the People and Development of Nduga Regency outlined six key demands. These included urging the DPRK Speaker to ensure the regent returns to Nduga, accelerating the appointment of definitive government officials, completing the regional administrative structure, and improving coordination between the regent, the DPRK, and government advisers to restore normal governance.
The protesters warned they would escalate their action if their demands are ignored.
They said that if both the DPRK Speaker and the regent continue to remain outside Nduga and fail to respond to the community’s demands, residents will shut down all transport access to the regency, including both air and river routes. (*)
Sentani, Jubi – Students from Cenderawasih University’s (Uncen) community service programme (KKN) have donated three plastic bottle drop boxes to Asei Besar Village in East Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua, in an effort to encourage waste separation at the source and create economic opportunities through recycling.
The drop boxes were handed over on Friday as part of an environmental initiative aimed at improving plastic waste management in the village.
Hesti Selvianingrum, leader of KKN Group 18, said plastic waste management in Asei Besar still faces several challenges, including the lack of dedicated facilities for sorting plastic bottles and the absence of an integrated collection system linked to a waste bank.
To address these issues, the students built the drop boxes to provide an easily accessible collection point for residents and visitors.
“The programme is not only intended to reduce pollution, but also to educate the community about the importance of separating waste at its source,” said Hesti, an accounting student from the 2023 cohort.
She said the initiative marks an initial step towards building a culture of environmental responsibility through collaboration between the Asei Besar village administration, the Yo Holey Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMKam), the Jayapura Waste Bank, Earth Hour Jayapura, and local residents.
Field supervisor Pascalina Sesa said the students had been carrying out their community service programme from June 29 to July 31 under the theme Grounded Community Service.
She said the theme encourages students to engage directly with local communities through practical projects.
“We designed this initiative as a sustainable programme to support the village’s development as an ecotourism destination,” Sesa said.
Asei Besar village head Anthonetha Ohee welcomed the donation, saying the drop boxes would help raise public awareness about environmental protection while also creating economic value.
“These drop boxes are excellent. Since this village is also a tourist destination, they will encourage people to dispose of waste properly. I am grateful to the students for this contribution,” she said.
Ohee noted that residents had previously collected recyclable waste and sold it to a waste bank in Komba, but those activities stopped after flash floods struck the area several years ago.
Accounting lecturer Sara Paru, one of the programme’s speakers, said each village in Papua has different characteristics and development priorities for its village-owned enterprises.
“In Asei Island, the priority is strengthening ecotourism,” she said.
Paru said that as the village attracts more tourists, the volume of waste generated is also likely to increase.
She said separating plastic waste would not only reduce environmental impacts but also create a new source of income for the village-owned enterprise.
“This is a new opportunity we identified through our Go Green campaign on campus. Plastic waste can be sorted, registered with the waste bank, weighed, and assigned an economic value,” she said. (*)
4) Special Bylaw on Indigenous Papuan Veto Rights Needed for Major Investments in Papua
Jayapura, Jubi – Provincial legislatures across Papua should initiate a Special Regional Regulation (Perdasus) granting Indigenous Papuans (Orang Asli Papua/OAP) veto rights over large-scale investment projects, according to academics and legal advocates who say stronger legal protections are needed to safeguard customary land rights.
Antonia Klara Bonay, a lecturer at Cenderawasih University’s Faculty of Business and Economics, said such a regulation would strengthen legal protections for Indigenous Papuans by ensuring their interests are prioritized in investment policies. She noted that the Special Autonomy Law for Papua provides the legal basis for the establishment of Perdasus.
“If Perdasus is one of the implementing regulations mandated under Papua’s Special Autonomy Law, then it should be developed through the proper legislative process so that future investment projects do not create adverse impacts for Indigenous Papuans,” Bonay said.
Bonay argued that without adequate safeguards, large-scale projects—including oil palm plantations, mining operations, food estate developments and sugarcane plantations—have the potential to deepen poverty among Indigenous Papuans by depriving them of access to their customary lands and natural resources.
“In many cases, these projects take away the resources that have sustained Indigenous communities for generations. Forests that once provided food and livelihoods are replaced by plantations and mines, creating structural poverty among Indigenous Papuans,” she said.
She said investment policies should therefore be governed by a dedicated Perdasus to ensure customary landowners receive tangible benefits from projects affecting their ancestral territories.
Bonay also urged provincial legislatures to work with relevant stakeholders to compile data and conduct academic studies before drafting a regulation governing investment in Papua.
“The regulation should provide stronger protections and ensure investment planning directly involves Indigenous Papuans and reflects their interests,” she said.
Papua’s six provinces continue to record some of the highest poverty rates in Indonesia. Highland Papua has the country’s highest poverty rate at 30.03 percent, or approximately 337,320 people. Similar conditions persist in Papua, Central Papua, South Papua and West Papua provinces.
Southwest Papua records the lowest poverty rate among Papua’s provinces at 17.95 percent, equivalent to around 103,570 people. However, the figure remains well above Indonesia’s national poverty rate of 8.4 percent.
Safeguarding Indigenous rights
Human rights lawyer Emanuel Gobay of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) said a Perdasus establishing Indigenous veto rights would serve as an important legal safeguard against investment policies that undermine customary land ownership.
He argued that investment decisions should recognize Indigenous Papuans as the legitimate holders of customary land rights.
“This is the kind of regulation that should be developed because it would provide an important safeguard. In many cases, it is Indigenous communities themselves who are forced to sue companies or government agencies,” Gobay told Jubi on Thursday.
He described the proposal as a critique of Papua’s Indigenous People’s Council (MRP), provincial legislatures, executive governments and the Regional Representative Council
(DPD), all of which, he said, have a legal obligation under the Special Autonomy Law to protect the rights of Indigenous Papuans.
Gobay added that Indonesia’s legal framework already recognizes and protects Indigenous peoples, including through Article 18B(2) of the 1945 Constitution and Article 6 of Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights. However, he argued that stronger regional legislation is needed to ensure those constitutional protections are effectively implemented in the context of large-scale investment in Papua.
Gobay also pointed to international legal protections, arguing that Indigenous peoples’ rights are reinforced by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Under UNDRIP, FPIC affirms Indigenous peoples’ right to give or withhold consent to projects, policies or activities that may affect their lands, territories and natural resources.
“Before any customary land or natural resources can be used, the process must be preceded by Free, Prior and Informed Consent. That is essentially the legal agreement between Indigenous communities and those seeking to use their land. This is what we refer to as a veto right,” Gobay said.
He added that Papua’s Special Autonomy Law already incorporates the FPIC principle by requiring the government to act as a mediator between investors and customary landowners before investment projects proceed.
“Whenever an investment is proposed, the government is required to bring together the investor and the Indigenous community for discussions. Anyone seeking to use customary land must first meet with the customary landowners, with the government serving as the mediator,” he said.
Gobay said protections for Indigenous communities in Papua are specifically set out in Articles 43 and 44 of Law No. 2/2021 on Special Autonomy for Papua, which, he argued, provide the legal foundation for introducing a Perdasus granting Indigenous Papuans veto rights over major investment decisions.
“Such a regulation is both important and necessary. The lawsuit we are currently pursuing against the 135-kilometre road project in Merauke relies heavily on the Special Autonomy Law, but there is no implementing Perdasus. You cannot expect one law alone to regulate every practical issue arising from different sectors,” he said.
Gobay urged governors, provincial legislatures (DPR), and the Papua People’s Assembly (MRP) across Papua’s six provinces to prioritize drafting a Perdasus that would formally recognize Indigenous Papuans’ veto rights over large-scale investment policies.
Without such legal safeguards, he warned, the creation of new provinces could end up serving the interests of investors rather than improving the welfare of Indigenous communities.
“The governors, DPR and MRP all have a legal responsibility to protect Indigenous peoples. Given the number of National Strategic Projects now spread across Papua’s six provinces, each province should immediately establish a special committee to draft Perdasus and other regional regulations governing investment,” Gobay said.
“If they fail to do so, Papua’s forests will continue to disappear, and Indigenous communities will become even poorer,” he added. (*)
Like marriage, international relations need to be cosseted and cherished. Ours with Indonesia is going the other way through indifference.
Experiencing Indonesia (ANU Press), a collection of essays celebrating the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) 30th anniversary has just been published. Its contributors know about next door. The folk in that volcanic land aren’t close except in geography.
The mid-1990s was a golden time for Indonesianists. Paul Keating proclaimed that “no country was more important than the land next door” and signed a security agreement.
Among the believers was Dr David Hill at Perth’s Murdoch University. He decided to turn words into deeds with the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS): a non-profit, educational consortium to develop and coordinate high-quality, semester-long study programs at Indonesian partner universities for Australian university students.
The idea appealed, for the electorate was receptive. Bahasa Indonesia was becoming popular for language learners, and Bali the exotic island for holidays. ACICIS was the bonding agent of the moment.
From then on, it should have failed – almost everything else did. First came Krismon, the Asian economic crisis; the rupiah falling like Icarus. Then chaos as the brutal dictator Soeharto quit his 32-year reign, and his successor BJ Habibie shredded the Keating deal.
John Howard suggested a referendum on the future of the blood-stained East Timor. The nearby island had been screaming for freedom since the 1975 invasion of the former Portuguese colony by Soeharto’s thugs. Watch the Australian film Balibo (banned in Indonesia) to remember.
Howard’s idea was surprisingly accepted as Jakarta wrongly assumed the people loved Indonesian rule. But when the Timorese voted 80–20 for independence, army-backed militias torched the tiny island and killed as they retreated. An estimated 100,000 had died through famine and violence during Indonesia’s 25-year control.
Australia led the 22-nation peacekeeping force INTERFET, getting fame in the Commonwealth but anger in Indonesia.
The new century brought the Bali and Embassy bombs and other outrages. Boeings that had once flown full of joyful holiday-makers now carried joyless crews.
Democracy came with riots, then a firing squad for Aussie drug couriers, despite clemency pleas from new PM Tony Abbott, who never understood the culture.
What caring parent would bless their teens studying in such a country? Would they be converted? Always eat rice? What about safety?
ACICIS survived, partly through the diplomacy now lacking in the Middle East, and the influence of those who’d studied in Australia – often graduates of the original Colombo Plan. Professor Hill’s foresight in creating the consortium kept a gateway open, though as he recalls it “tottered and teetered” for a while.
New PM Malcolm Turnbull got friendly with the latest Prez, laid-back batik-model and toll-road builder Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo. In 2020, Jokowi spoke in Parliament to great applause.
Keating may have been right about Indonesia’s importance – though not enough for Australians to treat Jakarta with the reverence used for Washington, even under Trump.
After ten years of negotiation, a free trade document was signed with another ugly title, IA-CEPA, the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Maybe they just wanted to secure supplies of beef and grains because little has happened since.
The tourists were still into Bali hotels, but the students were heading elsewhere, preferring to spend their allowances and have fun in the US, the UK**,** China, Canada and Japan.
The laments about unis abandoning the teaching of Indonesian language and culture still brings tears.
There are some perennial gripes in journalism. One is Indonesian annoyance at the Australian media’s failure to distinguish between Muslims generally and radical elements such as the Taliban. That’s Ms Hanson’s doing.
Canberra has tried to help with its New Colombo Plan for undergrads seeking “to develop their Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy through immersive, structured learning and internships in the region”. That’s 37 countries with Indonesia at the top. Our giant embassy in Jakarta crows: “Since its inception in 2014, more than 12,000 students have been supported to study and undertake internships in Indonesia, more than any other participating country”.
The original 1950s Colombo Plan brought thousands of students into Australia for all the expected benevolent reasons, though the real purpose was to combat Communism. After two decades, the CP shrunk as supporting nations withdrew – the US only this year. Some called it “paternalistic” and a Cold War approach to aid.
There are around 24,000 Indonesian students in Australia still absorbing our values and hopefully having a good time.
Experiencing Indonesia recounts 30 years of helping undergrads adjust to next door. It has 25 staff, offices in Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bogor and Bandung and a budget of $24 million. So far 5,000 have benefitted.
That generosity should have been extended to 50,000. The ACICIS leaders agree. But they’re up against a public that looks at Indonesia with suspicion, amplified by One Nation rants against Islam.
The 318-page book has many pages in abstruse and prolix prose as though this certifies the book’s academic credibility. “Pedagogic ensemble” deters. “Adventures in squatland – Oz students tell” invites readers. Like tales of cramped kos (homestay) living, jumping red lights, going barefoot in lavatories and graduating through “transformative experiential learning opportunities” aka discovering the world.
Aussies going to Indonesia for any serious reason should sample some of this book – free online. Although some parts are revealing and useful, overall it feels it’s by and for the in-groups.
Bali may be going off the boil. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics report shows the most popular overseas destinations in February were NZ and Japan, then Indonesia.
If we stop going, mateship could sour and the misunderstandings multiply, aggravated by Ms Hanson’s hangups about the faith followed by more than 87 per cent of the Republic, the population pushing 288 million. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other state and is the world’s fourth most populous nation.
Should a demagogue appear (Indonesia is democratic, but so is the US), we need to make this de facto drift into a de jure deal.
The ACICIS youngsters who park their prejudices with the oldies, go overseas as thoughtless teens and return as thoughtful adults, might help erase the Senator’s fatuity with facts.
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