Friday, July 10, 2026

1) BRIN expedition discovers new gold reserves in Papua: Prabowo


2) Freeport Workers’ Layoff Dispute Brought Before Labor Minister

3) Update on arbitrary detention and alleged torture of Papuan student Roy Suhuniap: Mr Suhuniap released without charges

4) Papua Governor Proposes Expanding Cross-Border Trade With Pacific Nations to Boost Local Revenue



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1) BRIN expedition discovers new gold reserves in Papua: Prabowo  
July 10, 2026 09:56 GMT+700


Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto announced that a cross-agency expedition led by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) had discovered gold reserves and several new mineral deposits in Papua's mountainous region.

The new discovery was reported just hours before the President delivered a speech at the launch of the mandatory B50 program at the KM 57 rest area of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday (July 9).

"In two or three weeks, the team has discovered vast gold reserves and other mineral reserves," Prabowo spoke at the launch event.

Therefore, he called on all groups to foster the same sense of optimism for Indonesia's future.

"Our future is very good, very bright. Now we just have to continue pioneering, protecting our nation, maintaining goodness, reducing evil. We have to stop corruption, we have to stop smuggling, we have to stop narcotics, we have to stop online gambling," Prabowo continued.

At the same event, the President also highlighted Indonesia's vast untapped natural resources, citing substantial coal reserves as well as newly identified natural gas fields in the Andaman Block off the coast of Aceh and the Masela Block in Southwest Maluku.

"We still have very large (gas) fields in Masela, Southwest Maluku, in Natuna, in Kalimantan. We also recently discovered large fields, and we uncovered CNG. We still import LPG but we have a lot of CNG," he confirmed.

The head of state added that Central Java has started using compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), expressing hope that the initiative will be expanded to other parts of Indonesia.

"CNG is available throughout Indonesia, and technology has also been discovered to produce gas from deep underground coal, which has not yet been utilized. Ladies and gentlemen, in the midst of a global crisis, Indonesia has proven to have strength," Prabowo pointed out.

Related news: Forging Indonesia's future as a global gold reserve hub

Related news: Indonesia ready to establish bullion banks: Minister Thohir

Related news: RI hopes CNG gas networks accelerate clean energy access



Translator: Genta Tenri M, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala



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2) Freeport Workers’ Layoff Dispute Brought Before Labor Minister

by News Desk
 
 10 July 2026
 
in National & International
 
Reading Time: 3 mins read

Jayapura, Jubi – Presidential Special Adviser for Labor and Workers’ Welfare Said Iqbal has raised the unresolved dismissal of thousands of employees of PT Freeport Indonesia with Indonesia’s Minister of Manpower, Yassierli. Iqbal, who also serves as president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), discussed the case during a meeting with the minister at the Ministry of Manpower in Central Jakarta on Thursday (July 9, 2026).

“I informed the minister that we are handling the case of 2,374 PT Freeport employees who have remained in limbo for nearly nine years since they were dismissed. There is still no clarity over whether they were formally terminated or not, or what severance pay they are entitled to,” Iqbal said in a video recording provided to Jubi by KSPI’s Central Papua chapter on Friday (July 10, 2026).

Iqbal said his priority is to find a solution that is fair to all parties, including the affected workers, the people of Papua, and the company itself.

“We want the company to continue operating, but workers’ rights must not be ignored. Next week I will meet with PT Freeport’s board of directors at the Office of the Presidential Special Adviser,” he said.

The meeting between Iqbal and Yassierli also covered broader labor issues, including outsourced workers and a proposal to eliminate taxes on old-age security benefits (JHT).

Meanwhile, Laurenzus Kadepa, chair of KSPI’s Central Papua chapter, said President Prabowo Subianto should intervene directly to help resolve the long-running dispute involving former PT Freeport employees who participated in the workers’ strike, commonly known as Moker.

Kadepa said the dispute has remained unresolved since 2017 despite numerous attempts at settlement through bipartite negotiations, mediation, labor inspections, and both litigation and non-litigation processes.

He said representatives of the workers have also held hearings with the House of Representatives (DPR), the Regional Representative Council (DPD), the Ministry of Manpower, and Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

“Despite those efforts, thousands of former workers are still waiting for a comprehensive resolution that provides legal certainty over their employment status and rights,” Kadepa said.

He said hopes for a breakthrough have grown after Iqbal formally raised the issue with the Ministry of Manpower.

Iqbal is also scheduled to meet PT Freeport’s management to discuss the unresolved employment dispute involving the workers at the company’s copper and gold mining operations in Mimika Regency, Central Papua. 

ReferensiGeografis

Kadepa noted that Iqbal had previously met with Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai on June 24, 2026. During that meeting, Iqbal said he would prepare an assessment and submit recommendations to President Prabowo on resolving the long-running dispute involving the striking workers.

“That meeting marked an important milestone because it opened the possibility of the issue receiving direct attention from the President for the first time,” Kadepa said.

However, he stressed that resolving the dispute should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of the central government.

According to Kadepa, the Central Papua provincial government also has a responsibility to ensure effective coordination among relevant institutions so that the settlement process can move forward more efficiently.

He pointed to Government Regulation No. 33/2018, which designates provincial governors as representatives of the central government in their respective regions.

Under the regulation, governors are responsible not only for leading provincial administrations but also for coordinating government affairs, supervising district and municipal governments, monitoring and evaluating public policies, overseeing the implementation of national programs, and facilitating the resolution of strategic cross-sector issues.

Kadepa said those responsibilities are directly relevant to the Freeport labor dispute.

“Now that the central government has opened a path toward resolving the dispute through the Presidential Special Adviser, the Central Papua provincial government is in a strategic position to act as the main link between the central government, district administrations, labor authorities, and other stakeholders,” he said.

Kadepa said the current developments provide an opportunity for Central Papua Governor to demonstrate leadership in resolving one of Papua’s largest labor disputes.

He argued that as the central government begins to engage more actively through the Presidential Special Adviser, the provincial government should strengthen coordination within the scope of its own authority.

“The Central Papua provincial government has a strategic role in strengthening coordination so that the settlement process becomes more effective and provides certainty for workers as well as all stakeholders,” Kadepa said. 

ReferensiGeografis

He also welcomed the formation of a special committee by the Mimika Regional Legislative Council, saying it reflected growing political commitment at the local level.

With communication channels to the central government now opening, Kadepa said the momentum should not end with meetings and recommendations alone. Instead, he urged the Central Papua provincial government to become an active strategic partner in implementing any future recommendations submitted to President Prabowo.

He said this would ensure that the President’s decisions are supported by accurate information from the field, strong inter-agency coordination, and administrative measures that fall within the authority of regional governments. (*)



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3) Update on arbitrary detention and alleged torture of Papuan student Roy Suhuniap: Mr Suhuniap released without charges

General, Human Rights News / Indonesia, West Papua / 10 July 2026 
Papuan students, Mr Roy Suhuniap, was released unconditionally on 2 July 2026 after investigators found no evidence of linking him to any criminal offense. His release set an end to three weeks of arbitrary detention during which Mr Suhuniap was reportedly tortured. The Papuan Association of Human Rights Lawyers (Paham Papua) and Legal Aid Organisation, LBH, had provided legal support during detention, demanding Mr Suhuniap unconditional release. Yet there has been no information whether the allegations of torture have been officially reported to the Police Profession and Security Division (Propam).

Background

On 11 June 2026, intelligence and police officers forcibly arrested twenty-three-year-old student Roy Suhuniap at Jayapura Port, Jayapura City, Papua Province. Mr Suhuniap had just arrived in Jayapura aboard the Gunung Dempo Ship. As he was about to disembark, approximately 15 officers apprehended him without showing a warrant. Mr Suhuniap was subjected to torture during police detention at the Jayapura District police headquarters. Following the detention, the police failed to inform Mr Suhuniap’s family about the detention.

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4) Papua Governor Proposes Expanding Cross-Border Trade With Pacific Nations to Boost Local Revenue


by News Desk  10 July 2026 in National & International Reading Time: 2 mins read

Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Governor Matius Derek Fakhiri has proposed strengthening cross-border trade with Pacific countries, particularly Papua New Guinea (PNG), as part of efforts to increase the province’s locally generated revenue (PAD).

Fakhiri presented the proposal during a meeting with Indonesia’s Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Agus Andrianto, in Jakarta on Thursday (July 9, 2026).

He said Papua’s economy could grow significantly if locally produced goods were marketed not only within the province but also exported to international markets.


“Selling our products within Papua alone can already increase local revenue. It would be even better if we could expand into the Pacific region, including PNG,” Fakhiri said.

According to the governor, achieving that goal will require close cooperation with the Directorate General of Immigration, including strengthening border checkpoints to facilitate trade and improve cross-border mobility.

During the meeting, Fakhiri also proposed a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections that would allow civil servants from the Papua provincial government to transfer into the ministry.

He said the initiative would help optimize the province’s civil service workforce while strengthening immigration services in eastern Indonesia.

“We appreciate the opportunity to meet with the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections today. One of the issues we raised is the relatively large number of civil servants employed by the Papua provincial government. We are encouraging the transfer of some of our civil servants into the Ministry of Immigration,” he said. 

AsiaTenggara & Kepulauan Pasifik

Fakhiri said Minister Agus welcomed the proposals and expressed the ministry’s readiness to support the Papua provincial government’s strategic programs.

The meeting also discussed involving prison inmates in agricultural and plantation programs currently being promoted by the provincial government.

“Rather than simply waiting to complete their sentences, inmates could take part in productive activities such as the food brigade program. It would equip them with practical skills before they return to society,” Fakhiri said.

He also welcomed the minister’s support for expanding opportunities for Indigenous Papuans to serve within the Ministry of Immigration, including the possibility of holding senior leadership positions such as regional office heads in the future.

According to Fakhiri, the initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Indigenous Papuan representation within Indonesia’s national bureaucracy. (*)


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