Day: July 4, 2021

Merauke, Papua (ANTARA) – Seven Indonesian soldiers donated bags of rice to native Papuans in Baidub Village, Ulilin Sub-district, Merauke District, Papua, as part of their sharing is caring program in the midst of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We share a little bit of what we get with our Papuan brothers and sisters,” Commanding officer of the 611 Infantry Battalion/Awang Long’s Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Security Task Force Lt.Col. Albert Frantesca said.

The community service is aimed at upholding the unity of the task force personnel stationed in the Bupul 12 security checkpoint with the Baidub villagers, he said in a press statement that ANTARA quoted here Sunday.

The bags of rice the border security checkpoint’s commanding officer Second Lieutenant (2d Lt) Nyoman along with six soldiers donated hopefully became a little help to ease the villagers’ burden, he said.

“We keep striving to help locals near the Indonesia-PNG border areas,” he added. ANTARA had reported on Indonesian soldiers deployed in Papua that were helping locals through community services, such as healthcare, mobile library, voluntary teaching, and street cleanup programs.

In February this year, for instance, several personnel from the 756/WMS Infantry Battalion’s security task force offered a mobile health service to people residing in Beanekogom Village, Tembagapura Sub-district, Mimika District.

The health service has routinely been conducted as part of the task force’s community services to ensure that locals are in good health.

The task force’s commander, Major Marolop Edison Bala Hutapea, stated that the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) is mindful of the difficulties faced by local residents and maintain an emotional connect with them.

Sincerity in conducting community services and tending to the needs of local communities would make the TNI security posts useful to them, according to Hutapea.

Meanwhile, personnel of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Security Task Force in Mosso Village had ever initiated a street cleanup program in the village of Muara Tami Sub-district, Jayapura City.

Along with the villagers of Mosso, several members of the task force cleared dirt and debris from the village’s streets.

The soldiers, who participated in the community service, belonged to the Army Strategic Reserves Command’s (Kostrad’s) Raider 413 Mechanic Infantry Battalion.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah) Rector Amany Lubis lauded the government’s endeavors to enhance access to education among native Papuans to improve the quality of Papua and West Papua’s human capital.

“The government’s efforts to invest in education sector and human resources development will make Papua (and West Papua) better in the future,” she said in a statement that ANTARA quoted here on Sunday.

The government has equally provided Papua and West Papua with special facilities to improve the quality of their human resources as evidently shown by a variety of scholarship programs offered to native Papuans.

Thanks to the government’s scholarship programs, such as LPDP, Bidikmisi, and affirmative actions for secondary and post-secondary education, they get better access to quality education, she said.

The Papuan students could pursue higher education in various areas of studies, including anthropology, mining, engineering, social and cultural sciences, and religious studies.

“These efforts are aimed at preparing native Papuans for becoming the agents of change,” said Lubis who became one of the speakers at the “Understanding Papua Series #1” webinar on Friday. She suggested that the efforts need a synergistic collaboration between the central and provincial governments in promoting sustainable regional development in Papua and West Papua.

By doing so, the whole communities’ welfare could be improved so that their quality of life could also be improved, Lubis said.

“Local wisdoms are necessarily adopted to boost the regional development programs to make the outcomes better,” she added.

Despite receiving a significant amount of central government funds, Papua and West Papua are still struggling to improve the quality of their human capital, as indicated by their scoring below the national average of 71.94 on Indonesia’s 2020 Human Development Index.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua scored 60.44 and 65.09, respectively, on the 2020 Human Development Index. Their scores remained lower than Aceh province, which got 71.94 points.

BPS data released in February this year has pegged poverty rates in Papua and West Papua at 26.8 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively.

Development outcomes also remain inequitable for native Papuan communities, as indicated by low income levels and lack of access to education and health services.

Amid this challenging reality, the government has hinted its intention of extending the allocation of special autonomy funds to Papua and West Papua by another two decades to accelerate efforts to close the development gap and bring prosperity to all communities in the region.

Source: Antara News

Lebak (ANTARA) – The Baduy community, which live in the remote parts of Lebak district, Banten province, are conducting a raid on modern goods considered contradictory to local customs.

“All the modern items have been destroyed,” Badui resident Kudil said on Saturday.

During the raid, all Badui people destroyed their modern household appliances, he said

He said the raid was conducted by Badui Dalam community appointed as a customary law enforcer.

The modern items include glass, plate, tea pot, pan, handphone and motorcycle. During the raid on Sunday, they set three motorcycles ablaze, he said.

“Our household appliances made of rubber and iron also have been destroyed,” he said.

He said the raid is conducted once every three months, with the aim of upholding customary rules banning the use of modern goods.

The Badui community must comply with customary rules which ban them from using modern goods including cars and motorcycles, he said.

Source: Antara News

A number of Indonesia’s key products are on display at Belt & Road Expo 2021 which is currently being held in Sanghai, China,

To show off the key products, Indonesia set up a special pavilion at the international expo, the Indonesian consulate general in in Shanghai said in a written statement released on Sunday.

Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun inaugurated the Indonesian pavilion at the expo organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) of Shanghai chapters. Among Indonesia’s key products on display at the expo are biscuit, shrimp chips, instant noodle, swallow nest and canned coconut juice.

The Indonesian pavilion also features national art and cultural performances during the expo.

A broad array of products from 30 countries including Australia Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea , Madagascar, Nigeria, Mauritius, Thailand, Poland, Turkey, Vietnam, and China are showcased at the expo.

The expo is held in adherence to the health protocols. to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Chief of the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Office in Shanghai Indra Prahasta,said eight Indonesian food and beverage producers clinched trade transactions at the expo.

He said Indonesia’s participation in the expo is part of the effort to expand the export market for Indonesian foods and beverages in mainland China.

Source: Antara News