Signs of influx of West Papuans to PNG

Dorothy Tekwie Photo: RNZ / Koroi Hawkins

There are signs of an influx of West Papuans into Papua New Guinea amid a protracted conflict across the border.

Since 2018, there’s been a surge of violent exchanges between the West Papua Liberation Army and Indonesian security forces in Papua province.

Thousands of West Papuans have been displaced from the conflict’s epicentre in the Highlands regency of Nduga in the Indonesian-ruled province.

Some of the displaced have fled across the border to PNG’s West Sepik province, according to Vanimo landowner Dorothy Tekwie.

“The numbers in the camps on the PNG side have increased,” Ms Tekwie said.

“On my own particular land the number of young people, young men I’ve never seen before… there is an influx of people coming in, and they feel they are able to slide back in again.”

The main international border entry point at Wutung near Vanimo remains tightly guarded by Indonesian military forces. So too now are access points in Nduga and neighbouring Jayawija regency where many of the estimated 45,000 displaced Ndugans fled to last year when conflict intensified.

However, West Papuans are generally adept at moving and living in jungle, and across mountainous terrain. Long treks are made towards the international border, much of which is too porous for either Indonesia or PNG’s security forces to comprehensively monitor.

Some Papuans who slip across the border further inland end up along the north coast in Vanimo, where Ms Tekwie’s village is located, less than an hour’s drive from Wutung.

“I don’t know how they get through, but these are mountain people, they walk and live off the land; they know how to hunt; so if it’s getting too much on the other side, they just move over here,” she said.

“After all, this is just one island. There is no brick or cement border mark fencing from one end to another, it’s just open forest.”

West Papuans who end up in villages on the PNG side are generally able to blend in easily, being fellow Melanesians. However, those who are not registered as traditional border crossers, and therefore able to travel back and forth by law, are at risk of detection by Indonesian or PNG security forces.

“I try to control who is on the land because I don’t want people to get into trouble and cause trouble for me and other clan members.

“So, I try to know who is moving in and out of my place, but there are so many young men there that I don’t know who they are.”

Ms Tekwie said that West Papuans from the Highlands region were determined to resist Indonesian rule.

Source: RNZ

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RIP kaka Dai John Tekwie ~ Turut Berduka Cita atas berpulangnya Kaka Dai John Tekwie ke pangkuan Bapa di sorga

Tahun 1999, dua kali pertemuan saya secara pribadi dengan almarhum kk Dai John Tekwie seorang yang pernah menjabat sebagai Gubernur Sandown Province. Beliau juga adalah anak adat kampung Lido, Vanimo Propinsi Matahari terbenam Papua New Guinea.

Hari ini mendengar kepergian beliau untuk selamanya sejak kemarin dulu ke pangkuan Bapa disorga.

Kamipun turut berduka cita dan merasakan kehilangan salah satu sosok pemimpin terbaik Papua New Guinea. Aro sayang, walaupun kaka Dai pergi, secara pribadi kamipun akan mengenang semua peran beliau dalam perjuangan bangsa orang Papua Melanesia hari ini.

Dukungan besar almarhum kaka Dai John Tekwie bisa saya gambarkan sedikit disini.

Dua kali pertemuan dengan beliau saat itu tentu mengajarkan kami bahwa kaka Brother tuan John Tekwie adalah seorang anak adat yang punya hati besar mendukung Papua Barat Merdeka.

Pertemuan pertama di ruang pribadi kantor Gubernurnya di Vanimo (Pertemuan tertutup dengan almarhum John Tekwie). Pertemuan kedua di kampung Ambai alias kampung Lido sebutan masyarakat kampung Lido Vanimo karena dukungan beliau dan keluarga besar kampung Lido kepada kami saat mengatur beberapa kali pertemuan Nonviolent Training Workshop berlangsung di perbatasan Vanimo dan Port Numbay. Demikian pelayanan rohani lainnyapun beliau dan masyarakat kampung Lido memberikan dukungan yang besar senantiasa.

Tapi sayang belum berakhir perjuangan Papua Barat Merdeka hari ini. Almarhum kaka Dai John Tekwie pergi meninggalkan keluarga dan kita semua. Ada rasa suka cita tersendiri saat kita bersama waktu itu tahun 1999 di kota Vanimo. Kini kau pergi untuk selamanya meninggalkan pesan moral itu dibalik suasana duka. Pesanmu”Free West Papua adalah kerinduan kita semua”.

Aro sayang… Kamipun turut berduka-cita yang mendalam atas kepergian almarhum kaka Dai John Tekwie selamanya. Tuhan memberkati

Dokumentasi foto kaka Dai John Tekwie di pantai kampung Lido dan pelayanan rohani saudara saudari pemuda gereja Bethel Pentakosta Dok VIII dari Tim KKR tahun 1999 oleh Pdt Indra Karubaba melayani ibadah dan diterjemahkan oleh saudara Jonah Wenda di kampung Lido, Vanimo, PNG.

Source: Facebook.com

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via IFTTT August 02, 2019 at 11:33PM