Passing the Fly River, we entered the Wonam River in Indonesian territory. Two hours later, the boat arrived at a quiet swamp. A rancid smell floated from a distance.
By
Agustinus Wibowo
·5 minutes read
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
The atmosphere of the international market at the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border.
An international cross-border market spanning Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) operates every Wednesday and Saturday in Indonesian border territory. This event is much-awaited by villagers in PNG.
Kuem is the closest PNG village to the market. Elisa, a crocodile skin trader, left the village at 3 a.m. The old man allowed me to join him. Our boat carried 12 passengers, including four small children, and 300 fresh mujair (freshwater tilapia). About two hours later as the sun began to rise, we entered the main course of the Fly River, or the “curve” along the RI-PNG border.
Passing the Fly River, we entered the Wonam River in Indonesian territory. Two hours later, the boat arrived at a quiet swamp. A rancid smell floated from a distance. "Indonesia. We have arrived,” said the young man operating the boat.
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The so-called international market is actually just a field surrounded by tall trees of a plantation forest, with several wooden huts for resting.
The area has been functioning since 2010 as a market known as the “Bus Stop”, because people can take an angkot (public van) from here to the nearest Indonesian village of Asiki, around 30 kilometers away.
While it may seem like a makeshift market, this market is vital for the PNG villagers. The main commodity traded here is fish. PNG people sell mujair to Indonesian middlemen, who then resell the fish to markets in Asiki and Tanahmerah.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Travel to the international market on the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border.
Another commodity is fuel oil. Across the border in PNG, fuel is scarce and expensive. The people have to wait until the fuel supply arrives from Kiunga or Daru, and it costs 10 kina (Rp 50,000) for a liter. Meanwhile, across the border on the Indonesian side, fuel is abundant and cheap. Indonesian traders come to the market to sell gasoline. They buy fuel from a gas station in Asiki for Rp 10,500 per liter and sell it for Rp 12,000 per liter to people in PNG.
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Incidentally, Papuan district officials were conducting an inspection that day. When the officials’ cars arrived, Indonesian soldiers gathered all the PNG people in the center of the field that hosted the market.
All conversation took place in Indonesian and an Indonesian citizen from Papua province provided the Mandobo translation.
These Indonesian officials were actually from the same Mandobo tribe as the residents of Kuem village in the PNG borderland. However, the border between the territories has divided them linguistically, so they speak different languages. All conversation took place in Indonesian and an Indonesian citizen from Papua province provided the Mandobo translation. However, this person had limited fluency in the Mandobo language. In the end, a PNG villager translated the conversation into English.
The local police chief spoke about the trafficking of illicit goods, particularly alcohol and marijuana that were often smuggled from PNG. Meanwhile, the local military commander (Danramil) warned that PNG citizens who traveled to remote villages without a passport or a cross-border pass would be punished and deported from Indonesian territory.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Officials from a district in Indonesia\'s Papua came to carry out inspections on the international market.
The territorial border has created different mindsets. Even though the two groups were both of the Mandobo tribe, the Papuan district officials only talked about Indonesian interests.
All fish and gasoline traders from the Indonesian side are non-Papuans, and hail mostly from Java, Makassar and Manado.
A “border line” is also visible among the ordinary people. All fish and gasoline traders from the Indonesian side are non-Papuans, and hail mostly from Java, Makassar and Manado. Meanwhile, in the center of the field were rows of Papuan women (mama-mama) from Indonesia who displayed their wares on the ground, such as instant noodles, packaged rice, herbal oils, and batteries.
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The Papuan lifestyle is also more heavily influenced by Indonesia, in stark contrast to the native people of PNG. A Papuan woman named Rahel complained that her child no longer wanted to eat sago, and only wanted rice and instant noodles.
Rahel and other Papuan women live in a transmigrant camp not far from the market called Kampung Naga, which has a majority Javanese population. Rahel said she felt comfortable and safe living in the camp, and that she learned how to trade from the transmigrant residents.
Papuans from Indonesia mingle freely with non-Papuan migrants at the market. They talk, do business and share gossip. On the other hand, I observed a kind of “barrier” separating Papuans from Indonesia and the PNG people, who barely spoke to one another.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Papua New Guineans generally buy gasoline on the international market.
Anita, another Papuan trader, acknowledged that she had been to Kuem to visit her relatives. She only stayed five days in Kuem because she didn\'t enjoy it. "We couldn\'t stay there. There was no electricity, no water, no television," she said.
“Is PNG that bad?” I asked.
“There is one good thing there. Our rupiah currency is ‘dead’ money in Indonesia, but it immediately becomes ‘alive’ if it is taken to the other side [of the border],” she said, grinning.
(This article was translated byKurniawan Siswoko).
