Aides and a member of the Indonesian Military (TNI) stood on alert less than 50 meters from us.
By
DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO, SUCIPTO
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
Vehicles pass on the Nduga-Mumugu section of the Trans Papua road, Saturday (16/10/2021). The 40-kilometer trans road is mostly paved stone roads and it's still easy to find gaping holes.
About 10 minutes away from Kenyam, the city center of Nduga regency, Papua, our four-wheel-drive pickup truck stopped right behind a black Toyota Fortuner, the official car of the regent of Nduga, Wentius Nimiangge. On the steep, rocky road, Wentius got out of the car.
The road was deserted. On the left and right side was dense forest. Wentius chose that location, on the Trans-Papua Highway that would connect the Kenyam-Wamena route – but had not been connected yet – for the location of the interview. As Wentius got out of the car, his three aides stood around him as if to protect him but were told to stay away by the regent.
At the location, we interviewed Wentius and got permission to fly a drone. The interview lasted only about 15 minutes. During that time, our hearts beat fast and we felt insecure.
Aides and a member of the Indonesian Military (TNI) stood on alert less than 50 meters from us. Their gazes were sharp, looking at the forest to our right and left. There was a trail that was guarded by an aide of the regent, his gaze sweeping the area around the trail waiting for any movement.
Yet to win hearts
The interview started. The regent began to explain why the Trans-Papua Highway and other roads were important for the residents of Nduga and dozens of other districts from the five surrounding regencies.
"Pak [President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo], thank you for building the road here, but the road has not yet won our hearts, we still move slowly. When will construction resume? The road from here to Mumugu is already covered with grass and rocks like this,” said Wentius.
Wentius said the route was the entrance to the mountains that connected Lanny Jaya, Jayawijaya, Tolikara, Mount Bintang and other locations. Nduga is the entrance because it is the closest to the river, so the construction of the port in Mumugu, Asmat, can be effectively used.
According to Wentius, the Trans-Papua Highway was opened without the construction of roads connecting to districts or villages. "I'm sorry. Those from the village going to Kenyam went up and down the mountain on foot, half dead," he said.
However, the road where we stood and did the interview was the access point for the armed group and was considered a red zone. Whenever there was a sound of movement from behind the grass on the right or left, heads turned.
We were forbidden to go further than the interview location. The spot was quite far from the location where 31 PT Istaka Karya workers were killed while working on the Trans-Papua Highway in December 2018. They were thought to have been shot and killed by an armed criminal group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya. However, the road where we stood and did the interview was the access point for the armed group and was considered a red zone. Whenever there was a sound of movement from behind the grass on the right or left, heads turned.
After the interview, Wentius' aide asked us to hurry away. We even threw some of our belongings into the tailgate of the truck.
Before we arrived at the location, on Saturday afternoon (16/10/2021), Andreas, a resident of Nduga who accompanied us around, warned us. He refused to join us when we asked him to go to the Trans-Papua Highway on the Kenyam-Wamena route.
Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
Residents wait for the plane that just landed at Nduga Airport, Saturday (16/10/2021).
"Better tomorrow. On Sunday, dorang [they] won't kill people," Andreas said. In Nduga, Sunday is the time for residents to worship at church.
That afternoon, we headed back to Kenyam and were greeted by a red sky, a sign that it was about to turn dark. Kenyam was getting quieter. We didn't meet many
people, but once we met a group of residents, they threw sharp glances.
In Kenyam, when it was getting dark, we met the chairman of the Nduga regency Indigenous Peoples Institution (LMA), Jhon Beon.
The road, around Lorentz National Park, partly affected hunting locations and sacred areas for residents.
John said the construction of the Trans-Papua Highway in Nduga never involved the indigenous people who were the owners of the ulayat (customary) land. The road, around Lorentz National Park, partly affected hunting locations and sacred areas for residents.
“Not involving the community was a big mistake. The community should have been involved from the beginning of planning to implementation and monitoring," said Jhon.
The long conflict in Nduga, according to Jhon, was triggered by the absence of community involvement in planning. "Ignoring the community eventually leads to social jealousy, negative thoughts and even disturbances," said Jhon.
The executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Papua, Aies Rumbekwan, said there was no “no man's land” in Papua. But ironically, in the development of Papua, the community is often not involved. This shows injustice.
"The injustice must be corrected first, then we will talk differently," said Aies.
Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
The bustling center of Kenyam City, the capital of Nduga Regency, which is located near the airstrip, Saturday (16/10/2021).
We were in Nduga no less than 10 hours, but time seemed to stand still. Anxiety continued to surround us. The shooting incident of the PT Istaka Karya workers in 2018 and other shootings in the central mountain area in 2020 and 2021 had made security issues an impediment to the government’s construction of the segment of the Trans-Papua Highway that crosses through Nduga. (ILO)
