Ministry of Social Affairs Provides Assistance for Victims in Papua’s Riot

JAYAPURA (September 10, 2019) – The Ministry of Social Affairs moved quickly to respond to the social disaster which happened in Papua and West Papua, after the riot last August. Today, the Social Affairs Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita landed on Jayapura, to distribute the assistance.

Total of the assistance distributed by the Social Affairs Minister is IDR7,300,000,000, each of them is for Papua Province in total of IDR1,210,000,000, and West Papua Province in total of IDR6,090,000,000.

“This Assistance is a form of the state presence in handling the disaster. The government and Ministry of Social Affairs have high commitment together with the public to do as many efforts to restore post-social disaster which happened in Jayapura, Manokwari, Sorong, and Fakfak,” said the Social Affairs Minister on the Social Assistance Distribution Activity for Social Disaster Victims due to the riots in Papua Province and West Papua Province, in Jayapura, Wednesday (10/09/2019).

To be more specific, for Papua Province, the assistance is total of IDR1,210,000,000 for 242 work units in Jayapura city, each of them is IDR5,000,000.

Then, for West Papua Province, the assistance was distributed to 31 work units in Sorong. Each of them received total of IDR5,000,000, so that the total amount is IDR160,000,000. The assistance was also distributed to an injured victim on Sorong for total of IDR5,000,000.

In Manokwari Regency, the assistance was distributed to 165 work units with each of them receiving IDR5,000,000, so the total is IDR825,000,000. As for Fak Fak Regency, the assistance was distributed to 1.021 work units with each of them receiving IDR5,000,000, so that the total amount is IDR5,105,000,000.

“The distributed assistance is the Productive Economic Business assistance (UEP) and Psychosocial Support Service,” said the Social Affairs Minister. To the public, he stated that President Jokowi hoped that the government assistance had benefits to relieve the burden of suffering for both the victims and their family from the social disaster.

Agus Gumiwang added, the Ministry of Social Affairs’ program and activity for handling the conflict includes prevention through strengthening the public in avoid a conflict with Social Compatibility and Local Wisdom activity, as well as National Harmony.

“For emergency management, it’s been done through basic needs service for affected victims, compensation assistance for injured and passed away victims, meanwhile in restoring post-conflict, it’s been done through Psychosocial Support Service, and stimulant assistance to strengthen economic business, and reconciliation,” said the Social Affairs Minister.

“The Ministry of Social Affairs also ensures access to regular social protection programs, such as Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT), also the other social assistance which has become The MoSA’s Authority,” said the Minister.

He stated that handling the social disaster conflict needed to get special and comprehensive attention, as well as being done professionally, systemic, and sustainable with as much public participation as possible. “This is to avoid a bigger loss and prevent the same problem from happening again,” he said.

The Social Affairs Minister pointed out, preventing and reducing the disaster risk must become a part of the public daily routine. “At least it can be started by seeing and learning the facts of social disaster, especially social conflict which always threatens the public to become a victim,” he said.

The Social Affairs Minister questioned, how the disaster management can be done between the various cultures and open public situation? “Sooner or later, the negative information which is accepted intensively internalizes and creates aggressive character so that people tend to be permissive against violence,” he said.

Social riots made many residents get evacuated. In the Ministry of Social Affairs’ record, in Papua, 1.750 persons evacuated in Lantamal X Jayapura; 350 persons in Kosong Island, Jayapura; and 200 persons in front of Jayapura Harbor. Moreover, 242 workplaces were damaged.

In Sorong, seven houses, and 31 units of workplaces got damaged. The destruction also happened in some public facilities such as the market, customary council house, office and bank facilities, city transportation, etc.

Public Relation Bureau
Ministry of Social Affairs Republic of Indonesia