Ministry of Social Affairs Plots Team and Prepare Aids for Papua

SORONG (September 4, 2019) - Ministry of Social Affairs plots a team to conduct an assessment towards riot victims that occurred in Papua and West Papua several times ago.

"As Director General of Social Security and Protection, I was assigned by the Minister of Social, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita to directly observe the impact of social riot that occured in Papua and West Papua," said Director General of Social Security and Protection, Harry Hikmat in Sorong, West Papua (3/9).

The Ministry of Social Affairs' team conducted an assessment of the affected victims to find out the impact of the riot, "We are looking at the fact that there are communities who may not be immediately in contact with the riots, yet becoming the victims of it," he continued.

Before taking walk around Sorong, Harry took time to meet a Junior High School student becoming one of the victims who was hit using a hammer by rioters.

"As I saw, there was a child who was hit when the riots happened, so that he got a heavy injury and had to have his nose operated. He had already got about 15 stitches, only his nose would be operated after that," said Harry.

The Director General also handed over compensation to the victims as much as 5 millions rupiah as an effort given by the Ministry of Social Affairs to ease the burden on victims.

The operation requires process because BPJS does not provide any guarantees for the treatment of victims caused by riots, which belongs to human activities. The Ministry of Social Affairs has the responsibility because there is a Directorate of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims. Social riot is certainly one type of social disasters.

"Based on the Law Number 7 on 2012 about handling social conflicts, the Ministry of Social Affairs has the responsibility to provide compensation, social assistance and psychosocial services for victims", he explained.

Harry walked around the city accompanied by the Head of Sorong Social Affairs, Gamar Malabar and his staff. "We will identify, while work together with the Social Affairs, which currently comes with me," he said.

Social Affairs in Papua and West Papua are asked to identify the affected businesses, both small and medium, which might be heavily damaged or cannot be used anymore because they were burned by rioters.

Preliminary data collected by the Ministry of Social Affairs team, the number of small and micro business units that can be identified are 224 units in Jayapura, 165 units in Manokwari and 30 units in Sorong. While for other regions, the data collection is still undertaken.

"They have lost their livelihoods and lost their livelihoods that have becoming their main sources in life. We do not want the consequences of the riots to emerge new poor families. This is the thing we have to concern about," he continued.

We have to help them recovering their condition soon, even though the aids coming from the Ministry of Social Affairs will be in the form of stimulant assistance to start a new business or a new form of entrepreneur or to continue an existing business, 5 millions rupiah maximally for each business group.

Compensation for those who deceased, according to Harry, will get 15 millions rupiah and compensation for the injured victim is a maximum of 5 millions.

For those whose houses were damaged, the Ministry of Social Affairs will provide stimulant assistance for building materials. "For damaged houses from low-income or poor families, the Ministry of Social Affairs will provide a maximum aid of 25 millions," he explained.

Thus, we make sure that any of the victims deserve help. We also concern about the principles of justice.

"For rioters who are in the legal process by the security forces or police are not included in the list of recommendation for assistance, but this is really addressed for the victims of the riots," he concluded.