The atmosphere in Wamena is gradually normal, the government guarantees the security of residents
By: Sabby Kosay) *
Had been hit by riots, the situation in the City of Wamena, Jayawijaya, Papua was reported to have returned safe and conducive. Refugees have left the refugee camps and students are also returning to school.
Schools which had been closed due to the riots, are now gradually normal. The students have returned to school to study for their future. However, not all schools directly held a teaching and learning process on the first day after the riots entered.
Like SMP N 1 Wamena, in that school students are given time to play on the first day of school. The cheerful faces of the students. They seemed happy playing together, they did it in order to eliminate the trauma from the students.
There were around 190 students who left that day. The number is indeed still far from the total students of SMP N 1 Wamena, which amounts to 1,097 students.
Meanwhile, SMA N 1 Wamena and SD Tresia Unggul chose to send their students home early on the first day, because there were no teaching and learning activities.
The students admitted that they were still worried about the security conditions in Wamena. However, they still go to school because they want to study so that they will not miss their lessons.
Data from the Ministry of Social Affairs noted that on September 6, 2019, the number of refugees in Wamena was 1,726. They spread to Jayawijaya Regional Police Station, Koramil, and Subdenpom Wamena.
Some also sought refuge in Bethlehem Church, Infantry Battalion 756 / WMS, to the mosque. While as many as 15,544 people have recorded an exodus from Wamena from 23 September to 5 October.
The Papua Regional Police Chief, Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw confirmed that the situation in Wamena Papua, so far, has been monitored conducive. The community has also been active as usual.
Based on Paul’s observation, the activities of residents in Wamena have started to be normal. Markets, stalls and shops have started to open as usual.
The flow of traffic was already busy with the activities of the local community. He also said that residents in the refugee camp had begun to decrease. He also invited refugees who were still in the Polres and Kodim to return home because the conditions were safe.
Paulus also invited residents who fled in other areas to return. The man born in Fakfak hoped that the community could revive the economy in Wamena, which had died due to the riots.
To support the conduciveness in Wamena, the security forces have added a Brimob company imported from East Kalimantan. The addition of Brimob members is done to provide security and comfort to local residents.
In addition to efforts to maintain conduciveness in Wamena, the government also asked people who are engaged in social media or social media activists, to help cool the atmosphere and help the community to immediately eliminate trauma caused by the riots that occurred in Wamena, Papua.
The government also promised to try to provide security guarantees to the people in the area and eliminate trauma from the riots and be able to return to work as usual.
From the economic sector, it appears that the economic wheels can be seen from the post office and banking services that began to open services.
Head of PT Pos Indonesia Regional XI Region of Papua and West Papua Lily Sellano said that his office was operating normally. According to him, this week PT Pos Indonesia will consolidate so that officers who have left Wamena can return to their respective places of duty.
Meanwhile from the banking side, BI’s Head of Representative Office in Papua Naek Tigor Sinaga said that all banks in Wamena had returned to normal operations. These banks include BRI, Bank Papua, BNI and BPR.
He also ensured that the riots in Wamena would not disrupt cash supplies in the area. Until now in Wamena, there is a cash deposit from BI managed by Bank Papua with a ceiling of Rp 150 billion.
Building a conducive atmosphere in Wamena, in fact, does require synergy from all elements of the community, from the riots, surely we can take lessons that misleading information will only create chaos that is detrimental to many parties.
) * The writer is a Papuan student, living in Yogyakarta
