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Government neglects Papua earthquake victims: Council
The Regional Representatives Council claims the government was too slow in helping victims of a 7
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he Regional Representatives Council claims the government was too slow in helping victims of a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that rocked the Papua regencies of Yapen and Biak last week.
"More than a week on, the government has done little, despite the fact that the disaster has claimed lives and displaced thousands of people. The government's slow reaction is indicative of the double standards in disaster mitigation efforts," Deputy Council Speaker Hemas said in a press statement Friday.
Hemas, the consort of Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, said the Papuan people had been treated with discrimination.
"Is this happening because Papua is far from Jakarta, so the government chooses to ignore that region? Things would have been very different had the earthquake struck Java, Bali or Sumatra. Many institutions would have rushed to help and deliver relief supplies and to show off."
Reports said thousands of people in three remote villages in Yapen were at risk of starvation and outbreak of diseases as the quake had practically isolated the areas.
The feeling of being discriminated against by the central government among Papuan people has for decades fueled demands for secession from Indonesia. The special autonomy granted to the natural resources-rich province in 2001 has not stopped separatist group Free Papua Organization from laying down arms.
Hemas criticized the fact that both President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono had failed to convey official condolences to Papuans following the devastating earthquake.
"Therefore, the Council urges the government to move quickly and swiftly in dealing with the earthquake in Papua. The government must be directly involved to show it is serious in establishing fair and non-discriminatory governance," she said.
"The regions need concrete action, not promises for mere political showboating."
Quoting reports from the ground, the earthquake, which took place on June 16, killed 17 people, wounded 24 and displaced around 4,600 people.
However, the Serui disaster management post in Yapen reported that the actual number of displaced people could reach 10,000 residents. The quake, it added, had destroyed at least 5,000 houses.
The quake also caused material losses worth an estimated Rp 800 billion (US$88 million) as it damaged infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, as well as water facilities and drainage systems.
Quake taskforce head Alex Kiriweno said assistance from the central government and the Papua administration was essential and that large funds would be needed to rebuild Yapen Island.
It took Papua Deputy Governor Alex Hesegem a week to visit the victims in Serui. He urged all Papua provincial administration employees to donate money to the relief effort.
Donations can be sent to Serui Quake Assistance via transfers to the Serui branches of Bank BRI (account number 0309-01-000286-30-1) or Britama (0309-01-017374-50-1).
Vice presidential spokesman Yoppie Hidayat denied Hemas' claims, saying the government had taken real action to help quake victims in Papua.
"The Vice President has been coordinating with the Social Services Ministry in taking necessary measures to handle the impacts of the earthquake in Papua," Yoppi told The Jakarta Post.
