TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Nduga evacuees wait for more help after months of armed conflict
The future looks uncertain for residents of numerous villages that have had to abandon their homes in Nduga regency of Papua because of an armed conflict.
Change Size
Students who fled from their homes in Nduga regency study at a makeshift emergency school in Wamena regency on March 5. (Courtesy of Ence Geong/-)
A
conflict between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and an armed group calling itself the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), which has forced residents of numerous villages in Papua’s conflict-ridden Nduga regency to abandon their homes, continues unabated.
Thousands of people from the districts of Mbua, Yal, Bulmuyalma, Koroptak, Nitkuri, Yigi, Mugi, Mam and Mapenduma walked for days as they struggled to seek refuge from the chaos and violence in their villages. Some of the families finally settled in neighboring Lanny Jaya regency, while others took shelter in Jayawijaya regency.
"Around 2,000 people fled Nduga. There were several more who remained in the forests surrounding Nduga and Lanny Jaya. They need immediate help," Papua Justice and Welfare Foundation director Theo Hesegem said.
They have fled their homes gradually since December last year.
He said the evacuees no longer had any reason to return to their villages, since their homes and farms had been severely damaged amid the violence. He added that vital infrastructure, such as schools and regional administration offices, were no longer functional, as they now served as headquarters for military and police officers.
Peron Ubruangge, one of the evacuees in Wamena, Jayawijaya, said he had to cross hills and valleys with his family and 13 others fleeing on foot from the chaos at home. Some of the evacuees gave birth on the way, while others fell ill or even died.
He was currently staying at a family member’s home in Wamena. However, he said he was unable to find work there.
