Latest news with #WestPapua
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Indonesia Halts Nickel Mine Near Dive Hotspot on Tourism Concern
Indonesia will suspend production at a nickel mine near a diving hotspot in the east of the country over concerns it could impact tourism. Owned by state firm PT Aneka Tambang, the mine in the Raja Ampat archipelago in West Papua will be halted while a government team investigates its impact on the area, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters on Thursday. The region is a marine protected area and internationally renowned among divers for its coral reefs and biodiversity.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
Magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits parts of Indonesia
An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck the West Papua region in Indonesia, the GFZ reported. The quake hit the country at 3.43am local time. There was no tsunami threat.
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 23 May
This handout photo taken and released on May 19, 2025 by Indonesia's search and rescue agency (BASARNAS) shows rescuers recovering bodies after hours of heavy rain triggered flooding and a landslide near a gold mine. Photo: AFP PHOTO / INDONESIA SEARCH AND RESCUE AGENCY (BASARNAS) Indonesia's state news agency Antara has reported 10 people are confirmed dead in the Arfak mountains district of West Papua, following a flash flood and landslide. The head of the Manokwari office of the national search and rescue agency, Yefri Sabaruddin, said the search and rescue operation involved 127 personnel from various organisations. He said local residents and families of victims have also contributed to the search and rescue. As of Wednesday, he said 10 people were still missing. Reuters previously reported the disaster engulfed temporary shelters used by miners. Samoa's Ministry of Finance says its public debt stands at just over 800 million tala (about US$289 million), as at December last year. The Ministry said it issued a press statement to address misinformation being shared. This debt is as at the end of the second quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, which is last December. It consists of 93.4 percent external debt and 6.5 percent domestic debt. The three major external creditors for Samoa include the EXIM Bank of China, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, with the Unit Trust of Samoa being the only domestic creditor. The ministry said one of Samoa's fiscal rules is the debt to GDP ratio of 50 percent, and as at December the ratio stood at 23.2 per cent. The finance ministry said since 2017, Samoa has not borrowed but rather utilized grants received from all its development partners for its national development. A new partnership between Australia and JCS Enterprise is set to expand cocoa sourcing and market access for Solomon Islands farmers in northeast Guadalcanal. Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Rod Hilton, said this partnership is creating reliable markets for farmers, creating more local jobs, and enabling Solomon Islands cocoa to reach its full export potential. The partnership will help with financing for a vehicle suited to the rough terrain in cocoa-growing areas east of the Bokokimbo River, as well as upgrading JCS's cocoa storage capacity and sourcing operations to improve cocoa quality. As it prepares for the country's 50th anniversary celebrations, the Papua New Guinea Government has revealed plans for what has been dubbed Defence Week - the first week of September. PNG Defence Force personnel have briefed the Prime Minister James Marape on what is planned, with up to 11 foreign defence forces taking part in activities on land, sea, and air. An air show featuring fighter jets, helicopters, and military cargo planes will be held, while there will also be a naval display, and a military tattoo featuring all of the defence contingents. The 50th anniversary events, throughout the month of September, are expected to attract thousands of citizens, dignitaries, and international visitors.
RNZ News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Pacific news: geopolitics, military operations and deep-sea
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa at the 99th USP Council Meeting in Auckland. 21 May 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis Samoa's PM warns of growing geopolitical interest in the Pacific, increased military operations in West Papua, concern over a deep-sea mining frontrunner sidestepping UN oversight and Tonga's kava Committee calls for more support for growers. Koroi Hawkins is RNZ Pacific Editor
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Rising military operations in West Papua spark concerns about displacement of indigenous Papuans
This photo is shared by from the Indonesia Army. It shows the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Mobile Yonif 1 Marine Task Force for Indonesian-PNG Border Security interact with the indigenous Papuan women in Kokamu Village, Yahukimo Regency, Papua and purchase local agricultural produce. 10 May 2025 Led by the Bravo Post Commander, this activity was more than just an economic transaction. It served as a direct interaction platform between Indonesian Navy soldiers and the indigenous Papuan community. The soldiers purchased local agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, and tubers, showing their appreciation for the community's hard work. Photo: Faceook / Pusat Penerangan TNI A West Papua independence leader says escalating violence is forcing indigenous Papuans to flee their ancestral lands. It comes as the Indonesian military claims 18 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) were killed in an hour-long operation in Intan Jaya on 14 May. In a statement, reported by Kompas Daily , Indonesia's military said its presence is "not to intimidate the people" but to protect them from violence. "We will not allow the people of Papua to live in fear in their own land," it said. Indonesia's military said it seized firearms, ammunition, bows and arrows. They also took morning star flags - used as a symbol for West Papuan independence - and communication equipment. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda, who lives in exile in the United Kingdom, told RNZ Pacific that seven villages in Ilaga, Puncak Regency in Central Papua are now being attacked. "The current military escalation in West Papua has now been building for months. Initially targeting Intan Jaya, the Indonesian military have since broadened their attacks into other highlands Regencies, including Puncak," he said. Wenda said women and children are being forced to leave their villages because of escalating conflict, often from drone attacks or airstrikes. Benny Wenda Photo: RNZ Pacific / Kelvin Anthony Earlier this month, ULMWP claimed one civilian and another was seriously injured after being shot at from a helicopter. Last week, ULMWP shared a video of a group of indigenous Papuans walking through mountains holding an Indonesian flag, which Wenda said was a symbol of surrender. "They look at us as primitive and they look at us as subhuman," Wenda said. He said the increased military presence was driven by resources. President Prabowo Subianto's administration has a goal to be able to feed Indonesia's population without imports as early as 2028. A video statement from tribes in Mappi Regency in South Papua from about a month ago, translated to English, said they rejected Indonesia's food project and asked companies to leave. In the video, about a dozen Papuans stood while one said the clans in the region had existed on customary land for generations and that companies had surveyed land without consent. "We firmly ask the local government, the regent, Mappi Regency to immediately review the permits and revoke the company's permits," the person speaking said. Wenda said the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) had also grown. But he said many of the TPNPB were using bow and arrows against modern weapons. "I call them home guard because there's nowhere to go."
