VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Center for Demographic Research under the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has launched three books on the social demographic condition of native Papuans caught in the crosshairs of armed violence over the past years.

LIPI deputy of social sciences and humanities launched the books, which contain the results of social demographic studies conducted in the districts of Sorong and Tambrauw Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti, via video conference on Thursday.

At the launch, she highlighted the importance of comprehensively understanding the native Papuans' social and demographic conditions and how they have changed because that can be used as a foundation for drafting various development policies.

She argued that the native Papuans' social and demographic conditions have been affected by human resources-related issues.

Therefore, a human resource development strategy must serve as the cornerstone of short, middle, and long-term development programs in Papua, she said, adding that such a strategy would be complex and closely related to health and education.

The three books launched on Thursday are:

Orang Asli Papua: Kondisi Sosial Demografi dan Perubahannya (Native Papuans: Social Demographic Condition and Its Changes),

Pendidikan Sebagai Jalan Terang: Membangun Pendidikan yang Responsif terhadap Kondisi Geografis, Demografi, Sosial (Education as a Bright Way: Building Responsive Education Towards Native Papuans' Geographic, Demographic, Social, and Cultural Conditions),

and Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak Orang Asli Papua: Antara Ketersediaan Layanan dan Tantangan Sosial Budaya (The Health of Native Papuan Mothers and Children: Between Availability of Services and Socio-Cultural Challenges).

Over the last nine months, armed Papuan criminal groups operating in Intan Jaya, Papua, have reportedly engaged in 17 acts of violence against innocent civilians and security personnel. The violence has led to the death of six people, including Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel, according to Papua police chief, Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw.

Armed criminals have not only attacked civilians and security personnel but also set ablaze several excavators and kiosks, he noted. (Antaranews)