Hopes beyond borders: A closer look to Indonesia-PNG’s potentials in the borderland
Globalization has brought the consequences of the movement of the people, which includes cross-border activities for economic, social, political, and cultural purposes. This potential can support the economic development for every country in the area to improve their life standard and ensuring sustainable and harmonious relations among the neighborhood countries.
Jayapura, the capital and the largest city of the Indonesian Province of Papua is sharing border with Vanimo, the capital of Sandaun Province in north-westernmost Papua New Guinea (PNG) and of Vanimo-Green River District. Skouw Border Post of the Republic of Indonesia becomes the gate to those from Jayapura entering Vanimo, vice versa.
People’s interactions in the villages separated by a traditional boundary in the form of Tami River remain frequent to this day, due to the closeness of the kinship between the two communities.
Besides, given the proximity to the customary leaders of their own villages, they frequently invite each other into such cultural and social activities. These cultural similarities are considered to be one of the core elements that make the relations between the two regions is rock solid.
Economic and development potentials
Skouw, located 55 km east of Jayapura and 40 km west of Vanimo, is the center of commercial activities of residents from both Papua and Vanimo. By using Rupiah, one of the most famous markets, named Marketing Point Market becomes the center for attractions for citizens of the two nations. There, they buy their daily needs that cannot be met in the place of origin, especially in Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (some days are called Market Days).
People’s activities of crossing the border are motivated by the demand to fulfill their basic needs for economic reasons that can be found in the Skouw market. For example, they could buy the much cheaper things in Skouw market and sell it again in their village in Wutung.
It is interesting to see that ever since Dutch colonialization in Southeast Asia, many Indonesians living in PNG and Papua New Guineans living in Indonesia frequently cross the border and have been living in the border areas.
As the two regions share similar cultures, given their submissions to the customary leaders, people in PNG and Indonesia frequently organize various ceremonies together. They are such as for cemetery building, customary house renovation, the inauguration of customary leader, payment of dowry, as well as payment for a wife who has passed away attended by both countries’ citizens.
Moreover, some factors that attract their mobility are the existence of potential marine resources in both areas. Both villagers can use the customary land in Wutung region for gardening, hunting, and gathering in order to meet family’s needs of food.
The gardening activities in Wutung customary areas have resulted in such incomes for the fulfillment of family needs for both Indonesians and Papua New Guineans. This cycle promotes the sustainability of production by the opening of more than one garden through intensive gardening patterns managed by both citizens.
Mayor of Jayapura Benhur Tomi Mano also acknowledged that trading activities in the border area are quite high. Given the presence of Skouw Market, economic income at the border area can even reach 1 billion Rupiah per month.
And as part of two regions’ commitment to trade cooperation, the Governor of Papua Province Lukas Enembe held a meeting with the Governor of Morobe Province Ginson Saounu in the last 2018 to discuss the plan on the integrated sea and air transportation services between Mamose and Jayapura regions.
That plan is including the request of the Papua Province to the Morobe Province to assist in the availability of livestock such as cattle and chickens as Papua will host the Indonesian National Games in 2020.
In June 2018, the Government of Papua New Guinea provided funds approximately 1.5 million Kina (6 billion Rupiah) for the construction of electricity connection infrastructure for five villages in West Sepik Province and West Papua Province. The first phase began by the installation of a transmission cable that connects Lido Village — Vanimo — Wutung Village and directly connected to the territory of Indonesia in order to obtain electricity from State Electricity Company (PLN).
Various forms of cooperation
As two regions have developed a shared development vision, especially in terms of quality education, the government of Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Indonesia agreed to boost the exchange and scholarships.
As an example, last August 2018, four students from Papua New Guinea had the opportunity to take part in the Indonesian language education program for one year and continued education at a higher level at their chosen university. This scholarship is under the scheme of Darmasiswa scholarship from the government of Indonesia. It gathered 674 students from all over the world to study in Indonesia.
Apart from that, Governor of Gulf Province of PNG Chris Haiveta visited Jakarta to establish a scholarship cooperation mechanism to send 30 students from his province to study in various universities in Jakarta.
Sports, such as football and volleyball, are among the events where people from Papua and Sandaun Provinces gather. They usually hold a friendly match to celebrate the anniversary of Papua New Guinea on September 16th every year. This activity is considered positive for maintaining social relationships, solidarity, and building togetherness among them.
Besides, since 2014, the women’s community training center from Biak Church has been conducting various forms of training programs such as handicraft making to the Evangelical Lutheran Church women’s community in Morobe Province. This event is part of the agreement between the Christian Church Association in Biak, Papua Province and Morobe Province in which 12 female instructors and 2 female priests are sent to teach the Christian women in Morobe Province.
In July 2019, one of the PNG Member of Parliaments from Talasea constituency Hon. Francis Maneke held a meeting with the Governor of Papua Province Lukas Enembe, reaffirming the cooperation commitment between Papua Province and West New Britain Province covering agriculture, tourism, culture, natural resources, fisheries, and transportation sectors. In this opportunity, Governor of Papua Province also donated 20 tons of rice to the victims of the Mount Ulawun eruption.
Cooperations for peace and security
The governments of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are the view that the security of its people crossing the border is a priority. Thus both countries have considered the importance of the deployment of Military Liaison Officer in Vanimo as discussed in various meetings which involved the military of two sides such as Joint Border Commission (JBC) and Joint Sub-Committee on Security Matters.
Migration has actually been part of people’s long tradition, especially for those living in the archipelagic country like Indonesian. She shares land borders with other countries such as Papua New Guinea (512 miles), East Timor (157 miles), Malaysia (1,255 miles) and long maritime borders such as with the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, India, and Thailand.
PNG’s commitment to the shared security vision with Indonesia is seen in the various meeting and agreements made by the two countries. The Joint Sub Committee on Security Matters Meeting and the Joint Border Committee Meeting held annually between PNG and Indonesia are two examples.
The committees emphasize the posting of Military Liaison Officer in both countries and the need to maintain peace and security through a coordinated approach such as borer patrol in the border area and both territories and military to military cooperation, particularly those related to infrastructure development in the border area.
The Military Liaison Officer will later be in charge of maintaining communication and strategic coordination between PNG and Indonesia in order to address any issues that become common concerns such as migration.
Both countries have agreed to respect their neighbor’s sovereignty and committed to maintaining peace and security in the border areas. These commitments surely strengthen PNG and Indonesia relations which allow peace to hold and flourish, as well as economic growth to occur in the borderland.
Masyitoh Annisa
