Eiben Heizar, Jakarta – The Alliance of Papuan Students (AMP) held a student demonstration on Jalan Kusumanegara, Jogja City, on Sunday, December 1, 2024. They conveyed several demands to the government of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Based on Tempo monitoring, this demonstration has been ongoing since 09:30 WIB (Western Indonesian Time). The crowd filled the intersection area of Jalan Kusumanegara. During the oration, the demonstrators voiced their rejection of the regular transmigration program in Papua planned by President Prabowo Subianto.

"This program is a form of slow destruction of the existence of indigenous Papuans. Through this policy, the Indonesian government is trying to wash its hands of the structural poverty issues resulting from land grabbing in various regions," said one of the participants of the demonstration.

In addition, they also expressed rejection of the National Strategic Projects (NSP) policy that has been ongoing since the Jokowi administration. The demonstrators criticized NSP as a step towards strategic industry and high-value infrastructure development managed jointly by the government and oligarchy.

AMP, together with the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua, conveyed several demands in this demonstration. They requested the cessation of the transmigration program to Papua, rejection of the Special Autonomy policy, and cessation of the formation of new autonomous regions.

"We also call for the right to self-determination as a democratic solution for West Papua, the unconditional release of political prisoners, and the withdrawal of all military personnel from the region. Additionally, we reject national strategic projects such as rice field and sugarcane plantation in Merauke that seize the customary lands of Papuan society," said one demonstrator in his speech.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1947571/papuan-students-protest-in-jogja-reject-transmigration-in-papu