Hutan and Creative Economy (ICBE) 2018 atau Konferensi Keanekaragaman Hayati Tema pertemuan ini adalah Provinsi Berkelanjutan Solusi Cerdas Pembangunan di Tanah Papua ICBE 2018 memperkenalkan konsep dan inisiatif provinsi konservasi sebagai solusi cerdas pembangunan berkelanjutan di tanah Papua Konsep yang mendukung peningkatan kesejahteraan masyarakat melalui pelestarian keanekaragaman hayati pihaknya mendorong pembangunan yang memperhatikan sumber daya alam dan saya yakin dengan dukungan Pemerintah Pusat tujuan ini akan tercapai,” ungkapnya pada pembukaan ICBE di Perkantoran Gubernur Papua Barat Papua Barat menyebut diri sebagai Provinsi Berkelanjutan yang mengedepankan aspek konservasi dalam pembangunannya Legalitas tersebut tertuang dalam Peraturan Daerah Khusus (Perdasus) yang rancangannya diluncurkan dalam pembukaan ICBE ini Penyerahan rancangan Perdasus dilakukan Dominggus Mandacan kepada Pieters Kondjol selaku Ketua DPR Provinsi Papua Barat Hal fundamental dalam menjaga ekosistem tanah Papua Barat yang jika digabungkan dengan tetangganya menyumbang 50 persen keanekaragaman hayati Indonesia Baca: Papua Barat akan Tinjau Ulang Izin Perkebunan dan Kehutanan Perdasus ini juga sebagai landasan inisiatif kaji ulang Rencana Tata Ruang dan Wilayah (RTRW) Papua Barat yang sedang dilakukan tim Provinsi Papua Barat mengatur ulang proporsi kawasan lindung dan budidaya hutan Papua Barat yang saat ini komposisinya 36 persen berbanding 64 persen 70 persen wilayah Papua Barat merupakan kawasan konservasi dan lindung,” tegas Dominggus Dalam kesempatan itu dilakukan penandatanganan Nota Kesepahaman (MoU) pembangunan berkelanjutan antara Pemerintah Provinsi Papua dan Papua Barat yang dibacakan Sekretaris II Provinsi Papua Noak Kapisa dinyatakan komitmen bersama pembangunan berkelanjutan “Visi Pembangunan Berkelanjutan Papua adalah kebahagiaan dan kualitas hidup seluruh rakyat Papua berada pada tingkat setinggi-tingginya secara adil dan merata perairan dan udara tetap lestari,” ungkap Noak Kapisa Ungkapan itu sudah cukup untuk menggambarkan bagaimana hutan dan alam Papua yang kaya akan akan sumber daya alam menyediakan semua kebutuhan Layaknya seorang mama yang memberikan makan kehangatan dan perlindungan bagi anak-anaknya.” Penyatuan visi Papua dan Papua Barat ini merupakan hal yang diperlukan dalam mendukung pelestarian alam dan keanekaragaman hayati di Tanah Papua “Walau secara administratif Papua dan Papua Barat berbeda Komitmen bersama harus dibangun,” ungkap Charlie Heatubun Kepala Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Provinsi Papua Barat yang juga Ketua tim Kerja ICBE 2018 Baca: Ketika Daerah Deklarasi jadi Provinsi Konservasi dan Pembangunan Hijau Dalam konferensi ini juga diperkenalkan spesies pinang dan anggrek. Pinang Jokowi (Areca jokowi), temuan jenis baru yang dipublikasikan di Jurnal Phytotaxa edisi Desember 2016 memang didedikasikan untuk Joko Widodo atas kepemimpinan dan perhatian khususnya untuk pengembangan Tanah Papua Sementara Anggrek Iriana (Bulbophyllum irianae) didedikasikan sebagai penghargaan terhadap upaya istri Jokowi dalam mendorong dan mendukung proses pembangunan di Papua dan Papua Barat Berdasarkan informasi yang dihimpun dari masyarakat yang membawa bibit buah pinang ini spesies tersebut tumbuh di hutan lembah dengan ketinggian 300 meter Pinang tersebut tumbuh dari bibit yang dibawa dari hutan lembah di Kepala Air Kali Ima di Gunung Daweri dekat Kampung Kewo di perbatasan Kabupaten Nabire Penyebarannya diketahui berdasarkan dua jenis pinang yang dibudidayakan di Kampung Gariau (Urubika) Bulbophyllum irianae merupakan spesies endemic yang hidup sebagai tumbuhan epifit pada kanopi hutan primer setinggi 35- 40 dari atas tanah Bulbophyllum irianae ditemukan di Distrik Senggi Provinsi Papua pada ketinggian 300 meter dari permukaan laut Anggrek tersebut ditemukan pada batang pohon tumbang di tepi jalan raya yang memiliki bunga sepanjang lebih dari 8 cm Tanah Papua diperkirakan memiliki sekitar 2.000- 3.000 spesies dari sekitar 30.000 spesies anggrek yang diketahui di dunia Baca: Tambrauw: Mendorong Ekowisata, Menguatkan Lembaga Adat Konfrensi ini juga didukung oleh Pangeran Charles dia mengatakan bahwa acara ini penting sebagai pencapaian luar biasa menuju Konvensi Keanekaragaman Hayati di China tahun 2020 Saya tahu konferensi ini acara penting,” ungkapnya Papua memiliki hutan hujan tropis utuh terbesar ketiga di dunia sehingga penting memastikan Papua melakukan upaya pencegahan pemanasan global tidak terkendalikan atau runaway climate change “Wilayah ini adalah tempat tinggal burung cendrawasih yang legendaris “makhluk berbulu paling memukau dan paling cantik di muka Bumi,” sebagaimana dikatakan Alfred Russel Wallace,” ujarnya dia juga menjelaskan Papua memiliki keanekaragaman budaya luar biasa memastikan kesejahteraan jangka panjang dan mata pencaharian masyarakat Papua sama pentingnya dengan melindungi ekosistem alami tempat masyarakat tinggal Pemerintah Indonesia mengusulkan visi pembangunan Papua berkelanjutan Visi tersebut memberikan kehidupan yang lebih baik bagi masyarakat Papua dan di saat bersamaan turut menjaga hutan dan laut bagi kesejahteraan masyarakat Papua memiliki peluang menjadi contoh dunia dunia harus memberikan Papua penghargaan atas visi dan kepemimpinan ambisius tersebut “Saya terkesan Inggris dan pihak lain bisa mengambil peran kecil mendukung Indonesia dan Papua dalam usaha penting ini Saya hanya dapat mengucapkan selamat dan terima kasih atas semua yang Anda lakukan demi anak cucu kita semua di belahan dunia yang unik ini,” ungkap Pangeran Charlesi di akhir pidato   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   RSS / XML JAKARTA — The Indonesian government’s plan to administratively split the country’s easternmost region of Papua into five provinces has raised concerns that its forests and natural resources will be at higher risk of being plundered The idea has been floated for several years with lawmakers throwing their support behind the idea During a parliamentary hearing on April 6, lawmakers officially endorsed the plan by agreeing to proceed with the discussion of three bills that would serve as the legal basis for the new provinces the map of the western half of the island of New Guinea currently comprised of the provinces of Papua and West Papua would be redrawn to include the provinces of Central Papua the Papua region has the highest levels of poverty in the country and scores the lowest on human development parameters such as health and education This is partly due to Papua’s remoteness from Indonesia’s economic heartland in Java — its biggest city is two time zones and more than five hours by plane from the capital Jakarta — and dearth of infrastructure such as roads On the flip side, though, this has meant the rich forests of Papua, one of most biodiverse regions on the planet have stayed largely out of reach of the agribusiness and mining outfits that have ravaged the forests of Sumatra and Borneo “The goal is how to get people more access to services [and] how to accelerate development in stages,” lawmaker Guspardi Gaus from the National Mandate Party (PAN), part of Widodo’s ruling coalition, said during a parliamentary hearing to discuss the bill on March 30 as reported by local media one of the chief proponents of dividing the region up further is Lamberthus Jitmau mayor of the city of Sorong in West Papua province He noted that the region used to consist of only one province before it was split into two provinces in 2003 Lamberthus said the sheer size of the region — as big as Sweden — required breaking it up into smaller administrative chunks to more effectively push its development “With terrain that is very difficult [to navigate], we weren’t able to do breakthroughs [and] build infrastructure to realize people’s welfare in Papua,” he said as reported by local media the protests spread to big cities outside Papua A popular movement called Petitions by Papuans has denounced the split-up plan as a pretext for the government and businesses to further exploit the region Aiding this push is the so-called special autonomy law on Papua passed in 2021 with the supposed aim of giving Papuans a greater say in their region’s development But the law also completely undermines the notion of autonomy by specifically granting the central government in Jakarta the authority to carve out new provinces in Papua without having to consult with local lawmakers and constituents said Petitions by Papuans spokesman Jefri Wenda “Establishment of new provinces could be decided in Jakarta without having to look at aspirations in the region [Papua],” he said as reported by local media one of West Papua province’s four representatives in the upper house of parliament called the split-up plan a ticking timebomb because it fails to take into account the views of the Papuans opposed to it “The government has to open room for parties who oppose [the plan],” he said as reported by local media “The parliament and the government could invite opposing parties [for a discussion] Parliamentary speaker Puan said deliberations of the three new bills would take into consideration the aspirations and needs of Papuans have pointed out that the central government and parliament didn’t even involve the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) the regional legislature for Papua and West Papua The MRP was established in part to give greater representation to marginalized groups “There’s no adequate involvement [by Indigenous Papuans in the plan],” MRP chair Timotius Murib said as reported by local media the parliament agreed for the three bills [to proceed].” With parliament pushing ahead with the split-up plan concerns have arisen over what it will mean for Papua’s forests The region is home to the largest expanse of intact forests in Southeast Asia: 33.8 million hectares (83.5 million acres) of rainforest which represents 38% of all the natural forest left in Indonesia But thanks to a renewed government focus on boosting development in the region, infrastructure projects and palm oil companies have begun moving in quickly mowing down vast swaths of these forests In a bid to prevent the kind of wholesale deforestation that has swept across Sumatra and Borneo, the governors of the two provinces in Papua signed in 2018 the Manokwari Declaration which aims to set aside 70% of the Papua region as protected or conservation areas In 2021, the government of West Papua revoked oil palm licenses covering concessions twice the size of Los Angeles following findings of violations by the license holders This move potentially saves thousands of hectares of rainforests from being cleared and opens up opportunities for Indigenous Papuans to get their land rights recognized These efforts could be derailed by the plan to remap the provinces given that past cases of new administrative regions being spun off have often centered around exploiting natural resources such as forests and mineral deposits and distributing power to local elites a lecturer at Papua State University who has studied the past establishment of new districts in the region said local elites were the ones who had lobbied politicians in Jakarta in those cases Creating new districts allows them to gain political power “We’ve seen how the establishment of new provinces and districts led to [elites] scrambling for seats in the new administrations,” Suryawan said as reported by local media When West Papua was spun off as its own province from Papua in 2003 that figure has mushroomed into 12 districts and one municipality a proliferation that locals call “sugar” because it attracts people hungry for power we’ll see the forming of middle-class local elites who prosper because of this proliferation,” he said the little guy will never be prosperous because the power will circulate among [the elites].” a postdoctoral researcher on forest and land governance at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) said the revenue generated when new districts start exploiting their natural resources often goes into the local elites’ own pockets “Sometimes they are just for the elites and the local governments not for the people,” he told Mongabay in Jakarta these local elites gain the power to issue licenses for businesses such as mines or oil palm plantations there’s often a surge in new permits being issued for just such activities Exploiting natural resources is typically one of the easiest ways to raise quick cash, with land being the most valuable commodity that local leaders can license out. In Indonesian Borneo, licenses for oil palm plantations commonly sell for between $400 and $1,200 per hectare Local heads there often issue licenses for thousands of hectares at a time In many cases, the money goes to pay back the high cost of running for a political seat in Indonesia. A survey by the Ministry of Home Affairs found that a campaign for provincial governor can cost around 100 billion rupiah ($7 million) while a campaign for district head or mayor can cost up to 30 billion rupiah ($2.1 million) this means using their time in office to raise the money to pay back donors and also build up a war chest for their next campaign With three new provinces and an unknown number of districts and municipalities up for grabs in Papua there’s serious concern that the region’s forests will be sacrificed in the political power grab an NGO that works with Indigenous communities across Indonesia “What we’re worried about the most are efforts to fund the political process by parceling out lands and forests in those regions [to businesses],” he told Mongabay The establishment of new jurisdictions also brings new infrastructure projects with it a forestry policy lecturer at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture “There’s no way for new jurisdictions to be established [otherwise],” he told Mongabay in Jakarta “With new government offices and new departments The threats to Papua’s forests also come from the central government which has issued regulations and policies that make it easier for investors to obtain permits and concessions by dismantling environmental and social safeguards Among these policies is the so-called omnibus law on job creation passed by parliament in 2020 amid widespread criticism and protests “It’s been regulated in the omnibus law to make it easier to invest in Papua,” Petitions by Papuans spokesman Jefri said as reported by local media The establishment of new provinces and districts can be done without leading to deforestation but there needs to be thorough planning and strong safeguards This includes a clear zoning plan before the government proceeds with the establishment “It shouldn’t be a simple matter,” Timer said It’s always abrupt and there’s no set of requirements [to be met before establishing new administrative regions].” He said there were many examples of lack of planning and safeguards in the establishment of new jurisdictions such as North Kalimantan province in Borneo which was spun off from East Kalimantan province in 2012 Since then, the new province has experienced a surge in forest loss: 140,063 hectares (346,103 acres) between 2015 and 2019, or an area bigger than Los Angeles, according to Auriga Nusantara’s data and thus we see cases like North Kalimantan which experienced massive exploitation so that the province has become a new epicenter of deforestation,” Timer said The formation of new districts in Papua province in 2002 were also marked by an increase in deforestation An analysis by Auriga found 203,006 hectares (501,639 acres) of forest loss in the four new districts — Merauke “That’s the spirit of all new jurisdiction establishment in Indonesia,” Timer said “The spirit is the desire to manage their regions’ own natural resources and this is manifested in the issuance of new permits.” Timer said he hadn’t seen proper safeguards in the plan to establish the three new provinces in Papua IPB’s Hariadi said there’s never been environmental impact assessments carried out prior to creating new regions anywhere in Indonesia — something that he said should be a prerequisite “[Discussion surrounding] the establishment of new jurisdictions is more related to politics “And there has never been strategic environmental assessment in the establishment of new jurisdictions.” All this puts the fate of the Manokwari Declaration to protect Papua’s forests in danger as the governments in the three newly proposed provinces could dismiss the commitments made by the two currently existing ones “The government of Central Papua province could say ‘we didn’t sign the Manokwari Declaration,’” he said Dhiaulhaq of KITLV said it’s important for the central government to make sure that the new provinces are also committed to the Manokwari declaration “The central government should ensure that things like this aren’t just abandoned,” he said Banner image: Indigenous Papuans travel by boat to Waimon village in West Papua province Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: what we now know — and still don’t know — about a company that’s currently converting a giant swath of New Guinea’s rainforest to oil palm plantations FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Polda Papua Barat menangkap 36 orang di wilayah Manokwari dan Sorong Kota usai demo memperingati Hari Ulang Tahun West Papua New Guinea National Congress (WPNGNC) AKBP Adam Erwindi menyatakan orang-orang yang diamankan tersebut tengah diminta keterangan oleh kepolisian "Polres Manokwari di-backup Brimob Polda Papua Barat sudah mengamankan dan mengambil keterangan," kata Erwindi saat dikonfirmasi CNNIndonesia.com Dia menjelaskan bahwa unjuk rasa yang dilakukan tersebut tidak melayangkan pemberitahuan kepada aparat kepolisian polisi mengklaim berwenang membubarkan aksi tersebut unjuk rasa tersebut dinilai telah mengganggu ketertiban umum dan menghalangi jalanan sehingga membuat pengguna jalan lain tak bisa melintas "Materi demo pun melanggar Pasal 6 UU Nomor 9 Tahun 1998," kata dia melanjutkan Sesuai ketentuan pasal tersebut mengatur bahwa dalam menyampaikan pendapatnya warga harus menghormati hak dan kebebasan orang lain Dia meminta agar pihak yang melakukan aksi unjuk rasa dapat memperhatikan situasi keamanan dan ketertiban di tengah masyarakat Ia juga mengingatkan agar setiap aksi penyampaian aspirasi dapat sesuai prosedur sebagaimana diatur dalam undang-undang "Jika tidak sesuai di atas maka polisi sesuai amanat undang-undang berkewajiban untuk membubarkan," ucap dia setidaknya dua anggota Brimob Polda Papua Barat terluka akibat terkena lemparan batu saat membubarkan aksi tersebut massa yang tidak terima dibubarkan langsung melempar aparat kepolisian dengan batu dan botol sehingga massa dipukul mundur dengan tembakan gas air mata Massa yang dipukul mundur semakin brutal dan terus melempar aparat kepolisian dengan batu dan botol Massa juga menembakkan kembang api ke arah aparat kepolisian Massa aksi berteriak-teriak 'Papua Merdeka' sambil melempar batu ke arah aparat kepolisian Hutan, xkonservasi, xLingkungan Hidup Kebakaran hutan dan lahan yang menimbulkan asap pekat tak hanya di Kalimantan dan Sumatera juga di Papua dan Papua Barat pantauan dari satelit Terra dan Aqua di Pulau Cendrawasih itu titik api mencapai 165 dengan rincian Papua 133 dan Papua Barat 32 Kebakaran yang menimbulkan kabut asap cukup pekat ini sudah menghambat penerbangan Garuda Indonesia menutup penerbangan keluar dan masuk Bandara Rendani General Manager Garuda Indonesia Cabang Manokwari penerbangan tutup karena jarak pandang Bandara Rendani tidak memungkinan lepas landas maupun mendarat Dia belum memastikan penutupan penerbangan hingga kapan Peringatan jarak pandang terbatas telah dikeluarkan ATC Bandara Rendani melalui notice to airmen (notem) sejak Sabtu (18/10/15) hingga Senin (19/10/15) jarak pandang telah menurun di bawah 3.000 meter Humas Garuda Indonesia kepada Mongabay Minggu penerbangan Garuda dari dan menuju Manokwari dan Timika batal terbang karena jarak pandang minim hingga mengancam penerbangan “Kita masih menunggu terus sampai situasi layak terbang.” “Kami memberikan opsi bagi penumpang untuk penjadwalan ulang atau pindah rute Belum ada kepastian sampai kapan penerbangan ditunda Kami terus memantau berdasarkan data BMKG tiap pagi Petugas ATC Bandara Rendani Manokwari Jefri tak hanya Garuda yang membatalkan penerbangan Sriwijaya Air juga menutup penerbangan sejak Minggu sejumlah penumpang Sriwijaya di Bandara Sentani mengamuk Mereka meminta Sriwijaya Air menyediakan penginapan “Peraturan pemerintah tentang moda angkutan udara menyatakan badan usaha angkutan udara dibebaskan dari tanggungjawab dan ganti rugi akibat faktor cuaca Kita diikat peraturan pemerintah,” kata petugas Sriwijaya Air di Bandara Sentani Meski Garuda dan Sriwijaya Air menutup penerbangan Express Air dan penerbangan lokal Susi Air kiriman asap kebakaran hutan dari ujung timur tanah Papua itu berpengaruh 80% terhadap kondisi udara Manokwari “Hampir 80% kabut asap Manokwari dari kebakaran hutan di Merauke,” kata Staf Observer Badan Metereologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG) Manokwari sebelumnya kabut asap dari sejumlah kebakaran di Papua Barat telah menyelimuti Manokwari asap hanya berpengaruh 20% terhadap udara di sana ada tujuh titik api di sekitar hutan Pegunungan Arfak “Kabut asap Merauke juga menutupi Selatan Papua “Satu titik api mewakili dua hektar lahan di lapangan Hanya berukuran dua hektar yang terpantau data BMKG bisa saja membakar lahan kurang dua hektar yang tidak terpantau pengaruh cukup menambah parah kabut,” katanya Warga Manokwari sebenarnya sudah mulai merasakan kehadiran kabut asap sejak sebulan lalu Pegunungan Arfak juga tidak terlihat baik pagi hingga sore Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan akan mengirimkan tim ke Papua untuk membahas teknis penanganan kebakaran hutan dan lahan ini “Minggu kami rapat bahan kebakaran Papua dan Kalimantan Timur eselon I KLHK akan turun ke Papua dan Kaltim untuk koordinasi dengan gubernur sejak Minggu pagi terus berkoordinasi dengan daerah-daerah di Papua menurut walikota api sudah dimatikan,” katanya “Itu sebabnya tak ada UPT kebakaran LHK atau tak ada Manggala Agni disana.” yang terindikasi di satu perusahaan dan di Kabupaten Mappi Gubernur Papua juga sudah kami komunikasikan Siti juga mengikuti perkembangan kebakaran di Mimika dan sudah berkomunikasi dengan Sekda Mimika kemarin penerbangan terganggu juga transportasi sungai terganggu Unit-unit pelayanan kesehatan dipersiapkan.” dari pemantauan satelit Terra dan Aqua pada Jumat (16/10/15) menyebabkan asap cukup parah karena angin bergerak ke barat laut hingga jarak pandang minim dan sejumlah penerbangan batal terbang musim hujan di timur Indonesia mengalami perlambatan Jika biasa hujan mulai turun September-Oktober prediksi BMKG hujan baru turun akhir November Tegar NurfitraEditor: Rahmad Nasution Copyright © ANTARA 2023 Tegar NurfitraEditor: Rahmad Nasution Copyright © ANTARA 2024 Tegar NurfitraEditor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono Copyright © ANTARA 2024 Dubious Treason Charges for 22 Detainees for August Protests Ahead of Papuan nationalists’ “Independence Day” on December 1 foreign diplomats and United Nations officials should monitor demonstrations in Papua and West Papua provinces and the law enforcement response “Papua may be a sensitive topic in Indonesia, but that’s no excuse for rounding people up and sending them to prison for peaceful acts of expression,” said Elaine Pearson of Human Rights Watch “The authorities should drop charges and immediately free people detained for just possessing flags or organizing a protest.” Each year Papuans attempt to raise the Papuan national Bintang Kejora (“Morning Star”) flag That frequently results in clashes with local security forces who consider this to be a treasonous activity against the Republic of Indonesia Human Rights Watch takes no position on Papuan claims to self-determination to express their political views peacefully without fear of arrest or other forms of reprisal The arrest and imprisonment of people for peacefully participating in symbolic flag-raising ceremonies amounts to arbitrary arrest and detention in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Indonesian authorities arrested the 22 people in August and September following at times violent demonstrations in Papua and West Papua provinces during which thousands of people took part in rallies protesting racism against Papuans. The protests took place after a video circulated of Indonesian militias racially abusing indigenous Papuan students outside their dormitory in Surabaya on August 17 Papuans demonstrated in at least 30 cities across Indonesia Rioting Papuans burned down the local parliament building in Manokwari Most of the 20 men and 2 women awaiting trial in 4 cities are charged with treason (makar) under articles 106 and 110 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code The maximum penalty under article 106 is 20 years in prison which can be doubled if also convicted of mobilizing others to commit treason The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has previously criticized articles 106 and 110 for being “drafted in such general and vague terms that they can be used arbitrarily to restrict the freedoms of opinion Those held at the four detention centers are listed below on August 30 in connection with a rally two days earlier outside the State Palace in Jakarta for protesting racism against ethnic Papuans and unfurling the Morning Star flag police arrested Ambrosius Mulait and Issay Wenda who were protesting the arrest of Kossay and Tabuni outside the Jakarta police headquarters releasing two but detaining Ariana Lokbere a theology student at the Indonesian Christian University Police also separately arrested Surya Anta Ginting, the coordinator of the Front of the Indonesian People for West Papua. Ginting, who in 2016 had publicly apologized for Indonesian repression against indigenous Papuans is the first non-Papuan Indonesian to be charged with treason for supporting a referendum in West Papua All of them are now detained at the Salemba and the Pondok Bambu detention centers in Jakarta Police arrested eight Papuan activists in Jayapura including two student leaders Alexander Gobay and Ferry Gombo as well as six activists associated with the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) a political organization that seeks a referendum on West Papua's future Tabuni and Itlay are former political prisoners. Human Rights Watch profiled Tabuni in 2010 also for “treason.” Kossay is the chairman of the West Papua National Committee The eight were arrested between September 9 and September 17, and were moved to Balikpapan on October 4. The police have sought their trial in Balikpapan rather than Papua’s provincial capital Police arrested four activists who are now detained in the Manokwari police station She was arrested on September 2 for bringing 1,500 small Morning Star flags through Manokwari airport Three student activists were also arrested on September 19: Erik Aliknoe The three students are charged with treason for making Morning Star flags Police detained four student activists – Herman Sabo Yosep Laurensius Syufi and Miwak Karet – at the Sorong police station for making and distributing Morning Star flags By August 2017, Human Rights Watch estimated that only between 1 and 5 Papuan political prisoners remained behind bars A coalition of human rights groups and lawyers in Papua has listed 73 people arrested in Papua Human Rights Watch has not corroborated the information regarding the legal status of the other 51 people “The Indonesian government made significant progress in recent years by releasing nearly all political prisoners yet recent arrests are threatening those fragile gains,” Pearson said Indonesian authorities should stop arresting and detaining people simply for waving flags or peacefully urging independence.” Abusive Prosecutions under Vietnam’s “Infringing on State Interests” Law Academic Freedom in Hong Kong Under the National Security Law Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808 Indonesia — Seblon Mandacan scampers with ease up the slippery footpath through the forest in the Arfak Mountains we cut through the forest mist here at an elevation of about 1,900 meters (6,200 feet) above sea level I find it a struggle to get up this early and steel myself for the walk The wind knifes through the multiple layers of clothing I’ve put on I have to grasp tree trunks and branches to avoid slipping and step gingerly to make sure the ground is solid But that’s the price I’m willing to pay to reach the “playground” of the greater superb bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba) a bird species endemic to the Papua region of Indonesia “They start to flock to the playground between 6 and 7 a.m.,” says Seblon pointing to a moss-covered fallen tree that the birds are said to frequent “Let’s hide under this blind so the birds won’t be able to see us,” he says We wait in silence beneath the tarpaulin for about an hour and a half not moving even to smack the mosquitoes landing on us I’ve heard that this particular bird species is very sensitive to noise and difficult to encounter where a male superb bird-of-paradise has now perched When the latter arrives, a spectacular show immediately gets underway. The male flares out the patch of shiny blue feathers on its neck, which glow against the legendarily void-like black of the rest of its body With every passing minute it puts on a different act When the dance is over and the birds are gone I can’t stop thanking Seblon profusely for the experience that I’ve now captured on camera Seblon is one of many people in Minggrei village The birds-of-paradise are the village’s main draw and tourists keep coming to see these spectacular species One of my fellow travelers during my trip is Tim Laman an avian researcher from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; it’s their second visit to Minggrei “I started working as a wildlife photographer more than 25 years ago,” Laman says “I came to Papua for the first time in 2004.” For him what makes the birds in the Papuan forests particularly special is that they occur nowhere else on Earth The birds-of-paradise and the bowerbirds are some of the most well-known of these endemic species On this trip, Laman wants to take pictures of the Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise (Lophorina niedda), a bird once thought to be a subspecies of L. superba but described as a distinct species in its own right only last year He’s also on the lookout for the western parotia (Parotia sefilata) the magnificent bird-of-paradise (Diphyllodes magnificus) “Plenty of species to photograph here,” he says The remoteness of this region and the lushness of the primeval forest has allowed the birds-of-paradise and other species to thrive here even as wildlife in other parts of Indonesia face the growing threat of extinction from habitat loss Keeping the birds’ habitat intact is what will keep the tourists coming to Minggrei a concept that village head Aren Mandacan fully understands He’s ordered the villagers to protect the birds and stop cutting down trees in the forest The bird-watching tours have had a massive impact on the village’s welfare “We haven’t had to buy any rice in the past three years,” Aren says “We get to eat for free together with the guests It was Aren who first pitched the village’s bird-watching potential to Shita Prativi the founder of Macnificus Expedition and the Papua Bird Club had learned how to guide bird-watching tours from her husband Bird-watching in Arfak really took off in 2007 thanks to positive publicity and travel accounts written by visitors enchanted by the diversity of the local bird life the [natural] potential is incredible — the range of birds-of-paradise species is quite complete here,” Shita says so the people really benefit from protecting the birds.” She says a typical five-day trip for eight visitors can generate up to 30 million rupiah ($2,100) in revenue for the people of Minggrei village — a small fortune in a region where the minimum wage is only about $200 a month Shita says tours are fully booked until 2021 she says protecting the birds will benefit the people of Minggrei in the long term in a way that won’t require destroying the rich natural resources of the region Other regions in Indonesia have adopted ecotourism to boost their economic growth, in most cases almost as an afterthought. In the Arfak Mountains of West Papua, though, local leaders have mandated that sustainability and conservation be prioritized as part of the region’s economic development In October 2018, the provinces of West Papua and Papua, which together compose Indonesia’s half of the island of New Guinea, signed the Manokwari Declaration The agreement changes two regions’ development framework from “conservation” to “sustainable development a subtle shift that de-emphasizes the central government’s control over local land issues they hope to place responsibility for sustainability more firmly in the hands of local governments who are more in tune with the rights of their indigenous constituents says he’s impressed with the people of Minggrei village for their hard work in protecting the forests and natural resources “You don’t have to be a bird expert to come here and watch the birds-of-paradise adding that he hopes future generations of visitors will still be able to see the birds and hear their calls ringing out through the forests in Minggrei Editor’s note: INFIS is a media partner for Mongabay Indonesia INFIS has no editorial influence over the content that Mongabay publishes This story was first reported by Mongabay’s Indonesia team and published here on our Indonesian site on Aug FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post Jakarta - The Indonesian Air Force is surveying some locations to build two air bases in West Papua province "The potential locations for these two air bases are in Sorong and Manokwari districts," he stated as quoted by Antara News The commander emphasized that the construction of the two air bases in West Papua is important for the nation in order to ensure the accomplishment of the mission to secure the airspace of Papua and West Papua Colonel Gustav was confident that the survey will yield positive results to be considered by the Indonesian Air Force to operate the air base in Manokwari and Sorong "The realization of the construction will be determined according to the decision taken by the Indonesian Air Force Headquarters Sorong and Manokwari need the air bases," he stated the Sorong and Manokwari district administrations fully support the plan to build the air bases by preparing the land where the construction will be carried out The Manuhua Air Base is responsible for securing Papua's airspace spanning Nabire Prabowo Subianto Plans to Establish 100 People's Schools Soon Prabowo Plans to Build Emergency Bulog Warehouses in Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara Prabowo's Reason for Involving the Military in Food Matters Prabowo Open to Meeting Retired Military Forum Urging Gibran's Impeachment Free Meal Poisoning Case, Prabowo Alludes to Students Eating Without Spoons Learn About the Outsourcing Practices Prabowo Intends to Scrap Prabowo: Bill Gates to Support Free Nutritious Meal Program in Indonesia Prabowo Rejects 'Puppet President' Label, Denies Jokowi's Control Manpower Minister Unveils Reasons Behind Over 24,000 Layoffs by April 2025 Prabowo Claims 99.99% Success Rate for Free Nutritious Meal Program Indonesian Immigration Bans Entry on 7,012 Foreigners per September; Cites National Security Prabowo Requests Muhammadiyah Support in National Security Affairs Lemhanas Calls for Formation of Homeland Security Ministry Indonesia to Share Intelligence to Combat Insurgents NSA Chief Admits Wiretapping over Diplomats' Request   Minister Nasir Agrees State Defense Program for Students Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock Reunite After 30 Years for New Film Project Prabowo Praises Jokowi's Inflation Control in Cabinet Session, Denies Link to Gibran's Presence BGN Chief Aims for Zero Accidents in Free Nutritious Meal Program Inside Sistine Chapel: 5 Key Facts About the Conclave's Iconic Venue Exposing Trump's Move on Mike Waltz Dismissal Jokowi Responds to Calls for VP Gibran's Impeachment Today's Top 3 News: 7 Most Beautiful Banknotes in the World, Penetration of Visa, Mastercard vs QRIS in Indonesia Expert Raises Alarm on Crypto Scams, Biometric Leaks After Worldcoin Freeze List of Baeksang Arts Awards 2025 Winners BMKG Reports M5.4 Earthquake Striking Tomini Bay; No Tsunami Threats Jennie, Lisa, and Rose BLACKPINK Gather at the Met Gala 2025 Israel Approves Plan to Expand Gaza Onslaught, Occupy Territories Indonesia's Mount Semeru Erupts 3 Times This Morning, Sends Ash 700 Meters High WHO: Hand Hygiene is Essential, Medical Gloves Are Not a Substitute The West Papua regional police (Polda) have arrested 36 people in Manokwari and Sorong city following a demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the West Papua New Guinea National Congress (WPNGNC) at the weekend, reports CNN Indonesia West Papua regional police spokesperson Assistant Superintendent Adam Erwindi said that the people arrested on Friday were currently being questioned by police “The Manokwari Polres [district police] backed up by West Papua Polda Brimob [Mobile Brigade paramilitary police] have secured them and are taking information,” said Erwindi Erwindi said that the protesters did not provide prior notification of the rally with police The police claimed they had the authority to break up the protest as a result the protest action was disrupting public order and blocking roads so that road users were unable to pass “The substance of the demo violated Article 6 of Law Number 9/1998 [on demonstrations]” This article stipulated that in conveying an opinion people must respect the rights and freedoms of others respect morality and safeguard security and public order “If they’re not in accordance with the above then police in accordance with mandated laws are obliged to break them up,” he said At least two Brimob members were injured after being hit by stones when the rally was being broken up the demonstrators refused to disperse and pelted police with stones and bottles until they were pushed back by teargas The demonstrators who were forced back became even more brutal and continued pelting police with rocks and bottles They also ignited firecrackers and threw them at police The demonstrators shouted “Free Papua” as they threw stones in the direction of police Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft. The original title of the article was “36 Orang Ditangkap Usai Demo Papua Merdeka” Association spokesman Joe Collins wrote a protest letter to Payne “I am writing to you concerning the issue of West Papua and in particular regarding comments made by the Indonesian national police spokesperson “Tempo News (24 November) reported the police spokesperson as saying that the “The Indonesian national police (Polri) together with the National Armed Forces (TNI) will conduct massive joint patrols ahead of the commemoration day of the 1 December He also made an announcement that locals should not participate in the annual anniversary “I am sure you are aware that the 1st of December is West Papuan National day or National Flag day and it is of great importance to the West Papuan people Fifty-nine years ago on the 1st of December in 1961 the Morning Star flag was flown for the first time officially beside the Dutch Tricolor The Dutch were finally about to give the West Papuan people their freedom it is one of the great tragedies that at their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically handed over to Indonesia in 1963 After 6 years administration of the province Indonesia held a sham referendum called the “Act of Free Choice” under UN supervision The Papuans call this the’ act of no choice’ “The West Papuan people continue to raise their flag as an act of celebration but also of protest against the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule They can face up to 15 years jail for doing so Just two weeks ago 23 Papuans were given jail terms of between 1 and 2 years They were arrested in December 2019 while on their way to take part in a flag raising ceremony on the 1 December (2019) in Fak Fak “The human rights situation in West Papua is deteriorating with the security forces conducting operations to intimidate local people There is also an increase in violence towards villagers who the security forces suspect of supporting independence or to those they believe have what the security forces term “separatist” sympathies There have been a number of killings and arrests by the security forces in the past few weeks in West Papua Indonesian police arrested 54 participants at a public hearing organised by the Papuan People’s Council (MPR) in Merauke on the 17 November They were arrested for alleged makar (treason) Yet all they participants were doing were holding a meeting to discuss Indonesia’s intention to extend the Special Autonomy laws Although they were eventually released the arrests show there is no freedom of expression or freedom of assembly in West Papua “There have been reports that on 20-21 November 2020 4 West Papuan school students aged between 13 and 19 and 1 West Papuan man aged 34 were shot by the Indonesian Security Forces who survived the shootings remains in a critical condition in hospital When he was first shot Manus passed out and when he came to reported that he found that men wearing black uniforms vests and helmets were placing guns across his chest and taking photographs The troops were possible Detachment 88 troops which are trained by Australia “There have been ongoing security force operations in West Papua in the regencies of Nduga Mimika and Puncak Jaya since the end of 2018 resulting in the loss of civilian life not only by armed conflict but also by sickness and malnutrition as these operations have created a large number of internal refugees who are reluctant to return to their villages because of their fear of the security forces “As recently as the 27 November 36 people were arrested by the police after being involved in rallies in Manokwari and Sorong They were simply commemorating the anniversary of the West Papua New Guinea National Congress (WPNGNC) “Twenty civil society organisations that are members of the Papua Civil Organisation have called on the Indonesian president to “withdraw all organic TNI-Polri troops from the areas in Nduga Regency Mimika Regency and Puncak Jaya Regency which have given birth to serious human rights violations in the form of refugees and violations of the right to life” “I urge you to support the call by the West Papuan civil society groups and raise the matter of the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian President “I also urge you to use your good offices with the Indonesian Government asking that it control its military in West Papua and asking it to inform the security forces that it should allow any rallies called to celebrate West Papuan National flag day to go ahead peacefully without interference from the security forces.” You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image Indonesia's easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua on the island of New Guinea - collectively known as Papua - have been racked by civil unrest for almost two weeks resource-rich region have joined rallies protesting against perceived racial discrimination and the central government in Jakarta Some protesters are demanding an independence vote Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands in 1945 when the new nation was formally recognised as a sovereign state in 1949 the western half of New Guinea was not incorporated into the Republic of Indonesia Dutch troops remained in Papua until 1962 and the United Nations handed administration of the region to Indonesia in 1963 pending a vote by the its population on whether it wanted to become independent The outcome has been disputed by many Papuans Grievances have been further inflamed by persistent accounts of human rights abuses by the security forces and concerns that the region's mineral and forest wealth has largely benefited Indonesians from outside Papua Papua and West Papua provinces have poverty rates of more than 20% compared with the national rate of 9.4% and 3.5% in the capital Jakarta according to Indonesia's statistics agency Members of the military wing of Papua's separatist movement killed at least 16 workers on a new 4,300 km (2,700 mile) Trans-Papua highway in December shattering a fragile peace in the territory and stoking tension caused outrage across Indonesia while Papuan activists criticised the military response Police and military personnel were called and 43 Papuan students were detained Mass demonstrations in Papua started two days later with many of those participating carrying signs and painting their faces with the "Morning Star" flag A poorly armed and fractured separatist movement has simmered in Papua for decades Most of the disparate independence groups united in 2014 under the banner of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) presented the United Nations with a petition purportedly signed by 1.8 million people calling for an independence referendum Wenda in July said the ULMWP had unified three separatist military factions under his leadership but at least one group - behind the killing of the construction workers - has disputed this Vanuatu is the only country that supports a Papuan independence vote but other nations in the region are becoming more vocal even as they continue to recognise Indonesian sovereignty over Papua the Pacific Islands Forum - a body for Pacific states - called on Indonesia to make good on its promise to allow the U.N high commissioner for human rights to visit Papua to investigate alleged abuses Indonesia resolutely opposes Papuan independence and its military has been accused of ruthlessly eliminating the separatist movement's leaders in the past It maintains that the Act of Free Choice was binding and legitimate The huge Grasberg copper and gold mine operated by the Indonesian unit of Freeport McMoran has long been targeted by Papuan separatists thousands of protesters threw rocks at government buildings and shops Operations were unaffected but workers at the mine have been warned to limit travel the territory's other major resource project Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the attacks on the students in Surabaya but called for aggrieved Papuans "to be forgiving" His government has blocked internet access across Papua a step criticised by rights group and journalists Widodo is popular in Papua - he easily won the region's two provinces in April's Indonesian presidential election and has visited more often than his predecessors But his emphasis on economic development and infrastructure projects like the Trans-Papua highway to uplift Papuans has failed to satisfy their aspirations I came to this evening of short films not sure what to expect I have a history with West Papua (here referring to the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea one named “West Papua”) from my days fronting the legendary West Papuan band Black Brothers in the early 1990s I was exposed to stories of struggle and pride in the identity of the people of West Papua From their declaration of self-determination and self-government and the raising of the Morning Star flag on 1 December 1961 to the so-called “Act of Free Choice” referendum in 1969 which saw the fledgling Melanesian state become part of the larger Indonesian state However, apart from the occasional ABC or SBS news story and the 1963 ethnographic film Dead Birds, I hadn’t seen much footage on West Papua until now The West Papua Mini Film Festival is a touring festival of short films organised by the West Papuan community and their allies and supporters in Australia to raise awareness of the situation in West Papua The first two films were quite harrowing portrayals of internal displacement and coercion in West Papua My Name is Pengungsi (Refugee) follows the lives and families of two children born and currently being raised in parts of West Papua distant from their families’ places of origin Their displacement is clearly correlated with the increased presence of extractive corporate interests backed in and supported by a military presence In both children’s cases this has been enabled by the gradual breaking up of the region of West Papua into first two A scene from My Name is Pengungsi (Refugee) deals with the history of oppression and coercion under Indonesian rule and the absurdity of the rubber-stamping process undertaken by Indonesia (the Act of Free Choice the Indonesian acronym for which is Pepera) which enabled it to annex West Papua under the impotent gaze of the United Nations and the complicit support of countries including the US and Australia The film documents the process leading into decolonisation and West Papua’s short-lived period of self-rule The second two films were insightful celebrations of Papuan identity in the arts, through hip-hop artists like Ukam Maran and the earlier musical group Mambesak with the incredible story of the Persipura football club of Jayapura The latter’s achievements as a football team and subsequent discrimination and suppression in the racially charged Indonesian football league provide an allegory of West Papuan identity the strength and resilience of West Papuan identity and West Papuans’ pride in their ancient ties to land and culture A scene from Papua Hip-Hop: When the microphone talks What I liked about the four films was that they presented a montage of West Papua from rural to urban from the everyday life of internally displaced people to the exciting work of hip-hop artists with their songs of protest; from the big picture and history of West Papua to the smaller microcosm of the Persipura football team and supporters I was surprised how much I came out of the festival better informed about a place And this despite having the privilege of knowing more about West Papua than many Australians For those who don’t know much about West Papua and would like to know more, attending the West Papua Mini Film Festival is a must. It is on at various locations around Australia until 21 April 2024, with details here And to end on a happy note, my evening of film appreciation included meeting one of the festival’s organisers, Victor Mambor Victor is the nephew of the late Steve Mambor RNZ Pacific Indonesian police have forcefully dispersed a number of West Papuan protests around the region The protesters were yesterday calling for the release of pro-independence activist Victor Yeimo who was taken into police custody more than two weeks ago They were also calling for the release of other Papuan political prisoners and rejecting Jakarta’s plans for special autonomy in Papua Reports from the capital of West Papua province indicate that as many as 130 protesters were arrested Dozens of armed police converged on the mobilisations by Papuan students and civil society members to disperse their attempts to hold protests on several occasions around Manokwari Reports from Papua region say authorities ensured those being arrested underwent covid-19 rapid anti-gen testing before being processed by police Several deaths linked to the coronavirus have been reported in the province over the last few days the foreign spokesman for the West Papua National Committee had been on a police wanted list for treason suspects related to his alleged role in the widespread “Papua Rising” anti-racism protests in August and September 2019 Those protests in a number of cities and towns in the region followed highly publicised racist attacks on Papuan students in Java They were met with a crackdown by Indonesian security forces, and interference by militia groups, and spiralled into unrest which caused dozens of deaths Protesters in today’s mobilisations in Manokwari were also demonstrating against the Indonesian government’s recent decision to brand the West Papuan National Liberation Army as terrorists Guerilla fighters with the Liberation Army, which is a small and fractured force, have been locked in an ongoing armed conflict with Indonesian military forces in the rugged central highlands of West Papua for months The conflict escalated in recent weeks after the Papuan force killed an Indonesian intelligence chief and – according to authorities – two teachers last month This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ One of the world’s most invasive pest species has been discovered in France and may have come from one of the island nations in the Pacific region a James Cook University researcher has found has been found in a hot-house in Caen in France the first discovery of the species in Europe The specimens were identified by their characteristic appearance and by the molecular analysis of that part of its DNA often used to characterise animals (its ‘barcode’) Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in JCU’s School of Marine and Tropical Biology has been collaborating with Professor Jean-Lou Justine of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris who heads a team on a project of invasive species of terrestrial flatworms in France Dr Winsor completed his PhD at JCU on terrestrial flatworms in the Australian region and regularly undertakes identifications of flatworms for people and organisations in the UK Dr Winsor said many of the species identified were of Australian and New Zealand origin “One of the species recently forwarded for identification turned out to be the New Guinea flatworm  Platydemus manokwari the only flatworm on the list of the 100 World's Worst Invasive Alien Species,” he said “It has a bad reputation in the Pacific region to which it was previously largely confined It has now been transported to France and along with other austral flatworms Dr Winsor said the New Guinea terrestrial flatworm was later introduced to Bugsuk in the Philippines in 1981 and later on to Yokohama Japan and the Maldives as a biological control agent for the Giant African snail It is a predator of native snail and possibly other soil animal species in the region and biologists had grave concerns for the future of native land snail faunas of Pacific Islands where the New Guinea flatworm had been introduced Dr Winsor said over the past 50 years the New Guinea flatworm was introduced probably together with plants and soil to more than 15 territories in the Pacific region The most recent report of P.manokwari in the Pacific region is its occurrence last year in Rotuma in the Fiji archipelago and had become invasive endangering endemic species it is able to climb on trees to follow the snails,” he said it measuring up to 50 mm long and 5 mm wide its back is a black-olive colour with a clear central stripe The mouth is in the middle of the belly.” while originally from the cool to cold highlands in New Guinea it could survive relatively cool temperatures down to 10C “The flatworm has survived in the hot-house at Caen and it is expected that it would also survive outdoors in this region and even more easily in more warmer southern parts of Europe it was observed in the laboratory to be capable of consuming a European species of snail Apart from the flatworm being a threat to snails one of the main dangers of this case is that the diet of Platydemus manokwari is very diverse and in the absence of snails it can feed on numerous soil-dwelling species Dr Winsor said the discovery represented a new and significant threat to biodiversity in France and Europe some of which are endangered and protected It was therefore important to implement an eradication and control program Dr Winsor recently had a paper on this discovery accepted for publication by the online journal PeerJ “We believe the paper will have a major impact across France and Europe and it is anticipated that the paper will cause quite a stir.” who completed part of his MSc on the species says the Platydemus manokwari is present in his backyard and also in many other gardens in Townsville The paper, The invasive New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari in France, the first record for Europe: time for action is now is available here: PeerJ: https://peerj.com/manuscripts/1372/ Above image: Egg cocoon of Platydemus manokwari Image above:  Platydemus manokwari Specimen collected in a greenhouse at Caen Note its white pharynx protruding from the underside ingesting soft tissues of a specimen of the Mediterranean snail (Eobania vermiculata) JCU websites use cookies to enhance user experience increasing numbers of the infamously invasive New Guinea Flatworm have appeared in Florida These animals can theoretically transmit the rat lungworm parasite to humans manokwari through human agency to Florida is probably recent with our first specimens found in August 2012 The species is apparently now well established with several different locations found in 2014 in Miami Dade County While viral posts implied that the discovery of a New Guinea Flatworm in one's home necessitates a police response We reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to ask if their department recommended reporting sightings of the New Guinea Flatworm to 911 The FWC is aware that New Guinea flatworms have spread to many parts of Florida and people do not need to report sightings Indeed, the primary danger of the New Guinea Flatworm is to the ecosystem rather than to human health. The pest has an infamous track record of damaging the ecosystems to which they have been introduced, as discussed in a 2014 study on their occurrence in France: Examined from an environmental perspective manokwari has demonstrably had a serious negative impact on the biodiversity of native snail populations in the Pacific region [...] and wherever it is deliberately or accidentally introduced it will continue to pose a threat not only to native molluscs but possibly to other slow-moving soil invertebrates [...] It may also indirectly have a negative impact on vertebrate species dependent upon these soil invertebrates the Goodfullness.com post makes a number of assertions about the risks P These worms have the ability to consume rats and mice and when they dine on these animals the infections are then transmitted to humans who are exposed to any air particles that have been contaminated by the rodent droppings According to Florida International University professor of biology Timothy Collins who actively studies their occurrence in Florida the New Guinea Flatworm does not prey on rats The New Guinea Flatworm is, however, a possible carrier of a parasite that passes through the feces of rats — the rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis). This parasite generally causes mild symptoms that generally resolve without treatment, but is capable of a more serious infection called eosinophilic meningitis, according to the CDC: Some infected people don't have any symptoms — or have only mild symptoms that don't last very long Sometimes the infection causes a rare type of meningitis (eosinophilic meningitis) The rat lungworm, as it turns out, utilizes a complex life cycle which requires three hosts, one of which can be a flatworm or snail, as described in a 2012 review of the parasite: they ingest third stage larvae which eventually grow to sexual maturity and reproduce in the heart and first stage larvae migrate up the bronchial tree and 6–8 weeks after infection are excreted with feces Slugs or snails then eat rat feces and acquire the first stage larvae Slugs and snails are obligatory intermediate hosts which support parasite development from the first to the third larval stage If one’s food were to accidentally come in contact with the mucus of an infected flatworm or if one were to directly consume the animal itself you could potentially contract a rat lungworm infection it has been reported in the Giant African Land Snail in Florida There are published medical cases of people becoming infected with Angiostrongylus after eating lettuce over which snails infected with Angiostrongylyus have crawled with the caveat that there have yet to be any confirmed cases of the New Guinea Flatworm carrying the rat ringworm in Florida The average person can avoid risk by not handling the flatworms by not putting their hands near their eyes or nose before cleaning them carefully Platydemus have been reported by some brave soul to taste terrible This advice is in line with the CDC’s position as well: Don't eat raw or undercooked snails or slugs Always remember to thoroughly wash fresh produce When travelling in areas where the parasite is common This invasive creature is a big problem for local ecosystems and it is an issue that Collins and other scientists are actively researching while there are indirect potential risks to humans from the New Guinea Flatworm in Florida these risks in no way necessitate calling 911 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   "Angiostrongylus cantonensis FAQs." Updated [20 September 2018]: Updated with a clarified statement from the FWC Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation This material may not be reproduced without permission Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com