According to the spokesperson for the Presidential Staff Office, Rini S Modouw, the students who were sent home could not just be released, but a cooperation scheme with domestic universities in Indonesia was sought to provide guidance to them and through transfer of education, because this concerns their future.
Modouw said he had invited members of the Papua Province BPSDM (Human Resource Development Agency) to a meeting on March 11, 2022 to find a solution.
During the meeting, an important mapping issues were discussed to determine the condition of the repatriated students. Among them are about learning achievement and not administratively problematic which cannot be tolerated, such as legal problems. Then together with the BPSDM Papua, an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) will be drafted with domestic universities in Indonesia.
According to Modouw, the Indonesian Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are waiting for a report from the Papuan government regarding the names of the students who will be returned to home so that the central government can coordinate their travel.
The Main Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office for Political and Legal Affairs Theo Litaay reminded that the problems that are being faced by Papuan students are the authority of the Papua Provincial Government who is responsible of the scholarships program.
However, the central government will continue to keep monitoring the process. “For those who still have problems, it is certainly a concern for the implementation of their repatriation,” he said. He hopes this process can be completed quickly.
Whilst Head of the Papua Province Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM), Ariyoko F. Rumaropen, said that the Papua Provincial Government would help facilitate students who were repatriated to continue their studies in the country.
However, the Provincial Government of Papua does not cover the cost of their studies. Because in the agreement for the recipient of the scholarship program, the Provincial Government of Papua only bears the cost of studying as long as they are still actively studying in accordance with the level of education taken by students.
In December 2021, the Papuan Provincial Government issued a letter regarding the repatriation of Papuan students who were studying abroad for not completing their studies on time.
There are 41 students in New Zealand and 77 Papuan students in the United States and Canada.
Tell The Truths hopes that this information can provide enlightenment to Papuan students who are studying abroad, so that they are not easily provoked by irresponsible groups who try to politicize this issue to undermine the Indonesian government and divide the unity of the Indonesian Nation.
