Wamena | |
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Coordinates: 4°5′51″S138°57′04″E / 4.09750°S 138.95111°E | |
Country | Indonesia |
Province | Highland Papua |
Regency | Jayawijaya Regency |
Population (mid 2022 estimate) | |
• Total | 65,766 |
[1] |
Wamena, also known as the District of Wamena, is a large town in the Western New Guinea region of Indonesia. It also serves as the seat of Jayawijaya Regency. It is the largest town in the province of Highland Papua, located in the Baliem Valley and had a population of 64,967 in the 2020 Census; [2] the official estimate in mid 2022 was 65,766. [3] Wamena is the urban centre of a rural area housing Highland Papua's highest concentration of population, with over 300,000 people inhabiting the Baliem Valley and surrounding areas. These people belong to several related ethnic groups, the most prominent of which are the Dani, Lani , and Yali.
The town is also home to the Persiwa Wamena football team, which played in the Indonesian Super League until the early 2010s.
As far as the outside world was concerned, the discovery of the Baliem Valley, where Wamena is located, and the unexpected presence of its large agricultural population was made by Richard Archbold’s third zoological expedition to New Guinea in 1938. On 21 June an aerial reconnaissance flight southwards from Hollandia (now Jayapura) found what the expedition called the ‘Grand Valley’. Since it was almost completely cut off from the outside world, the area was spared by the fighting for the control of New Guinea during World War II. The town itself was founded by the Dutch in 1956, as one of the last towns founded during their presence in Western New Guinea. [4] Since then the valley has gradually been opened up to a limited amount of tourism.
In 2003, during what would be called afterward the Wamena incident, an unidentified mob led by the Free Papua Movement raided the Indonesian Army's armoury of the town, killing two Indonesian soldiers and stealing several assault rifles. [5] [6] Reprisals were harsh, affecting 25 villagers, displacing around 7,000 villagers, and killing 50 in the process, torture and destruction of properties by the Indonesian army were also reported. [7] [8]
During the 2019 Papua protests, several government buildings were destroyed by an angry mob, after which the police and the military retaliated, leaving 16 civilians killed and 65 injured. According to local authorities, the particular set of protests was triggered by a separate racism incident within the city. A Kompas correspondent in Wamena reported that gunshots sounded across the city and that civilians primarily migrants were taking shelter in police stations, military bases, [9] local Papuan homes, and churches. [10] Out of the 16 civilians killed, 13 had come from outside the province, and most deaths occurred as they were trapped in buildings torched by the angry mob. [11] Later independence investigation by The Jakarta Post and local media Tabloid Jubi, revealed civilian victims were likely to be higher than official counts. Perpetrators were likely not local Wamenan and were too old to be students even though wearing high school uniforms. Racism incidents that was claimed to have happened in Wamena and spread through social media are also likely to be misinformation or even disinformation. [10]
Responding to the protests, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology reactivated the internet blackout in Wamena. [12] Owing to the rioting and unrest, around 15,000 civilians were evacuated from Wamena, with a further 1,726 internally displaced within the town in early October. [13] Going the opposite direction, around 2,000 Papuan students returned from other cities across Indonesia to their home towns and cities, reporting a feeling of intimidation and danger. [14]
On 23 February 2023, around ten civilians were killed in a riot arising from a kidnapping accusation. [15]
Wamena features a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af), albeit a relatively mild version due to its high altitude.
Climate data for Wamena | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.0 (75.2) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.5 (76.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.9 (66.0) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.5 (67.1) | 19.0 (66.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.6 (56.5) | 13.7 (56.7) | 13.9 (57.0) | 13.9 (57.0) | 13.8 (56.8) | 13.6 (56.5) | 13.2 (55.8) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 13.1 (55.6) | 13.9 (57.0) | 13.5 (56.2) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 201 (7.9) | 224 (8.8) | 223 (8.8) | 198 (7.8) | 160 (6.3) | 132 (5.2) | 134 (5.3) | 152 (6.0) | 153 (6.0) | 161 (6.3) | 138 (5.4) | 189 (7.4) | 2,065 (81.2) |
Source: Climate-Data.org [16] |
Wamena claims a broader variety of fresh fruits and vegetables than other regions in Papua. On early 6 June 2013, a modern market was built in the town center to allow traditional farmers to sell their harvests at a proper price. [17]
Because of its relatively isolated location, the main form of access to the area is air travel. The town and the surrounding valley are served by the only Wamena Airport, which can accommodate the TNI's Hercules airplanes. Dimonim Air, Trigana Air, Aviastar Mandiri, Susi Air, Merpati and Wings Air serve the airport. The airport was razed by fire on 26 September 2011; all buildings including the departure and arrival terminals were engulfed by fire. [18]
Parts of Trans-Papua Highway is passing Wamena, linking the town by road with cities across Papua such as Jayapura.
The largely Papuan town is densely settled and has extreme rates of HIV infection, with a claim of 5,100 cases recorded by Antara. [19] On 16 June 2015, Jayawijaya regional secretary Yohanis Walilo rectified the total HIV cases to 4,521 HIV cases. [20]
Papua is a province of Indonesia, comprising the northern coast of Western New Guinea together with island groups in Cenderawasih Bay to the west. It roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Tabi Saireri. It is bordered by the sovereign state of Papua New Guinea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the north, Cenderawasih Bay to the west, and the provinces of Central Papua and Highland Papua to the south. The province also shares maritime boundaries with Palau in the Pacific. Following the splitting off of twenty regencies to create the three new provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua on 30 June 2022, the residual province is divided into eight regencies (kabupaten) and one city (kota), the latter being the provincial capital of Jayapura. The province has a large potential in natural resources, such as gold, nickel, petroleum, etc. Papua, along with five other Papuan provinces, has a higher degree of autonomy level compared to other Indonesian provinces.
Jayapura is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua. It is situated on the northern coast of New Guinea island and covers an area of 940.0 km2 (362.9 sq mi). The city borders the Pacific Ocean and Yos Sudarso Bay to the north, the country of Papua New Guinea to the east, Keerom Regency to the south, and Jayapura Regency to the west.
Jayapura Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in Papua Province of Indonesia. It is situated to the west of but does not include the city of Jayapura. Previously covering most of the north-east portion of Papua province, it was reduced substantially in extent from 12 November 2002, when the eastern districts were split off to form a new Keerom Regency and the western districts were split off to form a new Sarmi Regency. It now covers an area of 17,516.6 km2, and had a population of 111,943 at the 2010 Census and 166,171 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 171,331. The administrative centre is the town of Sentani, with 73,927 inhabitants in mid 2022.
Yahukimo Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in the Indonesian province of Highland Papua. It covers an area of 17,152 km2, and had a population of 164,512 at the 2010 Census, but this figure more than doubled to reach 350,880 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 361,776. The official administrative centre of Yahukimo Regency is at Sumohai, which is located 25 kilometres north of the town of Dekai, but - due to the lack of infrastructure in Sumohai - the actual administrative centre of the regency is in Dekai. The regency was formerly part of the Jayawijaya Regency, but was split off to become a separate regency on 11 December 2002.
Puncak Jaya Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in the Indonesian province of Central Papua. It is an inland highland regency, lying directly east of Paniai Regency and west of Jayawijaya Regency and Tolikara Regency. As of 2004, it was reported that these four regencies had a population that is 93–97% ethnic Papua; however this included areas which have subsequently been formed into new regencies.
Nduga Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in the Indonesian province of Highland Papua. Nduga Regency was created on 4 January 2008 by separation from Jayawijaya Regency in accordance with Law No. 6/2008. It covers an area of 12,941 km2, and had a population of 79,053 at the 2010 Census and 106,533 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 109,630 - comprising 59,587 males and 50,043 females. The administrative centre is at the town of Kenyam.
Jayawijaya Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in the Indonesian province of Highland Papua. It occupies an area of 13,925.31 km2 in the Baliem Valley, situated in the central highlands of the province. It had a population of 196,085 at the 2010 Census, and 269,553 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid-2022 was 277,923 - comprising 144,500 males and 133,423 females. Its capital is the town of Wamena.
Keerom Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in the Papua Province of Indonesia. It was formed from the eastern districts then within Jayapura Regency with effect from 12 November 2002. It covers an area of 9,365 km2, and had a population of 48,536 at the 2010 Census and 61,623 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 62,777. The regency's administrative centre is at Waris. It borders Green River Rural LLG and Amanab Rural LLG of Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
Pegunungan Bintang Regency or Bintang Mountains Regency is a regency in the Indonesian province of Highland Papua. It was created on 11 December 2002 from the north-eastern districts of Jayawijaya Regency. It covers an area of 15,683 km2, and had a population of 65,434 at the 2010 Census and 77,872 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 78,466 - comprising 42,362 males and 36,104 females. The administrative centre is the town of Oksibil.
The Baliem River is a river in the Highland Papua and South Papua provinces of Western New Guinea, Indonesia. It is the largest tributary of the Pulau River, formerly called the Eilanden River. With a total length of 414.2 km (257.4 mi).
Lokale Cave is a cave in Papua, Indonesia. The cave is in the village Lokale Woslimo, Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya, Papua.
Ransiki is a town in Indonesia province of West Papua, at the western end of New Guinea. The town is the administrative seat of the South Manokwari Regency. In 2010, there were 7,683 people in Ransiki, which rose to 16,245 at the 2020 census. The town is served by Ransiki Airport.
Sarmi is a coastal town and the administrative center of Sarmi Regency in the province of Papua in Indonesia.
John Wempi Wetipo is an Indonesian politician from Papua. He is currently serving as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, being appointed in 2022. Previously he served as Deputy Minister of Public Works and Housing from 2019 until 2022 and as the Regent of Jayawijaya Regency for two terms between 2008 and 2018. He participated in the 2018 Papua gubernatorial election, but lost to incumbent Lukas Enembe.
South Papua, officially the South Papua Province, is an Indonesian province located in the southern portion of Papua, following the borders of the Papuan customary region of Anim Ha. Formally established on 11 November 2022 and including the four most southern regencies that were previously part of the province of Papua and before 11 December 2002 comprised a larger Merauke Regency, it covers an area of 117,849.16 km2, and it had a population of 522,215 according to the official estimates for mid-2022, making it the least populous province in Indonesia.
The 2019 Papua protests were a series of protests by Papuans in Indonesia that began on 19 August 2019 and mainly took place across Indonesian Papua region in response to the arrests of 43 Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java for alleged disrespect of the Indonesian flag. Many of the protests involved thousands of participants, and some grew from local protests in Surabaya to demanding an independence referendum for the whole region. In several locations, the protests turned into general riots, resulting in the destruction of government buildings in Wamena, Sorong and Jayapura. Clashes between protesters and police resulted in injuries, with over 30 people killed from both the clashes and the rioting.
Jayawijaya Dirgantara is an airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates domestic / regional cargo flights in the territory of the province of Papua. Its main base is at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport.
Highland Papua is a province of Indonesia, which roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Lano-Pago, shortened to La Pago. It covers an area of 51,213.34 km2 (19,773.58 sq mi) and had a population of 1,430,459 according to the official estimates as at mid 2022.
Media related to Wamena at Wikimedia Commons