Vice President Gibran Addresses Allegations of Exile in Papua: This is Not a Dumping Ground

Vice President (VP) Gibran Rakabuming Raka reaffirmed that Papua is a part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). Gibran denied allegations that he was exiled whenever he received assignments to visit Papua. Gibran made these statements while meeting with indigenous leaders, local communities, and government officials in Manokwari, West Papua, on Tuesday (4/11). Gibran initially emphasized that development should not be focused solely on Java Island. ‘Our commitment is clear: development must no longer be Java-centric, it should be Indonesia-centric, and as I emphasized earlier, Papua is not a place for exile or disposal,’ Gibran said, as quoted from the Indonesian Vice President’s YouTube channel on Wednesday (5/11/2025). Gibran then addressed misinformation about himself, refuting rumors of being exiled in Papua. ‘You may have read news about me, ‘oh, Gibran is exiled in Papua.’ No, that’s not true. Papua is part of NKRI and we must give it special attention,’ he emphasized. Gibran continued by stating that the development in Papua will be overseen by two established entities: the Board of Directors for Accelerating Special Autonomy Development in Papua (BP3OKP) and the Executive Committee for Accelerating Papua Development. ‘The people there are selected individuals who understand the issues in Papua, and I believe there will be new breakthroughs and innovations in the future that will bring great benefits to the Papuan community,’ he added. Additionally, Gibran urged local governments to effectively utilize special autonomy funds. He aims for the allocated budget to truly benefit the welfare of the people. ‘There may still be shortcomings so far, this is my duty as the President’s assistant to ensure more efficiency and once again, target accuracy in the future,’ Gibran stated. He also called for the proper oversight of national programs such as free healthcare, People’s School, Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), Garuda School, and school revitalization. ‘We also discuss the Trans Papua project. There are still some sections that are not connected, but hopefully, once everything is completed, issues like access, inflation, and high prices for essential goods can be resolved,’ he concluded.