Papua’s telecommunications access restored

Jakarta, infoPublik - The Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Informatics restored internet data services in Wamena Regency, Papua Province on Saturday (28/9) starting at 09.00 Eastern Indonesia Time.

"The services were restored after considering the recent situation and security condition in Wamena Regency area. Law enforcement agencies and security forces confirmed that It has recovered and returned to normal," said the ministry’s Public Relations Bureau acting head Ferdinandus Setu, Saturday (28/09/2019).

Previously, the Government restricted internet data services in Wamena Regency on Monday (23/9) after the staging of mass protests and riots in the region triggered by the distribution of hoax, disinformation, and hate speech.

Internet data and services have been normalized in most points/sites of Jayapura since13 September 2019. However, access in 15 percent of Jayapura City's points/sites was just restored recently. As a result, currently all telecommunications and internet services in 29 regencies/cities in Papua Province and 13 regencies/cities in West Papua Province have been functioning normally.

"The government continues to urge the people not to disseminate hoax, disinformation, hate speech related to ethnicity, religion and race, as well as incitement and provocation through any media including social media. We hope we could maintain the security in Papua and West Papua Provinces that have been conducive and recovered," Ferdinandus concluded. (Reporter: Yudi Rahmat, Translator: Erik Limantara)