Tanah Papua Research Articles

Potret Lama Penyelesaian Studi Lulusan Fakultas Pertanian dan Teknologi Pertanian, Universitas Negeri Papua

<em>The State University of Papua (UNIPA) provides human resources for agricultural sector in Tanah Papua through the Department of Agricultural and Agricultural Technology (FAPERTEK). However, in the process of generating these human capitals, many of its alumni could not finish their study within the targeted time frame designed by curriculum used in this department. Thus, this research aims for understanding factors that influencing the study time of FAPERTEK-UNIPA�s alumni. Study time data was obtained through a census from secondary data whereas evaluation of the study time was conducted through a survey to alumni. The evaluation was focus on two sub-systems:� student and the interaction between students and faculties. The result shows that in general alumni at the bachelor (S-1) level and at the diploma (D-3) level finished their study more than 10 semesters and 7 semesters consecutively. Financial problem, difficult and lengthy research topic, communication problem with advisor, many re-taking classes, health problem as well as personal problems were among the reasons for those alumni whose study time exceeds the minimum time as indicated by the curriculum. Academic advisors who are expected to assist students to be able to finish their study within the allotted time have not performed efficiently according to some of respondents. Information provides through this research is expected to be beneficial for enhancing current and future education system in this department.</em>

The morphologization of negation constructions in Nalca (Mek, Tanah Papua), or, how nothing easily moves to the middle of a word

AbstractThe Mek language Nalca has undergone a rapid synthetization of verbal negation by way of two successive stages of asymmetric negation, the first one involving referential zeroing with a verbal noun, the second one reintroducing person marking with an auxiliary in analogy to non-verbal predicates. This development can be traced in texts in the more conservative closely related Mek language Eipo. Referential zeroing originally had the connotation of absolute negation (more than the denial of one specific event). As Nalca negation was integrated into inflectional morphology, it developed some of the hallmarks of autonomous morphology – morphomes and empty morphs. Nalca negation illustrates how grammaticalization and analogy can go hand-in-hand. The fusion of verbal negation is a case of the morphologization of a construction which does not occur in isolation but in concert with other similar processes, together entailing a fragmentation of negation marking. Finally, the Nalca development shows that cases of fusion of verbal negation must be taken into account when dealing with the interplay of existential negation and verbal negation in terms of cyclic processes.

Tanah Papua, Asia-Pacific news blind spots and citizen media: From the ‘Act of Free Choice’ betrayal to a social media revolution

For five decades Tanah Papua, or the West Papua half of the island of New Guinea on the intersection of Asia and the Pacific, has been a critical issue for the region with a majority of the Melanesian population supporting self-determination, and ultimately independence. While being prepared for eventual post-war independence by the Dutch colonial authorities, Indonesian paratroopers and marines invaded the territory in 1962 in an ill-fated military expedition dubbed Operation Trikora (‘People’s Triple Command’). However, this eventually led to the so-called Act of Free Choice in 1969 under the auspices of the United Nations in a sham referendum dubbed by critics as an ‘Act of No Choice’ which has been disputed ever since as a legal basis for Indonesian colonialism. A low-level insurgency waged by the OPM (Free West Papua Movement) has also continued and Jakarta maintains its control through the politics of oppression and internal migration. For more than five decades, the legacy media in New Zealand have largely ignored this issue on their doorstep, preferring to give attention to Fiji and a so-called coup culture instead. In the past five years, social media have contributed to a dramatic upsurge of global awareness about West Papua but still the New Zealand legacy media have failed to take heed. This article also briefly introduces other Asia-Pacific political issues—such as Kanaky, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinean university student unrest, the militarisation of the Mariana Islands and the Pacific’s Nuclear Zero lawsuit against the nine nuclear powers—ignored by a New Zealand media that has no serious tradition of independent foreign correspondence.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision to Prevent HIV in Tanah Papua, Indonesia: Field Trial to Assess Acceptability and Feasibility.

Relatively little attention has been paid to the significant HIV prevention role that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) can play in populations with moderate levels of HIV prevalence. One such location is Tanah Papua, Indonesia, which in 2013 had a general population having HIV prevalence of 2.3% concentrated among indigenous Papuans (2.9% prevalence), very few of whom are circumcised. This article reports the findings of an implementation research study assessing the acceptability and feasibility of introducing VMMC for HIV prevention. Following a situational assessment and socialization of targeted groups of men and key stakeholders, a single-arm, open-label, prospective cohort trial using the non-surgical PrePex® device was undertaken in four cities. Study participants were recruited via study-associated socialization events. Data were collected from clients prior to and following device insertion, and at several "check-up" points (2-, 21- and 42-days) using standardized case report forms. A random sample of circumcision clients from one city was surveyed six months' post-removal to assess the prevalence of compensatory sexual risk behaviours. Demand for circumcision was weak in three of the cities, reflecting insufficient prior socialization and lingering concerns over religious appropriateness and safety issues. Despite no prior experience with PrePex ®, the pilot implementation yielded side-effect and adverse event rates that were unremarkable in comparison with sub-Saharan African countries, where PrePex ® is widely used. No evidence of increased post-procedure sexual risk-taking was found. The study findings point to both opportunity and significant challenges in introducing VMMC on a large scale in Tanah Papua, Indonesia. Although there were enough promising signs in the qualitative research and in the limited-scale implementation trial undertaken to remain optimistic as to the potential for VMMC to help contain HIV in Tanah Papua, much remains to be done to promote the benefits of VMMC and address lingering concerns as to safety and religious appropriateness. An acceleration of the pace of task-shifting from physicians to nurses will be needed in order for VMMC to be feasible for implementation on a large scale.