Papuan Organizations Slam BRIN's Plan to Relocate Local Artifacts to West Java

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as 24 Papua’s cultural agencies and observers rejected the move to relocate some original Papuan archaeological objects to the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) office at the Cibinong Science Center, West Java.

The relocation is considered a form of eliminating the history of indigenous Papuans. 

Quoted from a petition received by Tempo, the relocation plan is in contrast with the efforts to advance national culture as stipulated in Law Number 5 of 2017 regarding the protection of cultural objects.

"BRIN's claim that the relocation is an effort to preserve and care for archaeological objects contradicts the efforts to advance national culture," the petition wrote, quoted on Monday, August 12, 2024.

Young Expert Researcher at the BRIN Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology Research Center in Jayapura, Erlin Novita Idje Djami, said BRIN in Jakarta is currently evaluating the relocation plan. Erin declined to comment further. 

Previously, Erlin had commented to the local Papuan media, Jubi, that the relocation was proposed as the current storage location was inadequate. 

"The artifacts intended for relocation are the ones stored here, considering this is no longer a storage but a workplace," said Erlin, while mentioning that another reason was to facilitate maintenance.

At least five demands from Papuan cultural agencies and observers are conveyed to protest the relocation plan. First, firmly reject the relocation of the Papuan archaeological objects currently part of the BRIN Jayapura Joint Working Area (CWS) collection.

Second, request President Joko Widodo to order the Head of BRIN to immediately stop the relocation since it doesn’t respect the history and identity of Papuans.  

Third, urge the BRIN Jayapura CWS Office to immediately publish the collection of Papuan archaeological objects for the Papuan people to know.

Fourth, encourage the local government in Papua, from the provincial and district levels to prepare a house for the collection of archaeological objects.

Fifth, if there is a change in the use of the BRIN Jayapura CWS office building for other purposes, the Uncen Loka Budaya Museum is willing to accommodate the collection of archaeological objects, book collections, and archaeological excavation equipment donated by third parties to the Papua Archaeology Center in the past.

ALIF ILHAM FAJRIADI

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