West Papuan Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan received the title of National Hero

Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) awarded the title of national hero to six figures at the State Palace, Jakarta, one of whom was the late Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan, West Papua figure, Tuesday.

The award was based on the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 117 TK in 2020 which was set on November 6, 2020.

“To confer the title of national hero to those whose names are in this annex as a high honor and respect for his outstanding services, during his lifetime he led and carried out armed struggles, or political struggles or struggles in other fields to achieve, seize, defend, and filling independence and realizing the unity and integrity of the nation, “wrote the Presidential Decree which was read out in the 2020 National Hero Award Ceremony at the State Palace, Jakarta.

The six figures are figures from the late Sultan Baabullah Province of North Maluku, figures from West Papua Province the late Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan, figures from DKI Jakarta Province the late General Police (ret) Raden Said Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo,

Then, figures from North Sulawesi Province the late Arnold Mononutu, figures from North Sumatra Province the late Mr Sutan Mohammad Amin Nasution, and figures from Jambi Province the late Raden Mattaher Bin Pangeran Kusen Bin Adi.

Also attending the award ceremony were Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, and Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara.

The event was continued with a prayer reading by the Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi. President Jokowi then congratulated the heirs who attended the event.

Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan

Notes:

Located on the western half of the island of New Guinea and long racked by a simmering violent separatist insurgency, Papua encompasses Indonesia’s two easternmost provinces.

A former Dutch colony, West Papua has formally returned to Indonesia in 1969.

The undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders has chosen to join Indonesia.

The United Nations endorsed the result of the plebiscite and the world recognized West Papua as part Indonesia.

West Papuan people have elected the leaders of Papua and West Papua provinces.

The election in West Papua has strengthened the legality of the region as a province of Indonesia.

Since 2007, Abdurrahman Wahid administration changed the name from Irian Jaya to Papua.

Papua gained a “Special Autonomy” status, a political compromise between Papuans and the central government.

In 2001, politicians in Jakarta agreed to proceed with the implementation of the Special Autonomy.