Jayawijaya, March 16, 2025 – The Regent of Jayawijaya, Athenius Murib, along with Deputy Regent Ronny Elopere, has taken decisive action to address the issue of alcohol (miras) that sparked a violent incident during a celebration event on Saturday, March 15, 2025. This move has received strong support from the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) and local community leaders.
The decision to form a task force dedicated to eradicating alcohol-related issues was made during an evaluation meeting led by the Regent and Deputy Regent at the Regent’s Office on Sunday, March 16, 2025. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Indonesian National Army (TNI), the National Police (Polri), the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP), local members of the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRK), as well as community and customary leaders.
Regent Murib explained that the disturbance was caused by a group of individuals attending the event in an intoxicated state due to alcohol consumption. “Based on the reports we received, we can confirm that all the individuals involved in the incident were under the influence of alcohol,” he said.
To address this issue comprehensively, both the Regent and Deputy Regent, along with various stakeholders, have agreed to form a task force focused on combating alcohol consumption in Jayawijaya. This task force will be officially established on Monday, March 17, 2025, and will involve collaboration from local law enforcement, government agencies, and community leaders.
“The task force will include the Police as a coordinating sector, along with the Public Order Police (Satpol PP), the Army (Kodim), customary institutions, and community leaders. We will conduct joint operations in the city of Wamena to combat the distribution of alcohol, which has been causing unrest among residents,” Regent Murib stated.
The formation of this task force is expected to reduce the negative impact of alcohol, which has often been a trigger for violence and conflicts among local residents. The Regent also emphasized that cooperation between the government, security forces, and community leaders is essential to maintaining peace and order in Jayawijaya.
