The Ministry of Tourism regrets the shooting incident near the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival.

The Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) deeply regrets the shooting incident that occurred near the venue of the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival in Highland Papua. This incident resulted in two civilian residents being injured.

The Ministry of Tourism extends its sympathy to both victims and their families, and prays for their swift full recovery.

On the first day of the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, the Deputy Minister of Tourism along with the official Ministry of Tourism team attended the venue directly. At that time, all festival proceedings ran safely, festively and in a conducive manner.

The shooting incident only occurred on the second day of the festival. At the time the incident took place, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and the entire Ministry of Tourism team had already travelled to Jayapura in preparation for their return to Jakarta.

The Ministry of Tourism has confirmed that the Deputy Minister of Tourism and all team members have arrived in Jakarta safely and in good condition.

Ministry of Tourism Coordinating With Jayawijaya Regency Government

The Ministry of Tourism maintains continuous coordination with the Jayawijaya Regency Government to monitor on-site developments.

According to the latest update from the Jayawijaya Regency Government, the situation at the incident location has returned to being safe and conducive.

Joint personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police are conducting ongoing surveillance while also increasing security patrols around the affected area.

The second day of the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival was forced to be suspended following the shooting incident. This measure was implemented to ensure the security situation could be brought under control.

Meanwhile, the final program of the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, the "Nusantara Cultural Carnival", proceeded as scheduled in central Wamena City, specifically in front of the Jayawijaya Regent's Office.

The carnival venue is located a significant distance from the shooting site. Additional security measures were also implemented throughout the carnival to ensure all activities could run safely.

"We hope the response process carried out by security authorities will proceed properly, that the situation will return to normal very soon, and that local residents may resume their daily activities safely."

Ministry of Tourism Calls On All Parties To Exercise Restraint

The Ministry of Tourism stated that cultural festivals are not merely tourism agenda items. Through these events, local communities, visitors and cultural groups are able to connect with one another, while celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Papua in a peaceful environment.

"For us, cultural festivals should serve as a gathering space and common ground across all differences. This is where communities, visitors and various groups can get to know one another, and celebrate Papua's cultural wealth in a peaceful atmosphere," the Ministry of Tourism stated officially.

The Ministry of Tourism respects the ongoing response procedures implemented by authorized authorities. Members of the public are urged not to be incited by the situation, and to exercise caution when receiving or circulating information regarding this incident.

"We respect the handling process being conducted by the competent authorities, and we call on all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, avoid provocation, and refrain from sharing unconfirmed information."

The Ministry of Tourism hopes the situation will normalise shortly so that communities can safely resume their daily activities.

For the Ministry of Tourism, cultural values must remain as the unifying force that binds society together.

The Baliem Valley Festival is a national pride of Indonesia, that must be collectively safeguarded as a space of peace, safety and fraternity.