Laus D.C. Rumayom, pendiri Analisis Papua Strategis, menghadiri One Ocean Week Seattle Summit, 19–25 Oktober 2026, di Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle, Amerika Serikat. (Foto: APS/Portal Papua)
SEATTLE — A voice from Papua was heard at an international maritime forum in the United States. Laus D.C. Rumayom, an international relations scholar at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Jayapura, attended the One Ocean Week Seattle Summit from 19 to 25 October 2026 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle, Washington State.
Laus is the founder and chair of Analisis Papua Strategis (APS) and the APS Center for Development and Global Studies. He previously served as a senior expert at the Presidential Staff Office from 2019 to 2024.
Organized by Maritime Blue, the forum combines high-level policy dialogue with practical innovation, cultural programs, and youth engagement. Over a week, ocean leaders, innovators, investors, policymakers, academics, artists, and communities gathered to discuss a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.
Papua, Indonesia’s Gateway to the Pacific
At the forum, Laus stressed that Papua’s position should be seen not only geographically but as part of Indonesia’s maritime strategy. In his view, Papua is a strategic node of global trade connectivity.
“Papua is not only a border region, but also a gateway connecting Indonesia with the South Pacific.”
Laus D.C. Rumayom, Chair of Analisis Papua Strategis
He said Sorong, Jayapura, and Merauke could become regional logistics, energy, and trade hubs linking Indonesia with Pacific nations and Australia, provided they are backed by adequate infrastructure and integrated policy.
Amid Great-Power Competition
Laus also highlighted great-power competition in the Indo-Pacific, including the interests of the United States and China and the AUKUS defense partnership (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), which affects Papua’s neighbors such as Papua New Guinea. In this context, he urged Indonesia to safeguard its sovereignty while upholding its “free and active” foreign policy.
On security, eastern Indonesian waters remain vulnerable to illegal fishing, smuggling, and cross-border activity. Laus argued that law enforcement alone is not enough; surveillance and marine governance must also be strengthened. Better port infrastructure and connectivity in the east, he said, are key to economic sovereignty and maritime integration.
A Fair Blue Economy for Coastal Communities
Just as importantly, Laus reminded the forum that maritime development in Papua must protect coastal communities and Indigenous Papuans and deliver direct benefits to local people. Papua, he stressed, must not be treated merely as a trade corridor or a resource zone.
“The blue economy must be built on the principles of sustainability and justice,” he said.
Laus’s presence in Seattle shows how a son of Papua can bring a regional perspective to the global stage, making sure that coastal villages in Indonesia’s far east are part of the world’s conversation about the future of the oceans.
Summarized from Portal Papua, Indotimur News, Odiyaiwuu, Ketik, and Babeto (in Indonesian).
