Jayapura, Jubi – Papua has lost two journalists who studied at Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central Java. Joost Wellem Mirino and Hendrikus Abraham Msojo Ondi died in September 2026, leaving behind a legacy in Papua’s journalism and civil society.
Mirino died after an illness, while Ondi died following a traffic accident. Their deaths have left families, friends and fellow journalists mourning the loss of two people known for their ideas and critical perspectives.
joost Mirino, a member of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jayapura, died on Wednesday (23/9/2026).
Gabriel Maniagasi, a former Suara Pembaruan journalist who is now a lecturer at Cenderawasih University, said Mirino died while having lunch at his home in Samofa, Biak Numfor Regency, Papua.
“Joost Mirino died in Biak,” Maniagasi wrote in a message to Jubi on Thursday (24/9/2026).
Hendrikus Abraham Msojo Ondi died after a traffic accident in Kotaraja, Abepura District, Jayapura City, Papua, on Friday (4/9/2026).
He died in the emergency department of Bhayangkara Kotaraja Hospital at the age of 66.
Many journalists in Papua may not have known about Ondi’s contribution to journalism.
After returning from his studies at Satya Wacana Christian University, he worked as secretary of the Research and Development Department of the Synod of the Evangelical Christian Church in the Land of Papua.
While studying in Salatiga, Ondi regularly wrote articles for various media outlets in Central Java and Yogyakarta, from Jawa Pos in Surabaya to Kedaulatan Rakyat in Yogyakarta.
“While I was studying, I always received payment for every article I wrote to help support my studies in Salatiga,” Ondi told Jubi some time ago.
After returning to Jayapura, he continued writing for the daily Cenderawasih Pos and worked as a correspondent for the magazines Detektif and Romantika.
His involvement in the media was more visible as a writer than as a journalist. However, he once criticised Tabloid Jubi over a dispute between journalists and its then-editor-in-chief.
He wrote an article about Tabloid Jubi that was later included in a book titled Sekelumit Wajah Pers di Papua: Menelisik Sejarah Pers di Papua (A Glimpse of the Face of the Press in Papua: Examining the History of the Press in Papua).
The book was published through a collaboration between AJI Jayapura and the Institute for Press and Development Studies (LSPP), with Joost W Mirino, Ondi’s fellow student in Salatiga, serving as editor.
Another of Ondi’s friends from his time in Salatiga, Irawan Saptono, recalled their friendship in a Facebook post.
One morning in 1994, Abraham Hendrikus Ondy suddenly appeared at the editorial office of Suara Timor Timur in Dili.”
Saptono said his office was located opposite Dili Port, where the KM Dobonsolo was docked during a voyage from Jakarta to Jayapura. Ondi had travelled on the ship from Jakarta.
“We hugged. It had been years since we had seen each other,” he wrote.
Saptono said he had known Ondi well since their time together at Satya Wacana Christian University.
“I knew him at the Geni Foundation in Salatiga, a movement organisation founded by Dr Arief Budiman, Stanley Adi Prasetyo, the late Djito Kasilo and others. Ondy was a steadfast, courageous, intelligent and strong-minded student activist. After graduating, he returned to Jayapura and worked for the Evangelical Christian Church,” Saptono wrote.
He said the two never met again after their encounter in Dili until he read about Ondi’s death in a post by Mathius Hosang, another activist with the Geni Foundation.
Saptono also thanked Ondi for agreeing to become one of the sources for his wife’s doctoral dissertation.
“The dissertation has since been published as a book titled Koreri, Cita-cita Politik Orang Papua. Farewell, Bro,” Saptono wrote.
Saptono is a former journalist with Suara Timor, a newspaper owned by Indopersda, part of the Kompas Gramedia Group, in Dili.
Following Ondi’s death, Papua also lost senior editor Joost W Mirino, who worked with Suara Perempuan Papua and was a former Jubi editor. Mirino had also studied at Satya Wacana Christian University.
Like Ondi, Mirino, known as napi, a Byak term for a man, often spoke about their involvement in student movements at Satya Wacana.
Mirino and Ondi regularly gathered for discussions with academics and activists including Ariel Heryanto, Arief Budiman, George Junus Aditjondro and Yosep Stanley Adi Prasetyo, widely known as Stanley.
Mirino was also involved in producing several books, including research for Sekelumit Wajah Pers di Papua: Menelisik Sejarah Pers di Papua, where he served as editor.
One of his frequently cited articles was titled “Dewan Papua, Sejarah Kiprah dan Revitalisasi” (Papua Council: History, Role and Revitalisation).
In addition to serving as an editor at Jubi and Suara Perempuan Papua, Mirino also worked as an editor for Lanni magazine.
Farewell to two Papuan journalists and activists, Hendrikus A Ondi and Joost W Mirino. (*)
