InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial/National Land Agency, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) said his will that the people of Papua should live well and be prosperous. He told that in response to the claim "All Eyes On Papua" that many lately discussed about.
"About 'All Eyes on Papua', at the principle, for I was asked about the same question, Papua is a noble region of Indonesia. It is unique. We have to maintain its dignity. And we also want that the people of Papua should live well and be prosperous,” he said in Jakarta, as InfoSAWIT quoted from Antara, Wednesday (12/6/2024).
AHY emphasized it would be significant to get fair treatment for the people of papua. He reminded that they should not be put in the second place, should get special focus to realize what is left behind from other regions in Indonesia, including in Java Island.
“The economic development policy in Papua should be right on targets, involves every layer of community, the local people, the original people of Papua, indigenous people, and every tribe there should be taken in the development,” he said.
In the central government, AHY continued, there would be strategic policies that would not be available for Papua but other regions. Some national strategic projects and special economic zones are being developed and constructed to escalate the economy, deliver employment, and present food and energy security.
“We hope that in the future we are heading to renewable energy, biofuel could be one of the answers that need materials, such as, from sugarcane, corn, and others. These needs plantations. The most important thing for me is how everything can be regulated by involving every party, including the original people of Papua. The goal of the regulation is to escalate the welfare of the local,” AHY said.
He also emphasized that the goals of regulations should contribute to the people and hoped that if this can be well explained, the people would understand and be patient and the interests of development and welfare would be realized in the long term.
“In Ministry of Agrarian Affairs/National Land Agency, we do not comment much and get too deep in political issues. One thing for clear is that we would support the economic and development progress while maintaining the sovereignty and comfort in the society where the development takes place,” he said.
The claim "All Eyes on Papua" went viral in social media, namely Instagram. The viral poster post said that "Hutan di Papua precisely in Boven Digoel that laid on about 36 thousand hectares or more than half of Jakarta would be developed by palm oil plantation".
On 27 May 2024, the indigenous people of The Awyu in Boven Digoel, South Papua and The Moi in Sorong, Southwest Papua did demonstration in front of The Supreme Court. They rejected to cut off indigenous forests that became the sources of life for generations, sources of food, culture, and water for the local. (T2)
