Papua Territory will be Divided into Five Provinces

The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam), Mahfud MD, confirmed that there would be three new expansion areas in Papua so that the total number of provinces in Papua would be 5 regions.

Mahfud said this after holding a working meeting with the MPR leadership at the MPR / DPR Complex, Senayan, Jakarta.

"The expansion of the Papua region is planned to be expanded to become 5, plus 3 from the current one. Because it is a mandate from the law," Mahfud explained.

Mahfud said that the expansion of the area was a mandate of Law 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province.

The government will also involve the MPR Papua Caucus called For Papua in the program to add to the area. The caucus, he said, would communicate the various differences of opinion that are still occurring between the Papuan people and the government so far.

"Yes, to communicate differences of opinion, reconcile relations that may still be unclear on various issues with the government," Mahfud further explained.

MPR chairman Bambang Soesatyo also stated that the division of Papua into a total of 5 regions was solely for the welfare of the Papuan people themselves.

"Because Papua is an inseparable part of Indonesia," said Bamsoet.

Bamsoet himself also stated that the government is currently drafting a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) so that development in Papua is more integrated from all sectors of ministries and institutions.

Bamsoet also regretted that so far, development in Papua has only been carried out in the respective sectoral ministries / institutions without clear and correct integration.