Papuan Students in Jakarta Support Discourse on the Expansion of Provinces in Papua

The Papuan Student Conference (KMP) today gathered in DKI Jakarta to share thoughts and views and to respond to the dynamics developing in Papua regarding the agenda for the establishment of the New Autonomous Region (DOB).

Starting from the repeated violence in Papua, according to the coordinator of the KMP, Moy Boymasa, the violence occurred and continued to multiply along with the government's intention to divide the land of Papua into six new autonomous regions, both in Papua and West Papua.
 
The public in Indonesia, especially the people of the land of Papua, are being proffered with the discourse of the birth of six new provincial DOB candidates in Bumi Cenderawasih. The six new autonomous regions are Papua Province Tabi Saireri, Central Mountains, South Papua, Central Papua, West Papua and Southwest Papua.

The plan reaped the pros and cons. The central government argues, one of which is to accelerate the development of the welfare of the people in the two easternmost provinces of Indonesia.

The KMP coordinator sees that the political elite is flirting with the easy seats of power, whether governors, deputy governors, regents, or mayors in Papua is something that is normative.
 
"However, the most important thing after the power is grasped is who is the leader who is able to realize general welfare and good for the people, that is the most principled thing," he said.

On the one hand, there are big plans by the government, both central and regional, on the other hand, people's welfare is still a rare item even though Papua is under the amended Law on Special Autonomy. The intention to split the land of Papua into six provinces needs to be looked at more deeply and really becomes a material for reflection for the stakeholders of Jakarta and the land of Papua.

Malkin, a student from Teluk Bintuni Regency said Why do we all need deep reflection? First, the plan for the expansion of a number of new provinces in Papua appears to be merely the ambition of a certain elite to seize office. Then, when the office is held, the people are handcuffed by the formal power of the elite. The local elites are even more fussy with positions, far adrift from the people from the formal power they hold.
 
Fadli Abdurrahman continued, a student from Kaimana Regency assessed that the government needs to look at the land of Papua as a whole, holistically, and seriously resolve the various root issues of Papua's land that are still gaping, before discussing the presence of a new province in both Papua and West Papua.

And Salma, from Sarmi Regency, asked the government to be serious about implementing a number of previous policies to accelerate the development of community welfare in the two easternmost provinces of Indonesia.

Several resource persons who joined also answered several questions from journalists during a press conference session in support of the expansion in Papua on Friday (25/03/2022) at the Stock Cafe, DKI Jakarta.

The contents of the press conference of the Papuan Student Conference are as follows;

1. We are a Papuan student conference, supporting the expansion of the province in Papua.

2. The Papuan Student Conference invites all Papuan people to continue to oversee and supervise government programs related to the expansion of the province in Papua so that it can bring prosperity and safety to the people of Papua.
 
3. The Papuan student conference will be a critical partner and solution for the government to oversee policies and safety in favor of the indigenous Papuan people.

4. The Papuan student conference hopes that the expansion in Papua will open up job opportunities for native Papuans.

5. Asking the government to involve all stakeholders starting from traditional leaders, public figures
religious leaders, youth leaders and community leaders in making policies or decisions so that the expansion program in Papua can take place safely, peacefully and conducively

“We from the Papuan Student Conference representing Sarmi Regency, Teluk Bintuni Regency, Kaimana Regency fully support the establishment of the New Autonomous Region for Provinces in Papua. We also urge the central government and the Indonesian House of Representatives to remain consistent with the current agenda," he said in a joint statement to reporters, Friday (25/03/2022).

On this basis, we Papuan and West Papuan students and young people who are gathered in various youth & regional organizations together schedule a Press Conference, in which students as agents of change who are one of the components in society, are required to bridge the gap between problems between these points. This was carried out based on the Tri Dharma of higher education, the core of which is community service.