By : Levi Raema Wenda)*
Mimika community leaders support the expansion of the Papua region. This support was conveyed when representatives of the Mimika Community extended family visited the Secretary General (Secretary General) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Suhajar Diantoro, on Tuesday 21 June 2022.
The Mimika Community Leaders who visited the Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs included the Daily Executive (Plh.) of the Mimika Regency Regional Secretary, the Chair of the Mimika Regency DPRD, along with representatives of Amungme and Kamoro community leaders. This visit discussed the support of the Mee Pago community for the formation of the New Autonomous Region (DOB) and the continuation of the Special Autonomy for Papua Volume II which was declared by the Mimika Regent and Chair of the Association of Regents of the Mee Pago Indigenous Region, Eltinus Omaleng.
Previously, there were declarations of support for the special autonomy policy and new autonomous regions from various elements of society in West Papua who expressed their commitment to support the implementation of the special autonomy policy in Papua. This Declaration document was signed by the Regents of Maybrat, Teluk Wondama, Manokwari, Kaimana, South Sorong, and Pj. Regent of Tambrauw. The chairman of the West Papuan People’s Council (MRPB), the Chancellor of the University of Papua is also known to have signed this declaration along with community leaders, intellectual leaders, youth leaders, women leaders, and religious leaders in Papua.
Mimika Regency Secretary Jeni Ohestina Usmany said that the Mimika Regency Government had prepared facilities to welcome the capital city of Central Papua Province in Mimika. Jeni added that the Mimika Regency Government and Mimika Regency DPRD are committed to preparing funds to support the development of the province, and stated that the master plan for its development was already in Bappeda.
The chairman of the Mimika Regency DPRD, Anton Bukaleng, also said the same thing as Jeni, that his party was ready to support the establishment of the Central Papua Province. This support has been stated in the approval of the Mimika Regency DPRD with the Mimika Regent regarding the provision of financial support from the Mimika Regency APBD.
The support for the expansion of Papua was also conveyed by representatives of community leaders who were present. An intellectual figure in Mimika Regency, the Amungme Indigenous Tribe, Yohanes Kemong, said that the expansion of the region was a follow-up agenda that had been delayed since 2003. He believed that the expansion of Papua would be able to accelerate regional development to remote areas.
The division of Papua was held on the basis of Law No. 2 of 2021 which is the second amendment to Law No. 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua. This law is the legal basis for increasing the acceleration of welfare development and improving the quality of public services in the Papua region. This expansion in the Papua region will later make Papua into five provinces from the previous two. The new provinces to be formed are South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Central Highlands Papua Province.
The division of territory in Papua is contained in 3 new autonomous regions bills by Commission II of the DPR. It is planned that this bill will be brought to the plenary session of the DPR to be passed into law on Thursday 30 June 2022.
Much support continues to flow from the plan for the expansion of Papua. It is believed that the division of Papua will support the acceleration of development that will increase prosperity and prosperity in Papua. We all want the ratification of this law to run smoothly. With the expansion of Papua, it is hoped that every Indonesian people can enjoy prosperity and prosperity from fair and equitable development in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution.
)* The author is a Papuan Observer, a former journalist for local media in Papua.
