By: Janet Theresia )*
Papua is one of the provinces and an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia. The community also rejected the provocation of Papuan separatism, especially ahead of the OPM anniversary.
The movement to separate Papua from the Republic of Indonesia is indeed a separatist movement that must be watched out for, this movement also seems to be asking for help from abroad by spreading the narrative that Papua deserves to be independent.
The Director of Europe I at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu), Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, who is familiarly called Sade, emphasized that the various issues in Papua are entirely internal affairs and all countries understand and respect Indonesia’s position. Sade emphasized that Papua is now politically free, and there have been regional elections, presidential elections, special autonomy rights, and the central government continues to carry out affirmative action policies with its utmost efforts to fulfill basic rights, including human rights.
Various accesses are also fully provided such as providing fuel at the same price as in other areas in Indonesia, access to transportation and infrastructure continues to be built, health services are carried out. Meanwhile, the OPM and the separatist movement in Papua continue to campaign for Papuan independence.
This action is of course the same as insulting the democratic process that has been carried out by the Papuan people when voting in the Pilkada, Presidential Election, Legislative Choices for DPR, which incidentally is a native Papuan. Meanwhile, the separatist group, who lives outside Papua, claims and often acts in the name of a king.
Deputy Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Wamendes PDTT) Budi Arie Setiadi said that President Joko Widodo paid great attention to Papua and West Papua. He conveyed this when he opened the socialization of Permendesa No. 13 of 2020 regarding the priority of using village funds in 2021 at Swiss-Belhotel Sorong in November 2020.
According to him, one of President Jokowi’s concerns in carrying out equal distribution throughout Indonesia is realized through village funds that are specifically allocated in the APBN. The village fund was first disbursed in 2015 with a total budget of IDR 20.76 trillion. Village funds continue to increase from year to year, in 2021, the budget funds to be disbursed will reach IDR 72 trillion.
Because this opportunity has been provided through village funds, of course this must be used by all villages in Indonesia. He hopes that the villages in West Papua can be moved to become part of a developed country.
In addition to village funds, another form of attention from the President is related to the internet or digital infrastructure. In Indonesia alone, there are still more than 12,000 villages in Indonesia that do not have internet access and the majority are in eastern Indonesia.
When Jokowi got the data, in a limited meeting the former mayor of Surakarta had assigned the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. Where in 2022, Jokowi asks that all villages in Indonesia must have internet access.
The sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia in Papua must be built internationally. The number of oblique reports about Indonesia against Papuan Indigenous People and the circulation of hoax news and hate speech against both TNI and Polri officers have not been balanced with positive narratives on the Government’s performance in dealing with Papua.
Previously, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, was committed to creating peace and development in the provinces of Papua and West Papua. This commitment is certainly not just a discourse, considering that the government is quite concerned about building infrastructure in Papua. Including building sports facilities intended for PON and PEPARNAS events.
President Jokowi also asked for policies related to special autonomy (Otsus) for Papua and West Papua to be consulted first with all components of the local community. This is necessary in order to find the best policy formulation, which will later make the provinces of Papua and West Papua become more advanced and prosperous provinces.
One of the proofs that Papua is the biological child of the Republic of Indonesia is Bung Karno’s opening sentence where in almost every speech by Ir Soekarno broadcast through RRI, sentences from Sabang to Merauke are very often echoed as proof of the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
Separatism in Papua is an unconstitutional movement, Papua and West Papua are an inseparable part of the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, until whenever Papua and West Papua are biological children of the motherland.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bandung