By : Moses Waker )*
Development in Papua continues so that there is equity in western and eastern Indonesia. In developing Papua, local communities are always involved. They are allowed to build their own area and contribute, so that Papua can progress quickly. This rule is stated in the Special Autonomy Law and is approved by all residents in Cendrawasih Earth.
The government is intensively developing Papua and many prestigious projects have started since 2019. The construction of bridges, roads and other infrastructure will bring prosperity to all Papuans. They can enjoy these facilities and run their business, thanks to the support of adequate infrastructure.
Vice President (Wapres) KH Ma’ruf Amin stated that the presence of a new province in Papua was a strategy of strong encouragement, which could drive the development of the welfare of indigenous Papuans. One of them, through new innovations. There must be a new way that is a breakthrough. Do not walk mediocre in managing the development of Papua.
The Vice President continued, someone must formulate specific superior commodities from each district in South Papua and other provinces. Integrated regional connectivity design. Prioritize the participation of indigenous Papuans.
In a sense, the vice president wants indigenous Papuans to play a role in the development of Cendrawasih Earth. They are encouraged to be involved in progress in Papua so that together with the government they can make Papua more modern. Local residents must be involved because they understand better how to advance their own territory.
The Papuan people are involved in the development of their region because they are the hosts. Do not let programs created by the government such as Special Autonomy (Otsus) and other programs fail because they do not have the support of Papuans. They support special autonomy and other programs because they realize that this is good for the progress of society on Cendrawasih Earth.
Then, the local Papuans were involved in their own development because it was a must. Don’t let them just be spectators in their own homes. They are obliged to participate in developing their area, with the help of APBD funds from the government.
In order to be involved in the development of Papua, the Special Autonomy Law states that leaders in Papua must be Indigenous Papuans (OAP). Therefore the governor, deputy governor, mayor, regent and deputy are Papuans. In this way they are more involved in the development of Cendrawasih Earth.
The election of leaders who are OAP is not racist or picky. But there are reasons. First, if the leader is a Papuan, it will be easier for him to approach his people because they speak the same local language. The language factor is important because there are some residents who are not very fluent in communicating in Indonesian.
Second, leaders who are Papuans have a high understanding of how to build their own region. He has seen every day what facilities or infrastructure are lacking in his area. That way he prioritizes the construction of these facilities, which are really needed by the community.
The facility that continues to be built in Papua is electricity and all areas in Cendrawasih Land will have it thanks to the electrification project. The welfare of the Papuan people will also increase thanks to the electrification project. If the entire area is electrified, then people can open shops late into the night and open other businesses that certainly need electricity. There are no more areas without electricity in Indonesia, it’s not like in the middle of nowhere anymore.
Developments in the Papua region such as building projects, bridges, airports also require a large number of employees to be completed quickly. This is a good opportunity for indigenous Papuan workers to work there. If the office building is ready, then they can also become employees, as long as they meet the age requirements and minimum education.
Meanwhile, Otis Rio from the Papuan Concerned Society also stated that the Papuan people are proud to be part of Indonesia, because thanks to President Jokowi there has been a lot of development there. The President really cares about the Earth of Cendrawasih. Even from the era of President Soekarno until now, only Jokowi as President has visited Papua the most.
Otis also appreciates the Special Autonomy Law for providing an opportunity for OAP to become leaders in Papua. By becoming governors or mayors, they can carry out the duties of the government to continue to develop all regions on Earth of Cendrawasih.
The development initiated by President Jokowi is very helpful, because the program to modernize Papua does not only involve building infrastructure. However, there are also special autonomy scholarships that promote Papuan children, so that they can receive education from elementary to university.
Development in Papua is not only carried out by workers from outside the island, but also involves local communities. Many development projects are carried out by indigenous Papuans. Then, the leaders in Cendrawasih Land are also native Papuans, so that they better understand what their people need. Papua was built by its people with enthusiasm to be more advanced.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Makassar
