Papuan Leaders Call for Support and Welcome New New Guinea expansion in Papua



Ondofolo Besar Tanah Papua who is also the General Chair of the Tabi Community Presidium (PMT), Ismael Isak Mebri, S KM, MPH invites the Papuan people to support and welcome the New Autonomous Region (ODB). Where it will be divided into 4 provinces, namely Papua Saireri Province, South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Southwest Papua Province.

"We invite the community to provide support for the division of Provinces and Regencies in the Land of Papua. All Papuan people are expected to welcome it well, for the sake of economic equality in Papua as a whole,” said Ismael Isak Mebri S KM, MPH, in front of Papuan leaders during a press conference in Jayapura.

According to him, the central government's policy to expand Provinces and Regencies/Cities in Papua is a positive one. So he said, it could shorten the span of control of government services in the regions to accelerate the welfare of the Papuan people.

“I invite the indigenous peoples in the Land of Papua to pick up the New Autonomous Regions (DOB) and provide support to the central government to expand the Provinces and Regencies/Cities in the Land of Papua. This is a strategic solution in resolving existing problems comprehensively," he explained.

Ondofolo Besar also hopes that we, fellow Papuans, must avoid all existing differences. He continued, we must all unite to pick up the new autonomous regions of the Provinces and Municipalities in Papua Land and build a Papua Land that is much better than yesterday.

In the same place, the General Chair of the United Papuan Women's Communication Forum, Wasti Pulalo, said that it was very appropriate for the government to divide the Land of Papua into 4 provinces. Namely in the areas of Papua Saireri Province, South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Southwest Papua Province.

“The expansion of new autonomous regions in Papua can also open new job opportunities for Papuans. So that it can reduce existing unemployment. Therefore, he said, we must support the expansion in Papua," he said.

Meanwhile, a Papuan community leader who is also a Christian Religion Study Program Lecturer at Cenderawasih University, Pdt. Freddy H Toam said that the discourse on the division of Papua Province into several provinces was actually God's plan for the Papuan people.

According to this former DPD II KNPI Papuan retainer in the 80's, what God's plan should have been for the land of Papua should be well supported. Instead of having narrow-mindedness by rejecting or opposing.

“In my opinion, it must be supported, God is in a litigation on the land of Papua and this is a temporary process. I say, for those who refuse, please re-open the Bible," said Rev. Freddy.

He explained that the entry of evangelists to Papua through the Evangelization of the Gospels had been going on for 167 years. God's purpose in sending evangelists is to bring light and prosperity to the Papuan people.

"In the Bible Isaiah 40:1-11 it was said by God directly, so there is no reason to reject DOB, God wants us to see this expansion from the perspective of the light of the Bible," he explained.

This Bible passage begins with the words "Comfort, Comfort my people, cry unto them, that their slavery is ended".
Then it was said: “Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God! Every valley must be closed, and every mountain and hill leveled.”

Then in the 5th verse it is stated "then the glory of God will be revealed and all mankind will see it together".

"These verses are considered to contain God's message so that people continue to be involved in the development process to be able to see the glory of God," he said.

In line with God's word above, he continued, the expansion of new autonomous regions in Papua is absolutely necessary given the condition of the area which is too large. If there are people who reject the expansion of new autonomous regions, Rev. Freddy Toam invites them to return to study God's word carefully.

It is also acknowledged that there are clergy figures who reject the expansion of new autonomous regions because they are considered to further exclude the existence of Papuan Orang Asli (OAP). Rev. Freddy Toam considered that this view tends to be particularistic and narrow.

“Pastors must return to the understanding that the law of love and the commandment of evangelism that Jesus gave are universal. There is no dividing line, whether ethnicity, nation, race, skin color, hair type, or language. Jesus did not discriminate between people, and even taught to pray for and love the enemy,” said the senior pastor.

“At the same time, the world is also experiencing globalization so that almost all barriers have been opened. It is very naive if there are priests who close themselves off to other parties, then justify their views by quoting holy verses,” continued the man who was also a member of the DPRP and the head of the Papuan Human Rights Commission.

According to Pdt. Freddy Toam, all the dynamics that occur in Papua must also be in line with efforts to bring out signs of the Kingdom of God. God wants Papua to be developed and its people prosperous.

“God certainly doesn't want this nation to live in backwardness, and this is a stigma that people in Papua have long suffered. With this autonomy now, we reverse the stigma. Like a house, Papua should not be the back, but the porch or the front of the house of the Republic of Indonesia. Papua is bordered by the Pacific Ocean opposite the United States, Australia and Japan. Geographically, Papua must be a showcase of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The face of Indonesia must be seen from Papua, and I am very grateful that all ethnic groups exist in Papua," he said.

Furthermore, Rev. Freddy Toam said that OAP should be able to contribute more to the process of expanding new autonomous regions considering that there is protection in the Special Autonomy Law.

"Before the implementation of Otsus Papua, Papuan people could live side by side without discriminating against ethnic origin," he concluded.

SOURCE : https://www.detikEvents.com/news-411648/para-figure-papua-serukan-support-dan-sambut-pemekaran-dob-di-tanah-papua.html

Posting Komentar

0 Komentar