Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Bambang Soesatyo, and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, have agreed to strengthen the humanistic approach policy in Papua and West Papua.

The policy refers to the involvement of Papuan social figures in efforts to improve the situation in the two easternmost provinces. 

"The central government, through the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, has made the MPR Communication and Aspiration Forum for Papua a strategic working partner to develop Papua by emphasizing national emotional humanistic approaches," Soesatyo said following a meeting between the MPR leadership, MPR RI for Papua, and Mahfud MD, according to a statement issued in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Papua MPR has 21 MPR members from the Papua and West Papua electorate districts, comprising four members of the House of Representatives (DPR) from the Papua electorate district, four members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) from the West Papua electorate district, 10 DPR members from the Papua electorate district, and three DPR members from the West Papua electorate district, he noted.

Soesatyo said the forum will be appropriate to bridge and help disseminate the central government's work programs among the Papua community.

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"In addition, support from the general chairmen and leaders of political parties is needed since the political parties have cadres up to the village, RW (community unit), and RT (neighborhood association) levels to strengthen the national network in Papua," he added.

Soesatyo, who is also vice chairman of the Golkar Party and chief of the Law Enforcement, Security, and Defense Board of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), said that a variety of legal instruments have been made available to advance Papua.

The legal instruments include Law No. 2//2021 concerning the second round of amendments to Law UU No.21/2001 concerning special autonomy for Papua province, Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No/. 9/2020 concerning the acceleration of welfare development in Papua and West Papua provinces, and Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 20/2020 concerning the integrated coordination team for the acceleration of welfare development in Papua and West Papua provinces.

"It is a matter of time to implement them properly and accurately," he added.

Welfare development in Papua and West Papua must be directed toward special autonomy transformation focusing on the five frameworks of acceleration, including acceleration of excellent and innovative human resources development, acceleration of transformation and economic development, acceleration of basic infrastructure development, and acceleration of bureaucratic reform, Soesatyo said.


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Reporter: Putu Indah Savitri, Suharto