goodmorningpapaua – A humanist, Sastro Al Ngatawi, said, Papua has always been a part of Indonesia. Even their talents have the same value as Indonesians’ in other regions.
“Our task now is to hone and process the gold grains, pearls of civilization, pearls of culture in Papua and everywhere. Be proud to be a Papuan nation as a part of Indonesia for the future of civilization,” he said in a talk show titled Papua and Civilizatioan: an Insider perspective organized by INC TV Channel and NU Channel online, Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
The former spokesman for the President of the Republic of Indonesia, KH Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur, also suggested that the resolution of problems in Papua needs to use a cultural approach.
Kang Sastro, as he is usually called, also revealed that a cultural approach would be accepted because it directly touches feelings.
“This is different from the political and military approach because it ignores the feeling itself,” said the former chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Cultural Arts Institute (Lesbumi) PBNU.
The same thing was conveyed by the talk show organizer from Channel INC TV Ali AH. He said the polemic about the icon of the Papuan PON XX has made it clear that Papuans are very proud to be a part of Indonesian civilization which has unique characteristics like other regions.
“That Papua is very valuable and capable of providing value to the Indonesian nation,” he said.
He also explained that since the era before independence, Papua had been united with other regions of eastern Indonesia, such as Sulawesi, Maluku, and Nusa Tenggara, in the Melanesian race.
“It means that Indonesia consists of various races, including the Melanesian race, so since long tim ago, Indonesia has removed racial barriers. Papuan civilization is part of Indonesian civilization,” he said.
This is also evidence of the statement by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD that Papuans are satisfied with Indonesia’s policies in the easternmost province.
“In fact, 82 percent strongly agree with the existence of special autonomy and only 8 percent reject it,” he said.