goodmorningpapua.com – A Regent of Jayapura Regency, Mathius Awoitauw requested indigenous people to consistently maintain the buffer zone of Mount Cycloop to prevent landslides.
This is following forest encroachment activities in the area which are still ongoing on the grounds that the lands have been lent by the ulayat rights owners who incidentally are local indigenous peoples.
“The government has tried to protect the area with prohibition signs, but we also want to appeal to indigenous peoples to remain consistent. If we have made rules, let’s keep them together,” said Mathius Awoitauw in Sentani, Monday, March 21, 2022.
Mathius assesses that the government’s appeals and efforts will be in vain if the indigenous peoples as the owners of ulayat rights are not aware and give permission to the community to garden in areas that should be protected.
“Indigenous people, if they give other people a chance on the grounds that the land is theirs, it will be complicated, because the government has no right to regulate it,” he said.
According to Mathius, maintaining the Cycloop Mountain buffer area requires the cooperation of all parties, because the area has been declared a permanent threat area.
For this reason, he continued, the entire community must be responsible for preserving the area and no longer providing opportunities for forest destroyers.
“I always say, if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us. Keeping this Cycloop requires awareness from every individual, let’s assist the government so that there will be no more disasters in this country,” said Mathius.