goodmorningpapua.com – The United Tabi Youth Forum (Forpetab) held a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with leaders in the Tabi customary area, including religious leaders, community and youth leaders, women leaders, as well as members of the Papuan MRP and DPR from the Tabi customary territory. The hearing, held to unify these perceptions, was undertook in the Puspenka Sentani hall, Jayapura Regency, Saturday (19/3/2022).
A chairman of the United Tabi Youth Forum, Alberth Yohanes Manggo, admitted to the media that the RDP was carried out to realize the new autonomous region discourse in Papua Province into several regions.
“We, Tabi Youth, will continue to stand in front of guarding what has been agreed with the Association of Regents and Mayors of Se Tanah Tabi for Division. We will continue to push for this until the pemekaran is realized,” said Yohanes Manggo.
He said that the government’s policy on pemekaran is the best solution to alleviate the various problems that occur, including welfare, infrastructure, education and health as well as other sectors where inequality occurs.
“We see our parents, our brothers and sisters in the villages where the road has not been penetrated and the gap, isolation, economic downturn, we need to save this. There is no other way, because with the expansion of existing problems will be resolved, “he said.
For him, the central government has approved the plan for the division of Papua, so don’t make it futile. Because the government has answered the aspirations of the people who have been fighting for it for a long time.
“This is an opportunity that should not be futile, so go ahead, friends in Laa Pago, Mee Pago refuses, go ahead, but we at Tabi support what the Tabi Regional Heads association has conveyed. We will monitor and encourage the expansion to be realized,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Tabi Bangkit Community Forum, Pdt. Alberth Yoku, who was present at the time, admitted that Tabi’s community fully supports the Pemekaran program by the government.
“Our firmness is that the Tabi indigenous people support all things that have been officially announced by the state that have been promulgated, which means they have legal certainty. So, we have to fully support it, what kind of model we want to talk about later, “he explained.
It is said, Tabi land is the center of education and others in Papua, people from all over come to Tabi, so that they can devote themselves to the people in their hometown when the study is completed.
“When it’s finished, develop the area, so that the village get progress, practice the knowledge and expertise that has been obtained from Tabi to their respective villages. In Tabi, there are us. Let’s build our own country, “he said.
It is said that the understanding of regional expansion should not only be seen from the political side, but division is a part of equitable development and others.
“Let’s accept with pleasure this division, let’s build our village. If the government has decided there is a state policy, there are various possible positions such as governor of the legislature, there is an executive, there are other budgets, then please come back, so that we can build our villages,” he said.
He said again, regional division is important so that there is no accumulation of human resources, as is happening in Tabi at this time.
Distribution of human resources can be conducted with the division, so that job opportunities are open. He also said that those who still reject DOB need to be given an understanding.
“Yes, maybe only a few still refuse, it needs to be given an understanding. Do not carry other political interests. The division is finished, return to the village and develop their respective villages, “he said.
It is known that the pros and cons of the New Autonomous Region (DOB) of Papua Province continue to this day. Unlike some of the La Pago customary areas which reject the new autonomous regions, the Tabi indigenous people who are the forerunners of the central government in Papua and West Papua, fully support the expansion of the Papua Province.
This is based on several factors, firstly about the geographical condition of Papua which is very broad, then the unemployment rate which is still considered quite a lot, the welfare of the people is also not evenly distributed, education and health are also the reasons.
On this basis, the struggle for division has been encouraged by the Association of Regents and Mayors of All Tabi and Tabi leaders since several years ago and during the era of President Joko Widodo’s administration, it has received approval.