goodmorningpapua.com – The Indigenous Peoples Unit of the Byak Tribe of West Papua Region held the First Working Meeting [Raker] taking place in Yensawai Village, North Batanta District, Raja Ampat Regency, Thursday-Friday (5-7/5/2022).
The Raker, attended by the Chair and Management of the Byak Indigenous Peoples of West Papua Province and the Indigenous Heads of the Byak Tribe, Regency/City of West Papua, was opened by the Governor of West Papua, Drs. Dominggus Mandacan, Thursday (5/5/2022).
Besides being attended by the Governor of Mandacan, as Dominggus Mandacan is called, the opening of the working meeting was also attended by the Regent and Deputy of Raja Ampat, Abdul Faris Umlati, SE and Orideko Iriano Burdam, S.IP, MM.M.Ec. Dev as an advisor to the Working Meeting committee, Forkopimda West Papua and Raja Ampat as well as a number of officials and heads of services in Raja Ampat.
In addition to officials, the Raker was also attended by academic figures from the Byak Tribe Community, Chairman of the West Papua Byak Tribe Indigenous Peoples Unit, Mananwir Hengki Korwa and administrators, Chairman of the Regional III West Papua Customary Council, Paul Mayor, elders and representatives of the district/city Byak Tribe Association. cities in West Papua.
Dominggus Mandacan in his speech explained that the Byak Tribe was one of the first tribes to receive but also participated in disseminating a new civilization, Christianity, from Europe to all corners of the land of Papua.
He expected that the Working Meeting would serve as a medium for the Byak community in districts/cities in West Papua to get to know each other and strengthen a sense of brotherhood and establish communication channels to share experiences, knowledge and views on problems in their respective regions to seek solutions with dignity.
In addition to appealing that the First Working Meeting produce a strategic program for the development of the Byak Tribe in West Papua, Mandacan also requested that the West Papuan Byak Tribe Community Unit be a large house for the Byak tribes in West Papua.
“The Indigenous Peoples Unity of the West Papua Byak Tribe must be able to give birth to the best generation, superior integrity and able to collaborate with other elements in order to create an advanced, safe and prosperous West Papua,” said Mandacan.
Meanwhile, the Regent of Raja Ampat, Abdul Faris Umlati, welcomed all participants of the Working Meeting. Like Mandacan, the Regent of AFU, as Abdul Faris Umlati is called, also hopes that the Working Meeting will produce strategic programs for the development of the Byak Wilaya Tribal Community in West Papua.
“I hope this Raker to become a strategic momentum in formulating programs and strategic steps in building the Byak tribal people in West Papua in general but also Raja Ampat in particular. I give my appreciation because this activity was held in Raja Ampat,” said AFU.
The chairman of the West Papua Byak Tribe Indigenous Peoples Unit, Hengki Korwa in his speech explained that the purpose of the First Working Meeting of the West Papua Byak Tribe Community Units was first, to build, organize well and run the KMSB-PB indigenous community-based organization in a professional, independent and independent manner.
Second, think together and carefully identify strategic issues at the regional level (Papua and West Papua) and at the national level according to the capacity of the KMSB-PB to be on the agenda as a work program for the period 2021 – 2025.
Third, designing work programs that are beneficial for the empowerment of Byak sub-tribe groups spread across West Papua Province. And fourth, designing inter-ethnic cooperation programs in West Papua to synergize with local governments in carrying out the mandate of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and the Papua Special Autonomy Law in the context of recognizing, protecting and empowering the basic rights of indigenous peoples in the Land of Papua.
Deputy Regent of Raja Ampat, Orideko Iriano Burdam, S.IP, MM, M.Ec.Dev, as an advisor to the organizing committee, considered the working meeting as a momentum that should be seen as a gift to increase interaction and increase social gatherings.
“With this momentum, let’s interpret it as a gift that we will use as a means to increase interaction and increase the level of social friendship in order to bring blessings to all of us. Jou Suba,” said Orideko, the greeting of Orideko Iriano Burdam, who is also one of the indigenous leaders of the Byak tribe.
The Raker of the West Papua Byak Tribe Community Unit lasted for two days, Thursday-Friday (5-6/7/2022) and was attended by the Chairman and Representatives of the Byak Tribe of West Papua Regency/City and hundreds of Raja Ampat Byak tribesmen. (Petrus Rabu/MC.Kab.Raja Ampat).