Reaching the new year of 2022, Indonesia needs to pay more attention to the eastern regions. West Papua and Papua in particular have been in turmoil in the last few years. While the conflict is hardly finished, there is more development that can help extinguish the situation. In this case, the central government has mandates masterplan on welfare and security.
Welfare And Security To Support Papua Development
In January 2022, Vice president Ma’aruf Amin highlight the Papua development acceleration to focus on the welfare and security of the local community. The country representation shows that the two aspects (welfare and security) cannot be separated. Thus, to materialize the RIPPP (Rencana Induk Percepatan Pembangunan Papua) government need the two aspects.
The RIPPP itself has designed the master plan and projected the Papua development in 20 years to come. The prospect view is also heedful of aspiration for the local communities. Ma’aruf itself is also the head of the Steering committee of the integrated coordination team. It is an organization that mainly focuses on welfare development.
He highlighted many aspects of the welfare development in Papua and West Papua provinces. The first highlight is the real changes that the local community can fell it. He also mentioned the five policy frameworks, including economic development & transformation, basic infrastructure, human resource, environment preservation, and good governance.
2021 As The Most Violent Year
The welfare and security development acceleration are not far from the turmoil during 2021. 2021 is also considered the most violent year of armed conflict in the past five years. At the end of the years, the documented number of clashes is around 85 times. It also took the lives of 18 security forces and 23 members of the TPN PB.
The record also said that at least 28 civilians were killed due to the clashes. The effects also reach to the indigenous Papuan that to be internally displaced. Some moral calls are also happening from many communities, including the Churches that address the criminalization of human rights and growing Islamization.
The situation hinders a huge number of West Papua and Papua development plans. It said that the main problem in infrastructure building in the two provinces is security. Many investors are afraid of the conflict and security of their staff. That is why local and central governments need to address and fix the problem before materializing RIPPP.
The Government Effort And Plan
1. The Change In Approach For Security And Welfare Development
Facing the harsh truth of the local situation, central and local government has to replan many situations. In this case, one of the efforts is to change the conflict approach in 2022. The projection will include the help of government actors, security (police and military), and locals to push development in both provinces.
Mahmud MD as the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs also highlight that the combat operations will be more on the territorial operations. It means that the operation will include some other public services, such as education, healthcare, and agriculture programs. At the same time, security operations in the regions will be continued.
The information was given by the vice president also indicates the west Papua local community participation. The security approach in the region also means protecting the community and locals from conflict. Security development and approach also avoid any fight, so it won’t disturb the local security.
2. Continuous Communication With Locals
Another effort mentioned by the vice president is continuous dialog and communication with the local Papua. In this case, the communication mainly focuses on finding the local’s needs and development. It is also a part of extinguishing the conflict with the local movement and community, which includes a security approach in the two provinces.
The communication effort also reaches up to traditional, women, religious leaders, and academics of the province. Keeping the communication in line is another projection and effort for welfare development. Thus, the acceleration of the fundamental infrastructure can go smoothly in the future.
As communication helps welfare and security development, the continuous process will expand in many other aspects. The initial welfare growth in the province should be the health and requisite educational facilities. It will include some programs and structures building that boost local welfare. Some of them are scholarships and school buildings.
West Papua and Papua welfare development also include many other subjects, including addressing extreme poverty. Based on the vice president’s statements, the project will consist of building training centers to empower indigenous people. Together with the local and central government, the project also materialized with the help of non-government figures (private).
Considering the development acceleration and projection based on the Otsus and RIPPP 2021-2041, the government needs to highlight the local welfare and security to support the project. Building infrastructure, needs, and creating a prosperous safe Papua is the primary key of succession. That is why the two factors are hardly separated.
