Government Assures No Harm to Local Communities in Papua Development

Bekasi. Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, has assured that the government will not harm local communities in Papua's development projects. This includes plans for the conversion of traditional forest lands of the Awyu tribe in South Papua and the Moi tribe in Sorong, West Papua.
According to Agus, President Joko Widodo consistently emphasizes prioritizing local communities in every development initiative to ensure their comfort and well-being.
"We must not allow development to compromise environmental sustainability," said Yudhoyono in Bekasi, West Java, on Wednesday.
He said that land conversion in Papua is about maintaining a balance between economic development needs and the aspirations of local communities.
"We must ensure that no one is displaced from their own land. We hope that no community or region is left behind, as this issue is not only about economics but also social justice," Yudhoyono added.
Recently, the hashtag #AllEyesOnPapua went viral on social media. A viral poster on Instagram claimed that "36,000 hectares of forest in Papua, specifically in Boven Digoel, more than half the size of Jakarta, will be converted into palm oil plantations."
On May 27, indigenous communities from the Awyu tribe in Boven Digoel, South Papua, and the Moi tribe in Sorong, West Papua, protested in front of the Supreme Court. They opposed the deforestation as these forests are traditional lands that have been their source of livelihood, food, culture, and water for generations.
The Latest
‘Why Visit Australia to Learn about Poverty Alleviation?’ Prabowo on Budget Cuts
He said the current austerity efforts are aimed at eliminating non-essential expenditures that offer minimal benefit to the people.Certain Government Expenditures, Such as Maintenance, Cannot Be Slashed
"There's no way we can slash the budget for disaster mitigation efforts," an official said.$3.1 Billion Worth of Free Meals Might Go to Rich Kids: Think-Tank
Celios says that Prabowo should not splurge Rp 306.7 trillion of the money potentially collected from the budget cuts on the free meal plan.Saudi Authorities Free Doctoral Student Initially Sentenced to 34 Years for Tweets, Activists Say
Al-Shehab was detained during a family vacation on Jan. 15, 2021, just days before she planned to return to the United Kingdom.How to Respond to Government Spending Cuts
President Prabowo wants his government to take some cost-cutting measures, but such step can worsen corruption and affect other sectors.Most Popular
