House Members Urge Prabowo to Handle Papua Seriously
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Markus Wisnu Murti
Senin, 11 November 2019 19:16 WIB
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) chats with the speaker of the House's Commission I Meutia Hafid (left) ahead of a meeting at the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta, Monday, November 11, 2019. ANTARA
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Members of the House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission I asked for Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto to seriously handle the issues on Papua and West Papua.
House members from the Gerindra faction, Sugiono, maintained that the problems besetting the two regions not only involved security issues, but also those regarding people’s welfare.
“A combined coordination with the [Defense Ministry is needed] as Papua is not only about security. It is also about the people’s welfare and the solution that must be produced by the related ministry,” said Sugiono in the meeting today at the Parliamentary Complex on Monday.
He also said that the Commission’s observation was based on direct work visits to Papua and West Papua. Sugiono said the Armed Forces (TNI) also explained they required a major territorial posture due to the vastness of the two regions.
A House legislator from the PKS faction, Jazuli Juwaini, also urged the government to mobilize additional TNI troops to monitor the activities of missionaries, which he deemed were bringing their own agenda other than spreading religious beliefs in Papua or West Papua. He asserted that the spreading of the religion itself was not the problem.
