Meet Mahfud MD, The DPD Special Committee Will Have A Dialogue With The Papuan Separatist Group

JAKARTA - The Papua DPD Special Committee (Pansus) will hold a meeting with the group of the West Papua liberation movement or the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) which is a supporter of West Papua.

This was conveyed by the Chairperson of the Papua DPD Special Committee, Filep Wamafma after a closed meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD.

The plan, said Filep, was that the meeting would be held on 27 November in Jayapura City, Papua after the special committee for the DPD Papua met with regional heads and other figures.

"We will meet with the Papuan people's council, then church leaders, traditional leaders. Then the third meeting, we meet Papuan intellectual figures, universities, then we meet with the KNPB, ULMWP with groups that have not been touched," Filep told reporters at the Kemenkopolhukam Office, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Monday, November 25.

He said the meeting was held to discuss what the Papuan people wanted. This includes the wishes of groups who have so far felt that they have not been heard by the central government. "We want to hear what they want, we take notes, we will discuss it further," he said.

Filep did not deny that later, of course, there would be a discussion about the Papua refendum when meeting with representatives of ULMWP and KNPB in Jayapura. However, as senators representing the regions and moving in the interests of their country, they said the discussion would still be in accordance with the mandate of the state constitution.

He also claimed that the ULMWP and KNPB groups were willing to discuss with members of the Papua DPD special committee on the appointed day. "Yes, they are," said Filep.

The move of the Papua DPD special committee, Filep said that he received support from the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD. According to him, after the special committee team returned from Papua, Mahfud would gather related parties to discuss the findings.

"There will be a follow-up meeting to gather all related parties (about Papua) in the ministry," he said.

The deputy chairman of Setara, Bonar Tigor Naipospos, had a dialogue step with groups with different views such as ULWMP and KNPB. According to him, the government should be willing to open communication with all levels of society. Including those who want Papua to be independent.

The aim of this dialogue is actually good, considering that all conflict resolution steps in Papua can be resolved in a comprehensive manner. "It is time for the government to formulate comprehensive steps to find a solution for Papua. This step can be taken in dialogue," said Bonar some time ago in Jakarta.

"The dialogue includes political groups that are pro-independence. Don't worry because of this dialogue, we have the creativity to look for what is best," he added.

Bonar said that the Indonesian government actually does not need to worry about holding this dialogue. This is because, abroad, Indonesia has a clear legal standing regarding Papua's position.

It's just that, he considered, so far the government has preferred to take a repressive approach with these groups rather than opening communication or dialogue.

"Indonesia has no self-confidence, is insecure about finding solutions to Papua and prefers to see problems in Papua being resolved by a security approach, repressive, not through dialogue," he concluded.