KSP Ensures Trans Papua Land Acquisition Fulfills Indigenous Peoples' Rights

Deputy I Chief of Presidential Staff Febry Calvin and a team of experts from Deputy I Presidential Staff Office conduct field verification in Papua/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) emphasized that land acquisition for the Trans Papua road connecting the provinces of Papua and West Papua will not take away the rights of indigenous Papuans. Deputy I Chief of Presidential Staff Febry Calvin Tetelepta said the construction of the Trans Papua road was aimed at improving people's welfare. Papua by increasing access and connectivity between regions. "So, we will make sure the land acquisition process does not violate the rights of indigenous peoples, even for some problems, KSP encourages the giving of a 'legal opinion' by the prosecutor's office," said Febry in an official statement received in Jakarta, Wednesday 6 July. Based on the results of field verification and a coordination meeting with the Head of the National Road Development Center (BPJN) of the Ministry of PUPR in Jayapura, the land acquisition process for the construction of the Trans Papua Road is in accordance with statutory regulations. According to Febry, the government gives awards to the community's customary rights. The principle of land acquisition in this project is compensation for profit, in accordance with President Jokowi's directives. Through Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020 concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua and West Papua Provinces, President Joko Widodo has emphasized his attention to infrastructure development in Papua and West Papua to improve economic growth in the earth of Cendrawasih.

The Trans Papua Road itself is included as one of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) and the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). This national road stretches for 3,421.34 km from Sorong City (West Papua) to Merauke (Papua). This road is divided into 2,350.72 km in Papua Province and 1,070.62 km in West Papua Province. The Trans Papua development project is expected to become an economic corridor node in Papua that facilitates connectivity and access to cross-regional distribution of goods and services in Papua and West Papua. By doing so, it is hoped that economic equality and distribution of public services will occur to remote areas of Papua and West Papua. Febry hopes that the currently built and paved road can be optimized for use as a logistics route from the port to the mountainous areas of Papua.