By UCANews
Jul 22, 2006, 13:24
Jul 22, 2006, 13:24
JAYAPURA, Indonesia (UCAN) – A military official has asked church leaders in Indonesia's easternmost province to use their moral leadership among tribal communities to expedite the construction of a new road in Papua.
Religious leaders were among a group of about 50 people whom First Admiral T.H. Soesetyo, head of the Ministry of Defense and Security Affairs' Research and Development Center for Defense Strategy, invited to a meeting to discuss the project. Others at the July 11-13 dialogue were social and tribal leaders, as well as representatives of the army, police, mass organizations and media.
The Military Regional Command of Trikora XVII, based in Jayapura, 3,690 kilometers (about 2,290 miles) northeast of Jakarta, helped organize the gathering at the center.
Soesetyo told UCA News that he had to involve religious leaders "because they are the moral power in the defense of Papuan territory." In his view, the mindset that associates national defense only with the military should be changed "because defense is the responsibility of all sectors of society."
The dialogue needed the religious leaders "because religious belief is an important component of citizens' lives," he added, and citizens have a moral responsibility to maintain the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.
He said the army has a growing concern about the influence of the separatist movement in the region, so religious leaders, among others, should encourage believers and others to take part in the road's development.
The road under discussion would go from Jayapura to Wamena, a mountainous and remote town of Jayawijaya district, 247 kilometers southwest of Jayapura. No road now links the towns. The meeting aimed to enlist the support of tribal communities before the project starts.
"The road will not only speed up military transport to deal with whatever threatens state security, but also open isolated areas and improve the local economy," Soesetyo explained. Once the people are more prosperous, he assured them, state defense will become solid and strong.
Father Yanuarius Youw, vicar general of Jayapura diocese, agrees that the road could make people more prosperous and end their isolation. Therefore, he told UCA News, Papuans should prepare themselves to get involved in regional development and thereby reap the benefits of such development.
However, Father Youw cautioned, "opening the Jayapura-Wamena road involves Papuans' traditional tribal territorial rights." He said Papuans cannot be cut off from their land, which they view as a mother who gives them daily food and life. "Using their land as a roadway will affect their livelihood," he said, "because no fruit trees will grow and there will be no more animals to hunt."
The priest agrees that the military should dialogue with religious, societal and tribal leaders before the road building starts. At the same time, he said the villagers should be patiently prepared for the project so that they can participate in the government plan and benefit from the development expected to result from the new road. The first thing to do, he advised, is to win people's hearts and invite them to take part in building the road.
"If we succeed in winning their hearts," Father Youw concluded, "they will love us because we respect them as legal inheritors of their land, the Eden that the Creator freely gave them to be preserved for their descendants."
During the dialogue, the priest asked the Indonesian military (TNI, Indonesian acronym) to expand its rural development program to include health and education services for people in isolated villages and border areas.
"The TNI's presence among Papuan people is proof of the TNI's unity with the people," Father Youw said. "Thus far, they have made people love them, but with additional services in education and health, the military will be closer to the people and the people will love them more and more."
People in border areas are happy to have worship houses built by the TNI, he also said. "We hope the TNI will build health and educational facilities for the children living in areas not reached by the government plan."
Zuber Hussen, who heads the Indonesian Ulema's Council of Papua, expressed a hope that the road's construction will be accompanied by the development of agriculture, housing and trade centers along the road that could benefit the people. "People will not benefit if we develop only the road," he said.
Papua province, formerly the Dutch colony called "Netherlands (or West) New Guinea," passed to Indonesian control in 1963.
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=20581 © Copyright by w@tchPAPUA
Religious leaders were among a group of about 50 people whom First Admiral T.H. Soesetyo, head of the Ministry of Defense and Security Affairs' Research and Development Center for Defense Strategy, invited to a meeting to discuss the project. Others at the July 11-13 dialogue were social and tribal leaders, as well as representatives of the army, police, mass organizations and media.
The Military Regional Command of Trikora XVII, based in Jayapura, 3,690 kilometers (about 2,290 miles) northeast of Jakarta, helped organize the gathering at the center.
Soesetyo told UCA News that he had to involve religious leaders "because they are the moral power in the defense of Papuan territory." In his view, the mindset that associates national defense only with the military should be changed "because defense is the responsibility of all sectors of society."
The dialogue needed the religious leaders "because religious belief is an important component of citizens' lives," he added, and citizens have a moral responsibility to maintain the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.
He said the army has a growing concern about the influence of the separatist movement in the region, so religious leaders, among others, should encourage believers and others to take part in the road's development.
The road under discussion would go from Jayapura to Wamena, a mountainous and remote town of Jayawijaya district, 247 kilometers southwest of Jayapura. No road now links the towns. The meeting aimed to enlist the support of tribal communities before the project starts.
"The road will not only speed up military transport to deal with whatever threatens state security, but also open isolated areas and improve the local economy," Soesetyo explained. Once the people are more prosperous, he assured them, state defense will become solid and strong.
Father Yanuarius Youw, vicar general of Jayapura diocese, agrees that the road could make people more prosperous and end their isolation. Therefore, he told UCA News, Papuans should prepare themselves to get involved in regional development and thereby reap the benefits of such development.
However, Father Youw cautioned, "opening the Jayapura-Wamena road involves Papuans' traditional tribal territorial rights." He said Papuans cannot be cut off from their land, which they view as a mother who gives them daily food and life. "Using their land as a roadway will affect their livelihood," he said, "because no fruit trees will grow and there will be no more animals to hunt."
The priest agrees that the military should dialogue with religious, societal and tribal leaders before the road building starts. At the same time, he said the villagers should be patiently prepared for the project so that they can participate in the government plan and benefit from the development expected to result from the new road. The first thing to do, he advised, is to win people's hearts and invite them to take part in building the road.
"If we succeed in winning their hearts," Father Youw concluded, "they will love us because we respect them as legal inheritors of their land, the Eden that the Creator freely gave them to be preserved for their descendants."
During the dialogue, the priest asked the Indonesian military (TNI, Indonesian acronym) to expand its rural development program to include health and education services for people in isolated villages and border areas.
"The TNI's presence among Papuan people is proof of the TNI's unity with the people," Father Youw said. "Thus far, they have made people love them, but with additional services in education and health, the military will be closer to the people and the people will love them more and more."
People in border areas are happy to have worship houses built by the TNI, he also said. "We hope the TNI will build health and educational facilities for the children living in areas not reached by the government plan."
Zuber Hussen, who heads the Indonesian Ulema's Council of Papua, expressed a hope that the road's construction will be accompanied by the development of agriculture, housing and trade centers along the road that could benefit the people. "People will not benefit if we develop only the road," he said.
Papua province, formerly the Dutch colony called "Netherlands (or West) New Guinea," passed to Indonesian control in 1963.
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=20581 © Copyright by w@tchPAPUA
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