Paniai Customary Council Chief Jhon NR Gobay – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Paniai Customary Council Chief Jhon NR Gobay launched a book titled “Menggagas Bentuk Pemerintahan Khusus di Papua (Initiating Special Form of Government in Papua)” in Jayapura on Saturday (11/4/2015).
The book launch was attended by the Secretary General of Papua Customary Council Leonard Imbiri, Sentani Ondofolo (Customary Chief) Ramses Wally, human right activists, religious leaders, youth and woman leaders as well as the Paniai students in Jayapura City.
“The 53-page book argues that the customary law must be at the strategic position in the government as we refer to the Montesquieu’s theory of state,” Gobay said.
“Customary law has an impartant role in Papua. Many things happened in Papua are related to customary law, but the government has not a legal board to seriously manage the customary law. In fact there are many important customary issues must be resolved among the community. In Papua and other Pacific countries, customary law must be stood together with the government, parliament and judiciary. It must be included in the ‘four political system’,” he said.
“Because the essence of Special Autonomy for Papua is the acknowledgement of basic rights. Speaking about the basic rights, it is the indigenous rights. There is no institution taking care of it. Either Papuan People’s Assembly or Papua Legislative Council has power on it. It’s my conclusion,” he said.
The fifth book of Gobay is contented of five chapters. First chapter is telling about how to understand the Papua indigenous people, while the second chapter is covering the experience of customary law governance in Indonesia. Third chapter is telling about the state policy to its people, the fourth chapter is including the customary basis good governance and the last chapter said organizing the regional and customary government.
“I hope this book could a reference in the discussion among the government’s officials, academics, politicians, intellectuals and young generations in managing the government with local content in Papua. This is my compilation of experience and contemplation as volunteer in Papua indigenous people,” Gobay said.
The book ‘Initiating Special Form of Government in Papua or Positioning Customary Law into the Government’ of the first volume was printed as 300 books to be distributed to the government, legislature and judiciary in Papua. (*/rom)
