The office of LAPAN in Jakarta – supplied
Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesian government’s plan to build a space port in Biak Numfor Regency, Papua province, should involve customary people as tenure landowners, the chairman of the Hanura faction at the Papua Legislative Council, Yan Permenas Mandenas, said.
He said any government or international community’s project in Papua must be carried out after discussions with customary people.
“Invite them to talk, what is the impact of the project,” Mandenas said.
“It would be good to coordinate it first with the provincial and regional government as the owner of the territory. What should be prepared related to the support of the regional government towards the space port construction,” Mandenas told Jubi on Wednesday (31/8/2016).
“All this time the government has executed programs without involving people in the development of policies that led to the use of the community tenure rights,” he said.
Mandenas said people must be informed of long-term benefits and the risks of the construction of the space port.
Therefore, when the construction was on going, there would be no dispute between the landowners because they already knew about the benefits and the risks.
“I am ready to facilitate the negotiation with the community before the space port was built. Biak People is educated and has a development desire in their region. But they also need to be respected. When people are respected, anything else would be nothing,” he said.
He said this is more about communication with the community. They must be involved and respected. He considered during the time, people were less involved in many development policies. As the result, when the development goes, there would be often a conflict raised with the customary people.
“Since the planning, process to the finishing, people should be involved so they also feel be responsible. If not, they would continue to demand their rights. If you already have agreement, it means everything is clear. The development process could be run,” he said.
Biak Numfor is one of areas under study for the establishment of the first space port in Indonesia. The plan is currently is in the stage of feasibility study by the National Aerospace Institute (LAPAN).
“It’s still under the assessment. We are currently assessed Morotai, Enggano and Biak. But Enggano is certainly not qualified with geographical requirement,” said the member of Assessment Team of the National Aerospace Institute, Husni Nasution to Jubi on last week. Biak is selected because besides it’s strategic; it also fit to the geographical requirement of a space port. Besides, LAPAN also already own the property in the region. (*/rom)
