Papua Parliament office in Jayapura (IST)
Jayapura, Jubi – The Legislation Body of the Papua Legislative Council said a regulation is needed to protect Papuan indigenous people in solely selling local commodities such as betel nut, betel fruit, and buah merah (pandanus fruit).
The Legislation Body chairman Yan Ayomi said Papua indigenous people, in particular women traders who sell local commodities for their living have been demanding such protection.
He said if a Special Regional Regulation was later made, it should involve many related parties, including community, religious and customary leaders and so on, to provide input.
“I think the regulation on local commodity trade protection for Papua indigenous people need a legal reference. It’s also in accordance with the Papua Special Autonomy Law No. 21/2001,” Yan Ayomi told Jubi by phone on Tuesday (5/5/2015).
He said the indicator of Papua Special Autonomy’s achievement is not only the infrastructure development but also the welfare of indigenous Papuans.
“Though Papua is provided with a large amount of funds, it means nothing of indigenous
Papuans are not living in prosperity but they will be if protected,” he said.
He further said of social gap between indigenous Papuans and non-Papuans is no longer existed, we can say the government or Papua Special Autonomy law was achieving its success.
Further he said despites the regulation to protect indigenous Papuans is existed, however, it would return to their personality how to improve their standard of living. “Regulation is only to protect the rights of indigenous Papuans, hereinafter it would up to their character to define their own destiny. The welfare issue is not only the responsibility of Papua Provincial Government, but both central and regional governments are also responsible to it,” he said.
Meanwhile, on one occasion, one of Papuan women traders, Yuliana Pigai told Jubi she expected the Provincial Government to establish a regulation to protect the Papuan traders. Further she said she was happy if the government and Papua Legislative Council are willing to fight for them. “We are happy if they are truly willing to fight for us. But we don’t like if they did it just for a position or take advantage of us. We just want to sell vegetables and so on. It’s enough for us, Papuan women. Papua officials also buy our commodities at Papua Women Traditional Market. It would increase our income,” said Yuliana Pigai at that time. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
