Illustration – JUBI
Jayapura, Jubi – The regency/city governments should make coordination in utilizing the built-in missionary airfield in the remote interior of Papua.
It is said by Legislator of Papua, Mustakim which also acknowledge that the role of missionaries which had built many airfields is undeniable in various rural areas of Papua for the sake of religious mission.
“If the government wants to use the missionary-built airfields, it needs to be coordinated with the missionaries, local people, religious leaders, and community leaders,” Mustakim said on Wednesday (October 11).
If the government wants to use the airfields, they must firs fix or prepare an adequate means of the airfields. “If the conditions of airfields are not adequate, the government has to coordinates with related parties to fix it, so it can be used together. I think missionaries and government mission are the same, serving the community,” he said.
The coordination is important to avoid further problems, especially if the governments plan to improve the existed missionaries’ airfields.
Assistant for the Economic and Development Sector of the Papua Provincial Secretariat, Elia Loupatty, said there are at least 300 airfields built because of the joint community efforts, missionaries and churches in the interior of Papua.
“The average built-in airfields are only 600 meters long and the position is not straight. But that’s the condition and it must be fixed from time to time,” Loupatty said recently.
He said the government should give appreciation to the missionaries, without them there is no airfield, the inland areas will be difficult to reach. (tabloidjubi.com/Zely)
