Prabowo echoed his appeal while receiving this gold and copper mining company's president director, Tony Wenas, who paid a courtesy call at the National Police's headquarters here, Monday.
At the meeting, Prabowo echoed the government’s genuine concern for improving the Papuans' quality of life by bolstering developments in health, education, infrastructure, people-oriented economy, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The Papuan communities are expected to enjoy the positive impacts of the government's development programs, according to Prabowo.
In enhancing community development programs, PT Freeport Indonesia is expected to be able to collaborate with the police that has a community-based program called "Binmas Noken", Prabowo stated.
"All elements can participate in developing Papua, including PT Freeport," he remarked.
In response to Prabowo's appeal, Wenas expressed his company’s support to the government's development programs in Papua through its corporate social responsibility programs in sectors, including health, culture, infrastructure, and people-based economy.
Prabowo also extended his gratitude and appreciation for the National Police's contribution to safeguarding Papua, including the gold and copper mining.
ANTARA noted that Papua and West Papua had struggled to improve the quality of their human capital, as their scores in Indonesia's 2020 Human Development Index remained under the national average recorded at 71.94.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua, which received special autonomy funds worth Rp126.99 trillion since 2012, had recently scored 60.44 and 65.09 respectively on the 2020 Human Development Index.
Their scores remained lower than that achieved by Aceh Province that stood at 71.94.
Amid the government's endeavors to improve the human capital of Papua and West Papua, armed Papuan separatist terrorist groups still pose security threats to the provinces.
Over the past few years, armed groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in several districts in Papua, including Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak, to instill a sense of fear among people.
The recent targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and also civilian aircraft.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya engaged in the construction of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District.
Such acts of violence have continued this year. On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatist terrorists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.
On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man, identified by his initials as RNR, was shot at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district.
In a separate incident on February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver. A motorcycle taxi driver was shot dead by an unknown gunman in Papua.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school. Related news: Papua needs people who can work outside the box: official
Related news: W Papua governor meets VP to discuss accelerated development
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Laily R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021