REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG -- Some Indonesian lawmakers have played down the International Parliamentarians for West Papua's (IPWP's) proposal to set up a fact-finding team, arguing that Papua is open to the world community.
Although the IPWP meeting held in London on Tuesday was initiated by several European and Pacific politicians, the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) fully supported the new strategy of Indonesian diplomacy to expand and strengthen cooperation with Pacific countries, member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI Perjuangan's) faction at the DPR, Eva Kusuma Sundari said in a short text message on Thursday.
Eva made the statement on behalf of several DPR members, including Tubagus Hasanuddin, Charles Honoris, Tuti Nusandari Roosdiono, and Irine Yusiana Roba Putri of the PDI Perjuangan faction, and members of the House Commission I Mahfudz Siddiq of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction and Tantowi Yahya of the Golkar Party faction in the DPR.
She said DPR was monitoring the implementation of soft politics in continuing economic and political developments in Papua in order to realize the welfare of local people and create peace in the easternmost Indonesian province.
Since President Jokowi came to power one and a half years ago, economic growth in the eastern part of Indonesia has exceeded that of the rest of the country, she said.
In addition, the realization of investment had been centered in the eastern part of Indonesia, Eva added.
She said individuals who support the separatist movement in Papua should honestly open their eyes to the new Indonesian leadership, which has made every effort to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people rather than resort to violence in Papua.
"They should not be incited by the Free Papua Movement, which was built based on a hallucination argument and old assumptions," she said.
Eva stressed that Indonesia is looking forward to resolving its domestic conflicts in a dignified manner without having to lose its state sovereignty.
Indonesia is also recognized as the most democratic country in ASEAN and is leading democratization in ASEAN, an economic zone, which serves as a destination for global investment, she added.
Indonesia will also strengthen its economic cooperation with Pacific countries to create common welfare as most of the Indonesians living in the eastern part belong to the extended family of the Melanesia nation.
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