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Bahasa Indonesia is a unifying language in West Papua. When you all visit various kampongs in West Papua, just use Bahasa to communicate with the local community. This signifies the long process of the integration of Papua into Indonesia in 1963 and contributes a positive impact on the development progress in West Papua.

Those statements came from Mr. Alberth Yoku to media reporters during a doorstop presscon at his residence, Monday (30/4). Yoku is currently chief of Team of 6 or Tim 6, a team that is designated to handle religious issues in West Papua.

“As a religious leader in Papua, I may convey to you all the greetings of independence. We, the people of Papua are a significant part of Indonesia and we have contributed a lot to the development of this country,” said Yoku.

Furthermore, he said, everyone in a certain time must have had a special yet unique historical momentum. In this sense, as an Indonesian citizen, he said that May 1st 2018 must be known by all West Papuans as the commemoration of the 55th years of Papua’s return to the Indonesian motherland. Legally speaking, based on the principles of de facto and de jure, it was on May 1 that West Papua become part of Indonesia.

Since its integration to date, Papua has undergone many changes. There are and will always be ups and downs. But, the point is that West Papua has been on its way to the new modern civilization in which West Papuans have interacted socially from a homogeneous world into the heterogeneous one. So there are also many changes in terms of facilities and infrastructure and basic needs needed in West Papua.

“If there is a conflict on May 1, it is only a handful of people who are not grateful for local wisdoms of the people of West Papua,” Yoku stipulated.

“I hope this year and next year the social harmony in Papua will be much better, and the integration of West Papua back into the Indonesia will not be politicized but instead to be embraced in the West Papuans’ lives. Religion and culture can gather together to make progress of West Papua, because God is the Holy One that must be worshiped according to each belief,” he said.

Meanwhile on the same occasion, Ondofolo or Tribal Leader of Sosiri Area, Boas Enoch said that West Papua and Indonesia cannot be separated.

“To all tribes in Indonesia ,we are brothers, let us gather together to build Papua I demand to your brothers who often do activities that are not necessary to stop,” said Boas.

Boas Enoch invites all components of the society to make self-corrections. “I appeal to all West Papuan people to remove and throw far away things that can harm ourselves. We can be a good person and build West Papua into a peaceful land where God blesses us,” he said.

Boas Enoch further reminded that the land of West Papua is a blessed land to feed the world. “For what reason do we all keep looking for independence, while Papua is a kitchen that can feed the world. Let’s focus on positive things we can contribute to Indonesia and the world. To Indonesia, this a country we love very much,” he said.