In a meeting held at Oxford Town Hall with the Oxford City Council on Monday, November 11, 2024, Steve Mara stated that Papua has been well-developed and still requires further progress in several sectors.
Steve Mara, the Chairman of the Melanesian Youth Diplomacy Forum and the Deputy Chair of the KNPI (Indonesian Youth National Committee) of Papua Province, shared in his presentation at Oxford Town Hall that Papua has made significant strides with the support of both local and central governments.
However, he acknowledged that there are sectors still in need of development, such as education, healthcare, and the economy, which require basic infrastructure improvements and stimulative measures.
Steve explained that since 2001, the central government has granted Papua Special Autonomy, which has allowed substantial funding for the Papuan people to develop their region.
The impact of this autonomy has been significant, especially in creating a well-educated and healthy Papuan society, advancing the economy, and constructing supporting infrastructure for education, healthcare, and economic growth.
He cited examples under President Joko Widodo’s two terms, where substantial improvements were made, and President Widodo frequently engaged in substantial dialogues with the Papuan community. This has resulted in targeted development initiatives by the central government in Papua, such as schools, hospitals, markets, roads, bridges, and buildings to foster the talents and interests of Papuan youth.
Steve also highlighted Papua’s diversity, noting that it is one of Indonesia’s regions where people from various ethnicities live peacefully together. This has led to Papua being called a “small paradise on earth” and referred to as “mini Indonesia.”
One of the councillors present, Sajjad Malik, expressed appreciation for the meeting and thanked Steve for the information. He also urged that development in Papua pays attention to environmental sustainability and that tourism development in Papua should be further enhanced.
The meeting was attended by the Acting Governor of West Papua, Ali Temongmere, who presented the long-term plan for the “Golden Papua” development from 2021 to 2041.
The meeting received praise from councillors, academic representatives, and the Indonesian diaspora in the UK.
