Senator Irman Gusman from Indonesia emphasized the importance of shifting the focus of development in Papua towards empowering the community through strengthening village cooperatives. Speaking at a National Seminar with the theme “Building Food Sovereignty from Papua: The Role of Bulog, Regional Governments, and Village Cooperatives” in Merauke, South Papua on December 3, 2025, Irman highlighted the vast potential of Papua, especially Merauke, with its fertile agricultural land which could serve as a national or global food barn. However, Irman pointed out that this potential has not been evenly distributed among the people of Papua, stating that there is a significant gap between Papua’s natural wealth and the welfare of its people. He welcomed the government’s efforts to accelerate the formation of the Red and White Village Cooperative in line with President’s Instruction Number 9 of 2025, aiming to return the focus of national development to a people-based economy as mandated by the Indonesian constitution. Irman stressed that cooperatives are about human cooperation, not just financial cooperation, reflecting the spirit of national solidarity. Citing the relevance of Bung Hatta’s message to current development conditions, Irman emphasized the significant role of cooperatives in managing customary land fairly and productively. His closing remarks highlighted the importance of building Papua not just in terms of physical projects but in terms of developing its people, dignity, and economic institutions to ensure that the community becomes the custodian of their ancestral land.
Membangun Papua: Irman Gusman dan Pentingnya Pembangunan di Bumi Cendrawasih
