Deputy Minister for Human Rights: Papua Development Can Employ Ethnoscientific Approach

Deputy Minister for Human Rights Mugiyanto believes an ethnoscientific approach, or knowledge based on local wisdom, can strengthen development and human rights protection in Papua.

“Papua’s development must respect cultural identity, local knowledge, and the diversity of indigenous communities across the region,” Mugiyanto said at the Strategic Papua Analysts (APS) conference in Jayapura on Friday.

“Papua has hundreds of ethnic groups and local languages reflecting cultural richness and traditional knowledge passed down through generations,” he added.

“This is not obsolete knowledge but empirical knowledge tested over centuries and still relevant today,” he said.

“Therefore, ethnoscientific-based development must be reinforced to ensure government policies are more accepted by communities while strengthening social cohesion and public trust,” he stated.

He explained the Ministry of Human Rights would continue to oversee that all development policies in Papua align with human rights principles and respect the dignity and diversity of indigenous communities in the region.