Highland Papua drafts peace regulations to prevent tribal wars

Highland Papua Governor John Tabo said in a written statement in Wamena, Jayawijaya District, on Saturday that his administration is committed to building lasting peace for all residents across the province.

“We are drafting provincial and special regional regulations intended to prohibit tribal wars in Highland Papua under statutory law. This is our effort to ensure there will be no more tribal wars in Highland Papua and all can live peacefully,” he remarked.

Tabo pointed out that the provincial government would prepare the regulations in collaboration with lawmakers, religious leaders, community figures, and the Highland Papua People’s Council.

“Our hope is that tribal conflicts or civil wars among fellow highland communities will cease. All tribes inhabiting this region are brothers and therefore must live hand in hand with one another,” the governor affirmed.

He further explained that the regional regulations are designed to help preserve culture and traditions by encouraging disputing parties to first seek settlement through customary mechanisms before resorting to legal enforcement measures involving the police.

“If a dispute cannot be resolved through customary courts, the police will step in to handle it under statutory law in order to prevent it from triggering a tribal war,” Tabo said.

The governor added that the Ministry of Home Affairs is involved in the drafting to help expedite the process.

He also noted that Highland Papua is the first among the three provinces planning such regulations, alongside Central Papua and South Papua.

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Translator: Y. Efendi, Tegar Nurfitra