DPRD Jayawijaya Papua forms a Regional Regulation on the Protection of Street Children

The Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) of Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province, is pushing for the formation of a regional regulation (Perda) to provide protection and welfare to street children who for years have been easy to find in the city center of this district.

The chairman of the Jayawijaya DPRD, Mathias Tabuni, in Wamena, Sunday, said the regional regulation, which has the support of all factions in the council, is being pushed through in the 2022 Non-APBD Raperda.

"We consider the condition of the children of indigenous Papuans who live quite apprehensively, considering that they are the next generation for the survival of indigenous Papuans, especially in Jayawijaya," he said.

In addition to the consideration that the children living on the streets are native Papuans, the basis for the formation of the Raperda is Law Number 13 of 2011 concerning Poverty Management, as well as Government Regulation Number 31 of 1980 concerning Combating Homeless and Beggars.

"We hope that with the regional legitimacy program that has been established, it can overcome social problems and also be able to bring about better progress for our society," he said.

The DPRD hopes that an evaluation of improvements will be carried out as soon as possible in accordance with the direction of the Papua Province evaluator team which provides several warning points for several Raperda planning documents.

"Perhaps we will review this regional regulation specifically for handling poverty and children to improve it," he said.

Based on Antara's observation, street children in Jayawijaya Regency are almost entirely Papuan natives and they are scattered at several points in front of shops, markets.

Because they don't get attention, they spend a lot of time begging and sipping aibon glue, which the government has monitored its distribution but is still easy for children to find in shops and stalls.

SOURCE: https://papua.antaranews.com/berita/671157/dprd-jayawijaya-papua-form-perda-perlindungan-anak-jalanan