The anti-Indonesia campaign abroad and the increasing demand for the province's secession from Indonesia will gradually go down if the major problems are settled. The special autonomy is not only a matter of funds but also of law enforcement and security to return the tense situation to normalcy. As it was recognized by Governor Barnabas Suebu, despite the annual allocation of huge funds to the province a majority of people are still living below the poverty line and cannot afford the expensive education and health service. The special autonomy fund for the province has drastically increased to Rp 21 trillion (US$2.2 billion) this fiscal year from Rp 3.5 billion in 2003 and around Rp 4.5 trillion in 2006, but only a small part has been used to develop education, health and the people's economic livelihood.

Governor Suebu has expressed a desire to establish a People-Driven Development Knowledge Center, which would help ensure that all policies formulated, institutions established and technologies designed (or transferred in) were driven by the needs and capacities of ethnic Papuans. Support for an institution dedicated to helping ethnic Papuans catch up, should also rank high on the priority list of the corporate sector and donor community already committed to forging meaningful partnerships with local government and ethnic Papuans. To achieve these objectives, such a center would need to begin by mapping the diverse physical-ecological, economic, social, cultural and human resource potentials, as well as population dynamics, and record both local initiatives and responses to interventions. With sincere donor support, all international best practices could be recast to meet the unique needs and capacities of ethnic Papuans, starting from the village. 

Then, and only then, would Governor Suebu's vision of a Papuan society which upholds ethics and morals, truth and justice, and fully respects the dignity and value of mankind, come to be. People-driven in a dynamic sense, such a society would also place specific emphasis on the environment, striking a balance between utilization and conservation of natural resources in order to ensure a high quality of life for both current and future Papuans. Under such enlightened stewardship, development would continue to progress and become self-sustaining -- turning perceived weaknesses into strengths.

All Barnabas Suebu’s vision describeThe provincial government should also issue bylaws to design pro-poor, pro-growth and pro-environment budget policies and ensure Papuans' civil and political rights and free access to education and health services, construction of public infrastructure and the sustainable management of natural resources. And any party will be barred from activities supporting secessionism inside and outside the two provinces. The right approach to development will certainly be effective to develop Papua and West Papua into "a land of peace".

source: papua prospect