Since the enactment of Law No. 21/2001 on Papuan Special Autonomy 10 years ago, the law has been obstructed by state officials.
Many people believe that the central government was never serious about building relationships and developing Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua.
These stern remarks were made by Association of Indonesian Papuan Central Mountainous Students (AMPTPI) secretary general Markus Haluk in Jayapura Saturday.
Markus said that Jakarta’s ambiguous attitude was reflected by the absence of action or response from the Ministry of Home Affairs on the establishment of the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP).
The ministry’s silence has been interpreted as an approval of the West Papuan MRP, which
has been strongly opposed by Papuan people for fears over potential horizontal conflict among Papuans, he said.
“If Jakarta approves the establishment of a West Papuan MRP, it is Jakarta itself which thwarts special autonomy by approving a
policy that is not [conducive with] aspirations,” Markus said, reminding that there had been a consensus earlier that all Papuans wanted only one MRP for the entirety of native Papuan land.
Separate MRPs are feared to lead to disparity in policy and decision making with regard to the protection of the basic rights of indigenous Papuans.
Special autonomy was granted to Papua as a solution for rising demands from Papuans who wished to separate from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, Markus said.
“In its implementation, however, there seems to be an absence of sincerity from Jakarta in carrying out the special autonomy, whereby unpopular policies that hurt Papuans have been created,” he said.
According to Markus, the unfavorable act started with the issuance of Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003 on the establishment of the provinces of West Papua and Central Papua, even though based on Law No. 21/2001 the division of provinces in Papua should have been approved by the MRP.
Before the wound was healed, the government issued Law No. 35/2008, which revised several articles in Law No. 21/2001, where the changes were never known by Papuans, he said.
“The latest wound was the establishment of an MRP in West Papua. So if special autonomy fails, it is caused mainly by the nation’s leaders themselves,” Markus said.
Markus urged the President and the Minister of Home Affairs to be consistent in implementing special autonomy in Papua and be thoughtful enough to apply favorable policies to encourage Papuans to feel a part of this country.
It was reported from Manokwari that the West Papuan MRP’s chairmanship board has given its approval for the authenticity of the four pairs of gubernatorial candidates hoping to compete in the next regional elections for the 2011-2016 office term.
The four are Abraham O Atururi — Rahimin Katjong, Dominggus Mandacan — Origenes Nauw, George Celcius Auparay — Hasan Ombaer and Wahidin Puarada — Herman Donatus Felix Orisoe.