Dispute over Papua continues despite ruling<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Leading Papuan figures said the establishment of West Irian Jaya
\nprovince as a province from Papua was still the subject of heated
\ncontroversy despite the Constitutional Court's ruling upholding
\nthe split.<\/p>\n
Papua Governor Jaap P. Solossa said on Friday the ruling,
\nwhich it was hoped would end the controversy, had instead created
\nmore problems.<\/p>\n
He said the Papuan people were suffering as a result of the
\nsplit as the central government had deducted autonomy funds that
\nwould have gone to Papua and given them to the new province. The
\nPapuan provincial government was resolutely opposed to Jakarta's
\npolicy, Solossa added.<\/p>\n
The central government has paid an average of Rp 2.3 trillion
\nin autonomy funds to the natural resources-rich province since it
\nwas accorded special autonomy in 2001.<\/p>\n
The central government's reluctance to establish the Papuan
\nPeople's Council (MRP) had also fueled tension in Papua, Solossa
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Papua Special Autonomy Law (No. 21\/2001) provides that the
\ncouncil should serve as a consultative body. However, the
\nprevious government of Megawati Soekarnoputri decided to amend
\nthe law in order to reduce the council's status to a mere
\ncultural body.<\/p>\n
Megawati's government established West Irian Jaya province
\ndespite the fact that the council had not yet been set up. The
\nPapua provincial government filed for a judicial review of the
\ndecision with the Constitutional Court, which ruled that the new
\nprovince was legal.<\/p>\n
\"Who can guarantee it (the controversy) is already after the
\ncourt ruling over and people will not oppose it?\" Solossa said
\nafter a meeting with the Constitutional Court head Jimly
\nAsshiddiqie, the home affairs ministry's Director General of
\nRegional Autonomy, Progo Nurdjaman, West Irian Jaya Governor Bram
\nAtururi and House of Representatives councillors from both Papua
\nand West Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Papua legislative council deputy speaker Pascalis Kosay agreed
\nwith Solossa, saying the central government was responsible for
\nthe prolonged dispute.<\/p>\n
\"To settle the dispute, the government must establish the MRP
\nfor Papua soon,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Atururi, meanwhile, insisted that the people of West Irian
\nJaya had no problem with their separation from Papua.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have any problem, they do,\" he said, referring to
\nthe government of Papua province.<\/p>\n
Jimly said the residual problems resulting from the carving up
\nof Papua into a number of provinces would have to be settled by
\nthe government. However, Progo refused to comment on the issue.<\/p>\n
A number of constitutional law experts criticized the ruling
\nby the Constitutional Court for its ambiguity. The Court annulled
\nWest Irian Jaya\/Central Irian Jaya Province Establishment Law
\n(No. 45\/1999), but said that West Irian Jaya should continue in
\nexistence as the administrative infrastructure was already in
\nplace.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is scheduled to
\ncelebrate the New Year in Papua, has ordered the immediate
\nestablishment of MRP, but underlined that the council would act
\nsolely as a cultural symbol of the country's easternmost
\nprovince.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dispute-over-papua-continues-despite-ruling-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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