Forum seeks public debate on Papua<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A group of prominent figures established a forum on Tuesday to
\nincrease public participation in the efforts to resolve the
\nproblems of Papua, which has been affected by human rights abuses
\nand secessionist sentiment for decades.<\/p>\n
The establishment of the Papua Forum has been inspired by a
\nlack of transparency in the way in which the government dealt
\nwith the Aceh conflict recently, the forum's deputy chairman
\nMarzuki Darusman said.<\/p>\n
\"People feel they have been excluded by the government from
\nthe efforts to settle the Aceh problem. Now that the President
\nhas announced the government's intention of addressing the Papua
\nissue, we hope that this forum will be capable of ensuring
\ngreater public participation,\" Marzuki, of the Golkar Party,
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In his address to the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) a
\nfew weeks ago, President Susilo said that the government would
\nnow turn its attention to Papua after the peace deal with the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) to end three decades of bloodshed in the
\ncountry's westernmost province.<\/p>\n
Albert Hasibuan, who chairs the new forum, said that it had
\nbeen established to show the public that the Papua issue was not
\nthe exclusive domain of Papuans and the government, but also
\nconcerned other Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Other founders of the forum include H.S. Dillon, Sabam Siagian, Fikri
\nJufri, Tommy Legowo, Zoemrotin K. Susilo, Asmara Nababan, Fajrul
\nFalaakh, Faisal Basri, Tuty Herati Nurhadi, Bara Hasibuan, Rizal
\nSukma, Father J. Budi Hernawan OFM, Wiryono Sastrohandoyo,
\nShanti Poesposoetjipto, Sjafii Maarif and Harry Tjan Silalahi.<\/p>\n
Wiryono said Indonesians quickly unite when it comes to
\nproblems with other countries but do the opposite in response to
\ndomestic problems.<\/p>\n
\"There has also long been a mind-set that separatism must be
\ncrushed (by the use of force). It's reform time now, meaning that
\nproblems must be resolved through peaceful means,\" said the
\nformer diplomat, who was the government's chief negotiator during
\ntalks with GAM in 2002.<\/p>\n
Albert said the forum planned to initiate debate on the
\nproblems of Papua and to approach them from various perspectives.
\nThe results would then be presented to the government.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, Sabam added, must not attempt to oversimplify the
\nproblems in Papua, which he said were complicated and had
\npersisted since the late 1940s.<\/p>\n
The government has admitted that separatist sentiment in Papua
\nis the result of the unfair treatment meted out by Jakarta to
\nindigenous Papuans in the economic, political, social and
\nsecurity fields.<\/p>\n
Human rights violations have been widespread in Papua, but the
\nperpetrators have rarely been brought to book. Meanwhile, most
\nPapuans continue to live in abject poverty despite Papua's
\nmineral wealth.<\/p>\n
Like Aceh, Papua has been granted special autonomy, but unlike
\nAceh its implementation has consistently been thwarted by
\nJakarta. To date, the government has yet to set up the Papuan
\nPeople's Assembly (MRP), even though its establishment is
\nmandated by law.<\/p>\n
Through changes in the legislation, the government has ensured
\nthat if and when it is set up, the MRP, which is supposed to have
\na say in the political, social and economic affairs of the
\nprovince, will serve as little more than a cultural talking shop.<\/p>\n
Separately in Jayapura, tribal leader Seblum Werbabkay called
\non the Papua administration, the Papua General Elections
\nCommission (KPUD) and the Papua provincial council to hold a
\ngubernatorial election after the establishment of the MRP.<\/p>\n
He said it was the MRP that had the power to determine those
\neligible to contest the election under the Papuan Special
\nAutonomy Law (No. 21\/2001).<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, it may spark conflict,\" Seblum said.<\/p>\n
The Papua issue recently came to the fore again following the
\nquestioning in the U.S. of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua in
\nthe 2006-2007 foreign relations authorization bill, which has
\nbeen passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and is now at
\nthe committee stage in the Senate.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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