Govt moves closer to split Papua despite controversy<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua<\/p>\n
The central government moved closer to creating a West Irian Jaya
\nprovince in Papua on Monday, despite lingering controversies over
\nthe plan to split the troubled region into three -- Papua, West
\nIrian Jaya and Central Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Home Affairs secretary-general Siti Nurbaya
\nvisited Papua on Monday to hand over a fund of Rp 2.7 billion to
\nacting West Irian Jaya governor Abraham O Atururi.<\/p>\n
The fund, generated from Nurbaya's office, will be used to
\nrenovate the governor's office building on Jl. Siliwangi,
\nManokwari district that will probably serve as the West Irian
\nJaya capital city.<\/p>\n
After being renovated, the gubernatorial office is expected to
\nbegin administrative activities aimed at providing services to
\nPapuans under its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
Present at a ceremony to hand over the fund included Papua
\nadministration secretary Decky Asmuruf who chairs the assistance
\nteam for West Irian Jaya's establishment, Manokwari Regent D.
\nMandacan and local chief councillor D. Mandowen.<\/p>\n
Nurbaya was representing Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno
\nas chairman of the central government's team to speed up the
\nestablishment of West and Central Irian Jaya provinces.<\/p>\n
The separation of Papua into three provinces is justified
\nunder Law No. 45\/1999 that recommends the creation of two new
\nprovinces of West and Central Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
But, the planned split has drawn controversy among Papuans and
\nanalysts, since the government granted a special autonomy status
\nin early 2001 to the resource-rich province.<\/p>\n
Under the autonomy law, the establishment of new provinces in
\nPapua must be endorsed by a Papuan People's Council (MRP) that
\nhas not yet been set up for unexplained reasons.<\/p>\n
However, in her speech to Monday's ceremony, Nurbaya brushed
\naside the controversies and claimed that Papua's split was in
\naccordance with existing regulations.<\/p>\n
\"There is nothing wrong with the establishment of a West Irian
\nJaya province because the central government did not scrap a
\ndecree on the appointment of Abraham O Atururi as acting
\ngovernor, nor did it revoke Law No. 45\/1999,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Nurbaya said Atururi had been tasked with preparing
\nadministration staff until the West Irian Jaya province was set
\nup.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-moves-closer-to-split-papua-despite-controversy-1447893297",
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