Inauguration of West Irian Jaya council protested<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A 23-member delegation from the Papua provincial legislative
\ncouncil is protesting the installment of the controversial West
\nIrian Jaya council.<\/p>\n
Paskalis Mossu, the deputy chairman of the Papua provincial
\nlegislature, said on Friday the move by Minister of Home Affairs
\nM. Ma'aruf to issue a decree on the inauguration of the West
\nIrian Jaya council showed the central government's lack of
\nseriousness in implementing full special autonomy status for
\nPapua.<\/p>\n
\"Papuan people have fully supported President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono and his government for his strong commitment to
\nimplementing the Law No. 21\/2001 on special autonomy, to suspend
\nthe West Irian Jaya council, and encourage the immediate
\nestablishment of the Papua People's Council (MRP) to tackle the
\nWest Irian Jaya issue. However, all these political commitments
\nhave evaporated after Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf issued a
\ndecree on the inauguration of the West Irian Jaya provincial
\nlegislature recently and as many as 25 of 44 members of the
\nprovincial legislature were inaugurated by the chief of the West
\nIrian Jaya High Court on Thursday,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The creation of West Irian Jaya province has triggered
\nconflicts between Papua people and security forces.<\/p>\n
At least three people were killed and dozens of others were
\ninjured in clashes between supporters and opponents of the
\nestablishment of the new province in 2003.<\/p>\n
The previous president Megawati Soekarnoputri issued a
\ncontroversial decree in 2003, which effectively implemented Law
\nNo. 45\/1999 on the division of Papua into three provinces: West
\nIrian Jaya, Central Irian Jaya and Papua.<\/p>\n
The controversy led to a judicial review by the Constitutional
\nCourt, which issued an ambiguous decision.<\/p>\n
The Court annulled in November of last year certain chapters
\nof Law No. 45\/1999 which would make any division of Papua
\nunconstitutional because it went against the special autonomy
\nlaw. The court, however, also recognized the existence of West
\nIrian Jaya province because it already had an operating central
\nadministration, a legislature and four elected members to the
\nRegional Representatives Council (DPD) in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The partition of Papua has seen by some as an effort by the
\ncentral government to divide and conquer the province, where a
\nlow-level secessionist movement has been simmering since the
\n1960s.<\/p>\n
Paskalis said he and his delegation were in Jakarta to consult
\nwith the Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Finance Jusuf
\nAnwar, and House of Representatives leaders in line with the
\nongoing preparations for the MRP election scheduled for June.<\/p>\n
Yan Ayomi, chairman of the Golkar Party faction at the Papua
\nprovincial legislature, said legislators were disappointed with
\nthe central government's move to quietly support the creation of
\na separate political institution in West Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"This is a strong indication that Jakarta is not serious in
\nresolving the Papua issue and the Home Ministry and its high-
\nechelon officials have engaged in supporting the political
\nprocess in West Irian Jaya to make money. Papua has financially
\nnurtured West Irian Jaya but it has also received development
\nfunds from the central government in running the public
\nadministration,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Paskalis said the delegation has agreed to call for a meeting
\ninvolving all elements in Papua and call on the provincial
\nlegislature to hold a special plenary session. The session would
\nhave two main agenda; to return the special autonomy rule to
\nJakarta and to propose a no-confidence motion in central
\ngovernment, he said.<\/p>",
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