Is Papua autonomy a myth?<\/p>\n
Neles Tebay, Pontifical, University of Urbaniana, Rome<\/p>\n
The province of Papua has just conducted its evaluation after
\nthe first year's implementation of the special autonomy law in
\nJayapura, on July 28-29. Attended by all the regents, tribal
\nleaders, religious leaders and scholars, the evaluation conveyed
\ntwo messages. The first is that the special autonomy seems to be
\nan illusion, at least in the first year of its implementation.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports confirm Papua Governor J.P. Salousa's
\nacknowledgement that the special autonomy was not yet successful.
\n\"The troubled province of Papua was granted special autonomy in
\n2001 with around Rp 1.2 trillion disbursed last year to smooth
\nthe way for its implementation, but life remains unchanged among
\nthe impoverished people there.\" (The Jakarta Post, Aug.2)<\/p>\n
Special autonomy for Papua will remain nothing more than an
\nillusion, unless Jakarta is committed to implementing it
\nproperly.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has ignored calls raised by the supporters of the
\nautonomy, either from within or outside of the country, to issue
\nthe governmental regulation for the establishment of the Papua
\nPeople's Assembly (MRP) as mandated by the law.<\/p>\n
Instead, Jakarta produced the controversial Presidential
\nInstruction No.1 2003, on the acceleration of the division of
\nPapua into three smaller provinces.<\/p>\n
The Instruction has raised strong objections from people in
\nPapua, Jakarta, and many foreign countries. Yet the government
\ninsists upon establishing the new province of West Irian Jaya in
\nManokwari.<\/p>\n
The second message from the evaluation of the first year is
\nthat it is the local government, both at the provincial and
\nregency levels which considers the law a breakthrough for Papua's
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
They believe that a full and effective implementation of the
\nlaw will create more opportunities for Papuans in terms of self-
\nempowerment and capacity building within the unitary state of the
\nrepublic. Hence they see that there is no other way but to
\nimplement the autonomy law.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the evaluation recommends that the governor and the
\nprovincial legislative council set up a provisional Papua
\nPeople's Assembly, pending the issuance of the central government
\nregulation for the establishment of the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Jakarta needs to take into account the changes that
\nhave taken place with regard to Papua's autonomy.<\/p>\n
First, Jakarta has changed its own position from offering the
\nstatus of special autonomy for Papua, thus completely undermining
\nits own law.<\/p>\n
Second, the Papuans have also changed, from flatly rejecting
\nthe special autonomy law to starting to perceive the
\nopportunities it could offer.<\/p>\n
Third, the change in perspective on the Papua issue within the
\ninternational community (including governments and non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOs)). When Jakarta offered the
\nautonomy status for Papua, the world gave its full support to
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Yet given Jakarta's subsequent non-compliance within its own
\nlaw, the international community now is beginning to seriously
\nheed the (autonomy\/separatist) aspirations from within Papua.
\nWhile most express support for Indonesia's territorial integrity,
\nthey have been putting more pressure on Jakarta to implement the
\nspecial autonomy law.<\/p>\n
A group of leading German NGOs conducted a year-long
\nevaluation of the autonomy law that was announced at a conference
\nin June. The conference welcomed the special autonomy law as \"a
\nmeans for peaceful conflict resolution and a step towards further
\nrecognition of the rights of the people of Papua.\"<\/p>\n
Germany's parliament sees Papua's autonomy as \"a means to
\nenhance democratization and the realization of human rights\" and
\n\"as a legitimate expression of the will of the people of Papua to
\nbe the sole architects of their fate, in accordance with
\ninternational human rights law.\"<\/p>\n
The conference then stressed the need for \"mutual trust and
\nmutual understanding,\" \"a constructive dialog process\" between
\nJakarta and Papua's representatives,\" and \"an institutionalized
\nplatform for dialog\" between Jakarta and the Papuan people.<\/p>\n
The conference \"welcomed the international community to play a
\nrole in supporting the constructive dialog, the confidence-
\nbuilding process\" and the implementation of the law.<\/p>\n
The New York-based Council on Foreign Relations has already
\ncalled upon the government to drop its plan for Papua's division
\nand to perform a full and effective implementation the special
\nautonomy law for Papua as it would be \"a win-win situation\".<\/p>\n
The European Parliament (EP), through its resolution on
\nIndonesia -- particularly on Aceh and Papua -- adopted on June 6,
\nurged Indonesia \"to withdraw the Presidential Decree No.1\/2003 on
\nthe division of Papua\" issued on Jan. 27, \"because it undermines
\nthe special autonomy law for Papua and consequently the EU
\ncommitments regarding this special autonomy.\"<\/p>\n
The EP also urges the government \"to work towards the full
\nimplementation of the Special Autonomy Law for Papua by
\nfinalizing and approving government regulations regarding
\nbudgeting, legislative drafting and institutional development,
\nincluding the implementation of the MRP and the Commission for
\nTruth and Reconciliation.\"<\/p>\n
It would therefore be too risky not to implement the law --
\nmoreso to assume that international support for Jakarta cannot
\nchange.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/is-papua-autonomy-a-myth-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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