Megawati comforts Papuans on Christmas<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri celebrated Christmas in Papua
\nand marked the granting of concessions under the special
\nautonomous status to help improve the welfare of Papuans.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by a number of her Cabinet ministers and her
\nhusband, Taufik Kiemas, Megawati joined thousands of Christian
\nPapuans and local officials in celebrating Christmas at the
\nsports stadium in the provincial capital of Jayapura.<\/p>\n
The President, along with a local singer, sang her favorite
\nsong, My Way, to express her gratitude for the gradual
\nimprovement in security and order in the province. She said
\nsecurity and public order were needed to develop the province.<\/p>\n
"We have to stop condemning one another and each side has to
\nstop all security disturbances so that we can continue to develop
\nthe province to help improve people's welfare. Under the special
\nautonomous status, Papua has to progress in all fields," the
\nPresident said in her speech during the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Megawati was referring to the cancellation of her visit to
\ncelebrate Christmas in the province last December.<\/p>\n
It was Megawati's first visit to the easternmost province
\nsince she became President. She visited Papua in 2000 when she
\nwas vice president.<\/p>\n
Megawati and her entourage left Jakarta on Wednesday and spent
\na night in Biak before proceeding onward to Jayapura on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The President considered her visit very important amid the
\nincreasing demand for the territory's separation from Indonesia
\nfollowing the collapse of former president Soeharto's New Order
\nregime in 1998 and rampant human rights abuses in the province.<\/p>\n
Despite the quelling of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), many
\nPapuans, who mostly live in primitive conditions in remote areas
\nof the large province, have demanded a referendum in protest of
\nrampant human rights abuses and exploitation of their natural
\nresources, especially during the New Order era.<\/p>\n
Demand for the territory's independence has been increasing
\ndue to what Papuans say is a lack of the government's will to
\nbring human rights perpetrators to justice and to cope with what
\nthey call "unfair treatment".<\/p>\n
Many Papuans have been angered with the murder of
\nproindependence figure Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluway in Nov. 2000.<\/p>\n
In response to mounting demand for independence, the
\ngovernment granted special autonomy to the province to allow it
\nto have greater authority over its own affairs.<\/p>\n
Under Law No. 21\/2001, the province receives 70 percent of the
\ngovernment's income from the exploration of its natural
\nresources. Papua receives Rp 6 trillion (US$665,000) in revenue
\nfrom copper and gold mine company PT Freeport Indonesia, in
\naddition to revenue from oil exploration in the province.<\/p>\n
The province will also receive more income from the
\nexploration of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Tangguh
\nproject in Manokwari, of which its initial development was
\nofficially launched by the President in Jayapura.<\/p>\n
Besides providing job opportunities for thousands of Papuans,
\nthe province will also receive a larger portion of the
\ngovernment's revenue from the exploration of LNG.<\/p>\n
Papua Governor Jaap Solossa said Megawati's visit to the
\nprovince was meaningful, and added that her visit was proof to
\nPapuans that the central government was paying serious attention
\nto the province.<\/p>\n
Bishop Ferdinand Sahadung stressed that peace was the true
\nmeaning of Christmas and that all sides should bear in mind that
\nconflicts in the province could be solved peacefully and without
\nweapons.<\/p>\n
He said the government had deployed many soldiers and spent
\nmoney on buying guns to kill its people, but the conflict remains
\nunresolved.<\/p>\n
Besides efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully, the
\ngovernment should focus on developing Papua, as a majority of the
\npopulation live in poverty, he said.<\/p>\n
"The government should develop public infrastructure, such as
\nroads, markets, schools and churches, and invite more investors
\nto develop the province. It should issue a policy that gives
\nindigenous people more access to education and to help them find
\na better way of life," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-comforts-papuans-on-christmas-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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