Most Papuans no longer sympathize with security forces<\/p>\n
Like war-torn Aceh, Papua remains in the spotlight. Papua
\nGovernor Jaap Solossa talked with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan Max
\nSijabat on Friday after leading a Papuan delegation to meet with
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss the situation in
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
Question: Would you like to summarize your delegation's
\nmeeting with the President?\"<\/p>\n
Answer: The President and our delegation were of the same
\nopinion that the special autonomy regulated by Law No. 21\/2001 is
\nthe main pillar of a grand strategy to seek a comprehensive
\nsolution to the complex Papua issue.<\/p>\n
The President promised to make a fundamental decision to prove
\nhis strong political commitment to settling the issue through
\npeaceful dialog, and instructed his aides to take concrete
\nmeasures to enforce the special autonomy law.<\/p>\n
He was very glad to meet with us, and shared his intention to
\nfully implement the special autonomy, which was left untouchable
\nduring former president Megawati Soekarnoputri's tenure, over the
\nlast three years.<\/p>\n
Would you like to explain that issue in detail?<\/p>\n
A: During the meeting, the President instructed the
\ncoordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs
\n(Widodo A.S.) and home minister (Moh. Ma'ruf) to discuss the
\ndraft regulation on the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), and to
\nmake the necessary preparations for its establishment. The
\nimplementation was delayed because it was feared that it could
\npave the way for the province to separate from Indonesia in the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
The establishment of the MRP has been included in the
\nPresident's first 100-day program, and he pledged that the MRP's
\nestablishment would be his \"Christmas gift\" to the Papuan people.<\/p>\n
The President also promised to set up a Papua desk at the
\nPresidential Office to deal with Papua matters. The special desk,
\nled by the President and consisting of Papuan figures, military
\nofficials and politicians would mainly be tasked with preparing
\nnecessary policies and development programs in Papua.<\/p>\n
Q: What is your comment on the controversial draft regulation
\non the MRP?<\/p>\n
A: It is not really controversial because it is based on the
\nspecial autonomy law. And what makes Papua special, unique and
\ndifferent from other provinces is the MRP, which according to the
\nlaw is the highest decision-making institution, representing all
\ncomponents in the province.<\/p>\n
Megawati and her former government declined to approve it, and
\nto set up the long-awaited MRP, because they feared that the
\ninstitution would be used to assist the province's separation
\nfrom Indonesia.<\/p>\n
But, if Acehnese people are allowed to adopt the sharia
\naccording to Islam, why aren't we allowed to do the same thing?
\n(The majority of Papuans are Christians.)<\/p>\n
Q: How is the planned formation of the two new provinces
\nprogressing?<\/p>\n
A: The President has agreed to review the controversial
\nPresidential Instruction, No. 1\/2003, which was issued to enforce
\nLaw No. 45\/1999 on the development of North Maluku, West and
\nCentral Irian Jaya provinces, which is no longer effective since
\nit is against the special autonomy law.<\/p>\n
Papuan people are not against any idea to form four or five
\nmore provinces in Papua, which is 3.5 times the size of Java
\nIsland. However it should gain approval from the MRP.<\/p>\n
The Papuan provincial legislature has filed a law suit against
\nthe presidential instruction, and the Constitutional Court is
\nscheduled to make a decision on the case on Nov. 11.<\/p>\n
The Higher Administrative Court has annulled Presidential
\nDecree No. 10\/2003 on the extension of Octavianus Abram Atururi's
\none-year period as acting governor of West Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Q: What other issues are most urgent in Papua?<\/p>\n
A: Illegal logging, illegal fishing and HIV\/AIDS. And the
\nthree issues correlate with one another.<\/p>\n
Illegal logging and illegal fishing activities have been
\nrampant in the province because the region is out of the close
\nsupervision of the public in Jakarta. The looting of Papua's rich
\nresources involves timber and fishing companies from Malaysia and
\nThailand. They are backed by security personnel from local Navy
\nunits and police offices.<\/p>\n
Timber barons have paid police personnel to back the illegal
\nlogging activities, which have involved local loggers. It is also
\ncommon for them to offer sex workers from Java as presents for
\nlocal informal leaders, to keep their mouths closed. The timber
\nbarons also bribed local Navy units to escort their log vessels
\nout of the province.<\/p>\n
The number of people living with HIV\/AIDS has reached around
\n15,000 at present, and most of them are living in the southern
\npart of the province, particularly in Mimika and Merauke
\nregencies, where illegal logging and fishing activities have been
\nrampant.<\/p>\n
Q: What are you doing to address these serious problems?<\/p>\n
A: During the meeting with the President, we asked the
\ngovernment to lift the joint decree issued by the forestry
\nminister, fisheries and maritime affairs minister, the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) commander and the National Police chief,
\nconcerning the supervision of forest and maritime resources
\n(wanalaga and wanabahari) in the province.<\/p>\n
Corrupt officials of the National Police and the Navy in the
\nprovince abused their power and manipulated the joint decree to
\nloot the province's resources.<\/p>\n
Most Papuan people are no longer sympathetic toward the
\nsecurity authorities because many innocent people have been shot
\nin military operations and their resources looted.<\/p>\n
The provincial government will intensify the anti-HIV\/AIDS
\ncampaign among youths and school students aged between ten years
\nand 18 years to curb the spread of the virus.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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