Papuan religious leaders call for dialog<\/p>\n
Neles Tebay, Pontifical, University of Urbaniana, Rome<\/p>\n
At the close of the year 2003 and the beginning of the year
\n2004, the Papuan religious leaders are united in their commitment
\nfor peace and therefore call for dialog in order to overcome
\nsocio-political problems in Papua Province.<\/p>\n
The call was raised in the joint appeal for peace and hope
\nissued on Dec. 20, 2003.<\/p>\n
The appeal was signed by the Jayapura Bishop Leo Laba Lajar,
\nRev. Herman Saud as the chairperson of the Council of Christian
\nChurches in Papua, Zubaer Hussein as the chairperson of the
\nIndonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) in Papua, Gunawan Ingkokusumo as
\nthe chairperson of the Buddhist community in Papua, I Made B. the
\nvice chairperson of the Hindu community in Papua.<\/p>\n
They deliberately called for dialog, because the year 2003 was
\nmarked by the imposition of the central government's will and
\npolitical engineering resulting in unnecessary conflict among the
\ncivilians in Papua.<\/p>\n
Jakarta began with the imposition of its own will upon the
\npeople of Papua in January 2003 by issuing Presidential
\nInstruction No.1\/2003 on the division of Papua into three
\nprovinces, namely the provinces of Papua, West Papua and Central
\nIrian Jaya.<\/p>\n
The instruction clearly violated Law No.21\/2001 on the Special
\nAutonomy for Papua Province, which was signed by President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri in October 2001.<\/p>\n
The first group to oppose the instruction was the Papuan
\nreligious leaders. They were not opposing the creation of new
\nprovinces. They were simply reminding the government to be
\nconsistent in implementing Papua's autonomy law and form new
\nprovinces in accordance with the law.<\/p>\n
It means the creation of new province should be done with the
\napproval of the Papua Peoples Assembly (MRP) as mandated by the
\nlaw.<\/p>\n
The religious leaders fully support the implementation of the
\nlaw, because it \"could give more room for the people of Papua to
\nmanage themselves in a dignified manner so that political, social
\nand community problems could be settled peacefully.\"<\/p>\n
On the contrary, Jakarta's insistence on imposing its own will
\ncould become the source of confusion, protest, and conflict in
\nPapua.<\/p>\n
That's why after the announcement of the controversial
\ninstruction, they called upon the government to produce the
\ngovernment regulation for the establishment of the MRP, to
\nimplement Papua's autonomy law consistently, and support the
\ncivilian effort to create the whole Papua as a zone of peace.<\/p>\n
Intent on imposing its own will, Jakarta has deliberately been
\ndelaying the issuance of the government regulation for the
\nestablishment of the MRP, although it is very crucial for the
\nimplementation of Papua's autonomy law.<\/p>\n
The government only postponed the creation of Central Irian
\nJaya province but insisted on establishing the province of West
\nIrian Jaya province as mandated by Law No.45\/1999.<\/p>\n
The government officially established the province of West
\nIrian Jaya, and already installed its new acting governor on Nov.
\n14, 2003 which clearly marks the official split of West Irian
\nJaya from Papua province.<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has recommended that
\nthe government revise Law No. 45\/1999 and Presidential
\nInstruction No. 1\/2003 in line with the spirit of Papua's
\nautonomy law. Yet, the government is approaching it the other way
\naround, by revising Papua's autonomy law in order to accommodate
\nits own goal of splitting Papua into three provinces.<\/p>\n
The driving force behind the government's imposition of its
\nwill on the division of Papua is the \"incorrect assumption based
\non a rigid interpretation of what the unitary state is all
\nabout,\"(The Jakarta Post, Dec. 30, 2003).<\/p>\n
So, it is not an exaggeration when the Papuan religious
\nleaders say that the central government \"prefers to force its own
\nwill\" than to respect how the law works.<\/p>\n
On the part of the Papuans, they are now united in their
\nstruggle for the implementation of the Papuan autonomy law, which
\nhas already been passed, as seen during the two-day meeting
\nhosted by the provincial legislative council, in Jayapura, Dec.
\n15 to Dec. 16.<\/p>\n
Through the meeting, the Papuans pushed the central government
\nto work out the governmental regulation for the establishment of
\nPapuan Peoples Assembly (MRP) and to be consistent in
\nimplementing Papua's autonomy law. It also rejected the
\nimplementation of Law No 45\/1999 and Presidential Decree No.
\n1\/2003 concerning the establishment of new provinces in Papua.<\/p>\n
Since both dissenting parties, namely the government and the
\nPapuans, keep insisting on their opinion, more bloodshed is
\nexpected in Papua.<\/p>\n
In order to settle the socio-political unrest in Papua
\npeacefully, the government needs to heed the voice of the Papuan
\nreligious leaders. They have no political or economic interests.
\nTheir only concern is how to create peace in Papua.<\/p>",
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