PDI-P campaigns for Papua split<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although the government's decision to split Papua into three
\nsmaller provinces has met with strong resistance from Papuans,
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\ninsists that the policy be implemented.<\/p>\n
The party, which is chaired by President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, urged the government immediately to inform people
\nabout the decision to divide Papua province.<\/p>\n
\"The people should understand that the separation of Papua
\ninto three provinces is not meant to hamper the implementation of
\nspecial autonomy,\" the party's deputy chairman, Roy B.B. Janis,
\nwho also heads the party's faction in the House of
\nRepresentatives, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Separately, legislator Simon Patrice Morin said he and other
\nPapuan-born lawmakers had warned the President that the
\ninstruction she issued to speed up the process of splitting Papua
\nviolated Law No. 21\/2001 on special autonomy for Papua. The
\nlegislators have demanded that the presidential instruction be
\nrevoked.<\/p>\n
Having 422,000 square kilometers of territory, Papua, the
\ncountry's largest province, is inhabited by only 2.2 million
\npeople.<\/p>\n
According to the presidential instruction, the province will
\nbe divided into Central Irian Jaya, West Irian Jaya and Papua.<\/p>\n
The decision to divide the province was made in 1999 under
\npresident B.J. Habibie, but the implementation of the policy was
\ndelayed by his successor, Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Article 76 of the special autonomy law for Papua stipulates
\nthat any decision to divide up Papua province must be approved by
\nthe Papua People's Assembly (MRP) and the Papua Legislative
\nCouncil (DPRP).<\/p>\n
The presidential instruction on the division of Papua violates
\nthe special autonomy law because the government did not receive
\napproval from the MRP and DPRP, Simon, of the Golkar Party, said.
\nThe MRP has not yet been established.<\/p>\n
The Papua Legislative Council has announced its opposition to
\nthe policy. The council said it would file a lawsuit with the
\nSupreme Court to fight the policy.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the media after PDI Perjuangan's weekly meeting,
\nled by Megawati, party deputy chairman Roy said the establishment
\nof new provinces in Papua required the full support of the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot rush to implement the policy as the government has
\nto make sure people are ready to enforce it,\" Roy said.<\/p>\n
The division of the province has sparked confusion regarding
\nthe implementation of the special autonomy law, which gives the
\nprovince 70 percent of all revenue from natural resources in
\nPapua.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan treasurer Noviantika Nasution said after the
\nparty's meeting that Megawati had ordered Minister of Home
\nAffairs Hari Sabarno to travel to Papua to resolve the
\ncontroversy.<\/p>\n
\"The President said the minister of home affairs will meet
\nwith provincial legislators in the near future,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Asked about the possibility of the President revoking the
\npolicy due to concern it could create economic gaps between the
\nprovinces, Noviantika said: \"I cannot say whether that issue was
\ntaken into consideration by the President.\"<\/p>\n
Lawmaker Simon said legislators from Papua would urge the
\nHouse of Representatives to discuss the President's special
\ninstruction on the province.<\/p>\n
There has been speculation that the policy is aimed at
\nbreaking the secessionist movement in Papua, which has existed
\nsince the 1960s.<\/p>\n
However, the government has said splitting Papua into smaller
\nprovinces is meant solely to help boost development in the
\nnatural-resources rich but underdeveloped territory.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-p-campaigns-for-papua-split-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}