Councillors urge government to delay Papua split

Councillors urge government to delay Papua split

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

A special team formed by the Papua provincial legislature has
concluded that the government's plan to split the province in
three should be delayed until the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP)
is established.

The team, comprising 23 councillors in charge of legal and
administrative affairs, experts and activists, said in a report
presented to the legislature that the assembly was needed to
legalize the division of Papua, according to Law No. 21/2001 on
special autonomy for the country's easternmost province.

"In principle we do not oppose the plan to divide Papua into
smaller provinces, but it has to comply with Law No. 21/2001,
which has already taken effect. The plan must be approved by the
MRP, which has not been formed as yet," the chairman of the
legislature's Commission A, Yance Kayame, said.

Jakarta is preparing a government regulation on the MRP, but
has insisted that the division of Papua will not wait until the
assembly is operational. Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno
has said the MRP would have no authority to endorse the division
plan as the body was not equivalent to the People's Consultative
Assembly.

Yance also expressed his surprise at suspicions by officials
both within and outside of Papua that when formed, the MRP would
become a people's organization that would encourage the
secessionist movement in the natural resources-rich province.

"The MRP does not have the power to initiate the separation of
Papua from the Republic of Indonesia. The law on special autonomy
for Papua itself falls under the Constitution, which ensures
national integrity.

"The assembly is to be established to protect the rights of
the Papuan people," Yance said.

The special team was set up by the legislature in response to
Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003, which revived the plan to
split Papua into three provinces. The plan was originally laid
out in a 1999 law passed during the tenure of president B.J.
Habibie.

Habibie's successor Abdurrahman Wahid issued a presidential
instruction delaying the implementation of the 1999 law, on the
grounds that the law went against the aspirations of Papuans.

Yance and his team will depart for Jakarta on Saturday to
present the results of their examination to government officials
and lawmakers.

During their week-long stay in Jakarta, the Papuan delegates
will meet with President Megawati Soekarnoputri, People's
Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, House of
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno.

Before meeting with the officials, the delegates will hold a
series of meetings with Papuans living in Jakarta.

The opinions of Papuans who support and oppose the division of
the province will be attached to the team's report, Yance said.