Divide Irian Jaya into three: Advisor

Divide Irian Jaya into three: Advisor

JAKARTA (JP): A senior consultant to the government has
proposed that Irian Jaya be divided into three separate provinces
to facilitate the administration of the huge and largely
underdeveloped territory, Antara reported yesterday.

Astrid Susanto, who is an advisor to the National Development
Planning Board, said splitting the province would allow the
government to reach the farthest corners of Irian Jaya, which now
escape the attention of the provincial administration.

The province of Irian Jaya, with its capital Jayapura in the
northeast of the province, is three times the size of Java, which
is divided into five separate administrations. Irian Jaya is also
the same size as Kalimantan, which is divided into three
provinces, she pointed out.

Besides being the largest province in Indonesia, Irian Jaya is
one of the least populated, with a total population of 1.82
million in 1990, and the least developed territories in
Indonesia. The province, previously known as Dutch West Guinea,
was won in 1963 after an armed conflict with the Netherlands.

Astrid proposed splitting the province into three parts: the
"Bird's Head" region in the northwest with Sorong as the seat of
the administration, the northern territory with Jayapura as the
capital, and the southern territory with Timika as its capital.

Timika is a fast growing mining town where PT Freeport, the
huge American gold and copper mining company, operates.

Her proposal is not new. Several observers in the past have
called on the government to divide Irian Jaya into provinces
because Jayapura alone cannot be expected to administer this vast
territory efficiently and effectively.

The government has rejected the proposal largely on grounds of
financial constraints. To address these concerns, the government
appointed special assistants to the governor in 1994, each
responsible for a particular region in the province.

One assistant is based in Jayapura to oversee the northern
territory, one in Manokwari in the Bird's Head region, and
another in Merauke in the south.

Astrid however pointed out that these deputies have not had
any impact on the way the province is being administered.

She said after 33 years of Indonesian rule, Irian Jaya is
still trailing far behind other provinces in terms of
development.

A lot of the funds channeled to the Irian Jaya provincial
administration are being spent on air transportation, chiefly
from Jayapura, to reach far-flung areas, she said.

Land transportation in the meantime is virtually impossible
given Irian Jaya's rough terrain. She noted that the Trans Irian
Jaya Highways, linking Jayapura and Wamena, Jayapura and Merauke
and Wamena and Paniai, are not completed yet.

Astrid expressed her concern at the slow rate of development
in Irian Jaya when Indonesia is gearing up for the free trade era
in the region and the world.

Irian Jaya, given its strategic location bordering with a
number of countries, should be prepared for that era, she said.

"Unless the government provide development infrastructure, it
will be difficult for Irian Jaya people to enjoy the fruits of
development," she said. (emb)