Dividing Papua to solve problems

The desire to divide up local government jurisdictions so as to produce greater efficiency is not always welcomed, as has been the case with the establishment of a number of new provinces and regencies in Papua based on Presidential Decree No.45/1999 and Presidential Instruction No.1/2003.

In fact, the division of Papua has the purpose of improving public services, enhancing the efficient use of potential development resources, and increasing the equitable distribution of the benefits of development.

Ironically, the policy has been rejected by the elite in the Papuan administration, including the provincial governor and speaker of the local legislative council, who then encouraged non-governmental organizations and Papuan youth associations to stage protest demonstrations.

There are fears that the abundant natural resources of Papua, such as the oil and gas processed by LNG Tangguh in West Irian Jaya and the gold mines operated by Freeport in Central Irian Jaya will be frittered away.

If the rejection of the splitting up of Papua is based on personal and group interests, accelerated development in Papua will never be realized. We should rationally and realistically acknowledge that decades of development in Papua have not led the Papuans out of backwardness.

In reality, the slow pace of development in Papua has been due to a lack of proper attention to the communities in the interior and on the periphery of the vast region. Therefore, let us change the paradigm and system of territorial management in Papua so as to improve the dignity of the Papuan population.

JOHN K. DOANSIBA, Jakarta