Dividing Papua to solve problems

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