Experts call for gradual autonomy in Irian Jaya

JAKARTA (JP): The planned special autonomy in Papua could be counterproductive unless implemented gradually under vigorous supervision, experts said on Saturday.

Selo Sumardjan, a noted sociologist from the University of Indonesia, said special autonomy would spark rejection and resistance against the central government if the government failed to identify and solve basic problems that have caused the province to demand independence.

"Some 250 Papuan tribes, mostly living a primitive culture, have yet to be prepared to fully adopt modern civilization and globalization. And they will reject special autonomy if it fails to solve their main problems and suffering," he said in the deliberation of the bill on Papuan special autonomy here.

Selo, who has frequently visited the province, said the main issue in Papua was not special autonomy but the injustice, repression and discrimination that the Papuan people have suffered since the province's integration into Indonesia in 1963.

"(The reason) Why the Papuan people have demanded separation from Indonesia is because of the central government's discriminative treatment against them, human rights abuses and the wide disparity between indigenous locals and migrant people," he said.

He said the central government has for decades "looted" resources in the province and given nothing in return to local people who have been abandoned in their prolonged backwardness.

According to him, the main important thing the central government must do at present is to stop all forms of repression and discriminative treatment in the province, investigate all human rights abuses committed by security authorities and give the Papuan people rights to manage their own administration.

Selo supported the bill that requires a major portion, or 80 percent, of the government's revenue from the exploration of resources in Papua to be returned to the province to allow it to catch up with other provinces.

"The Papuan people want to live peacefully and adopt modern culture gradually," he said.

Ryaas Rasyid, a professor of public administration from the State Institute of Public Administration, concurred and said besides a gradual implementation of the special autonomy, both the government and third parties, including religious institutions and nongovernmental organizations, should assist with close supervision.

"It will be impossible for the government to simultaneously implement special autonomy in Papua because the province has yet to be adequately prepared for it and all sides must be closely supervised to make sure that the autonomy program will really empower local people and improve their social welfare," he said.

Ryaas, former minister of regional autonomy affairs, said there was no problem with the Papuan flag, anthem and constitution stipulated in the bill because the attributes were placed in the unitary state principles.

"Such attributes will give a special characteristic to the Papuan people's identity and culture. They have nothing to do with the province's official status as part of Indonesia," he said.

He suggested that the special committee take the issue of the province's integration with Indonesia out of the bill because it could raise serious problems in the future.

"The bill must reinstate the province as an integral part of Indonesia and under the special autonomy, the Papuan people could make a book on the province's integration into Indonesia," he said. (rms)