Experts call for gradual autonomy in Irian Jaya

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)