Govt orders split of Papua into 3 provinces

Govt orders split of Papua into 3 provinces

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has asked Papua Governor
Jaap Solossa to enforce a controversial law enacted in 1999 that
orders the province of Papua be split in three.

The government says the law will allow effective public
administration of the country's easternmost island. Opponents say
the move is to divide and conquer separatist elements and to
better control the provinces huge natural wealth.

Papua administration secretary Decky Asmuruf, speaking to The
Jakarta Post in the provincial capital of Jayapura on Monday,
confirmed the minister instructed the governor to form the West
and Central Irian Jaya provinces -- both of which will contain
the vast majority of the oil, gas and ore reserves.

"The instruction was given since the Manokwari regent has
reported that the public administration in West Irian Jaya has
been effective in certain affairs since Feb. 7, 2003. That is why
the minister has asked the governor to take concrete action to
form the two new provinces." he said.

The government has appointed Herman Monim as acting governor
in Central Irian Jaya and Abraham Oktavianus Atururi as acting
governor in West Irian Jaya.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri's issuing of an instruction
early this year to proceed with the 1999 legislation has been
condemned by religious leaders and a number of Papuan people who
say the large province is not ready to be divided.

Splitting the province in three will likely cause suffering in
the remaining Papua province as it has been left with no natural
resources of its own to support its development programs under
special autonomy.

West Irian Jaya has huge reserves of liquefied natural gas,
which are still being explored under a contract with British
Petroleum Ltd. Central Irian Jaya is a home to several oil wells,
and copper and gold mines, including U.S.-based copper and gold
mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia in Timika.

Most people in the central and western parts of the province
appear to support the formation of the provinces, which they
believe will accelerate development and improve government
services.

Both the Indonesian Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the
Indonesian Military (TNI) have thrown their weight behind the law
and presidential instruction, saying it will make it easier to
quell the Papua Independence Organization (OPM).

Decky said the home minister had also delivered a letter
asking the provincial legislative council help the provincial
administration create effective public administrations in the two
new provinces.

The provincial legislative council has suggested there was a
need for the governor to enforce the presidential instruction
because it was a guideline, not an instruction.

"The provincial legislature has met with the House of
Representatives, asking the latter to amend the law so it need
not be enforced immediately," provincial legislature Commission A
on defense, public administration and security affairs chairman
Yance Kayame said Monday.

The central government and the provincial administration are
divided over the formation of the provinces because, according to
the provincial legislature, the two new provinces' establishment
should first gain the support of the Papuan People's Assembly,
which is yet to be established.

The governor, opposed to the split, is still in Jakarta to
discuss the matter with the home minister. Deputy governor
Constant Karma declined to comment.