Govt rejects referendum in Irian Jaya
Govt rejects referendum in Irian Jaya
JAKARTA (JP): The government turned down on Tuesday the Papuan
Presidium Council's demand for a self-determination referendum in
Irian Jaya, saying the troubled province remains part of
Indonesia.
Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. said the government would
instead continue to encourage all sides, including the Irianese
people, to seek a comprehensive solution to all problems related
to the easternmost province.
"It is better not to further consider the demand. Irian Jaya
will remain part of the country forever," he said.
The Papuan Presidium Council called on Jakarta over the
weekend to allow people in the mineral rich province to hold a
referendum to determine their future.
Mahfud underlined the government would never offer the
province options to secede from Indonesia or to have a full
autonomy because, according to the Constitution, the right is in
the hands of the People's Consultative Assembly.
"I think it is better for the people of Irian Jaya to
concentrate more on development in the province then mounting
demands for a referendum or full autonomy. We can only approve
special autonomy," Mahfud remarked.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Agum Gumelar called on the House of
Representatives to complete the deliberations of the Irian Jaya
special autonomy bill as soon as possible to accelerate economic
development in the province.
"The House and the Irian Jaya provincial administration should
take the middle way, instead of defending their own stand, in
preparing legislation, to help calm down the animosity and
tension between the central government and the province," he
said, while receiving a delegation from Irian Jaya here on
Tuesday.
The delegation consisted of Irian Jaya deputy governor
Constant Karma, an assistant to the governor Anthon Ririhena and
members of the team who proposed the counter draft law on special
autonomy for the province.
The proposed bill has won political support from at least 60
legislators and several factions of the House though has met
opposition from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) and the Indonesian Military as it was considered to
be going against the Constitution and the principles of the
unitary state.
Agum said both the government and the House should take the
bill proposed by the team into consideration in deliberating the
government-sponsored bill prepared by the Ministry of Home
Affairs and Regional Autonomy.
"Besides containing Irian Jaya's uniqueness and accommodating
the Irianese people's aspirations, the former bill also maintains
the province's status as part of the unitary state of Indonesia.
"The central government should not force the Irianese people
to accept the government-sponsored bill because special autonomy
should accommodate the basic values and unique characteristics of
the Irianese people. Both the House and government should be
flexible in combining the two bills." (rms/dja)