Govt shelves plan to split Papua into three provinces

Nethy Darma Somba and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Jayapura

The government has for the time being shelved plans to create three new provinces from the country's easternmost province of Papua after Papua Governor J.P. Salossa strongly argued against the move.

Meeting President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday, the governor contended that infrastructure and human resources in the province were not yet ready for the establishment of new provinces.

"It takes five to ten years of preparations for the new provinces and we have to consider people's readiness for such actions," Salossa said after the meeting.

Former president B.J. Habibie enacted a law splitting the province into three in 1999 to speed up development in the territory.

The law, however, was strongly opposed by Papuans who suspected the move as an attempt by the central government to weaken their struggle for independence, prompting the Habibie administration to delay its implementation.

But until Habibie was replaced by Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid in 1999, the law had not been implemented.

Since Megawati assumed the presidential post in July 2001, demands for the establishment of new provinces in Papua resurfaced and the government has given a strong signal that it would soon implement the law by Habibie.

Salossa said Friday that President Megawati emphasized the importance of sufficient preparations and that the central government would not push for the establishment of new provinces there.

"The President said that such action should be carefully assessed and it does not have to be conducted immediately," the governor said.

Sources at the State Palace told The Jakarta Post earlier that Megawati planned to announce the new provinces when she visited Papua on Dec. 25.

Earlier, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said that as long as the law was not revoked, it would be implemented as soon as possible.

Salossa also said Friday that President Megawati would visit Papua province on Dec. 25.

"The President will attend Christmas celebrations in the province and inaugurate the opening of Tangguh Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)," Salossa said.

Deputy Papua Governor Constant Karma said the President would attend Christmas celebrations at Cendrawasih sports complex on Dec. 25 to be attended by thousands of Papuan Christians.

The President, who will be accompanied by husband Taufik Kiemas, is slated to receive the highest customary merit of Papuan traditional tribes, Constant Karma maintained.

On the next day, Megawati will be flying to Biak regency to officially mark the beginning of Tangguh LNG projects reconstruction.

Deputy Governor Karma said that the visit would be very meaningful for Papuan people as it could help heal last year's disappointment when Megawati suddenly canceled her planned visit there.

Megawati's predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid also celebrated Christmas in Papua in 2000 and in 1999 and spent New Year's Eve at the Jayawijaya mountain top.

"It is good if the President will celebrate Christmas with us, hopefully it would not be like last year when the visit was canceled," a housewife Mama Salomina told the Post Friday.

Papua, where a separatist movement has been struggling for independence since the 1960s, was granted special autonomy status on Jan. 1, 2002 in a bid to appease the rebels there.