Govt should enact regional autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of the West Kalimantan Community in Jakarta (IKKB) warned the government to fully prepare for the implementation of regional autonomy otherwise it would only worsen the economic disparity in resource-rich provinces.

IKKB chairman Oesman Sapta alleged that the central government has yet to make sufficient preparation for implementation of regional autonomy and combined with the socioeconomic problems plaguing the country could cause tremendous social havoc.

The critical condition of the country, which he said was a result of former President Soeharto's repressive rule, is evident in the poor condition of a majority of the people and the high rate of unemployment.

"The government must be serious in taking concrete steps to implement regional autonomy... Almost 80 percent of the people in the (West Kalimantan) province are still living below the poverty line, the unemployment rate has reached 40 percent and the crime rate has risen drastically over the last three years," he told journalists after leading a West Kalimantan delegation in a meeting with the House of Representatives' Golkar faction on Friday.

He warned that sudden changes brought about by regional autonomy and the poor economic situation could see a recurrence of the mass violence that erupted in the past.

"The ethnic violence that exploded in 1997 and 1999 is an emotional expression of West Kalimantan people's disappointment with the government and social disparity in the province," he said.

He said Melayu and Dayak people living in West Kalimantan have been deeply traumatized by the repressive and corrupt government of the past.

The majority of people in the province have been disappointed with the government because they have enjoyed nothing from the economic development in the province, he said.

"We are now marginalized because most people are not educated and live a hard life. Our culture has been damaged. Millions of hectares of forest have been abandoned barren and the environment has been destroyed," he said.

Oesman, also a West Kalimantan representative of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), said it would be difficult for the government to win the people's confidence because it has yet to make changes to repair the economic and political situation.

He said one way of doing this is to implement regional autonomy as long as it does not create even greater commotion. (rms)