House welcomes new name for Irian Jaya
House welcomes new name for Irian Jaya
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid's controversial
approval of renaming Irian Jaya as Papua received initial support
from members of the House of Representatives on Sunday.
Deputy chairman of House Commission I for defense, foreign and
political affairs Astrid Susanto and commission member A. Effendy
Choirie welcomed the change, saying that it would silence demands
for independence in the easternmost province.
"From an anthropological point of view, Papua's name has been
known for a long time. It should not be linked to the Dutch
colonials," Astrid, a professor of mass communication, said.
A member of the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), she
said the use of a local term for Irian Jaya, one of the country's
natural resource rich provinces, would satisfy the people there.
Proindependence supporters in Irian Jaya have always labeled
themselves as Papuans, the word given to the world's largest
island. Separatist rebels also prefer Papua to Irian, an Arabic
term which means "naked".
The former West Papua was controlled by the Dutch, before
Indonesia, who claimed the island due to historical ties, seized
it through military operations which were present since the late
1950s. The U.N. handed over the island to the republic in 1969.
Astrid suggested that the House approve the change of Irian
Jaya to Papua.
"Of course, it should undergo a constitutional procedure, but
we should endorse it. It's not a big deal," she said.
Effendy supported Astrid's view, saying that awarding the
people in the easternmost province was in accordance to the
growing demand there.
"It's democratic and in line with the principle of regional
autonomy. So it's not really an issue," Effendy said. "The same
thing applied when the government agreed to change South
Sulawesi's capital of Ujungpandang to its old name of Makassar."
The legislator from the National Awakening Party (PKB) said
any renaming of the country's territory could be tolerated as far
as it did not affect the unitary state of Indonesia.
"We would not tolerate it if a change sparks national
disintegration or an escalating independence movement," he said.
During his year-end visit to Jayapura, the capital of Irian
Jaya, President Abdurrahman Wahid said the renaming was not due
to pressure.
He said he could accept a demand for independence as freedom
of expression, but insisted that he would not tolerate any effort
to establish a new country within existing borders.
Demands for independence have increased since the resignation
of former president Soeharto in May 1998, especially in natural
resource rich provinces, notably Irian Jaya and Aceh.
Many attributed the outcry to unfair wealth distribution and
past human rights abuses which have occurred in the provinces.
(jun)