Is Papua autonomy a myth?

Is Papua autonomy a myth?

Neles Tebay, Pontifical, University of Urbaniana, Rome

The province of Papua has just conducted its evaluation after
the first year's implementation of the special autonomy law in
Jayapura, on July 28-29. Attended by all the regents, tribal
leaders, religious leaders and scholars, the evaluation conveyed
two messages. The first is that the special autonomy seems to be
an illusion, at least in the first year of its implementation.

Earlier reports confirm Papua Governor J.P. Salousa's
acknowledgement that the special autonomy was not yet successful.
"The troubled province of Papua was granted special autonomy in
2001 with around Rp 1.2 trillion disbursed last year to smooth
the way for its implementation, but life remains unchanged among
the impoverished people there." (The Jakarta Post, Aug.2)

Special autonomy for Papua will remain nothing more than an
illusion, unless Jakarta is committed to implementing it
properly.

Jakarta has ignored calls raised by the supporters of the
autonomy, either from within or outside of the country, to issue
the governmental regulation for the establishment of the Papua
People's Assembly (MRP) as mandated by the law.

Instead, Jakarta produced the controversial Presidential
Instruction No.1 2003, on the acceleration of the division of
Papua into three smaller provinces.

The Instruction has raised strong objections from people in
Papua, Jakarta, and many foreign countries. Yet the government
insists upon establishing the new province of West Irian Jaya in
Manokwari.

The second message from the evaluation of the first year is
that it is the local government, both at the provincial and
regency levels which considers the law a breakthrough for Papua's
future.

They believe that a full and effective implementation of the
law will create more opportunities for Papuans in terms of self-
empowerment and capacity building within the unitary state of the
republic. Hence they see that there is no other way but to
implement the autonomy law.

Therefore, the evaluation recommends that the governor and the
provincial legislative council set up a provisional Papua
People's Assembly, pending the issuance of the central government
regulation for the establishment of the Assembly.

Meanwhile Jakarta needs to take into account the changes that
have taken place with regard to Papua's autonomy.

First, Jakarta has changed its own position from offering the
status of special autonomy for Papua, thus completely undermining
its own law.

Second, the Papuans have also changed, from flatly rejecting
the special autonomy law to starting to perceive the
opportunities it could offer.

Third, the change in perspective on the Papua issue within the
international community (including governments and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs)). When Jakarta offered the
autonomy status for Papua, the world gave its full support to
Jakarta.

Yet given Jakarta's subsequent non-compliance within its own
law, the international community now is beginning to seriously
heed the (autonomy/separatist) aspirations from within Papua.
While most express support for Indonesia's territorial integrity,
they have been putting more pressure on Jakarta to implement the
special autonomy law.

A group of leading German NGOs conducted a year-long
evaluation of the autonomy law that was announced at a conference
in June. The conference welcomed the special autonomy law as "a
means for peaceful conflict resolution and a step towards further
recognition of the rights of the people of Papua."

Germany's parliament sees Papua's autonomy as "a means to
enhance democratization and the realization of human rights" and
"as a legitimate expression of the will of the people of Papua to
be the sole architects of their fate, in accordance with
international human rights law."

The conference then stressed the need for "mutual trust and
mutual understanding," "a constructive dialog process" between
Jakarta and Papua's representatives," and "an institutionalized
platform for dialog" between Jakarta and the Papuan people.

The conference "welcomed the international community to play a
role in supporting the constructive dialog, the confidence-
building process" and the implementation of the law.

The New York-based Council on Foreign Relations has already
called upon the government to drop its plan for Papua's division
and to perform a full and effective implementation the special
autonomy law for Papua as it would be "a win-win situation".

The European Parliament (EP), through its resolution on
Indonesia -- particularly on Aceh and Papua -- adopted on June 6,
urged Indonesia "to withdraw the Presidential Decree No.1/2003 on
the division of Papua" issued on Jan. 27, "because it undermines
the special autonomy law for Papua and consequently the EU
commitments regarding this special autonomy."

The EP also urges the government "to work towards the full
implementation of the Special Autonomy Law for Papua by
finalizing and approving government regulations regarding
budgeting, legislative drafting and institutional development,
including the implementation of the MRP and the Commission for
Truth and Reconciliation."

It would therefore be too risky not to implement the law --
moreso to assume that international support for Jakarta cannot
change.