Observer calls for nationwide referendum

Observer calls for nationwide referendum

JAKARTA (JP): An election observer said on Tuesday the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) should support a referendum
which allows the nation too choose between a federal and unitary
state system in a bid to ease growing separatist demands.

Secretary-general of the Independent Election Monitoring
Committee (KIPP) Mulyana W. Kusumah said the seeds of
disintegration had originated from central government policies
which belittled provincial aspirations.

"If we want to change from a unitary state to a federated one,
the whole nation, not just Acehnese, Irianese or Riau people,
should be asked. Other provinces should be consulted in the
decision-making process," Mulyana said on the sidelines of a
public debate on independence demands in Irian.

He said the nation's participation in the referendum was
imperative because the republic was generated from a national
commitment between the country's founding fathers.

Mulyana said the government was not the only party to carry
the burden of responding to separatist demands. He called on the
MPR and the House of Representative (DPR) to help the government
communicate its policies to people in the provinces.

He said the government's slow response to complaints raised by
people in the provinces had fueled the separatist demands.

"Although we adopted the Law on Regional Autonomy No. 22/1999,
I think it's already too late to offer wide-ranging autonomy to
the provinces. People can no longer maintain their patience."

Separately, the largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU) declared its support on Tuesday for a unitary state despite
growing demands for a federal system.

NU deputy secretary-general Arifin Junaedi said the 35
million-strong organization would recommend the government
maintain the current unitary system at the end of its congress in
Kediri later this month.

"One of our tausiyah (recommendations) will be a confirmation
that the unitary Republic of Indonesia is the final form of this
country," Arifin said.

"NU will not tolerate any form of separatism."

He said the recommendation would appeal to all elements of the
nation to maintain the country's unity, and would mandate NU
regional chapters in some volatile provinces to promote the
commitment.

NU had assigned officials of its Aceh chapter to ease
separatist demands there, Arifin said, adding that the Riau and
Maluku chapters would follow suit.

Irian Jaya

During the public debate on Irian Jaya, a member of the
National Commission on Human Rights, Asmara Nababan, said a
commission of truth was needed to deal with rights violations
dating from 1969 in the easternmost province.

Nababan said the rights abuses had been committed by the
government of Indonesia through its discriminative and oppressive
policies in the natural resource-rich province.

Moderator at the debate, activist Karlina Leksono, displayed
pictures of rights violations in Irian Jaya.

Nababan, who has visited the province on several occasions to
investigate human rights violations, testified that many Irianese
had been tortured, killed and raped.

"Not only the civil and political rights, but also economic
and sociocultural rights of Irian people have been dishonored, he
said.

He said that as an example of the wide-spread denial of rights
the government attempted to deny Irianese their staple food
staple and was attempting to introduce rice to the local
population.

He said that when the Irianese fought for their rights, they
faced the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the government, who
always labeled the rights defenders as supporters of the Free
Papua movement (OPM) or other antigovernment and antidevelopment
groups.

"Such a label, in turn, gave the military legitimacy to act
arbitrarily against the Irianese," Nababan said.

Irian Jaya has seen mounting demands for independence since
the fall of Soeharto's New Order regime in May last year.

Nababan also suggested the establishment of a democratic
political framework for Irian Jaya. "Such a framework is needed
to protect and respect human rights, or else rights violations
will continue in Irian Jaya.

"The political framework is to ensure that Irian Jaya people
are free from intimidation and oppression. That's what the
Papuans have been struggling for." (eba/emf)