One policy on Papua needed
Neles Tebay, Urbaniana, Rome
Last week, Vice President Jusuf Kalla visited West Irian Jaya. where he acknowledged the province continues to lack a strong legal base. During the visit, the vice president, who is also the head of the Golkar party, was accompanied by Golkar's candidate for the governor of the province.
He delivered two messages there:
First, the visit indicated that the Golkar party, under Kalla's leadership, is committed to maintaining the province of West Irian Jaya, despite its contradiction with law no.21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua province and the amended Constitution.
Second, the visit reflects the split between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Kalla.
The President considers the Papuan autonomy law a solution and, thus, remains committed to implementing the law.
His commitment alone should oblige the vice president and the Cabinet to implement the law.
Kalla's visit to West Irian Jaya province conveys conflicting messages. Instead of supporting the Papuan autonomy law, Kalla insists on maintaining the province of West Irian Jaya. He even wants to nominate a Golkar party candidate as governor of the province.
The vice president is not alone. He is supported by some powerful institutions and government officials, including the home affairs minister and Golkar.
They can inhibit at any time the President's efforts to implement the Papuan autonomy law.
There are two consequences to this:
First, the split between the President and the vice president will creates difficulties for Indonesian foreign diplomacy.
From 2001 until the present, the foreign minister has been telling the international community that the Indonesian government is committed to implementing the Papuan autonomy law. The minister, therefore, has repeatedly asked foreign governments not to support the Papuan separatist movement but the Papuan autonomy law if they are truly committed to maintaining Indonesia's territorial integrity.
So far, the foreign minister has been successful, because the United States, the European Union (EU), and the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) have explicitly expressed support for the full and proper implementation of the Papuan autonomy law, as a manifestation of their support of Indonesian territorial integrity.
However, the vice president's commitment to maintaining the province of West Irian Jaya could generate confusion among foreign governments. They might well ask themselves: As the implementation of the Papuan autonomy law is not fully supported by the central government, except by President Susilo, what would be the use of supporting the law?
As a result, while continuing to support Indonesian territorial integrity the foreign governments could withdraw their support for the Papuan autonomy law. However this would not mean the foreign countries supported the Papuan movement for independence.
Second, non-governmental organizations around the world who are united in international solidarity groups for West Papua will use the split between the President and vice president as well as the inconsistency in implementing the Papuan autonomy law as ammunition in lobbying their respective governments.
In order to maintain international support for the law, three things need to be emphasized:
First, the Indonesian government should be faithful to the Constitution of the nation and its own laws, including the Papuan autonomy law. For violating the Constitution and the law, whatever justifications are given, can only result in confusion and conflict.
Second, implementing the Papuan autonomy law is not only the duty of the central government but also of the Papuans. Hence, the government should involve the Papuans in determining the most appropriate way to implement the law.
Third, to prevent the worst-case scenario, the central government and Papuans need to engage in peaceful talks on how to implement properly, fully and effectively, Law no 21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua.
The central government's proposal for a third party to facilitate the talks would meet with the approval and support of the Papuans and the international community.
The writer is a post-graduate student at Pontifical University in Urbaniana, Rome. He can be reached at nelestebay@hotmail.com.