Papua students demand funds

Papua students demand funds

JAKARTA: As Papua is in urgent need of funds to carry out its
development programs, the central government should speed up the
disbursement of Rp 1.58 trillion of Papuan autonomy funds for
2003, a student leader said on Monday.

"The immediate disbursement of the funds will show that the
(central) government is seriously concerned about the wellbeing
of Papuans," Yusack Andatu, chairman of Cenderawasih University's
Student Executive Body, said after meeting Vice President Hamzah
Haz at the Vice Presidential residence.

Yusack warned that Papuans might reject the government-
initiated special autonomy status if it failed to disburse the
funds in the near future.

Meanwhile, Hamzah said during the meeting that he would order
the Ministry of Home Affairs to release the funds immediately.

Last year, the government disbursed Rp 1.38 trillion of
special autonomy funds for Papua.

The special autonomy status for Papua was extended by the
central government in 2001 in the wake of rising separatist
sentiment in the country's easternmost province.-- Antara