Papua students rally against autonomy package

Papua students rally against autonomy package

or

Papua students rally against autonomy

R.K. Nugroho
The Jakarta Post
Jayapura

Just four days before President Megawati Soekarnoputri is due
to sign over the much-awaited Autonomy Law to Papuan elders in
the Irian Jaya provincial capital of Jayapura, students in the
country's easternmost province are already intensifying their
protests against the proposal.

More than 500 students from Jayapura-based, state-run
University of Cendrawasih staged a rally in front of the Irian
Jaya Legislative Council (DPRD) building on Tuesday, demanding an
independence referendum in lieu of a special autonomy status for
the province.

The students threatened to continue protesting at the heavily-
guarded DPRD building until the government agrees to accommodate
their wishes.

Last week, hundreds of University of Cendrawasih students
forcibly occupied the offices of Irian Jaya Governor Jaap
Salossa. They urged the governor to reject the special autonomy
offer, while calling for a thorough investigation into the
suspected murder of independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay and
other human rights abuses in the province.

Jaap told last week's protesters that the special autonomy law
had been drafted by important Papua figures, including academics
and religious leaders, as a means of improving the welfare of the
local population.

Megawati is scheduled to visit the tense province on Saturday
to formally grant the Autonomy Law to Papuan elders, marking the
beginning of the implementation of special autonomy status for
the region on the far eastern end of the archipelago.

Under the Autonomy Law, which was endorsed by members of the
House of Representatives (DPR) in October to appease Papuans
seeking independence, the province's name will be changed from
Irian Jaya to Papua, something that has been long-demanded by
pro-independence leaders.

It will also be allowed to fly its own flag and have its own
anthem.

Beyond that, the province will be able to keep up to 80
percent of earnings from natural resources, while receiving
subsidies of Rp 6 trillion (US$600 million) annually from the
central government.

The student protesters, however, argue that the proposed
autonomy does not recognize the aspirations of all Papuans in
Irian Jaya who would like the province to secede from Indonesia
altogether.

They are also demanding that the legislative council address
these desires by facilitating a referendum in which the province
may determine whether its people want to stay with Jakarta, or
break away.

Irian Jaya DPRD Deputy Speaker Ben Vincen Djeharu told the
protesters that the council has already delivered similar
aspirations to the central government, but has received no
response so far.

In a related development, religious leaders in Irian Jaya
again questioned the slow pace of the investigation into the
mysterious death of Theys.

"The investigation into the case is dragging on, prompting
mixed public reactions against the performance of law
enforcement," they said in a statement issued to The Jakarta Post
on Tuesday.

"Our people's trust in the state and law enforcement
authorities to reveal the truth has reached its lowest level,"
the statement read. The probe "does not satisfy the sense of
justice for the public."

The statement was signed by prominent Christian and Muslim
leaders, including Secretary of Indonesian Papuan Christian
Church Rev. Corinus Berotabui; Jayapura Archbishop Mgr. Leo Labai
Ladiar; chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) of Irian
Jaya's chapter, Zubeir Hussein and Dudung of the Muslim
organization Nahdlatul Ulama of the local branch.

Theys, who headed the pro-independence Papua Council
Presidium, was abducted on Nov. 10 by an unidentified group of
people as he drove home from a military Heroes' Day celebration
hosted by the local unit of Army's Special Force (Kopassus) in
Jayapura.

His body, bearing signs of asphyxiation, was found in his car
at the bottom of a ravine the following day. Theys' driver, who
escaped long enough to report his abduction, also disappeared.

The Muslim and Christian leaders urged President Megawati to
endorse an independent commission to probe the suspected murder.

"We ask the President to immediately handle Theys' case
carefully, honestly and fairly," the statement said.

The government is currently considering a proposal by the
National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) for a "National
Independent Team" to investigate Theys' death. Under the
proposal, officials from the government, the military and the
police would be part of the team.

Irian Jaya fell under Indonesian control in 1963 after the
territory's Dutch colonial administration, which had named it
Dutch West New Guinea, abandoned it in 1961.

The United Nations recognized Indonesia's sovereignty over
Irian Jaya in 1969 following a UN-held plebiscite which pro-
independence groups say was flawed.