Papuan Assembly would quell separatism: SNUP

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A solidarity group for Papua demanded on Tuesday that the central government call off its plan to divide the province and keep its promise by immediately establishing the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP).

The National Solidarity for Papua (SNUP) said the speedy establishment of the MRP would dissuade the indigenous people from fighting for an independent Papua.

SNUP chairman Tigor Naipospos told reporters that the special autonomy granted to Papua under Law No. 21/2001 -- which includes the MRP among its prerequisites -- was more than enough to appease the indigenous people, who had long harbored resentment over Jakarta's history of human rights abuse and economic exploitation in the province.

"What matters most for indigenous people in Papua is respect of their cultural identity, rather than natural resources, and the MRP is the representation of this," said Tigor, who also chaired the Solidarity for Free East Timor (Solidamor).

The central government enacted Law No. 21/2001 to give the country's easternmost province greater autonomy in managing its resources, in response to demands for an independent Papua. However, the government has been reluctant to transfer its authority to local administrations.

The Papuan legislature submitted a draft ruling on the establishment of the MRP to the central government almost a year ago, but the document remains unsigned for unknown reasons.

The MRP cannot be set up without approval from the Minister of Home Affairs.

Instead, Jakarta issued Presidential Decree No. 1/2003 on the establishment of Central Irian Jaya and West Irian Jaya provinces. The decree was a follow-up to Law No. 45/1999 on the same issue.

Activists in the province accused President Megawati Soekarnoputri of deceiving the Papuans, as the Special Autonomy Law for Papua stipulated that any move to divide the province should first be approved by the MRP.

A representative of the Papuan people, Phil E. Lari, said splitting up Papua into three provinces would only marginalize the indigenous people further.

"Indigenous Papuans are not yet ready to compete with non- Papuans, who will flood into the newly established provinces," he said.

A new province must have a minimum population of between 3.5 and 4 million people. Currently, Papua is home to around 2.4 million people, inclusive of both Papuans and non-Papuans, so the new provinces will have only about 700,000 people each at the time of their establishment.

The SNUP also called on the government to set up a special team to probe the gross violations of human rights that had taken place ever since Indonesia's forced acquisition of the province through a military operation.

"Over the last 40 years, the death toll from human rights abuses has reached 100,000," Tigor said.

He did not explain how he came up with the figure.

Tigor also demanded the government to withdraw all Indonesian Military forces from the province, because "special autonomy without demilitarization would yield nothing but cycle of violence".