Papuan Council rejects Special Autonomy Law

Papuan Council rejects Special Autonomy Law

RK Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

The proindependence Papuan Council Presidium (PDP) asserted on
Saturday in Jayapura that it would reject the Special Autonomy
Law on Irian Jaya which will come into effect on Tuesday.

Secretary-general Thaha Al Hamid said PDP wanted more than the
law because it was not the best or comprehensive way to settle
the prolonged Irian Jaya issue.

"It is the central government that had the idea of the Special
Autonomy Law, not the people of Papua. Special autonomy was
granted after the demand for independence had grown stronger,"
Thaha said.

The rejection of special autonomy was part of the political
declaration made by PDP following a three-day plenary session,
which ended on Friday, he added.

PDP chairman Thyes Hiu Eluay said that the Special Autonomy
Law was similar to the 1969 government-engineered referendum.

"The solution is a dialog between the government and the
people of Papua in which PDP is involved," Thyes said.

"As long as there are no talks between the government and the
people, the issue will remain unresolved," he said.

To show its rejection of the implementation of the Special
Autonomy Law for Irian Jaya, PDP is sending Martinus Warimon from
its student panel, and Deki Mlino from its Timika panel to
Jakarta.

"They will join the Irian Jaya community in Jakarta who will
all reject the Special Autonomy Law," said Thaha.

Thyes, Thaha, Don A Flassy, the chairman of the Independent
Youth Organization, Rev. Herman Awom and John Mambor, a PDP
member, are being tried for allegedly inciting the Irianese to
fight for the province's independence.

The trial will continue in Irian Jaya on Monday with former
president Abdurrahman Wahid scheduled to take the witness stand
on behalf of PDP.

Abdurrahman is to testify in connection with the Rp 1 billion
in aid given to the Papuan People's Congress in Jayapura on Dec.
1 of last year.

PDP has also demanded that the Dutch and U.S. governments and
the United Nations be held responsible for their past stance on
Irian Jaya and to review its political status of the province.

PDP has also asked the Papua Liberation Front to stop its
actions and the National Police and Indonesian Military to
discontinue their activity.

The declaration, signed by Thyes, Herman and Thaha, also calls
on people to unite and fight against any kind of provocation or
propaganda.

The Irian Jaya administration is sending some 1,000 people to
Jakarta in support of the special regional autonomy.