Papuans protest new provinces

Papuans protest new provinces

JAYAPURA, Papua: A crowd of some 100 students demonstrated on
Monday before the provincial legislature against Jakarta's move
to split Papua into three provinces, arguing it would attract
more migrants to the natural resources-rich, yet sparely
populated region.

Calling themselves the Mid-Mountain People's Care Forum, the
protesters, mostly students, argued that dividing Papua in three
provinces benefited Jakarta but would harm locals.

They feared an influx of migrants, reasoning Papuans were
unlikely to fill all the new posts needed to run the two new
provincial governments.

Locals have long complained about discrimination by migrants
since the region came under Indonesian rule during the 1960s.

Poverty and unemployment remains a problem in Papua despite
its advanced exploitation of natural resources. As education has
been lacking, most of the higher-paid jobs have been filled by
outsiders.

Monday's rally was the third since President Megawati
Soekarnoputri approved the addition of two new provinces to Papua
last January.

The move is aimed to bring better public services to the 2.4
million Papuans who live in a region about three times the size
of Java. -- JP