Papuans protest 'puppet government'

Papuans protest 'puppet government'

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura

The central government's plan to appoint all 42 members of the
Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) is against the law, undemocratic,
and will create a puppet government of Jakarta, protesters in
Jayapura say.

The government is under pressure to cancel a plan to install
all 42 members of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) on Saturday
as anger has grown in the province about the legitimacy of the
powerful body.

The Special Autonomy Law for Papua requires two-thirds of the
assembly to be directly elected by the people, with the other
one-third, or 14 members, to be directly appointed by the
region's religious authorities.

More than 100 people marched to the Papuan People's
Representatives Council (DPRP)'s office in Jayapura on Friday to
protest the election of MRP members.

The protesters, grouped in the United Front for the West
Papuan People's Struggle, rallied outside the DPRP office after
being prevented by police from entering the local legislative
compound.

They demanded that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stop the
establishment process of the MRP, which they called a "puppet
government".

The DPRP should dissolve the 42 elected members of the MRP and
reject the special autonomy law for Papua, which mandated the
establishment of the assembly, they said.

The demonstrators also asked the Papua provincial
administration to disband the committee responsible for selecting
members of the MRP.

United Front secretary-general Selpius Bobii said all the
selected members of the assembly should be annulled because their
selection contravened existing regulations.

The selection process was conducted without a proper
information campaign, with only around 20 percent of the Papuan
population aware of the MRP's establishment, said.

The 28 representatives from women and traditional communities
were also directly appointed by local regents instead of being
elected by people as regulated in Bylaw No. 4/2005 on recruitment
of MRP members, he said.

Even the religious representatives to be inaugurated for the
assembly were not those selected by religious leaders, Bobbii
said.

Jayapura spokesman for the Bishop Januaris Youw confirmed that
Catholic representatives for the assembly were not recommended by
the city's diocese. Their election was facilitated by a religious
organization, "Icakap", and the MRP election committee.

Its detractors say Icakap is a pro-central government
organization and not representative of the religious groups in
Papua.

Youw said the religious institutions in Papua had decided not
to recommend representatives for the MRP because of limited time
and lack of funds given for to them for selection of candidates.

However, Youw stressed the Jayapura diocese gave support for
the establishment of an MRP on the condition that it was created
in line with the law.

On Thursday, a similar protest against the MRP was lodged by
prominent Papua opposition figure Tom Benal, who chairs the
Papuan Customary Council (DAP).

He said the selection was unfair as the government had
interfered in the process and only pro-governmental figures had
been selected to represent their constituencies for the assembly
without any elections.

The establishment of MRP is mandated by Law No. 21/2001 on
special autonomy for Papua.

Under the law, the assembly is authorized to approve
candidates for governor and for members of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), as well as to give recommendations
and approval for any cooperation between the Papua administration
and other parties.

It comprises 42 members with 14 representing traditional
communities, 14 representing women and 14 others representing
religious communities. While representatives of traditional and
women's communities are supposed to be elected through a popular
ballot, religious representatives are supposed to be chosen by
religious institutions across Papua.