Politician warns of conflict if Papua split into 3 province

Tiarma Siboro and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Politicians warned on Friday of new conflicts in Papua if the government proceeds with its policy to divide the territory into three smaller provinces.

Ryaas Rasyid, a former Cabinet minister and the brains behind regional autonomy, said the decree issued by President Megawati Soekarnoputri to enforce Law No. 45/1999 on the division of Papua province into three provinces could spark clashes among local people due to the legal confusion.

He said the government should not have gone ahead with its divisive policy now that Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua had taken effect.

"I am sorry to say, but the government is unprofessional in running the state and lacks understanding of regional autonomy," Ryaas, who chairs the Nation's Democratic Party (PDB), told The Jakarta Post.

He said the issuance of the presidential decree on Jan. 27 reflected Jakarta's top-down approach, which was prevalent during the authoritarian New Order regime.

The government's failure to introduce the decree to the public in advance is another example of Jakarta's contempt for regional autonomy, he said.

Sharing Ryaas' views is Aqil Muchtar, a Golkar legislator who once sat on the House of Representatives special commission deliberating the special autonomy law for Papua province.

"The decree will create confusion about whether the special autonomy law will apply to all three of the provinces," Aqil said.

The law dividing Irian Jaya, or Papua, into three provinces was endorsed during former president B.J. Habibie's term, but was suspended following protests by locals. At the time, Harman Monim and Abraham Otorori were appointed governors of Central Irian Jaya and West Irian Jaya, respectively.

The government then enacted Law No. 21/2001, which gives the country's easternmost province greater autonomy in managing its resources. The law was also considered to be an answer to the demands for independence for Papua. However, the government has been reluctant to transfer its power to local administrations.

Without elaborating, Aqil cautioned that it was possible that hidden interests were behind the policy to divide up Papua.

Despite the opposition, the government has pledged to proceed with the policy. A special team will be formed to introduce the policy to the public. There is no deadline for the division to take place.

Oentarto Sindung Muwardi, director general of special autonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs, said on Friday the team would comprise officials from related ministries who would meet with locals to get their views on the division.

Brushing aside allegations the policy was aimed at eliminating the separatist movement, Oentarto said that "dividing the province is the only way to improve the lives of locals".

"We (the government) have nothing to do with the separatist problem in the province, as we leave that to the security forces," Oentarto told the Post at his office on Friday.

"If locals, including the Papua governor (Jaap Salossa), object to the policy, it is merely due to their lack of knowledge about the process itself.... The division of Papua will not take place immediately. Locals will be prepared first, especially those who live in some of the underdeveloped regions," Oentarto said, adding that "it is impossible for the governor to manage the country's largest province with only one hand".