Politician warns of conflict if Papua split into 3 province

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".