President wants MRP set up soon

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered on Thursday the immediate establishment of a long-awaited Papuan People's Council (MRP) as required by the special autonomy law for Papua province.

However, the President underlined that the council would simply be a cultural representative of the country's easternmost province.

Susilo made the statement during a meeting with Papua Governor Jaap Salossa and other Papuan leaders, including former governor Barnabas Suebu and former legislator Patrick Morin, at the presidential office in Jakarta.

"The President welcomes the establishment of the MRP and has ordered his ministers to settle the issue immediately as it already has been discussed for three years," Suebu said after the meeting.

He quoted the President as saying the full implementation of the autonomy law was the final solution to separatism in Papua, where rebels have been fighting for independence since the 1960s.

"According to the President, the MRP will not be a superbody but a cultural representative that will accommodate religious and cultural leaders to express the people's aspirations," Suebu said.

Susilo said the council should not serve as a political body, as regulated by Law No. 21/2002 on special autonomy for Papua.

Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration revised the law to eliminate the MRP's political roles. The decision sparked controversy as the original status of the council was one of the hallmarks of the autonomy law meant to empower Papuans.

According to the original law, all policies that affected the lives of people in the province required approval from the MRP.

The current government is drawing up a regulation to establish the council.

Suebu also said there should be better communication between Papuan leaders and the central government in an effort to end the separatist movement.

"The President welcomed the suggestion and ordered his ministers to create a forum for direct communications with the people of Papua," he said.

During the meeting, Jaap Salossa conveyed an invitation to Susilo to attend Christmas celebrations in the predominantly Christian province.

"The President has promised to attend a Christmas celebration in Papua," the governor said.