President wants MRP set up soon

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.