Violent birth of new Papuan province

Violent birth of new Papuan province

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Timika, Papua

Violence erupted as hundreds of protesters attacked thousands
parading in Timika in support of the controversial formal
establishment of the new province of Central Irian Jaya.

Papua, Indonesia's easternmost province, was officially split
in three on Saturday, in a move opposed by many indigenous
Papuans and widely seen as illegal.

The protesters pelted paradegoers with stones and damaged a
truck carrying a placard displaying the new province's name and
logo. Riot police eventually contained the situation.

At least three people were injured, two seriously in the
violence. It was unclear on which side the injured belonged.

The official inauguration ceremony continued as scheduled,
with Mimika regency legislature chairman Andareas Anggaibak
reading a joint statement signed by the heads of six regencies in
the new province.

The six regencies are Puncak Jaya, Paniai, Mimika, Yapen,
Waropen, Biak Numfor and Nabire.

Anggaibak said after the ceremony that the six regents had
agreed to accept an interim government appointed by the central
government to govern the new province.

"The home minister will appoint an acting governor temporarily
before a permanent governor is elected," he said referring to the
1999 regional autonomy law.

The new province's inauguration is based on Law No. 45/1999 on
the formation of the provinces of West Irian Jaya and Central
Irian Jaya, Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003 on the law's
execution and Ministerial Decree No. 18851/171/SJ/2003 on the
acceleration of the two provinces' formation.

However, the formation violates special autonomy provisions
intended to give Papuans more power over their own affairs,
specifically that the formation of the new provinces can only be
approved by the Papua People's Assembly (MPR), the establishment
of which has continued to be delayed by the central government.

The home minister appointed Abraham O. Atururi as acting
governor in February to run the provincial administration in West
Irian Jaya. He has been tasked with forming a provincial
legislative council that will elect a new governor.

Opponents of the split of the province say the people are not
ready as many are uneducated.

Papua governor Jaap Salossa objected to the split, saying the
new provinces would not have sufficient educated people to run
the provincial administrations. He said the majority of 2.5
million population still lived in remote areas and had not
graduated from elementary school.

Local religious leaders also object, calling for a delay.

The House of Representatives has also called for a delay to
avoid ethnic conflict among Papuans.

The government claims the split will make it easier for the
military to wipe out the Papua Free Movement (OPM) and maintain
security and order in the region.

Others say the move is intended to allow the government to be
better able to control the province's vast natural resources.