W. Papua, bone of contention between govt and Papuans

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The establishment of West Papua province could remain a stumbling block in the relations between the central government and Papuans, if it is not resolved in a way that both sides agree upon.

Two Papuan groups once again called on the government on Monday to back off and discontinue the partition of Papua province, despite the recent ruling by the Constitutional Court that recognizes the newly established West Papua province.

The working group on Papua (Pokja Papua) asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is scheduled to visit the province on New Year's eve, to clear up the mess and implement the Autonomy Law in Papua.

"The root of the problem in Papua is trust. Jakarta clearly distrusts Papua, and vice versa. The implementation of the Autonomy Law is the only way to break it," Frans Maniagasi, a Papuan intellectual with Pokja Papua, said during a discussion here.

To implement the law, Frans said, the government must facilitate the establishment of the Papua People's Council (MRP), as mandated by Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua.

Like Pokja Papua, the Alliance of Democracy for Papua also believes that the establishment of the MRP was a necessary step because the separation of Papua into several provinces can only be decided upon by the MRP, not by the central government, as stipulated in the Autonomy Law.

Iwan Miode of the alliance brushed aside concerns from some people who claim that the establishment of the MRP could lead to the separation of Papua from Indonesia, noting that the law requires the council members to be committed to the sovereignty of Indonesia.

"The law strictly specifies that the council members must be Papuans who are Indonesian citizens and fully agree with Pancasila (the 5-pillared state ideology) and the Constitution," he said.

According to the law, the council must consist of representatives of women, cultural groups and religious groups.

Nevertheless, both Pokja Papua and the Alliance of Democracy for Papua asserted that the planned MRP must serve as a consultative body, instead of merely cultural body.

President Susilo has ordered the immediate establishment of the MRP, but emphasized that the council would simply be a cultural representative of the country's easternmost province.

On several occasions, he has claimed that the full implementation of the Autonomy Law was the solution to separatist sentiments in Papua, where a separatist group has been fighting for independence since the 1960s.

Most activists agree that the conflicts and separatist movements in Papua are a results of Jakarta's exploitative policies in the province.

Rich in natural resources, including gold and oil, Papua has attracted both domestic and foreign investors. Foreign investors have been working on mining, oil and gas sectors, while domestic investors have been involved in forestry, however, there are allegations of widespread illegal logging.