W. Papua, bone of contention between govt and Papuans

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.