The Jakarta Post, February 14, 2003
House endorses division of Papua province
Kurniawan Hari and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives (DPR) endorsed on Thursday the government's
controversial move to divide Papua into three provinces, thus giving more legitimacy to
the government in moving ahead with the plan despite strong opposition from
Papuans.
The House's approval was given after a closed-door meeting attended by leaders of
the nine factions in the House, leaders of the House defense commission and home
affairs commission, and Papua-born legislators Ruben Gobay, Alex Hasegem and
Simon Patrice Morin.
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said that the government's move was only giving
effect to Law No. 45/1999 on the partition of Papua into three provinces.
He claimed that Law No. 45/1999 did not contravene Law No. 21/2001 on special
autonomy for Papua.
"Both laws are valid ... This means that the division of (Papua) province is
acceptable," Akbar said after the meeting.
During the meeting, legislator Effendi Choirie from the National Awakening Party and
independent legislator Astrid S. Susanto urged the House to oppose the government's
plan as it was opposed by many Papuans and could worsen the separatist problem.
However, other legislators, including legislator Sabam Sirait from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle and former chairman of the House committee that
deliberated Law No. 21/2001, gave their support.
Sabam, for instance, contended that Papua was four times bigger than Java island
and, therefore, its division into three provinces was needed to boost development
there.
Over the past days, the Papuan legislators have strongly criticized the government for
dividing Papua into three provinces, but on Thursday the very same legislators
expressed their agreement to the division.
The House's endorsement has given a boost to the government, with Minister of Home
Affairs Hari Sabarno insisting that Papua had been legally spit into three provinces
since the president signed Law No. 45/1995.
"The split-up was decided before the issuance of the special autonomy law. It's a fait
accompli and the present government is simply giving effect to the law," he remarked.
The minister, nevertheless, gave assurances that the special autonomy law would be
implemented in all of the three new provinces and that the revenue from Papua's
natural resources would be fairly distributed among them.
"The public should not worry about their welfare after the split as the central
government will ensure a fair distribution of revenues," Hari added.
He also disclosed that he would visit Papua later this month to inaugurate 14 new
regencies in the province and discuss the split with local administrations there.
"It should be underlined that it will be difficult to manage 28 regencies under the
umbrella of one province," the minister said before attending a limited cabinet meeting
on Papua.
The House on Thursday also recommended that the government hold regular
consultations with House to discuss the implementation of the law on special
autonomy for Papua.
It also urged the government to issue a decree on the establishment of the Papua
People's Assembly as mandated by the autonomy law. This assembly would need to
be consulted by the central government on any important decisions regarding Papua.
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