The Jakarta Post, February 18, 2003
Students reject Papua division
DENPASAR, Bali: Dozens of students and youths from Papua held a street rally in
front of Bali's provincial legislative compound on Monday to oppose the government
decision to split up the province into three.
They argued that the division would trigger horizontal and vertical conflicts in the
country's easternmost province.
"This will hurt the people and create division among the Papuans," said field
coordinator Wens Edowai.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri issued on Jan. 27 decree No. 1/2003 dividing
Papua into three provinces -- Papua, Central Irian Jaya and West Irian Jaya provinces.
The decree has received strong opposition from Papuan leaders, who argued that the
move was in direct violation of the special autonomy law introduced on Jan. 1, 2002.
Under the law, the division of Papua can only be done with the approval of the Papuan
provincial legislature.
The students argued that the decision to split up the province was part of the Jakarta's
"divide and rule policy" to crush a secessionist movement there with military might.
--JP
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