Is Papua autonomy a myth ?

The Jakarta Post August 21, 2003

by Neles Tebay, Pontifical, University of Urbaniana, Rome

The province of Papua has just conducted its evaluation after the first year's implementation of the special autonomy law in Jayapura, on July 28-29. Attended by all the regents, tribal leaders, religious leaders and scholars, the evaluation conveyed two messages. The first is that the special autonomy seems to be an
illusion, at least in the first year of its implementation.

Earlier reports confirm Papua Governor J.P. Salousa's acknowledgement that the special autonomy was not yet successful. "The troubled province of Papua was granted special autonomy in 2001 with around Rp 1.2 trillion disbursed last year to smooth the way for its implementation, but life remains unchanged among the impoverished people there." (The Jakarta Post, Aug.2)

Special autonomy for Papua will remain nothing more than an illusion, unless Jakarta is committed to implementing it properly.

Jakarta has ignored calls raised by the supporters of the autonomy, either from within or outside of the country, to issue the governmental regulation for the establishment of the Papua People's Assembly (MRP) as mandated by the law.

Instead, Jakarta produced the controversial Presidential Instruction No.1 2003, on the acceleration of the division of Papua into three smaller provinces.

The Instruction has raised strong objections from people in Papua, Jakarta, and many foreign countries. Yet the government insists upon establishing the new province of West Irian Jaya in Manokwari.

The second message from the evaluation of the first year is that it is the local government, both at the provincial and regency levels which considers the law a breakthrough for Papua's future.

They believe that a full and effective implementation of the law will create more opportunities for Papuans in terms of self-empowerment and capacity building within the unitary state of the republic. Hence they see that there is no other way but to implement the autonomy law.

Therefore, the evaluation recommends that the governor and the provincial legislative council set up a provisional Papua People's Assembly, pending the issuance of the central government regulation for the establishment of the Assembly.


Meanwhile Jakarta needs to take into account the changes that have taken place with regard to Papua's autonomy.

First, Jakarta has changed its own position from offering the status of special autonomy for Papua, thus completely undermining its own law.

Second, the Papuans have also changed, from flatly rejecting the special autonomy law to starting to perceive the opportunities it could offer.

Third, the change in perspective on the Papua issue within the international community (including governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)). When
Jakarta offered the autonomy status for Papua, the world gave its full support to Jakarta.

Yet given Jakarta's subsequent non-compliance within its own law, the international community now is beginning to seriously heed the (autonomy/separatist) aspirations from within Papua. While most express support for Indonesia's territorial integrity, they have been putting more pressure on Jakarta to implement the special autonomy law.

A group of leading German NGOs conducted a year-long evaluation of the autonomy law that was announced at a conference in June. The conference welcomed the special autonomy law as "a means for peaceful conflict resolution and a step towards further recognition of the rights of the people of Papua."

Germany's parliament sees Papua's autonomy as "a means to enhance democratization and the realization of human rights" and "as a legitimate expression of the will of the people of Papua to be the sole architects of their fate, in accordance with international human rights law."

The conference then stressed the need for "mutual trust and mutual understanding," "a constructive dialog process" between Jakarta and Papua's representatives," and "an institutionalized platform for dialog" between Jakarta and the Papuan people.

The conference "welcomed the international community to play a role in supporting the constructive dialog, the confidence-building process" and the implementation of the law.

The New York-based Council on Foreign Relations has already called upon the government to drop its plan for Papua's division and to perform a full and effective implementation the special autonomy law for Papua as it would be "a win-win situation".

The European Parliament (EP), through its resolution on Indonesia -- particularly on Aceh and Papua -- adopted on June 6, urged Indonesia "to withdraw the Presidential Decree No.1/2003 on the division of Papua" issued on Jan. 27, "because it undermines the special autonomy law for Papua and consequently the EU commitments regarding this special autonomy."

The EP also urges the government "to work towards the full implementation of the Special Autonomy Law for Papua by finalizing and approving government regulations regarding budgeting, legislative drafting and institutional development, including the implementation of the MRP and the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation."

It would therefore be too risky not to implement the law -- more so to assume that international support for Jakarta cannot change.