1) MRP asks Jakarta to cancel regional expansion of Papua

2) MRP discusses with Komnas HAM revision of Otsus Law and regional expansion

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https://en.jubi.co.id/mrp-asks-jakarta-to-cancel-regional-expansion-of-papua/

1) MRP asks Jakarta to cancel regional expansion of Papua

News Desk March 14, 2022 1:33 pm 

Wamena, Jubi – The Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) has called on the central government and the House of Representatives to not force their will to divide Papua Province into several regions. Instead, the government and the House should listen to the people and not follow the wishes and interests of certain political elites.

The new Papua Special Autonomy Law stipulates that the central government and the House can expand Papua Province without the approval of the MRP or the Papua Legislative Council. However, even though the MRP no longer has the authority to reject or approve the regional expansion, MRP chairman Timotius Murib said the MRP would continue to convey the aspirations of the Papuan people.

Currently, the House was compiling an academic paper to make a law on the division of Papua Province. Murib reminded that the plan to form a new province in the Lapago and Meepago Indigenous Region had received strong resistance from thousands of residents in Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya Regency, and Nabire, the capital of Nabire Regency a few days ago.

Murib said that protests by the Papuan people to reject the expansion of the Papua Province had occurred in various regions in Papua and outside Papua. According to him, Indigenous Papuans consider the plan for regional expansion odd as the government itself is currently conducting a moratorium on regional expansion and the establishment of a New Autonomous Region.

Murib said the central government and the House must consider the timing and the readiness of the Papuan people for the plan to expand the province. He said that now was not the right time.

“The Papuan people have rejected the plan through various protests. The MRP is obliged to further convey these opinions to the government. Jakarta’s intention to expand needs to be considered and rejected. Regional expansion is good but we don’t need it yet. We ask the central government to cancel their plan,” Murib told Jubi on Thursday, March 10, 2022.

Previously on Thursday, thousands of residents of the Lapago Indigenous Region rallied in Wamena to reject the plan to form a new province in their territory. 

They said that the Papuan people did not need it. Rather, the Papuan people needed a solution to various cases of human rights violations that had occurred since 1963 when Indonesia occupied Papua.

“We need a reconciliation regarding cases of human rights violations, not regional expansion. Expansions only led to the genocide of Papuans, as we have seen from the previous experience. It created a lot of conflicts,” said Dano Tabuni while reading a statement of attitude during a protest at the Jayawijaya Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) Office in Wamena. (*)

Reporter: Benny Mawel
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G

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https://en.jubi.co.id/mrp-discusses-with-komnas-ham-revision-of-otsus-law-and-regional-expansion/

2) MRP discusses with Komnas HAM revision of Otsus Law and regional expansion

News Desk March 14, 2022 12:57 pm 

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) on Saturday, March 12, 2022, visited the Office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta. During the visit, the MRP conveyed various human rights violations in Papua that have not been resolved, and the central government and the House of Representatives’ unilateral policy to divide Papua Province into several regions.

MRP deputy chairperson Yoel Luis Mulait said in a written statement that his party also asked Komnas HAM to provide its opinion regarding the MRP’s request for a judicial review of Law No. 2/2021 on the Second Amendment to Law No. 21/2001 on Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus Law) at the Constitutional Court.

“Currently we are submitting a judicial review of Law No. 2/2021. The law was made without the consultation and participation of the MRP and Indigenous Papuans. The material of the law even weakens the rights of Indigenous Papuans. We ask the Komnas HAM to provide an opinion at the Constitutional Court,” said Mulait.

During the visit to the Komnas HAM, Mulait was accompanied by head of the MRP Special Autonomy Team Benny Sweny and the MRP legal team represented by Saor Siagian, Rita Kalibongso, and Muniar Sitanggang. The meeting was also attended by Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid and Public Virtue Research Institute media communication staff Muhammad Haikal.

Komnas HAM chairman Ahmad Taufan Damanik said that in the near future, Komnas HAM would express its opinions regarding the rights violation of the Papuan Indigenous People as a result of the promulgation of the new Papua Special Autonomy Law.

Damanik said the material for the official opinion of the Komnas HAM would be discussed with a special team. “We will discuss with a special team regarding the second revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law, the exclusion of the Indigenous Papuans in the making of the law, and material that violates the rights of the Indigenous Papuans within the framework of Papua Special Autonomy,” he said.

Amnesty International Indonesia’s executive director Usman Hamid said the new Papua Special Autonomy Law deliberation indeed did not involve the participation of Indigenous Papuans. “Therefore, we support the MRP’s objective during their visit to Komnas HAM. We ask Komnas HAM to participate in reviewing the central government’s policies which are the root causes of the violation of the rights of the Indigenous Papuans,” said Hamid.

“The second revision of the Papua Otsus Law negates the role of the MRP, abolishes the right to political participation through local parties, and rather favors entrepreneurs than Papuans. It is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and violates the political agreement contained in the Preamble of the previous Special Autonomy Law,” he added.

Hamid asked the Komnas HAM to not only investigate human rights violations but also find the root cause of the repeated violence. One of them is the inconsistency of the central government in implementing Papua Special Autonomy, as shown by its absence from carrying out the mandate to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and a Human Rights Court in Papua. (*)

Reporter: Hengky Yeimo
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G

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