1) Activists slam plan to divide Papua after MPs approve new provinces’ bills
Dividing Indonesia’s Papua region further could complicate efforts for a peaceful solution to the separatist conflict, after the national parliament approved a draft bill this week for the creation of three additional provinces despite local opposition, activists and community leaders are warning.
They say the division violates the spirit of autonomy, erodes the trust of Papua’s indigenous people and can be used to increase Indonesia’s military presence in the region.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives’ legislation committee approved a draft law for the creation of the new provinces of South Papua, Central Papua and Papua Central Highlands, paving the way for their passage at a plenary session, the date of which has not been announced.
“The approval of the bills on the three new provinces of Papua is like lightning in broad daylight,” said Timotius Murib, chairman of the Papua People’s Assembly (MRP), an organization consisting of customary leaders.
“Without adequate consultations, suddenly the House of Representatives approved the three bills. This undermines the spirit of special autonomy,” he told BenarNews.
He stressed that Jakarta should not be hasty about carving up Papua, warning that new administrative units could erase the MRP’s cultural territories.
“These bills ignore the rules stipulated in the Special Autonomy law which requires consultations with the people of Papua. Under Special Autonomy, the establishment of new administrative units must be consulted with and approved by the MRP,” Murib said.
Indonesia’s parliament last July passed a new special autonomy law for Papua that boosts central government funding for the troubled region at Indonesia’s far-eastern end.
Jakarta granted special autonomy for Papua in 2001 to mollify desires for independence, but Indonesian security forces have been accused of human rights abuses during anti-insurgency operations there.
The government said that last year’s legislation, which replaced the 2001 special autonomy law, would spur development in the Papua region, which currently comprises Papua and West Papua provinces.
In November 2021, Mohammad Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs, said that breaking up Papua into more provinces would help economic and social benefits reach those it was intended for more efficiently and sooner.
“In addition to our national strategic interests to strengthen the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, there is also the need to accelerate social welfare,” he had said about why the government wanted to divide Papua into smaller units.
Under the law, Papua is entitled to a lion’s share of proceeds from its natural resources, including 80 percent from the forestry and fisheries sectors, and 70 percent from oil and gas, for the next 20 years.
Papua Gov. Lukas Enembe warned that new provinces could undermine the protection of indigenous people.
“The presence of new autonomous areas must benefit the communities, because most of the funding will be absorbed for infrastructure [projects],” Enembe said.
‘A counterproductive situation’
The plans to carve up Papua have been widely opposed by indigenous people.
Protests against the plans have been held in major Papuan cities including Jayapura, Wamena, Yahukimo, Timika, Nabire and Lanny Jaya.
In Yahukimo, two people were killed and six others injured when security forces opened fire during a rally last month.
Cahyo Pamungkas, a researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said Jakarta’s policy to divide Papua could backfire and make it more difficult to reach a settlement in the separatist conflict.
“The cycle of political violence in Papua has resulted in civilian casualties and displaced people,” Cahyo said in a statement released by the Humanitarian Coalition for Papua.
“The revised autonomy law and the policy to divide [Papua] have created a counterproductive situation. As a result, the indigenous people of Papua increasingly feel that they lack security and continue to be reminded about the dark past,” he said.
Clashes between rebels and government forces have intensified since December 2018, after rebels killed 20 people who worked for a state-owned construction company building a road in Papua.
Since the 1960s, Papua has been home to a separatist insurgency, while the country’s security forces have been accused of human rights abuses in counter-insurgency operations.
In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua – like Indonesia, a former Dutch colony – and annexed the region that makes up the western half of New Guinea Island.
Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a United Nations-sponsored vote, which locals and activists said was a sham because it involved only about 1,000 people. However, the United Nations accepted the result, essentially endorsing Jakarta’s rule.
The future South Papua province has only four regencies – Merauke, Mappi, Asmat and Boven Digoel – said Yorrys Raweyai, a Papuan member of the Regional Representatives Council, one of the two houses in the national assembly.
“This could violate the constitution. The [autonomy] law stipulates that a new province should have at least five regencies or cities. In South Papua, there are only four regencies,” he said.
Miya Irawati, executive director of the Public Virtue Research Institute, said Jakarta should scrap or postpone the plan to establish new provinces until there is a decision by the Constitutional Court on the challenge to the new autonomy law filed by the MRP.
“This is a setback for democracy in Papua. Instead of respecting the spirit of special autonomy, the government has recentralized the politics of local governance,” Miya said in a statement.
Hussein Ahmad, a researcher from the human rights group Imparsial, expressed concern that Papua’s divisions would be used to justify an increase in the military presence., which he said could exacerbate the conflict.
“If there are three new provinces then it will likely be followed by the formation of three new military commands and new units under them, which will certainly increase the number of military personnel in Papua,” he said.
“Amid efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict and violence and the lack of accountability for military operations in Papua, the establishment of new territorial units and an increase in the number of troops could increase violence and human rights violations in Papua,” Hussein said.
Kompas.com – April 7, 2022
Fitria Chusna Farisa, Jakarta – Indonesia will have three new provinces. Thus, later, Indonesia will have 37 provinces. The planned addition of these provinces is regulated under the Draft Law on South Papua Province, Central Papua Province and the Central Highlands Province.
The draft law was approved by the House of Representatives' (DPR) Legislation Body (Baleg) during a plenary meeting held on Wednesday April 6. It will later need to be ratified into law by the DPR.
During the plenary meeting, all of the political party factions in the Baleg agreed to the draft law on the creation of three new provinces.
"Now that we heard all of the opinions of the factions and declared our agreement. Are the results of the harmonisation of the Draft Law on South Papua Province, Central Papua Province and the Central Highlands Province agreed to?", asked Baleg Deputy Chairperson Achmad Baidowi.
"Agreed", replied the participants at the meeting.
So where exactly will the three new provinces be located?
Regional coverage
Later, the three new provinces will cover dozens of regencies which are currently part of Papua province.
The following are the regions covered by South Papua Province, Central Papua Province and the Central Highlands Province which were agreed to at the Baleg.
1. South Papua (Ha Anim): Provincial capital Merauke
- Merauke regency
- Mappi regency
- Asmat regency
- Boven Digoel regency
2. Central Papua Tengah (Meepago): Provincial capital Timika, Mimika regency
- Paniai regency
- Mimika regency
- Dogiyai regency
- Deyiai regency
- Intan Jaya regency
- Puncak regency
3. Central Highlands Province (Lapago): Provincial capital Wamena, Jayawijaya regency
- Puncak Jaya regency
- Jayawijaya regency
- Lanny Jaya regency
- Central Mamberamo regency
- Nduga regency
- Tolikara regency
- Yahukimo regency
- Yalimo regency
Notes of consideration
After reaching a decision, DPR Commission II (which proposed the draft law) Deputy Chairperson Syamsurizal expressed his thanks to all of the parties which assisted in the process of drafting the draft law on the three new provinces.
Syamsurizal said he hoped that the new provinces in Papua would have a good impact on the lives of communities in Papua.
"Hopefully this will be our pious deed and our homage to the country and the nation, specifically to the nation or our extended family in Papua. Hopefully they can live together alongside us all in Indonesia", said Syamsurizal.
During the meeting, DPR faction member Selly Andriany Gantina from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) took the opportunity to register a note.
Although his faction agrees with the draft law he reminded the meeting that the implementation of the law will still need to refer to the constitution and the law on Special Autonomy (Otsus) for Papua.
"The PDI-P faction is of the view, the contents of the draft law on South Papua Province, Central Papua Province and the Central Highlands Province, should still be within the implementary corridor of Article 1 Paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution by referring to the materials in the Special Autonomy Law on Papua which was discussed at earlier meetings", said Gantina.
In addition to this, the PDI-P faction also emphasised that the creation of the three provinces must taken into consideration the aspirations of local communities.
These aspirations are needed to accelerate even development, improve public services and social welfare, as well as raising the standards and dignity of the Papuan people.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Indonesia Segera Miliki 3 Provinsi Baru, Total Jadi 37 Provinsi, Apa Saja?".]
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