KSP: Papua New Guinea Policy Based on Community Aspirations, for Equitable Development and Services

Deputy V of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Jaleswari Pramodhawardani said the policy to form new autonomous regions (DOBs) in Papua and West Papua which will be carried out by the government has been based on people's aspirations.

According to him, this policy aims to equalize development in the area.

"This policy is carried out as an effort to distribute development and services in an area which has an area almost four times as large as the island of Java," Jaleswari said in a press release on Friday (11/3/2022).
 
That way, in the future, public services, population, and other services that have been concentrated only in the capital cities of Papua Province and West Papua Province can be built and distributed in the capital cities of new provinces.

Constraints of time, distance, cost, and transportation difficulties that have been felt by the community can also be overcome.

"In addition, so that development based on aspirations and customary territories can be more easily realized," added Jaleswari.
 
However, the new DOB policy was rejected.

On Friday, a student demonstration voicing the rejection of the new autonomous regions was originally set to be held in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) office.

However, the action was dispersed by the Police with the assistance of the TNI after a riot broke out.

Apart from Jakarta, demonstrations against Papua New Guinea also took place at a number of points in Papua.

a number of students who are members of the Solidarity of Students and the Papuan People held a demonstration against the expansion of the new autonomous regions in Papua, Tuesday (8/3/2022).
 
The masses, wearing various alma mater coats, staged a demonstration against the new autonomous regions.

The demonstration took place at several points, namely the Uncen Perumnas III Waena Campus, in front of Jalan SPG Teruna Bakti, Waena Red Light, and the Uncen Abepura Campus.

The masses of protestors repeatedly shouted against the new autonomous regions in Papua. According to them, the Papuan people are not yet prosperous.

"Reject expansion!" said the crowd of action, shouting.
 
The General Coordinator of the Demonstration Action Against DOB in Papua Alfa Hisage revealed that the demonstration was purely from students and the people of Papua with demands to reject the DOB which was being discussed by the central government.

"The action that we are carrying out is purely from students and the people in Papua to reject the new autonomous region plan in Papua," said Alfa.

Horizontal conflict

Long before the demonstrations took place, Deputy Chair I of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) Yoel Luiz Begint said that the issue of the division of provinces in Papua and West Papua received mixed responses from local communities.

Yoel also said that this issue has the potential to cause conflict between communities.

"The issue of division has generated mixed responses in Papua. This has the potential to cause horizontal conflict if the issue of division continues to be pushed," said Yoel in a press conference broadcast online on February 23, 2022.

The central government plans to expand six provinces in Papua and West Papua.

However, there are still differences of opinion in the community to implement the policy.

Therefore, Yoel said, the MRP is currently filing a lawsuit against the Papua Special Autonomy Law (Otsus) Number 2 of 2021 to the Constitutional Court (MK).
 
One of the provisions in question is Article 76 concerning regional expansion.

"The middle way for the MRP as a cultural institution is to propose a judicial review of Law No. 2/2021 to maintain the integrity of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Representative from the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI) Pastor Hans Jeharut asked the central government not to rush into establishing new autonomous regions in Papua and West Papua because of the potential for major conflicts.

Hans emphasized that there needs to be a dialogue between the central government and the community, as well as the involvement of other institutions such as the Catholic church.

SOURCE: https://national.kompas.com/read/2022/03/12/06443201/ksp-policy-dob-papua-berdasarkan-aspiration-community-for-peataan