Papuans Stage Major Rally against Special Autonomy Law

Nethy Dharma Somba , The Jakarta Post , Jayapura | Tue, 08/05/2008 10:15 AM | The Archipelago

LONG MARCH: Some 3,000 Papuans from the Indonesian Christian Communication Forum hold a
peaceful demonstration in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday. They protested the lack of progress
in implementing the special autonomy law on Papua. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)

At least 3,000 people mobilized by the Papuan Christian Communication Forum staged a
rally in Jayapura on Monday, questioning the functioning of the special autonomy law.
They claimed the law had been in force for seven years, but that most indigenous Papuan
people had not seen any improvement in their welfare.

The protesters from 45 churches in Jayapura flocked to the Papuan gubernatorial office at
9 a.m. local time, unfurling banners with slogans including: "Special Autonomy Law --
Blessing or Disaster", "Special Autonomy for whom" and Papua Pancasila Yes, Papua Sharia
No."

Besides questioning the special autonomy law, protesters opposed campaigns by
Jakarta-based groups calling for sharia law in Indonesia.

The protesters, who wore red and white, with a cross on their heads, were received by
Papuan provincial administration secretary, Tedjo Suprapto, representing Papuan Governor
Barnabas Suebu, who was away.

Salmon Yumane, a rally coordinator, said the provincial administration and the Papuan
Representatives Council were ignoring local interests by failing to promulgate and
enforce regulations needed to put special autonomy into practice.
"How can we assess the achievements of the special autonomy law, if the regulations are
not in force," Yumane said.

"It seems as if the local administration and council have forgotten to make the
regulations, thereby leaving local Papuan people living in poverty," he said.
Rev. Richard Paay, a local speaker at the rally, said the law had been in effect for
seven years, but no changes had taken place.

"For seven years, local people who mostly live in poverty, have heard about trillions of
rupiah (to be distributed to them), but many Papuans still die due to poor sanitation.
Where does the money go?," Paay asked.

Paay said students who wanted to do higher level studies were asked to pay hundreds of
thousand of rupiah in entrance fees.

The administration has built modern markets, but Papuan people still had to sell their
goods in small alleyways. For whom were the markets built?

Instead of getting benefits from the autonomy law, Papuans only got unfavorable results.
"People have been forced to face hardships like joining long lines for kerosene, due to
shortages, while prices of basic commodities continue rising, although most Papuans do
not have their own incomes," Paay said.

Paay asked the administration to encourage participation from the churches to make the
autonomy law effective.

"If the administration faces difficulties in implementation, just inform the church....we
are ready to give support," he said.