The development process in Papua from one political regime to another has evolved very slowly which basically made Papua the most abandoned province in Indonesia. The Papuans live in various ecosystems, spread from the highlands to the lowlands, including the swamps and estuaries areas, each with different social system. These diversities require a special development policy or program. In general, barriers to the involvement of ... read more
One of the reasons for the introduction of the Law on Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua was the fact that there has been a wide gap between Papua and other provinces in Indonesia in terms of socio-economic development. Being one of the richest provinces in Indonesia in terms of natural resources, the Province of Papua has been exploited since its integration into the Republic of Indonesia ... read more
In response to Papuans’ increasingly visible and vocal demands for independence in the post-Suharto period, there have been a series of initiatives aimed at resolving the four-decades-old conflict in Papua peacefully. The first of these efforts was the 1999 National Dialogue on Irian Jaya, a process of dialogue with Terms of Reference signed by Indonesia’s State Secretary and Papuan representatives. Due to a lack of political will on ... read more
Since the Law on Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua, Law No. 21/2001 came into effect on January 1, 2002, its acceptance by both the Papuan people and Indonesian Government officials as a solution to the long-standing conflict between Jakarta and Papua has been far from convincing. It is never an easy task to gain support for a new idea. To obtain popular support and hence ... read more
I. Relevant Provisions from ... read more
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
it is indeed an honor for me to be invited and to address this distinguished gathering at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. However, allow me to convey this welcome speech and some opening remarks for the conference in my absence. At the outset I would like to apologize for not being able to participate in the conference on Special Autonomy for Papua, as had been ... read more
It might be useful to recall that the offer of autonomy had been made by the Central Government in 1998, i.e. at the very beginning of increasing protests by the Papuan community, in order to counter their demand for freedom and independence. A similar proposal had been addressed to the Aceh Province, another province in the Indonesian Republic which is looked at as a ... read more
History provides many examples of conflict situations where a disgruntled, territorially concentrated minority has demanded statehood on the basis of the right to self-determination.1 The typical reaction of the concerned State is the rejection of this claim, very often enforced by military power which in many cases results in a tragic and bloody war. This experience has led to increased debates about peaceful solutions of ... read more
On May 21st, 1998, after 32 years in power, President Soeharto, stepped down and the ‘New Order’ era was succeeded by the so-called ‘Era of Reform’. In line with the spirit of reform was that with regard to local government the New Order legislation, i.e. Law No. 5/1974, ... read more
I have been asked to present an overview on human rights in Papua. The presentation will be limited to the human rights situation before the approval of the Special Autonomy Law by the national Parliament, the DPR, in October 2001. I would like to begin with a quotation regarding human rights taken from the Elucidation of the Draft Law on Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua proposed ... read more