Is Papua autonomy a myth?

The Jakarta Post, August 21, 2003

Neles Tebay, Pontifical, University of Urbaniana, Rome

The province of Papua has just conducted its evaluation after the first year’s implementation of the special autonomy law in Jayapura, on July 28-29. Attended by all the regents, tribal leaders, religious leaders and scholars, the evaluation conveyed two messages. The first is that the special autonomy seems to be an illusion, at least in the first year of its implementation.

Earlier reports ... read more

Posted on 02:46 PM in Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, democracy, Indonesia, Papua, Publications, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: democracy, Indonesia, Papua, law, special autonomy

Representatives of the Papuan Provincial Parliament recalled

Watch Indonesia! Press Release, 18 July 2003

by Alex Flor

According to information received by Watch Indonesia! yesterday, three PDI-P Members of the Papuan Provincial Parliament have been recalled from Parliament by their party, the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDI-P) of President Megawati Soekarnoputri. One of the MPs concerned is Mrs. Agustina Iwanggin-Tanamal. Only recently, at the beginning of June, Mrs. Iwanggin-Tanamal had been in Berlin where she participated in the Conference on Special Autonomy for Papua, which had ... read more

Posted on 04:29 AM in Indonesia, Papua, Watch's Press Releases & Statements
Tags: democracy, Indonesia, Papua, special autonomy

Foreword

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05. June 2003

With its more than 17,000 islands stretching over some 5,000 kilometres, the Republic of Indonesia comprises a multitude of socially and culturally diverse regions with different historical experiences. Preserving Indonesia as a unitary state is a difficult and permanent task in nation-building. With the fall of Suharto in 1998, chances arose that the concept of Indonesian national unity be understood not only as territorial integrity but as the unity of ... read more

Posted on 10:58 PM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Indonesia, Recent Activities, Papua, Regional Conflicts
Tags: Indonesia, Papua, law, special autonomy

Introduction

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05 June 2003

 by Siegfried Zöllner on behalf of the publishers

Background

After the fall of Suharto in May 1998, his successor President B.J. Habibie initiated a number of reforms to tackle the numerous problems of the world’s fourth most populous nation. One key element was the launching of a decentralisation programme, which President Habibie, as someone familiar with German federalism, considered as an important part of the restructuring process. With Law No. ... read more

Posted on 10:58 PM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Human Rights, Indonesia, Papua, Publications, Events
Tags: Abdurrahman Wahid, Government of Germany, Germany, decentralization, Habibie, Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri, human rights, Papua, law, special autonomy, independence

Conference „Autonomy for Papua. Opportunity or Illusion?”, Berlin, June 4th-5th, 2003

Media Release, 05 June 2003

From June 4th to June 5th, 2003, the Conference „Autonomy for Papua. Opportunity or Illusion?” took place in Berlin. The Conference was jointly organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Westpapua Network, Watch Indonesia!, the German Commission Justice and Peace, the United Evangelical Mission, the Human Rights Desk of the Diakonisches Werk, Misereor, missio Aachen and the Missionszentrale der Franziskaner. Participants came from Indonesia, Germany and other countries and comprised representatives from civil society organisations (NGOs, ... read more

Posted on 08:21 AM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Papua, Publications, Events
Tags: democracy, Indonesia, conflict resolution, human rights, Papua, special autonomy

Concluding statement

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05 June 2003

From June 4th to June 5th, 2003, the Conference „Autonomy for Papua. Opportunity or Illusion?” was held in Berlin. The Conference was jointly organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Westpapua Network, Watch Indonesia!, the German Commission Justice and Peace, the United Evangelical Mission, the Human Rights Desk of the Diakonisches Werk, Misereor, missio Aachen and the Missionszentrale der Franziskaner. Participants came from Indonesia, Germany and other countries and comprised ... read more

Posted on 03:23 AM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Indonesia, Papua, Events
Tags: Germany, Indonesia, Papua, special autonomy

Résumé – looking ahead

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05 June 2003

 by Siegfried Zöllner on behalf of the publishers

1. German political representatives have been made aware that committed groups in German civil society, that are closely observing the political situation in Indonesia in general and in Papua and Aceh in particular, are prepared to take action and expect the German Government to provide support for an improvement of the human rights situation and to a peaceful resolution of ... read more

Posted on 02:57 AM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Indonesia, Papua, Publications, Events
Tags: Government of Germany, violence, Indonesia, Papua, special autonomy, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Programs to Improve the Quality of Education and Health in Papua under the Special Autonomy

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05 June 2003

by Agustina Iwanggin Tanamal

Introduction

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

Posted on 12:52 AM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Human Development, Indonesia, Papua, Publications, Events
Tags: health, Indonesia, Papua, special autonomy

Social and economic changes in Papua since the Law on Special Autonomy came into effect

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05.06.2003

by Agus Sumule

Introduction

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

Posted on 11:24 PM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Indonesia, Papua
Tags: democracy, development, indigenous people, Indonesia, justice, human rights, Papua, Police, rain forest destruction, special autonomy, reconciliation, economy and business

Human Rights in Papua – some remarks

Conference “Autonomy for Papua – Opportunity or Illusion?”, 04-05.06.2003

by John Rumbiak

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

Posted on 11:12 PM in Activities, Conference Autonomy for Papua, June 2003, Human Rights, Indonesia, Papua, Events
Tags: Abdurrahman Wahid, poverty, discrimination, Habibie, illegal logging, indigenous people, Indonesia, justice, Megawati Sukarnoputri, human rights, military, Papua, rain forest destruction, regional conflicts, special autonomy, transitional justice, reconciliation