3000 rally in West Papua against Indonesia's 'Autonomy' law

Jakarta Post, August 5 reporting from Jayapura: 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.
Source: Jakarta Post

Background: This rally comes after several attempts to suppress and intimidate West Papuans from protesting. See West Papua: Flag raisers beaten and charged with subversion and media clippings below:
Military Commander: DAP must not be used for political purposes
(Cenderawasih Pos, West Papua, 28 July 2008)
Jayapura: The military commander of XVII/Cenderawasih, Major General Haryadi Soetanto issued a warning on Saturday to remind all adat councils in Papua, including the Dewan Adat Papua (Papuan Traditional Council) that they should not use these institutions for political purposes, or still worse intervene in any way in affairs of State that could undermine the Unitary Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
He said that as organisations concerned with traditional matters, their function is to concern themselves with issues regarding traditional rights
Anyone, he said, including other countries can get involved in activities concerning traditional rights, such as for instance Australia, which has its own traditional communities.
But the most important thing to remember, he said, was that their attendance at such events should be solely in connection with traditional rights and not in any any involve intervention in domestic affairs in Indonesia.
'If adat organisations start getting involved in political affairs, this is not right, especially if the objective is to undermine the integrity of NKRI. This must not be allowed to happen.'
He stressed that as citizens, we are all required to defend and preserve the unity of the country, which was why he reminds everyone to stick to their own functions and tasks.
'Adat councils are not allowed to discuss political matters, still less to do anything that disrupts the integrity of NKRI.'

Demonstrators ordered to disband in Abepura
(Cenderawasih Post, 29 July 2008)
Jayapura: A group of demonstrating students from the Coalition of Students and the Community Concerned about the Land of Papua (KMMPTP) were ordered to disband by police units in Abepura for failing to comply with procedures stipulated in Law 9/1998 about expressing views in public. They were intending to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the office of the MRP[Papuan People's Assembly].
The police officer said that according to the regulations, a letter should be sent to inform the police before going ahead with such an action.
'After negotiations with the demonstrators, they eventually disbanded because notice about the action has to be conveyed to the police three days beforehand,' the officer said.
Co-ordinator of the demonstration, Buktar Tabuni told journalists that after the letter had been sent, they would hold the demonstration. Their purpose is to call for dialogue in view of the fact that after seven years, special autonomy has failed. They will also be asking about the violations of human rights that have occurred since special autonomy was introduced.
'All we want is that there should be dialogue with the central government, via the intermediary of the MRP, involving all sections of the Papuan people. If the lack of progress under special autonomy continues, we will boycott the elections in 2009,' he said.
Source: Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
www.freewestpapua.org