The head of the Papuan People’s Assembly says it has rejected Indonesia’s plans on special autonomy for his region.
Indonesia’s government is seeking to extend the Papuan provinces’ Special Autonomy Law which expires this year after two decades.
Special Autonomy was granted to Papua in 2001 in response to growing demands for independence.
Jayapura Harbour, Papua province, Indonesia Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades
A central plank of the Law was the establishment of the Assembly, or MRP, as a form of indigenous senate.
But West Papuan customary representatives and civil society have largely been sidelined from consultations over the extension.
The MRP head Timotius Murip said the assembly rejected the government’s draft which effectively proposes to negate the authority of the Papua provincial governor, the MRP and the Papuan Representative Council (DPRP).
He said indigenous Papuan people as represented by MRP feel disadvantaged because the proposal was a violation of the rights of Papuans whom are also citizens.
Source: RNZ
