Recent Development in Papua and West Papua Provinces

Several minor security disturbances are happening in certain areas in Papua and Indonesia in general. The local governments together with the police are working hard to make Papua peaceful and safe.

The dynamic security condition in Papua is Indonesia’s internal affairs handled through the implementation of the Special Autonomy and The New Deal Policy for Papua.

Regulation No. 21/2001 regarding Special Autonomy is the legal basis for the Province and the people of Papua to gain wider legitimacy in managing itself and larger responsibility in running governance and exploiting its natural resources for the benefit of the people.

Questioning the Unquestionable: An Overview of the Restoration of Papua into the Republic of Indonesia

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia
to the United Nations
New York
2003

Preface

Papua, the easternmost province in Indonesia, has its unique place in multiethnic and multicultural Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago. It has also had a turbulent history within the early history of independent Indonesia.

“Questioning the Unquestionable: An Overview of the Restoration of Papua into the Republic of Indonesia” has been chosen as the title of this publication out of the conviction that a fair, comprehensive and objective assessment of the issues does put to rest attempts to distort the true history or to disrupt its territorial integrity and development of Indonesia. Such schemes achieve nothing but perpetuate the suffering of the Papuans and deny them the full enjoyment of their right to develop as Indonesians.

Facts on Indonesia 's Sovereignty over irian jaya (Papua and West Papua Provinces )

Questions and Answers

1. What was the nature of the  Irian Jaya (Papua and West Papua Provinces ) issues ? Was this issue a case of decolonization or incomplete decolonization of Indonesia ?

Irian Jaya (Papua and West Papua Provinces ) issues was a bilateral matter between the Netherlands and Indonesia regarding an incomplete process of decolonization of the Netherlands East Indies. Irian Jaya (Papua and West Papua Provinces ) was neither a separate entity nor a non-self-governing territory detached from the Netherlands East Indies. The problem arose when the Netherlands insisted on maintaining its presence in the western half New Guinea . At the beginning, there was no international dimension to this problem until Indonesia brought the issue to the United Nations in 1954 after all bilateral means had been exhausted. Therefore, Irian Jaya (Papua and West Papua Provinces ) was an unresolved question of decolonization of Indonesian territory of what was once the Netherlands East Indies. It was the disruption of the Dutch decolonization process in 1949 that led to struggle of more than a decade by Indonesia to consolidate its territorial integrity and sovereignty over  Irian Jaya (Papua and West Papua Provinces ).

President SBY officiates five new colleges in Papua

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 11/22/2010 2:07 PM | National

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) officiated five new universities in Papua on Monday.

The universities were Musamus Merauke University , Borneo Tarakan University , Bangka Belitung University , Babel Polytechnic and Batam Polytechnic, Antara news portal reported.

The President officiated the institutions after delivering a speech at the National Student Executive Board conference at Cendrawasih University .
The President signed five tablets, as his entourage, guests and the chiefs of the Student Executive Board looked on.

All of the new colleges are located near the state border.

In his speech, Yudhoyono said the new institutions were intended to improve the education sector, which was one of the keys to national development.
“It will also improve the quality of human resources in colleges,” he said.

SBY was accompanied by First Lady Ani Kristianti, Coordinating Minister for Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Minister of Agriculture Suswono, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, Indonesian Military chief Adm. Agus Suhartono, and National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo.

Indonesian army progressing on human rights

Testimony by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Scher


"During the past decade, the Indonesian Armed Forces, known by the Indonesian acronym of TNI, have undertaken several critical institutional reforms to help achieve Indonesia’s goal of establishing greater civilian control over the military. These reforms include formally removing the military from political affairs, as codified in Indonesian Law 34/2004; establishing a clear delineation between the responsibilities of the civilian police forces and the TNI; and enhancing the authority of the civilian defense minister. While the United States has encouraged and applauded such reforms, it is important to note that the Government of Indonesia undertook them of its own volition, as a reflection of its commitment to democratic values and to playing the role of a responsible leader in Southeast Asia. It is particularly notable that these reforms have taken place so shortly after Indonesia’s transition from autocratic rule."

Complete article please read : US Foreign Affairs

Thorough look into Papua autonomy

Neles Tebay, Papua | Tue, 10/19/2010 9:39 AM | Opinion Jakarta Post

After nine years of waiting, the central government has finally decided to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of the Law on Special Autonomy for Papua. The evaluation is scheduled for next year. The director for regional management and special autonomy at the Home Ministry, Sumarsono, said in August that the comprehensive evaluation would measure the effectiveness of the autonomy law in practice. Thus the evaluation needs to be supported by all parties and stakeholders — whether in Jakarta, Jayapura or Manokwari.

Auditing Papua’s special autonomy fund

Neles Tebay Abepura, Papua | Thu, 09/16/2010 9:51 AM | Opinion Jakarta Post

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s government has taken the initiative to conduct an audit of the special autonomy fund in the provinces of Papua and West Papua in 2011.

The initiative shows that the central government is committed to examining how the local governments in the two provinces have spent billions of rupiah under the special autonomy package.

Papua provinces development funds: SBY

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 07/30/2010 9:39 AM | Headlines

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered an audit of the disbursement of the state budget for the development of Papua’s two provinces, saying that progress on development to date was far from satisfying.

“I think it will be important for us to conduct an audit of the special autonomy regional development fund.

I have received many letters that accuse [Jakarta] of carelessness for, among other things, shortcomings in Papua’s development fund,” he said at Merdeka Palace on Thursday.

The UK supports the territorial integrity of Indonesia

The UK supports the territorial integrity of Indonesia. We do not support calls to ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on whether the New York Agreement was contrary to the UN Charter or the UN General Assembly Resolution 1514. The UN General Assembly took note of the “New York Agreement” between Indonesia and the Netherlands in Resolution 1752. This has been the policy of successive Governments and remains unchanged by the Government. 

Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Mr Jeremy Browne MP

Source : Commons Hansard