Makassar, Jubi – Special Committee of Papuan House of Representative (DPR) support the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) and Papua Barat People’s Assembly (MPRB) who agreed to withdraw the revision on Special Autonomy Plus Law to consult with indigenous Papuans.
The Chairman of DPR Papua Special Committee Thomas Sondegau said the Special Autonomy Plus bill was submitted to the central government several years ago. The bill is currently under supervision of the National Legislation Program 2020 in the Indonesian House Representative.
“In our internal discussion, we have discussed the idea to withdraw the revision bill to further consult with indigenous Papuans from the beginning,” Sondegau confirmed Jubi by phone on Friday (4/9/2020).
Further, he said the Special Committee on Special Autonomy Law had conducted several meetings with relevant stakeholders, in particular MRP. A topic discussed with MRP is to withdraw the bill revision for further consultation with indigenous Papuans.
“Papuan people and stakeholders in Papua should be involved to discuss the revision on the Special Autonomy Plus bill,” he said.
He admitted that the Special Autonomy policy in Papua has become a trending topic to discuss following the termination of the national allocated budget for Special Autonomy Fund in 2020.
Regarding the implementation of Special Autonomy Law in Papua, some thought it has succeeded, others said it failed. However, the Special Committee on Special Autonomy Law said they work to collect aspirations and feedback from all relevant parties to report to the central government.
“What we report is the aspiration of Papuan people regarding the revision of the Special Autonomy Plus bill, not the central government’s aspiration,” he said.
In the early of September 2020, MRP and MRPB signed an agreement to withdraw the revision on the Special Autonomy Plus bill in order to consult it with indigenous Papuans.
MRP Chairman Timotius Murin said the representatives of both cultural institutions have met the representatives of the Domestic Affairs Ministry. Their next agenda is to meet with the representatives of the Indonesian House of Representative (DPR RI). (*)
Reporter: Arjuna Pademme
Editor: Pipit Maizier
