West Papua gets Rp 1.1t in autonomy funds

Nethy Dharma Somba, THE JAKARTA POST, JAYAPURA

The Province of West Papua received Rp 1.1 trillion (US$100 million) in special autonomy funds in the 2009 budget.

Since its initial disbursement in 2002, the special autonomy fund,–the implementation of its special autonomy status based on Law No. 21/2001– was managed by the province of Papua. West Papua, however, officially separated from Papua to establish a new province in March 2006 by electing its own governor through a peaceful regional election.

The special autonomy fund for West Papua of Rp 1.1 trillion accounted for about 30 percent of the Rp 3.7 trillion received by the two respective funds for each province. The other Rp 2.6 trillion was earmarked to the province of Papua.

Regional Autonomy: Mimika’s rural areas rise after 20 years of neglect

Markus Makur , The Jakarta Post , Timika | Mon, 11/03/2008 10:24 AM | The Archipelago

During the Catholic missionary period, the village of Kokonao was a center of education, but when West Mimika’s administration center moved to Timika city twenty years ago, it was gradually forgotten about.

Kokonao, the capital of West Mimika district, is situated in the mountainous region of Central Papua. However, thanks to various development programs set up by the regency administration, the condition of the area has considerably improved. Fisheries, housing, clean water facilities and a number of other infrastructure projects have been established.

The impact of special autonomy to education

Today I read an Indonesian blog namely  BillyMambrasar in bahasa Indonesia. I think it is important for us Papuan to realise how good is the impact of special autonomy for Papuan young generation.

Billy explained several points on the impact of special autonomy as follows:

1. Since the legal process of special autonomy law for Papua started in 2001, the program of improving Papuan human resource became one of the most important concern of the government. Education became the top priority based on the budget precentage.

2. After special autonomy fully implemented, education program, scholarship, and access to school are incerased significantly. Many Papuan children and young generation got opportunities to join higher education (including Billy Mambrasar, without special autonomy he could not possibly to enter Bandung Institute of Technology). The number of Papuan intelektual and Papuan your generation with a national and international achievement increased sharply.

Indonesian House of Reps to pass West Papua autonomy bill

Source : RNZI

All factions in Indonesia’s House of Representatives have agreed to pass legislation giving a legal basis for the implementation of special autonomy in the new province of West Papua.

West Papua was created from the western part of Indonesia’s Papua province in 2003.

However the split is widely opposed in Papua itself, and in late 2004, an Indonesian court agreed that the split violated Papua’s autonomy laws established in 2001.

Since West Papua elected a governor in 2006, the provincial administration has not received any special autonomy budget allocations because of the court’s decision.

The Jakarta Post reports that the government and the House have now agreed on a bill, due to be passed this week, that gives a legal basis for West Papua’s special autonomy

Members of the House say the government needs to reinforce the legality of West Papua’s existence as a province.

The House also urged the government to evaluate and monitor the resources and allocations of special autonomy budgets bothin West Papua and in Papua.

Government to make legal umbrella for West Papua

Special autonomy is still on going process and we can not say whether it is successful or fail. Papuan leading figures are working very hard to support development particularly in the transportation sector in an effort to boost economic growth in Papua and West Papua. It is very fortunate that Indonesia is democratic now, that is why the government, federal and local both are very serious in their efforts to build Papua. Recent development of the meeting between Papuan leading figures and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is very promising to guarantee the successfulness of special autonomy.

Democracy within West Papua Special Autonomy

After the New Order Suharto regime stepped down in 1998, the aspiration for democracy was aired throughout West Papua and other parts of Indonesia. East Timor was given options to vote for independence or autonomy within Indonesia because East Timor has a strong historical background as non Dutch colony, whereas other parts of Indonesia, particularly Acheh and West Papua was given the special autonomy, democratically offered by Jakarta.