goodmorningpapua.com – Papua’s Special Autonomy, which has been running for almost 20 years, is an interesting topic to discuss. This boosted the Young Justice Alliance Legal Aid Institute in collaboration with the University of Indonesia Masters of Law Student Association to hold a Webinar with the theme of Papua’s Special Autonomy Journey: Illusion or Solution.
The essence of implementing special autonomy in general is an effort to maximize the results to be achieved while avoiding complexities and things that hinder the implementation of special autonomy.
“Thus, the demands of the community can be realized in real terms with the implementation of special autonomy and the continuity of public services is not neglected, as well as maintaining a national fiscal balance,” said LBH Advisor for the Young Justice Alliance, Rendhika Deniardy Harsono.
Therefore, said Rendhika, the journey of special autonomy for almost 20 years, whether it has protected and upheld the dignity and affirmed, and protected the basic rights of indigenous Papuans, both in the economic, political, and socio-cultural fields, needs to be given legal certainty.
On 19 July 2021, the Government issued Law no. 02 of 2021 Regarding Amendments to Law No. 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua.
This regulation is a provision that amends several articles in Law Number 21 of 2001, which among other things regulate the authority of the Papua Province, the implementation of special autonomy in the Province of Papua. Papua, Papuan People’s Representative Council, Changes and calculation of the Prov. Papua, the economy of Papua Province and other provisions.
Appear as a keynote speaker Jimly Asshiddiqie. He said, Papua has a long historical value when it joined Indonesia through the Round Table Conference [KMB] and finally, on December 31, 1962, Indonesia’s de jure rule over the land of Papua began, under the supervision of the United Nations.
“The Dutch flag was also replaced with the flag of the Saka Merah Putih. On May 1, 1963, Papua was completely given to Indonesia,” said Jimly.
a member of Commission II of the House of Representatives, Syamsurizal, explained that based on around Rp. 144 trillion, the Central Government had disbursed the Special Autonomy Tour for Papua, so that such a large fund must have a positive impact on the welfare of the Papuan people.
Valentinus Sudarjanto Sumito, a Director of Special Autonomy Regional Arrangements and DPOP at the Ministry of Home Affairs, explained that the Central Government is very concerned about the people in Papua by issuing Law Number 2 of 2021.
“Throughout 2020, Papua Province received an education budget allocation of IDR 1.62 trillion from the total Papua Special Autonomy fund of IDR 5.29 trillion. Meanwhile, West Papua Province received around IDR 470 billion of the total West Papua Special Autonomy fund of IDR 1.7 trillion. trillion,” said Valentinus.
One of the uses of the Special Autonomy funds is aimed at improving the public education sector in Tanah Papua which is expected to be able to increase existing Human Resources. Valentinus said that the Ministry of Home Affairs was very open to discussions related to the Special Autonomy Trip for Papua and would carry out the mandate from the President to always pay attention to Papua.
The Director of LBH Papua, Emanuel Gobay, who is an Indigenous Papuan, explained that the Central Government in Jakarta did not accept any Papuan people’s aspirations in the Special Autonomy for Papua.
Human rights violations still occur in the Papuan community. He asked the Central Government to think more about the Papuan people because we are also Indonesians. After that, the Secretary General of the National Management of the Kaaba Youth Alliance, Ainul Yaqin, said that the Special Autonomy Fund should be optimized for the Papuan people. He questioned whether the ideals of Special Autonomy had been felt by the Papuan people.