Military

DATE=04/15/03

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

TITLE=INDONESIA / PAPUA PLAN

NUMBER=5-53664

BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN

DATELINE=JAKARTA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has recently ordered the independence-minded, resource-rich province of Papua to be divided into three administrative provinces. The move has generated much controversy and critics say it will undermine Indonesia's own autonomy plan for Papua - which is aimed at ending the decades-long separatist conflict. Patricia Nunan in Jakarta takes a look at what this all means for Indonesia's most eastern and troubled province.

TEXT: Papua is one of several prominent Indonesian provinces, which has been fighting for independence. Some two-thousand kilometers east of the capital, Jakarta, Papua is remote, vast and economically vital - with oil, natural gas and one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits.

It is also is one of several provinces granted special autonomy in the past few years by the Indonesian government in an effort to bring peace by ending separatist violence. The plan allows Papua - integrated with Indonesia in 1969 - to derive more income from its natural resources and elect a local government, which will have more say over local affairs.

And many observers say the autonomy plan was beginning to have a positive effect by easing independence sentiments. Andi Mallarengeng helped draft the autonomy law when he was with Indonesia's Ministry of Regional Autonomy in 2000.

/// MALLARENGENG ACT ///

Some of them are very keen and very enthusiastic with the special autonomy law. Many are skeptics also. But I think they know it has the potential if it is implemented correctly - and they would like to see that.

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Full implementation of the autonomy planned could be derailed easily as the process is fragile. And that is why some political analysts were troubled and confused when Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri issued in January an instructional decree dividing Papua into three smaller provinces.

The government argues that, at more than 400-thousand square kilometers, Papua's sheer size makes it more practical to break the province down into three smaller units.

While it might makes sense administratively, it could turn out to be a political and strategic mistake. Critics say the move is poorly timed at best, and at worst, a ploy by the government to quell separatism by dividing independence forces so it can renege on the autonomy plan.

Andrew Ellis is with the Jakarta office of the US-government funded organization, the National Democratic Institute. He says dividing Papua by presidential decree contradicts the spirit of the autonomy plan because the government is overriding powers that should belong to provincial leaders.

/// ELLIS ACT ///

I think the supporters of special autonomy would have been happy with the idea of switching down the track. You could see that because there is a clause in the special autonomy law that sets up a procedure for dividing Papua into more than one unit. But they were seeing it rather the other way around, and they wanted the special autonomy arrangements to be put in place and embedded in - before one went to the next stage of creating more provincial units.

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Sidney Jones is with the Jakarta office of the International Crisis Group - an independent policy assessment organization. Ms. Jones argues dividing Papua may be a government move to weaken independence forces without having to fully implement autonomy and could be used to strengthen its Army in the region.

/// JONES ACT 1 ///

One, it undercuts the independence movement because it creates squabbles among people who otherwise might be focusing more specifically on independence. It might be a way of divide and rule and co-opting some members of the independence movement by offering them resources or jobs in the new provinces. . Also it raises the likelihood that a new regional command will be established in each of the new provinces, thereby tripling the number of forces currently available in Papua.

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The International Crisis Group warns the decision to divide Papua now is increasing the potential for new violence in the province. Ms. Jones says already, lines are being drawn between groups that want to stick to the old special autonomy plan - and groups in favor of Papua's division into three provinces before implementing autonomy.

/// JONES ACT 2 ///

There is already a move to postpone implementation until after the 2004 election. That will give some time for the pro-autonomy people to organize their forces - perhaps to get a judicial review underway. Unfortunately, it will also give time for the promoters of division, particularly those who stand to receive new jobs in the new provinces to mobilize their supporters -- that's where the possibility of some kind of physical clash comes up.

/// END ACT ///

So far, the government has not confirmed when or if the plan to divide Papua will be formally implemented and how they believe it may affect autonomy. (SIGNED)

NEB/HK/PN/JO