Renni L. | Papuan Observer
The DPR RI special committee (Pansus) held a meeting of the Draft Law on the second Amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua and West Papua Provinces, in Manokwari.
The Chairperson of the Special Committee for the Revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law at the Indonesian Parliament Komarudin Watubun said there were three priorities for the Special Autonomy Revision, namely education, health and the economy.
Komarudin admitted that although Papuan Otsus has been running for 20 years, it has not been accommodated properly, because a number of districts and cities in Tanah Papua are still classified as poor.
With the condition of a number of districts and cities in Bumi Cendrawasih that are still classified as poor, it is necessary to make a second amendment to Law number 21 of 2001 as amended into Law number 35 of 2008 which has been included in the national legislation program (prolegnas) of the DPR RI in 2021.
Komarudin emphasized the changes in several articles in the second revision of Law 21 of 2001 on Special Autonomy, only related to budgets and regional expansion.
“The budget and expansion are still the main reference, because this revision is an initiative of the central government.”
Meanwhile, the Governor of West Papua Dominggus Mandacan hopes that the results of the meeting of the Revision of the Special Autonomy Law together with the special committee of the DPR RI can be fought for.
The meeting for the revision of the Special Autonomy Law in Manokwari was attended by the Director General of Otda of the Ministry of Home Affairs Akmal Malik, Kajati West Papua W. Lingitubun, West Papua Police Chief Inspector General Pol Tornagogo Sihombing, XVIII Military Commander Kasuari Major General TNI I Nyoman Cantiasa, Chairman of the West Papua People’s Assembly (MRPB) Maxsi Nelson Ahoren, and representatives of community leaders in the province.
Meanwhile, according to the member of the Special Autonomy Committee (Pansus) for Papua DPR RI, Junaidi Auly assessed that the revision of the Special Autonomy Law (UU) for Papua province is very important to improve the quality of welfare, life and development for the Papuan people.
This PKS faction politician views the basic value of the Papuan autonomy, namely the protection of the basic rights of the people to get justice and prosperity over land and water within certain limits with the natural resources contained therein.
It should be noted, the second amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua Province is very important considering that the legal basis for the Papua Special Autonomy Fund (Otsus) will end in 2021 as regulated in Article 34 of Law No. 21 of 2001.
This Doctor of Government Science said, there needs to be a comprehensive evaluation regarding the 20 years of the implementation of the Papua Special Autonomy.
Apart from the funding side, it is important to conduct a more in-depth discussion regarding violations of the rights of indigenous peoples, disappointment of indigenous peoples over forest and land issues, conflicts between communities and companies and the government, utilization of natural resources, and protection of the people and indigenous peoples.
