Reinhard W. | Papuan Observer
The Papua Special Autonomy Fund (Otsus) which is worth trillions of rupiahs is considered unable to reach the lower classes. Twenty years in progress, the expected benefits have not materialized. A number of parties said that a new breakthrough was needed to channel the funds directly to the public.
The Papuan Task Force of Gadjah Mada University (GTP-UGM) initiated the issuance of the Special Autonomy Fund Card. Chairman of the GTP-UGM, Bambang Purwoko said that the results of the GTP-UGM discussions with several regional heads in Papua and even having received the green light from the MRP (Papuan People’s Assembly), it is hoped that there will be direct spending that can be accepted by the community, whether in the form of cards, vouchers. or whatever.
“The Papua Special Autonomy Card is only one of three proposals that are incorporated in the Papua Autonomy reinstrumentation effort. Reinstrumentation or the new Otsus design is important, in the midst of the problems that continue to plague the province”
The DPR itself is currently drafting the second amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province. This change is also an effort to review the shortcomings of the implementation of Otsus during the 20 years since it was declared.
Another proposal submitted by GTP-UGM is to expand the reach of Papua’s special autonomy to the district and city levels. Expansion to the lower structures is important so that the benefits of Otsus are felt by the community down to the village level. The third proposal that was conveyed by Bambang was the regulation of the expansion of Papua, both in the province as well as in regencies and cities.
According to GTP-UGM records, Otsus, which has been running for two decades, still leaves many problems in Papua. In the political field, the policy of regional symbols and cultural symbols, the formation of political parties, the establishment of a human rights court, the establishment of a TRC, and the recognition of customary courts did not work. In the field of government, Otsus does not give full authority, but instead is burdened with many other policies that weaken or contradict the Papua Special Autonomy Law itself.
In terms of security, Papua is still and continues to be sheltered and even cases of violence have increased at least in the last two years. While in the economic sector, the opportunity for indigenous Papuans to lose access to jobs and economic resources due to competition with migrants.
On that occasion, Bambang also emphasized the importance of special instruments to overcome the complicated and special problems of Papua. the improvement of the Special Autonomy Law for Papua is very urgent as a solution to the Papua problem.
On the same occasion, Dr. Mardyanto Wahyu Tryatmoko, a researcher at LIPI, said that during the past two decades, Otsus Papua had not been able to fulfill its initial objectives. Politically motivated violence in Papua is also the highest in Indonesia, according to LIPI data.
Conflicts over resources and governance are also on the rise. The high crime rate is also a burden, the problem of the distribution of Otsus funds itself.
Mardyanto did not want to stop at a simple conclusion about whether the two decades of Otsus had brought results or not. He said it was more important for Papua to pay close attention to the issue of building institutions. Mardyanto called this step a process to establish a stable and effective institution in Papua. Unfortunately, according to Mardyanto, the existing institutions in Papua so far have been very weak.
