Ricko K. | Papuan Observer
The Draft Law on the Second Amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province (RUU Otsus Papua) was ratified by the DPR and the Government on July 15, 2021. A number of parties considered the law to be a unilateral desire of the central government, not the wish of the Papuan people.
Young Indonesian leader from Papua, Steve R Mara, M.Han, said that Papua was given special autonomy because there were special conditions that the Central Government had to look into regarding the condition of the Papuan people, so Law Number 21 of 2001 was born and a second amendment was made which was ratified. DPR.
“In the amendment of the law, after receiving many inputs, the previous two articles became 16 revised articles, but the emphasis is on the use of special autonomy funds which must be evaluated so that it is more optimal for the welfare of the Papuan people”
According to the Chairman of the Lira Papua Youth, he added that the use of Papua’s special autonomy funds (Otsus) needs to be evaluated so that the Papuan people do not continue to blame the Central Government. The reason is that until now the people think that the central government does not care about Papua. Whereas trillions of money were given to Papua which reached 102 trillion in the last 20 years.
In order for special autonomy to run in the direction expected, it is necessary to evaluate and harmonize it in accordance with Article 66 of the Law which was passed last. So that the issues of wanting a referendum, the people of Papua are not prosperous, no longer exist.
Still explained by Steve, according to the mandate of the law that has been ratified, harmonization and evaluation is needed with the new body later so that the community does not lose confidence in the Central Government and is more focused on what the Government wants to do.
Steve said that so far the evaluation has actually been carried out by the BPK, but it must also be conveyed to the public, for example if there are parties who are corrupt in this special autonomy fund, they need to be investigated and dealt with.
Regarding the use of special autonomy funds, which are prone to misuse of financing for separatists, Steve said that in some areas there are indeed separatist criminal groups.
Still explained by Steve, how the role of youth in seeing the optimization of special autonomy funds is to continue to voice the transparency of the special autonomy funds. What is expected is youth as agents of change, divided into their respective ideals.
When he became chairman of the BEM in Jayapura, Steve admitted to rejecting special autonomy with his idealism at the time that special autonomy had failed, because some people in the area were not prosperous and there was no significant progress.
Currently Steve says that we have to be more realistic by seeing Otsus as a solution in the future and no longer thinking about the past. He emphasized that his position supports that Papua still needs special autonomy, given the current situation in Papua.
