By: Roland Levy | Bumi Cendrawasih Student Committee
The implementation of Special Autonomy for Papua and West Papua Provinces based on Law Number 21 of 2001 which has now been revised into Law Number 2 of 2021, is the result of a political compromise between the Papuan people and the central government to resolve the multidimensional conflict.
Through this political compromise, the government is willing to make corrections so as not to repeat various policies and forms of development approaches in the past which were generally not in favor of the Papuan people, and had implications for the marginalization and backwardness of the Papuan people in all areas of development, thus accumulating in the strengthening of desires/aspirations. to separate themselves from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
Basically, The special autonomy in Papua is a solution for solving the problems of Papua in the past, present, and in the future which are multidimensional in nature. Therefore, the Papua Special Autonomy Law serves as the formal legal basis for granting special powers by the state to the government and people in Papua Province and West Papua Province as well as a commitment to allocate a number of affirmative funding sources for the two provinces. Special autonomy is an opportunity for the government and people of the Papua and West Papua Provinces to spur the development of creative accelerated development initiatives that are relevant to the specifics and advantages of social, economic, cultural, geographical conditions, as well as the potential of natural resources owned by these two provinces.
Former constitutional judge, Laica Marzuki assessed that the regulation on regional expansion in the Papua Special Autonomy Law did not harm the indigenous population at all. This is because the participation, interests, and involvement of indigenous Papuans are still being considered. Because Papua is a special autonomous region, according to him, there are additional arrangements to accommodate indigenous Papuans.
Meanwhile, the expert on constitutional law at the Indonesian Muslim University Makassar, Fahri Bachmid, said that special autonomy was given to Papua Province in order to protect and uphold dignity, affirm, and protect the basic rights of the Papuan people, both in the economic, political and social fields. culture. Fahri Bachmid also said that the fundamental basis for the implementation of autonomy was based on the conception of the division/delegation of power to the regions. Both province and district or city.
The chairman of the Indigenous Peoples Institution of Sorong City, West Papua, Fatra Mochammad Soltief, expressed his support for the sustainability of Otsus Papua Volume II in the Papua region. Furthermore, he invited all components of the people of Papua and West Papua to participate in supporting the sustainability of the Papua Special Autonomy program. The Special Autonomy Fund can increase indigenous Papuan resources for the welfare of the economic development of the Papuan and West Papuan people.
Papuan Religious Figure and the Head of West Papua NU Banser Regional Coordinator, Hamzah Edoba, stated that he supports the sustainability of special autonomy in the Papua region. He assessed that Papua’s special autonomy has been proven and is very much needed by the Papuan people because it can improve welfare in developing the community’s economy. The special autonomy fund is managed by the West Papua Provincial government for the welfare of the community in the fields of education, welfare, and others.
The Papua Special Autonomy Law was formulated solely to create an advanced, prosperous, peaceful and dignified society in the Papua Province and West Papua Province as part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In this case, the development approach requires the use of social, cultural, regional, customary, and ecological zone perspectives in the context of sustainable development. Apart from that, efforts in development are focused on Papuan Indigenous People.
The formulation of the law is a manifestation of the government’s commitment to the welfare of the Papuan people. The realization of welfare for the Papuan people is carried out in order to reduce the gap between the Papua Province and other provinces in Indonesia, improve the standard of living of the people in the Papua Province, and provide opportunities for indigenous Papuans. Therefore, it is necessary to have a special policy within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
There are several affirmations/parties of protection for Papuan Indigenous People with the existence of Special Autonomy. First, namely improving the standard of living of the Papuan people. Second, realizing justice in terms of equity and accelerated development. Third, respect for the basic rights of indigenous Papuans, and fourth, to encourage the implementation of good governance. Then, with the existence of autonomous rights to the region, Papuans have the right to determine the direction of their regional development, so that the development of Papua can be in accordance with the aspirations and desires of the Papuan people.
For this reason, it is necessary to support fellow citizens in overseeing efforts to accelerate development and welfare for brothers and sisters in Papua and West Papua, in order to get smoothness and convenience, so that the Papuan people quickly feel the impact of Special Autonomy.-
