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After 19 years of special autonomy, trust between Jakarta and Papua in tatters
The special autonomy fund, which was set out in the 2001 Special Autonomy Law, is set to expire in November 2021.
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Papuan activists stage a protest in Jakarta on Dec. 1, 2020, to commemorate a day they consider to be West Papua liberation day. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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s it approaches two decades in force, the special autonomy status of Papua and West Papua has been making news following increased calls for the rejection of its renewal from several civil groups in the two provinces. They contend that the arrangement has strayed away from the initial vision and now serves as a pretext for the central government to exert control over the region.
The special autonomy fund, which was set out in the 2001 Special Autonomy Law, is set to expire in November 2021, and the House of Representatives is now discussing whether to renew it.
Many Papuans believe the fund, which was established to accelerate development in Papua and West Papua, has not addressed the root causes of the provinces’ problems. They have also criticized the implementation of law, for example, the failure to set up the National Commission for Human Rights, the Human Rights Ad-hoc Court and the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation.
Central government officials in Jakarta, however, have said the special autonomy status works well and have claimed that the policy is proof that Jakarta has done good for Papua. They have denied allegations of racial discrimination and human rights violations.
With trust between Jakarta and Papua in tatters, the central government and local political elites have significant challenges ahead to bring peace, prosperity and justice to the two provinces.
Jakarta’s intentions
Against the backdrop of #PapuanLivesMatter, an antiracism campaign that was inspired by the global #BlackLivesMatter movement, two Jakarta officials contended in separate opinion pieces that the government had been doing its best to develop Papua. This was proven, they claimed, by the existence of the special autonomy status and funds, among other measures.
