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House passes Papuan special autonomy law amendment amid public opposition
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The Papuan Student Alliance commemorates what they consider West Papua Liberation Day in Yogyakarta on Dec. 1, 2019. The protesters rejected Papua's special autonomy arrangement with Jakarta and demanded a referendum to determine their own future. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
T
he House of Representatives passed a bill that revised the Papuan Special Autonomy Law in a plenary session on Thursday, granting more power to native Papuans. But activists fear it will only deepen existing tensions.
The revision contains several fundamental changes in political and economic aspects, which, according to the House and the government, was proof of central government support for Papua.
This includes a provision that allows for the formation of new representative institutions at regency and city level called DPRK in Papua and West Papua, replacing the Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD).
A quarter of the total seats will be reserved for appointed native Papuans who are not members of any political parties, 30 percent of whom should be female. This will account for around 250 seats, according to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Komarudin Watubun who heads the special House committee on Papuan autonomy.
It remains unclear who will have the right to appoint them, pending the issuance of a government regulation, which according to the House and the government will be introduced no later than the next three months.
"Here we are expanding the roles of native Papuans in politics through the DPRK, a new nomenclature to replace the DPRD," Komarudin said in the plenary session.
The allocations for native Papuans and women is also applicable for the existing provincial level legislative councils (DPRP).
