Special Autonomy for Papuan People

Special autonomy in any state in the world is something special as clearly stated in the terminology. Special autonomy is the answer to the aspiration of the people in the specific region, some tightly related to historical event, some as a deal with minority ethnic group, some as a solution to different views on separatism and unionism.

Indonesia is not the only country that granted a degree of autonomy to its provinces like DKI Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Acheh, Papua and West Papua. There are 121 autonomous regions in 40 countries in the world. Those 40 countries are China, Canada, Finland, Norway, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Germany, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Fiji, France, Georgia, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Somalia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and United States. A similar data from wikipedia also shows list of more than one hundred of autonomous regions in the world.

With a faster development recently, logically Papua and West Papua provinces can achieve many improvements. However, development alone will not be able to solve all problems, especially on the political differences.

Special Autonomy is the best solution for such differences. It is a a Win-Win Solution for the conflicted parties in Papua and West Papua. However, if the intention of separatist group is only independence and the intention of Indonesian government is the protect the territory and its people in both provinces, we will never see a peaceful Papua.

The independence campaign by corrupt ULMWP which has been only supported by a single state of Vanuatu and rejected by the whole nations in the world can not be used as a reason for maintaining conflict in the region. Sooner or later, Papuan activists in both provinces will see the reality of independence campaign by Free West Papua.

After 20 years of implementation, Special Autonomy Law needs a thorough evaluation, that is why Home Minister Tito Karnavian asked Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives to prioritize discussions on the Draft Law on Special Autonomy for Papua. Because, the bill is only valid for 20 years, so it will end in 2021. He said: “Well this (the Draft Law on Papua’s Special Autonomy) is urgent because it needs to be completed this year because the next year 2021 this Law is over,” in a working meeting with Commission II Parliament at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 1, 2020.