Rev. Albert Yoku: Tabi and Seireri Community Support the Sustainability of Special Autonomy

Tabi and Seireri Support Special Autonomy

JAYAPURA, wartaplus.com – Responding to the various problems that have emerged recently regarding groups rejecting the extension of the otus in Papua, they have received criticism from the Chairperson of the Tabi Bangkit Community Forum and also the Chairperson of the Jayapura Regency Religious Harmony Forum, Pdt. Albert Yoku.

He said that special autonomy was considered very beneficial for Papua in various ways and had received support from all stakeholders in four districts, namely Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Sarmi, and Mamberamo Raya Regency.

“We have also held a joint meeting with the Saireri tribe so that the Tabi and Saireri customary territories have expressed an attitude that the special autonomy will continue,” he said.

He also asked the Tabi and Saireri indigenous people not to imitate and follow the things that were done by people who were different from understanding the sovereignty of the Indonesian state so that it always created chaos in Papua. *

Tabi and Seireri Support Special Autonomy

Notes:

A former Dutch colony, West Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, after an undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders. The result of the plebiscite was overseen and endorsed by the United Nations.

Since the democratization in 1998, especially since 2007, democracy by mean of elections has been introduced to increase political participation in the two provinces. The fact that the leaders of Papua and West Papua provinces are democratically elected by the people has strengthened the legality of the region as a province of Indonesia.

During the Abdurrahman Wahid administration in 2000, aside from changing the province name from “Irian Jaya” to “Papua”, Papua gained a “Special Autonomy” status, a political compromise between Papuans and the central government.

The political will of politicians in Jakarta to proceed with the implementation of the Special Autonomy was formalized in 2001 with the special autonomy law.

Special autonomy is part of democratic means to address aspiration of Papuan people. In late 2001, Indonesian government introduced a “special autonomy” bill for West Papua. The bill, which was drafted mostly by indigenous Papuans, passed the Indonesian parliament as Law No. 21 in November 2001.