Indonesian govt to accept ruling on Papua autonomy law

In this file picture, President Joko Widodo (fourth right) listens to local community, customary and religious figures during a dialogue in Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya, Papua, on Oct 28, 2019. - Courtesy of Presidential Secretariat

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The government has said it will comply with the Constitutional Court’s upcoming decision on a petition for judicial review filed by the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) last year that challenge several provisions in the 2021 Papua Special Autonomy Law.

The statement came after President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo’s meeting on Monday (April 25)with representatives from the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) that extensively discussed the 2021 law, which amended a previous law on special autonomy in Papua.

The 2021 amendment includes a provision that allows the House of Representatives and the government to create new provinces, municipalities and regencies in the country’s easternmost region without the approval of the MRP or regional legislative councils (DPRP).

In the law’s previous edition, the creation of new administrative areas required green-lighting by the two institutions.

The MRP filed its petition last year challenging several some provisions in the 2021 amendment, including those that allowed bypassing MRP and DPRP approval in establishing new administrative regions in Papua.

Monday’s meeting marked the first time the President had met with the MRP after the House endorsed three new bills earlier this month on the creation of the new provinces of South Papua, Central Papua and the Papua Central Highlands.

The MRP had previously called on the House and the government to postpone the bills’ deliberation citing the ongoing legal process. It also stressed that establishing new provinces in the region was “not the only [solution] to bring prosperity to Papuans”.

According to a statement released on Monday by the MRP, the President said the government would comply with the Constitutional Court’s decision regarding the 2021 law, but stopped short of confirming that the government would postpone its plan to form the new provinces.

“Regarding the process to amend the Papuan Special Autonomy Law, according to the reports that I have received, it was conducted with the involvement of the House, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) as well as DPRPs and the MRP,” Jokowi said, as quoted in the MRP’s statement.

“If there are provisions that are under judicial review at the Constitutional Court, we will respect and comply with the court’s decision.”