ID :
95849
Sat, 12/19/2009 - 19:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/95849
The shortlink copeid
HOUSE CLOSELY WATCHING SEPARATIST POTENTIAL IN PAPUA
Ponorogo, E Java, Dec 18 (ANTARA) - The House of Representatives (DPR) is following developments in Papua, Indonesia's most eastern province, closely in light of continuing separatist activity there, a legislator said.
"We continue paying serious attention to events in Papua where the separatist potential has remained high," Ramadhan Pohan, a member of the House's Commission I (foreign, defense, information, and communication affairs) said here on Friday.
Speaking to reporters during a "constituent aspirations absorption" visit in Pacitan district, East Java, he said the problems in Papua were "very precarious" and needed to be addressed in a comprehensive manner.
He said the separatist movement in Papua appeared to be divided into two factions : a radical group in the Papua People's Council (MRP) demanding absolute independence, and a moderate one in NRP that basically does not want to secede from the Republic of Indonesia.
House Commission I members had noted an escalation in armed harassment activity recently and unresolved economic problems in Papua , Pohan said.
Stressing the need for the consistent observance of Papua's special autonomy law, he called on the government to pay greater attention to the Papuan people's needs in terms of welfare improvement, education and health services, balanced distribution of the "power pie" and law enforcement.
"Anyway, it must be admitted that serious problems still exist in Papua, there is still very little development there, Papua is lagging behind other Indonesian provinces in many respects," he said.
According to the Democrat Party politician, the problems in Papua were not necessarily caused by failures by the central government, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in particular.
The root of the problems lay more in the policies of officials at the lower levels of the government structure which often deviated from the president's own vision, he said.
Pohan also said the separatist problem in Papua should not be solved by the use of violence. "The government should always prefer the use of 'soft power' or finding solutions through dialogues, not by force of arms," he said.
***1***
(T.PSO-130/HAJM/23:45/S012)
"We continue paying serious attention to events in Papua where the separatist potential has remained high," Ramadhan Pohan, a member of the House's Commission I (foreign, defense, information, and communication affairs) said here on Friday.
Speaking to reporters during a "constituent aspirations absorption" visit in Pacitan district, East Java, he said the problems in Papua were "very precarious" and needed to be addressed in a comprehensive manner.
He said the separatist movement in Papua appeared to be divided into two factions : a radical group in the Papua People's Council (MRP) demanding absolute independence, and a moderate one in NRP that basically does not want to secede from the Republic of Indonesia.
House Commission I members had noted an escalation in armed harassment activity recently and unresolved economic problems in Papua , Pohan said.
Stressing the need for the consistent observance of Papua's special autonomy law, he called on the government to pay greater attention to the Papuan people's needs in terms of welfare improvement, education and health services, balanced distribution of the "power pie" and law enforcement.
"Anyway, it must be admitted that serious problems still exist in Papua, there is still very little development there, Papua is lagging behind other Indonesian provinces in many respects," he said.
According to the Democrat Party politician, the problems in Papua were not necessarily caused by failures by the central government, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in particular.
The root of the problems lay more in the policies of officials at the lower levels of the government structure which often deviated from the president's own vision, he said.
Pohan also said the separatist problem in Papua should not be solved by the use of violence. "The government should always prefer the use of 'soft power' or finding solutions through dialogues, not by force of arms," he said.
***1***
(T.PSO-130/HAJM/23:45/S012)
