Protests Greet Indonesia s Renewal of Papuan Autonomy Law – The Diplomat thediplomat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thediplomat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Indonesia s House of Representatives has passed a bill that is expected to reshape the future administration of West Papua.
The Revision of the Special Autonomy Law for the provinces of Papua and West Papua was ratified by Indonesian lawmakers despite widespread opposition by Papuans who have been calling instead for an independence referendum.
Jayapura Harbour, Papua province, Indonesia
Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades
The revised version of autonomy provisions first introduced twenty years ago paves the way for further division of Papua region into more administrative areas.
It includes provision for the formation of new representative institutions at regency and municipal level, replacing the Regional Legislative Councils.
CrisisWatch: July Alerts and June Trends 2021 crisisgroup.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from crisisgroup.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
West Papua Liberation Army fighters.
Photo: Supplied.
The latest reported deadly violence in Papua occured in Seradala district of Yahukimo regency last Thursday.
Police have blamed the West Papua Liberation Army whose pro-independence guerilla fighters are labelled as terrorists by Jakarta.
A police spokesman told
RNZ Pacific that the four victims were civillian construction workers.
He said police and military forces (Polri and TNI) were in joint pursuit for the suspected killers.
It s the latest violent attack by the Liberation Army in its ongoing campaign against the Indonesian state in Papua s highlands region.
The Liberation Army s spokesman Sebby Sambom has warned civillians that their safety cannot be guaranteed in areas which it has declared as war zones.