Cutting Bureaucracy, Key To The Success Of Otsus Papua

Jayapura City (Photo: commons wikimedia)

JAKARTA - The discussion on the revision of Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus Papua) is currently still in process in the DPR. The big goal is to improve the welfare of the people on Cenderawasih Earth.

Various views and inputs are discussed in the public space. However, it is still not critically raised about the effectiveness of the implementation of Otsus Papua in the field due to the bureaucratic span that still has to be passed. This includes disbursing funds and accelerating the implementation of programs that directly touch the welfare of the people in Papua.

The spirit of the Special Autonomy Law for Papua, among others, cuts the bureaucratic chain in the context of accelerating the development of all sectors throughout the Papua region in order to improve the welfare of the people in the eastern tip of Indonesia as clear evidence of the serious attention of the state.

"Therefore, one of the things that must be done in discussing the revision of the UU so that Otsus Papua is more successful in the future, is to 'cut' the chain of bureaucracy," said Indonesian communicator Emrus Sihombing in a statement received by VOI, Monday night, June 14.

According to him, there are two reasons why Otsus Papua, which has been handled at the provincial level so far, needs to shift its orientation to regencies/municipalities.

First, if it is still through the provincial bureaucracy, there are problems that can occur. Namely, prolonging the implementation of the Papua Special Autonomy program and potentially distorting the implementation of Otsus itself from various aspects.

"Including the stages of the process and the use of Otsus funds itself," he said.

Second, if Papua Special Autonomy is given directly to regencies/cities, apart from shortening the bureaucracy, it is also ensured that the implementation of people's welfare programs in the field will accelerate and cut the bureaucratic chain and minimize distortions from various aspects.

In short, said Emrus, if the allocation of Papua Special Autonomy funds is still oriented to the province, then the bureaucratic path affects the ineffectiveness of the implementation of Otsus in the field.

"In fact, the regents and mayors who know and have direct contact with the real situation of the people in their respective regions are more likely than governors," said Emrus

MRP Asks for Complete Revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law

The chairman of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) Timothy Murib asked the central government to revise the Papua Special Autonomy Law or Otsus Papua as a whole instead of just two articles.

Timothy assessed that this comprehensive revision was necessary to improve the legal infrastructure in Papua and West Papua.

"According to the Papuan People's Assembly, the implementation of special autonomy for 20 years, all articles need to be evaluated according to the direction of Mr. President Jokowi on February 11, 2020," said Timothy at the DPR Building, Jakarta, Thursday, June 10.

Timothy said Jokowi had instructed that the Special Autonomy Law be evaluated thoroughly. He also questioned why the government only proposed amendments to two articles to the House of Representatives, namely Article 34 regarding the special autonomy fund and Article 76 regarding regional expansion.

MRP questioned what the correlation and urgency were, because there was no correlation. If we talk about all aspects, that is what the MRP wants," said Timothy.

The MRP also considers that the legal aspects in Papua are currently very bad and must be improved. According to Timothy, the government should fix this legal aspect first before discussing regional expansion.

Without legal reforms in Papua, he said, regional expansion could become problematic. He also asked the government not to revise Article 76 without improving the law in Papua.

"If there is a division without improving our legal mechanism, I don't think it's time for us to talk about expansion. Today we should talk about just one article for the sake of financing," said Timothy.

Two days later, Timotius and colleagues met with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud Md in his office, Friday afternoon, 11 June 2021.

This is to have a dialogue about issues in Papua and convey the aspirations of the Papuan people regarding the revision of Law No. 21 of 2001 concerning Papua's Special Autonomy or Otsus Papua, which is currently in the process of being rolled out in the DPR.

“We explained to each other and exchanged ideas and I explained the central government's policy in Papua, where they understand that what has been and will be done. Everything is in accordance with the constitutional corridor and with a welfare approach," Mahfud said in a written statement, Saturday, June 12.

Mahfud did not explain the details of the aspirations conveyed by MRP Chairman Timothy Murib to him. What is clear, Mahfud promised to continue their aspirations to the DPR.

"In principle, according to the president's directives, resolving problems in Papua should not be done with weapons and explosions, but with dialogue for the sake of prosperity," said Mahfud Md.

He also stated that law enforcement against armed groups (KKB) is part of facilitating dialogue with the Papuan people, where there are more Papuans than KKB members.