Finally! Papua Special Autonomy Law Passed By DPR

Illustration-DPR RI Plenary Meeting (Photo: DOK VOI/Diah Ayu)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian House of Representatives finally ratified the Draft Law (RUU) No. 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy (Otsus) for the Province of Papua as Law in the 23rd Plenary Meeting of the Closing of Session Period V for the 2020-2021 Session Year.

Previously, there were 20 articles that underwent changes in the discussion of the Papua Special Autonomy Bill in the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR.

In his report, the Chairman of the Special Committee (Pansus) for the Papua Special Autonomy Bill, Komarudin Watubun conveyed the number of articles that were revised in the discussion of the Papua Special Autonomy Bill.

"A total of 15 articles outside the substance proposed by the president, plus 2 articles of material substance outside the law can be accommodated by the government in the amendment to Law Number 21 of 2021. So there are 18 articles that have changed and 2 new articles, totaling 20 articles. ," said Komarudin in a plenary meeting, Thursday, July 15.

The PDI-P politician hopes that the revision of the Special Autonomy for Papua can answer various problems in Papua.

The ratification of the Papua Special Autonomy Law was then knocked by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, as the chair of the meeting after asking for the approval of all DRR members.

"Furthermore, we will ask all members once again, can the Bill on the Second Amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province be approved and passed into law?" asked Dasco to which the Council agreed.

After the Papua Special Autonomy Bill was approved, Dasco invited the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian to deliver his final opinion on behalf of the president.

Tito said that according to the president's letter regarding the submission of the Papua Special Autonomy Bill, the government actually proposed changes to only three articles. Among them are Article 1, Article 34, and Article 76.

"However, following developments following the dynamics and discussions and inputs and listening to the aspirations of the people, finally the special committee meeting has determined changes to 20 articles. Three articles are proposed by the president's letter, then 17 articles are outside the government's proposal," said Tito.