The Special Autonomy Bill For Papua Is Ratified By The Indonesian House Of Representatives, Mahfud MD: Will Be Maximized For Welfare

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia has ratified Draft Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua. In response to this, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD is grateful and hopes that this policy can be maximized for the welfare of the people in Papua.

"Alhamdulillah, the revision of the Special Autonomy Law Number 21 of 2001 has been ratified in the DPR," Mahfud said in a written statement quoted on Friday, July 16.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) said that this law was not meant to extend the existing Papua Special Autonomy Law because this did not need to be done. This revision, said Mahfud, only concerns the special autonomy fund, which originally had to end in November 2021, to be extended again.

Furthermore, this fund will be maximized in its management so that the people in Papua can prosper.

"The Special Autonomy Fund will now be maximized for welfare in Papua. It will no longer be allowed to be managed without clear accountability but will be accompanied by an increase in the central fund from 2 percent to two and a quarter percent of the national DAU," said Mahfud.

He also admitted that he had explained developments in Papua to Indonesian ambassadors in various countries. Thus, there is no longer an issue of an independent Papua outside the country.

"Alhamdulillah, all of the foreign ambassadors confirmed that there is no longer an issue of an independent Papua, Vanuatu is still voicing that, but now the approach is no longer an independent Papua. The approach is how to resolve cases of human rights violations," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding human rights violations, Mahfud said, this has been done with Komnas HAM, Menkumham, and the Attorney General.

"We are solving, organizing the issue of human rights protection which is always being rumored, by a small group of people who really want to make Indonesia's image bad. But okay, we will show the world that human rights issues in Papua will be the same as in other regions in Indonesia. we manage," he concluded.