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Papuans
protest new provinces
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The
Jakarta Post
March
11, 2003
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Papuans protest new provinces
JAYAPURA, Papua: A crowd of some 100
students demonstrated on Monday before the provincial legislature
against Jakarta's move to split Papua into three provinces,
arguing it would attract more migrants to the natural
resources-rich, yet sparely populated region.
Calling themselves the Mid-Mountain People's Care Forum, the
protesters, mostly students, argued that dividing Papua in three
provinces benefited Jakarta but would harm locals.
They feared an influx of migrants, reasoning Papuans were unlikely
to fill all the new posts needed to run the two new provincial
governments.
Locals have long complained about discrimination by migrants since
the region came under Indonesian rule during the 1960s.
Poverty and unemployment remains a problem in Papua despite its
advanced exploitation of natural resources. As education has been
lacking, most of the higher-paid jobs have been filled by
outsiders.
Monday's rally was the third since President Megawati
Soekarnoputri approved the addition of two new provinces to Papua
last January.
The move is aimed to bring better public services to the 2.4
million Papuans who live in a region about three times the size of
Java. -- JP
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