Papuan Elders' Comments:

FUNDS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Zadrack Taime, MSc, Secretary of Sentani Tribal Government urges provincial government of Papua to allocate funds from the provincial budget to support indigenous communities. "If not, all activities initiated by Tribal Council to empower indigenous communities will come to a standstill. Government has given financial contribution but relatively small amount and not clearly budgeted. Government is obliged to allocate 30 percent of the provincial budget to support empowering programs of indigenous communities". Mr. Taime urges the government to let the tribal councils involve in the development process. He says that tribal councils are better aware of the needs of indigenous communities. Therefore, a dialogue should be undertaken in which tribal councils and government can discuss in a transparent and fair atmosphere.

Source: RADAR SENTANI Cenderawasih Post, 29 January 2005.

DOMINATED EMPLOYMENT

Special Autonomy offered by the Jakarta government which is considered by many as option to solve problems in Papua does not function as expected instead creates more controversy. Employment that is now more and more dominated by the Indonesian migrants is one of the examples. Indonesian migrants again dominate the selection of public servants in 2005, whereas in written facts Special Autonomy Law guarantees the Papuan indigenous people for being fairly treated after for so many years being marginalised since Indonesia takes over the power in Papua in 1963. Protests were organised in almost every regency in Papua in January 2005. More than 200 people went to the local parliament of Jayapura on 27 January appealing the government to withdraw the result of the selections of public servant recruitment as reported by the Radar Sentani Cenderawasih Post 28 January 2005. "Protests that were against 80% for migrants to be public servants are proper", said Kundrat Gusbager, S.Si after hundreds of people participated in the protest demonstration on 28 January 2005 against the result of test for being public servants in the regency of Kerom. Kundrat Gusbager who is the chairman of the local parliament is willing to pass the appeals by the people on to the government if they ask him to do so.