By Mark Abberton
Following the downfall of the Suharto and Habibie governments, the election of the "reform" president, Abdurrahman Wahid, and the withdrawal of Indonesian troops from East Timor, the Indonesian government has been forced to grant some democratic reforms, including offering "special autonomy status" to West Papua (Irian Jaya) and Aceh.
On February 10, thousands of people rallied in Wamena, West Papua, to reject Jakarta's autonomy package, and press for self-determination. On February 15, two busloads of West Papuans greeted United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan when he arrived in Indonesia and demanded an East Timor-style referendum.
The Habibie regime, under pressure to implement "post-Suharto" reforms, introduced two laws to appease independence struggles. On April 21, the House of Representatives approved Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy and on April 23, it approved Law No. 25/1999 on intergovernmental fiscal balance. The laws were vague on the responsibilities of the regional and central administrations and reiterated the central government's power to regulate the implementation of the laws.
The four main factions in the House of Representatives — the United Development Party, the Golkar party, the Indonesian Democratic Party and the armed forces — endorsed the laws.
Following the events in East Timor last year, the People's Consultative Assembly ruled on October 19 that the newly elected government must grant special autonomy status to Aceh and West Papua. Wahid announced the "special autonomy status" soon after his election to the presidency and during November and December began the task of selling the package to the "troubled" provinces.
On December 18, a House of Representatives delegation said that no foreign country would recognise an independent West Papua. "Leaders of the foreign countries President Abdurrahman Wahid [had] visited ... threw their weight behind Indonesia in dismissing independence demands", said legislator Astrid Susanto.
According to the Jakarta Post on February 18, the United States does not support any provinces separating from Indonesia. Assistant secretary of state Stanley Roth said the US "does not want to be a party" to dismantling Indonesia because it would have a "devastating" outcome for the region. US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, speaking to the US House International Relations Committee on February 16, commented that the troubles in West Papua and Aceh were a "major concern".
Radio Australia on December 1 reported that "Australia has called for Aceh and Irian Jaya to remain part of Indonesia" and that foreign minister Alexander Downer had told the National Press Club in Canberra that changing the boundaries of Indonesia would create chaos and be very destabilising for the region.
Wahid and most factions within the Indonesian government are aware that concessions are required to quell support for independence in West Papua. However, they oppose measures that may upset the "unity of the nation". Proposals such as federation have been rejected in favour of negotiations for regional autonomy under the central government's terms.
The Jakarta Post reported on February 17 that cabinet secretary Marsilam Simajuntak said the laws on regional autonomy and fiscal balance would be implemented on April 1. The House of Representatives has supported Wahid's decision in January to change the name of the province from Irian Jaya to West Papua.
The details of the autonomy package remain unclear, and West Papuans remain convinced that they deserve the independence they were deprived of in the rigged 1969 "act of free choice".