22 Oct 2015

Opposition to plans for new Papua provinces

4:38 pm on 22 October 2015

A note of caution has been sounded about Indonesian government plans to carve up another province out of Papua region.

This comes as lawmakers look set to create two more provinces in the Indonesian territory of New Guinea.

Plans to create more than the two existing provinces in the Papua region have been on the table for years but are considered by opponents to be against Papua's special autonomy provisions.

Septer Manufandu of the NGO, Jerat Papua, says Papua doesn't need more provinces, it needs development

"When we're talking about development, concrete development in the district and in the sub-district, how do government create good facility in education, health, in the sub-district and the district - [and] not create more problems ... it seems like we create the new problems."

Septer Manufandu says development involving Papuans continues to lag, partly due to a lack of recognition for the basic rights of Papuans and also because government agencies aren't always listening to the needs of Papuans.