The House of Representatives Passes the Papua Special Autonomy Bill into Law

The House of Representatives (DPR) ratified the Draft Law (RUU) on Papua's Special Autonomy (Otsus) into law.
The approval was taken at the DPR Plenary Meeting at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta on Thursday (15/7).

"Can the Bill on the Second Amendment to Law No. 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua be approved for ratification into law?" asked the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad as chairman of the Plenary Meeting to the members of the council present.

"Agreed," answered the members of the council present, then Dasco responded by tapping the hammer as a sign of approval.

The DPR Plenary Meeting on this occasion was attended by 492 of the 575 council members with details of 51 attending physically and 440 attending online.

The Papua Special Autonomy Bill revises 20 articles of the Papua Special Autonomy Law. A total of three articles were proposed by the government and 17 others were proposed by the DPR RI.

One of the points changed in the new regulation is that the Papua Special Autonomy fund was also changed from 2 percent to 2.25 percent, as stated in Article 34 paragraph (3) letter e of the Papua Special Autonomy Bill.

However, the Papua Special Autonomy Fund of 2.25 percent is divided into two, namely in the form of general revenues equivalent to 1 percent of the national DAU ceiling and revenues that have been determined for use based on implementation performance of 1.25 percent of the national DAU ceiling intended for funding education, health, and community economic empowerment.

The ratification of the Papua Special Autonomy Bill was marked by demonstrations in Papua. Dozens of people were arrested in an action against the Special Autonomy Bill in Papua.

Jayapura City Police Chief Kombes Gustav R Urbinas said 23 people who were arrested by the authorities during demonstrations against Special Autonomy Volume II in a number of areas were coordinators and provocateurs of the masses who carried out anarchistic actions.

"The 23 people are the coordinators of actions and provocations. They throw things," said Gustav in his statement, Thursday (15/7).

He said that the officers forced the dispersal of the demonstration because they did not have a permit. When he was asked to disperse, he said, the crowd then threw stones at the officers.

SOURCE: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20210715121147-32-668046/dpr-sahan-ruu-otsus-papua-jadi-uu