Yuliana Lantipo, Jayapura, Jubi – The judicial review upon Law No. 2/2021 on the Second Amendment to the Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law at the Constitutional Court is still a top priority program for the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) in 2022. The MRP proposed the judicial review as the new Otsus Law was considered reducing the authority of the Papuan People's Assembly.
"The Papuan People's Assembly is focused on judicial review of Law No. 2/2021 at the Constitutional Court," said MRP chairman Timotius Murib to Jubi on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
According to Murib, the MRP has also determined 15 other priority programs that will be carried out by the assembly this year. The entire agenda has been determined and ratified in the plenary meeting last Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
The request for a judicial review was submitted by Timotious Murib as MRP chair, deputy chair of the MRP Yoel Luiz Start, and Debora Mote. The plaintiff said the recent Otsus Law had violated their constitutional rights as Indigenous Papuans.
One of the changes in the Law No. 2/2021 is the removal of Article 68 paragraph (1) and paragraph (2) concerning the formation of local political parties in Papua.
"This change is clearly against the 1945 Constitution," said Murib.
Murib went on to explain the priority programs by three working groups in the MRP, "In the Religious Working Group, there are seven programs. The Women's Working Group has four programs, and the Customary Working Group has four programs. We will also follow-up some of the unfinished programs from last year".
According to him, all of the priority agendas carry the theme of protecting Papua's forests and Indigenous People. The Religious Working Group, for example, has programs to ban alcoholic beverages production and distribution, encourage local governments to provide rehabilitation facilities for drug victims, and improve communication and coordination in eradicating the selling of alcoholic beverages.
The Customary Working Group has programs to urge the government and related parties such as companies to settle payments or compensation for land belonging to Indigenous Peoples. "We will continue to monitor public complaints about their lands that have been taken by the government and companies but have not been paid," said Murib.
The Customary Working Group will also disseminate the MRP's decision about customary land. In addition, they will report the achievements that the MRP has worked on over the past five years.
Meanwhile, the priority agenda of the Women's Working Group this year concerns the poor protection for women and children in the middle of armed conflicts that occur in various regions of Papua. The Women's Working Group wants to work with the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) to seek protection for women and children in conflict areas.
"The important thing to do this year is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Komnas Perempuan in order to protect mothers and children, especially in conflict areas. In Jokowi's era, the level of suffering for mothers and children in conflict areas is extraordinary due to the ongoing violence between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police and armed groups," said Murib. (*)
Source: https://en.jubi.co.id/papuan-peoples-assembly-explains-its-2022-priority-program