Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – At least 3,000 people mobilized by the Papuan Christian Communication Forum staged a rally in Jayapura on Monday, questioning the functioning of the special autonomy law.

They claimed the law had been in force for seven years, but that most indigenous Papuan people had not seen any improvement in their welfare.

The protesters from 45 churches in Jayapura flocked to the Papuan gubernatorial office at 9 a.m. local time, unfurling banners with slogans including: "Special Autonomy Law – Blessing or Disaster", "Special Autonomy for whom" and Papua Pancasila Yes, Papua Sharia No."

Besides questioning the special autonomy law, protesters opposed campaigns by Jakarta-based groups calling for sharia law in Indonesia.

The protesters, who wore red and white, with a cross on their heads, were received by Papuan provincial administration secretary, Tedjo Suprapto, representing Papuan Governor Barnabas Suebu, who was away. Salmon Yumane, a rally coordinator, said the provincial administration and the Papuan Representatives Council were ignoring local interests by failing to promulgate and enforce regulations needed to put special autonomy into practice.

"How can we assess the achievements of the special autonomy law, if the regulations are not in force," Yumane said. "It seems as if the local administration and council have forgotten to make the regulations, thereby leaving local Papuan people living in poverty," he said.

Rev. Richard Paay, a local speaker at the rally, said the law had been in effect for seven years, but no changes had taken place.

"For seven years, local people who mostly live in poverty, have heard about trillions of rupiah (to be distributed to them), but many Papuans still die due to poor sanitation. Where does the money go?," Paay asked.

Paay said students who wanted to do higher level studies were asked to pay hundreds of thousand of rupiah in entrance fees.

The administration has built modern markets, but Papuan people still had to sell their goods in small alleyways. For whom were the markets built?

Instead of getting benefits from the autonomy law, Papuans only got unfavorable results. "People have been forced to face hardships like joining long lines for kerosene, due to shortages, while prices of basic commodities continue rising, although most Papuans do not have their own incomes," Paay said.

Paay asked the administration to encourage participation from the churches to make the autonomy law effective. "If the administration faces difficulties in implementation, just inform the church... we are ready to give support," he said.