Coalition of United Papuan People for Truth (Krpbk) Calls for Disbandment of the MRP
Jayapura: A large number of people who are members of the KRPBK took part in a demonstration in Jayapura on Monday 11
January protesting against the recruitment of members of the Majelis Rakyat Papua (Papuan People's Assembly). They
called for the MRP to be disbanded without delay because Special Autonomy (OTSUS) has been a total failure.
The demonstration began with a series of speeches outside the office of the MRP, under the guard of security forces from
the police and Brimob. The demonstrators then proceeded to the office of the DPRP, the Papuan provincial legislative
assembly, to present their demands.
Representatives from several components of civil society in Papua stated their views in a series of speeches. They said
that OTSUS which had bound Papua to Jakarta has been declared a failure by all the Papuan people at the time when they
declared that they had handed back the OTSUS law to the Indonesian government on 12 August and 17 July 2010. This means
that there is no question of recruiting members of the MRP. The MRP which was set up as the the cultural voice of the
Papuan people within the framework of OTSUS had proved incapable of representing the views of the Papuan people because
it turned out to be nothing but a puppet. This means that there is no longer any need for the MRP to continue to exist
in Papua.
They also urged the DPRP to implement the eleven recommendations [see below] adopted by the Grand Assembly of the Papuan
People in June 2010. They pointed out that there had been no reaction to these eleven recommendations and nothing had
changed.
The demonstrators called upon the Euroopean Union, the US and other countries which have made contributions to OTSUS to
end their financial support . They also called upon these countries and the international community to push for
acknowledgement of the status of Papua as a sovereign state and an independent people.
If these demands are not speedily implemented, the KPRBK said that it will occupy the offices of the MRP and the DPRP
together with a far greater number of people. This action will take place simultaneously throughout the national
territory of West Papua.
The KRPBK demonstration then met the chairman of the Commission A of the DPRP who is also the chairman of the MRP
recruitment comittee, Drs Ruben Magai, who explained that the authority to disband the MRP rests with the MPR - the
People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia - and the matter could not be handled by the DPRP, nor does
the DPRP have the authority to respond to the eleven recommendations of the Papuan People.
Ruben Magai also said that a special committee to evaluate OTSUS had been set up and the evaluation would happen very
soon. As for the recruitment of members of the MRP, that is also in progress, together with the selection of the new
governor and deputy governor, which is to be carried out by the MRP.
The KRPBK said that they were not satisfied with the response of the DPRP. They read out a statement of their opinion,
while at the same time saying that they would refuse to make any written statement to the DPRP about their aspirations
until such time as their demands had been met.
ENDS