“Deal with the rectification of history first”

Bintang Papua, 3 October 2011

JAYAPURA – The claim made by the Committee for the Third Papuan People’s Congress (scheduled for 16–19 October) that they already have the support of the government has received a pessimistic response from a member of the DPRP, the Papuan Provincial parliament, Dr. Johanes Sumarto. He said that the Papuan parliament is urging the Third Papuan People’s Congress Committee to deal first with the unfinished agenda of the Second Papuan Congress, then talk about the issue of a third congress. He said that as one point on the agenda remained unfinished, that is to say, the rectification of history had not yet been successfully dealt with, it was not the time to start dealing with more agenda items. Because of this, said Johanes, pushing ahead with the Third Papuan People’s Congress before outstanding agendas had been dealt with was a waste of time, funds and energy. “The [agenda of the] Second Papua Congress has not been finished and now they want to have a third – this is a waste of energy, money and so on,” said the representative of the Gerindra Party when contacted by Bintang Papua at his office at the Papuan local parliament in Jayapura on Monday (3/10).

According to Johanes, once the agenda of the Second Congress is finished, this should be reported to the government and along with the plan for the Third Congress. “This in no way diminishes the will to hold a Third Papuan People’s Congress. I value their desire to have this congress. But this is a question of efficiency of the activity,” he added.

The problem according to him was that the Second Congress received the blessing and financial support of the central government via former President Gus Dur [Abdurrahman Wahid], to the tune of one billion rupiah, whereas this Third Congress had not yet been approved by the government. “The central government hasn’t approved it yet, but neither have they opposed it,” he said.

As reported in this newspaper yesterday... [/repeats article of 2 October 2011/].

/Translated by TAPOL/

ENDS

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